Chapter 417: The Cultivators' Alliance

Outside the city of Wuliu, in a hidden patch of forest, two cultivators were skulking about and watching what was happening within Wuliu.

"What are we doing here? Could that black smoke from last night have something to do with Wuliu?" one of them asked.

"I'm worried that these cursed effigies have come up with another strategy for dealing with us. Let's keep an eye out for a little longer so we have something to report back to the alliance," the other cultivator said.

"Damn it, the corpse-oil rain in Wuliu is starting again. The soul-stealing chains are about to get to work. The forty-five-year-olds are done for!"

"We're no match for those cursed effigies. We can't do anything. Do we have to pretend that we haven't seen it at all?"

The two cultivators sighed as they saw a figure fly into the city lord's manor. Then, the sound of fighting could be heard from afar.

"Another cultivator?"

"A cultivator? From where? How could he be making such a fuss?"

"For him to be able to take on those Immortal-realm cursed effigies, he must be an Immortal in his own right. Could he have come from aboveworld?"

The two cultivators watched on quietly, but the commotion swiftly died down.

"That cultivator's done for. Whoever it was must have been unaware of just how dangerous the Netherworld Palace is..."

The two cultivators sighed. Two hours later, the commotion reappeared.

Ten golden crows, like ten suns, shot through the air. Countless guards attempted to strike them down, but the ten golden crows eventually won out.

"That Immortal's winning!"

"The demons all around the city have shot over to the city lord's manor. What frightening golden crows. Their feathers are like an array of divine swords, their claws like Immortal relics. And does this flame counter the demons' regeneration?"

"How could this Immortal be so strong?"

The two cultivators, gobsmacked, flew into the air. They saw that Xiao Nanfeng had not only taken down the gathered demons, but even the cursed effigies as well. Everything was melting within a roaring inferno of flames.

None of the horse-headed humanoids had managed to escape; he had caught them all.

"This is incredible. How could this Immortal be so strong?" one of them said.

"Go on. Let's greet our senior," the other replied.

The two cultivators flew into the city.

By the time they flew into the city lord's manor, it was already surrounded by a large group of civilians. They were bowing along the outskirts of the manor, not daring to get too close. Within the ruins of the city lord's manor, a huge blood peach tree had blossomed.

The horse-headed humanoids had all been split apart. The blood peach tree's roots thrust into them, as though forcibly draining essence from their entire bodies.

"Junior Wang Chuan greets his senior!"

"Junior Chen Wang greets his senior!"

The two cultivators bowed respectfully to Xiao Nanfeng.

Xiao Nanfeng glanced at the two of them in some confusion. "You're both cultivators? What are you doing here?"

"I was an official of Fengdu forty years ago when I was dragged into the abyss by demons. I was fortuitously able to escape and have since become a member of the cultivators' alliance."

"I was once a guard of Fengdu thirty-eight years ago when I was dragged into the abyss. I too managed to escape from the demons and have become a member of the cultivators' alliance."

"Wang Chuan and Chen Wang, you say? You're both from the Immortal city of Fengdu? That'll save me quite a bit of work, then," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"Might we ask who you are, Senior?"

"I'm Xiao Nanfeng. Before I entered the abyss, I was the acting city lord of Fengdu."

The two cultivators glanced at each other and bowed once more. "We greet City Lord Xiao!"

"No need for courtesy. I've only been the acting city lord for a month. Tell me about the situation in the abyss."

The two cultivators glanced at the cursed effigies underneath the blood peach tree and saw that their cursed bodies were swiftly turning dry and parched. They shuddered in fear.

"There's no need to worry. The blood peach tree is an ally," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"Understood!" The two cultivators sighed in relief.

"City Lord Xiao, you must have seen what was going on within the city of Wuliu. The people here are all being reared by the cursed effigies. They've lived here for a hundred thousand years—thousands of generations reaped by these soul-stealing chains."

"I've seen it. What's all this about your cultivators' alliance? Are you the 'human demons' that the people talk about?"

"We are. Those of us cultivators who have managed to survive the demons' assault banded together to form an alliance, assisting each other in times of need. The cursed effigies call us human demons to frighten the people and prevent them from interacting with us."

"Oh?"

"This place is ruled by cursed effigies. There are countless potent cursed effigies in here, each loyal to the Yanluo Lord they serve. I heard that this place used to be divided into ten domains until a hundred years ago, when the Snake Yanluo and the Dragon Yanluo escaped. Eight Yanluo Lords remained, each with their own unique class of cursed effigies. They waged war with each other for territory and people. We cultivators were no match for them. Our souls are stronger than those of regular humans, which make us delicacies for cursed effigies. If we were to show ourselves, they would swarm us within moments. That's why we have no choice but to live our life in the shadows."

"Have you seen this woman? Her name is Lady Yaoguang." Xiao Nanfeng sketched out an image of her with his qi.

The two cultivators glanced at each other before shaking their heads. "No, we haven't."

"I came in search of her. Would you be willing to contact all the members of your cultivators' alliance to search for her whereabouts? I guarantee I'll bring whoever finds her out of this hidden realm," Xiao Nanfeng pledged.

