Chapter 1261: Black Fly Demon God

Chen Mobai was still wondering how to resolve his connection with Mingzun before his ascension.

After all, he had heard from Su Zilu that Mingzun had a ghost fetus hidden outside Dongzhou. However, that was Mingzun's most deeply hidden secret, and only he knew the full details. Despite having entrusted the Ethereal Palace of Supreme Void with inquiries over the years, Chen Mobai had never received any information. He was even considering that if it proved impossible, he would have no choice but to pass this task on to a disciple. But he was still undecided whether to entrust it to Zhuo Ming or Jiang Zongheng.

Among his four disciples, only they currently showed prospects of achieving the Deity Transformation stage. Liu Wenbai had limited potential and would likely reach at most the Nascent Soul stage. Luo Yixuan's attributes, however, were very suitable. If she were to pursue the inheritance of the Tongyou Demonic Sect, she might achieve Deity Transformation more easily than through the Water Elemental Immortal Scripture. However, as his disciple, it was certainly impossible for her to switch to the demonic path. If news of that spread, he would forever be branded as the 'Eastern Desolate Green Emperor, incapable of disciplining his followers'.

Chen Mobai inwardly favored Jiang Zongheng. After all, Zhuo Ming was not skilled in combat, and Jiang Zongheng, having cultivated the Celestial Emperor's Records, needed to accumulate merits; thus, vanquishing demons and defending the righteous path was only natural for him.

However, he no longer needed to worry. Because Tu Ming had delivered himself to his doorstep.

After the Vast Sky Mirror was refined into the core of the Heaven-Screen Earth-Net Grand Formation, it could not only project its divine light everywhere through the formation but also, conversely, use the formation to thoroughly scan and detect all areas within its coverage. As soon as Tu Ming entered, though he had concealed his aura as quickly as possible, the divine ability 'Gate of the Underworld' required traversing the netherworld to step into the mortal realm. The very moment he emerged, the clash between the Yellow Springs Yin Qi and the mortal realm's surrounding aura was unavoidable. Such a disturbance, within the Heaven-Screen Earth-Net Grand Formation, was as conspicuous as a spiritual vein exploding.

After investigating the cause with the Vast Sky Mirror, Chen Mobai did not immediately make a move, as he wanted to know why Tu Ming would risk infiltrating the Eastern Yi region. Recalling that not long ago the Lord of the Central Demonic Path had also dispatched a Heart Devil avatar, Chen Mobai felt there must be some conspiracy involved. In any case, within the Heaven-Screen Earth-Net Grand Formation, he could easily crush Tu Ming at any moment. So, after locking the Vast Sky Mirror's perspective, he began to observe. Of course, to prevent any unforeseen circumstances, he still dispatched his second primordial spirit.

Under the Vast Sky Mirror's continuous observation, Tu Ming, employing a combination of the Gate of the Underworld and Shadow Escape Art, headed towards the Eastern Wilderness. Along the way, as he passed Mirror Immortal City in the heart of Eastern Yi, Chen Mobai saw Tu Ming leave a mark on Mirror Mountain. The moment Tu Ming left, Chen Mobai's true body performed the Great Void Teleportation to arrive and examined the mark. He discovered that it was similar to the positioning coordinates used in Great Void Teleportation. With his profound understanding of the void, he immediately deciphered its underlying principle. This was likely a positioning marker for the Gate of the Underworld's teleportation. Chen Mobai casually modified it, connecting it to Mount Hesitation.

Soon after, Tu Ming had already arrived in the Eastern Wilderness and headed straight for Beiyuan City. Just as Chen Mobai thought Tu Ming was about to enter the city, the latter stopped, gazing at the majestic immortal city before him—a sight he had never witnessed—with a mix of slight shock and wariness. Even as a Deity Transformation cultivator, Tu Ming had never in his life witnessed a modern city planned like Beiyuan City. However, the reputation of this immortal city had, along with the prestige of the Eastern Desolate Green Emperor, spread throughout the Five Continents and Four Seas, and Tu Ming had heard of it even in the Western Continent. He even knew that the city's mountain-protecting formation might be of the sixth-tier. Thus, even with the Gate of the Underworld, a divine ability that allowed him to escape at any moment, he did not rashly enter.

However, following the ancient pact, Tu Ming could sense that Su Zilu was indeed within this immortal city. Since he wouldn't go in, then he would make her come out. With this thought, Tu Ming bit his fingertip and drew a talisman in the air with his vital blood. Once formed, the talisman transformed in mid-air into a fanged ghost head, which, trailing black and crimson smoke, plunged into the earth and traveled underground towards Su Zilu in Beiyuan City.

As the vessel for nurturing his most crucial ghost fetus, Tu Ming's control over Su Zilu was comprehensive, spanning her essence, qi, and spirit. This 'Spirit-Enslaving Control Talisman' could activate the imprint planted within Su Zilu's soul, compelling her to involuntarily approach him.

