My Wife Is The Leader Of A Demonic Cult-Chapter 178 - Discussing Fate in the Land Temple

Chapter 178: Chapter 178 Discussing Fate in the Land Temple

The man’s face was pale without a hint of color, but An Jing recognized him.

It was Xuanyi Guard!

He was the master martial artist who An Jing had released from the cave on White Horse Mountain.

At this moment, the corpse Qi on his body had fully contracted, and if An Jing hadn’t recognized this Xuanyi Guard, he would never have guessed that this blood-drinking man was actually a master martial artist.

“It’s been…a long time.”

At this moment, Xuanyi Guard’s mouth was smeared with blood as he looked at An Jing, who stood atop the Black Flood Dragon.

The scene was somewhat eerie.

“What are you doing?”

An Jing looked at the wild deer in Xuanyi Guard’s hand and asked in astonishment.

Xuanyi Guard grinned and said, “I got hungry, so I came out to find something to eat.”

“Swoosh, swoosh!”

An Jing leaped up, then landed in front of Xuanyi Guard, “Do you usually eat these wild tastes?”

Xuanyi Guard handed the wild deer to An Jing, enthusiastically saying, “These things taste very good, do you want to try some?”

“No need.”

An Jing shook his head, “I prefer cooked food.”

“Cooked?”

A puzzled look appeared in Xuanyi Guard’s eyes.

“You’ve never eaten cooked food?”

“No.”

“Then have you ever used silver?”

“Is that the thing you gave me last time?”

As he spoke, Xuanyi Guard took out the silver An Jing had given him from his bosom.

He had been carefully preserving this item, even though he had changed many clothes, he had not dared to discard it.

An Jing paused for a moment, then noticing Xuanyi Guard’s clothes, asked, “Where did you get these clothes from?”

These clothes were unmistakably the attire of the Xuanyi Guard.

Could it be that the deceased Great Heavenly Gang was killed by Xuanyi Guard?

Xuanyi Guard shook his clothing and said, “Are you speaking of what I’m wearing now? I borrowed it from someone.”

An Jing blinked and asked, “Is this borrow something that needs to be returned or not?”

“They’re like this wild deer now.”

Looking at the deer in his hand, Xuanyi Guard said, “It probably doesn’t need to be returned.”

An Jing: “…”

It seemed the recent disturbances in Xuanyi Guard Mountain had been caused by Xuanyi Guard himself.

An Jing pointed to the raw meat in Xuanyi Guard’s hand and said, “What’s tantalizing about this raw meat? Let me cook some for you.”

“Okay.”

Xuanyi Guard scratched his head, then handed over the deer meat he was holding.

An Jing found some tree branches, set up the wild deer, and skillfully started to make fire for roasting.

Soon the delicious aroma of meat filled the air.

Xuanyi Guard’s nose twitched as he remarked, “This smells really good.”

“Raw is certainly much tastier than cooked.”

An Jing sprinkled some salt and asked, “By the way, how did you get to Xuanyi Guard Mountain?”

Xuanyi Guard replied, “I just followed the map you gave me, rushing all the way here, drinking from mountain streams when thirsty, and if hungry I ate these wild flavors.”

“It didn’t take me long to arrive at Xuanyi Guard Mountain.”

“So, did you find what you were looking for?”

“I found some clues.”

Xuanyi Guard’s expression suddenly became silent, “I feel very familiar with this place, as if I had stayed here for a very long time in my past life, and there’s always a voice in my mind ordering me not to leave here.”

An Jing shook his head after hearing this.

Xuanyi Guard was truly mysterious, so mysterious that even his own origins were unclear.

Suddenly recalling something, Xuanyi Guard smiled and said, “You can come and see my dwelling, that place is what I’ve been looking for all along.”

“Your dwelling?”

An Jing glanced around at the wild and desolate landscape; it hardly seemed a suitable place for human habitation.

King Xu seemed somewhat impatient, “Let’s leave the venison here for now. I’ll take you to see the place where you can rest tonight if you wish, at my home.”

“That sounds good.”

An Jing turned to the Black Flood Dragon and said, “Stay here, I’ll be back soon.”

With that, An Jing turned and followed King Xu towards the side of the mountain.

Soon, the two of them reached a secluded jungle, which was extremely shady and carried a hint of eeriness.

An Jing keenly spotted a green poisonous snake flicking its tongue on a branch.

Not just that, there were also numerous other poisonous insects. Any normal person would have retreated three feet away, never venturing further into such a place.