"Out of this hidden realm? City Lord Xiao, you can bring people out with you? Could you be a Heaven Immortal?"

"Must you be a Heaven Immortal to make it out?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"Not necessarily, but there are always a large number of Earth Immortal cursed effigies garrisoned by the mouth of the abyss. Ordinary Earth Immortals would be easy prey for them, and the Yanluo Lords frequently make appearances there as well. Unless you're a Heaven Immortal, you won't be able to make it out."

"Then there's no need to worry. I was able to take down the cursed effigies by the mouth of the abyss alone when I entered, so leaving shouldn't be a problem."

The two cultivators glanced at each other in shock. He was able to take down large swathes of Earth Immortals by himself—didn't that mean he was a Heaven Immortal? A Heaven Immortal would surely be able to bring a few people out if they were lucky...

"City Lord Xiao, we've been in the abyss for decades. We don't know what has happened to our families. Please bring us out. We're willing to pledge allegiance to you!" the two cultivators begged.

Xiao Nanfeng glanced at them thoughtfully. "You may accompany me out."

"Thank you, City Lord Xiao!"

"Now, please help me contact the cultivators of your alliance. Not only will I pledge to guide cultivators who find Lady Yaoguang out, I'll even provide them with Immortal relics."

"Of course. We cultivators would do anything to get out of here, City Lord Xiao!"

Xiao Nanfeng nodded.

Wang Chuan rushed off in search of cultivators from the alliance, while Chen Wang remained as aide to Xiao Nanfeng.

Xiao Nanfeng glanced at the cursed effigies, who had been left in such a weakened state that they were essentially at death's door. Xiao Nanfeng had requested that the blood peach tree not drain them completely.

"Cursed effigies, have you seen this woman?" Xiao Nanfeng manifested Lady Yaoguang's image once more.

"Lad, do you think you can threaten us? We're cursed effigies who will regenerate even if we die. Once our king finds out about this, we'll be avenged. You're dead meat!"

"Even if we had seen this woman, we'd never tell you about her!" The horse-headed humanoids bared their teeth at Xiao Nanfeng.

"In that case, there's no need to leave any of you around," Xiao Nanfeng declared. He turned toward the blood peach tree. "Please enjoy them, Senior."

"We'll regenerate. We'll come back to take revenge!" one horse-headed cultivator cried out fiercely.

The blood peach tree absorbed their vitality at maximum strength. Within moments, they had vanished. The blood peach tree likewise teleported back into Xiao Nanfeng's mental world.

Only when the blood peach tree had vanished did the people approach from beyond the ruins that had once been the city lord's manor. Those at the forefront were naturally those whose souls had just returned to their bodies.

"Thank you for saving our lives, sir!" They bowed down and kowtowed in gratitude.

"There's no need for such courtesy, everyone. Soon, there'll be cultivators coming to explain everything and to impart basic cultivation techniques to you, just in case," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"Understood, sir. Thank you, sir!"

Not long later, Wang Chuan returned with a group of cultivators. Many didn't dare to believe that someone would have the guts to take down one of the cursed effigies' cities. Wasn't this Xiao Nanfeng fellow afraid of retaliation from the cursed effigies' armies?

Xiao Nanfeng's strength caused them all to grow excited. Even if they weren't able to escape, with such a strong cultivator in their ranks, the entire alliance would be safer for it.

They greeted Xiao Nanfeng within the city of Wuliu and rapidly familiarized themselves with each other.

"Everyone, I must find Lady Yaoguang urgently. Please help me inform all the cultivators of your alliance about her, and pass word to me immediately if there's any information. I promise that I will bring those who aid me out of the Netherworld Palace."

"Don't worry, City Lord Xiao. We'll let everyone know immediately," the gathered cultivators promised.

"Furthermore, I've brought a few subordinates and friends into the abyss with me. We were separated when the cursed effigies we took down triggered an assault from Heaven's Hand. Please search for them as well," Xiao Nanfeng requested.

He then manifested images of Blue Lantern and Ye Dafu and his lackeys.

"Understood!" the cultivators said.

Then, in the discussion that followed, Xiao Nanfeng gained an understanding of the Netherworld Palace.

"The ten Yanluo Lords have each established their own domains—and you claim that each domain consists of many human-rearing cities like this, each with a soul-stealing artifact?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"That's right. We frequently overhear the cursed effigies mentioning to each other that these artifacts are forged from the eighteen layers of hell and all have the ability to gather souls. Because each layer of hell is different, however, each city's soul-stealing artifact is different."

"Are there more of the woks found in the city of Wuliu?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"There are! We know of four such cities in all: Wusan, Wuliu, Wujiu, and Wushi," another cultivator replied.

"Good. Would you be willing to lead the way?"

"Where do you want to go, City Lord Xiao?"

"I want the three remaining woks, so I intend on taking down the cities of Wusan, Wujiu, and Wushi." Xiao Nanfeng smiled.

The other cultivators gaped at him. None of them would ever dream of actively attempting to seize control of the cursed effigies' cities.