Chapter 35: The Inferno of Bloodscar Mountains
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The air hung heavy, thick with a nauseating miasma of death, decay, and concentrated demonic Qi.
Ahead, nestled amidst the jagged, mist-shrouded peaks of the Bloodscar Mountains, lay the stronghold of the Shadow Veil Cult. Its jagged, black spires pierced the sky like broken teeth, shrouded in an ethereal, blood-red glow that pulsed with insidious power. Twisted, ancient trees, their branches devoid of leaves, stood like skeletal guardians, their roots seemingly drawing sustenance from the corrupted earth itself. The very ground beneath Li Shen's feet felt tainted, subtly draining his spiritual energy.
Thousands of Azure Cloud Sect disciples, a formidable legion, stood arrayed for battle. Their vibrant robes, normally symbols of sect pride, were now cloaked by the grim resolve on their faces. Spiritual weapons gleamed, talismans hummed with suppressed energy, and the collective Qi of the cultivators created a swirling vortex that battled against the demonic aura of the cult.
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Leading the charge were the venerable Azure Cloud Sect Elders, their cultivation auras radiating the immense power of the Core Formation Realm. Their faces were etched with grim determination.
Immediately, as the assault began, several towering figures emerged from the cult's stronghold, cloaked in shadowy, bone-adorned robes – the Core Formation experts of the Shadow Veil Cult.
A cacophony of guttural roars and spiritual explosions erupted as the two sides clashed, the elders soaring into the sky, creating a volatile battleground to contain the highest-tier demonic threats. Their primary objective: prevent the demonic sect leaders from unleashing devastating large-scale attacks or escaping.
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As the elders engaged in their world-shaking duels, shattering the very heavens with their power, the main body of Inner Sect disciples surged forward.
Among them, several figures shone with a brilliance that outshone even the seasoned Foundation Establishment experts. These were the true prodigies, the hidden dragons of the Azure Cloud Sect, who, despite their relatively young age, had achieved a cultivation realm almost unheard of for "disciples."
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The Top 5 Inner Sect Prodigies (Core Disciples):
Ling Xi
A vision of ethereal grace, she moved like a swift phantom. Her spiritual sword, a shimmering blade of ice-blue light, danced with lethal elegance.
At Core Formation Stage 2, her aura manifested as absolute frost. Her Sword Intent was so profound it seemed to cleave the very air. Each thrust of her blade left trails of frigid air, instantly shattering lesser demons and cleaving through cultists with ease. She was like a winter storm – beautiful and utterly devastating.
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Ren Kai
A towering figure, his muscles rippling under his robes. He wielded a colossal, two-handed spiritual axe that hummed with unyielding force.
Also at Core Formation Stage 2, his aura was that of an immovable mountain. His Axe Intent embodied overwhelming power. Every swing carved wide arcs of destruction, pulverizing cultists and flinging larger demons into ruin. He was a battering ram punching through the densest enemy concentrations.
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Bai Xuan
A master of battlefield control, his cultivation at Core Formation Stage 1 allowed him to blend Formation and Elemental Intent.
He summoned gales of fire and wind, manipulated the battlefield's spiritual flow, and disrupted demonic Qi. He created barriers to trap enemies, zones of chaos to scatter formations, and weakened enemy defenses with complex formations spun through intricate hand seals. A general on the battlefield.
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Jian Yu
Lean, quick, and deadly. At Core Formation Stage 1, he specialized in lightning-fast strikes with twin daggers.
Each flash was accompanied by arcs of emerald lightning. His Dagger Intent allowed him to strike vital points with surgical precision, disabling or killing with a single motion. He darted through enemy lines like a phantom, a whirlwind of speed and lethality.
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Mu Rong
A calm and collected warrior at Core Formation Stage 1. He wielded a heavy spear with precision and strength.
His Spear Intent was pure and unyielding, focused on piercing through all defense. He worked in tandem with Bai Xuan, anchoring the frontlines and skewering demons with every focused thrust. His presence brought stability and confidence to the disciples around him.
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These prodigies were not just talented—they were transcendent.
While most Inner Sect disciples still struggled with mid-tier demons and stronger cultists, the top five Core Disciples moved through the battle like war gods. Their power and refined Intent allowed them to annihilate threats that would overwhelm entire squads.
Even the two recent Dark Horses from the Outer Court competition, now newly ascended Inner Sect disciples, showcased their immense progress:
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Gao Lei – Now at Foundation Establishment Stage 5, his every punch was imbued with a crushing Fist Intent. Each strike shattered bone and stone alike as he mowed through thick-skinned demons with brutal strength.
Wei Han – At Foundation Establishment Stage 3, he fought with icy precision. His Saber Intent turned every slash into a dismembering arc of death. His calm killing intent left a trail of bisected corpses.
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Even more impressively, the former standouts Zhou Tai and Ran Qiu, once only at Qi Condensation, had now both broken into higher realms:
Zhou Tai had reached Foundation Establishment Stage 3, his spiritual energy now robust, his flame-based techniques amplified, allowing him to incinerate clusters of enemies at once.
Ran Qiu, now at Foundation Establishment Stage 4, displayed supreme control of his whip-like blade, his attacks combining elegance with savagery, capable of lacerating even minor demons in a single coiling strike.
They fought with the fire of hungry ascendants, their new power visible in every clash.
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Li Shen, positioned initially among the surge of Inner Sect disciples, observed it all. He watched Ling Xi's frozen battlefield, Ren Kai's violent shockwaves, Bai Xuan's ever-shifting terrain. He saw how the Core Formation level changed everything.
A grim smile crept to his lips.
This battlefield was not a spar. This was war. Raw. Chaotic. Fatal. And his Heaven Asura Destruction Body thrived in it.
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The spiritual Qi of demons and cultists – vile as it was – became potent nourishment for him. The Demon Slayer Blade hummed with fierce anticipation, its crimson edge glowing hungrily. His Blade Intent, honed to the 9th Stage, revealed weaknesses in every demon, every cultist, even through the fog of battle.
His Foundation Establishment Stage 6 cultivation might not yet be at Core Formation, but it was profound—fortified by the Asura Qi that surged through his every meridian.
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He wasn't here to challenge the top demons the Elders or prodigies faced. Not yet.
But the swarms of lesser demons, the fanatic cultists pouring onto the field?
They were his.
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With a calm breath, Li Shen drew the Demon Slayer Blade. Its surface absorbed the light, the crimson edge pulsed like a living thing. His body began cycling, Asura Qi roaring to life.
He was no longer a mere sect disciple. He was the inheritor of the Demon Slayer legacy.
The wielder of the Heaven-Cleaving Annihilation Blade Art.
Forged in the abyss.
Unleashed upon his ancestors' enemies.
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The massacre was about to begin.
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