Chapter 197: The Familiar-Looking Demon Cultivator

However, when she saw the appearance of the two Demon Cultivators before her clearly, Ruan Xing felt a slight shock in her heart.

A thin, grey-robed old man, and a male Demon Cultivator with his face covered in black cloth.

Ruan Xing could roughly sense that the masked Demon Cultivator was around the Early Nascent Soul Stage, but she could not sense the grey-robed old man at all.

What surprised her was not the other party's cultivation level.

It was the old man's appearance.

This grey-robed old man was the Demon Cultivator who had met Xie Huai outside the Golden Terrace Secret Realm! At that time, Xie Feng said the grey-robed old man was at the Nascent Soul Stage; she did not expect that seven years later, his cultivation had improved quite a bit.

The appearance of the two of them seemed to be beyond Mo Cijun's expectations as well.

His body tensed slightly, his smile remaining unchanged on his face, "What important business do you two have blocking the path here?"

The grey-robed old man spoke in a hoarse voice: "I heard Third Floor Master Mo came to do business; naturally, there is a deal to discuss."

Mo Cijun's heart sank.

He did not know this Demon Cultivator, and there had been no interaction between them before.

To be able to accurately intercept him on his return journey, the only possibility was that Demon Lord Cheng Huan had sold him out.

After leaving Wuxu City, they were picked up by Demon Lord Cheng Huan's subordinates, and the small house on the back of the Monster Beast could not be seen by people outside, so the only person who knew he had arrived in the Northern Territory first was Demon Lord Cheng Huan.

Other Demon Cultivators encountered on the road were all after Demon Lord Cheng Huan, and even if those people felt he looked like an Immortal Cultivator, they could not grasp his route.

After all, they had not delayed much along the way, traveling without stopping from one place to another.

Only Demon Lord Cheng Huan had traded with him many times and knew his approximate route.

However, after Demon Lord Cheng Huan sold him out, was he not worried that no one from Wanbao Tower would dare to enter the Northern Territory in the next few decades?

Or was it that the signs of war were already known to Demon Lord Cheng Huan, and he was confident that the first battle would definitely break out within five years?

Then the identity of the person before them was self-evident.

"They are people of the Saint Demon Lord," Ruan Xing said to Mo Cijun in a low voice.

"I know," Mo Cijun took a deep breath, suddenly becoming somewhat nervous.

But he had no way to fight these people in the Northern Territory; not to mention whether he could win, once they fought, a large number of bloodthirsty and warlike lunatics in the Northern Territory would swarm up mindlessly.

Then they would not be able to leave.

Now he could only wait and see what that Saint Demon Lord wanted to obtain from him.

The silence between the two sides only lasted for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.

Mo Cijun finally said: "This Demon Lord, may I ask how to address you?"

"I am no Demon Lord," the grey-robed old man's hoarse voice sounded like gravel rubbing together, "Third Floor Master Mo can call me Drunken Breath."

Drunken Breath...

A strange name.

Logically speaking, most Demon Cultivators had very distinct personal preferences and were relatively volatile in emotion, while the grey-robed old man's deathly, lifeless appearance made Mo Cijun truly unable to fathom him.

He clearly possessed the cultivation to dominate a region, yet he was unwilling to be called a Demon Lord.

Mo Cijun could only stand in front of Ruan Xing first, indicating that he was willing to go with the other party.

Fortunately, Wanbao Tower's reputation among high-level Demon Cultivators in the Northern Territory was a little different.

Otherwise, he might really have to leave his life here today.

The grey-robed old man did not say anything more; he turned around and flew straight up without the aid of any Dharma Artifact, his whole body like a sharp sword piercing the wind. The masked Demon Cultivator seemed to have long been accustomed to the grey-robed old man's style of doing things and followed closely behind.

Mo Cijun and Ruan Xing also did not rashly use Dharma Artifacts, and could only follow by relying on the effect of Spiritual Power to make themselves take flight.

Ruan Xing had only seen the grey-robed old man a few times in the Simulation, so the grey-robed old man did not recognize her.

It was just that she was somewhat worried: would he recognize the Mask Artifact on her body? Having already been recognized by Demon Lord Cheng Huan once, it would not be strange to be recognized by the grey-robed old man again.

Moreover, Xie Huai was likely also at the place where the grey-robed old man was heading.

The journey was silent, and after a short while, the grey-robed old man landed first, and the four of them stood before a strangely shaped mountain rock.

Walking in and taking two turns, they saw a downward staircase passage.

For some reason, Ruan Xing felt it was somewhat familiar.

Looking closely, she felt that this place was eighty percent similar to the Underground Palace behind the Fengling Yueying Sect.

Hiss... Xie Feng used the Northern Territory Underground Palace as a prototype, right?

This Underground Palace was of quite good quality... it had not been damaged much after several thousand years.

