As the Black Mountain Demon appeared, Nie Xiaoqian was also brought out, about to marry him. Ning Caichen could no longer sit still and shouted, "Xiaoqian!"
Upon hearing this, Nie Xiaoqian quickly turned her head and looked over, the rain soaking them into a deep, affectionate gaze.
The Black Mountain Demon was originally in high spirits, as the saying goes, when people are happy, they are in high spirits, but who would have thought that he would encounter such a terrible thing.
Before he'd even married his bride, some young man from out of town had his eye on her. Was he about to cuckold him?
"Where did these pretty boys come from? Die, all of you!" the Black Mountain Demon shouted coldly, casually unleashing a beam of black light that struck Ning Caichen directly.
Wang Xuan couldn't laugh anymore. Perhaps it was because he was also a handsome young man. The Black Mountain Demon's attack wasn't just aimed at Ning Caichen; Wang Xuan was also included in the attack range.
"Damn it, this is probably Ning Caichen's luck playing tricks on him!" Wang Xuan couldn't help but curse inwardly. Although Ning Caichen's hidden dragon luck could not affect Wang Xuan, it even affected the Black Mountain Demon's incarnation!
Knowing this, Wang Xuan still had no choice but to act to save himself. He summoned the Azure Nether Sword and slashed forward, the dazzling sword light colliding with the black demonic light.
"boom!"
Wang Xuan took more than ten steps back, grabbed Ning Caichen, and turned to run.
"I never expected that such a master would come here and survive my casual blow. Are you from the Shu Mountain Sect or the Kunlun Sect?" The Black Mountain Demon was slightly surprised and was about to give chase when Yan Chixia finally made his move.
Chapter 126 Taking Advantage of a Crisis
"Heaven and earth are boundless, and the universe borrows their power!"
A sharp sword light flashed, slashing directly towards the top of the Black Mountain Demon's head.
This was a powerful killing move unleashed by Yan Chixia using the Xuanyuan Sword. Even the Black Mountain Demon's avatar dared not withstand it head-on and had no choice but to abandon the pursuit of Wang Xuan and the others, temporarily avoiding Yan Chixia's sword strike.
"I thought that white-robed boy surprised me, but I didn't expect there to be an even stronger Taoist here. Just because the tiger doesn't roar doesn't mean I'm a sick cat. If I don't kill you all, do you think anyone will dare to cause me trouble?" The Black Mountain Demon roared, and wisps of demonic clouds surged from his body. The dozen or so haunted houses near him were torn to pieces and then dissolved and devoured by the demonic clouds.
The power of the demonic cloud intensified, enveloping Yan Chixia.
Yan Chixia originally intended to kill the Black Mountain Demon head-on, but after only a dozen or so exchanges, he was struck by a chain from the demonic cloud and couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood.
"Not good! This old demon has a thousand years of cultivation! Let's go!" Having learned his lesson, Yan Chixia immediately abandoned his plan to kill the Black Mountain Demon and hurriedly rode the Xuanyuan Sword, flying away into the distance.
"Where do you think you're going!" The demonic cloud followed closely behind Yan Chixia, quickly disappearing from everyone's sight.
As soon as the Black Mountain Demon left, chaos erupted at the wedding ceremony in the City of the Wrongfully Dead. Many ghosts who had been indiscriminately injured by the Black Mountain Demon were now causing a ruckus, demanding an explanation.
However, the Black Mountain Demon King occupied the City of the Wrongfully Dead, not only because of his own immense power, but also because he had recruited a group of powerful subordinates. Soon, more than a dozen ghost kings rushed out and suppressed the troublesome ghosts with their overwhelming strength.
"These dozen or so ghost kings all have cultivation at the Dao Entry Realm. If they join forces, I will have to unleash my Xuan Yin Avatar to kill them." Upon seeing this, Wang Xuan immediately decided to launch a sneak attack instead of engaging in a direct confrontation.
He mingled among a group of little devils, quietly approached a ghost king, and suddenly summoned the Azure Nether Sword, slashing out with it.
