Chapter 1066: Hellish Demonic Qi

"Everyone, stay alert. This ancient ruin contains countless ancient arrays. Their changes are unpredictable, and none have been fully deciphered to this day."

While Ling Feng was still lost in thought, Ju Feng Demon Emperor's voice sounded from ahead. He glanced back at the disciples of the Purple Dragon Hall and gave a brief reminder, then lit a torch and stepped into the dark cavern.

Bai Linger instinctively moved closer to Ling Feng. Judging by her reaction, this must have been her first time entering the ruins. The eerie and oppressive atmosphere had clearly unsettled her.

The group pressed onward. The light quickly faded, but everyone present was at least at the demon lord level. Their vision was sharp enough that even a single torch was more than enough to see ahead.

The tunnel was massive, over ten meters tall and nearly eight meters wide. Despite the number of people entering, there was still ample room to move.

As they ventured deeper, the wind died away, replaced by a bone-chilling cold that felt as if it came from the netherworld itself. It cut straight to the bone.

Ju Feng Demon Emperor walked at the front, releasing a soft wave of demonic essence from his body. The warmth spread out like a gentle breeze, pushing back the biting cold. He clearly had no intention of letting the disciples expend energy resisting the cold before they even began their search for treasure.

No one knew how far they had walked when Ju Feng Demon Emperor suddenly came to a halt. His voice remained steady.

"This is the core area of the ruins. Ten thousand years ago, this place belonged to the Heavenly Demon Hall. At the time, it stood above even the current Three Sanctums. What lies ahead is the remains of that ancient power, the Holy City of the Heavenly Demons."

Everyone looked up. The sight before them left them stunned. A few even gasped aloud.

Just as Ju Feng Demon Emperor had said, this was a true city. It was an enormous imperial capital buried beneath the earth.

Its scale was vast beyond reason. The towering city walls, nearly one hundred zhang high, loomed like mountains in the darkness. Under the torchlight, they gleamed with a cold, greenish glow. Sword scars and cracks covered their surface, casting an oppressive and ominous presence across the space.

A chilling aura spiraled upward from the walls, like a frost-covered dragon winding through the air.

Ling Feng immediately recognized the aura. It was the same one he had sensed from Han You the night before.

Clearly, the Young Lord of Canglong Sanctum had arrived here long before and had even fought a fierce battle with the mysterious sacred land expert Shen Xiao.

That man was arrogant. Even with so many demon emperors present, he had insisted on taking Shen Xiao down by himself and refused all help.

Because of that, Shen Xiao had managed to escape.

"Let's go. Although this place has already been explored for over a century, some spirit herbs may have grown back over the last ten years. If you are lucky, you might find something. This is the sacred city of the ancient demon race, and many of its secrets remain hidden."

Ju Feng Demon Emperor took a deep breath and walked toward the city gate.

Several groups had already passed through this area. As a result, no danger remained at the entrance. But the closer they came to the city itself, the heavier the pressure became.

The ancient city's sheer size and grandeur exceeded all expectations.

Its aura came from an ancient era. Even after tens of thousands of years, the walls and buildings remained solid and intact.

Even Ju Feng Demon Emperor, who had visited the ruins before, showed a hint of reverence on his face.

Five hundred meters from the city, they encountered a dried moat[1]. It stretched one hundred meters deep and three hundred meters wide. Though long dry, it still radiated the overwhelming presence of a fortress meant to guard against the world.

Everyone leaped across the moat. But just as they landed, a crushing pressure swept over them. Their hearts began to pound uncontrollably. Even Ling Feng felt his spine turn cold.

It felt like an invisible hand had reached into his chest and was about to squeeze his heart into pieces.

"

Something's not right.

"

Despicable Donkey's voice rang out in Ling Feng's mind. Although its usual manner was lighthearted and crude, it had lived for ten thousand years and had seen more than most.

"

What is it?

" Ling Feng responded with his thoughts. This way, no one else could hear them.

"

There's a faint trace of demonic qi here

."

"

Demonic qi? Are you saying the demons of the Heavenly Demon Hall were all evil cultivators?

" Ling Feng found the idea a bit ridiculous.

"

No. This isn't qi from cultivation. It's the aura of Devils from Beyond. Real hellish demonic qi.

"

"

Devils from Beyond?

"

Ling Feng's eyes narrowed. Could the fall of the demon race's ancient sacred land have something to do with those beings?

He had once entered the Battlefield of the Gods and Demons, so he knew what the Devils from Beyond were capable of. When they attacked, they nearly wiped out every living being on the Xuanling Continent. It would not be surprising if the demon race had faced the same threat.

"

Kid, anything that comes from beyond our world is either a great fortune or a great disaster.

"

Despicable Donkey chuckled softly.

"

But this one feels like a disaster!

"

"

So be it!

"

Ling Feng curled his lip and answered quietly, "Despicable Donkey, keep your eyes open. That Dragon Emperor Seal is mine!"

"

Hehe, you don't have to tell me. This divine beast already knows that!

"

The donkey grumbled to itself, but it had already gotten used to hunting treasures with Ling Feng. Its instinct to hoard everything had faded a little.

Ling Feng's sincerity had slowly changed Despicable Donkey. Although Despicable Donkey was still greedy, he no longer wanted everything for himself.

Once they crossed the moat, the terrifying pressure faded away, vanishing without a trace.

They entered the city through a long, winding corridor and found themselves in a dead, broken space.

The ruins of collapsed buildings and shattered statues surrounded them. All of them had already been ransacked by previous groups. Even the gemstones once embedded in the statues' eyes had been dug out.

Flickering ghost fire drifted silently through the air. From time to time, strange laughter echoed in the darkness.

It felt like a haunted city!

This was only the outermost area. Everything had already been looted. The group from Purple Dragon Hall did not waste time and quickly moved forward.

Before long, they arrived at a massive square.

At its center stood a towering statue, several dozen zhang tall. Its features had eroded long ago. The giant stone axe in its hand was broken in half. Only the handle remained, but the pressure that radiated from it still made everyone's breath catch in their throats.

It was clear that a powerful array still lingered around the statue. If triggered, the consequences could be deadly.

1. Moat = A deep, wide trench that surrounds a castle/fortress/city, originally designed for defensive purposes. ☜