Chapter 16: Karmic Retribution

The assessment ended.

Heaven and earth suddenly changed color. Fierce winds howled, dark clouds rolled in, the spectacle vast and overwhelming, the sense of oppression pushed to the extreme.

Countless demon heads, faces wickedly charming and sinister, black light raging around them, stood suspended in the air, looking down from above.

This commotion alarmed every demonic cultivator in the Great Cool Demon Cavern. All of them looked at the shocking scene with trembling hearts.

“What a big commotion!”

“Do they not want to live?”

“Are they not afraid of drawing in the righteous path and the authorities?”

All the demonic cultivators cursed and grumbled in protest, then hurriedly hid far away, afraid of being dragged into trouble.

Fortunately, the day chosen for this great competition of the Demon Cavern was a stormy one. Thunder and rain masked the disturbance, and very few cultivators were traveling. The risk of exposure was not high.

“Congratulations on successfully passing the trials,” Han Changsheng said, very satisfied as he looked at the scene. He spoke to Xu Gu and the other five.

Naturally, he had arranged all of this.

It was to add to the demonic prestige, to make Xu Gu and the others feel awe, so they would not be easily lured away by the righteous path.

Normally, the pressure these Demon Cavern elders could release would not be this terrifying. Therefore, he had deliberately chosen an overcast day. The sky was already heavy with thunderclouds and gloom, which greatly amplified the visual impact of the elders’ auras.

“There are actually this many demon heads? Their might looks so strong!”

“No wonder the sect sent us to go undercover.”

“I really want to report back to the sect and have a sect elder come and wipe them all out in one net! All of this would be great merit!”

“Don’t! We must cast a long line to catch a big fish! Just report back and let the sect increase its vigilance. That’s enough!”

The righteous spies were all whispering via sound transmission. Though surprised, they felt no awe at all. Instead, they were rubbing their hands, eager to make a move.

At first, Xu Gu felt a little stirred by the commotion, but after hearing the righteous spies’ words, even that slight stir disappeared.

He had already begun to worry that these demon heads would really be wiped out in one net.

If they kept a low profile, they could still live a little more comfortably. Now look at this—they were putting on a show just to court disaster.

“As expected, they’ve been intimidated!”

The demon heads above, seeing Illusion Colored Clothes and the others’ surprised expressions, all burst into loud laughter, extremely pleased with themselves.

Outside, they had to tuck their tails between their legs and act low-key. But inside the Demon Cavern, who would see them and not address them as Nascent Soul Ancestor?

Senior brother Han Changsheng said:

“The Demon Cavern has a long history and deep heritage. There are a total of thirteen Heavenly Demon Elders, each occupying a demon peak. These peaks are called Heavenly Demon Peaks, each with its own function.

“In addition, the other peaks either serve as trial grounds for the Demon Cavern, or as the cave abodes of true disciples or guardian elders, or as burial sites chosen by senior predecessors. However, all these places are extremely dangerous. The slightest misstep means death and the disappearance of your Dao. Your cultivations are insufficient—you must not set foot there.”

Xu Gu frowned as he listened.

In his impression, the structure of the Great Cool Demon Cavern was not like this.

Wasn’t there only one main mountain? Since when were there so many demon peaks?

“Does the Demon Cavern have such deep heritage?”

The righteous spies were also shocked. Was this really the Demon Cavern? Had it unknowingly already developed to this level?

Even some first-grade sects might not have such a setup.

“The Demon Cavern has already taken shape.”

“We underestimated the Demon Cavern.”

“The other demonic sects are probably like this as well.”

“No wonder there are omens of destiny saying the demonic path will rise.”

“We must report to our sects! The demonic path cannot be underestimated. The suppression and blockade must be strengthened!”

The righteous spies were extremely astonished, already discussing reporting back so that the righteous path would increase its suppression and blockade of the demonic path.

“As expected, we’ve cowed them again,” Han Changsheng said with a lifted lip, incomparably proud.

His speech, of course, was fake.

The thirteen Heavenly Demon Peaks were still to be built.

The countless Earth Demon Peaks surrounding them were also still to be built.

For now, it was enough simply to forbid these six disciples from stepping into those places, and they would not discover anything.

Later, once the demonic path had developed, it would not be a problem to actually construct the Heavenly Demon Peaks and Earth Demon Peaks.

Originally, Han Changsheng had had no confidence that he could lead the Demon Cavern to prosperity. But with the model answers Xu Gu had given, he was now full of confidence.

“Still have the nerve to be happy,” Xu Gu muttered to himself as he listened to the righteous undercover agents’ serious discussion, then looked at Han Changsheng and the other demon heads’ expressions. He could not help but shake his head, speechless. It was obvious he had seen through their thoughts.

Truly, one side dared to pose, the other dared to believe it.