King Xu pointed to the strange jungle ahead and said, “It’s inside there, let’s go in.”

Saying so, he took the lead into it. As soon as his foot entered, a heavy corpse qi spread out, causing the surrounding poisonous insects and fierce beasts to scatter in a frenzy.

An Jing followed behind King Xu, walking slowly towards the distance.

Passing through the gloomy dense forest, a huge mountain emerged ahead. Within the pitch-black mountain, a dark, hidden cave entrance appeared before An Jing.

King Xu pointed to the cave ahead, smiling, “Here we are.”

An Jing hadn’t even entered yet, but he already felt the air grow heavier and noticed a strange smell at the entrance of the cave.

As he stepped inside, he found the cave to be extremely dark, and the furnishings were very simple: just a huge rock with some clothes and bedding on it.

The only object of note inside the cave was a wooden table, but nothing was placed on it, which felt a bit cold and stark.

At that moment, the dense corpse qi was indeed emanating from deeper within the cave.

Looking carefully, the depths of the cave were unfathomably deep, like a bottomless pit.

“What is inside here?”

An Jing pointed towards the depths of the cave, his expression turning somewhat ugly.

Just the corpse qi emanating out was terrifying, letting one imagine just how astonishing the corpse qi at the deeper parts of the cave must be.

This kind of place, if a common expert stayed too long, they would be contaminated by the corpse qi, and the only outcome would be a path leading to death and extinction.

King Xu also looked towards the depths of the cave, speaking in a low voice, “I also don’t know, but my subconscious mind tells me not to enter there, nor allow others to do so.”

An Jing frowned slightly, remaining silent.

The cave was hidden here, certainly not a place that any common expert could find.

What secrets were hidden inside, and anything seen currently must be related to King Xu.

Corpse qi, a mysterious grandmaster—what was the connection?

After about a dozen breaths, An Jing began to feel uncomfortable, saying, “This place is not suitable for me to stay long. I think I should leave.”

The dense corpse qi attacked, almost swallowing him whole. At that moment, residual corpse qi had already lingered in his meridians, needing urgent cleansing.

A trace of regret appeared on King Xu’s face, and then something seemed to dawn on him, his eyes brightening, “Right, An Jing, I know there’s a ruined temple on the mountainside that doesn’t have any living people.”

…….

Pingling.

The green mountains were lush, and the white clouds drifted leisurely.

Upon those mountain ridges, the vegetation was dense, and specks of sunlight came down through the branches, casting mottled shadows.

Beneath those shadows, stood several people.

They were the experts from Black Ice Platform who were being besieged by the Great Yan Martial World. At this moment, everyone’s expressions were somewhat ragged; the original several First Grade Experts had also suffered heavy losses, including both Leng Xiao and Lin Zisheng who were injured.

“Huff…..”

Qi Shu gasped for air, his face somewhat pale.

“Lord Qi, are you alright?”

Stabilizing his breath, Leng Xiao then asked.

Qi Shu, holding his chest, slowly said, “That Bai Mei is indeed powerful, with just half a move, he almost severely wounded me; truly a Palace Guardian of the Great Yan Palace.”

“He was disturbed by my Sealing God Seven Soul Smoke, he probably won’t catch up any time soon.”

Just before, Qi Shu and Bai Mei, the old eunuch, had clashed with a palm from miles away, and even at such a distance, Qi Shu was still shaken until his blood surged. Luckily, he had prepared the Sealing God Seven Soul Smoke made secretly by Black Ice Platform.

Even a top grandmaster would be trapped by Sealing God Seven Soul Smoke, and it would be difficult to break free in a short time.

However, this Sealing God Seven Soul Smoke was exceedingly precious, and Qi Shu only had two bottles on him.

Fear flashed through Lin Zisheng’s eyes as he whispered, “Earlier I saw, not only the Xuanyi Guard’s experts but also experts from the Great Yan Martial World were there…”

This situation was different from what had been anticipated; unexpectedly, not only were they facing the Royal Family and the Xuanyi Guard’s experts, but they were also being pursued by experts from the Great Yan Martial World.

This undoubtedly made their journey from the south back to Zhao Country several times more difficult than expected.

Qi Shu looked towards Princess An Le whom Leng Xiao was holding, a cold smile appearing at the corner of his mouth, “As long as she remains in our hands, we are invincible.”

Zhao Xuening’s clothes were torn, and her hair was in disarray, making her appear somewhat disheveled.

“Just kill me already,”

Zhao Xuening said coldly.

“Kill you? Have I exerted so much effort just to kill you?”