"Ah!" The ghost king only had time to scream once before Wang Xuan's sword struck him, obliterating both his body and soul.
Although Wang Xuan's cultivation level is only at the mid-stage of the Dao Realm, he cultivates both Divine Martial Arts and Immortal Martial Arts, making his strength comparable to that of a late-stage Dao Realm martial artist.
In addition, he possesses the Azure Nether Sword, a magical treasure that can withstand even a ghost at the peak of the Daoist realm for more than a few moves, let alone when he launches a sneak attack.
"Not good! This white-robed brat hasn't escaped yet! Let's kill him together and share his flesh and blood!" one of the ghost kings shouted, instantly eliciting shouts from many other ghost kings.
To ghosts, the flesh and blood of human cultivators are practically indistinguishable from elixirs, a highly nourishing substance. Moreover, Wang Xuan's blood and energy are even stronger than those of cultivators at the same level, making him naturally even more attractive to those ghost kings.
Seeing more than a dozen ghost kings rushing towards him, Wang Xuan didn't hesitate to summon the Azure Nether Sword and flee, with the ghost kings hot on his heels.
Once the powerful monsters had all left, it was time for Ning Caichen's protagonist aura to kick in. He was originally a frail scholar, yet he managed to rescue Nie Xiaoqian from a group of little devils without any real danger, which was simply illogical.
Wang Xuan flew very fast on his sword, much faster than the ghost kings who were chasing him closely. However, he did not speed up to leave the ghost kings behind. Instead, he deliberately slowed down to let them catch up.
When he reached a desolate and lonely valley where not a single ghost could be seen, he immediately stopped fleeing and turned around to quietly look at the ghost kings.
Upon seeing Wang Xuan's unusual behavior, the ghost kings were immediately filled with suspicion and uncertainty. They carefully surrounded Wang Xuan, looked around, and, finding no human experts lying in ambush, were relieved.
"Hehehe, you human brat, I didn't expect you to choose to surrender. We ghosts will give you a quick death!"
"You're the ones who deserve to die!" Wang Xuan sneered, reached out and slapped his waist, and a three-inch-sized bronze coffin flew out.
The ancient coffin grew longer in the wind, instantly transforming into a length of three zhang and a width of one zhang.
"Crack! Crack!" Before the ghost kings could react, the coffin lid was pushed open from the inside, and more than a dozen chains formed from Yin energy rushed out, binding the dozen ghost kings tightly.
The next moment, those ghost kings were swallowed into the bronze coffin. The coffin lid was closed again, and the size of the coffin quickly shrank back to three zhang in size, which Wang Xuan then put back into his waist.
"After devouring these dozen or so ghost kings, my Xuan Yin Avatar will be able to break through to the late stage of the Transcendent Realm, and may even reach the Perfect Transcendent Realm!" Wang Xuan smiled with satisfaction after reaping this wave of ghost kings.
He released his divine sense to survey his surroundings, and even activated his Golden Eyes of Luck to check, confirming that no other beings around had witnessed the Xuan Yin incarnation's attack.
This wasn't him making a mountain out of a molehill; the Xuan Yin Incarnation was his last trump card in the world of Liaozhai, so he couldn't be too careful.
After doing all this, Wang Xuan flew on his sword again, turned around and flew towards the City of the Unjustly Dead.
The reason he went back was not to visit Ning Caichen and the others, but to take advantage of the Black Mountain Demon's absence and wipe out his lair.
Although the Black Mountain Demon did not unify the Netherworld and ascend to the position of the Netherworld Ghost Emperor, he still occupied a territory spanning thousands of miles in the underworld, and must have plundered many rare treasures and other valuables.
Wang Xuan flew at an extremely fast speed on his sword, and soon returned to the City of the Wrongfully Dead.
The Black Mountain Demon had already been lured away by Yan Chixia, and the other dozen or so Ghost Kings had been killed by Wang Xuan. The remaining Ghost Soldiers and Ghost Generals were simply unable to stop him.
