The Demon with Holy Radiance-Chapter 153 - 138: Sacrificial Zen Demon-Banning Stele, Corpse Transformation Realm Demon Fiend

How could there be no one here?

Yang An looked around. There really was no one there, and he couldn't help but find it strange.

'Is someone in the Tree of Flesh and Blood spreading false information?'

'That's not impossible. What if someone's consciousness was taken over, and they used the Tree of Flesh and Blood to spread false information, luring everyone here to be wiped out in one fell swoop...'

Suspicion grew in Yang An's heart. He decided to find a place to hide and observe the situation first.

He definitely wasn't the last to arrive; others were bound to show up soon. He'd wait and see what happened.

Using the Dark Communication Secret Spell and the Illusion Technique, Yang An hid in the darkness. Before long, a shadowy figure arrived, just as he'd expected.

Yang An recognized him. It was a member of the Scripture Defector Association, and an acquaintance at that: Heart!

Heart didn't notice Yang An's presence. He silently approached the Demon-Banning Stele.

The Demon-Banning Stele wasn't particularly tall—just a Stone Stele a little over ten feet high, inscribed with many characters and symbols that Yang An couldn't decipher. It stood on a mountain ridge, along the path leading into the deepest part of the Jueyun Sect.

Heart approached the Demon-Banning Stele and walked straight toward it.

The moment his body touched the Demon-Banning Stele, countless writhing fleshy buds appeared on its surface. Heart passed through it without any resistance.

His entire body vanished, along with his aura.

Yang An witnessed this and fell into thought. Soon, another shadowy figure arrived—also a member of the Scripture Defector Association.

Just like Heart, he walked straight toward the Demon-Banning Stele, and his figure disappeared inside, his aura vanishing along with him.

After two people vanished in the same way, Yang An instantly had an idea of what was going on.

'Looks like they're using some kind of Technique to conceal the auras of everyone who enters, preventing detection by Demon Fiends.'

As a new member of the Scripture Defector Association, he was unfamiliar with their methods, but he still decided to wait a little longer.

A little while later, a third figure arrived and entered the Demon-Banning Stele in the exact same way. Yang An was finally certain his guess had been correct.

He stepped out of the shadows and, just like the others before him, walked toward the Demon-Banning Stele.

When he reached out and touched the Demon-Banning Stele, countless writhing fleshy buds instantly appeared on its surface, just as before, latching onto him and pulling him inside.

Yang An received no warning from the information panel, so he took a step into the Demon-Banning Stele. It felt like passing through a layer of warm, dense flesh. After emerging from it, he found a whole different space inside.

The true Demon-Banning Stele stood in the center, already surrounded by several people.

When Yang An looked up, he immediately saw a person wearing a mask of flesh and scalp. Their body was stretched out like rubber, enveloping an area dozens of feet across.

Yang An understood at once.

'I must have just passed through this guy's flesh to get in,' he realized. 'He's the one concealing everyone's auras.'

By the Demon-Banning Stele, almost everyone had arrived. Aside from the Workshop Master, all eight members of the Scripture Defector Association were present.

As Yang An entered, Broken Hand was telling the group about the clues he had discovered.

With Scalp providing cover, they didn't need to worry about being discovered by Demon Fiends.

"There's a special space inside the Demon-Banning Stele. I just tested it, and I nearly died in there!

The Forbidden Artifact Fragment we're looking for is most likely in there. Only a Forbidden Artifact Fragment could possess such power!"

Broken Hand said.

The space inside the Demon-Banning Stele was bizarre; upon entering, all the Mana in one's body would be frozen, impossible to command. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

If he hadn't prepared a contingency by leaving a piece of his own flesh outside before entering, he would have already died inside the stele's space.

Hearing Broken Hand describe how dangerous it was, the others began to ponder how they might enter and explore it.

If it was truly related to the Forbidden Artifact Fragment they were seeking, then they had to go inside and investigate, no matter the cost.

Although they could commit suicide to have their consciousness return to their main bodies in case of danger, their chances of obtaining the Forbidden Artifact would shrink with fewer people.

If they failed this time, there was no telling how long it would take to locate the Jueyun Sect again.

They couldn't miss this opportunity.

"If my puppet hadn't been lost in Yunzang Palace, I could have sent it in to test the waters. A pity,"

Sheep Horn said. His words, however, seemed to give the others an idea.

"I have an idea. I have a Technique that can preserve the vitality of a piece of flesh for a short time, but someone must continuously infuse it with Mana to maintain it.

We can leave a piece of our flesh outside, with one person staying behind to sustain it. The rest of us can then enter the Demon-Banning Stele.

What do you think?"

Zhi Ying was the one who spoke. Upon hearing her suggestion, the others hesitated.

Broken Hand looked up at Scalp.

"Fellow Daoist Scalp, would you be able to stay outside and maintain our flesh for us?"

Scalp chuckled and refused outright.

"Splitting my focus is a death sentence. If you're not afraid of my aura leaking out and attracting Demon Fiends, then by all means, leave it to me."

"..."

Hearing Scalp's response, it was clear that entrusting this task to him was far too unreliable.

"How about you leave it to me? I can stay outside and handle it."

