Demonic Cultivator: Immune To Common Side Effects - Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Third Elder: Dig Three Feet Deep and Search!

Xuansha, patrolling the outskirts of Broken Sword Valley, exclaimed in surprise as he spotted the Su Clan.

Li Yan’s ears twitched, catching Xuansha’s conversation. Closing his eyes and activating his Mind’s Eye, he peered several miles away to the entrance of Broken Sword Valley.

A group of dozens of Su Clan members stepped into the swirling mist and entered the valley. Their black robes, identical in style to Su Mo’s immortal attire, confirmed their identities. The Su Clan cultivators had all pulled up their hoods, obscuring their faces.

Recalling the Blood Shadow Art they practiced, Li Yan mused, “Can the Su Clan cultivators even be considered human anymore? After cultivating the Blood Shadow Art for so long, their bodies are gradually replaced by shadows, turning them into Shadow Slaves.”

He carefully recalled the System’s warning when the Side Effect Reversal activated: The Blood Shadow Art is powerful, but the price is becoming a Shadow Slave.

Since the Su Clan had practiced the Blood Shadow Art for generations, Li Yan concluded with certainty that the entire upper echelon of the clan was now controlled by shadows.

Once Shadow became the Patriarch of the Su Clan, all its descendants would fall under his control, turning the entire clan into slaves of the Blood Shadow.

Observing the Su Clan cultivators with his Mind’s Eye, Li Yan realized their leader possessed unfathomable strength, likely a Blood Core Realm expert. Even Martial Uncle Xuansha bowed his head respectfully before this man.

“This humble one is Xuansha, a disciple of Daoist Tranquil Void,” Xuansha said, bowing deeply to the Su Clan Elder. “May I ask which elder of the Su Clan you are?”

Xuansha, his face covered in a thick beard, adopted an utterly respectful demeanor, a stark contrast to his previous arrogance.

The Su Clan Elder, his face hidden beneath a hooded cloak, spoke with a cold, inhuman voice. “I am Su Chongyue, Third Elder of the Su Clan. The Su Clan has business here. Unrelated parties, make way.”

Cold!

The old man’s voice left Li Yan with one overwhelming impression: utter coldness.

Martial Uncle Xuansha didn’t dare breathe loudly, hesitating to speak. “But my Junior Brother…”

Before Xuansha could finish, Third Elder Su Chongyue glared at him. The elder’s pupils were a bizarre mix of white and brown, making his gaze utterly unsettling.

Seeing the situation, Xuansha immediately grabbed his disciples and fled without a word. He couldn’t afford to provoke Su Clan cultivators, especially not Third Elder Su Chongyue, a man of immense power and status.

As Xuansha and his disciples scurried away with their tails between their legs, Third Elder Su Chongyue spoke:

“This old one was tracking Su Mo, who had gone into hiding here.”

“Little did I know that our pursuit of that traitorous Su Mo would inadvertently lead us to the legendary Broken Sword Valley.”

“This Broken Sword Valley is a place of mystery, vanishing without a trace each year only to reappear elsewhere the following year.”

“Our Su Clan has been searching for Broken Sword Valley for generations. Who would have thought our pursuit of that traitor would finally bring us here?”

The elder’s voice was peculiar—hoarse and cracked, as if his throat hadn’t tasted water in centuries.

“Legend has it that within Broken Sword Valley lies a lamp.”

“The Blood Glazed Lotus Lamp, a sacred artifact of the ancient Demon Shadow Sect.”

“The Blood Shadow Art our Su Clan cultivates is inherited from that ancient demonic sect.”

As the elder spoke, Li Yan lowered his gaze to the Blood Glazed Lotus Lamp in his hand.

He hadn’t realized he was holding the founding sacred artifact of the Blood Shadow Art!

No wonder the Blood Shadow Art, when combined with this Lotus Lamp, could summon two Shadows!

At that moment, a young Su Clan cultivator asked curiously, “Third Elder, if we simply acquire the Blood Glazed Lotus Lamp, will our Su Clan ascend to become a top-tier immortal cultivation clan?”

“No,” the Third Elder replied.

“The Blood Glazed Lotus Lamp comes paired with the Burning Lamp Technique. This technique is considered the progenitor of all modern Burning Lamp Techniques.”

“If anyone can find that original version of the Burning Lamp Technique, I will reward them handsomely!”

