After Escaping From Death, He Went Even Crazier By Criticizing Black Lotus Chapter 10

Chapter 10 The First Gathering of the Four Sect Geniuses and the Appearance of the Demon

Inside the trial mystic realm, Xiao Jianming wore a smile at the corner of his mouth, turning his head to look at Su Huan. The thick affection in his dark eyes was visible to the naked eye, practically overflowing.

Su Huan, however, couldn’t help but shiver, and two words spontaneously arose in his heart: Hypocrisy.

He subtly took a step back toward Nangong Yi, a smile hanging on his face: “Eldest Senior Brother is joking. Exterminating demons is inherently the duty of cultivators.”

One side expressed intimacy, while the other subtly whitewashed the abnormality. Nangong Yi looked at the two thoughtfully, nodding slightly: “Daoist Xiao’s strength is remarkable. With Daoist Xiao present, the task of demon extermination is like adding wings to a tiger, increasing our chances of victory.”

Xiao Jianming glanced at him, saying with a forced smile, “You flatter me.”

Sensing the other party’s dislike, Nangong Yi looked at Su Huan, who was hiding behind him, and awkwardly rubbed his nose.

Seeing that he made no further moves, Su Huan felt slightly relieved. He lowered his eyes, pondering how to snatch the prize from Xiao Jianming’s grasp if they found the demon, and the most crucial problem right now—since the compass could be wrong, what method should they use to locate the hidden demon?

Before he could figure out a solution, four figures suddenly burst out from the sparse, dense greenery. The moment the leading young man saw Nangong Yi, a deafening laugh instantly echoed through the forest—

“Haha! Nangong Yi, I can’t believe you’re so cowardly that you’d associate with the Xuanji Sect!”

As the words fell, the red-robed youth arrived, treading on wind and waves.

A long spear with golden patterns and a red tassel was strapped to his back. His spirited face had sharp phoenix eyes, and his cold gaze swept proudly over the crowd. He let out a soft, dismissive snort, saying, “Even if you join forces, you won’t defeat my Lingshuang Sect. Just wait to become my defeated opponents!”

“Qi Zi, you’re boasting again. Aren’t you afraid of blowing your thirty thousand jin Chilong Divine Spear up to the heavens!”

The voice arrived before the person. A splash of emerald and rouge color flew down from mid-air. The girl’s colorful ribbons fluttered around her waist, her lush dark hair simply tied up with a plain bright yellow hairband. A spot of bright red cinnabar adorned her fair forehead. In her beautiful eyes, there were two parts vibrant spring and eight parts floating mist and flowing haze, cool and shimmering.

Following behind her was a youth in cinnabar robes who covered his face, unable to watch, and another dressed flamboyantly, like an open green peacock. He lightly adjusted the blue-green feather earring dangling by his ear and responded with a smile: “Senior Sister, you know this person’s foul temper. Why bother with him? It’s better if I find some fresh bamboo leaves and play a little tune for you.”

In an instant, the geniuses of the Four Great Immortal Sects were all gathered.

Qi Zi of the Lingshuang Sect heard this and pointed at him, laughing loudly: “The tune you play isn’t half as good as mine! Meng Qinghui’s eyes are already blind; do her a favor and don’t harm her ears too.”

Only then did Su Huan realize that although the girl’s eyes were beautiful, they were as still as dead water, lacking the vitality of her face, looking like a pair of glass beads had been set in place.

After Qi Zi finished speaking, he didn’t care how furious the green peacock from the Myriad Phenomena Sect became. He raised his chin and said to Xiao Jianming: “I say, your Xuanji Sect is too careless, allowing a demon to sneak in. And you, is your name Xiao Jianming? As the host of the Immortal Gate Assembly, why are you participating in the trial? What, trying to cheat for personal gain?”

“Also, judging by your conversation just now, are you even trying to avoid us and monopolize the great merit of demon extermination? Could it be that your Xuanji Sect is finally going to tear off the mask of a great sect plastered on your face?”

A torrent of words poured out, and Xiao Jianming’s face instantly darkened.

Su Huan couldn’t help but admire him. With this barrage of words, he had effortlessly provoked two major sects. What audacity.

The cinnabar-robed youth standing at the very end of the four lowered his head even deeper, seemingly trying hard to distance himself from this person.

It made Su Huan want to laugh a little. If he had such a teammate who ignited conflict everywhere he spoke, he might look the same.

