National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

Chapter 72: Chapter 72: The Power of the Special Existence Far Surpasses the Sum of the Other Evil Spirits in the Demon Cave

The Demon Cave of the Great Xia Empire had always been a forbidden land, unsealed and untamed.

Time had left bizarre scars upon its surface, rendering the land barren and the soil as hard as ironstone forged by the ages.

And around this desolate land grew many exceedingly strange plants,

which had long since surpassed the known categories of flora and fauna on Blue Star.

Among them, one type of plant was the most numerous and particularly eye-catching.

Their appearance was much like that of desert cacti, but atop these cacti grew lifelike human faces.

These faces seemed to be endowed with life, sometimes revealing bizarre smiles, other times showing expressions of terror, sending a chill down one’s spine.

As Ye Lingyun plummeted from mid-air, she twisted her lithe body.

Relying on her outstanding Body Technique and keen perception, she landed steadily on the grounds of the Demon Cave.

Ever since Chu He had forcibly raised her strength, Ye Lingyun had been working hard to solidify her foundation. She was confident that her Elemental Power was now incomparably solid, without the slightest hint of instability.

Yet her realm remained stagnant.

No matter how many Martial Arts books she read or how many experts at the King’s Realm she consulted, she could not achieve a breakthrough.

The moment Ye Lingyun found herself in this Demon Cave, she immediately understood Chu He’s intentions.

Her journey of growth had been too smooth, lacking any real challenges or tempering.

Even the Ghost Infant she had killed back in Dalang City of the Great Jing Empire had only been possible under Chu He’s control.

Ye Lingyun drew her longsword and walked toward the depths of the Demon Cave without hesitation.

Meanwhile, Chu He was sitting on a tree trunk.

His Immortal Primordial Spirit Power spread out like an invisible, dense spiderweb, capturing every rustle of wind and blade of grass within the entire Demon Cave.

When he opened his eyes, a trace of surprise flickered within them.

The Demon Cave of the Great Xia Empire was completely different from the one in the Great Jing Empire.

In the Great Jing Empire’s Demon Cave, there were countless ferocious and powerful Evil Spirits, some of which had not even fully awakened.

But in this Demon Cave of the Great Xia Empire, there was an extremely peculiar existence.

This unique existence seemed to be the very core of the entire Demon Cave.

It was located in the deepest part of the Demon Cave, sitting in a huge mud pit.

Its figure was cold and eerie, and it was clutching a pellet drum.

Its head was bowed low, messy long hair draped over its shoulders, giving off an indescribable sense of oppression.

Chu He remembered that when he first arrived in the Great Xia Empire, he had already checked all the records about the ferocious Evil Spirits in this Demon Cave.

In those materials, there was no record whatsoever of an entity with long, draped hair holding a pellet drum.

According to his perception, the power of this unique existence far surpassed the combined strength of all other Evil Spirits in the Demon Cave,

even reaching an unbelievable level.

And at this moment, within the Demon Cave, fluctuations of human Elemental Power had begun to surge.

Ye Lingyun had already engaged in a fierce clash with the Evil Spirits.

...

「Great Jing Empire, Agarwood City.」

This once-prosperous city was now shrouded by Xiao Cangqing’s iron fist.

In every corner of the city, any voice of resistance or dissent was mercilessly silenced.

The air was thick with the rich stench of blood, and even the wind was stained with a murderous hue.

Inside the sewers, blood surged like a dark red river, rushing endlessly.

Even the city’s drainage system couldn’t carry it all away in a short time.

The entire Agarwood City was enveloped in a thick haze as terror and despair spread like a plague.

Yet Xiao Cangqing stood at the center of it all, his face devoid of emotion, as if the city-wide carnage had nothing to do with him.

He enjoyed this feeling of absolute control,

finding his own pleasure only in this extreme terror and chaos.

...

Outside the sewage treatment plant, a luxury car was parked quietly.

The driver was Dai Ju. Her face was slightly haggard, and her eyes betrayed her unease.

Gao Yimin was holding down the fort in the center of Agarwood City and had not come along.

