Chapter 757: Transforming the Silver Mist Guards
Ten Thousand Demons Abyss.
Lin Langtian and Jiang Yinlan hovered in midair, gazes locked on the pitch-black chasm that seemed to stretch down without end.
The abyss twisted and coiled like a slumbering demon dragon buried deep underground, sending a chill down the spine.
"This is Ten Thousand Demons Abyss," Jiang Yinlan said, her cold, beautiful features growing solemn.
"This abyss was once a battlefield in ancient times. Since your lower plane was invaded by extraterritorial evil races, you should know how terrifying they are.
"Though our Heaven-Earth Continent survived thanks to the desperate resistance of our forebears, the price was immense. Ten Thousand Demons Abyss is one of the battlefields left from that era."
Lin Langtian nodded. Coming from the Tianxuan Continent, he understood all too well how dreadful such beings were. Without the Symbol Ancestor, that world would have long since become a lifeless demonic wasteland.
Back then, the extraterritorial evil races had ravaged not just one or two realms, but thousands. The Heaven-Earth Continent was merely one among many.
Fortunately, its forefathers had been strong enough to keep it from falling, and the existence of Ten Thousand Demons Abyss bore witness to how brutal the fighting had been.
"The ones who attacked the Heaven-Earth Continent back then were the Intention Demon Clan, a branch of the extraterritorial evil races," Jiang Yinlan continued. "They're not considered a major clan, but they still nearly toppled this world.
"Many Intention Demon experts fell in this abyss. The heart of such an expert, which you need to refine the Battle Intent Demon Heart, might be found here."
Lin Langtian glanced at the unfathomable depths and nodded.
He was no stranger to extraterritorial evil, and he could faintly sense the lingering demonic aura in the abyss below.
That foul energy clashed violently with the world's spiritual power, rejecting it like water and fire.
"Extraterritorial power is ultimately incompatible with the Great Thousand World," Jiang Yinlan said quietly. "The refining method for the Battle Intent Demon Heart is said to be extremely strange. In ancient times, many battle formation masters who refined it died to inner demons.
"Are you truly confident you can control it?"
Though the Battle Intent Demon Heart could devour battle intent to feed its user, its side effects were severe. Since it used an Intention Demon expert's heart as its core, a single mistake could result in inner demon backlash and instant death.
After spending so much time with Lin Langtian, Jiang Yinlan knew he was now indispensable to Silver Mist Palace. The last thing she wanted was to see him take such a risk.
"Hehe, don't worry. I'm very familiar with the extraterritorial races, so I'm confident I can subdue the Battle Intent Demon Heart," Lin Langtian replied with a small smile.
With the Golden Spirit Mirror in his body and his power already a fusion of demonic energy and spiritual power, he did not reject the energy of the extraterritorial races.
The Battle Intent Demon Heart might bring both benefits and harm to others, but for him, it was all gain and no loss.
"In that case, I wish you good fortune," Jiang Yinlan said softly, biting her lip before finally refraining from further persuasion.
She had already witnessed many miracles around Lin Langtian. Perhaps he really could pull this off.
"Come on, let's take a look inside," she added.
Lin Langtian had intended to go alone, but seeing the solemn look on her face, he swallowed his words. His regard for Jiang Yinlan deepened.
He knew she was braving this dangerous place to look out for him. For a palace master to go this far was genuinely heartwarming.
Enveloping themselves in spiritual power, the two shared a glance before turning into streaks of light that plunged into the abyss.
The howl of the wind rose, and darkness swallowed them whole.
Rumble!
The shrill rush of air echoed from the depths as they plummeted. In barely over ten breaths, they had descended tens of thousands of meters below ground.
Sensing that the seething evil energy had grown increasingly dense at this depth, they slowed to a halt.
Lin Langtian flicked his finger, sending out several orbs of blazing flame.
The fireballs swelled rapidly, their light driving back the gloom at the bottom of Ten Thousand Demons Abyss.
With the darkness dispelled, the surroundings came into stark relief.
Lin Langtian's eyes narrowed.
The rock walls were riddled with countless black holes, each about a meter in diameter.
Coiled inside them were pitch-black serpents radiating a chilling aura of evil.
These creatures were demonic pythons, twisted into their current form by the abyss's corrupting miasma.
Hiss, hiss, hiss…
Their sibilant hissing filled the chasm, making the skin crawl. When the flame orbs appeared, they seemed to sense the intruders at once.
In an instant, countless demonic pythons shot from the rock holes, surging toward Lin Langtian and Jiang Yinlan.
Neither of them panicked.
With a wave of her sword, Jiang Yinlan conjured a storm of sword qi that whirled around the pair like a shield.
Each serpent that lunged into the barrier was shredded into pieces and reduced to drifting scraps.
"Look down there," Jiang Yinlan said, ignoring the pythons as she pointed below. Her expression had grown even more grave.
Lin Langtian followed her gaze, sending another flame orb plunging into the depths.
The ball exploded, its light scattering into countless motes that illuminated the chasm below.
"Oh…"
His face hardened, and his brows furrowed.
Down in the darkness, a vast sea of demonic energy churned at the bottom of the abyss, its inky surface like a portal to another world.
Who could say how many Intention Demon experts had fallen here to create such a horrific ocean of corruption?
"No wonder Ten Thousand Demons Gate searched for so many years and never found an Intention Demon expert's heart," Lin Langtian murmured.
Who would have guessed that even after thousands upon thousands of years, the abyss's demonic sea would remain so immense?
Even with Fifth-Grade Sovereign strength, Old Demon Geng would hardly dare rush into such a place.