The person, however, seemed completely oblivious. He plunged his Chilong Divine Spear into the ground, pointed his chin at the three people behind him, and said proudly: “Unfortunately, you are unlucky to have run into us. As the saying goes, everyone who sees it gets a share. Since we’ve seen and heard, we must also have a piece of the pie in this demon extermination merit.”

Suddenly, a sharp laugh almost pierced their eardrums—

“Hahahaha! How overconfident! A bunch of wet-behind-the-ears brats dare to speak of killing me?!”

Su Huan’s pupils contracted sharply, and the surrounding white mist rose again.

The demon hid in the dense fog, unseen but heard. The unpleasant sound, like tree bark rubbing together, lingered all around, rough and sinister: “I wasn’t originally here to kill, but unfortunately, you sought your own deaths!”

“Then don’t blame me for prematurely turning all of you into nourishment for the Great Demon Summoning Array, helping my Venerable Lord attack the Immortal Gate and avenge the hatred of that old dog Feng Qing forcing my clan into exile all those years ago!”

A fire instantly ignited in Qi Zi’s hand, but he sneered: “Ten thousand years ago, Immortal Venerable Feng Qing cared for the common people, willing to give up his immortal body to banish you to the Barren Realm! He was a man of great righteousness! Who gave you permission to insult him!”

The fire exploded with a roar. The cinnabar-robed youth at the very end widened his eyes and urgently shouted, “Quickly retreat!”

The green peacock from the Myriad Phenomena Sect hurriedly pulled his Senior Sister back ten miles, muttering incessantly: “It’s over, it’s over. This demon has poked a hornet’s nest. That guy surnamed Qi usually reveres Immortal Venerable Feng Qing the most. Now he must be itching to burn this demon’s flesh and blood, tear out its bones and peel its tendons…”

Meng Qinghui found him annoying: “Shut up.”

The green peacock manually sealed his mouth.

The cinnabar-robed youth, having distanced himself from his Senior Brother’s deadly Brahma Fire, saw this and, in a consistent manner, began to mock: “Hua Wuyou, I didn’t realize you were afraid of women. Does your father, far away in Cangxuan, know about this?”

Hua Wuyou’s phoenix eyes widened. Before he could act, he heard Meng Qinghui say: “You shut up too.”

The opponent was suddenly sealed by an invisible force, his eyes wide in shock.

Meng Qinghui moved her fingertips, coldly cursing, “A dog’s mouth can’t speak ivory. There truly aren’t many good people in the Lingshuang Sect.”

Su Huan was slightly surprised by this. Daoist Meng could actually speak spiritual words that commanded reality. Could she be a descendant of the royal family of the former Yixian Continent dynasty?

Legend had it that the royal ancestors of the Yixian Continent possessed the bloodline of a god. Their words carried a trace of the power of rules. If one’s cultivation was inferior to theirs, they could only submit. Relying on this innate ability, the entire dynasty lasted for ten thousand years until it was overthrown a hundred years ago.

But if she was from the Yixian Continent, why did she not join the Lingshuang Sect, but instead travel thousands of miles to the Cangxuan Continent and become a disciple of the Myriad Phenomena Sect?

He only glanced at her lightly, but Meng Qinghui noticed. She turned to look at him, her brilliant glass eyes reflecting a faint light, seemingly perceiving his inner thoughts. She smiled slightly: “The land and water in Yixian Continent are not good; they don’t nurture good people. If Daoist Su wishes to travel and gain experience, do not go there.”

Jiang Fei, the Lingshuang Sect disciple who also hailed from the Yixian Continent, though unable to speak, was extremely agitated. Every expression on his face accused Meng Qinghui, also from the Yixian Continent, of being so forgetful of her roots. How could she disparage her own hometown like this?

Hua Wuyou glared back fiercely: “What are you looking at? If it weren’t for the Yixian Continent people, how would Senior Sister’s eyes have become like this?”

Jiang Fei was stunned. He seemed to recall Meng Qinghui’s identity, and his ferocious expression suddenly calmed down.

He looked at the composed Meng Qinghui, wanting to say something, but couldn’t open his mouth. He exhaled heavily through his nose, turned, and flew out to join the battle between Qi Zi and the demon.

Su Huan’s eyelashes trembled slightly. The Yixian Continent was close to the Cangxuan Continent but far from the Huayao Continent. He had never heard of Daoist Meng’s deeds, but no matter where people were from, they wouldn’t easily abandon their homeland.

Daoist Meng must have suffered greatly to turn around and join the Myriad Phenomena Sect.

Five years ago, during his darkest time, he had also considered leaving everything behind.

