450 - Rebirth of a Star: Another Day, Another Drama

Chapter 450: Chaos in the Lower Realm Upon entering the passage, Baili Ming immediately took out a flying shuttle. As the three boarded it, they sped towards the end of the ascension passage. In the Lower Realm Deep within a forest, the air began to twist. Suddenly, a flying shuttle appeared. Shortly after, three people, two men and a woman, emerged from the shuttle; they were Ye Linglong, her father Baili Ming, and her uncle Baili Feng, who had just arrived in the lower realm. Almost as soon as she stepped out of the shuttle, Ye Linglong frowned deeply. The spiritual energy in the surrounding area was disturbingly impure, reminding her of the mixed aura of spiritual and demonic energies she once felt in the central plains of the Ancient Secret Realm. Absorbing and training with such energy would gradually lead a cultivator to be corroded by demonic influence. "My dear niece, did you really live in such a place? This spiritual energy is so murky, it would be easy to fall into madness," Baili Feng remarked in surprise, perceiving the surrounding energy. He admired his niece even more, realizing her accomplishments despite such harsh conditions showcased her genius—a talent his brother could only dream of matching. Baili Ming looked at Ye Linglong with deep sympathy. "Linglong, you've suffered." Ye Linglong merely responded with silence. She couldn't recall enduring any particular hardships. "No, something is wrong here. Even though the spiritual energy in the lower realm has been depleting due to Fu Changming's influence, it should still be pure. At least when I left, it wasn't like this. Something must have happened," Ye Linglong stated, her urgency growing. If the world had indeed turned this way, what about the Liuli Sword Sect? Anxious about her sect, Ye Linglong wished she could transport herself there instantly. "Linglong, your father will accompany you. Don't worry. Didn't you leave them a top-tier immortal artifact? They'll be fine," Baili Ming reassured her. With Xiao Hei in his arms, Baili Feng chimed in, "Yes, dear niece. Our main priority is to stay calm and figure out exactly where we are right now." Ye Linglong nodded and immediately extended her spiritual power; with her current strength, she easily covered a large portion of the continent. Compared to the vastness of the Heavenly Domain, the three continents of the lower realm were relatively small. After a moment, Ye Linglong, who had her eyes closed, suddenly opened them and turned in a specific direction. "There are people over there!" As soon as she said it, she shot off, her sword becoming a streak of light vanishing into the distance. Baili Ming reacted swiftly and followed, leaving only Baili Feng and Xiao Hei, exchanging glances. After a brief pause, Baili Feng muttered a curse under his breath and chased after them. Meanwhile, in a dense forest towards the south, a figure clad in yellow fled through the air, pursued by several people in black, each bearing grotesque, horned features and fearsome faces. Soon, the yellow figure was overtaken by the black-clad group and struck down from the sky. "Don't come any closer! Help! Someone, help!" cried the yellow-clad figure, a girl with an adorable face now filled with terror. "Kehehe~ no one will save you. To sacrifice yourself for the rebirth of our great demon race is your supreme honor. Be obedient and come with us," the pursuers cackled, closing in around the girl. The girl resisted desperately but being only at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, she was quickly subdued. In despair, she closed her eyes, prepared to self-destruct rather than be captured. Suddenly, she heard strange sounds, as if something was entering flesh, followed by muffled groans. The grip on her arms vanished. What happened? While she was still in shock, a soothing female voice called out, "You're safe now. Open your eyes." The voice sounded heavenly, moving the girl to tears. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw the corpses of her demonic pursuers scattered around her, and standing before her was a woman holding a sword, clad in a flowing blue gown, looking otherworldly. Two men stood behind the woman, and one of them held a Cloud-treading Leopard. After dispatching the demons, Ye Linglong noticed the dazed girl in the yellow dress watching her. "Who are you, and why did those demons target you? Is this the Nine Nether Continent?" Ye Linglong inquired. The girl's consciousness snapped back. She shook her head quickly, "No, this is the Starry Continent. I'm a disciple of the Seven Stars Sect, named Su Bao'er. They... they wanted to capture me to sacrifice!" Su Bao'er, still visibly shaken, explained. "Sacrifice? Sacrifice for what?" Su Bao'er looked curiously at Ye Linglong, surprised at her ignorance of such matters, and began to show a hint of wariness. Ye Linglong cleared her throat and said, "We've been secluded in the mountains for closed-door cultivation and know nothing of the outside world." Upon hearing this, Su Bao'er nodded, feeling something was off but couldn't pinpoint what. Finally, she decided not to overthink and shared what she knew. They were currently on the Starry Continent, while the group that attacked her belonged to the demonic race from the Nine Nether Continent. The demonic race had traditionally stayed on their own continent, and few ventured out, especially not openly. But suddenly, the top sects of the Tianqian Continent seemed to make a deal with the demons, allowing them to operate openly, even attacking sects opposing them. The demons began capturing cultivators en masse for sacrifices, aiming to release their kin sealed thousands of years ago. What Su Bao'er knew was mostly hearsay, lacking in details. But Ye Linglong had a suspicion of what had transpired after she left. Taking advantage of her absence, Shen Hongsong likely allied with Yan Ke and others. The first target post-secret realm might have been the Liuli Sword Sect. Thinking this, Ye Linglong grew even more anxious, leaving Su Bao'er some protective means for self-defense. Then, the trio and Xiao Hei took flight towards the Tianqian Continent.