Chapter 706 - Demon Grotto
Chapter 706 of "Red Heart Patrols the Sky" starts unfolding: Underneath the waters of Qing River, Jiang Wang stepped into the deep and secluded cave.The... Discover more!
Underneath the waters of Qing River, Jiang Wang stepped into the deep and secluded cave.The flowing water stopped here.
Without any source of light in the cave, looking back towards the cave entrance, the water seemed to have taken on an iron color, imparting an unusually heavy feeling to the observer.
âWhat place is this?â Jiang Wang asked in the Tongtian Palace.
The voice of Jiang Yan was ethereal: âThe water residence of Qing River has a long history.
I only know that this is a secret place of the water residence, secluded enough to hide our presence and allow us to escape this calamity.
But within the knowledge fragments of the Bone Respecting God, there are no more details; they might have been lost, or perhaps some clues are needed to connect the dots.â
âI see.â
Jiang Wang did not show any doubt as he moved forward in the pitch-black cave.
His transcendent cultivation allowed him to see clearly even in such an environment.
The strange-shaped stalactites in the cave were like monsterâs claws and teeth.
Many traces on the walls of the cave seemed to have been ripped by something,
This underwater cave was constantly descending, extending its passage further and deeper.
It always felt like a giant monsterâs mouth, and he was willingly walking into the belly of the beast, marching towards death.
The cave was initially narrow but gradually widened.
As he moved deeper, it suddenly opened up.
This was a huge circular cave, very regular, with a neat symmetry to its beauty.
However, this spaciousness could not bring about any relaxation.
On the contrary, it only added an unbearable weight of oppression.
For as soon as Jiang Wang entered this cave, he saw a row of upside-down sarcophagi, suspended on the walls of the cave.
The sarcophagi were black, engraved with sinister blood-red patterns, the sole splash of color in this enormous dark cave.
However, the intricate and eerie nature of these blood patterns seemed capable of sucking in oneâs gaze and ensnaring the soul, entangling it tightly.
Therefore, Jiang Wang steadied himself and tamed his spirit before noticing the figures lying within the sarcophagi.
It was only then that he realized the sarcophagi were without lids, something he had previously overlooked.
The blood patterns were too bizarre; he was reluctant to look further but forced his gaze towards the interior of the sarcophagiââthe sight did not get any betterââwhat kind of strange and distorted creature was this?
It had a pair of thick ox hooves, a couple of skinny chicken claws, and a belly bulging upward as if it harbored life, with its navel emitting a constant stream of blood bubbles.
The head, however, was that of a human, but it was flickering and insubstantial.
This creature lay with its eyes closed, motionless as if bound by some power within the sarcophagus.
As Jiang Wangâs gaze moved over this being, he looked around and observed that every so often, throughout the entire vast, gloomy cave, there was a sarcophagus hanging.
In every sarcophagus, there lay different deformed monsters.
The only common feature was that they all had a human-shaped ethereal head.
These sarcophagi, suspended on the cave walls, totaled to one hundred and eight, seemingly arranged in some mysterious formation.
âWhat are theseâŚ
creatures?â Jiang Wang wondered internally.
He felt unfamiliarity, strangeness, and a hint of fear that he couldnât place.
He had fought against evil spirits, encountered fierce souls, and slain Fierce Beasts.
Although the monsters before him were terrifying, they shouldnât provoke such fear.
âYin Demons.â The voice of Jiang Yan said: âAll these creatures are Yin Demons.
They are the most common and the lowest level of demons.â
âArenât demons all in the Border Wilderness?
Jingguo and Mugu suppress them with great armiesâŚâ Jiang Wang couldnât hide his astonishment: âHow can there be demons under the waters of Qing River?â
âI remember nowâŚâ The voice of Jiang Yan, for some reason, turned heavy: âThis place used to be a Demon Grotto.
During the Ancient Era, when a tide of demons swept across the Human Race, this was one such grotto.
However, grottos like the one beneath Qing River should have been sealed long ago, preventing the emergence of new demons.