On the other side, the Brahma Fire in Qi Zi’s hand was immense. Before the strangely fast white mist could approach, it had already burned through the area covered by the mist, forcing the demon’s figure out. However, his impulsiveness came at a heavy price. If Jiang Fei hadn’t arrived in time to join the fight, Qi Zi would have nearly had his long spear knocked away and his head severed.

Jiang Fei’s long sword met the demon’s broad-bladed saber, and he was suddenly struck back dozens of steps, his face showing horror. He hadn’t expected this secretive demon to be so powerful.

Just as the two were about to be defeated, Meng Qinghui suddenly moved.

“Zheng—”

The graceful girl used her twin swords to parry the demon’s broad-bladed saber, shouting loudly: “Hua Wuyou!”

“Coming!” Hua Wuyou’s long flute suddenly emitted a sharp, mournful cry, forcing the demon to retract its saber and cover its ears, its face showing pain. However, this only lasted for a few breaths before it recovered naturally. The broad saber was raised again, slashing out heavy saber shadows, like a dense, sky-covering net, fiercely attacking the group!

As the flute sounded, Yue Jiusi also covered his ears: “Ugh… Myriad Phenomena Sect, at least distinguish between friend and foe!”

Nangong Yi frowned, setting up a barrier for the remaining three. Then he drew his Silver Square Sword and joined the battle. Yue Jiusi quickly followed behind: “I’ll join the Young Sect Master!”

Six people fighting one demon instantly turned the tide of the battle. The demon was increasingly disadvantaged. Su Huan was about to draw his sword and join in, but he saw the demon’s eyes suddenly turn ferocious. A powerful surge of demonic energy erupted from its body, exploding like a dazzling firework!

The six were simultaneously forced back by the demonic wave. The weakest, Jiang Fei and Hua Wuyou, violently spat out blood. Su Huan hurriedly sheathed his sword and began healing, slowly sending golden spiritual energy into their bodies. Their pale complexions eased slightly.

The demon wiped away the blood flowing from its eyes, mouth, and nose with a cold laugh, plunging its broad saber fiercely into the ground. A massive demonic array instantly unfolded beneath its feet!

The demon’s flesh and blood were visibly disappearing, and demonic runes crawled all over its skin, looking terrifying.

Su Huan couldn’t help but recall the white mist erosion he first encountered. He suddenly realized that the white mist wasn’t a mutation caused by demonic energy, but the Demon Summoning Array on the demon’s body. The blood sacrifice had already begun then!

Meng Qinghui’s expression changed drastically. She shouted, “No good! The array is on him! Once the Demon Summoning Array is activated, all living beings within the array will be blood sacrificed! Get out of the mystic realm quickly!”

Nangong Yi’s pupils contracted. He spoke with difficulty: “…It’s too late.”

Meng Qinghui was stunned. She then realized with alarm that the crushed transmission water bead had no reaction. She abruptly looked at Xiao Jianming!

Qi Zi’s eyes widened. Remembering that Xiao Jianming was the host of this assembly, his long spear was instantly aimed at him!

Su Huan was slightly startled and instinctively stepped forward to block him: “He cannot be a traitor.”

Surprise leaked from Xiao Jianming’s eyes, astonished by Su Huan’s subconscious action. Facing the accusations of the others, he lifted his eyes and looked coldly at them, explaining, “If I were a traitor, I wouldn’t have entered the mystic realm.”

Qi Zi didn’t believe him, and the two sides were locked in a stalemate, neither willing to yield.

Nangong Yi sighed, saying, “Instead of fighting among ourselves, we should figure out how to get out now.”

As soon as his voice fell, rustling sounds suddenly emerged around the demon, which had already been eroded into a skeleton by the blood sacrifice.

Su Huan’s heart sank, and a chill crawled up his back.

The entire mystic realm suddenly shook violently. A deep abyss appeared beneath the demon, and countless shadowy figures slowly emerged from the depths, accompanied by the continuously gushing, dense demonic energy.

This was a long-planned retaliation by the demon race.

Demons are born from the various thoughts of the human world. As long as people harbor greed, anger, and delusion, demons will exist. They are not only inherently cruel but also like walking sources of sin. Wherever they go, they subtly induce various desires in people’s hearts, constantly sparking conflicts, gradually turning the world into a living hell.

Therefore, the Immortal Gate suppressed the inextinguishable demons within the Barren Realm, forbidding their exit. Once an escapee was found, they were to be executed on the spot. This has been the iron rule agreed upon by the major Immortal Sects for ten thousand years.

But now, they had become caged prey, waiting to be slaughtered.