On Beiyuan Mountain, Su Zilu, who was reading in her cave abode, suddenly experienced a moment of bewilderment. When she came to her senses, she found that she had, at some unknown point, arrived in a canyon on the Eastern Wilderness Plateau. Her brow furrowed initially, then her expression drastically changed. She had experienced this situation before. Yet, after more than a century serving under Chen Mobai, she had already forgotten what it felt like to have her very consciousness, her life and death, be beyond her control.

Mingzun!

Upon realizing this, Su Zilu trembled and looked around, but found no one in sight. She gritted her teeth, activated her Primordial Chaos True Qi and employed the Five Elements Escape Art, intending to flee back to Beiyuan City. But at that moment, a pitch-black ghost head emerged from her Purple Palace of Consciousness, and a cold, netherworld aura erupted, causing the Primordial Chaos True Qi around her to instantly dissipate, and her entire being began to become ethereal and transparent.

“Oh, I didn’t expect you to have already transformed into a Dharma Body Nascent Soul,” Tu Ming said. “No wonder you were able to break free from my Netherworld Scripture's restraint.”

Tu Ming’s voice echoed from beneath Su Zilu's feet; then the earth split open, and he ascended from underground, treading on ghost fire. After the war between the righteous and demonic factions in Eastern Continent concluded, Tu Ming activated another ghost fetus, intending to activate the restriction inscribed within Su Zilu's physical body to blood sacrifice her and retrieve the Sinister Ghost Plate, but there was no reaction. If she had lost her physical body, then it made sense.

“Congratulations, Mingzun, on your resurrection and return to the Deity Transformation realm.” Su Zilu saw Tu Ming before her, forced a smile, and began to plead for mercy.

“Who killed that ghost fetus of mine?” Tu Ming's expression was icy cold, but he did not immediately move to kill Su Zilu. Instead, he opened his mouth to inquire. Although he already had an answer in his heart, he still wished to confirm it personally.

“The Sect Master was the one who acted,” Su Zilu said without any hesitation, immediately recounting the situation that occurred in the Desolate Ruins. “At that time, the Holy Emissary of Light and I, following your orders, Mingzun, besieged and tried to kill the Sect Master… the One Yuan Daoist. Who could have known that although he had only just entered the Nascent Soul stage, his cultivation was unmatched by anyone below the Deity Transformation stage? The Holy Emissary of Light was killed, and my physical body was also severed by him, forcing your ghost fetus, Mingzun, to emerge prematurely. Who could have known that even your ghost fetus was no match for him…”

“That’s absolutely impossible! My ghost fetus was nurtured by the Sinister Ghost Plate; it is a child of the Yellow Springs, invincible within the same realm. It must have been you, this ungrateful wretch, colluding with that Chen the Tortoise Immortal, killing my ghost fetus while it was still dormant and unborn.” Tu Ming cut Su Zilu off before she could finish, pointing out the 'flaw' in her words and 'correcting' her account.

“I can swear, Mingzun, the death of your ghost fetus was entirely the Sect Master’s doing, and has nothing to do with me!” To save her life, Su Zilu immediately raised her hand, ready to swear an oath.

“Wretch, how dare you try to deceive me!” But Tu Ming flew into a rage. A chilling, eerie Yellow Springs Yin Qi erupted from his body, and a terrifying specter phantom rose. A pitch-black ghostly hand tore through the air, scattering the Primordial Chaos True Qi around Su Zilu and pinning her to the ground.

“Mingzun, every word I speak… is true, absolutely… no falsehood…” Su Zilu, whose neck was clutched by the ghostly claw, struggled to speak.

However, Tu Ming did not want to witness her swearing an oath. Because if she did, his long-held belief in the invincibility of his ghost fetus would be utterly shattered. As long as Su Zilu did not swear, he could tell himself that this wretch had colluded with the Eastern Desolate Green Emperor and used treacherous means to eliminate his strongest ghost fetus, thus preserving his confidence.

“You are guilty of a heinous crime for failing to protect my ghost fetus; I shall send you to the Yellow Springs first. But rest assured, soon all Nascent Soul cultivators of the Five Elements Sect and the One Yuan Dao Palace will descend to accompany you, and finally, Chen the Tortoise Immortal, in whom you placed such high hopes, will also die by my hand…” To prevent Su Zilu from uttering more words that would shatter his Dao heart, Tu Ming's ghostly claw extended and covered her mouth.

Next, the specter behind Tu Ming raised another hand. One of its fingers transformed into a long, thick, pitch-black iron needle, which descended towards Su Zilu’s head, prepared to impale her from head to toe with the most brutal torture imaginable.

“Fellow Daoist, this Venerable One can attest that what Elder Su said is true.”

Just then, a voice that caused Tu Ming's expression to change echoed in the sky. Immediately after, a brilliant golden sword light descended from the heavens in an instant, severing the two ghostly claws that bound Su Zilu. However, the specter behind Tu Ming grew a third ghostly claw, which swung from the ground towards Su Zilu.

A scorching sun, like the rising dawn, ascended, and the illuminating light from the Vast Sky Mirror bathed the entire canyon in its radiance. Tu Ming's proud Netherworld Specter avatar, under the radiance of the Vast Sky Mirror, was like ink dropped into clear water, continuously diluting, dispersing, and dissolving. Before the third ghostly claw could reach Su Zilu, it had already dispersed into black smoke.

