1913

Chapter 1913: Controlling Inner Demons . . .

This resounding thump not only rang in the whole Famish Devil Ancient Battlefield, but it also seemed to synchronize with everyone's heart inside the space.

This thump seemed to come from their own hearts.

The feeling was more realistic to the Black Killer Sect, Hundred Transformation Sect, and Lightning Beast Valley's experts. It was as if something was violently hitting their hearts. An excruciating pain spread from their chests to the rest of their body.

This pain was different from the pain they felt in their souls' will—they felt this pain from the depths of their spirits.

The spirit was similar to one's soul will. It was intangible but existed. And just now, their spirits felt like they were stung by a venomous scorpion.

How would it feel when one's spirit gets stung by a venomous scorpion stinger?

It would be too painful to endure. A similar kind of pain was spreading throughout the Black Killer Sect, Hundred Transformation Sect, and Lightning Beast Valley's experts' whole body.

The lower these Emperor Realm's strength was, the harder it was to endure the pain. Thus, these low-level Emperor Realm Ancestors felt like death was better than being alive. Although the mid-level Emperor Realm Ancestors were suffering great pain, their resistance was slightly better than the low-level Emperor Realm Ancestors—only slightly. The high-level Emperor Realm Ancestors fared better, barely maintaining an unaffected façade.

Violent Lightning Archdevil, Chen Xie, Cui Huajie, and the others' paled slightly as their eyes were fixed on Huang Xiaolong.

Even Chiyou was astounded, staring fixedly at Huang Xiaolong's chest.

Huang Xiaolong was indifferent, "Now, I'll let you experience the heart of hell's true power!"

Others saw the dazzling rays of black light shining from Huang Xiaolong's chest become brighter. These black rays of light seemed to proclaim Huang Xiaolong's identity as the Lord of Hell, the ruler of hell.

When the black rays of light from Huang Xiaolong's chest intensified, everyone inside the Famish Devil Ancient Battlefield felt an unbearable pain throbbing in their hearts.

"Ahhhhh—!" Everyone was screaming, clutching their chests where their hearts were, especially experts from the Black Killer Sect, Hundred Transformation Sect, and Lightning Beast Valley. The low-level Emperor Realm Ancestors plummeted to the ground, while the mid-level Emperor Realm Ancestors were swaying unsteadily in midair.

Chiyou, Violent Lightning and the others' expressions grew solemn at this sight.

"Quick, kill Huang Xiaolong. Quickly, stop him!" Violent Lightning shouted anxiously.

Although Huang Xiaolong's cultivation had just broken through to early First Order Emperor Realm, the effect of the heart of hell on Chiyou, Violent Lightning, Chen Xie, and Chiyou was weaker. Even so, they were uncomfortable. This kind of feeling of discomfort was something they had never experienced before.

This uncomfortable feeling did not come from the soul being coerced, but a discomfit of the heart!

A discomfit from the spirit! The heart of hell actually could manipulate a person's spirit! Attack one's spirit!

Startled back to their senses by Violent Lightning Archdevil's angry bellow, the Lightning Beast Valley's remaining Emperor Realm Ancestors attacked Huang Xiaolong in waves. It was futile. Before these Ancestors' attacks arrived, all were blocked by the ten Undead Netherguard captains.

A slit opened in the void, and beams of black light shone down. These black beams of light shone straight at Huang Xiaolong's chest, where the heart of hell was.

"Dong!"

"Dong!"

"Dong!"

Loud thumping noises continued to ring through the whole Famish Devil Ancient Battlefield and continued to hit the hearts of Black Killer Sect, Hundred Transformation Sect, and Lightning Beast Valley's experts.

Suddenly, the three forces' experts writhing and grunting on the ground stopped as the whites of their eyes turned ink-black. 

Then, these Black Killer Sect, Hundred Transformation Sect, and Lightning Beast Valley's Ancestors got up from the ground and crazily attacked Cui Huajie, Chen Xie, and the others.

Seeing this, Chen Xie bellowed angrily, "Not good. Huang Xiaolong is controlling their inner demons! They have already succumbed to their inner demons, and are under Huang Xiaolong's control!"

