"Trouble."
"It seems the relic isn't opening as smoothly as I thought."
Jason Chu's brows furrowed tighter and tighter.
With the key to the relic's activation in hand, he was keenly aware of the changes occurring within the cliff face.
At first, he assumed the relic would open immediately once he tapped on the cliff.
However, as he sensed the massive influx of spiritual energy rushing in, he was caught off guard.
Now that he had reached the Heavenly Gate Stage, Jason could distinctly feel that within the cliff, there existed what seemed to be an enormous, bottomless container.
By activating the combined sword-forging techniques, he had effectively opened a valve, allowing the spiritual energy to flood into the container within the cliff.
If I'm not mistaken, once the container is filled with spiritual energy, the relic left by Ancestor Dustbound will open.
The reason for Jason's deepening frown lay in this very detail.
On the surface, everything appeared seamless and natural.
A relic left by a supreme being who had ascended was sure to cause a stir when it opened.
But...
"The spiritual energy isn't enough."
Jason reluctantly lowered his arm.
The relic he was trying to open halted its response abruptly.
It wasn't that he wanted to stop, but he could clearly sense that all the spiritual energy within a thousand-mile radius had been drained by the relic.
"The required amount of spiritual energy is simply enormous."
"The area's spiritual energy has been completely exhausted."
"If I wanted to fill it completely and open the relic, it would take at least another six hundred years."
He triggered his Sword Dao Imprint, communicating with the heavens to make this rough estimation.
"Even with the key in my possession, forcibly opening it might destroy the entire relic."
"No choice but to wait."
Jason sighed, though his curiosity about the relic grew.
During the brief moment it had partially opened, he'd felt an aura seep out.
It was an aura beyond this world—a frightening force from another realm.
Jason, due to his system's countless sign-ins over the years, had acquired an array of priceless treasures.
His vision had long surpassed that of other Heavenly Gate Elders.
Because of this, he was convinced that the legacy within the Falling Star Mountain relic was extraordinary.
"I'll head back to the Swordmaking House for now."
"I wonder how Sarah Qin is doing."
With the relic temporarily sealed, Jason decided to return.
When he had arrived at Falling Star Mountain, Shushan was still besieged by the six major sects.
But after handling those Heavenly Gate Elders, he expected Shushan wouldn't face any further issues.
As he thought of this, Jason began flying out of the mountain.
"Hm?"
He suddenly paused mid-air.
His Supreme Dao Demon-Slaying Sutra was stirring within him.
It was a sign that there was a demon nearby.
With demonic entities rampant in this world, Jason usually wouldn't give it much thought.
Whenever he encountered one, he would simply kill it.
However, he noticed something peculiar—his eyes also reacted, their devouring desire growing even stronger.
"Could it be that these eyes, still unformed, are craving to devour demons?"
His expression turned strange.
These as-yet-unborn eyes were truly unusual; it was already strange enough for them to devour divine items for growth.
But now, even demonic energy seemed to stir their appetite!
Though mildly amused, he followed the direction indicated by the Supreme Dao Demon-Slaying Sutra.
"A demon at the Longevity Stage."
An evil aura soared skyward, accompanied by a nauseating stench.
It was a ghastly corpse demon feasting on flesh.
Jason immediately assessed its level.
A mere Longevity Stage demon.
For him now, it was not even an ant.
He could annihilate it with a single thought.
"Devour."
He barely lifted his eyelids.
A terrifying suction force instantly directed itself at the corpse demon.
Without concealing his presence, the demon immediately sensed him and unleashed a wave of murderous intent.
But, unfortunately for it, the power disparity was as vast as a chasm.
Before the demon could even react, it was devoured by the sheer force of Jason's gaze!
The destructive energy of the devouring far surpassed even the demon's own brutality.
"It seems… useful."
Jason felt a faint surge of vitality in his empty sockets after consuming the demon.
Devouring demons appeared to nourish his nascent eyes in a unique way, distinct from the growth provided by divine items!