Qi Shu slightly restrained his smile and said indifferently, “I heard you went to the Imperial Study Room last month. You must have seen the Great Yan Emperor. Is it true that the Great Yan Emperor was seriously wounded?”

Zhao Xuening clenched her teeth and said, “I don’t know.”

Now, the entire world is probably concerned about this matter. No one knows whether it is true or false that the Great Yan Emperor was seriously injured during his seclusion.

Not to mention that Zhao Xuening didn’t even know whether her father, the emperor, was really ill; even if she did know, she couldn’t say it.

This matter was a major national secret. Once revealed, it would certainly trigger a chain reaction and could even bring disaster to Great Yan, leading to the destruction of the state and leaving the people of Great Yan homeless.

“You don’t know?”

Qi Shu narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Shrr–!”

“Do you know but refuse to say, or do you really not know?”

At that moment, Lin Zisheng stepped forward and cruelly tore open Zhao Xuening’s clothes, revealing her pale shoulders.

“You!?”

Zhao Xuening clenched her teeth and glared fiercely at Lin Zisheng, “You are also a person of Great Yan, yet you betray your country to serve foreign robbers? Did a dog eat your conscience?”

Although she was very fearful inside, the anger in her heart gradually overshadowed her fear.

Lin Zisheng didn’t expect the seemingly delicate Zhao Xuening to be so fiery. He chuckled and said, “People of Jianghu, and you talk to me about having a conscience? Those I know who had conscience are all lying underground now.”

As Lin Zisheng spoke, he planned to continue tearing Zhao Xuening’s clothes.

The person before him was a princess of a nation, moreover, the favorite princess of the Great Yan Emperor, and a national beauty, evoking pity.

The experts around the Black Ice Platform all looked over, with some lustful evil spirits shining brightly.

“Wait a moment,”

Qi Shu intervened, “I once told the Crown Prince of Houjin that I would give this Princess An Le to him for his pleasure. Since she’s a gift, she naturally must be intact. If her purity is taken now, it would be quite improper.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Zisheng had to stop his actions.

Given his status, he naturally knew what was more important between a beauty and his own life.

When Zhao Xuening heard Qi Shu’s words, her eyes filled with shame and anger, but she did not scream to further provoke Qi Shu.

Leng Xiao, who had been silent, asked, “Lord Qi, we are now being hunted by many masters. What should we do now?”

Qi Shu stroked his chin, and a thought suddenly struck him. He indifferently said, “Given that numerous masters are hunting us and pursuers are behind us, I think we should split up.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Zisheng frowned slightly, “Split up?”

Rather than splitting up, he preferred staying by Qi Shu’s side, which was much safer.

Qi Shu pondered for a moment and said, “Lin Zisheng, you take all the experts of the Black Ice Platform and head south first, to save the living forces of the Black Ice Platform. My senior brother will meet and guide you later, and there will absolutely be no problem. I will cover the rear and hold them off for now.”

Lin Zisheng was overjoyed inside but showed a troubled and sorrowful expression, saying, “How can I let Lord go to the rear? I am willing to share Lord’s worries.”

Qi Shu waved his hand and said, “Forget it. Whether it’s Tang Taiyuan of the Xuanyi Guard or Meng Zhaodou of the Heaven and Earth Net, you are no match for them. Only I can stop these two.”

“This…”

Lin Zisheng sighed, his face overly theatrical.

At that moment, Leng Xiao grabbed Zhao Xuening and said earnestly, “I am willing to follow Lord and cover the rear.”

“That’s good, I hope you won’t disappoint me.”

Qi Shu looked at Leng Xiao deeply, then furrowed his eyebrows sharply, “Someone’s coming. Get ready to leave.”

Suddenly, a figure clad in black appeared on the twigs afar.

“Qi Shu, you can’t escape,”

The elder gazed coldly at the people below. “Hand over Princess An Le, and I might consider sparing your life.”

“Meng Zhaodou, do you think you are Bai Mei?”

Qi Shu laughed loudly and then waved his hand, signaling his men to leave quickly.

“Let’s go!”

Lin Zisheng did not hesitate at all and led the many experts of the Black Ice Platform toward the distance.

Leng Xiao, watching Lin Zisheng’s retreating figure, quickly followed with Zhao Xuening in tow.

“Put down Princess An Le!”

Meng Zhaodou shouted, stretching out his hand toward the front.

A surge of True Qi came rolling forward, forming a gigantic palm print that moved toward them.

“Meng Zhaodou, your opponent is right here.”