This was one of the heart of hell's terrifying powers—it could control a cultivator's inner demons, the darkest aspect of their spirit!

Every person, no matter how strong their will was or how firm their determination in the path of cultivation was, there was bound to be some form of an internal demon. Even a Sovereign Realm expert's spirit wasn't truly flawless.

Once the heart of hell took control of a cultivator's inner demons, it controlled the cultivator, causing the cultivator to succumb to their inner demons, thus losing all reason and sanity.

"Hurry, use the Clear Heart Sutra, wake everyone up!" Violent Lightning Archdevil shouted an order.

The Clear Heart Sutra was a kind of ancient divine art that could awaken those that had succumbed to their inner demons.

Those high-level Emperor Realm Ancestors that were versed in the divine art quickly executed the Clear Heart Sutra in an instant. A long hum resonated with heaven and earth.

But Violent Lightning Archdevil and the others soon noticed that those who had succumbed to their inner demons' attacks grew madder after listening to the Clear Heart Sutra.

"...This!" Chen Xie and the others' looked ugly, seeing that their efforts had failed.

"Once you succumb to inner demons after falling under my heart of hell's control, you won't be able to wake up irrespective of any sutra you chant."

Huang Xiaolong's expression turned colder, and he went on, "It's only possible to wake them up if I stop."

Chen Xie, Cui Huajie, and the others' hearts sank into the abyss of despair at Huang Xiaolong's words.

Around them, blood-curdling screams continued.

As time flowed by, the number of casualties from the Black Killer Sect, Hundred Transformation, and Lightning Beast Valley increased exponentially, as the Ice Dragons, Radiance Angels, Undead Netherguards, and the Ancestors who had succumbed to their inner demons slaughtered on.

In the end, forced to a dead-end, Chen Xie, Cui Huajie, and the others had no other choice but to kill those Ancestors who had lost sanity.

An hour later, half of the Black Killer Sect, Hundred Transformation Sect, and Lightning Beast Valley's Ancestors had fallen!

No, it was more than half!

"Leave!" Chiyou roared. At this point, he had completely understood that he had no hope of snatching the three devil steles from Huang Xiaolong. As for killing Huang Xiaolong, that was nothing but a wishful fantasy! Earlier, he had still harbored a ray of hope, thinking that perhaps, luck would be on his side, but that bubble had burst long ago.

"Want to leave?" Huang Xiaolong harrumphed. The City of Eternity whistled out, turning into a hundred million li wide city, and instantly blocked Chiyou, Violent Lightning, and others escape path.

Seventy-plus Ice Dragons swam into positions, forming the Ice Dragon Formation. In a split second, icy cold qi took over the world.

...

Half a day later.

Huang Xiaolong looked at the Black Killer Sect Chief Cui Huajie's corpse lying on the ground before him, there were no changes to his indifferent expression. This time, almost all of the several hundred Black Killer Sect, Hundred Transformation Sect, and Lightning Beast Valley's experts had died. Still, Chiyou, Violent Lightning, and the Hundred Transformation Sect's Old Ancestor Chen Xie had managed to escape.

Although Violent Lightning, Chen Xie, and Chiyou had escaped, they did so relying on taboo methods, which would damage their body and cultivation to a certain degree. It would take them several thousand years, even ten thousand years or more, to recover fully.

"Clean up." Huang Xiaolong ordered the Three Skull Ancestors.

"Yes, Your Majesty." The Three Skull Ancestors complied respectfully. A while later, they brought the spatial rings and divine artifacts they had collected to Huang Xiaolong.

During this time, Lu Xiaoqing had successfully broken through to the Emperor Realm. Hence, Huang Xiaolong did not remain at the location any longer. The group left the Famish Devil Ancient Battlefield.

The news of his breakthrough to Emperor Realm would spread through the Devil World soon. Shi Ming would probably rush there.

Coming out from the Famish Devil Ancient Battlefield, Huang Xiaolong did not leave the Devil World immediately but journeyed to the Dragon Bear Valley.