Compared to Gao Yimin’s decisiveness, Xiao Cangqing’s trust in Dai Ju was limited.

Her sanctimonious-bitch act of trying to maintain a pristine surface while walking in darkness filled him with utter disdain.

In his eyes, Dai Ju had already started down a filthy path of no return,

yet she still deceived herself by maintaining that hypocritical facade.

Therefore, Xiao Cangqing kept Dai Ju by his side, making her his driver.

This way, he could monitor her every move and prevent her from doing anything that might jeopardize his control over Agarwood City.

At the same time, this was also a warning and a reminder for Dai Ju, making her understand her place and situation.

”You wait for me out here.”

Xiao Cangqing opened the car door and stepped out of the luxury sedan. He patted the hood. ”Don’t you dare leave until I come out.

I know what you’re thinking. Your inner conflict and struggle are just a joke to me.

But I need people right now, so even though I can’t stand the way you are, I won’t get rid of you just yet.”

His gaze, sharp as a knife, swept over Dai Ju as he continued, ”But I expect you to change, and soon.

As I expand my territory, I’ll definitely have more and more elite soldiers and powerful generals under my command.

If you keep acting like this, someone will naturally replace you.

And if you dare to do anything against me behind my back while I’m gone, you’d better consider the consequences.”

Having said his piece, Xiao Cangqing turned and walked toward the sewage treatment plant ahead.

The once-bustling factory was now empty, its two iron gates shut tight.

He pushed open the iron gates, revealing the vast, silent space within.

The stench of blood rushed out from inside, almost suffocating.

Standing before the sewage treatment plant, Xiao Cangqing tilted his head back, a strange light glinting in his deep eyes.

His nose twitched unnaturally a couple of times as he greedily sniffed the bizarre stench in the air—a mixture of blood and rot.

This smell would undoubtedly be unbearable for an ordinary person,

but to Xiao Cangqing, it was like the world’s most alluring wine, filling him with a sick sense of satisfaction and delight.

Without hesitation, he strode forward and stepped into the huge pool shrouded in blood and decay.

The pool’s water was a bizarre dark red, like congealed blood.

Various pieces of trash and human limbs floated in the pool, a horrifying sight.

Yet Xiao Cangqing paid it no mind, stepping into that massive, blood-red pool filled with gore and rot.

His throat opened, his jaw expanding until it was at a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree angle to his upper lip.

He began to frantically devour the blood-water and the broken bodies in the pool.

As he continued to consume, Xiao Cangqing’s aura began to rise. A powerful force emanated from his body, enveloping the entire sewage treatment plant.

The blood-water in the pool decreased at a visible rate, while Xiao Cangqing’s aura grew stronger and stronger.

Amidst this baptism of blood, Xiao Cangqing’s thoughts drifted.

’I was so ignorant and ridiculous before,’ he thought. ’To think there’s a whole new realm above the King’s Realm waiting for me to explore.’

He was glad he had joined the New World Organization and obtained this method of controlling and absorbing Evil Spirit Power.

This power could coexist with a human’s Spiritual Qi, allowing his strength to skyrocket.

Xiao Cangqing recalled Chu He’s immense power, and a flicker of doubt rose in his heart.

’Did Chu He also use this method to increase his strength?’

But then he shook his head and smiled, feeling that his previous fear had been truly laughable.

He was no longer the same Xiao Cangqing who had held Chu He in awe.

When the sun rose again, heralding a new day, a bloody mist began to spread over the sewage treatment plant.

This was the result of Xiao Cangqing’s cultivation and a symbol of his growing power.

Sitting in the car, Dai Ju was startled awake by this sudden change.

She rubbed her eyes, staring at the scene before her in disbelief.

Just then, a call came in.

Dai Ju pressed the answer key, and Gao Yimin’s anxious voice came through: ”Ji Shengyue’s grand army is at our borders! Get Xiao Cangqing back here, now!”

[Thank you, boss book-friend 20240430223405162, for the 100 Book Coin reward! And thank you, boss book-friend 20240615003123603, for the 500 Book Coin reward! My deepest gratitude to both of you bosses!!!]