Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan
The dark cavern lay seven hundred zhang beneath the earth's surface.
"These beings pride themselves as descendants of the holy race, naturally assuming they should reign supreme over all. Yet, from the perspective of human cultivators, they are the culprits who brought an end to the golden age of the ancient immortal dao civilization, no different from the most vicious and evil celestial demons.
In the era when I attained enlightenment, all human cultivator forces in The Great Void's starry sky, along with other intelligent species, regardless of their moral alignment, considered them sworn enemies to be eradicated on sight. Of course, by then, they were nearly extinct.
Who would have thought that after tens of thousands of years, these disgusting creatures would reemerge! Clearly, The Great Void's starry sky is about to enter a period fraught with trouble…"
As Ice Falcon Celestial recounted the origins of these aberrations, she and Qing Muling ventured deeper, soon arriving at the end of the cavern.
Here lay a grotto spanning hundreds of miles, with blood-red mist rising and many unheard-of bizarre creatures thriving: rocks that spewed smoke, mushrooms dancing mid-air, and giant centipedes shimmering with rainbow starlight. Qing Muling even spotted two dark red cacti, dozens of zhang tall, furiously fencing with each other, unclear whether they were spiritual plants or beasts.
The grotto's environment was mysterious and eerie, the blood-red mist contained deadly poison, vastly different from the commonly seen milky-white spiritual qi, making it utterly unsuitable for human cultivators to survive.
Some descendants of the Magic Clan still guarded the place. Upon seeing strangers intrude, they immediately let out piercing roars and attacked in a frenzy.
Qing Muling, of course, did not hold back. With the aid of Daoist puppet soldiers, he slaughtered these creatures without mercy.
"Are all these creatures mixed-blood with humans? Are there no purebloods?"
"Yes, they're all mixed-blood. Purebloods would be far more terrifying. A Magic Clan individual at the Understanding Mystery Realm would require at least a Nascent Soul Realm core disciple to barely contend with it. For scattered cultivators or small sects lacking powerful legacies, even those at the True Person Realm might struggle to suppress them!"
Ice Falcon Celestial explained gravely, "Of course, pureblood Magic Clan individuals are extremely rare, mainly because their reproductive abilities are abysmal, and their population size never increases significantly. Only by mating with humans can they somewhat solve this issue. Thus, a vast number of mixed-blood descendants were born."
To eradicate the Magic Clan, the ancient immortal dao civilization paid a devastating price. Countless renowned powers fell from the stars, and after innumerable bloody battles, 99% of the Magic Clan individuals were killed, with only a few escaping into the perilous chaos of the void, never to be seen again.
Unimaginably long years later, these remnants have rekindled. The individuals discovered today are likely just the beginning.
At this moment, Qing Muling suddenly recalled the famous "cockroach theory" from his previous life: when you see one cockroach in your house, there are probably over twenty thousand hiding in the dark.
This theory couldn't be more apt for these Magic Clan individuals, and the reality was likely even more exaggerated. The Great Void's starry sky contained countless desolate and silent landmasses; who knew how many Magic Clan descendant nests were hidden within?
As for this grotto, Qing Muling thought for a moment and attempted to purify it with his innate divine powers. In an instant, it was as if boiling molten iron was poured onto snow, eliciting a chorus of shrill screams. The bizarre creatures, as if fleeing their natural predators, scattered in all directions, but they couldn't escape the enveloping and permeating chaos light patterns.
Before long, all life in the grotto was extinguished, leaving nothing behind as they dissolved cleanly under the chaos light patterns' cleansing.
***
"These things are truly detested by gods and ghosts alike!"
Qing Muling remarked with some surprise, for the heavenly merit that descended upon him just now was beyond imagination, almost equivalent to his previous gains from purifying an entire floating land. It seemed the supreme laws of heaven couldn't tolerate these aberrations.
"Do you know? At the very beginning of this space-time world's birth, there weren't so many landmasses,"
Ice Falcon Celestial spoke with a somber tone, "Back when the world first opened, the boundless starry sky contained only one supercontinent where countless innate and acquired beings thrived. It was only after the many cataclysmic tribulations that the supercontinent fractured, breaking into countless floating lands scattered across the void."
"I understand."
Qing Muling nodded. The celestial tribulations and the turmoil caused by these aberrations were inextricably linked, so it made sense for the entire world to abhor them. By killing them, he earned the corresponding heavenly rewards.
Thus, this race was condemned by the heavens. Unless one day they could become the rulers of the world, or even replace the heavenly dao, they would always be like rats crossing the street, shunned by all. Once exposed to the light of day, they would face a fate where everyone calls for their demise.
"Is there a way to find more Magic Clan descendants? Surely there are more secret nests than this one?"
Qing Muling asked, since killing these creatures could provide him with more heavenly merit, there was no reason to let them go.
"Definitely, let me investigate!"
Ice Falcon Celestial said, and her powerful divine consciousness spread out like a landslide and tsunami in all directions, covering the entire floating land in the blink of an eye.
Soon, she discovered several secret caverns of various sizes and, after locking onto their spatial coordinates, she teleported there with him.
"Just focus on attacking, your senior sister will protect you."
She said, enveloping them both in a delicate and flexible cyan light canopy. No matter how frantically the startled Magic Clan descendants attacked, the light canopy remained unshaken.