Qi Shu threw a punch furiously.

“Boom!”

The Qi Force vibrated and surged, his fist force sweeping forward like a mountain-shifting and sea-overturning force, completely dispersing Meng Zhaodou’s Qi Force.

The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.

Meng Zhaodou was a One Qi Grandmaster, his strength was stronger than the Universal Benefit Bodhisattva but roughly equal to the old man Qingfeng, naturally, he was no match for the Second Qi Grandmaster Qi Shu, and was immediately overwhelmed by this punch, causing his inner breath to surge tumultuously.

“Today, I’ll kill a Great Yan Grandmaster first to mourn the countless soldiers of Zhao Country who died beneath South Mountain.”

Qi Shu sneered coldly, then threw another punch.

He practiced the Nine Stars Fist, an extremely tyrannical technique that tore through waves and severed seas, and his fist force continued endlessly, containing tremendous hidden force.

The most important thing was that each punch was fiercer and more domineering than the last.

“Bang!”

As this punch struck, the air itself exploded with a piercing, turbulent sound.

Meng Zhaodou’s True Qi surged out as he met the attack with a palm.

“Bang!”

At the moment of the fist and palm collision, Meng Zhaodou’s face turned pale, and the trees beneath his feet burst apart, turning into myriad pieces of wood scattering into the air.

Qi Shu was swift and moved to kill Meng Zhaodou directly.

“Swoosh!”

A long, slender sword light came sweeping in from afar.

The sword light was fast!

It seemed as if it had ascended from the abyss of hell itself, aiming straight for Qi Shu’s throat, even Qi Shu felt a chill in his heart and continuously floated backward.

Meng Zhaodou got a chance to breathe and then landed on the ground, adjusting his internal breath.

Meanwhile, Qi Shu’s eyes deepened as he looked into the distance.

Approaching from afar was an elder in a green robe, stepping slowly towards them, holding a long sword in his hand that flickered with a cold light, shimmering brilliantly.

“Tang Taiyuan, you’ve arrived quite quickly,” he said.

Qi Shu appeared relaxed on the surface, but inside he was tense.

The newcomer was Tang Taiyuan, the Great Commander of the Xuanyi Guard.

The Xuanyi Guard was a blade that the Human Emperor hung over the Great Yan Martial World, and its Great Commander, Tang Taiyuan, was the edge of that blade.

His cultivation was profound and unfathomable, rarely taking action, but each time without exception resulted in a great victory.

Tang Taiyuan looked at Qi Shu in front of him and said indifferently, “I’ve seen those who send letters from a thousand miles away, but this is the first time seeing someone who sends heads from a thousand miles away.”

“Hahahaha.”

Hearing this, Qi Shu did not get angry but laughed instead. “My head is right here, whether you can take it down also depends on your abilities.”

“In this world, how many have survived under my sword?”

Tang Taiyuan’s long sword was positioned casually, his tone was calm and composed, yet carried an overwhelming aura.

Even though facing Qi Shu, Xiao Qianqiu’s most proud disciple, and the one closest to Xiao Qianqiu in ability among his generation, Qi Shu, his expression hardly changed.

Yet Qi Shu felt a chill inside, and his hairs stood on end.

“Swoosh!”

The next moment, Tang Taiyuan drew his long sword.

The sword light was as fast as a startled swan, and in a few breaths, it had reached in front of Qi Shu.

“So fast!”

Qi Shu was shocked inwardly, but his fist force was already rising, and he wasn’t afraid of Tang Taiyuan. Right then, he shook the Qi Mechanism inside his body and threw a punch forward.

“Bang!”

The air emitted a huge collision sound, like two mountains striking each other, instantly, surging boundless True Qi raged around, sweeping up the winds and sands.

Qi Shu felt as if his palm had struck against a mountain, instantly making his arm go numb. His body staggered, almost falling over.

In contrast, Tang Taiyuan appeared unaffected, standing firmly, even the gravel under his feet didn’t sink at all, which showed that Tang Taiyuan’s cultivation was above Qi Shu’s.

Seeing Tang Taiyuan’s ferociousness, Qi Shu’s heart tightened.

At that moment, Meng Zhaodou suddenly leapt up, ready to chase after Leng Xiao and Lin Zisheng.

“Meng Zhaodou, why are you in such a rush?”

Qi Shu shouted coldly, his hands moving like lightning, forcing Meng Zhaodou back with a strike, then he began to gather his Qi Force.

The golden light in the air began to converge and then transformed into a tremendous punch force that swept out.

