Young Noble Be Monster Slaying
Chapter 900: West Sea Coast

In the past, diabolical cultivators were most active in the Southern Regions. The area was remote and impoverished, full of sinister places, and lacked strong immortal sects. Moreover, even the top sects in the Southern Regions, specifically the Mount Shu Sect and the Great Astral Sect, were ranked among the weakest of the Divine Nine.

But times had changed. The Mount Shu Sect had risen to power, and Red Cotton Peak now attracted cultivators from across the land. The righteous forces were growing more powerful, which meant that the diabolical cultivators were being forced into smaller and smaller corners.

Even before the collapse of the Penglai Supreme Sect, many underground diabolical cultivators had already begun to relocate. After the fall, when the demons started inhabiting the Three Islands of Penglai, the Eastern Regions quickly became the main stronghold for diabolical forces. The land was wealthy and bustling, yet it lacked a powerful sect capable of keeping them in check. As these diabolical cultivators grew more active, chaos spread across the region and dragged the common folk into misery.

The worst of the chaos unfolded in the coastal mountain range near Black Whale Mountain. Diabolical cultivators concealed themselves among the peaks and frequently emerged to raid nearby cities. Devil Illusion Mountain became one of their largest strongholds.

…

Devil Illusion Mountain, the Eastern Regions.

Shadowy figures flitted between the trees in the pitch-black forest. A chilling aura hung in the air, noticeable even from afar. These days, no villagers or fishermen dared to approach. Only diabolical cultivators or righteous ones intent on eradicating them ever stepped into the woods.

Immortal Yuan Lu sat cross-legged on a thick branch. His eyes were half-closed, and his face showed no emotion.

"Great Devil of the West Sea!" a disciple from Evil Dragon Mountain called out as he stepped forward. He reported, "People from the Dark King Sect should be arriving soon. We have already spotted the wandering souls that they have sent to scout the area."

"Good. Let them come," Immortal Yuan Lu said calmly. "I was just afraid they wouldn't dare."

A slightly concerned elder of the West Sea Diabolical Forces standing by the tree asked, "Honorable Sect Leader... Great Devil of the West Sea, aren't we being a bit hasty? The Dark King Sect has grown considerably lately, and Lin Poyun still wields a legendary artifact."

Ever since Immortal Yuan Lu escaped from the Celestial Northern Prison, he had claimed that his divine arts had reached perfection and that no one could defeat him. By "no one," he really meant no one except the Demon God, Baize of the Mount Shu Sect, Grand Ancestor Wuchao of the South Sea, a few nameless beings on the verge of ascension, and several eighth-realm cultivators armed with legendary artifacts.

It was a rather... specific definition of invincibility.

After that, he began summoning the disciples of the West Sea Diabolical Forces, gathering them at Evil Dragon Mountain to display his power.

Strangely, despite his massive show of force, none of the Mount Shu cultivators who held sway over the West Sea came to stop him. That only made people more inclined to believe his claim that he had perfected his divine arts. However, he never revealed what level he had actually reached, and no one truly knew.

People could only assume that his cultivation of the Great Dao of Myriad Tribulations had advanced further during his time in prison.

After Immortal Yuan Lu rebuilt the West Sea Diabolical Forces, the first thing he did was not seek revenge against the righteous sects, nor did he consolidate his own power. Instead, he proclaimed himself the Great Devil and declared war on the Dark King Sect.

He said that before dealing with enemies from outside, he had to first bring order within. If his diabolical sect was to stand on equal footing with those on the righteous path, he first needed to establish absolute authority. And the only one who could threaten that was Lin Poyun, the sect leader of the Dark King Sect.

At the time, the Dark King Sect had just looted a vast trove of resources from Penglai and was rapidly expanding. They were thriving across the Eastern Regions.

Meanwhile, the West Sea Diabolical Forces began expanding inland. Instead of gradually building their influence, they marched directly into the Dark King Sect's territory and launched a series of attacks.

The diabolical forces along the West Sea coast and those along the East Sea coast clashed immediately.

As the saying went, hawks had their way and rats had their path. Diabolical cultivators understood their own kind better than anyone else. When it came to handling other diabolical cultivators, they were far more effective than those of the righteous path. The West Sea Diabolical Forces had deep knowledge of the Dark King Sect's power structure and strongholds. In just a few days, they swept through and destroyed many of the sect's newly established bases.

Although Lin Poyun had little regard for his endless stream of expendable underlings, the influence he had painstakingly built during the chaos had now been almost completely wiped out. That alone was enough to enrage even him.

Just as Lin Poyun was about to retaliate against the West Sea Diabolical Forces, Immortal Yuan Lu's invitation to a duel arrived at his door.

Immortal Yuan Lu had challenged the Dark King Sect to a decisive battle at Devil Illusion Mountain on the East Sea coast. The outcome would determine who claimed the title of Great Devil. Whoever emerged victorious would become the overlord of all diabolical sects.

