Chapter 517: Demon Stronghold

Fine rain drizzles, patting the withered cypress flowers outside the house, making a pattering sound.

Heng Xian had a dream, dreaming that he had returned to the Tianyuan Sect; his master Nan Gong Li Luo was drunk and asleep, sleeping soundly in the next room, while his senior brother was fishing and planting medicinal herbs in the North Mountain stream.

The eldest senior sister had already cooked; her culinary skills had always been…… neither good nor bad, while the three junior disciples laughed and played noisily……

This scene was harmonious and joyful; he actually liked it quite a bit.

The corner of his mouth slowly revealed a hint of a smile, then he opened his eyes.

What met his eyes was not the Bitter Willow Peak of the Tianyuan Sect, but a strangely shaped wooden room; the floor was covered with soft straw, and the surrounding walls hung with fishing nets, axes, knives, forks……

But these tools didn't look like they were for fishing or chopping wood; they resembled…… torture devices!

Then he saw chains locking his limbs, as thick as a child's arm, covered with eerie demonic runes, just as a Daoist would subdue demons, but now he himself was being subdued by demons.

His whole body was weak, his vital energy gravely injured!

He recalled that earlier he had encountered the "Dog-faced Man"; first he used the Heavenly Hexagram to calculate his identity, then took the chance to flee, stubbornly endured a palm strike and fell into the mountain stream, then followed the hexagram's indications to escape, and finally, exhaustion compounded his injuries, and he lost consciousness……

So after losing consciousness, was he captured by the native demon tribe here?!

Thinking of this, he struggled to stand up and look outside.

Outside the window lay a kind of withered cypress flower that humans generally dislike; this plant emits a strange medicinal fragrance that disrupts cultivators' spiritual energy.

In the distance, faint voices of people talking and children's laughter could be heard.

What kind of ghostly place is this?

"A Mu, has that person woken up?"

Just then, someone outside spoke up, the tone very solemn, yet with a hint of familiarity.

"Tribal Elder, I just probed; he's still not awake." Someone outside answered.

"Open the door!"

"Understood!"

Creak——

The room door opened, and five people walked in.

Leading them was precisely the fur‑clad old man who had previously led people to tail Sun Bufan, surrounding them and their tent.

Behind the old man followed a pale‑skinned little girl, exactly the native girl who had been drawn by the lightning to peek at Heng Xian.

Seeing Heng Xian open his eyes, everyone was momentarily stunned.

Heng Xian waved the chains and laughed: "Where in life do we not meet again? We've met once more!"

The fur‑clad old man's face darkened: "Last time, your cultivation was extraordinary, but now you are our prisoner!"

Heng Xian said indifferently: "Whether prisoner or not, we're all friends!"

"Pah! Who's friends with you? You lightning‑struck evildoer, big bad guy! You even hurt me!" The girl shouted angrily.

The fur‑clad old man also said: "Outsider, don't waste words; your life and death are now in our hands!"

Heng Xian wearily leaned against the back wall: "Why not just kill me outright? Are you keeping me locked up to play with torture?"

The fur‑clad old man fell silent for a moment: "Keeping you will naturally be useful!"

"Could it be……" Heng Xian widened his eyes, "You want to breed with me?"

"What breeding?" The old man blinked in surprise.

Heng Xian said: "That is, changing genes—you definitely don't know what genes are; put simply, your bloodline is insufficient, so you seize me, recruit seven or eight demon‑tribe beauties to accompany me, and bear a bunch of children… this…… is too toxic, I strongly oppose it!"

The crowd first fell silent, then burst into loud laughter.

The little girl blushed even more, stomping her feet furiously.

The fur‑clad old man shook his head: "You're dreaming beautifully; our Fox Tribe has no beauties for you to ruin—go enjoy your grand spring‑autumn dream!"

Heng Xian spread his hands: "Then I just don't understand!"