“Boom, boom, boom!”

The force of the fist seemed to make the air itself tremble.

Tang Taiyuan held a blade in one hand, the blade flashing with a red glow as if it had an infinite allure, drawing all the surrounding true qi towards it.

The originally white blade turned blood-red in an instant, shining brilliantly and dazzlingly.

The next moment, he slightly lifted the long blade in his hand, placed his left hand on his shoulder and pushed it rapidly towards his palm, as if all the true qi in his body was surging into that right arm, and then into the long blade.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The surging true qi flowed into the long blade, immediately causing the blade to emit waves of agitating sounds, which seemed to transform into tangible waves rippling outward.

A vast momentum of the blade suddenly rose.

From the long blade, an immense sharp energy spread everywhere, turning the whole world extremely cold, as if the air itself had condensed into threads of ice, even the freely flowing true qi started to slow down.

Hiss! Hiss!

Tang Taiyuan’s eyes were also incomparably cold, making him seem even more despairing than the long blade.

A huge blade radiance suddenly fell from the sky, and the target was Qi Shu below.

Qi Shu looked up at the huge sword radiance coming down from the sky, as if it would split heaven and earth.

This scene was truly shocking.

Qi Shu’s gaze turned cold, as true qi frantically surged within him.

Behind him, the aura grew more and more intense, magnificent and vast, with wild winds rising around, even sending some bushes flying.

The momentum was terrifying to the extreme, and the violent fluctuations of true qi also caused the heaven and earth to tremble.

“Boom!”

The fist force was unparalleled, bringing with it an unstoppable force as it fell.

Bang! Bang!

Explosions continued one after another, and a purple light emerged around Tang Taiyuan’s body, blocking the airwaves outside.

Amidst the continuous explosions between heaven and earth, only Tang Taiyuan stood quietly in the middle of the purple light, remaining immovable no matter how the attacks destroyed the world.

All sounds in the world quieted down at that moment.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

In the forest, the noise of the vibrating qi force resounded through the heavens, unceasing.

It was unknown how much time had passed, but the airwaves gradually disappeared.

Tang Taiyuan furrowed his brows sharply, seeing that beneath the rising dust there was no one, and Qi Shu’s figure was nowhere to be seen.

“Has he escaped?”

Meng Zhaodou’s expression turned very ugly.

“Chase!”

Tang Taiyuan leaped up, turning into an arc of light, “This old man wants his head to sacrifice my blade.”

…..

North of Pingling.

Leng Xiao carried Zhao Xuening and sped through the mountains, moving as fast as the wind.

Meanwhile, Zhao Xuening looked around, glanced up at the sun, then suddenly realized with a shock that this was not the way south, but rather heading north.

To the north was Yujing City, and naturally, the people from the Black Ice Platform wouldn’t head to Yujing City to court death, so there was only one possibility.

Continuing north to Houjin!?

Thinking this, Zhao Xuening’s heart grew cold.

“Let me go, I need a toilet,” Zhao Xuening suddenly shouted.

“Just solve it right here,” Leng Xiao said indifferently.

Upon hearing Leng Xiao’s words, Zhao Xuening felt both embarrassed and annoyed.

It seemed in Leng Xiao’s eyes, she was neither a princess of a country nor a breathtaking beauty, but rather more like an animal.

“Swoosh! Swoosh!”

Just then, a gust of wind approached.

Suddenly, a figure appeared ahead.

“Cough cough… cough cough…”

It was Qi Shu, who now had a pale face and some torn clothes, clearly having suffered some internal injuries during his fight with Tang Taiyuan.

Leng Xiao landed in front of Qi Shu, whispering, “Lord Qi, are you alright?”

“It’s nothing significant.”

Qi Shu waved his hand and a slight smile appeared at the corners of his mouth, “You do have some brains.”

“Lord Qi is too kind.”

Leng Xiao said indifferently.

As the saying goes, where there is an anomaly, there must be monsters; where there is a deviation in person, there must be knives; where words carry insincerity, there must be ghosts.

How could a person like Qi Shu possibly cover the retreat for Lin Zisheng and the other experts of the Black Ice Platform? Could it be that Qi Shu believes their lives are worth more than his own?

If it were a hero of great empathy and righteousness, it might indeed be possible for the sake of face to do so. However, Qi Shu, a cold and ruthless person, would definitely not commit such an act against common sense.

Now Lin Zisheng is being sold out and is still helping count money for Qi Shu.

