The Journey of Immortal Cultivation-Chapter 684 - 386: Yearning for Freedom_2
She lifted her pale wrist and gestured, the big trees around her ceased their commotion. She said expressionlessly: "You have twenty breaths of time. If you can’t convince me, there’s no need for you to leave; just stay and be a guest of the Hidden Stream." Over so many years, no one has ever successfully left the Ba Snake Mountain Range. This guy actually claims he has a way. Is he trying to make fools of us all?
The man in grey revealed a mysterious smile at the corner of his mouth: "Why bother talking? I just need to summon one person, and once you see them, you’ll believe I can do it!" With that, he let out a clear whistle towards the Red Cloud Plateau.
At the edge of the Red Cloud Plateau, where it borders the forest, the land was cracked as if sliced by knives and axes, with many caves around. From one of the caves emerged a man, slowly walking this way.
The man who walked step by step was strikingly handsome, with a ruddy complexion but somewhat dull eyes. Hiding in the woods, Ning Xiaoxian did not recognize him, but Miss Qingluan gasped in shock after catching sight of him, obviously stunned: "Mou Tan! You actually..."
Actually what? She couldn’t quite articulate it, only feeling extreme confusion in her mind. Mou Tan was one of her Black-backed Eagle Demon subordinates who had left the Ba Snake Mountain Range two months earlier and had not returned since. Everyone thought he was dead—because unless they died, a demon of the Hidden Stream would crawl back to the Ba Snake Mountain Range even if their legs were broken. The Power of Growth from Ba Snake held that much control over the demons living here.
She had seen what demons who returned past their deadline were like. Any member of the Hidden Stream Demons delayed outside, upon returning to the Ba Snake Mountain Range, would have bloodshot eyes and a frenzied loss of reason, only a fighting instinct remaining. At that moment, anyone standing in their way back home would become an enemy worthy of hatred. She had seen a Bear Demon returning after forty days away from the Mountain, its fur tangled, emaciated to the point of losing half its body weight, staggering along. The moment it stepped foot into the Ba Snake Forest, it collapsed, gasping heavily on the ground, its spit tinged with blood, devoid of any dignity and self-awareness of a demon.
It’s precisely because of seeing such cruel precedents that all of the Hidden Stream had both love and fear towards the Ba Snake Mountain Range. This great forest was like the strictest mother, usually bestowing extensive grace, but the slightest delay in returning home would mean relentless, harsh punishment!
For thirty thousand years, not a single demon, after being affected by the Yimu Power, could leave unscathed. All the Hidden Stream Demons grew up here, fought here, and even in death, their bodies were ultimately absorbed by the forest, turning into void. The desire for freedom is inherent in all of the Demon Clan, yet so many heroes, despite wracking their brains and trying countless methods, could not break the bond of the Yimu Power upon themselves.
Even those who committed a soldier’s death, trying soul possession in hope of liberation, ended in vain. Even with a new body, the control of Yimu Power remained deeply rooted in their soul. As long as the soul did not perish, the Yimu Power would continue to exert its effects. This Origin Power was a double-edged sword, on one hand aiding demons in cultivating faster and living longer, on the other, however, trapping them in one corner, unable to break free for life.
It was a poison that even the powers of Yin Jiu You could not extract, and also the fundamental reason why Changtian did not worry that this old adversary would infiltrate the Hidden Stream to take this army away.
However, Mou Tan was now standing alive and well in front of Miss Qingluan, and anyone with eyes could tell that he was in good condition, calm and composed, his complexion bright and luminous, neither irritable nor excited.
He was not tormented by the Yimu Power into losing his mind, nor was he in unbearable pain. Miss Qingluan did not believe that his current appearance was a deliberate disguise, as she was familiar with the aura of her subordinate.
Mou Tan walked slowly to her and gave a bow, his face breaking into a smile, respectfully saying: "Miss Qingluan, I am well."
"The Yimu Power, it hasn’t affected you?" She had to clench her fists to steady her trembling voice.
Compared to her, Mou Tan’s reaction was much calmer: "No, my lady. I am well."
She placed her hand on the shoulder of her subordinate and released her demonic power to check his entire body for abnormalities, finding nothing unusual, then muttered to herself: "How... how did you do this?" Mou Tan remained silent.
The man in grey chuckled and took over the conversation: "More than fifty days ago, I found him over five thousand miles away from here. At that time, Mou Tan had exhausted his demonic power, was neither like a human nor a ghost, wings damaged and unable to fly, he had to shuffle step by step towards this place... Miss Qingluan must surely be familiar with such a scene, right?"
She snorted coldly. Every few years, she would see such unfortunate ones. Such scenes also reminded her not to stray too far from the Ba Snake Mountain Range. As for what the man in grey mentioned about finding Mou Tan outside, she simply didn’t believe it. For all she knew, this Mou Tan could have been captured by this man for an experiment to show her.
"On a whim of kindness, I treated him. In just less than half a month, you see what he looks like now. Witness and evidence are both present, you must believe now, right?"
Miss Qingluan’s heart pounded. If she could get this method, she could fly far away to seek revenge, and henceforth enter and leave the Ba Snake Mountain Range freely, staying if she wanted to, leaving if she wished—how boundless and unbridled that freedom would be? Furthermore, from then on, the Hidden Stream could enjoy the enhancing effects of the Ba Snake Mountain Range on cultivation without being bound by it—retaining only its benefits while shedding its harms!
Not just her, it was a temptation no demon of the Hidden Stream could refuse!
Hiding in the woods, Tu Jin and Qi Zai exchanged glances, seeing both confusion and anxiety in each other’s eyes. The Yimu Power was the foundation of Changtian’s control over this vast force. If it was truly cracked, how many sincerely loyal demons would remain in the vast Mountain Range? (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to cast your recommendation ticket and Monthly Ticket at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)
