As they approached the devil battlefield, the number of people on the road increased.
The security also became tighter, with almost a guard every five steps and a watch every ten steps.
Renshu Chang suppressed the confusion in his heart and explained to Amalia and junior master uncle that to prevent humans who have been assimilated or possessed by the devils from sneaking through, the entry and exit regulations in Mystic Void Continent were this strict.
"In the early years, there were especially many devils mixed in with the crowd. One sect was ultimately annihilated because a devil infiltrated it."
"Are devils that terrifying?" Amalia said in surprise, "During the illusion test, I heard that the best way to identify devils is that they can’t use spiritual power."
"That’s true," Renshu Chang said helplessly, "but there will always be some that slip through the net. Too many people come and go from the devil battlefield, and it’s impossible to make everyone demonstrate their spiritual power."
"And over the years, the devils have learned to adapt, so fakes are possible."
"How was that sect destroyed?" Amalia asked again.
"Unfortunately, it was bad luck for that sect. The one who get possessed by the devil is an elder of the sect, someone with high status and authority. Who would dare to check him? Who would think he would be the one who gets possessed by a devil?" Renshu Chang sighed.
"By the time this incident was exposed, the sect had very few unassimilated cultivators left."
"If it weren’t for a few disciples of that sect getting into a fight and being discovered as devils, the major sects wouldn’t have found out. When they investigated, they discovered that many disciples of that sect had been assimilated into devils. They even found that the higher-ups, including the sect master, had also become devils."
When Renshu Chang spoke about this incident, although he had not personally experienced it as it happened quite some time ago, he had heard about it from others and could imagine the horrifying scene vividly.
Amalia pondered for a moment, "If an entire sect was found to be assimilated into devils, surely the humans they had interacted with also needed to be checked, right?"
"Of course, this incident caused a great uproar at the time, and everyone was on edge."
Renshu Chang added with relief, "Fortunately, for devils to assimilate humans, especially powerful cultivators, it takes time."
"Are there any specific traits or behaviors during the assimilation?" Amalia asked, understanding this was crucial.
"The nature of devils is different from humans; their personality will noticeably change. The identification of spiritual power only becomes apparent after complete assimilation," Renshu Chang explained.
Amalia raised her eyebrows slightly, "So, before complete assimilation, there is no better way to confirm if someone is possessed by a devil?"
"That’s correct," Renshu Chang nodded.
What he didn’t mention was that due to that incident, many people were implicated, and some were even wrongfully killed.
Many major sects adopted a policy towards devils that it was better to mistakenly kill than to let even one devil go.
"However, not everyone can be possessed," Renshu Chang quickly added, not wanting to discourage them too much.
"Is that so?" Amalia asked.
"Of course, otherwise, when the devils first invaded, the Mystic Void Continent would have been doomed," Renshu Chang said with a smile.
"What kind of people can’t be possessed?" Amalia inquired.
"Powerful cultivators. If a weak devil tries to possess them, it will be immediately destroyed. The elder possessed back then was at the Nascent Soul stage, and the possessing devil was a high-ranking one equivalent to a Nascent Soul cultivator."
"Conversely, if a high-ranking devil tries to possess a weaker cultivator, the possession might not be successful."
"In general, if a human cultivator’s power is lower than the devil’s, the assimilation happens faster. If their powers are equal, it becomes a battle of who can defeat the other in a short time."
Amalia’s curiosity was piqued, "Was that Nascent Soul elder defeated outright back then?"
Renshu Chang shook his head, showing a hint of resignation, "I don’t know. Perhaps yes, perhaps no. But the result was the same. Once discovered, whether assimilated or not, they faced a high likelihood of being executed."
"Is there no method to detect and extract devils from within unassimilated cultivators?" Amalia asked.
Renshu Chang sighed, "There is, but it’s only effective for newly possessed cultivators. If that Nascent Soul elder hadn’t been fully assimilated at the time, then the devil had likely been inside him for quite some time..."
Amalia understood his unspoken continuation.
That Nascent Soul elder hadn’t revealed his possession by a devil back then because he didn’t want to die.
However, it ended up jeopardizing the entire sect and those innocent people implicated because of him.
As they reached the entrance to the devil battlefield, both of them fell silent.
The entrance was flanked by towering, rugged mountain peaks, majestic and piercing the clouds.
This was the Forbidden Mountain Range.
While it appeared to be naturally formed terrain, it was actually artificially created.
When the devil battlefield was established years ago, it was to prevent human cultivators from accidentally entering and being crushed by the power of space.
It also served as a geographical barrier to prevent devils from entering unnoticed if the devil battlefield were breached.
It almost encircled the entire Eastern Continent, appearing exceptionally grand and imposing.
Upon entering the Forbidden Mountain Range, they could finally see a magnificent and grand city standing proudly amidst perilous peaks.
This city was neither adorned with exquisite towers nor adorned with carved beams and painted rafters.
Yet, its soaring eaves and majestic arches gave off an indomitable aura.
Amalia and Kenny Lin walked along the streets of the city, encountering cultivators with a strong killing intent and a thick scent of blood.
Looking at their spiritual artifact that was stained with traces of devil blood, the smell alone made them restless.
"Many people in the city have just come out of the devil battlefield," Renshu Chang explained as they walked.