“What kind of cultivation art is this?!”

Tu Ming's face was filled with shock, and he had no choice but to reveal his greatest trump card. A deep, pitch-black, eighteen-cornered jade plate rose from behind his head, transforming into a colossal black orb, which blackened half the canyon and directly countered the Vast Sky Mirror's radiance.

“The very cultivation art that killed that ghost fetus of yours back then.”

As Chen Mobai's second primordial spirit spoke, he had already descended, wielding the Primordial Yang Sword, to stand before Su Zilu, facing Tu Ming.

“Sect Master, save me, I did not betray you…”

The moment Chen Mobai appeared, Su Zilu, having just broken free from the ghostly claw's restraint, immediately knelt behind him, kowtowing repeatedly and explaining. Chen Mobai was quite satisfied with her conduct. Any other person, under such circumstances, would have succumbed to a Deity Transformation cultivator. He held the Morning Bell and gently tapped it three times near Su Zilu’s ear. Under the ripple of invisible sound waves, a wisp of black qi was shaken out from Su Zilu’s seven orifices. It had just formed into a phantom ghost head when it instantly vanished under the Vast Sky Mirror’s illuminating light.

After shaking off the influence of the 'Spirit-Enslaving Control Talisman', Su Zilu felt her mind clear, as refreshed as if she had shed a chronic illness. “Many thanks, Sect Master, many thanks…” She bowed deeply to Chen Mobai, but with a wave of his hand, he drew her into his Dharma Realm. Although Tu Ming’s strength was shallow and he was restrained by Chen Mobai’s Pure Yang Scroll, to prevent any unforeseen complications, it was better not to let a mere Nascent Soul cultivator like her participate in the upcoming battle.

“Chen the Tortoise Immortal!”

Tu Ming glared at Chen Mobai, who was clad in brilliant golden Dharma artifacts, his eyes brimming with hatred. If his ghost fetus had still been alive, he wouldn't have had to squander a century before relying on the Hell Plate to regain the Deity Transformation stage. Had those hundred years not been wasted, he was even confident that with the opportunities obtained from the netherworld, he could have achieved a realm no inferior to that of the Lord of the Central Demonic Path. In that case, to preside over the manifestation of the Six Paths of Reincarnation and the reappearance of the Life-and-Death Plate, it wouldn't have been the Lord of the Central Demonic Path's turn.

“Fellow Daoist, it was indeed this Venerable One alone who killed that ghost fetus of yours back then. Elder Su only abandoned darkness for light and embraced righteousness after witnessing that scene.”

Chen Mobai continued to clarify on behalf of Su Zilu, insisting that everything she said was true.

“Shut up!” Tu Ming bellowed furiously. He had no desire whatsoever to hear this 'truth' now. In his heart, he had already determined that this vile creature before him had colluded with that wretch Su Zilu and used treacherous means to destroy his strongest ghost fetus. Even as he spoke, Tu Ming had already activated the Hell Plate, unleashing his most powerful Black Fly Demonic Avatar.

“Since Fellow Daoist refuses to listen to reason,” Chen Mobai said, “then this Venerable One can only converse with you through my sword!”

Chen Mobai was somewhat disappointed to see Tu Ming so agitated. After all, Mingzun, as the Lord of the Eastern Continent’s Demonic Path, had maintained a considerable reputation before he achieved Deity Transformation. During the great war between the righteous and demonic factions, Chen Mobai had regretted that his cultivation was not yet complete, and thus he could not cross swords with this demonic path titan. After the two had established a connection, Chen Mobai had also eagerly anticipated meeting Tu Ming. Alas, the meeting fell short of the reputation! He was like an abandoned mad dog, lacking entirely the demeanor of a Demonic Path Lord.

Just at that moment, Tu Ming's Black Fly Demonic Avatar, bolstered by the Hell Plate, had fully materialized.

*Buzzing!*

Accompanied by a disquieting buzzing sound, from the pitch-black shroud covering half the canyon, countless, densely packed black flies, numbering in the hundreds of millions, swarmed forth. Their steel-needle-like proboscises, upon contact with the pervasive Vast Sky Mirror's radiance, surprisingly devoured and absorbed it directly. In just the blink of an eye, the pitch-blackness that had originally covered only half the canyon suddenly expanded to encompass seventy to eighty percent of it, as the radiance had been consumed by the countless black flies.

“What kind of demonic divine ability is this?!”

Chen Mobai was also somewhat astonished to see this scene. Among the eighteen demonic sects of the entire Tianhe Realm, he had never heard of such a technique existing.

“This is the innate divine ability of the Black Fly Demon God, who long ago ascended and transcended,” Tu Ming declared. “It was the first fly in this world, and even the Celestial Emperor was once drained of blood by it. Since you’ve come here seeking death today, I shall send you to the Yellow Springs first!”

With this slight display of skill, Tu Ming managed to pierce through the Vast Sky Mirror's brilliance that had annihilated his specter avatar, and couldn't help but feel a slight ease in his heart.