Chapter 156 Calming the Storm (Revised) "Father, the spiritual energy has arrived."...

The demon race has always fought to the death to break through their cultivation levels. Seeing Lin Feiran like this, the others were surprised but not horrified.

When she broke through to the second realm, she finally couldn't help but cry out. Even though she collapsed to the ground, she stood up and looked at Lin Feiran, following the surrounding spiritual energy.

No one had ever seen such abundant spiritual energy when breaking through to a higher realm. It surged forth like a swirling torrent, like a raging river, all converging on one person.

Sand and stones flew all around, the drooping willows rustled, Lin Feiran's hair ornament snapped in the wind, and her ebony hair immediately fell down, swaying in the wind. Her and Qingping King's robes fluttered in the swirling wind, yet they still maintained a posture of fighting and defense.

The Golden Wave Sword stood between the two. The giant spirit behind King Qingping was now only the size of a person, and most of its Nuo mask had collapsed, leaving only a patch of grayish-white stone covering its left eye, looking sparse and fragile.

There were still many techniques in the "Seven Gods Record" that had not yet been used, but it was too late. The spiritual power had been absorbed and drained in the blink of an eye.

Every cultivation technique requires spiritual energy to support it. No one expected that Lin Feiran would break through the "Seven Gods Record" in such a domineering way.

A magical storm raged, and as the last piece of the Nuo mask dissipated, the giant spirit behind him finally shrank into a cluster of flames between his brows, which then vanished in an instant, never to be seen again.

Five lords accompanied King Qingping, who were considered powerful figures in the demon realm. Regardless of their reasons, they must have come here today with a determination to win.

Now that the situation has reversed, the Slender-Waisted King immediately looked towards Xingzhi Palace, his face revealing an undisguised anxiety.

"Prince Qingping, where is the powerful figure behind you! If this drags on until Ru Xian recovers, how can we possibly survive!"

With the incantation in hand, the demons in the city were powerless to resist. In addition, the group's cultivation was not low, and there was a powerful figure behind them. Today's trip should have been a sure thing. Who could have expected such a complicated situation to arise!

If it weren't for Prince Qingping's initial reluctance to kill and his arrogance, he wouldn't have ended up benefiting others!

Lin Feiran seized the opportunity and immediately thrust her sword out. But just as the blade was about to touch his neck, it was suddenly jolted away by a tremendous force. The sword hummed incessantly, and she immediately spun back and stared intently at him.

Suddenly, a cracked pearl flew out from King Qingping's body, embedding itself in mid-air and emitting a heart-wrenching, shrill cry of a young fox.

She looked in that direction with surprise and wariness, but didn't understand why. Not far away, Qiu Tong's eyes widened and she exclaimed in shock.

Meanwhile, the standoff between Lin Feiran and Qingping Wang did not last long, but Xiyao Wang and the others felt that each day was an eternity.

Opportunity knocks but once. They were willing to follow the rules before because they had a legitimate reason to act, and the Demon Capital would be theirs sooner or later. Now that the situation has reversed, if they still don't know how to adapt, they will only be waiting to die!

When the Nuo mask completely collapsed, the lords who came with King Qingping could no longer hold back. They exchanged glances, and their palms shone with spiritual light. Taking advantage of Xun Feifei and the others' weakness, they suddenly attacked Lin Feiran alone!

Before Lin Feiran could even make a move, several powerful sword energies descended from mid-air, forcing the Slender Waist King and the others to retreat!

Li Changfeng sat crookedly on the wall, pointed his fingers, and dozens of cyan sword shadows flew out from the sword.

"Since you're all going to join in, then I'll join too! Any excitement wouldn't be complete without me, Li Changfeng!"

He leaped down from the wall, winked at Lin Feiran, and went straight off with his sword, darting around among the group as if playing around, completely at ease.

Prince Qingping looked silently at Lin Feiran and finally spoke the truth: "I used to like your father very much. He was an upright and broad-minded person, but later I came to hate people like him the most."

You're like him, yet you're not; he's much dumber than you.

The scene was so chaotic that no one cared about the outcome of their contest. Winning or losing would both be considered rebellion, and today the wise king and the bandits would surely be distinguished.

Anyone can see that Ru Xian has indeed encountered trouble, otherwise, he wouldn't be sleeping soundly alone in the palace while the outside world is in uproar.

No one could guess what had happened to him.

In a short time, the tribal leaders who had been standing around as spectators gradually began to take action, as it was finally time to choose sides.

Prince Qingping glanced at Lin Feiran, whose hair was disheveled. Although he looked disheveled, he remained calm.

Do you all think that all these runes filling the sky today are just a small decoration?

