On the other side.
A little over a month ago.
Having traveled from Golden Long Valley, Che Gongwei finally reached the area outside of the Great Void Realm.
Without the guidance of the two great experts, Hu Shan and Qi Chengchu, Che Gongwei inevitably lost a significant amount of time in the Black Blood Swamp.
As a result, he arrived at the Great Void Realm at least two to three months later than Wei Tu and the others.
"There are two great demonic sect cultivators patrolling. What method should I use to enter the Great Void Realm?"
A hundred miles away from the underground palace, Che Gongwei squinted his eyes and observed the patrolling disciples of the Gui Luo Demon Sect and He Huan Sect. He frowned deeply.
He was not like Hu Shan, who had so many peculiar methods and could easily enter the Great Void Realm using the " Spirit Transformation Talisman."
"Go find Bao Siyan for help."
After thinking for a while, Che Gongwei still had no solution, so he gritted his teeth and, summoning all his courage, decided to contact Bao Siyan, who had defected to the demonic path.
This was the only method he could think of to enter the Great Void Realm.
Although there was a risk of leaking information, it was better than watching Wei Tu and Su Bing'er fall into the demon's lair.
—If Wei Tu and Su Bing'er had died on the battlefield or been captured by demonic cultivators, Che Gongwei would have been angry, but he wouldn't have risked everything to rescue them.
His own life was important.
It wasn't worth risking everything for a few disciples.
However, seeing his disciples being abducted because of his misplaced trust in Qi Chengchu... that was an entirely different matter.
Thus, Che Gongwei wasn't just coming for Wei Tu and Su Bing'er, but also to uphold the principles he had always adhered to.
...
In the South Wilderness Ancient Plains.
Inside the corridors of the underground palace.
The Gui Luo Demon Lord and the elderly Ning Yan, along with other Golden Core demonic cultivators, all had grim faces as they hurried toward the deeper parts of the underground palace.
Just now, they had been informed by their subordinates about Hu Shan and Qi Chengchu's infiltration.
After spending over fifty years clearing the spiritual poisons in the Great Void Realm, now Hu Shan and the others were arriving to take advantage. How could the Gui Luo Demon Lord and the others tolerate that?
"Huh?" At this moment, Bao Siyan, who was following behind the Gui Luo Demon Lord, let out a soft exclamation. Her eyes flickered as she glanced at the Gui Luo Demon Lord, then whispered, "Demon Lord, a disciple from the Rogue Cultivator Alliance has contacted me."
"A disciple from the Rogue Cultivator Alliance?" Hearing this, the Gui Luo Demon Lord stopped abruptly. He turned back to look at Bao Siyan and asked, "Who is this person, and why are they contacting you at this moment?"
The Gui Luo Demon Lord recalled that Qi Chengchu, who had infiltrated the Great Void Realm, was the leader of the Rogue Cultivator Alliance.
Now, this disciple from the Rogue Cultivator Alliance was suddenly reaching out to Bao Siyan. He didn't believe it was a mere coincidence.
"Ning Yan, you go ahead and enter. I'll take care of something small first," the Gui Luo Demon Lord said with a slight smile.
Hearing this, Ning Yan, although puzzled, did not dare ask further about what the Demon Lord intended to do. She nodded and continued leading the other cultivators.
Then, the Gui Luo Demon Lord and Bao Siyan left together to meet Che Gongwei outside the underground palace.
...
When Che Gongwei met Bao Siyan, he wasn't without precaution.
When Bao Siyan and the Gui Luo Demon Lord arrived at the agreed meeting spot, they found only a puppet body left by Che Gongwei, with no sign of his true self.
"Che Gongwei's talismanic skills are quite profound. He must have used talismans to seal his aura," Bao Siyan observed, looking around, then whispered to the Gui Luo Demon Lord.
The Gui Luo Demon Lord, hiding in the shadows, nodded slightly, signaling Bao Siyan to speak with Che Gongwei and find out his purpose for contacting her.
"Bao Daoist, the reason I sought you out has to do with my two disciples…" Che Gongwei got straight to the point, explaining why he had contacted Bao Siyan.
"What? Wei Tu is still alive?"
Upon hearing this, Bao Siyan was both shocked and enraged. Over fifty years ago, she had been forced to become the slave of the Gui Luo Demon Lord. But now, Wei Tu had survived and gone to the Kingdom of Kang?
But with the stark contrast in circumstances, anyone in her position would likely be filled with resentment.
"Wei Tu?" On the side, the Gui Luo Demon Lord fell into thought upon hearing Che Gongwei's words.
He hadn't expected that Wei Tu, who had traveled with Bao Siyan all those years ago, would have such good fortune and managed to survive and leave the Great Void Realm.
The Gui Luo Demon Lord instinctively knew that Wei Tu must be holding some hidden secret about the Great Void Realm.
Otherwise, there was no way Wei Tu could have escaped death in such a dire situation and avoided his watchful eyes.
