Chapter 130: The Ancient Land of Wutong

Before leaving, I gave instructions to the Mountain Ghost: "Lady Mountain Ghost, please keep Hua Yuyan in your village and ensure she rests well. She must never know that I have gone to the Ancient Wutong Land."

"Rest assured, I will take good care of her," the Mountain Ghost replied.

Leaving the Women’s Dong Village for the Ancient Wutong Land, I had no knowledge of the mountain paths. However, the Mountain Ghost had made arrangements. She assigned the Miao girl who had guided me before, whose name was Shancha, to accompany me.

In the Women’s Dong Village, Shancha was the only one besides the Mountain Ghost who had ever been to the Ancient Wutong Land, making her the only one capable of leading the way.

On the road, I asked her why their village was referred to by outsiders as the "Women's Village." She explained that those rumors were false; stories of "walking marriages" or men staying overnight were nonsense. Most people could not even enter their village, let alone stay the night. Perhaps outsiders found them mysterious and simply invented stories.

Furthermore, the inhabitants of the village were not human, but mountain spirits—the subordinates of the Mountain Ghost. Given this, Shancha, my companion, was likely a mountain spirit herself. When I asked, she did not confirm it.

I then inquired about the deaths in Cangmang Town. She said she knew nothing of the matter and doubted it had much to do with the Demon Race. After all, the Demon Race had not yet fully re-emerged and would not dare reveal themselves to slaughter innocents, lest they draw the gaze of Heaven’s Will and invite a catastrophe. Naturally, the deaths had nothing to do with the Women’s Dong Village. As she had said, ordinary people could not enter their village.

I reasoned that the deaths in Cangmang Town must have been the handiwork of Ma Zhenlei and Luo Jinhong.

Shancha brought two black robes of the Demon Race—replicas she had crafted herself. As we entered the Ancient Wutong Land, we donned them. The Ancient Wutong Land housed the Demon Palace, and it was said that the object left behind by the Demon Ancestor Luohou lay in the abyss beneath it. The influence of the Demon Race in this land was immense; taking the object by force was virtually impossible.

Thus, for the two of us, there was only one way: to infiltrate and outsmart them.

Once inside, I realized Shancha was right. The Ancient Wutong Land was essentially a demon city. Demon clansmen were everywhere, and the air was thick with malevolent energy, a nauseating stench, and pervasive death. Shancha informed me that there were nine such demon cities, each occupying one of the nine lands of death.

Although the Demon Race had been wiped out over a thousand years ago, they still possessed formidable power. This made me reflect on my own Ghost Path, which, aside from Ying Gou and Lady Bai, lacked other major forces. It was an undeniable fact that this single demon city was more powerful than my entire sect. The Ghost Path still had a long way to go.

After infiltrating the city, I heard many demons whispering that "that person" was coming. They were referring, of course, to the one chosen by the Demon Race.

Breaking into the Demon Palace directly was impossible; it was heavily guarded, and the commotion would be too great. I thought for a moment and said, "Shancha, how about this? My techniques, combined with the energy of the Qingping Sword, can manifest endless malevolent energy. Since they are waiting for that person, you can pose as a demon envoy and claim I am the one they await. Let’s try that!"

"No, that’s too dangerous. I promised the Mountain Ghost I would be responsible for your safety," Shancha said firmly.

"Shancha, there is no other way," I insisted.

Shancha pondered and realized there really was no other option. If we forced our way in, it would be even more dangerous. She conceded, "Fine, but do not tell them it was my idea, or I shall face the Mountain Ghost’s punishment."

"Rest assured, I will take all the blame," I promised.

Finding a secluded spot, I sensed the intent of the Qingping Sword and condensed a vast amount of malevolent energy, channeling a portion to Shancha. We then headed toward the Demon Palace.

As we walked, I noticed that although the Ancient Wutong Land was now barren, there were still stumps of wutong trees—remnants of the old Wutong Forest. It seemed the legends were true; this place was once the ancestral ground of the Phoenix Clan.

As I took steps toward the palace, a black-robed figure suddenly rushed toward us. I thought we had been discovered and prepared to strike, but the figure whispered, "Follow me!"

She emitted almost no malevolent energy; she was not a member of the Demon Race. If we caused a scene here, we would surely be exposed, so I did not hesitate and followed her with Shancha into the shadows.

"Who are you? Why bring us here?" I asked.

She lowered her hood, revealing a woman’s face. She looked me up and down before saying, "I have been waiting for you here for nearly half a month. Are you Lin Yi?"