However, she had only gone to see it once after Xie Feng finished building the Underground Palace, and after arranging for the Demon Cultivator disciples of the Sect to move in, she had never gone again, so she hadn't made the connection just now.

The passages of the Underground Palace extended in all directions and were extremely wide; on the irregular stone walls were slender, creeping plants emitting a glowing green light, almost covering the entire passage.

A damp scent permeated her nasal cavity, and footsteps made dull echoes in the passage.

Until they approached a place similar to a circular archway, the grey-robed old man stepped forward and did something, and the emerald green curtains automatically parted to both sides; the few of them walked in one after another.

The space behind the archway was very large, and several hazy gauze curtains hung down in the middle. They did not see Xie Yao's figure, but they heard Xie Yao's voice.

As soon as she spoke, pale green mist rose in curls from all around.

"Long heard of the name, but never seen the person; rare guests from Wanbao Tower, this is your first time setting foot in the Northern Territory Underground Palace, right?"

Xie Yao's voice carried a hint of vicissitudes, yet it sounded soft and carried two parts of seduction.

Mo Cijun just tried his best to keep the expression on his face unchanged.

In the past, this Saint Demon Lord of the Northern Territory had always been very low-key... she had never done business with Wanbao Tower, and Wanbao Tower had never actively provoked her.

The two sides kept to themselves.

And regardless of what intentions Wanbao Tower held toward the Northern Territory.

The long-standing trade had been beneficial to many Demon Lords of the Northern Territory.

"It is indeed the first time witnessing the Saint Demon Lord's elegance," Mo Cijun said, "May I ask what business the Saint Demon Lord has in calling me here?"

"Nothing much, just inviting you to be a guest," Xie Yao said: "Since you have seen me, Chuan Nu, take them to find a place to stay."

The masked Demon Cultivator lowered his head in acknowledgment, then led the way forward, signaling for Mo Cijun and Ruan Xing to follow him.

The gray-robed elder remained inside the archway.

Although Mo Cijun could not figure out the meaning behind Xie Yao's actions, he dared not act rashly and followed obediently behind Chuan Nu. Ruan Xing kept a low profile, shrinking behind Mo Cijun, terrified that someone might discover the Mask Artifact she was carrying.

Chuan Nu brought the two to a crude room, waved his hand to seal the cave entrance with Green Vine, leaving only a mesh-like gap, and then left without a word.

Inside the room, there was nothing but a stone table, stone stools, and a stone bed; it looked in every way like a place that fit the definition of a prison cell.

There was not even a sliver of light, and they could only rely on the faint fluorescence of the Green Vine.

Ruan Xing touched the Green Vine; the sensation it brought was a prickly, soft, and itchy feeling. She did not know if it was her imagination, but she could even feel the frequency of the Green Vine's breathing.

Another strange plant... she had never heard of it.

She applied a little force with her hand to test its toughness, and she felt slightly more at ease.

With her current Cultivation, using a Spirit Tool would likely be enough to cut through the Green Vine and break out an exit, but the commotion would surely not be small. Since she was less than a kilometer away from Xie Yao, she feared that as soon as she made a move, Xie Yao would flash over and swallow her as a snack.

However, at least the Green Vine did not completely trap them; there was still hope of escape.

A look of doubt appeared in Mo Cijun's eyes. "What exactly are they trying to do?"

"Probably to trap you so you can't send word," Ruan Xing guessed.

"How is that possible?" Mo Cijun laughed bitterly. "If I were to return safe and sound and then announce to the major Sects that the Demon Cultivators are about to attack the Immortal Sect, I doubt many would believe me. But if I stay here, within three months, Wanbao Tower will fall into paralysis. By then, many small Sect forces, enterprises, and shops that cooperate with or rely on Wanbao Tower will fall into panic. If it is then announced that I have been captured by Demon Cultivators, even for the sake of righteousness, the three major Sects will find a way to crusade against the Demon Cultivators to rescue me. Wanbao Tower has been rooted in the Xianyuan Continent for so long that its deep connections can no longer be severed."

"But..." Ruan Xing hesitated. "If you stay here, what if the Building Master Mo San who returns is someone else?"

Was the Dharma Artifact developed by Demon Lord Cheng Huan that can change one's Cultivation and appearance really just for the convenience of Demon Cultivators traveling in the other four continents?

He originated from the Immortal Sect and understood the methods the Immortal Sect used to test for Demon Cultivators; avoiding these would naturally lead one to think of countermeasures.

But he himself would not return to the Immortal Sect's territory, so why go to such great lengths to develop it? To this day, the world of Cultivation has no widely known means of changing one's appearance and Cultivation, which proves they do not understand this type of Dharma Artifact.

And the last time a large number of Demon Cultivators were captured in the world of Cultivation was over thirty years ago.