He barged straight into the Black Mountain Demon's palace, unleashing his divine sense to scan inch by inch, and soon made some discoveries.
"This is Nether Iron!" Wang Xuan grabbed a black ore the size of a millstone, his face beaming with joy.
You should know that Nether Iron is a material for refining magic weapons. If such a large piece of Nether Iron is refined properly, it can be used to refine two or three low-grade magic weapons!
As for higher-level magic weapons, this amount of Nether Iron is not enough.
Even a low-grade magic weapon is considered a priceless treasure. Keep in mind that even in the main world, most martial artists at the Transcendent Realm only use low-grade magic weapons!
Besides Nether Iron, Wang Xuan also found many other ores. These ores were far less valuable than Nether Iron and could not be used to refine magical artifacts, but they were materials for refining magical weapons, and their advantage lay in their abundance.
Chapter 127 Lingering in the Underworld
Wang Xuan was quick and efficient, and familiar with the work. He soon searched through the entire palace of the Black Mountain Demon, finding not only the ores but also a number of spiritual herbs.
However, most of these spiritual herbs were native to the Netherworld and contained Yin energy, so Wang Xuan's main body could not use them and they could only be used by his Xuan Yin incarnation.
Of course, there are exceptions. For example, Wang Xuan found several Soul-Tempering Grasses, which can temper the primordial spirit and strengthen the origin of the soul. Even in the main world, they can be considered good treasures.
Wang Xuan accepted all of these things without any hesitation, practically digging up the entire palace from the ground up, looting everything of value.
"I need to make a quick getaway before the Black Mountain Demon returns!" Although Wang Xuan thoroughly searched the Black Mountain Demon's palace, it didn't actually take him very long.
However, Yan Chixia probably couldn't hold off the Black Mountain Demon for long, as the Black Mountain Demon could return at any time. Since Wang Xuan had done something bad, he naturally wouldn't dare to stay here for long.
He packed everything into his spatial ring and took it with him. Then he summoned the Azure Sword and rode the flying sword away into the sky.
Shortly after Wang Xuan left, the Black Mountain Demon arrived from afar, accompanied by a cloud of demonic energy, only to find the City of the Dead in utter chaos. Not only had his bride been abducted by a handsome young man from the mortal realm, but even his lair had been ransacked.
"My house has been robbed?!" The Black Mountain Demon was shocked to see his lair spotless, as if it had been licked clean by a dog. He was truly on the verge of tears.
"That damned thief! When I find you, I will tear you to pieces!" The Black Mountain Demon roared angrily to the sky, his voice audible even from afar.
Dozens of miles away, Wang Xuan involuntarily shuddered and looked back in the direction of the City of the Wrongfully Dead. He knew that the good deeds he had done had most likely been discovered by the Black Mountain Demon.
Wang Xuan is definitely not going back to the City of the Wrongfully Dead, but he is now facing a problem: he can't find Ning Caichen and Yan Chixia.
If Wang Xuan hadn't appeared, Yan Chixia would have fought a great battle with the Black Mountain Demon. In the end, with the help of Ning Caichen and Nie Xiaoqian's protagonist luck, the Buddhist scripture in Yan Chixia's hand would have been activated, and the Black Mountain Demon's words would have been uttered.
Now that Wang Xuan has become an added variable, Yan Chixia no longer needs to fight the Black Mountain Demon to the death, but since they are acting separately, they are bound to get separated.
"The only way forward is to find them through Nie Xiaoqian." Wang Xuan thought for a moment, then reached out and touched the bronze coffin at his waist, taking out the doll that was connected to Nie Xiaoqian's soul.
Through this puppet, Wang Xuan could roughly sense Nie Xiaoqian's location. Once he found Nie Xiaoqian, he would naturally be able to find Ning Caichen and even Yan Chixia to join them.
After all, with Ning Caichen's protagonist aura, even if he wanders around aimlessly, he will definitely be able to find Yan Chixia as a backer.