Devil Illusion Mountain lay within the Dark King Sect's sphere of influence. Holding the battle there eliminated any concerns about deceit. Lin Poyun accepted without hesitation. If he could crush the West Sea Diabolical Forces in one blow, it would save him a great deal of trouble.

Besides, he had the True Form of Ksitigarbha to protect him. Even if there were schemes involved, he felt little concern. At worst, he could abandon his underlings and flee, which was something he had been more than accustomed to doing.

Soon after the forces from the West Sea coast arrived, the diabolical cultivators from the East Sea coast surged forward to meet them.

A great battle was about to happen!

…

A gust of yin wind swept in from the direction of the sea, sending a chill down everyone's spine.

Immortal Yuan Lu suddenly opened his eyes and asked in a low voice, "They're here?"

"Esteemed Great Devil, something's wrong!" another elder of Evil Dragon Mountain said anxiously. "There are far more people from the Dark King Sect than we expected!"

The forest concealed several hundred West Sea diabolical cultivators, which was already a sizable force in a battle between cultivators. But now, disciples of the Dark King Sect were emerging from all directions, completely surrounding them. Their numbers clearly exceeded a thousand!

Their cultivation levels were generally on par with, if not stronger than, those of the West Sea forces. These were not mere rabble dragged in to make up the numbers.

High above the forest, a black rift split open in the sky. Lin Poyun stepped out in a single stride and looked down at Devil Illusion Mountain from above.

Given the way the Dark King Sect trained its disciples, they could raise a usable fighting force in no time as long as there were enough greedy people willing to join. Even a lack of resources was not much of a problem. This was why, despite countless large-scale purges, they never seemed to run out of manpower.

After looting a vast trove of resources from Penglai, the Dark King Sect's overall combat strength increased significantly. Lin Poyun began openly recruiting new disciples and had even been secretly nurturing a hidden group that he had not yet revealed.

Now that the West Sea Diabolical Forces had come in full force, he finally brought out these disciples. Their strength truly shocked the cultivators from the West Sea. Even the combined might of more than a dozen diabolical sects from the West Sea could not match the power of this one sect alone.

In terms of low-tier combat strength, the Dark King Sect completely overwhelmed the West Sea Diabolical Forces. At this point, they could only rely on the high-tier combat power of their strongest cultivators.

However, the Dark King Sect also possessed a legendary artifact...

"Why panic?" Immortal Yuan Lu raised an eyebrow at his subordinate's concern. "I have my own arrangements."

Before his words had even faded, a shadow passed overhead. A black cloud hung in the sky. It was not weather but a mass of elite cultivators from the Dark King Sect.

These were not low-level recruits. They were seasoned experts who had joined the sect in exchange for real benefits, made possible by the resources and enchanted tools looted from Penglai.

The Penglai Supreme Sect had been so wealthy that even a fraction of the stolen riches was enough for the Dark King Sect to splurge for quite some time.

And even then, the Dark King Sect had not been not the biggest winner. In comparison, the Noble Dharma, who had seized a legendary artifact, and Grand Ancestor Fuyou, who had taken an entire land of spiritual vein, had claimed far greater spoils.

"Esteemed Great Devil, they're attacking!"

Shouts of battle rang out from all directions. The diabolical cultivators of the West Sea found themselves facing enemies whose cultivation far surpassed their own. The moment they clashed, the West Sea Diabolical Forces were overwhelmed. Armor shattered, weapons fell, and they could barely put up any resistance.

They had only managed to hold the forest thanks to the prearranged enchanted formations. However, it was only a matter of time before the enemy broke through.

As they struggled to maintain the defenses, the subordinates anxiously reported to Immortal Yuan Lu, hoping that the Great Devil of the West Sea would come to their aid.

"Do not be afraid," Immortal Yuan Lu said, waving his hand. "I have my own arrangements."

Another sect leader from one of the legacy diabolical sects hurried over, drenched in blood. He yelled, "Then hurry up and make your move, Esteemed Great Devil! If you don't act now, our brothers won't be able to hold the line!"

Hovering in midair, Lin Poyun narrowed his eyes. A smirk played at the corner of his lips as he said, "I'd like to see what you're really capable of. Challenging me like this?"

With a single thought, a massive shadow pressed down from the clouds, its form looming faintly within the mist.

It was the True Form of Ksitigarbha!

Unlike the leaders of the other immortal sects, Lin Poyun had nothing to protect—except himself. That was why wherever he went, the True Form of Ksitigarbha followed, without exception.

Faced with the terrifying pressure exuded by the True Form of Ksitigarbha, the West Sea cultivators all turned deathly pale, barely able to contain their fear.

Only Immortal Yuan Lu remained unshaken, calm as ever. He suddenly rose to his feet and drew something from his sleeve.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a token—one that Lin Poyun might even find familiar.

After all, its origins lay in the Dark King Sect itself, though it had later been perfected by the Mount Shu Sect.

With this token in hand, Immortal Yuan Lu was confident he could face the True Form of Ksitigarbha. In an instant, he sent a message

[Little Yuan]: Lin Poyun has shown himself! Do it now!

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