36: Tracing the source of the demonic sound, a moment of choice.

After dealing with the Corpse Demon, the tunnel temporarily returned to dead silence, broken only by the slightly hurried breathing of the four people and the subtle sounds of their footsteps on the slick ground. The stench of scorched corpses mixed with the cloying sweetness of Devilish Qi permeated the air, making them nauseous.

Lin Xuan sealed the Corpse Demon's Black Crystal Core into a specially made Jade Box and placed it in his Storage Pouch. This item was heavily imbued with resentment and pure Devilish Qi, and rash contact might contaminate one's mind, but perhaps it could be useful under specific circumstances.

"This place is not suitable for a long stay. The commotion caused by the Corpse Demon might attract more trouble," Lin Xuan said gravely, holding the Moonlight Cold Flame Orb as he continued to lead the way.

The tunnel continued to descend, seemingly without end. The content of the relief carvings on the walls grew increasingly bloody and bizarre, even starting to depict scenes of Souls being extracted and suffering agonizing torture, making one's scalp tingle. The omnipresent Devilish Qi mist also became stickier. The light of the pure heart purifying talisman, constantly being consumed, was no longer as bright as when they started.

"The power of the pure heart purifying talisman is weakening." Su Wanqing sensed the clear light surrounding her, her cool tone carrying a hint of seriousness. "We need to find a relatively safe place before it fails, or... leave this tunnel."

Just then, the faint, melancholic, and mesmerizing Soul-Bewitching Demon Sound, which had been previously blocked, faintly drifted in again! Although much weaker than it was outside, as if separated by layers of obstacles, it was still clearly discernible in the silent tunnel, and... it seemed to carry a clear direction!

"The sound... is coming from up ahead!" Gongsun Yu pricked up her ears, pointing toward a fork in the road deeper inside the tunnel. The Demon Sound was like an invisible thread, pulling at their minds, making them instinctively want to follow the sound.

Lin Xuan stopped, his brows tightly furrowed. Outside, the Demon Sound originated from the stone carvings on the Demon Palace gate, meant to deter outsiders. But why would it reappear deep inside the Demon Palace tunnel? And why did it feel more secretive, and more... alluring?

When things go wrong, something is amiss.

"This Demon Sound is strange; it seems to be deliberately guiding us." Qu Feiyan narrowed her seductive eyes, a vigilant curve playing on her red lips. "Could it be a trap?"

"Perhaps, but it could also be a kind of trial, or... a clue leading to a certain place," Lin Xuan mused. He tried to utilize the sliver of comprehension he had gained regarding the Soul-Bewitching Power to sense it, discovering that the Demon Sound in this tunnel had less violent corrosiveness and more mysterious temptation, as if whispering a secret.

He looked at the fork ahead. One path continued downward, deep and unknown, where the Devilish Qi was denser. The other path sloped slightly upward, and the Soul-Bewitching Demon Sound was coming from that direction. They could also faintly sense a weak energy fluctuation different from the Devilish Qi.

"Two paths..." Su Wanqing also sensed the abnormal fluctuation. "The path going up seems different."

How should they choose? Downward might lead deeper into the Demon Palace, the danger unknown. Upward, guided by the Soul-Bewitching Demon Sound, the outcome was unpredictable.

Lin Xuan's gaze swept over the Three women and finally settled on the fork from which the Demon Sound originated. His intuition told him that this path might conceal important information about the Demon Palace, or even about the Myriad Silence Demon Lord.

"We'll take the upper path," Lin Xuan decided. "Be extremely cautious. This Demon Sound can incite the Heart Demon, so you must firmly guard your minds."

He was the first to step onto the upward-sloping path. This tunnel was much narrower than the main one, barely allowing two people to walk abreast, and the slope was steeper. The Soul-Bewitching Demon Sound became clearer here; the melancholic tune seemed to ring directly in their minds, constantly stirring up their seven emotions and six desires.

Lin Xuan guarded his Golden Core Spiritual Sense, standing firm like a bedrock in the middle of a flowing river, completely unmoved. Su Wanqing used Taiyin Power to freeze distracting thoughts, remaining cool as ever. Qu Feiyan, on the other hand, activated her Seduction Skill, using her unique understanding of mental control to subtly defuse the Demon Sound's influence, even showing a faint tendency to assimilate and counteract it, making the unusual light in her seductive eyes shine brighter. Only Gongsun Yu, with the weakest cultivation, struggled the most. Although she resisted with all her might, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes sometimes glazed over, requiring Su Wanqing to assist her frequently with Moonlight Power to keep her lucid.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the space suddenly opened up into a small Stone Chamber. In the center of the Stone Chamber was a dilapidated, lotus-shaped altar carved from black jade. Suspended above the altar was a fist-sized, constantly pulsating mass of flesh, like a black heart! This Soul-Bewitching Demon Sound was emanating precisely from this Black Tumor!

Scattered around the altar were several skeletal remains that had long turned to white bones. Their postures were twisted, suggesting they had died in extreme agony, and black traces of Devilish Qi corrosion still clung to their bones.

"This is... the Source of the Demon Sound?" Gongsun Yu looked at the pulsating Black Tumor, feeling a wave of revulsion and fear.

Lin Xuan swept his Divine Sense carefully over the altar and the tumor, his expression grave: "Not entirely. This looks like an 'amplifier' and a 'transfer station.' The true Source of the Demon Sound... is still deeper inside. It seems to be drawing resentment and residual vitality from these dead people to sustain its operation and propagate the Demon Sound."