Qi Shu took a deep breath and said, “Now that Tang Taiyuan and Meng Zhaodou and others have been lured to move southwards, we will go against the path and enter Houjin. Once we reach Houjin, we will be completely safe.”

Leng Xiao pondered for a moment and said, “Lord Qi is wise and strategic. Just delaying Lin Zisheng for half a day and adding the time it takes for them to regain their senses, which is one day, by the time they catch up, we will already have reached the border area of Yan Country. By then, trying to stop us would be as difficult as reaching the south by ascending to heaven.”

Zhao Xuening turned pale upon hearing this.

If what Leng Xiao said was true, then she would fall into the hands of the barbarians of Houjin….

“Don’t waste time; let’s move quickly.”

Qi Shu then took out an elixir, popped it into his mouth, and said.

“Yes.”

Leng Xiao nodded.

….

Dongluo Desert, the far end.

Yellow sand stretched endlessly, vast and boundless, with heatwaves assaulting like raging flames.

Dongluo Pass is the entrance to the Dongluo Desert, and this place is almost the exit of the desert.

To the north are barbarians living a primitive lifestyle of drinking blood and short of supplies, and to the west lies the Western Pure Land.

Because of the natural barrier of the desert, these barbarians dreaming of entering Dongluo Pass has always been just a fantasy, hence there has been little interchange historically.

In the desert, a figure slowly walked through the heatwaves.

His steps seemed slow, but in the blink of an eye, he was tens of meters away.

“Bang!”

At that moment, sand whirlwinds rose from the front, forming a yellow tornado that looked like a soaring dragon from afar.

Upon closer inspection, a figure was seated in the middle of it.

Sensing someone approaching, the person sitting in the midst of the yellow sand opened his eyes.

This person enduring the hardships of the desert was none other than the former master of the Earth Sect, Jiang Renyi.

Seeing the visitor, Jiang Renyi expressed surprise, “Elder Yuan, why have you come?”

Yuan Feng smiled, “Good, looking at your qi mechanism, stepping into the Grandmaster realm is just around the corner for you.”

“Elder Yuan jests,”

Jiang Renyi shook his head and said, “The Grandmaster Realm is incredibly difficult to achieve. I am still lacking somewhat; this final step is the hardest.”

For top geniuses, the leap from Half-step Master to Grandmaster is also a threshold. Even Li Fuzhou has been in this realm for several years and has not yet stepped into the Grandmaster level.

Yuan Feng laughed heartily and said, “Don’t be anxious. With your current age and talent, Grandmaster is just the beginning.”

“Elder Yuan, you flatter me.”

Jiang Renyi smiled and then asked, “Elder Yuan, what urgent matter brings you to the Dongluo Desert today?”

Given that Yuan Feng was an elder of the Sealing Demon Platform and Jiang Renyi had only seen him a few times when he was the master of the Earth Sect, Yuan Feng’s current visit to find him in the Dongluo Desert couldn’t be simple.

“Now is a critical time for the survival of the Demon Sect.”

Yuan Feng’s expression turned solemn as he said, “You must be aware of Sect Hierarch Zhao entering the Sealing Demon Well?”

“I know some.”

Jiang Renyi nodded. Although he did not really follow the outside world much anymore, how could he not have heard of such a major event concerning the Demon Sect?

Hearing this news, his heart was full of regret; firstly, regretting Zhao Qingmei’s supreme talent and secondly, lamenting the loss of the Nine Nether Purgatory Demon Scripture.

Yuan Feng said solemnly, “Now the Demon Sect is managed by Yu Qiurong. The grand reputation of our sect, the legacy of thousands of years, when has it been led by a person of the Heavenly Flower Realm? She is not fit to wield such power.”

Jiang Renyi’s brows furrowed, and he nodded in agreement.

The cultivation in the Heavenly Flower Realm indeed isn’t very high.

Seeing Jiang Renyi nod, Yuan Feng directly stated his purpose: “Now that Zhao Qingmei is trapped in the Sealing Demon Well and there’s no hope of her escape, in my view, the Demon Sect cannot be without a leader for a day…”

Jiang Renyi was immediately intrigued: “Oh? Elder Yuan, are you suggesting that I take over as the Sect Hierarch?”

To say he wasn’t tempted by the position of Sect Hierarch of the Demon Sect was impossible.

Otherwise, after Zhao Qingmei became the Sect Hierarch, he wouldn’t have harbored so many ulterior motives.

However, Zhao Qingmei’s entry into the Grandmaster level had indeed thrown a cold bucket of water on Jiang Renyi, instantly cooling his ambition. With his abilities, competing with Zhao Qingmei for the position of Sect Hierarch was indeed not enough.

