Inside the demon god barrier, in pitch-black darkness where one could not see one's own hand, there was a massive pit. Within it was a viscous liquid containing immense demonic qi energy. Vast and pure demonic qi energy overflowed from the demonic river and diffused into the air.

The demonic qi energy contained within this viscous liquid was astonishing. Like water, energy flowed from high concentration to low concentration. Given the demonic qi density in the air at the outer edge of the barrier, it was impossible for the liquid to maintain such purity. This was why the closer one got to the space-time node, the more terrifying the demonic qi energy within the demonic river became. Fortunately...

Although the demonic qi energy in the liquid dispersed rapidly, the mysterious energy within Lin Zheyu absorbed it even faster. Under its sweeping pull, the pure energy within the demonic river formed a massive vortex and was drawn into his body. Continuous hissing sounds came from him, while dense black mist enveloped the surrounding area.

Even so, it could not conceal the brilliant golden light radiating from Lin Zheyu. Under the mysterious energy's influence, golden runes continued to form. Then, following his earlier plan, he incorporated the Saha Scripture, shaping a pattern that was elusive and ethereal, like the wind itself. This was the special totem cultivated through the Saha Scripture.

The only technique Lin Zheyu possessed that involved totems was the Saha Scripture. Such techniques were exceedingly rare. He had searched the immortal markets for a long time but had never found another. This left him somewhat regretful. After all, it was a unique body-refining technique inspired by barbarian totem arts, yet its method of forming totems was entirely different from theirs.

The formation of barbarian totems involved inheritance, bloodlines, and even the blessing of the legendary Barbarian God. The Saha Scripture, however, was different. It was a peculiar technique created by its originator through integrating various aspects of the Immortal Dao and drawing inspiration from barbarian totem arts.

Because it was so unique and relied on Immortal Dao knowledge to produce a pseudo-totem, the resulting totem was extremely weak. As a result, the Saha Scripture was difficult to cultivate, and even after great effort, the strength it produced ranked at the bottom among cultivators of the same stage.

If he had a choice, Lin Zheyu would not cultivate the totem of the Saha Scripture. Unfortunately, he did not. Given his current martial cultivation level and knowledge, he was unable to create such a technique himself. All he could do was imitate it, make slight modifications, and integrate the Saha Scripture's totem into his Primordial Golden Body.

Lin Zheyu's spirit entered his consciousness space, fully immersed in cultivating the technique. Golden runes continuously appeared on his body as the Saha Scripture's totem began to take shape. However, when it reached nearly 60% completion, the special runes forming the totem suddenly began to change uncontrollably.

After all, the golden runes were cultivated from demon arts, which themselves were created by drawing on the demonic patterns of yaos. As such, these runes contained many mysterious rules, deeply tied to yaos.

When Lin Zheyu used these golden runes to replace the foundational structure of the Saha Scripture's totem, the connections between them activated those hidden rules. The half-formed totem, once light and intangible like a wisp of wind, began to transform into something unknown.

***

Within the demon god barrier, battles were happening at every moment. The appearance of space-time nodes was both a crisis and an opportunity for Great Wei. That was why any node that appeared within the Central Plains, no matter the cost, would be shut down. To this day, not a single space-time node in the Central Plains has remained open for more than a month.

Outside the Central Plains, even in the northern lands that had not yet fallen completely out of control, several space-time nodes had been left open. This was partly because the Central Plains served as Great Wei's stronghold, with overwhelming strength. It was also because Great Wei deliberately allowed nodes outside the Central Plains to remain, rather than sealing them completely.

To yaos, the living beings of this world were food. But to cultivators, the plants, resources, and rare yaos of the demonic realm were equally precious cultivation materials. The space-time node near Ruyang City had remained active for over two years. The entire demon god barrier had long been completely demonized, filled with all kinds of strange demonic creatures and plants, giving rise to many unusual and valuable substances.

As a result, it attracted a large number of cultivators to venture in and train. Every day, many entered and exited the demon god barrier. And many powerful cultivators perished within it during these expeditions.

At that moment, five figures cautiously passed through the demon god barrier and entered the pitch-black, deathly silent world that resembled hell.

"Be careful. It's not just yaos you need to watch out for here, but other cultivators as well. No matter what happens, don't split up. Pair off in twos and coordinate with each other," said the middle-aged man at the front in a low, stern voice.

Beside him were four young men and women who looked somewhat inexperienced. The moment they entered the demon god barrier, excitement appeared on their faces. Their eyes darted around, taking in everything. Their arms tensed, veins bulging slightly, spirit power surging within as they stood ready to attack at any moment.

Seeing their curious expressions, the middle-aged man frowned and shouted in a low voice, "Did you hear me?"

The four quickly composed themselves when they saw he was displeased and replied in unison, "Yes, Martial Uncle!"

"Good. This time, we're only training on the outskirts. The closer you get to the space-time node, the stronger the yaos become. Not long ago, a powerful seven-pattern yao escaped from the node. Don't let your guard down," the middle-aged man continued to warn them.

He raised his head and looked into the dark sky in the distance, his eyes narrowing as if he could see through the endless darkness to the space-time node itself.

The woman to his left, dressed in pale blue and holding a green longsword, pointed into the distance and exclaimed, "Martial Uncle, look! There's a streak of golden light over there. Could it be a treasure appearing?"

Excitement lit up her face. They had only just entered the demon god barrier, and already something that looked like a treasure had appeared. How could she not be thrilled?

"Hm?"

The middle-aged man froze for a moment, then shifted his gaze to where the woman was pointing. A trace of doubt appeared on his face. There really was a brilliant streak of golden light there. Through his senses, he felt a powerful aura rapidly gathering, rising at an astonishing speed.

One of her companions exclaimed excitedly, "There really is golden light! Martial Uncle, could there really be a treasure over there?"

It wasn't just them. All four youths lit up with excitement the moment they spotted the golden light. They could sense a powerful aura forming in the distance, one completely out of place within the demon god barrier. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

A treasure! A powerful treasure!

"Let's go take a look!" said the middle-aged man, deciding without hesitation.

They were on the outer edge of the demon god barrier, where the chance of encountering powerful yaos was low. The aura of that golden light was strong and radiant, completely different from the aura of yaos within the barrier. The middle-aged man guessed it was likely the aura of a powerful dharma treasure used by some cultivator.

What a powerful aura. It feels unfamiliar, yet it seems to strongly restrain yaos. If I could get my hands on it... the middle-aged man thought to himself, unable to hide the excitement on his face.

He hadn't expected that bringing his sect's disciples here for training would lead to such an opportunity. Their speed was swift. With a flash of light, they sped toward the source of the golden glow. And they were not the only ones. Many who had noticed the light were rushing toward it.

After all, this was the outer region of the demon god barrier. While powerful yaos were rare here, powerful human cultivators were not. Most cultivators who came here to train or explore would not remain deep inside for long. When tired or in danger, they would retreat to the outskirts or leave the barrier entirely to rest in hiding.