These demons⌠perhaps they have a connection with Song Hengjiang!â
âAre you saying⌠that the Water Lord of Qing River, Song Hengjiang, is raising these demons?â Jiang Wang was grave.
âWhat other explanation could there be?
This is Qing River, even the Prime Minister of Zhuang Country, Du Ruhui, could not accomplish this without Song Hengjiang knowing.â
This was a revelation that shook the heavens.
Demons are the enemy of the Human Race, an adversary without any room for negotiation, a matter of life and death.
The demon tide of the Ancient Era nearly spelled doom for the world.
Even though several great ages had passed and news of demons mostly came from the Border Wilderness, the fear they had sown had never been forgotten by the Human Race.
To this day, demons are still used to describe terrifying entities.
Yet Song Hengjiang, the water deity of the Qing River, was actually raising demons at the bottom of Qing River!
If this news were to leak, the Qing River water mansion would become an enemy of the entire world in an instant.
Jiang Wangâs first reaction was to hold his breath, remain motionless, and conceal his presence.
Even though he was wearing hidden clothes, even with Yin Guanâs methods enhancing him, and even though there was no one around at the moment, he still didnât feel safe.
In such a critical place, Song Hengjiang would never relax his vigilance.
Once discovered, he would be silenced immediately.
It was like escaping the tigerâs den, only to enter a wolfâs lair.
Of course, Du Ruhui was terrifying, but Song Hengjiang, the lord of eight hundred li of Qing River, was likely no less formidable!
Only after doing his best to hide his tracks, did Jiang Wang begin to entertain a second thoughtâwhy, as the lord of the eight hundred li of Qing River, would Song Hengjiang raise demons at the bottom of the river?
What benefit would that bring him?
After all, these Yin Demons were the lowest of demons, and their power was limited no matter how strong they were.
Once exposed, it would spell disaster.
Even if Song Hengjiang himself had extraordinary cultivation, he absolutely couldnât protect himself.
Neither Jingguo nor Qin would mind coming to exterminate the demons and defend the path of righteousness.
Even Zhuang Gaoxian would âclean houseâ immediately!
With such high risks, where was the benefit?
âWhy does Song Hengjiang want to raise these Yin Demons?â Jiang Wang silently questioned in his heart.
Jiang Yan remained silent for a long time.
It might have been an illusion, but Jiang Wang felt there was some difficulty in his voice.
Did he know something?
âLetâs go further inside,â Jiang Yan suggested.
The enormous circular cavern had an entrance on each of the left and right sides, both leading somewhere unknown.
Each entrance was situated between two stone coffins.
After observing for a while, Jiang Wang asked, âWhich way should we go?â
âTo the left,â said Jiang Yan.
Jiang Wang didnât know the basis for his judgment, but ultimately, when it came to the unknown, Jiang Yan had more experience and a broader knowledge base, having absorbed fragments of the Bone Respecting Godâs memories.
So they went in the left direction.
The closer they got, the clearer they could see the grotesque and disgusting details of the Yin Demons in the stone coffins, compounded by the lingering foul stench that made one feel like vomiting.
Jiang Wang suppressed the urge to draw his sword and shatter these Yin Demons, moving slowly inward.
Though it was Jiang Yanâs suggestion, he still maintained sufficient vigilance.
What could lie beyond a massive cavern hiding one hundred and eight Yin Demons?
Just as he approached the entrance on the leftâŚ
âDonât move!â Jiang Yan suddenly issued a warning within the Tongtian Palace.
Jiang Wang swiveled to a stop, positioned between two stone coffins, and stayed motionless against the rock wall.
His neighbor to the left had the body of a goat and tiny fly wings.
To the right, a neighbor with a ghostly head atop a coiled snakeâs body.
There he stood between two grotesque Yin Demons, sandwiched by the two eerie blood-patterned stone coffins.
And then he sawâ
From the direction of the Demon Grottoâs entrance, the surging undercurrents came to a halt.
A hunched figure clad in splendid crown attire slowly stepped in.
The true master of the eight hundred li of Qing River, Song Hengjiang!