But now, things were different, Zhao Qingmei was trapped in the Sealing Demon Well, and the Demon Sect had no Sect Hierarch.

Yuan Feng said indifferently, “With the support of the Sealing Demon Platform, as long as you want to become the Sect Hierarch, it is a certainty. Duanmu Xinghua, Yi Daoyun, and Lin Tianhai, those people are loyal to the Demon Sect, not Zhao Qingmei. Now that Zhao Qingmei is trapped in the Sealing Demon Well, they won’t say they support you to become the Sect Hierarch, but they definitely won’t obstruct.”

Jiang Renyi thought for a moment and said, “Zhao Qingmei has two confidants, one is Yu Qiurong, and the other is Qin Bin, the leader of the Xuanwu Sect. These two are not easy to deal with, especially that Qin Bin, who commands the most elite Black Armor Iron Guard…”

Yuan Feng said, “Don’t worry, what waves can a Third Grade Cultivation person stir up?”

Jiang Renyi shook his head and said, “No, I’m talking about those seventy thousand elite troops, the only elite soldiers of the Demon Sect. If they were gone, Houjin could destroy Dongluo Pass in an instant…”

These seventy thousand elite were the sole living force of the Demon Sect, and also one of the capitals for competing for supremacy in the world.

Yuan Feng smiled from the side, “Rest assured, I have already reached a cooperation agreement with Houjin. Now the Demon Sect and Houjin are allies united at heart, so there is absolutely no need to worry about Houjin.”

Jiang Renyi looked at Yuan Feng, his brows furrowing deeper.

The Demon Sect cooperating with Houjin?

Wasn’t this akin to seeking a tiger’s skin?

It was known that Houjin had long harbored ambitions to swallow Dongluo Pass and had merely been fearful of the experts of the Demon Sect.

Jiang Renyi pondered for a while and said, “Alright, I’ll return to Dongluo Tower with Elder Yuan first.”

……

Mt. Xu, midway up the mountain.

Dense forests layered upon each other, obscuring the sunlight, making it somewhat chilly.

“Whoosh!”

Qi Shu landed, taking a deep breath, “Half a day and a night have passed without encountering any obstacles, presumably the experts within the Great Yan Martial World have all headed south.”

Leng Xiao nodded, expressing his admiration, “Lord Qi, this move of yours is indeed brilliant.”

It must be said that Qi Shu’s tactic was somewhat ruthless.

Meng Zhaodou and Tang Taiyuan clearly saw the people from Black Ice Platform heading south, but secretly Leng Xiao took Princess An Le northwards. By the time they realized it, the time taken for one action and then a counteraction was sufficient for them to escape the trap.

North of Mt. Xu was the Great Yan border region.

Once in the Great Yan border region, Great Yan’s control weakened significantly, making it extremely difficult to track their whereabouts.

Zhao Xuening was limp, her complexion pale as paper, seemingly on the verge of fainting at any moment.

Qi Shu nodded slightly, then looked towards a dilapidated temple in the distance and said, “There’s a broken temple ahead, no Qi Mechanism present. Let’s rest there first.”

Since the battle with Tang Taiyuan, Qi Shu had yet to rest. Now, having escaped the encirclement, it was naturally time to rest well and recover some strength.

As he spoke, the two walked into the temple.

The moment they entered the temple, Qi Shu’s brows fiercely knitted together.

This was a Land Temple. The stone statues inside were dilapidated, neglected for many years and appeared very disordered.

Not far from a stone statue, a man in black robes was sitting cross-legged with a bonfire rack in front of him, apparently preparing to grill something.

This man was none other than An Jing.

At this moment, seeing Qi Shu, he too was momentarily stunned. Wasn’t it said that Qi Shu was in Pingling preparing to head south? How did he suddenly appear on Mount Xu?

“Save… save me….”

Zhao Xuening was dazed, looking at the figure in black robes ahead, immediately recalling a past brief encounter.

This man in black robes knew the Universal Benefit Bodhisattva, and thus must be an expert.

Currently, with only a faint consciousness, Zhao Xuening subconsciously saw An Jing as her last straw.

“Who are you?”

Leng Xiao raised his eyebrows, his gaze cold as he looked at An Jing.

An Jing, seeing Leng Xiao’s tense face, couldn’t help but laugh, “A passing stranger, do you believe that?”

“I don’t believe it.”

Leng Xiao said coldly.

