These nine had profound Demonic Skills; they survived even after their Spirit Platforms were pierced by the sword.
"So this is the Immortal Fairy Who Does Not Kill, Jiangg Youfei. You claim to be of the Righteous Dao, but how is this any different from killing them?" The old man landed to examine Zhang Tongshi, then added furiously, "You venomous woman from the Daoist Sect! You weren’t satisfied with just piercing his Spirit Platform—your lightning also shattered his Middle and Lower Dantians, crippling him for life. Utterly vicious!"
Jiangg Youfei stood poised in mid-air, her robes fluttering. As if she hadn’t heard a word, she simply said, "Gongg Wu, I know you’re not alone. The rest of you can come out. Let’s finish this all at once."
Gongg Wu said furiously, "Zhang Tongshi is on the verge of death! We can’t let this slide. Everyone, come out."
A figure emerged from the east, another from the west, and a third from the north.
The three were dressed identically to the old man. They were all Third-Grade Officials.
"Poor Demon Transformation Mountain. To finally produce a promising talent for the Upper Three Grades, only to have him ruined just like that. Old Gongg, you should’ve made your move sooner." The Third-Grade master from the Demon Sect who’d come from the east had a fat head and large ears. He stood about ten feet tall, with ears the size of a man’s palm, from which dangled slender white bones.
"When Sect Leader Zhang and your elder brother ask, you can tell them it’s an internal affair of Demon Transformation Mountain. It has nothing to do with us." The Third-Grade master from the west was tall and gaunt. His hair was tied back in dozens of small braids, and from the end of each, a shriveled head slowly exhaled black vapor.
The Third-Grade master from the north said nothing, the green vortexes that were his eyes spinning furiously.
Gongg Wu opened his left palm. A fist-sized, tri-colored flame materialized—red on the outside, white in the middle, with a black core.
Behind Gongg Wu, a massive, pure-black shadow materialized. It stood a hundred feet tall, part-man, part-bird.
An invisible heatwave radiated outward, and everyone felt a scorching, uncontrollable restlessness bubble up inside them.
Jiangg Youfei suddenly clenched her hands into fists and slowly descended.
The disciples of the Celestial Cloud Sect and the Night Guards were frozen stiff, too terrified by the Outer Realm Demon Fire to move.
A telepathic message from Zhou Henn reached Li Qingxian’s ears. ’Two of them are current Deputy Ministers in the Ministry of Justice, and the other two also held the same rank previously. The four of them working together can suppress Jiangg Youfei even with her Thunder Light Fire Rune Seal, and that’s not even counting Demon Transformation Mountain’s Outer Realm Demon Fire. The Thunder Light Fire Rune Seal is slightly stronger than the Outer Realm Demon Fire, but one is wielded by a Fourth-Grade cultivator and the other by a Third-Grade. Their power is evenly matched. There’s no doubt about it; the Demon Sect has seen through our plan. They didn’t come for Lü Ren. They want to kill Jiangg Youfei. Be ready. I can get you out of here at a moment’s notice.’
Li Qingxian sighed softly. ’I’d already considered this possibility. It was one of the reasons I refused to participate in the first place.’
’If the Demon Sect had fallen for Jiangg Youfei’s ploy so easily, they would have been wiped out by the Confucian and Daoist Schools long ago.’
Gongg Wu waved a hand, and his attendants carried away the unconscious Fourth-Grade member of the Demon Sect.
"Zhang Tongshi is crippled. No matter how this turns out, Sect Leader Zhang is going to have my head. I can’t be bothered to pretend anymore. The person in the carriage disguised as Lü Ren is one of your Night Guard, isn’t he? And the man you and Zhou Chunfeng were secretly meeting with all day yesterday... his name is Ye Han, right? Well, it doesn’t matter who he is. After all, our target isn’t Lü Ren. It’s you!"
Gongg Wu grinned, and on each one of his teeth was a carving of a black human head.
Each black head was laughing, and wisps of Demonic Qi seeped out from between his teeth.
The four Third-Grade masters from the Demon Sect slowly advanced.
Just four men, and yet they had dozens surrounded.
Li Qingxian thought, ’What is this? The Demon Sect has a mole in the Night Guard, and they mistakenly think Ye Han is pretending to be the Saint Heir, Lü Ren? Hmm... Nicely done, Demon Sect!’
Gongg Wu continued as he advanced, "If Jiangg Zhijian were back in the Celestial Cloud Sect, forget us—even Sect Leader Zhang wouldn’t dare to touch you. As for now... well, he needs to get past that Demon Saint first."
A Sixth-Grade disciple from the Celestial Cloud Sect shouted, "Sect Leader Jiangg is holding back a Demon Saint for the Human Race! His own fate is uncertain! As humans yourselves, why are you turning on your own kind?"
"Kid, I think you have some misconceptions about our Demon Sect."
All four Third-Grade masters burst into laughter.