Wang Xuan placed the doll between his eyebrows, probing it with a wisp of his divine sense, carefully sensing it.
A moment later, Wang Xuan's face turned so gloomy it looked like it was about to drip water, and he looked extremely ugly.
Because the connection between the doll and Nie Xiaoqian is so subtle!
This wasn't because Nie Xiaoqian had broken free from Wang Xuan's soul-controlling technique, but simply because the distance between them was too great, making it difficult to sense Nie Xiaoqian's location even through the puppet!
"That damned Yan Chixia! He dragged me into the underworld with him, but in the end he took Ning Caichen and Nie Xiaoqian back to the mortal world, leaving me here all alone!"
Wang Xuan gritted his teeth in anger. He and Nie Xiaoqian hadn't been separated for long, and Nie Xiaoqian had at most run a few hundred miles away, which was not far enough to be difficult to sense.
There is only one plausible explanation for this situation: Nie Xiaoqian returned to the human world with Yan Chixia and the others!
The reason this situation occurred was entirely due to Yan Chixia's misunderstanding. Seeing Wang Xuan's advanced cultivation at such a young age, Yan Chixia assumed Wang Xuan was from the Shu Mountain Sect or the Kunlun Sect, and Wang Xuan did not deny it.
Whether they are cultivators from the Shu Mountain Sect or the Kunlun Sect, those who cultivate to Wang Xuan's level generally possess the techniques to enter and exit the Netherworld.
In Yan Chixia's view, Wang Xuan would most likely return to the human world on his own if he couldn't find them, so he didn't go looking for Wang Xuan and directly took Ning Caichen and Nie Xiaoqian back to the human world.
"I have no way to return to the human world, but most of the ghost kings in the underworld probably do." After thinking it over, Wang Xuan finally decided to focus his efforts on the ghost kings.
Wang Xuan is currently not far from the City of the Wrongfully Dead, which is located to the right of the Fengdu Emperor's Palace.
Since the City of the Wrongfully Dead has been occupied by a ghost king like the Black Mountain Demon, then the Fengdu Emperor's Palace must also be occupied by a ghost king.
So Wang Xuan flew directly on his sword towards the direction of the Fengdu Emperor's Palace.
Before long, he saw a series of palaces ahead. These palaces were even more magnificent than the imperial palaces of the human world, but most of them had collapsed and fallen into ruin, with only a small part remaining intact.
Within these palaces, small ghosts could be faintly seen entering and exiting. At the very center of the palace, there was a soaring ghostly aura, not much weaker than the Black Mountain Demon's incarnation in the City of the Wrongfully Dead, roughly equivalent to the strength of the early stage of the Transcendent Realm.
"Such a powerful Ghost King must have a way to communicate between the Yin and Yang realms. However, it is impossible for me to subdue him with my own strength. The only way is to use the Xuan Yin Avatar." Wang Xuan released the Xuan Yin Avatar again, which transformed into a stream of light and flew straight towards the Fengdu Emperor's Palace.
With his Xuan Yin incarnation possessing cultivation comparable to the late stage of the Transcendent Realm, he instantly flew to the sky above the Fengdu Emperor's Palace, unleashing an immense and unrestrained pressure downwards.
"boom!"
The entire palace seemed to have been swept away by a storm, and the little devils inside collapsed to the ground, their ghostly forms even beginning to disintegrate.
"Who dares to run wild on my territory?!" A furious roar came from the palace, and then a ghost king dressed as a judge flew out from it, throwing a judge's pen at Wang Xuan's Xuan Yin incarnation.
Wang Xuan snorted coldly, his fist and palm enveloped in black aura, and punched the judge's pen, shattering it into more than a dozen pieces.
"What? It's so powerful!" The judge-like ghost king was shocked and turned to flee without hesitation.
But Wang Xuan had already deployed his Xuan Yin incarnation, so how could he possibly let him escape?
Xuan Yin's avatar, using the Lingxu Step, caught up in just two or three breaths, striking the opponent with a palm that shattered his ghostly body.