“No wonder the demonic path is so weak now. The rot started at the root. With this group of leaders, how could it ever develop?

“It still has to wait for me to lead the demonic path.”

Xu Gu’s heart burned hotter.

Han Changsheng knew nothing of this and continued to feign solemnity:

“Next, please choose your guides.”

The reason they were called guides and not masters,

was for a specific reason.

First, within the demonic sects, betraying masters and ancestors was a tradition. Some demon heads, even if they took disciples, would never recruit those with overwhelming talent and a ferocious rebellious streak.

These six were all heaven-sent demonic children with demonic nature surging to the heavens. Who dared to take them as disciples?

Second, the Demon Cavern had rules: true disciples could only take the Demon Lord as their master. Some good seedlings did not wish to become disciples of a random demon head for fear of cutting off their path to becoming true disciples.

Thus, the guide system had been created.

Guides and those they guided were generally not close, and bore no obligations of master and disciple.

These demon heads would merely act on the Demon Lord’s behalf to teach the disciples some demonic cultivation methods and occasionally resolve their doubts. Doing a few convenient things for them counted as contributing to the Demon Cavern and earned them rewards.

As for the disciples, apart from official matters and cultivation issues, they could not seek out their guides for help with personal difficulties or trouble.

As a demonic cultivator, Xu Gu naturally knew about the guide system.

It was somewhat similar to the teacher-student relationship in his previous life.

Thirteen demonic silhouettes descended from the sky. These were their clones. Demonic cultivators feared death, and demon heads were no exception. Who knew where their real bodies were hiding.

“That sword cultivator Li Shaobai, with a mutated Sword Spiritual Root, has pretty decent talent. I can reluctantly be his guide.”

“Utter nonsense! You cultivate Iron Sand Palm and want to guide a sword cultivator with a Heavenly Sword Spiritual Root?”

“How high are your sword arts supposed to be?”

“I was fortunate enough to be struck once by the current number one in the sword Dao, Li Taibai. I did not die and only had to recuperate for thirty years. Therefore, I understand the sword Dao better than you!”

The two demon heads grew angrier as they spoke, both ready to pull out their treasures and fight.

The other demon heads ignored them. There were only five heaven-sent demonic children but thirteen of them. There simply were not enough to go around.

Below, the sword cultivator Li Shaobai’s face turned pale and drenched with sweat upon hearing their discussion.

Because Li Taibai was none other than his father.

If he ended up in the hands of that demon head who had been felled by his father with a single sword strike and bedridden for thirty years, then if his identity were accidentally exposed, would he not be in serious trouble?

“Shaobai, why are you nervous? Weren’t you always fearless?” the other righteous spies mocked him via sound transmission.

“The dreamlike immortal body, good at illusions. I have some research into illusions and can be her guide.”

“Bai Bingning, since when have you ‘researched’ illusions?”

“I was fortunate enough to fall into the illusion array of the current number one in illusions and arrays, Illusion Consort, and in that illusion array I spent over a hundred years studying the Dao of illusions and arrays. Furthermore, I am also a woman,” the scantily clad, voluptuous, sultry female demon head Bai Bingning said with a smile.

“Then you do indeed have the right to speak on illusions,” the demon heads fell silent for a moment and did not argue further, tacitly acknowledging her.

“Junior sister Caiyi, why did you stop laughing?”

The gloating gazes of the righteous spies had already shifted onto Illusion Colored Clothes.

The corner of Illusion Colored Clothes’ eye twitched. Her own face was also somewhat ashen.

She was doomed. She had fallen into her mother’s enemy’s hands.

“That Confucian cultivator Kong Haoran, I want him! Everyone knows that when I was alive, I was a scholarly candidate of the Great Shang Dynasty.

“Though I took the exam for eighty years and was rejected for eighty years, in the end, shortly before I died, I did pass.

“I am the most educated person in the entire Demon Cavern!”

A middle-aged man whose entire body emitted gray light, half-transparent like a wisp of mist, named Huang Xunguo, spoke in a domineering tone.

“That was when you were alive. Now you are a ghost cultivator,” the other demon heads said, twitching.

“That still cannot deny that I have the highest learning,” Huang Xunguo stroked his beard proudly.

The demon heads all had black lines forming on their foreheads but did not continue arguing with him. Instead, they turned their gazes toward Zhao Jingang and Mi Suhui.

“Huh?”

Kong Haoran’s radiant smile instantly froze.

Because his father was the chief imperial examiner of the Great Shang Dynasty.

Whether it was the provincial exams, metropolitan exams, or palace exams, his father had the final say.

This Huang Xunguo had taken the exam for eighty years and had been rejected for eighty years.

If he learned that Kong Haoran was the son of the chief imperial examiner of the Great Shang Dynasty, would he not be skinned and have his tendons ripped out?

(End of this chapter)