The news of the arrival of Immortal Blue Dragon had quickly spread throughout the province. This was something that River East City couldn't keep to themselves. In fact, the Zhou Clan was actively spreading the word to everyone they could get a hold of in order to brag about their new status.
As a result, once the residents of the provinces knew about his arrival, they all started sending letters of introduction. Some were the various mortal cultivation sects of all styles and sizes. Others were city lords and nobles. There was even a letter from the prime minister of the most powerful Bright Moon Kingdom which was located further east.
Some people wanted to give him gifts. Others wanted to join his sect. Even more requests his assistance with one matter or another. Powerful bandits threatening the populace or monsters causing trouble; the problems were endless. Some were less serious than others and it was impossible to deal with all of them.
However, there was one emergency that had to be addressed immediately.
Chen Wentian headed towards the mountainous region to the southwest. He received news about a serious monster problem that the locals couldn't handle anymore. This province and his people were now his responsibility so he had to act. He wouldn't interfere with conflicts and wars between people but he would have to act against anything that threatened human lives in general.
What the people referred to as monsters could be considered either spiritual beasts or evil demons. There were other races in the world but they did not exist in this province.
Spiritual beasts were more powerful and evolved versions of common animals. They could cultivate so they competed with humans for spiritual treasures and rare resources. Beasts and humans often fought in the wilderness and some beasts would even form into hordes to sweep human settlements out of their territory.
Evil demons were unexplainable existences that emerged in this world due to strange occurrences and shifts in the spiritual firmament. Demons could also cultivate and they were especially feared because they liked to prey on humans above all else. Even a single demon could cause endless problems for the local population, let alone a group of them.
Chen Wentian glided through the sky above a verdant mountain range. He did not emit any flames or spiritual aura. He was like a soaring eagle, silently observing. This place was known by the locals as the Black Mist Mountains. A thick mist covered the valleys and ancient forests even during the day. Only the peaks and ridges could be seen.
The request for help had come from a local cultivation sect, the Green Leaf Sect. They were an unremarkable sect that worked with the local villages to produce medicinal herbs beneficial for cultivation. Their reputation was quite good in the region. Several neighboring sects had provided some assistance but even that wasn't enough and they had to beg others outside of the mountains.
The request had taken a long time to reach him. He wasn't sure what the situation was at first. As he surveyed the area, he noticed many abandoned villages and the heavy aura of death in the air. He soon found countless human corpses strewn throughout the foothills. Some were older than others. Some were fresh kills.
He finally found a strange corpse, the corpse of a demon. It belonged to a jueyuan. It was a demon species that looked like misshapen apes. They were about the size of humans but a lot stronger. They raided human settlements in the mountains and killed everyone except the young women.
Jueyuan had a nasty habit. They had only one method of reproduction. They used the kidnapped women to give birth to more jueyuan. The demon spawns grew fast and propagated even faster. A small number of them could turn into an army in a few years if left unchecked.
Such demon behavior sounded horrible but it was commonplace among the various demon species. Some liked to prey on women. Some liked to prey on men. Some enjoyed human corpses while others ate babies. Unlike beasts, humans and demons were born to be enemies. Of the endless battles in the untamed lands, those between humans and demons were the most vicious.
Chen Wentian followed the trail of destruction and eventually found the Green Leaf Sect. But he was too late. A thousand black-furred creatures had broken in and were swarming all over the sect. The battle was already over. Hundreds of dead cultivators were strewn all over. There were still some people left alive but they were probably just female captives.
He didn't immediately go down and kill the demons. Jueyuan was a problematic foe. He could kill all of them here but if he didn't find their den, more would appear once he left the area. In this endless mountain range and thick fog, it was impossible for him to eradicate the entire infestation unless…
He remained high in the sky and observed emotionlessly. The demon monkeys were already enjoying their spoils. Packs of them surrounded each female disciple, ripping apart their clothes and roughly fondling their naked bodies. The demons made use of every orifice, howling and cackling with vile joy.
These people couldn't be saved anymore. Jueyuan were especially skilled at breaking the minds of their female captives. Their foul saliva and demonic semen contained intoxicating effects. For these ordinary women with low cultivation, even a brief experience of defilement was enough for them to go insane.
The sound of fighting drew his gaze to the inner courtyard. To his surprise, there was still someone who remained standing, a single female cultivator. She wore a simple white robe that was completely stained with the dark red blood of her foes. The slim sword in her hand flashed and danced, exuding fury and hatred. Her long black hair freely flowed behind her as she cut her way through packs of demons.
It was a captivating scene, the last stand of a brave heroine. She was around thirty years old and at the 5th Level of the Spirit Initiate Realm. Her talent was remarkable for such a small sect in the middle of nowhere.
Chen Wentian was very interested in her. He extended his immortal power and subtly placed a spiritual imprint on her. This way he would be able to track her. He decided that if there was any threat to her virtue, he would immediately act and save her. But for now, he continued to watch.
The woman fought for a long time and refused to give up. She slaughtered one group of jueyuan at the lower levels of the Spirit Initiate Realm and moved on to the next. Her Dao seemed to be some kind of sword art. Although it was quite poor in terms of quality, her mastery was profound.
As her sword danced in the air, a silver sword light followed. A slash of sword energy beheaded a demon monkey from ten paces away. A ray of sword might blasted a hole through their hearts in quick succession. The more she killed, the more energetic she became. She was like an angel as she bathed in demon blood.
Finally, there was a furious howl as a mighty spiritual aura arrived, blasting a hole through the wall of the courtyard. A huge jueyuan appeared, standing over two meters tall. This was the big boss. Its cultivation was overwhelming at the 10th Level of the Spirit Initiate Realm.
The demon charged. The female warrior gave a shout of her own and attacked. She was already exhausted and this was her last struggle.
A silver sword beam shot out.
The demon swiped with its large hand, directly sending her sword energy away. It then swiped again and broke her sword. One more punch knocked her unconscious.
The demon leader let out a long howl to celebrate its victory. The other demons jumped up and down in joy. The leader grabbed the woman and then barked out some orders. The jueyuan horde responded and started to retreat. They scurried into the forest, carrying their captives as well as their dead brethren away.
Chen Wentian followed. With the imprint on the woman's body, he would be able to track her wherever she went. He couldn't lose such an amazing woman. Her talent, her beauty, and her courage in the face of death had moved his heart. He decided that she would make an excellent disciple, one who could even complete against other immortal sects.
The horde entered the deepest parts of the Black Mist Mountains. They moved slowly and made sure to not leave any footprints. They even traversed the treetops to further hide their tracks. The fog became thicker and it was difficult to penetrate even with the spiritual sense of an immortal.
They eventually arrived at an inconspicuous cave entrance that was hidden behind thick undergrowth. The jueyuan leader went in first and the army followed. Soon, they all disappeared underground, leaving the forest quiet and eerie.