Cultivation Starting from Choosing Augments

Chapter 128 - 125: Turns Out, It’s Two Scrubs

Hearing that Xiao Chen wanted to go along, Ye Fei also spoke up, "Senior Brother Mei, count me in. I can go into the mountains to look for clues, too."

Mei Yong immediately shook his head. "No way. The enemy is a late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator. It would be too dangerous for you."

"Junior Brother Xiao, Junior Brother Ye, I appreciate the thought."

"Once you’ve also..."

Ye Fei cut in, "I’ll go with Senior Sister Miao. We can go as a pair and watch out for each other."

Miao Yuqing, who was sitting beside Ye Fei, nodded in support.

Mei Yong considered this. "It is much safer in a pair. In that case, Junior Brother Ye, you can come along."

"But as for you, Junior Brother Xiao..."

Before he could finish, Huang Haoran, who had seemed somewhat worried earlier, spoke up. "Senior Brother Mei, I can go with Junior Brother Xiao."

As one of the younger Foundation Establishment Cultivators, Huang Haoran had always been a risk-taker. Otherwise, he never would have volunteered to join the Demon Extermination Hall.

The Demon Extermination Hall currently had a total of four Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

Seeing that the other three were preparing to move out, he naturally didn’t want to be left behind.

Besides, Mei Yong was right—it was much safer in pairs.

So, he no longer hesitated and agreed to go.

Seeing this, Mei Yong stopped objecting. Wasting no time, they each chose a different path and headed into the mountains.

The northern mountain range had no official, unified name.

However, many local cultivators in Li State called it the Ten Thousand Demons Mountain Range. Legend claimed that tens of thousands of Demon Beasts lived there.

This claim held a great deal of credibility, as a Golden Core True Man had once truly encountered a Tier Three Demon Beast within the range.

Therefore, after entering the mountains, concealing their presence became the top priority.

"Junior Brother Xiao, I brought some Upper Grade Stealth Talismans. Do you..."

Huang Haoran took out two Talismans. When he turned to look, he was stunned to find that the aura of Xiao Chen’s cultivation had plummeted, making him seem like an ordinary mortal.

This was the very same Magic that Su Yuanpeng had lost to Xiao Chen: the Sealing Acupoint Concealing Qi Technique.

As a Yellow Level Cultivation Technique, its original effect was nowhere near this good.

However, with the tenfold boost from his Augment, concealing his Foundation Establishment cultivation was no issue at all.

The display left Huang Haoran dumbfounded. He sized Xiao Chen up and down before exclaiming, "Junior Brother Xiao, that Concealing Breath Technique of yours is truly flawless."

"If we hadn’t come in here together, I wouldn’t have been able to tell it was you at all."

Xiao Chen waved his hand dismissively. "It’s just a minor trick. You’re too kind, Senior Brother."

The situation didn’t allow for pleasantries, so the two of them slowed their pace and proceeded cautiously along the mountain path, heading deeper into the range.

「Elsewhere.」

At the entrance to the Blood Plague Secret Realm, a large number of Loose Cultivators, bound tightly, were being herded into a deep cave.

By now, a total of sixteen people had been brought in.

Anyone who had tried to resist was made into a sacrifice, their blood drained dry.

Seeing this, the remaining cultivators who had not yet been chosen were scared into silence. They knelt obediently on the ground, trembling and awaiting their turn to be slaughtered.

A group of Demon Cultivators were constructing a massive Talisman Array, and they were now in the final stages.

With just another day and a half, the Secret Realm would be completely stabilized, and their plan would succeed.

"Boss, cultivators from the Li Huo Sect have snuck in. They’ve split into several groups."

A Demon Cultivator suddenly ran over to report to Ding Sanlei.

Ding Sanlei, the leader of this operation, wasn’t flustered in the slightest. "How many are there, and which paths are they taking?"

His subordinate immediately replied, "We’ve detected six groups so far. Two of them are heading our way."

"The Array has detected two people approaching from the left, and only one from the right."

Ding Sanlei’s eyes narrowed. ’Two people? Hmph. They must be short on manpower, trying to cover more ground with fewer people.’

"These fools from the Li Huo Sect are simply courting death."

"Silei, you take care of the two on the left who are rushing to their deaths. As for the one on the right, I’ll personally wait for him at the mouth of the cave."

A man standing behind him, who bore a strong resemblance to him, nodded and departed without a word.

Ding Sanlei turned and gave another order to the subordinate. "You stay behind and watch these ’Spiritual Sheep’. If any of them get out of line, just slaughter them."

With that, he unhurriedly made his way to the cave entrance to lie in wait.

Although he and his brother were members of the Divine Fire Sect, from a young age they had cultivated the Yellow Springs Dao, a path with far stricter requirements and much more terrifying power.

The Yellow Springs Dao was a supreme Demonic Inheritance passed down from ancient times, an all-encompassing path containing countless Secret Techniques.

Throughout history, nearly every Demon Cultivator who practiced the Yellow Springs Secret Technique became an infamous and powerful Demon.

Although Orthodox Cultivators would never admit it, in the minds of Demon Cultivators, the Yellow Springs Dao was on par with a Celestial Level inheritance.

Due to their insufficient Realms, the two brothers had only learned a fraction of its secrets.

Even so, Ding Sanlei was confident that in a one-on-one fight, he had the power to crush any late-stage Foundation Establishment Orthodox Cultivator.

His more talented younger brother, he believed, could even fight two opponents at once and easily defeat the pair on the left.

Ding Sanlei suddenly felt, ’This Ten Thousand Demons Mountain Range is a wonderful place.’

’Getting here was a real pain, having to cross all those mountains while staying hidden.’

’But now, they could turn this unique environment to their advantage.’

’It would prevent those Righteous Dao scum, who only know how to swarm their enemies, from using their numbers to their advantage. He and his brother could pick them off one by one.’

Ding Silei thought the same. He followed a rugged mountain path until he reached a series of sharp, winding switchbacks.

There, he hid behind a large rock out of sight and used a Secret Technique to block any potential probing from a Divine Sense.

After waiting for about an hour, he saw Xiao Chen and Huang Haoran round the bend.

To be safe, Ding Silei circulated his Magical Power, infusing it into his eyes.

’One is just at the fifth level of Foundation Establishment, and the other is only at the fourth. Hmph. I thought they were sending experts, but it’s just a couple of rookies.’

Not long ago, Ding Silei had broken through to the seventh level of Foundation Establishment, entering its late stage.

Seeing that both newcomers were at a lower Realm than him, the last of his vigilance evaporated.

’He’d originally thought that fighting two-on-one would be a bit of a hassle.’

’Now, it looked like it would be a piece of cake.’

But despite his inner contempt, he still chose to play it safe.

Instead of revealing himself, he stuck to his original plan: a sneak attack.

He watched as Xiao Chen and Huang Haoran came within a hundred feet of his position.

Ding Silei struck without hesitation. "You are all guilty!"

"In the name of the Yellow Springs True Monarch, I deliver heavenly punishment for your sins! I hereby sentence you to be cast into the Nine Netherworld, to fall into an eternal hell! This particular hell is known as—Tongue Ripping!"

As his declaration echoed, countless ghostly figures materialized in the surrounding area.

At the same time, a phantasmal figure appeared in the air, clad in ancient ceremonial robes and a beaded crown.

Its face was a complete blank, but a spectral Yellow Spring seemed to swirl around its body.

The figure then reached out and pointed a spectral finger at Xiao Chen and Huang Haoran.

Instantly, a pair of fiery tongs materialized from thin air and shot toward them.