A voice rang out. Everyone turned to see who had spoken. It was Fellow Daoist He Tou.

It was Yang An.

In truth, Yang An didn't have anything else he wanted to accomplish. His purpose for coming here was already fulfilled—he had obtained the Magic Scripture. The trip was a success.

As for the Scripture Defector Association's goal, it sounded far too dangerous, and he had no desire to risk his neck.

Since they needed someone outside anyway, he might as well volunteer. He could act as their lookout and let the others handle the dangerous parts.

That way, if something went wrong, he could escape at a moment's notice without any attachments.

"Fellow Daoist He Tou..."

Seeing Yang An volunteer, Broken Hand and the others hesitated.

After all, Yang An was a newcomer to the Scripture Defector Association. They hadn't yet built up enough trust with him.

"I think it would be perfect if Fellow Daoist He Tou could maintain our flesh for us!"

Surprisingly, it was White Bird who stepped forward to speak.

When the four of them were accidentally sent to that bizarre place before, she, Heart, and Zhi Ying had all witnessed Yang An's strength. Besides, he had shown no intention of harming them.

'He can be trusted!'

Hearing White Bird's endorsement, Heart and Zhi Ying, who stood nearby, also voiced their agreement.

However, their tone was different from White Bird's.

If White Bird's support stemmed from a belief in Yang An's strength, Heart and Zhi Ying sounded more fearful, as if they didn't want to get too close to him.

'After all, with all that Light Magic he uses, anyone who gets too close is bound to get hurt...'

Seeing the three of them hold Yang An in such high regard, the others relaxed.

"Then we'll have to trouble you with this, Fellow Daoist He Tou."

Yang An nodded.

Zhi Ying quickly activated her Technique, and the phantom of an infant appeared before the Demon-Banning Stele.

Under her guidance, everyone cut off a piece of their own flesh and left behind their Storage Magical Artifacts as well. The infant phantom swallowed it all, and the contents of its stomach became shrouded in shadow.

After all, if their Mana was suppressed, their Storage Magical Artifacts would be useless inside anyway.

"Fellow Daoist He Tou, this phantom requires a constant infusion of Mana to be maintained. If we run into trouble inside the Demon-Banning Stele, we will immediately use this flesh to undergo Flesh and Blood Rebirth and return. We're counting on you!"

With that final, solemn word to Yang An, Broken Hand and all the others entered the true Demon-Banning Stele and vanished.

Yang An slowly sat down beside the infant phantom to guard it. Although he needed to continuously channel Mana into it, the consumption wasn't significant.

Once everyone was gone, only he and Scalp remained. Looking at the Demon-Banning Stele so close by, Yang An couldn't help but begin examining it.

There had been too many people earlier, so he hadn't found a chance to inspect the Demon-Banning Stele's information.

Now, with only him and Scalp present, Yang An curiously reached out and lightly touched the Demon-Banning Stele. An information panel immediately popped up before him.

「[Sacrificial Zen Demon-Banning Stele]: Crafted by Jueyun Sect Elder Zhang Huqing. Sacrificial Zen is no wasted path; through feigned death, life is born from death. Should one day all be unforgotten, the Daoist will return to eternal life.

Cost of Use: Enter the Forbidden Demon Realm, where Mana is sealed. Your stay is limited; flesh and soul will be separated.

Status: Purification Possible!」

'Zhang Huqing again?'

When Yang An saw the familiar name, his first thought was that this place was another trap. That guy had laid far too many traps within the Jueyun Sect; they were impossible to guard against. A single moment of carelessness could lead one to fall into his schemes.

'Even though I'm immune to the cost, not going in with them was definitely the right call.'

'If something happened to the others while I remained perfectly fine, it would be difficult to explain later.'

He pulled his hand back, his other hand still channeling Mana into the infant phantom. His gaze flickered up toward Scalp for a moment before he quickly looked away.

It became deathly quiet beside the Demon-Banning Stele. Neither of the two men spoke.

Time ticked by, second by second, as the night grew deeper.

An hour later, a sudden sound broke the silence. A piece of flesh shot out from the infant phantom in front of Yang An. It rapidly underwent Flesh and Blood Rebirth, quickly growing into a naked human form.

Before Yang An could get a clear look, the newly regenerated body was already clothed, and an infant mask had formed on its face.

It was Zhi Ying!

Zhi Ying's chest heaved violently as she gasped for breath.

Before Yang An could ask what had happened, several more pieces of flesh flew out from the phantom in quick succession. One by one, the members of the Scripture Defector Association who had entered the Demon-Banning Stele regenerated their physical bodies.

"Get out of here! A Corpse Transformation Realm Demon Fiend has been alerted! Run!"

Someone shouted the instant their body was restored.

At the same time, Scalp—who had been stretched out overhead to conceal their auras over an area dozens of feet wide—instantly reverted to his normal size.

The group of them sprinted out in a mad dash.

Yang An was no exception. The instant he heard a Corpse Transformation Realm Demon Fiend had been alerted, he summoned his Buddha's Radiant Wheel and activated the Light and Shadow Escape Technique!

In the blink of an eye, he reappeared hundreds of meters away, leaving the others far behind him.

He was already heading out of the Jueyun Sect, faster than anyone else!