"This Wei Tu is an important lead! Perhaps he knows where the Xumi Tablet is." The Gui Luo Demon Lord thought to himself.
—The Xumi Tablet was the key to unlocking the Inner Domain Stone Demon Tower. Only by finding the Xumi Tablet could he truly obtain the Stone Demon Sect's legacy from ten thousand years ago.
He thought for a moment, then transmitted a message to Bao Siyan, asking her to agree to Che Gongwei's request and collaborate with him to personally escort Che Gongwei into the Great Void Realm.
Upon hearing this, Bao Siyan did as instructed.
"Making a deal with a tiger to peel its skin is dangerous. A small mistake could cost one's life, but…" Che Gongwei noticed the unnaturalness in Bao Siyan's communication with him. With his experience in the martial world, he could easily tell that this was a trap set by Bao Siyan and the Gui Luo Demon Lord, deliberately leading him into it.
But... he had no other choice.
He had to choose this path.
Entering might give him a chance to rescue his two disciples.
If he retreated, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
"Since I've entered the demon's den, I have already resolved myself to sacrifice my life for the greater good. Bao Daoist, I hope you… will proceed with caution!"
The puppet body spoke in a deep voice.
After speaking, Che Gongwei's real body appeared from the southeast direction and landed in front of Bao Siyan.
This statement was not directed at Bao Siyan, but rather to the Gui Luo Demon Lord behind her.
His implication was clear:
Once the Gui Luo Demon Lord dared to lay hands on him, he, unlike Bao Siyan, would not survive but would immediately fight the Demon Lord to the death.
"Don't worry! This Demon Lord never forces anyone. On the contrary, I have always greatly admired righteous cultivators like you, Che Daoist."
"Besides, we have a common enemy."
The Gui Luo Demon Lord clapped his hands and praised, stepping out from the shadows.
Upon hearing this, Che Gongwei quietly let out a breath of relief. His biggest fear was that the Gui Luo Demon Lord would act against him because of their differences in ideology, leaving no room for negotiation.
With the Gui Luo Demon Lord's intervention in the Great Void Realm, under the influence of multiple forces, his chances of rescuing Wei Tu and Su Bing'er would increase.
"If I had known there would be such danger, I shouldn't have taken Wei Tu and Su Bing'er as disciples back when I was at Hong He Mountain…"
Che Gongwei sighed quietly.
...
With a common enemy, the Gui Luo Demon Lord quickly reached a cooperation with Che Gongwei. After Elder Ning Yan, the three of them entered the Great Void Realm and headed toward the Blood Slaughter Sea.
However—
Upon their arrival, they were stunned by the sight before them.
The area around the Blood Slaughter Sea was filled with the remnants of the battle between Gong Shulan and Hu Shan, Qi Chengchu. The scenery was ruined, no longer the serene "mountains and waters" it once was.
Moreover, Hu Shan and Qi Chengchu, the two great enemies they had imagined, were both severely injured.
Hu Shan had lost an arm, her face pale, and her power significantly reduced from its peak.
Qi Chengchu's clothes were torn, his body was covered in blood, and a large portion of his chest had caved in.
"Junior Sister, enough! The Gui Luo Demon Lord has arrived. If we don't join forces now, we might die here," Hu Shan gasped, urging Gong Shulan, who was floating behind the "Huang Tian Sword Master."
She wasn't sure if Gong Shulan had the ability to escape the Great Void Realm at this moment, but that didn't stop her from saying this to ensure survival.
At the very least, this could create the appearance of an alliance between her and Gong Shulan, making the Gui Luo Demon Lord and others wary.
Gong Shulan did not respond, her cold gaze fixed on Hu Shan and Qi Chengchu.
Meanwhile, Che Gongwei, behind the Gui Luo Demon Lord, seized the opportunity to ask Qi Chengchu for information about Su Bing'er and Wei Tu.
"Su Bing'er? She's right there!"
Hu Shan answered on behalf of Qi Chengchu, pointing toward Su Bing'er standing by the shore, her tone somewhat mocking.
"As for Wei Tu…"
Her face darkened slightly, "He escaped into the Blood Slaughter Sea, faked his death to escape!"
Hu Shan now hated Wei Tu deeply.
If Wei Tu hadn't escaped, she would never have faced off with Gong Shulan and been injured in the process.
"Wei Tu didn't die?"
This question, which Gong Shulan had heard multiple times during the past few days of battle, had always seemed like a lie from Hu Shan.
But upon seeing the Gui Luo Demon Lord and the others display thoughtful expressions, Gong Shulan's heart, which had been deadened, stirred once more.
"Perhaps Hu Shan was telling the truth!"
"Wei Tu really didn't die!"
At this moment, Gong Shulan, who had been trying to flee, suddenly stopped and waited for further conversation from the others.
"Blood Slaughter Sea? The last time, Wei Tu fell into the Blood Slaughter Sea and faked his death to escape."
Bao Siyan said coldly.