"Let them go, and I will face the four of you alone!" Jiangg Youfei declared, gripping her Cyan Thunder Ancient Sword.
Gongg Wu chuckled. "It seems our Immortal Fairy has many misconceptions about the Demon Sect, too. As the future Sect Leader, personally trained by Jiangg Zhijian, you’re a hundred times more important than Lü Ren. The Demon Sect dispatched the four of us Third-Grade masters for one purpose: your death. An absolute, certain death. And these people... they are also weapons to be used to kill you."
The Outer Realm Demon Fire in Gongg Wu’s left palm stirred as he pointed his right index finger at the Sixth-Grade Daoist from the Celestial Cloud Sect who had just spoken. "As your people die, one by one, will your Dao Heart remain so serene?"
The Sixth-Grade Daoist froze for a second. Then his eyes bulged wide. He violently clutched his throat with one hand and clawed at his chest with the other. In the blink of an eye, his face turned a mottled purple and green, and he collapsed to the ground, breathing his last.
The man’s body was contorted, his limbs twisted as if they had been broken.
The Demon Sect’s exotic poisons were unmatched in all the world.
Zhou Henn sighed. The Elephant Head Shining Copper Breastplate on his chest flared with light for a moment before dimming. He cupped his fist toward Gongg Wu and said, "Zhou Henn of the Night Guard Divine Capital Department, paying my respects to you four. Since the outcome is already decided, please allow the Night Guard to withdraw."
Jiangg Youfei actually seemed to relax slightly.
Black Demonic Qi surged from Gongg Wu’s body, his white beard and hair whipping in the unseen wind. He laughed. "Madman Zhou? Zhang Tongshi is crippled. We have to give Sect Leader Zhang something to account for it. Times have changed. You Night Guards can stay behind as well."
"Then I guess there’s no choice but to fight for our lives." Zhou Henn shrugged, drawing a scimitar with one hand and a Cone Sword with the other. He scanned the four men, his gaze finally landing on the smiling Third-Grade master to the west, and began to walk toward him. "Venerable Smiling Face. I’ve come to settle the debt you owe the Night Guard."
"Fine. I’ll repay you with my life." The Venerable Smiling Face’s eyes abruptly turned an inky green. His nose sharpened and hooked down like a sickle as a pair of fleshy bat wings sprouted from his back. With every flap, thick Demonic Qi and a swarm of Demon Heads poured out from them.
A bronze statue flew out from the Demonic Qi and landed on the ground, where it transformed into a hollow suit of full armor.
KACHUNK! The bronze armor split down the middle, opening wide. Its interior, from head to toe, was lined with densely packed spikes, each one covered in intricate Runes.
"I wonder if my ’With You’ will be able to go home ’with you’," the Venerable Smiling Face said with a cherubic smile.
The faces of every Celestial Cloud Sect disciple and Night Guard paled.
The Night Guard was known for its harsh interrogations, and the Divine Prison for its mental torture. But when it came to truly depraved cruelty, the Demon Sect was unmatched in all the world.
At the same time, Zhou Henn sent a telepathic message: ’We can’t win this fight. I’ll look for an opening, pretend to be losing, and get you away from here.’
Li Qingxian peered through the carriage curtain, gazing at the battlefield. His right hand clutched a small red cloth pouch.
He thought for a moment. ’Since they’ve already seen through the ruse, there’s no point in cowering in the carriage.’ He stepped outside, searching for an opportunity to release the purple crystal.
An angry yet concerned telepathic message from Jiangg Youfei entered his mind: ’Who told you to come out? Get back inside!’
Li Qingxian said nothing. He began to survey the battlefield, looking for the right moment.
’Too late would be no good. I can’t wait until everyone’s dead to use it.’
’But too early wouldn’t work either. The enemy is on high alert. If they managed to escape, the consequences would be dire.’
"You..."
Jiangg Youfei let out a soft sigh and began to chant the Sealing Curse.
"Within the Fire Bell Palace, resplendence flows. Five thunders from five quarters, descend as light and ride the winds. Heaven’s authority shakes the world, and all evil vanishes without a trace. By this urgent decree!"
A pillar of light, interwoven with Thunder Fire, shot into the air and burst. A red, dragon-carved Great Seal flew out, lightning crackling around its surface and its entire body covered in patterns of flame.
A majestic aura radiated outward. The demonic filth on the ground dissolved, nine-tenths of the Demon Cloud in the sky vanished, and faint cracks appeared in the distant white fog.
The four Third-Grade masters of the Demon Sect felt like ordinary people caught in a typhoon, struggling to breathe. Only Gongg Wu, who wielded the Outer Realm Demon Fire, was in a slightly better state.
"By the command of the Celestial Venerable, slay evil and exterminate the wicked! When the divine seal strikes, wind and fire will surge! By the urgent decree of the Celestial Emperor!" After reciting the command for the seal, Jiangg Youfei’s form flickered.
The next instant, a gale of Thunder Fire descended from the heavens, flashing red and white.