The fur‑clad old man pinched his beard and narrowed his eyes: "You're not necessarily doomed; just hand over the Heavenly Demon Metamorphosis Technique!"

"Heavenly Demon Metamorphosis?" Heng Xian startled, wondering whether he knew this demonic art.

The fur‑clad old man reminded: "When you fought Hu Wu Di, the technique that briefly immobilized his body—frankly, it is precisely a secret art lost to our demon tribe for a hundred thousand years!"

"Uh……" Heng Xian involuntarily fell into thought, wondering whether the old lady in the phoenix‑shadow on Mount Zilian of the Great Zhou capital knew demonic arts??

"What does 'uh' mean?" The fur‑clad old man pressed.

Heng Xian replied: "The meaning of 'uh' is that I'm not proficient in that technique, and I certainly can't teach it to others!"

The fur‑clad old man sized him up: "You probably haven't even tried our demon tribe's torture devices!"

Heng Xian glanced at the torture devices on the wall: "Quite fearsome, but I truly cannot teach that technique; even if you dismember me into eight pieces, I still couldn't teach it—these words are utterly true, and if half a sentence were false, may my dear brother Shen Kai suffer the torment of blades and fire, eternal damnation!"

The old man and his companions fell silent for a moment, somewhat unable to process, but seeing his vicious oath, they actually chose to believe him.

The fur‑clad old man looked full of disappointment: "Is there really no way to teach it?"

Heng Xian snapped his fingers: "There is also a way!"

The old man and his companions' eyes lit up: "Speak!"

Heng Xian solemnly said: "On every full‑moon night I briefly recall the origin of this technique; then I can reveal a bit, and you yourselves can patch things together and perhaps learn it!

So, keeping me locked up is pointless; if you were wise, you would honor me as an esteemed guest, with fine wine and dishes, so we all enjoy harmony—you good, me good, he good too!"

"No way!" The old man rejected firmly: "You humans are full of tricks and nonsense; it's better to keep you locked up!"

Saying this, he led the people out of the room.

The little girl even turned back and made a grimace: "Lock you dead, you lightning‑struck villain!"

That little girl even turned around and made a grimace: "Curse you, you damned person struck by lightning!"

The door was shut.

"A Mu, keep an eye on him!"

"Understood!"

Yes!

The surroundings fell quiet again.

Heng Xian raised the heavy chain on his hand, scratched his nose, and opened the "Mysterious Yellow Heavenly Hexagram": "Give me a plan to leave!"

The hexagram showed: 【Given the host's current physical condition, it's very difficult to leave, but these native demons, although they have the intention to trap you and ask you for secret arts, likewise, because you know the ancient secret arts they speak of, they revere you and dare not kill you!】

Therefore, it is advised that the host stay, look for a suitable opportunity, infiltrate the higher echelons of the demons of this realm, and obtain that wonderful method for forging the Golden Core!】

Heng Xian frowned: 'But are those friends of mine in danger?'

The hexagram showed: 【The fourteen sect members have been captured and taken away; their fate is up to heaven, and there's nothing left to worry about!】

Heng Xian's heart tightened; he suddenly felt that this Heavenly Hexagram was deadly cold-blooded.

However, Sun Bufan and the disciples of the various sects have been captured—what will become of their fate?

He instinctively raised the chain, but being utterly weak, he could only collapse and give up.

……

The rain in this demon realm seems especially heavy, having fallen continuously for three days.

Heng Xian was also locked in the small hut for three days.

The demons outside only give him one meal a day, but the food is decent—there's meat and vegetables, and after the meal there are a few wild fruits; his needed protein and vitamins are not lacking.

Just…… bored to death!

Exactly! His biggest feeling is boredom—these years he's never been this idle, unable to practice sword, unable to cultivate, and no one to talk to.

Bored to death!

He felt himself over; his weapons and storage bag were still there, so he took out a pinch of spiritual grass and a sheet of talisman paper.

(End of chapter)