After Escaping From Death, He Went Even Crazier By Criticizing Black Lotus Chapter 16

Su Huan’s pupils constricted; he could barely believe it.

Qi Zi noticed the change in his expression and asked, “What’s wrong? Could it be that you know who that person is?”

Su Huan subconsciously shook his head. “…I only have a slight guess, I’m not certain yet.”

At the same time, after the spirit talisman was removed, Hua Wuyou slowly woke up. He immediately noticed Meng Qinghui, who had not yet regained consciousness, and cried out in alarm, “Senior Sister, what happened to you!”

Logically, once the spirit talisman was removed, the controlled person should wake up, but Meng Qinghui showed no signs of stirring.

Su Huan couldn’t help but frown. He stepped forward to check her pulse, only to find it weak and shallow, like that of a dying person. He was taken aback.

Just as he was about to examine her further, two lines of bloody tears streamed down Meng Qinghui’s covered eyes. Her weak pulse slowly showed signs of life, presenting a completely different and extremely bizarre pulse reading than before.

Su Huan felt a strange sensation in his heart. Just as he was about to ask for details, Meng Qinghui gently brushed away his fingers checking her pulse. She said, “Thank you, Fellow Daoist Su, I am fine.”

However, the bright yellow hairband covering her eyes was soaked in blood, and her clean cheeks were stained with blood, making her face look alarming—she certainly didn’t look fine.

Hua Wuyou opened his mouth, about to say something, but Meng Qinghui pinched him, and he reluctantly shut up.

Meng Qinghui didn’t want him to examine her again. She cast a cleansing spell, leaned on Hua Wuyou’s right arm, and stood up straight. She said, “Finding the Spirit Nurturing Immortal Palace is what matters. Let’s hurry on our way.”

Su Huan’s eyes shifted between the two of them, and he lowered his gaze, tacitly agreeing with her statement.

The group did not pursue the internal traitor who had rescued the prisoner, but continued heading east.

They pushed their sword-riding speed to the limit.

The most urgent matter now was finding a way out. As for who the internal traitor was, and whether Yin Rong captured them or not, that was secondary.

Now that the Demon Lord’s second son had been rescued, their whereabouts might have been exposed. They had to reach the Spirit Nurturing Immortal Palace before the Demon Lord arrived.

Even if the Immortal Palace didn’t hold a way out, the Spirit Nurturing Immortal Maiden was a True Immortal before her demise. They might find artifacts or formations in her former residence capable of resisting the Demon Lord’s invasion, allowing them to hold out until the secret realm opened.

Along the way, Su Huan was somewhat distracted, wondering where Xiao Jianming was at this moment.

Suddenly, Nangong Yi’s voice transmission entered his mind: Fellow Daoist Su, the internal traitor you suspect… is it Xiao Jianming?

Su Huan was startled. Only then did he realize that Nangong Yi had somehow come to fly alongside him. Meeting his gaze, Nangong Yi nodded with a smile and transmitted: When the compass pointed to Fellow Daoist Xiao earlier, I had my suspicions. But the selection of Xuanji Sect’s chief disciple has always been rigorous, guaranteed by the Immortal Seeking Path, which is why I dismissed my doubts.

He paused for a moment before continuing: But Fellow Daoist Su’s reaction just now gave me another thought—is the Xiao Jianming we see truly Xiao Jianming?

Su Huan was stunned, and he firmly replied: No, he is real.

This was the most baffling part.

Xiao Jianming held a grudge against the Demon Race and had passed the severe assessment of the Immortal Seeking Path… would he truly collude with the Demon Race?

If it really was him, why would he do these things?

Su Huan recalled Xiao Jianming’s words…

“…Since you know I am from Lingxi, you should also know that it was precisely because these high and mighty hypocrites refused to help Lingxi back then that my clan was massacred and wiped out by the Demon Race…”

Su Huan was shocked. Could Eldest Senior Brother be seeking revenge against the immortal sects?!

But he clearly hated the Demon Race intensely, so how could he cooperate with them?

Su Huan couldn’t help but close his eyes and accelerate his sword-riding speed.

As long as they found a way out and stopped the Demon Race invasion, perhaps the truth behind all this would be revealed.