The figure floating in mid-air suddenly stopped, and hundreds of gazes shot toward this place, some with complicated expressions and others with disdain.

Prince Qingping raised his hand and clapped his hands. The attendants behind him immediately lifted the curtain of the carriage, revealing a person who had been sitting inside. He slowly stood up, and everyone looked over to see a young man wearing a hooded cloak, with a pale face and a brocade ribbon tied around his throat, stepping down from the carriage.

When Lin Feiran saw him, her pupils contracted slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed through her mind.

The person who came was the same "Skywalker" we had met in the Valley of the Pilgrims, the one whose words became law.

As soon as he appeared, the people around him who recognized him, including the Slender-Waisted King, gasped and their eyes lit up with fervor. They completely believed what the King of Qingping had said before.

"My lord! Quickly, help us kill this old Taoist priest!"

Upon hearing this, Li Changfeng glanced sideways, his gaze suspicious. He murmured, "A mortal? Such a weak spiritual vein."

Although he had the aptitude for cultivation, his spiritual veins were too weak, making him almost indistinguishable from an ordinary person. How could an ordinary person dare to enter such a chaotic circle?

The boy ignored their shouts, stepped out of the car, glanced at Lin Feiran, clearly not recognizing her as the cultivator who had stopped them from fighting over the spiritual vein in the Sacred Valley, but his gaze towards her was not unfamiliar.

The name Lin Feiran had already spread within the esoteric Buddhist community, so he was hardly a stranger.

He neither approached Qingping King nor got close to Lin Feiran, but stood alone at the far end, not mingling with anyone, calmly looking at the incantation in the air.

Some of those present recognized him, but most only recognized the fox fur cloak he was wearing, with swirling clouds embroidered on the back, clearly a totem of Tantric Buddhism.

He raised his hand, and although there was no fluctuation of spiritual energy, the runes that were floating in mid-air seemed to be summoned back and all converged on him.

[Imperial Edict, Decided]

He spoke, his voice particularly hoarse, his tone more like a murmur, yet strangely everyone present could hear his words.

In an instant, the runes that had been gathered like a ribbon immediately dispersed, spreading throughout the entire demon capital and enveloping everyone within them.

A few groans were heard, and Li Changfeng immediately turned around to look. The demons who had previously appeared weak slowly got up, but their faces were ashen. The cultivators who had been hovering in mid-air on their magical artifacts suddenly fell down, and when they got up, their eyes were particularly panicked.

One of them could no longer contain himself and shouted angrily, "What have you done to us! Why can't we gather spiritual power for a while!"

The boy didn't reply, but just stared blankly at the horizon, seemingly lost in thought.

"Actually, it's nothing serious," King Qingping said loudly. "It's just temporarily stabilizing everyone's spiritual veins."

Just as everyone was filled with doubt and uncertainty, the precious pearl that had flown into the air suddenly exploded. In an instant, the sky was filled with wind, and a purple figure broke out from the western clouds, rushing towards them at a speed of a thousand miles in an instant.

The crowd suppressed their fear of the boy and were all terrified by the purple figure.

"The ancestor of the Fox Clan!" someone exclaimed in surprise.

There are currently five Saints in the Demon Realm who have reached the True Realm. Once you reach this level, you will almost never meddle in worldly affairs, but there are always exceptions.

Of the five saints, three reside within their clans. Although they rarely venture out, they exert a formidable influence over other tribes.

The ancestor of the fox clan was among them.

Almost in the blink of an eye, feeling the wind blow, Mingzu had moved from the horizon to right in front of them.

Dressed in flowing purple robes, with a dignified and imposing presence, her awe-inspiring aura was enough to make one forget her beautiful face.

She hovered in mid-air, barefoot on a golden jade ruyi, paying no attention to the crowd or the runes covering the sky. She glanced at Prince Qingping, then spoke softly.

"I thought with your arrangements today, I wouldn't have a chance to show up. How come I almost died here?"

She then looked at everyone, her gaze lingering on Lin Feiran for a moment before she said, "Ru Xian is not here, only his subordinates remain. Who dares to harm my sons? Speak up immediately!"

Despite his arrogant words, no one dared to scoff at him. Apart from Ru Xian, who had the courage to fight him earlier, the Saints of the Returning to Truth Realm were almost an unquestionable and indelible existence in the demon realm.

The clamor subsided, and in the ensuing silence, Lin Feiran brushed the dust off the Golden Wave Sword, slowly raised his eyes, and no longer trembled as he had when he first fought against Prince Qingping.

Fear is acceptable, but cowardice is not. With a sword in hand, why can't we forge ahead fearlessly?

