However, the intention might be good, most of the clan members are accustomed to a pampered life, and many of the Kan Country’s royal clan people have some kind of mental illness. In the icy world, all sorts of ailments flare up, with frequent incidents occurring along the way: madness leading to cliff dives, people fleeing and falling into rivers, or tumbling into ice caverns, prompting demons and monsters to emerge, seizing the chance to snatch them away—countless such cases.
After all, this was a ’sacrifice’ to the heavens, and so it goes. Only those who return from the sacrificial offering at the peak of Guyan Mountain are considered to have received ’Heavenly Destiny’, and are regarded by the Kan Country Master as his descendants, entitled to a title and rank.
"Oh? You’re so familiar with this, have you been here before?"
Tie Dan shook his head,
"Never been, just heard people talk about it."
The Wei Ji God Monarch didn’t care about such details, stood before Guyan Mountain, no need to get too close, one look from afar was enough,
"There are too many... too many."
A million? Two million? Too many. Beidu has become Demon City, Kan Country has turned into Demon Country, not a trace of human civilization remains. Various demons encircle the Hanhai forging nests, and Hanlan Palace has been crafted into a vast demon fortress.
The northern sky has been shrouded with soaring demon qi and intersecting demon light, turning day into night. Blizzards and icy storms howl down. And countless demons still continue along the icy river, constantly surging south from Returning Ruins, like a massive tidal wave, driven and attracted by some force, racing southward.
"How could this be, where do so many demons come from in Returning Ruins? There the Gang Winds blow day and night, the land is bitterly cold and barren, how could it possibly spawn so many demon beasts..."
Even Wei Ji God Monarch was a little taken aback, pinching the formula for quite a while but unable to deduce anything.
"The weather isn’t right..."
Tie Dan breathed out, watching the moisture crystallize into ice immediately in front of him, frowning, he manipulated Qi to protect himself.
"It wasn’t this cold before, and the moisture has many impurities, the cold poison invades the body, staying long harms the lungs and intestines, ordinary people cannot survive in this place."
Wei Ji God Monarch frowned and said,
"I am thinking of sneaking into the Hanlan Palace."
"What for? Isn’t it already a demon’s lair? By now, probably not a single living person remains."
Wei Ji God Monarch looked at him,
"Back then, the Immortal Venerable forged Nine Cauldrons, originally for Alchemy, later fought over, most were damaged, thus only used to suppress the qi destiny of the Nine Provinces.
At the time, the Great General sealed and sacrificed at Guyan, bringing the cauldron here to suppress Kan Country’s qi destiny, it is the Array Eye of a northern Sealing Demon Array, and should be guarded within Hanlan Palace.
Though I do not know how these demons broke Kan Country’s Barrier, destroyed the northern qi destiny, to drive them out of the Central Plains, perhaps this cauldron can still be used, to reforge the Sealing Demon Seal."
"I see. But senior, it seems the two of us alone can hardly reclaim such a treasure. Shouldn’t we call for help?"
Wei Ji God Monarch said,
"No need to forcibly reclaim it now, first see the situation before making a decision.
I will attract the attention of the demons, you sneak into the palace to investigate, if the Divine Cauldron is destroyed or stolen, then that’s even better, indicating the situation is not too serious, just need to slaughter the million demons here, then the Sealing Demon Barrier will be restored.
But if the cauldron is intact and the Barrier is unharmed...
Then it indicates the Heavenly Dao has changed, Kan State no longer belongs to the Human Clan, even the Immortal Venerable’s legacy cannot suppress Heavenly Destiny. This disaster is unavoidable."
"Alright, but I wonder what the cauldron looks like?"
Wei Ji God Monarch shook his head and said,
"I am so young, how could I have seen it, and it’s not like I would, without a Royal Decree, I have no right to witness such a Supreme Ritual Object.
But with your pair of eyes, you should be able to see it, right?"
Tie Dan fell silent for a moment.
This pair of eyes, indeed, he had recently been dreaming for a long time, many memories from childhood flooded back, naturally knowing what these eyes meant.
He probably had some bloodline from the Kan Country clan...
Wei Ji God Monarch laughed,
"Little friend fully dedicates to cultivation, probably unwilling to recognize this ancestral lineage. But thinking on your years of cultivation, these eyes have brought much convenience, surely you owe them something."
"Senior, no need to persuade me, I understand, the karma of Kan Country, the debt of the Shi Family, I can’t escape it, I must kill that vile Stone Dragon, or I’ll never have peace."
Seeing Tie Dan’s understanding, Wei Ji God Monarch didn’t say more, making a unique gesture, chanting, conjuring, a mass of Cloud Qi supported in his hand,
"This Cloud Seal is a Secret Technique of Invisibility and Concealment, as long as your feet stand on the ground, you won’t be detected by demons. Later, when I fully unleash my power, you run for your life and don’t worry about me."
Tie Dan cupped his fist,
"Senior, willing to sacrifice for the Human Clan, I am deeply impressed."
"Not really, I sense the tribulation approaching.
There’s quite a number of demons here, if I break through proactively, bring down Heavenly Thunder for the crossing of the tribulation, maybe they could help bear some of it.
Just keep your distance, the Six Dao Divine Thunder is no joke."
So the two made plans, Tie Dan performed Ice Escape to hide upon the icy surface.
And Wei Ji God Monarch, once he was in position, immediately unleashed all his Daoist energy, transforming into a long rainbow directly charging into the Demon Cave, instantly wielding the Yu Gong Whip, it expanded thick as a Copper Tower! Crashing down with a bang, smashing the doors, shattering the ice lake!
"Demons, come out to die!"
So the awakened demons swarmed to brawl, and Tie Dan took the opportunity to use Cloud Seal to protect himself, stealthily infiltrating Hanlan Palace.
Comparatively, Kan Country is after all impoverished, Hanlan Palace is not even as luxurious as the Lanling Xiao Family, now occupied by the demon horde, remains of flesh, fur, bones, excrement, and corpses litter the place, appearing even more desolate, utterly a hollow ruin and tomb.