Zhao Xuening clearly recognized this person and had not sensed any Qi Mechanism from start to finish. The person before them was very likely someone with ulterior motives.

“We meet again.”

Qi Shu, however, remembered and couldn’t help saying, “I didn’t expect to meet again here; it seems we really are fated.”

“Can we refuse such fate?” An Jing sighed, his hand touching the hilt of the Evil Suppressing Sword.

Hearing An Jing say this, Zhao Xuening’s eyes dimmed.

The man in black robes seemed reluctant to make a move, otherwise, he would have acted when the Universal Benefit Bodhisattva was defeated that day.

“If you can’t save me, just kill me instead.”

With this thought, Zhao Xuening looked towards An Jing, her eyes showing a hint of readiness for death; she would rather die than bear such humiliation.

An Jing looked at those phoenix eyes; the most fearsome people in this world are those who aren’t afraid to die.

“Fate is not something you can just decide to take or leave as you wish,”

Qi Shu shook his head and after he finished speaking, he glanced at Leng Xiao beside him.

Leng Xiao immediately understood and stepped forward, appearing before An Jing in the next moment.

“Bang!”

With one palm strike, the immense force and mighty Qi shook the air, causing a booming sound.

An Jing turned his body and easily dodged the palm strike.

“Hm?!”

Leng Xiao’s brows furrowed deeply.

Currently, he was a Half-step Master through medicinal enhancements. Although this status as a Half-step Master was weaker compared to usual, it still signified him as an expert of the Half-step Master level.

Leng Xiao struck out with his palm again, but he then realized that no matter how fast or fierce his palm wind was, the man in the black robe easily dodged it, as if toying with him.

Leng Xiao, known as ‘Xiaoxiang Water Cloud,’ was once a senior expert of the Great Yan Martial World, having a significant reputation. Later, when he could no longer advance in cultivation, he withdrew from the Jianghu. Unable to resist the temptation of the Black Ice Platform later, he joined it.

After consuming the elixir of the Black Ice Platform, his power greatly increased, and he became a Half-step Master.

“Indeed, quite interesting. Then, take another palm strike from me,” he announced.

Leng Xiao shouted explosively, as all the Inner Strength in his body surged, converging into his arm.

“Boom!”

He struck out his palm, like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing, his Inner Strength continuously surged, creating spirals of Qi Force.

“I will take your head then,”

An Jing took a light breath, his palm resting on the hilt of the Evil Suppressing Sword at his waist, and then he drew it out sharply.

Buzz! Buzz!

The Evil Suppressing Sword emitted a sound that trembled the heavens, its three-blade fusion’s power enhanced once again.

The sword light was fast!

Faster than a blink of an eye!

Leng Xiao only felt he blinked once, and the sword light had already reached his neck.

Not good!

Dread filled his heart, and he attempted to retreat quickly to avoid the exceedingly cold sword light.

But it was too late, the sword was even faster than his thought.

“Puff!”

The sword light swept across, and a fountain of blood sprayed forth, followed by a fine head flying into the air.

The head tumbled through the air, eventually landing at Qi Shu’s feet, its fierce eyes still staring at him, the terror within them not yet faded.

“Thud!”

Leng Xiao’s body heavily fell to the ground, blood still flowing continuously.

“Gulp!”

Zhao Xuening also suddenly perked up, swallowing her saliva as she watched the scene unfold before her.

On the way here, she had witnessed Leng Xiao entering among the Xuanyi Guard like no one else was present, even her uncle Zuo Biwen couldn’t capture him, such a high-level expert.

But now, he was gone with a single sword strike.

“The Evil Suppressing Sword!?”

Qi Shu’s pupils suddenly constricted. In that instant, he threw Zhao Xuening who was in his hands aside, “Are you that Ghost Swordsman?”

Zhao Xuening scrambled and stumbled away, this being the only chance she had had to move in several days besides for necessities and meals.

“Perhaps no one has told you that this fate also involves a sword.”

An Jing’s arm was level with the ground, and the blood from the Evil Suppressing Sword dripped to the ground.

In the dilapidated temple, where statues were broken and winds howled mournfully,

the two stared at each other, like volcanoes ready to erupt.

Qi Shu, with a grave expression, spoke first, asking, “Is your surname Wu?”

“Does my surname matter that much?” An Jing’s demeanor was somewhat indifferent.

Since entering the Jianghu, many had inquired about his identity or name but asking his surname was a first.

“It matters a lot.”

“How much does it matter?”

“Enough to decide how you die.”

…..