This newly discovered nest was larger, spanning over three hundred miles and located two thousand zhang deep within the earth. The Magic Clan descendants that rushed over numbered over a thousand, with the strongest among them possessing peak Heart Demon Realm abilities, and not just one or two.
With no worries about his rear, Qing Muling launched a ferocious attack, assisted by dozens of Daoist puppet soldiers. In no time, these creatures were laid low by the Soul Reaping Bell, and then beheaded one by one by the puppet soldiers.
The Magic Clan descendants had incredibly tenacious vitality. Without such treatment, they might desperately fight back, catching one off guard with a nasty surprise.
***
After several hours, all the Magic Clan descendant nests on the floating land were cleared and purified.
By now, Qing Muling also vaguely understood that these Magic Clan descendant nests were usually located in the core areas of dead zones, that is, regions with the highest concentration of negative energy, indicating they were also a significant source of pollution causing the floating lands' harsh environments.
By clearing these nests, the floating lands' self-purification and recovery abilities would inevitably improve. Even without Qing Muling's intervention, it was possible that they could naturally recover after thousands or tens of thousands of years.
"Let's check out the remaining floating lands, as well as those I've already purified. Perhaps there are nests of these aberrations hidden in deeper layers."
Qing Muling suggested, his current cultivation level was still too low. Fortunately, he had Ice Falcon Celestial, a powerful protector by his side, otherwise, he would be helpless in the face of such a difficult problem.
"Alright."
Ice Falcon Celestial agreed, with her divine power, thoroughly scanning a floating land spanning millions of miles was a mere trifle.
After a busy period, they discovered nearly a hundred more Magic Clan descendant nests, hidden deep within the layers of more than ten floating lands. Thankfully, their strength wasn't too formidable. With Qing Muling's current cultivation level and all his trump cards, he could barely handle them.
Ice Falcon Celestial rarely took direct action, merely ensuring Qing Muling's safety, allowing him to gain as much heavenly merit as possible.
By the time Qing Muling's territories were all cleared, a month had passed. His cultivation had broken through from the third level of the True Person Realm to the fifth level. His close combat skills, as well as his understanding and application of various divine powers and spells, had significantly improved.
Ice Falcon Celestial deliberately kept several Magic Clan descendant corpses, planning to contact Mu Yinghua to have them retrieved and presented to Dao Court as evidence.
"The reappearance of Magic Clan descendants in The Great Void's starry sky is no small matter, not just an issue for Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace alone, but a major crisis that all human races and other intelligent species must face together!"
Ice Falcon Celestial said, "Once the Dao Court's upper echelons are informed, no matter what, it will be counted as your merit. With the generosity of those high-ranking officials, you might be awarded a high-grade magical treasure or a top-quality elixir."
Qing Muling shook his head, "Don't mention my name, just report it in the name of the sect. There might be more benefits that way."
As someone nurtured by the sect, he didn't lack such things. Instead, it would further expose him to the scrutiny of Dao Court's higher-ups, and the consequences were unpredictable.
Until he reached the True Immortal Realm, Qing Muling dared not act recklessly. Even the most monstrous prodigies had only one life, and if targeted by a powerful enemy from a hostile force, there was nowhere to buy regret medicine.
Ice Falcon Celestial looked at him approvingly, "Very well, I'll discuss it with the Sect Master later."
***
Deep within the ruins' underground palace.
"…Merit complete, I can finally go home!"
Qi Yalan counted her gains with satisfaction, chunks of profound jade essence the size of human heads. After hundreds of thousands of years of nurturing and sedimentation, the pure water-like deep aqua contained a hint of golden purple, a priceless treasure suitable as the core material for refining top-grade spirit pills.
Having emptied the chances in the ruins' underground palace, the four women's cultivation had reached the peak of Ascending to Immortality. Once they returned, they could prepare for Tribulation Crossing, naturally with Qing Muling's cooperation.
"After we return, we'll take turns crossing the tribulation. Once we become Elemental Immortals, we can better protect Junior Brother."
Luo Wanqing mumbled, clutching a jar of spirit wine and gulping it down. This was the cherished collection left by the original owner of the underground palace, an ancient power of unknown name, now a windfall for the fourth senior sister.
"Sister, don't waste it all, leave some for Junior Brother to bring back. He can use this stuff too."
Luo Huan said, storing a neatly arranged jade slip into her Space Bracelet.
"Don't worry, I still have several jars here, enough for him to drink."
Luo Wanqing exhaled a breath rich with wine fragrance, glancing at her senior sisters, "When we return, how about I be the first to consummate with Junior Brother? You all can wait for the next chance, right?"
"Dream on!"
"Wishful thinking!"
"Stop talking nonsense!"
The other three women rebuked angrily. This girl was too shameless, wasn't it agreed that they would decide by drawing lots? And now she wanted to pick the fruit directly? There was no such cheap deal.
Qi Yalan snorted, "This chance must be mine, no one else can snatch it!"
Luo Wanqing, unabashed, smiled, "Actually, we shouldn't continue this overt and covert struggle among ourselves. After the sect's sword contest ended, those foxes are eagerly waiting for their chance. If we don't join hands and present a united front, wouldn't we let them take the lead?"
Cheng Yulan smiled cunningly, "Even so, we still need to clarify the order of precedence, right? I will not give up the chance to draw lots this time!"
Luo Wanqing grudgingly said, "Fine, we'll talk about it after we return! Humph! I don't believe Junior Brother wouldn't want to sleep with me first!"