Chapter Twenty-six: Succubus

“Junior Brother Zhou, we’ve arrived,” Han Qiaoman called from outside the door.

Descending from their flying artifact, what greeted them was a mountain ten thousand meters high, its peak lost in the clouds and mist. Black Ying Mountain was enormous, covered in dense forests. To search for a cave residence here would be like looking for a needle in the sea, but fortunately, the Immortal Companions Sect had provided a detailed route.

Many cultivators stood at the foot of the mountain, gazing up at the towering peak. Though their powers were formidable, they still felt awe in the face of nature’s grandeur.

“No flying is permitted here; neither sword flight nor flying artifacts will work. We’ll have to climb on foot,” Long Chengye explained. “There are quite a few demon beasts and fiend beasts within, but the strongest are only at the tenth level. With our Nascent Soul cultivation, they pose little threat.”

“But with tenth-level beasts about, how did that Foundation Establishment disciple survive?” Han Yuanzheng asked curiously.

A first-level demon beast was equivalent to a human at the Qi Refining stage; second level to early Foundation Establishment; third to mid Foundation Establishment; fourth to late Foundation Establishment; fifth to early Core Formation; sixth to mid Core Formation; seventh to late Core Formation; eighth to early Nascent Soul; ninth to mid Nascent Soul; and tenth to late Nascent Soul. The hierarchy for fiend beasts was the same.

Once demon or fiend beasts surpassed the tenth level, they could assume human form, and their ranks became equal to those of humans.

“Luck, I suppose. He didn’t encounter any powerful beasts at the time. The presence of tenth-level beasts was only discovered later by the elders,” Long Chengye replied.

The elders of the Immortal Companions Sect and the Life and Death Sect kept their disciples protected at the center of the group. For now, their intervention was unnecessary; when they reached the immortal’s cave, the Foundation Establishment disciples would become the main force.

Following Long Chengye, the group pressed onward in search of the immortal’s cave. With Nascent Soul cultivators leading the way, no foolish beast dared block their path.

Long Feiyu kept glancing at Zhou Qi, which Han Qiaoman noticed. She quickly sent a voice transmission to Zhou Qi, “Be careful.” Zhou Qi acknowledged her quietly and stayed close behind.

Long Feiyu seemed unable to restrain himself; outside, there was no opportunity, but once inside the immortal’s cave, he would likely make his move. Even sticking with Han Qiaoman’s group might not guarantee safety. They numbered only fifteen, while the other side had thirty. If the other group ruthlessly wiped them out and claimed they’d fallen to immortal restrictions, what could they do?

Zhou Qi silently calculated his odds. Sadly, the Maze Immortal Array he’d learned was useless here—the materials were just too rare. All he could do was take things one step at a time after entering the immortal’s cave.

At last, a beast with more courage than sense blocked their way—a massive pig demon with a dog’s body, covered in black bristles, blood-red eyes gleaming, razor-sharp tusks bared. Long Chengye merely glared, and the pig demon split into five pieces. For Nascent Soul cultivators, even lifting a hand against such low-level beasts was beneath notice.

Twin-headed serpents, rainbow-hued tigers—these mindless wild beasts were no obstacle.

As they climbed, the forest thickened and the mist deepened. The group followed the markings left by the elders of the Immortal Companions Sect, slowly making their way up. According to the elder, it would take more than ten days to reach the immortal’s abode. The journey was uneventful; after about five days, the scenery shifted. The dense forest vanished, replaced by an endless desert.

The sect elder halted them. Something was wrong—this hadn’t happened last time.

Suddenly, a beautiful woman appeared out of thin air amidst the sands. She was extraordinarily lovely: long lashes, a delicate nose, a red mark between her brows, jade-like cheeks tinged with pink, and lips so alluring one couldn’t help but wish to taste them. Aside from a gossamer veil covering her most essential parts, most of her flawless skin was exposed.

By the law that the less one wore, the fiercer one fought, this woman was surely no ordinary opponent.

Her every movement exuded seduction; many of the Foundation Establishment disciples already looked feverish, desperate to pull her into their arms.

“Who dares block my path?” Han Yuanzheng shouted.

“Despicable humans! You trespass on my domain and still dare speak so arrogantly?” Her voice was sweet and melodious, even in anger, soft as honey, temptation incarnate.

“The world belongs to humankind; Black Ying Mountain has always been our territory. When did it become the fiends’ domain?” Han Yuanzheng retorted, having already seen through her true form. With that, a rainbow sword appeared and stabbed toward the woman.

Her expression shifted, and two ram’s horns sprouted from her head. Her seductive lips split to reveal sharp fangs; her legs transformed into hoofed feet of white jade, and a pair of black, fleshy wings unfurled from her back.

Her withered arms blocked the flying sword, sparks flying from the clash.

“She’s a Succubus at the Nascent Soul level, and she’s trapped us in an illusion! For safety’s sake, let’s join forces and finish her quickly,” Long Chengye said. A purple-gold Eight Trigrams saber appeared and slashed toward her as well.

A Succubus? Zhou Qi’s heart leapt—if he could obtain some of her blood, it might be useful. True Immortal Succubus blood was hard to come by, but perhaps Nascent Soul-level blood could still be used to inscribe the Maze Immortal Array with unexpected results.

With two Nascent Soul cultivators attacking together, the Succubus dared not be careless. She howled, her fangs lengthening, claws growing, and summoned a giant shield from thin air to block the saber. But Han Yuanzheng’s sword struck again. Sword and blade alternated in their assault, and even a Nascent Soul Succubus could not withstand them. Before long, she was shredded into pieces.

The desert vanished; the dense forest returned. On the ground lay a creature neither human nor beast, its demon core destroyed. Han Yuanzheng and Long Chengye had no interest in its remains, but the other cultivators surged forward. When the crowd dispersed, not a trace of the Succubus’s corpse remained—only a pool of blood on the ground.

Zhou Qi was startled—he’d been too slow. The lucky ones looked ecstatic, but those who’d missed out weren’t overly disappointed; it was all a matter of speed, and greater treasures awaited in the immortal’s cave. There was no need to fight over a single corpse. Long Chengye and Han Yuanzheng were used to such scenes and did not intervene.

Noticing the blood no one wanted, which had seeped into the earth, Zhou Qi carefully collected the soil in a vial. Instantly, a wave of spiritual pressure crashed over him, luring him toward corruption. The strength of a Nascent Soul demon was evident—even a drop of blood could still attack on its own.

Seeing how cautious he was, the others found it amusing. But when they noted his cultivation—peak seventh-layer Qi Refining—it made sense. He could only scavenge these leftovers.