"This could be interesting. Let's see if there are any other demons around."
With newfound curiosity, Jason activated the Supreme Dao Demon-Slaying Sutra to search for more nearby demons.
Yet, to his disappointment, although he encountered a few more demons in succession, his eyes showed no further signs of hunger.
"Quite picky, aren't they?"
"It seems that only Longevity Stage demons and above are appetizing enough."
Jason chuckled at the realization.
It was a clear case of selective appetite.
Still, it didn't bother him. To him, even Longevity Stage demons—regarded as formidable in this world—were merely sustenance for his eyes.
If he needed to find more, he had an idea.
"The Abyss."
The thought of that place crossed his mind.
In the Abyss, finding Longevity Stage demons would be trivial; even Heavenly Gate Stage demons were likely abundant.
"When I get a chance, I'll pay a visit to the Abyss and let these eyes feast."
He mused silently, glancing at the demon before him, which was nothing more than a low-level being not even at the Foundation Establishment Stage.
"Watch out!"
Just as he was about to dispatch it, he heard an urgent voice behind him.
Jason froze for a moment, his spiritual sense detecting a sword flash that swiftly sliced through the demon before him.
"What…?"
He found himself at a loss, mentally putting a question mark over his head.
"Mister, what are you doing in such a dangerous place alone?"
A bright, youthful voice reached his ears.
A short distance away, a young girl in a green gauze dress appeared.
The girl's features were delicate and lovely, her cheeks a touch round with baby fat, and there was a heroic glint in her eyes.
She looked at Jason with a mix of shock and concern.
"Huh?"
Jason, slightly puzzled, instinctively responded, "Is this place dangerous?"
"Of course it's dangerous!"
"This is the Dark Night Demon Forest!"
"Demonic creatures are everywhere here. Were you abandoned here by someone?"
The girl stepped closer, her tone filled with sincere concern.
To her, Jason, after years of secluded training, appeared somewhat disheveled and aged.
Moreover, his stiff stance, along with his tightly shut eyes, made her immediately recognize the Heavenly Deficiency trait.
What was even more worrying!
Here was an ordinary man who hadn't even reached the Houtian (Acquired) Stage wandering in such a perilous area alone!
"It's fine, I was just about to leave."
"Thank you, though."
Jason realized that this young girl had mistaken him, a Heavenly Gate Elder, for a helpless person.
But it wasn't surprising.
For a Foundation Establishment Practitioner, seeing through him would be nearly impossible.
He saw no need to explain further and prepared to leave.
"Hey! Don't wander off!"
"You can't see anything. It's easy to get lost."
"I'll escort you to the nearest main city."
The green-dressed girl's kindness was unwavering as she stepped forward, reaching out to guide him.
However, Jason effortlessly sidestepped her touch.
The girl didn't seem to mind, as her own mother also had the Heavenly Deficiency.
She knew well how sensitive and fragile those with this trait could be, and her gesture was natural.
"Don't worry; I'm not a bad person."
"Recently, many demonic sect members have been prowling around the Dark Night Demon Forest. Those despicable cultists have been targeting those with Heavenly Deficiency."
"Without protection, you'd be in serious trouble if they found you."
Her words sparked Jason's interest.
"The demonic sect is targeting those with Heavenly Deficiency?"
It reminded him of Justin Shang.
He'd been capturing those with Heavenly Deficiency too. What were they after?
"Exactly."
"So, you shouldn't be alone."
"My name's Charlie Zhang. Don't worry, mister; I'll make sure you get home safely."
Charlie Zhang, outgoing and kind, once again tried to take hold of Jason's arm.
This time, Jason didn't avoid her.
As a Heavenly Gate Elder, he could sense the intent of others.
While Charlie's approach was strange, he detected no malice, so he decided to humor her.
Taking his arm gently, she began leading him away.
"This little girl… she's interesting."
Jason paused, surprised by an unexpected discovery.
Upon sensing her presence, he realized there was more to Charlie Zhang than met the eye.
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