At the bottom of the valley, black fog swirled.

This was Demon Fog!

Within the Demon Fog, even with the abilities of an Yinluo Sect Outer Disciple, one’s vision was limited to a distance of about ten feet.

The Demon Fog was chillingly strange, flowing unpredictably. Faint wails echoed from within, seeming both real and illusory, disturbing the mind.

This Demon Fog emanated from the Nightmare Demon sealed at the bottom of the valley, and it naturally possessed the ability to attract Outer Celestial Demons!

Outer Celestial Demons would use this place as an anchor and medium to traverse the vast void and descend through the Demon Fog.

The twenty Outer Disciples were divided into four groups of five, each led by one of the four Outer Elders, and entered the valley floor.

Fang Cheng was assigned to Elder Lu Wei’s group.

Elder Lu led her group of five, dropping one person off at each location to stand guard over a ten-li radius and search for Nightmare Grass within that area.

Everyone had already read the materials on Nightmare Grass before setting out, so they knew its appearance and characteristics.

Once picked, the grass would dissolve into Demonic Light in less than half a day. Therefore, it had to be immediately handed over to Elder Lu for preliminary refinement and preservation.

As for the merit points earned from finding Nightmare Grass, Elder Lu would record them herself.

The time required to repair the seal was much longer than Fang Cheng had imagined. According to Elder Lu, it would take at least a month, and at most three. Thus, they would have to remain in the Demon Fog for the entire duration.

For the Outer Disciples, enduring such a repressive and dangerous place for an extended period was undoubtedly a test of their mettle.

After settling Fang Cheng in, Elder Lu gave him a few instructions before disappearing into the depths of the Demon Fog with the remaining two Outer Disciples.

The valley floor was a riverbed covered in sand and gravel. Aside from some vegetation in odd nooks and crannies, the rest was completely barren.

Every afternoon, when the torrential rains fell, a flash flood would surge through the valley, only receding several hours later.

Fang Cheng took out a piece of jade. With a surge of Magical Power, it instantly erupted in brilliant light, illuminating an area of several dozen feet and seeming to thin the Demon Fog considerably.

Holding the jade, he circled the ten-li area he was assigned to patrol, memorizing the surrounding terrain. Only then did he find a large boulder to serve as his temporary base.

He then retrieved a Talisman from his storage pouch and activated it with a spell. The Talisman immediately radiated a dazzling spiritual light in the air.

The next moment, a Cyan Bamboo Study materialized and landed steadily beside the boulder.

This Cyan Bamboo Study was a gift from Xiao Ye. It had two rooms, an inner one and an outer one. The inner room could be used as a Quiet Chamber for cultivation, while the outer one could be used for receiving guests.

The bottom of the study was like a bamboo raft, constructed from dozens of bamboos tied side-by-side, allowing it to float on the water when the flash floods came.

The Xiao Family had refined many of these Cyan Bamboo Studies; nearly every Outer Disciple had one.

Fang Cheng secured the Cyan Bamboo Study to the large boulder on the riverbed and hung the Treasure Bead under the eaves, only then nodding in satisfaction.

He walked into the study and sat down. With a flick of his long sleeve, five walnut-sized golden lights appeared, lining up neatly before him.

Within the golden light were five Vajra Gu, each exuding a ferocious and malevolent aura!

With a flicker of his thoughts, the five Vajra Gu flapped their wings, flew out of the study, and vanished into the vast black fog.

Having the Vajra Gu search for Nightmare Grass on his behalf would naturally save him a great deal of effort, which he could then use for cultivation.

He then reached out and made a pushing motion in front of him, as if opening a door. Magical Power spread from his palm, coalescing into a round, foot-wide mirror before him!

The front of this round mirror was perfectly smooth, but on the back, at its center, was an ancient, eye-shaped rune!

This rune resembled a strange and bewitching eye. Its lines were ancient and simple, yet it held an astonishing demonic intent.

Surrounding this central rune were many smaller, rice-grain-sized runes, all interconnected to form three exquisitely beautiful "rings."

Fang Cheng withdrew his hand and looked at the runic rings. He closed his eyes to focus his mind, then opened them a moment later.

Next, he extended his index and middle fingers and began to slowly trace in the air as if writing in cursive. Pure Magical Power flowed out, sketching a rune in the air!

This rune was composed of over a hundred strokes, so complex and profound it was dizzying to look at.

He first refined the rune with his Magical Power for a while, causing it to shrink from the size of a palm down to the size of a grain of rice.

Then, he carefully manipulated the grain-sized rune, slowly guiding it to land on the back of the "round mirror"!

The instant the rune touched the mirror, it released a ripple of light that spread across the entire surface.

Wherever the light passed, the runes it touched began to shimmer as well.

The three already-formed runic rings immediately began to rotate slowly, each at a different speed and in a different direction.

Fang Cheng, long accustomed to this, began to sketch the second rune.

This Divine Technique, the "Red Nether Condensing Light," required nine runic rings to be inscribed. He was just starting on the fourth, so the day of its completion was still far off.

Fortunately, after comprehending this Divine Technique, he had a complete understanding of the many runes that composed these rings, allowing him to inscribe them with practiced ease.

Otherwise, a single mistake in even one rune would cause the entire model of the Divine Technique to completely collapse!

This was also a factor in why Wang Xingzhi had been unable to grasp the essentials of this technique.

For Fang Cheng, all he needed to do was put in the effort and be persistent.

With perseverance, success would eventually come.

...

RUMBLE!

The sound of muffled thunder rolled across the sky above the valley, transforming into an unending echo within its confines.

In an instant, the rain came down in sheets!

Across the valley’s riverbed, countless small streams appeared first, then the water level rose, gradually forming a great, surging river.

The valley walls and even the riverbed itself were dotted with numerous caves, their interiors a labyrinth of passages that ran unfathomably deep.

Though the current at the bottom of the valley was strong, it all flowed into these caves.

Amid the Demon Fog, Fang Cheng’s Cyan Bamboo Study floated motionlessly on the water’s surface. The Treasure Bead under the eaves emitted a brilliant light, illuminating the surroundings as if it were day.

Beyond the light, the black fog roiled, creating a ghastly scene reminiscent of the Underworld.

Fang Cheng sat peacefully inside, cultivating his Divine Secret Skill with single-minded focus, completely unaffected by his surroundings.

Suddenly, he stopped and looked outside.

From within the ceaselessly churning black fog, a ferocious, ten-foot-tall Demon Ape burst forth.

The ape was pitch-black, with crimson eyes and fur as tough as steel needles. Its cavernous mouth was filled with sharp fangs, making it completely different from an ordinary Demon Ape.

Wreathed in a dense Demonic Qi comparable to that of a Late-stage Sensing Cultivator, it strode across the water, heading straight for the Cyan Bamboo Study.

"A Celestial Demon—a Strong Demon Ape?"

Fang Cheng muttered to himself.

The Strong Demon Ape’s crimson eyes locked onto Fang Cheng as if spotting a supreme delicacy, its expression a disturbingly human-like mix of greed and excitement.

To a Celestial Demon, a cultivator’s flesh, blood, and Magical Power were the finest of tonics—a fatal temptation!

In just a few leaps, the Strong Demon Ape lunged toward the door of the Cyan Bamboo Study, about to force its way inside.

Suddenly!

A sharp, chilling flash of sword-light shot out to meet it, faster than lightning, and wrapped around its neck!

The Demon Ape’s massive head instantly tumbled from its neck.

...