Jiang Yinlan nodded slightly, her brows knitting. "It seems that if you want to find the heart of an Intention Demon expert, you'll have to go into the demonic sea itself."
Lin Langtian stared at the black tide, then slowly nodded.
However, instead of moving immediately, he glanced around the abyss, thoughtful.
"Palace Master, I plan to bring the Silver Mist Guards here to train," he said suddenly.
"Hm?" Jiang Yinlan's eyes widened. "This abyss is overflowing with demonic energy. You and I may be fine, but for the Silver Mist Guards, it's far too dangerous.
"Besides, what exactly would they be cultivating down here?"
"I intend to pass them the Ten Thousand Demons Body we seized from Ten Thousand Demons Gate," Lin Langtian replied calmly. "This abyss is the perfect place to cultivate it.
"If the Silver Mist Guards can master it, the battle intent they forge will be on a completely different level from before."
The Ten Thousand Demons Body had been developed by Ten Thousand Demons Gate specifically for use with this abyss's demonic energy. Though it carried side effects—like the demonic markings on Geng Yan's face—it offered immense benefits for body refinement.
If Lin Langtian could help the Silver Mist Guards perfect this art, their overall power would skyrocket.
He was absolutely confident that with just one thousand Silver Mist Guards, he could defeat any army in the Heaven-Earth Sect—except perhaps the mysterious Heaven-Earth Guards.
In the long run, if he truly wished to protect the Tianxuan Continent and Qingtan from the North Region's Leng Clan, he could not rely on lone heroics. He needed a power base in the Great Thousand World.
The Silver Mist Guards were ideal candidates. They had not yet reached that height, but they had the potential.
He could even go a step further and plant demonic seeds in each of them.
Demonic seeds were a technique once used by the Otherworldly Demons on the Tianxuan Continent in collusion with human factions, allowing them to control Yuan Gate from the inside.
Under their influence, the entire sect had become puppets and pawns.
Lin Langtian had no intention of turning the Silver Mist Guards into mindless puppets. Still, if he wanted to raise their strength quickly, the demonic seed was the fastest path.
After all, everyone knew that the demonic path was the quickest, if not the cleanest.
"Very well," Jiang Yinlan said after a brief silence, nodding. She cared deeply about the Silver Mist Guards' growth.
In some sense, they were her private army, yet she offered no objection.
After facing so many trials together, she and Lin Langtian shared a much closer bond than before.
With the decision made, Lin Langtian did not delay. He left the abyss, gathered the Silver Mist Guards, and led them all into Ten Thousand Demons Abyss.
Their strength, of course, could not compare to his or Jiang Yinlan's. They only made it about three thousand meters down before the crushing pressure forced them to stop.
Satisfied, Lin Langtian ordered them to halt. With a wave of his sleeve, jade slips flew out, one landing in the hands of each Silver Mist Guard.
"This contains the cultivation method for the Ten Thousand Demons Body," he said. "From today onward, you will train here."
Huo Yuan and the others froze, staring at him in disbelief before gratitude flooded their eyes.
They knew exactly how valuable the Ten Thousand Demons Body—the sect's core inheritance—really was.
In other powers, such a body-refining divine art would be almost impossible to obtain. Yet Lin Langtian had just handed it to them without hesitation.
"Thank you, Commander!"
They exchanged looks, then dropped to one knee as one, clutching their jade slips tightly. Their faces shone with genuine respect and loyalty.
They offered no flowery flattery, only deep, heartfelt gratitude.
A warrior's life was worth dying for one who truly understood them.
For a commander like this, they would gladly follow to the bitter end.
Lin Langtian gave a small nod. "The Ten Thousand Demons Body is a heterodox technique that uses demonic energy. It will strengthen your bodies, but the corruption may leave side effects."
"Uh…"
At that, Huo Yuan and the others hesitated.
They could feel how terrifying the demonic energy here really was. Even an elder like Geng Yan had barely managed to refine the Ten Thousand Demons Body. Most of them had not yet reached the Sovereign realm—if they slipped up, they might be consumed by the corruption, lose their minds, or even die.
"Don't worry. I wouldn't have you cultivate it without a safety net," Lin Langtian said with a faint smile. He flicked his sleeve again, sending another set of jade slips into their hands.
"This is the cultivation method for the 'Demonic Seed.' As recorded within, if you successfully condense demonic seeds in your bodies, you will be able to command the invading demonic energy.
"Of course, there is a limit. Once you've mastered both the Demonic Seed and the Ten Thousand Demons Body, you must not linger in this abyss for too long, or the corruption will still turn on you."
These jade slips contained a revised version of the demonic seed technique, one Lin Langtian himself had altered.
He had preserved its powers while removing the invasive corruption that would normally devour the host. For the Silver Mist Guards in their current state, it was a perfect fit.
"Yes, sir!"
Joy lit their faces, and they bowed again.
Though the methods Lin Langtian offered were somewhat unorthodox, none of them were foolish idealists. They understood that in this world, only strength truly mattered.
For them, his gifts were nothing less than a second chance at life.
Seeing their excitement, Lin Langtian simply waved his hand and said nothing more. Under a thousand reverent gazes, he shot straight down toward the depths of Ten Thousand Demons Abyss.
He had done what he needed to do. With the demonic seed and Ten Thousand Demons Body, he had completely won the Silver Mist Guards' hearts.
From his perspective, it was a bargain well worth making.
Though he had no intention of controlling their will, the demonic seeds would, over time, ensure their unwavering loyalty.
Now that they were settled, he could finally turn his full attention to the real prize: finding the heart of an Intention Demon expert in the depths of the abyss.
(END CHAPTER)
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