After encountering two waves of attacks from the Demon Race vanguard, they finally reached the ruins of the Immortal Palace.

The Spirit Nurturing Immortal Maiden loved the color green. Although the entire palace had been abandoned for a long time, they could still see various vibrant spiritual herbs and woods through the gaps in the door. A massive vine, covering the sky, climbed over the palace gate, its body wrapping almost entirely around the building. Its leaves were enormous, making it impossible to identify the species.

Yue Jiusi’s face lit up with joy. He immediately intended to slash the vine and push the door open. However, when he swung his sword, the sword energy sank into the vine like a stone into the sea, without causing any ripple.

Instead, it seemed to awaken a sleeping monster. The massive vine suddenly moved, its tips pointing straight up into the sky. Its body swayed violently, seemingly full of anger, and countless tendrils shot straight towards Yue Jiusi!

“Not good!”

Nangong Yi’s expression changed. Qi Zi shouted beside him, “I’ll deal with this demonic plant!”

Before his voice faded, Qi Zi planted his feet firmly, spun his long spear, and countless karmic flames erupted from his body. They converged like a stream onto the head of the Chi Dragon Spear, twisting into a massive fire dragon that charged straight at the vine!

The entire Immortal Palace immediately burst into raging flames. In the scorching, blazing firelight, faint cries like those of an infant could be heard. The sky-covering vine twisted its branches and leaves in pain, gradually withering and drooping to the ground, motionless.

“Boom—”

The gate of the Immortal Palace opened with a deep rumble.

Yue Jiusi couldn’t help but exclaim, “Your fire is so powerful! It burned that great demonic vine to death in one go!”

Qi Zi proudly lifted his chin. “Of course. I am the successor of the Nine-Layer Karmic Lotus Netherflame Divine Lord.”

Yue Jiusi’s eyes immediately lit up. “What?! You are the successor of the legendary founding ancestor of the Lingxiao Sect, the Sea Lord of the Sea of No Delusion?! You are too amazing…”

The two called each other brothers and stepped across the palace gate. Yue Jiusi then noticed that all the spiritual plants in the palace were of ten-thousand-year-old quality or more. His eyes widened even further, and he was so shocked he could barely speak.

Nangong Yi smiled helplessly and followed them, along with the speechless Jiang Fei.

Su Huan looked at the extremely quiet Spirit Nurturing Immortal Palace, feeling that something was amiss.

Just as he was about to enter, Meng Qinghui stopped him. “There is something wrong with this Immortal Palace.”

Hua Wuyou looked around, then glanced at the herb garden inside the gate, which was filled with rare spiritual plants. He asked, “Senior Sister, what’s wrong with it?”

“The Spirit Nurturing Immortal Maiden was known for her benevolence. I think that terrifying legend was spread because of that demonic vine! That vine was so huge, it must have been at the late Golden Core stage. If it weren’t for the cultivation restrictions, it would have broken through long ago. If it weren’t for that person named Qi and his Nine-Layer Karmic Fire, it would have been a formidable enemy. Furthermore, look at Yue Jiusi—even rolling around in the herb garden full of rare spiritual medicines, he doesn’t seem to be in any danger.”

Meng Qinghui seemed to want to touch her eyes, but for some reason, she only lightly brushed her temple. She said, “No, wait a little longer.”

However, they remained on guard for about a quarter of an hour, sweeping the area with their spiritual sense over and over, yet they perceived no disturbance.

It was Yue Jiusi who, seeing that they hadn’t come in for a long time, ran back and shouted at them, “Hey! What are you dawdling for? This Immortal Palace is too big, hurry up and come in to help search!”

Meng Qinghui exhaled and was the first to step through the palace gate. “Perhaps I was overly cautious.”

Su Huan was still uneasy. He drew his sword and entered with them.

The moment his feet crossed the threshold, “Bang!”

The vermilion-lacquered gate behind them suddenly slammed shut.

Su Huan abruptly turned his head, but then heard bursts of infant cries echoing inside the palace. The faint, miserable sounds grew louder and louder. He released his spiritual sense to sweep the surroundings, but couldn’t find the source of the noise.

