Could it be that I am the cruel villain?-Chapter 819 - 469: Upstream Against the Current

"Experts are in battle, get ready."

"Judging by the commotion, it should be a Nascent Soul Stage expert. I wonder whose son or daughter it is..."

"That's from Divine Thunder Valley; that Thunder Light Pearl is a treasure of Divine Thunder Valley."

One of them patted his chest confidently.

"I didn't expect the disciples of Divine Thunder Valley to be so reckless, daring to provoke the local fierce beasts. Do you know who they are?"

"Approach slowly; if they end up in a mutual loss, we might as well reap the benefits."

"Be careful, this spooky place is not like ordinary lands. Fierce beasts lurk everywhere, and also, what exactly is that indistinct red light?"

The noisy voices came from all directions of the Old Capital Ruins.

Countless young cultivators, the prodigies from various clans, had already ventured deep into this 700-mile territory. Upon noticing the anomaly in the distance, everyone couldn't suppress their curiosity, but there was more astonishment.

"Someone has already reached near the city? Advance quickly!"

Faces turned sour, especially the young disciples led by Dongyue, whose expressions were as if they had eaten fly droppings. They couldn't comprehend how anyone could be so far ahead of them. Although the invitation this time was officially to enlist talented youth from all places to come to the Old Capital to subdue demons and monsters, seize fortunes and opportunities,

In reality, similar to that event with Country Liang, it was a probing test. They aimed to learn as much as possible about the strength of young talents everywhere during this opportunity. Additionally, they planned to use this action to eliminate dissidents. Many of Dongyue's native disciples had been bestowed techniques and routes by their elders, and some had even participated in previous clearing operations within the Old Capital territory.

Judging from this, it seemed that the upper echelons of Dongyue were somewhat unscrupulous, inviting numerous young disciples to these wastelands under the guise of eradicating evil for the people, but in truth using these young disciples to clear out the weeds in their own backyard, though calling this spooky place weeds is a stretch.

Danger lurks in every corner, with Core Formation Stage fierce beasts running rampant, and Nascent Soul Stage fierce beasts are not uncommon either. Like the people from Joyful Sect and Fulong Pavilion have all encountered Nascent Soul Stage fierce beasts, and after entangling with each other, neither side could do anything to the other, so they had to ceasefire.

At first glance, it seemed like Dongyue's masters deliberately left these demon beasts as a "trial" to temper the younger generation of disciples, but in reality...

Now this state where Nascent Souls walk everywhere, Core Formations are like dogs, and Divinity Transformations roam the skies, is the result of Dongyue's thorough clearing.

It's hard to imagine how terrifying the scene in the Old Capital Ruins used to be.

Since it was listed as a forbidden area, every thirty years or so, a batch of top-level experts is dispatched into the forbidden zone, with each major family sending their elite masters, and the cultivators qualified to enter this Old Capital for clearing must be at least mid-core of the Divinity Transformation Stage.

Among them, Void Refining Stage cultivators are the most numerous, and this realm could be regarded as a distinguished guest in any sect, any power. Even in Purple Cloud Palace, a Void Refining cultivator would at least hold the position of an outer elder or protector, the key being, even experts of this caliber, upon entering the Old Capital area, can only barely protect themselves.

Especially in the early days, when various ancient strange beasts from each major family were in a chaotic battle, let alone Void Refining Stage, even Body Integration Stage experts had fallen here, like the Water Ape Clan Leader, whose single obsession tormented Jiang Feng and his group endlessly, was among them.

Cultivators of this level are basically the leading figures of each major family, if not more.

And two Mahayana Realm ancestors perished in the Poison Chaos.

Cultivators of this level can be rightly called Demi Immortals. After their fall, whether it's their bodies, Divine Souls, obsessions, or their Magical Treasure Divine Weapons, anything would be something all cultivators in the outside world would scramble for; even an ordinary person obtaining a bit of it would skyrock.

But not just people benefited from these, beasts did as well.

In the Old Capital Ruins, many of these fierce, terrifying demon beasts were once ordinary beasts. They grew to Core Formation, even Nascent Soul Stage levels in just a few decades simply by devouring the blood and flesh of those powerful fallen cultivators or spiritual beasts.

If they were demon beasts with innate bloodline or talent, they could easily break through the threshold of the Divinity Transformation Stage. Demon beasts already at the Nascent Soul Stage would not find it rare to become a Demon Emperor after a century of cultivating from devouring these ancient strange beasts' blood and flesh.

Not to mention letting younger disciples in, even if a bunch of old-timers entered together, they would have to fight desperately to ensure survival before they could come out alive. In these hundreds of years, the East Sea Clan organized at least five major purging activities.

The purging activities called not only the clan leaders and leading figures of all households but also invited some old monsters dedicated to cultivation without heeding the outside world, those who have lived for more than five hundred years, yet no top expert focused on cultivation has refused this request so far.

Moreover, there hasn't been internal chaos in Dongyue over this matter. The reason among them is just because of one person.

That is the "Emperor."

Rustling—

The silhouette of trees swayed.

Several figures appeared out of nowhere, falling from mid-air.

Among them, a young, beautiful woman's face was pale, and she struggled against gravity as a strong man caught her in his arms. Despite their legs hitting the ground, they continued to sprint as if unaffected by gravity.