"I am. Who are you exactly?" I asked.

"Follow me, and you will know."

Seeing that Shancha and I hesitated, she added, "You won't get into the Demon Palace like this. Even if you do, the Wutong Demon Palace is guarded by three hall masters and a malevolent formation. Anyone who is not of the Demon Race, regardless of their cultivation, will have their life essence drained and face certain death."

Although she was in the Ancient Wutong Land, she was definitely not a demon, for she possessed no malevolent energy.

Just then, voices echoed nearby: "Where are those two suspicious people?"

"In that alley!"

"Chase them!"

"Yes!"

The woman looked at us and whispered, "This is no place for talk. Hurry!"

I nodded, following her through a winding maze of small paths until we shook off the pursuers. We eventually reached a canyon. The woman said, "There used to be a beautiful mountain stream here. Now, it has become like this."

As she spoke, I saw a pavilion on the mountain peak across the way. The scene was eerily similar to one from my dreams, though here, there was no river, and the mountains were choked with death and devoid of vegetation.

"A thousand years ago, this place was beautiful and filled with wutong trees," she sighed.

"Are you of the Phoenix Clan?" I asked immediately.

She gave a bitter smile. "The Phoenix Clan is long gone. We are now nothing more than slaves to the Demon Race."

As she spoke, many more figures in black robes emerged. They, too, possessed no malevolent energy; they must have been of the Phoenix Clan. So, the clan had not disappeared; they had been enslaved after the demons occupied the Wutong land.

I had not expected that those before me were the kin of Weiyang. Although I did not know them, I felt an extraordinary closeness to them because of her.

"How many of the Phoenix Clan remain?" I asked.

The woman pointed across the canyon. "They are all there."

I crossed the canyon with them. As we moved through it, I vaguely heard the sound of singing. I stopped, and though the sound was faint, it was unmistakably the melody of "Phoenix Seeks Phoenix."

"Young Master, there is often singing in this canyon," the woman said.

"Who is singing?" I asked.

She shook her head slightly.

I followed them to the mountain peak on the other side. Standing in the pavilion, I suddenly recalled the endless wutong forest and ethereal mist from my dream. Yet, looking out now, I saw only dead wood. Malevolent energy crisscrossed the landscape, and there was no life among the withered trees—only thin wisps of black fog.

The woman led me into the forest of dead wood, where many dilapidated wooden buildings stood. It looked like a primitive tribe. Among them, one building constructed against a massive tree was the most magnificent.

By comparison, this building was like a palace. The woman said their elder matriarch was waiting for me inside.

Upon entering, I saw an old woman. She was incredibly aged, her face a map of deep wrinkles, yet I felt as if I had seen her somewhere before, though I could not quite place it. She looked at me, and without a word, tears welled up in her eyes.

"You… you have finally come!" she said, her voice trembling with emotion.

"Do you recognize me?" I asked.

Though she felt strangely familiar, I had never seen anyone of such advanced age—she looked over a hundred years old by human standards.

"Recognize you? More than that! Over a thousand years ago, when the Phoenix Clan was decimated and our final bloodline was on the brink of extinction, it was you who braved the Ancient Wutong Land. You told us to endure the humiliation and wait, even as slaves to the Demon Race. You promised that one day, you would return. I never imagined that wait would last over a thousand years. But you have finally come!"

She was trembling with agitation as she spoke. Fearing she might collapse, I reached out to steady her.

"Are you referring to the Sect Master of the Ghost Path?" I asked.

"Of course! Who else could it be? I observed the heavens and saw the Planet of Calamity rise and the heart of the sky guarded by Mars. Who else but you could manifest such celestial signs?" She explained that she had seen the omens and calculated that I would come to the Ancient Wutong Land, so she had instructed her people to wait outside the Demon Palace.

The old woman signaled to me, and we stepped outside. I saw that the members of the Phoenix Clan had gathered. The elder matriarch looked at me and said to them, "He has come!"

Every member of the Phoenix Clan knew what those words meant. They had waited a thousand years for this moment. This phrase was the only hope that had sustained them through a millennium of humiliation.

I could see the anticipation in their eyes, and my own heart began to race, ignited by their burning gaze. Looking at them, I declared, "From this day forward, the Phoenix Clan shall be slaves no more!"

The crowd erupted in fervor.

Together, they raised their arms and shouted, "The Phoenix Clan shall be slaves no more!"