Hua Wuyou jumped in fright, nearly leaping onto Meng Qinghui. He huddled close to his Senior Sister, his voice trembling. “So scary! Senior Sister, protect me…”

Meng Qinghui frowned but didn’t push him away.

The cries around them grew louder, surging from all directions like a tidal wave, becoming increasingly piercing.

Qi Zi frowned. He swept his long spear across the air. “Who is playing tricks! Show yourself and fight your grandpa if you have the guts!”

The screaming became even more ear-splitting, crying earth-shatteringly and chaotically. The entire palace began to shake slightly because of it.

They could faintly make out the content—

“They hurt the Immortal Maiden…”

“They must pay with their lives…”

“Pay with their lives!”

What? Was that vine the Spirit Nurturing Immortal Maiden?

Su Huan was astonished. No, the Spirit Nurturing Immortal Maiden was a human cultivator. How could she turn into a demonic cultivator?

But this was clearly the Spirit Nurturing Immortal Maiden’s residence. If the Immortal Maiden mentioned by these voices wasn’t the Spirit Nurturing Immortal Maiden, then who could it be?

Suddenly, as if a subterranean dragon had turned over, the entire palace shook even more violently. The mountains trembled and the earth moved. A beam next to the herb garden snapped with a crack. At the same time, raging flames suddenly surged into the hall, firelight filling the sky.

Yue Jiusi stumbled, nearly licked into the sea of fire by the flames. Fortunately, Nangong Yi pulled him back.

Qi Zi managed to stabilize himself by plunging his Scarlet Dragon Divine Spear into the ground. He suddenly saw the firelight shaped like lotuses, and his eyes widened in astonishment. “Nine-Layer Karmic Fire?! How is this possible! I am the only one in the world who knows the Nine-Layer Karmic Fire…”

Su Huan swung his sword, cutting down a falling beam. With a solemn expression, he pushed the tightly shut vermilion-lacquered gate. As expected, it wouldn’t open.

Even smashing it with the fiercest spiritual techniques left no scratch.

Nangong Yi frowned. “Since we can’t get out, let’s continue inward and see what is playing tricks.”

Everyone agreed and followed, except for Jiang Fei, whose face was pale. He muttered, “I knew we shouldn’t have come here. This must be the Immortal Punishment brought down by the remnant soul of the Spirit Nurturing Immortal Maiden, because we offended an immortal…”

Meng Qinghui stopped, tilting her head slightly to the left. “If you want to live, follow us.”

Su Huan glanced back, thinking that titles like ‘Immortal’ were merely honorifics bestowed by the world upon cultivators who reached a certain realm.

In his heart, only those who did good for the common people could be called immortals.

Su Huan gripped his sword and quickly traversed the herb garden and the winding corridors with the others. The fierce waves of fire behind them surged forward, only to be left behind as they increased the distance.

After many twists and turns, they finally reached the center of the palace. Crystal-clear, emerald-green jade steps led straight up to the main hall. Ascending the steps, the entire hall was empty, save for a massive pill furnace placed right in the center. Firelight emanated from inside the furnace, shaped like layers of lotus flowers.

Qi Zi was astonished again. “Why is there Nine-Layer Karmic Fire here?!”

At the same time, the crying sounds resumed.

But the content had changed—

“Get out!”

“Get out!”

“Wuwuwu, don’t hurt the Immortal Maiden…”

The massive waves of fire that had been relentlessly pursuing them suddenly retreated upon touching the jade steps leading up to the main hall, but they remained below the steps, watching menacingly.

A strange fragrance permeated the main hall, seemingly without warning.

It smelled like the fragrance of a spiritual elixir being refined, but he couldn’t identify the pill. Smelling it made him feel a little dizzy.

Su Huan shook his head hard, only to feel dizzier.

He used his spiritual sense to block his sense of smell, but it didn’t work. He still seemed to smell that strange, faint fragrance. Su Huan stumbled a few times and collapsed sideways.

He heard the sounds of several figures falling around him, but he didn’t hit the ground. Instead, he fell into a scorching embrace.

Before Su Huan lost consciousness, a soft sigh reached his ear—

“You are truly stubborn.”

“If you had just asked me, you could have gotten the answer, yet you insisted on running here to court death.”