If it existed back then, the Immortal Sect would not be unaware.

Therefore, the Mask Artifact only began to be used after that.

"There is absolutely no such possibility," Mo Cijun said without hesitation. "Currently, there are basically no disguise Magic Arts or Dharma Artifacts in the world of Cultivation that can maintain a perfect change for a long time. Even if someone were to impersonate me and return, they might fool people for a day or two, but within seven days, others in the building would discover it."

Ruan Xing said, "What if there really is one?"

"What?" Mo Cijun was puzzled.

Ruan Xing hesitated, removed all the disguises on her body, and took out the Mask Artifact.

"You..." Mo Cijun was shocked. He muttered, "I previously thought your true Cultivation was close to mine, so I couldn't detect that you were hiding your Cultivation. I didn't expect that even your appearance was fake. Cen Zhong told me you had a miraculous transformation technique; it turns out it is even more marvelous than I imagined."

Ruan Xing shook her head. She did not mention her shapeshifting ability, but glossed over it and only spoke of the Mask Artifact.

"From the time I returned to Wanbao Tower to refine pills, to today when I am trapped with you in the Northern Territory, nearly four months have passed. I have maintained this disguised appearance for nearly four months, and no one in Wanbao Tower has discovered it. And this Dharma Artifact... is exactly what I obtained from the hands of a Demon Cultivator. Do you still think what I just said is impossible?"

Mo Cijun's expression became heavy.

He took the Mask Artifact from Ruan Xing's hand, pondered for a moment, and then returned it.

"There is indeed... such a possibility." He sat down on the stone bed in a dejected manner, his hands supporting his knees; even the folding fan that never left his side could not alleviate his anxiety at this moment.

Mo Cijun said with deep concern, "If they really do this, what should I do?"

Ruan Xing did not answer, but instead re-applied her disguise.

After all, she had entered in this appearance, and since she had not been discovered yet, she naturally had to continue the disguise.

If she were to remove it rashly, it would not only attract attention but might also be seen by Demon Cultivators who had seen her face.

If it were discovered that she was the Ruan Xing who had threatened Xie Yao...

A bead of cold sweat quietly flowed down her forehead.

Even in the Simulation, she could not help but feel nervous.

After all, she had already died once at the hands of Xie Yao.

For the rest of the time, the two stayed in the room and spent it quietly.

It was not until the next day that someone came to attend to them.

The masked Demon Cultivator approached, and the Green Vine automatically opened a palm-sized space; he pushed a tray through the gap left by the Green Vine.

On the tray were two bottles of wine and some roasted Demon Beast Meat.

Ruan Xing was full of question marks.

They were prisoners, so why was their treatment so good? They were even given food?

And it was Spirit Food!? The masked Demon Cultivator did not speak; he pushed the tray in and left.

Ruan Xing looked at Mo Cijun. "What is the situation?"

Mo Cijun gave a bitter smile. "Haven't you noticed that there is something strange here?"

He explained bitterly, "This prison cell has the ability to absorb Spirit Qi. The Northern Territory is already scarce in Spirit Qi, and the cell constantly absorbs and seizes it. With more going out than coming in, over time, people locked here will gradually weaken to the point of Spiritual Power exhaustion, and it is even possible to drop in realm. We haven't fully figured out the intention of that Saint Demon Lord in locking me up, but for the time being, she doesn't want me to die here."

"What!?" Ruan Xing was shocked.

She didn't feel anything! She hurriedly and quietly circulated the Spiritual Power in her body; it was still abundant, with no sign of weakening at all.

But looking at Mo Cijun's somewhat pale face, Ruan Xing believed his words.

Could it be a special effect of a Divine Ability?

Ruan Xing resumed a slightly sorrowful expression, not daring to make a sound, and quietly made her own complexion turn paler as well.

Although it felt somewhat humiliating, one had to bow their head when under the eaves; Mo Cijun still picked up the tray, placed it on the stone table, and invited Ruan Xing to eat with a bitter smile.

Ruan Xing sat over and shared the unknown roasted meat with Mo Cijun.

Although it carried a faint amount of Spirit Qi and Mo Cijun's complexion visibly improved a little after eating it, the taste of the roasted meat was truly not worth complimenting.

She did not know if it was intentional or accidental.

The following second day, third day, were all the same.

The masked Demon Cultivator brought the tray containing food in the morning and came to silently take it away in the afternoon. Sometimes he would observe the two from outside through the net woven by the Green Vine, but he would not have a single word of communication with them.

Sometimes when Ruan Xing wanted to take the initiative to strike up a conversation with him, she didn't know how to start.

She couldn't help but feel a bit anxious inside; if Xie Yao intended to stay in seclusion for three to five months, who would compensate for the points she wasted?

Things couldn't just go without any progress!

Thanks to Hope Wandering for the monthly ticket~