Li Yan, hidden in the shadows, overheard their conversation and suddenly realized he had overlooked a treasure!

“The original Burning Lamp Technique? The cultivation technique specifically designed to complement this Lotus Lamp?”

“Good thing I didn’t rush away. Otherwise, the Lotus Lamp would have been missing its matching technique.”

Li Yan secretly rejoiced. He already held the Blood Glazed Lotus Lamp. If they could help him find the original Burning Lamp Technique, the entire Blood Shadow Art would be within his grasp!

As he pondered this, he watched the Third Elder of the Su Clan stride boldly into the swirling mist.

“Su Clan disciples, heed my command! Stay close behind me!”

“Yes!”

Su Chongyue strode ahead alone, heading straight into the depths of Broken Sword Valley.

The elder seemed intimately familiar with the valley’s terrain, reaching the gates of the Sect Armory in less than half an incense stick’s time.

Li Yan, concealed in the mist, couldn’t help but wonder, “How does the Third Elder know this place so well? It’s as if he’s walking through his own home.”

“Could it be because of his Shadow?”

As far as Li Yan knew, the Su Clan’s high-ranking members were all Shadow Slaves, their bodies seized by the Blood Shadow. This Su Chongyue was no exception; every move he made was dictated by the Blood Shadow.

Li Yan noticed a crucial detail: “The Third Elder has no shadow beneath his feet… He’s definitely been taken over by a Shadow.”

Upon closer inspection, Su Chongyue cast no shadow whatsoever, confirming his possession by the Blood Shadow.

Most peculiar of all, the Third Elder raised his hand and silently chanted incomprehensible Ancient Immortal Language.

In the next instant, the massive gates of the Sect Armory slowly creaked open.

Li Yan had tried every trick he knew to open those gates, yet the Third Elder had simply raised his hand, uttered a curse, and unlocked them with ease!

Su Chongyue, the elder, spoke impassively, “Inside are Ancient Magic Artifacts. Choose whatever you like. But if you see the Blood Glazed Lotus Lamp, don’t touch it.”

“Yes!”

The younger generation of the Su Clan beamed with delight.

They had never imagined that upon arriving at Broken Sword Valley, they would be allowed to freely select Ancient Magic Artifacts!

But when they entered the Martial Treasury, they found an empty chamber—completely bare, not even a single artifact in sight.

Li Yan had thoroughly cleaned the place out. They couldn’t even catch a glimpse of a shadow of an artifact, let alone an actual one.

“Elder!”

The Su Clan cultivators rushed to Third Elder.

Third Elder remained unruffled, asking with an air of composed wisdom, “Well? Are you satisfied with the treasures inside?”

“Elder, it’s empty! The Martial Treasury is completely bare!”

Empty?!

Third Elder couldn’t believe it. He strode into the Martial Treasury to see for himself.

It was indeed utterly empty.

Su Chongyue approached a weapon rack, wiped away the dust, and examined it closely.

“Judging by the dust, these artifacts were just taken recently.”

“The door was locked. Who could have stolen my things?”

Anger flashed in the Third Elder’s eyes as a sudden realization struck him. “The Blood Glazed Lotus Lamp is gone too?”

“Damn it! Immediately seal off all exits from Broken Sword Valley! No one is allowed to leave!”

“At the same time, dispatch a pursuit team to capture Xuansha and his group. Bring them back here!”

The Su Clan cultivators swiftly deployed a formation at the entrance of Broken Sword Valley, sealing it so tightly that not even a mosquito could escape.

Hidden in the shadows, Li Yan sensed the shift in the situation. The disappearance of the Blood Glazed Lotus Lamp from the Martial Treasury had triggered the Third Elder’s immediate orders.

“Yes, Elder! This junior will dispatch men at once to apprehend Xuansha.”

“Find the Blood Glazed Lotus Lamp at all costs!”

Meanwhile, Su Chongyue hurried out of the Martial Treasury and toward a concealed underground vault. As he silently recited an incantation, the vault’s stone door swung open.

Su Chongyue rushed inside, intimately familiar with the vault’s layout. He wiped away the protective seals on the wall, removed a stone brick, and retrieved the Blood Lotus Burning Lamp Technique from the hidden compartment.

“Good, the treasure is still here!”

Just as Su Chongyue was inspecting the secret manual, secretly breathing a sigh of relief, a dark shadow controlled by Li Yan silently materialized behind him.