His gaze fell upon some ancient inscriptions at the base of the altar. Most of the inscriptions were worn away, but a few words were faintly discernible: [Heart Demon... Trial... Glimpsing Reality...]

"Heart Demon Trial? Glimpsing Reality?" Qu Feiyan read the words aloud, a flicker of interest crossing her seductive eyes. "Could this Demon Sound be a test?"

"Perhaps," Lin Xuan said, approaching the altar and observing the pulsating Black Tumor. He could sense that the tumor contained pure Mental Energy and a strange Power of Rules. If he could analyze the power within, it might greatly benefit his control over the Soul-Bewitching Power, and perhaps even allow him to trace the true Source of the Demon Sound backward to gain more information.

But how should he deal with this tumor? Destroy it? That might alert hidden dangers. Try to absorb or control it? The risk was immense; this tumor was connected to the Demon Palace's entire Great Formation, and a slight misstep could lead to a backlash, turning him into its new nourishment.

Just as Lin Xuan was weighing the pros and cons, the Black Tumor seemed to sense his approach, and its pulsating speed suddenly accelerated! The Demon Sound it emitted became high-pitched and sharp, like countless steel needles fiercely stabbing into the Sea of Consciousness of the four people!

"Ugh!" Gongsun Yu, who was hit first, groaned, clutching her head, her face contorted in pain.

Su Wanqing and Qu Feiyan also trembled slightly and resisted with all their might.

A fierce glint flashed in Lin Xuan's eyes; he knew he couldn't hesitate any longer! He abruptly raised his right hand. The immortal abode pivot token imprint on his palm glowed scorching hot, and at the same time, he activated the sliver of Soul-Bewitching Power he had just refined from the Seven-colored Crystal Core, transforming it into an invisible Mental Tentacle. This was not an attack, but an attempt to establish a connection with the spiritual core inside the tumor to conduct 'communication' and 'analysis'!

This was an extremely risky move, equivalent to actively sending his Divine Sense into the opponent's core Domain!

In an instant, Lin Xuan felt his vision darken, and countless chaotic, distorted illusions filled with desire and pain flooded him like a tide! He seemed to see Su Wanqing's cool countenance wither in Devilish Qi, Qu Feiyan's seductive figure struggling in raging flames, and Gongsun Yu's innocent smile replaced by despair... He even saw the tragic future of his own Dao Foundation collapsing and his descent into the Demonic Path!

These were the fears deeply hidden in his heart, magnified infinitely by the Source of the Demon Sound!

"Fake! All is vanity!" Lin Xuan's Dao Heart was as firm as bedrock. His Golden Core Spiritual Sense erupted with brilliant light, like a sharp sword cutting through layers of illusions! He tightly guarded his spiritual clarity, ignoring the mind-disturbing scenes, and focused entirely on analyzing the internal Mental Energy structure and the strange Rule Runes of the tumor.

This process was extremely perilous. His face instantly turned pale, his body trembled slightly, and his Sea of Consciousness suffered tearing pain. But he gritted his teeth and persisted, veins bulging on his forehead.

The Three women, seeing Lin Xuan's state, felt their hearts leap into their throats, but they dared not speak to disturb him. They could only guard the surroundings more vigilantly, preparing for any potential attack.

He didn't know how long passed—it felt like only an instant, yet also an eternity.

Lin Xuan suddenly opened his eyes, a trace of fatigue flashing in his gaze, but even more so, enlightenment! He had succeeded! Although he failed to completely control the Source of the Demon Sound, he forcibly stripped away and analyzed a portion of the mystery surrounding the operation of the Soul-Bewitching Demon Sound, as well as a more obscure Mental Coordinate pointing deeper into the Demon Palace!

Without hesitation, he pointed his fingers like a sword, and a beam of Starlight Sword Qi, fused with his own Mental Energy and the intent of purification, accurately struck the Black Tumor's core node!

"Pfft!"

The tumor convulsed violently, and the Demon Sound it emitted stopped abruptly! The light on its surface rapidly dimmed, and its pulsations became extremely faint. Although not completely destroyed, it had temporarily lost most of its effectiveness.

Lin Xuan let out a long breath and swayed slightly, quickly steadied by Su Wanqing beside him.

"Are you alright?" Su Wanqing asked worriedly, her cool voice carrying a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

"I'm fine. The consumption of Divine Sense was quite significant." Lin Xuan waved his hand, looking at the temporarily quiet tumor and altar. "We must hurry. I've suppressed it for now, but I doubt it will last long, and we may have already alerted something."

He had gained part of the Demon Sound's mystery and a new coordinate, but he had also triggered certain Restrictions within the Demon Palace because of it. They could not stay here.

"Which way do we go?" Qu Feiyan asked, glancing at the path they came from and the continuing upward passage.

Lin Xuan looked toward the continuing upward darkness, sensing the direction indicated by the newly acquired Mental Coordinate in his mind. He said gravely: "Continue upward! The coordinate points there. Perhaps... we can find the real clue about the exit!"

Without a moment's hesitation, the four quickly left the eerie Stone Chamber and plunged back into the darkness along the upward tunnel. Behind them, the Black Tumor on the altar, after a brief silence, began to pulsate again, extremely slowly and faintly, and a more subtle, more malicious spiritual fluctuation quietly spread outward...