She took half a step forward and said slowly, "It's me."

Mingzu looked at her, scrutinized her for a long time, and then let out a sneer: "You?

The spiritual thread at her fingertips had broken, but Lin Feiran couldn't be sure whether the pill had been successfully refined, so she could only talk back to Mingzu.

"An ant can breach a thousand-mile dike, and a worm can swallow ten thousand pounds. So why can't I fight the Prince of Qingping? At least now that the ancestor is here to support him, it means that I fought this battle quite well, doesn't it?"

Mingzu's eyes turned cold. For many years, no one had dared to speak to her like that. With a swift movement, the jade ruyi beneath her feet flew into her hand. Before anyone could react, a powerful ice shard shot towards her!

Beyond the Divine Realm, each realm is a different world, far beyond what she can withstand!

Lin Feiran immediately leaped away, her golden umbrella opening wide. Li Changfeng frowned upon seeing this and immediately threw his long sword at her. Even so, he only managed to buy Lin Feiran a few breaths.

That was an attack from a Saint of the Returning to Truth Realm. Even if it wasn't a full-force attack, it was still something Lin Feiran couldn't possibly dodge.

The ice spikes were almost upon her when the sword spirit suddenly appeared, intending to fight alongside her. Just then, a hand suddenly reached out from behind, revealing a square magic circle in its palm, which lit up in Lin Feiran's eyes.

The ice spikes were blocked outside the formation, and shattered as if they had hit something hard!

Ru Shan's gaze swept over everyone, but did not stop. He placed his hand on Lin Feiran's shoulder from behind, and formed a hand seal. A magic circle as large as the sun rose in front of the two of them. Almost instantly, countless ice spikes emerged from the magic circle!

At this moment, he withdrew his right hand and skillfully grasped her wrist, guiding her to control the magic array: "You have already stepped into the Ascending Realm. If you calculate it, you are not far from the Divine Travel Realm. Why not experience it in advance?"

Before he could speak, he directly pointed to several acupoints. Spiritual energy surged from Lin Feiran's palm, and the magic array immediately began to rotate, sending ice spikes flying towards Prince Qingping and his companions.

Qingping Wang's pupils contracted, and he immediately stepped forward to protect the boy. The others, who were being chased and complaining bitterly, watched with great amusement.

Lin Feiran looked back and saw that he looked fine and showed no signs of weakness, so he guessed that he had successfully refined the pill.

His appearance caused even greater silence, and those who had wanted to take sides returned to their original positions, falling silent once more.

Enjoying the sight, Ru Xian finally spoke, her voice like pearls, yet even more arrogant than Ming Zu's: "What did Ming Zu mean just now? My subordinate has always been upright and has a sweet tongue. How could anyone be willing to take her life with an ice pick?"

He stood beside Lin Feiran, smiling faintly as he looked at the purple figure in mid-air. He had clearly already taken his revenge, yet he still feigned ignorance and turned the tables.

Upon seeing him appear, Mingzu's imposing manner immediately diminished by three points. Her eyes flashed, and she suddenly laughed, "The Demon Lord's subordinate is not old, but he has quite the air about him. He even dared to fool me with his words. He should be punished, so I took action."

Ru Xian raised her hand and placed it on the back of Lin Feiran's neck, her tone neither too light nor too heavy, the meaning of which was unclear.

"She always speaks softly, and I often wish she could be a little harsher. I didn't think what she just said was harsh enough."

Besides, if she makes a mistake, it's my job to discipline her; it's not anyone else's place.

He suddenly looked at Lin Feiran, a smile in his eyes: "I can tell that sometimes you still like it when I discipline you, right?"

These words were quite inappropriate. Lin Feiran neither nodded nor shook her head, feeling that they were somewhat absurd yet also reasonable.

Ru Xian is a self-centered person who never cares about the atmosphere. Even though the current situation is tense, he doesn't care at all and is more interested in teasing Lin Feiran.

But Lin Feiran knew that this was not just a joke.

Ru Xian doesn't like beating around the bush and usually speaks her mind directly, but she prefers to keep things to herself and let her guess what she's saying.

After guessing a lot, she could occasionally discern the differences.

For example, he would never bring up the topic of "discipline" without a reason.

But what did she do that warrants his discipline?

I have absolutely no idea what to do.

Seeing her pursing her lips in deep thought, Ru Xian chuckled softly, then wiped the blood from the corner of her lips and took out several medicine bottles: "You've broken through! Congratulations! Think about what you want, and come with me to the treasure vault later."

He turned to look at King Qingping and the others, his smile still on his face, and casually said something shocking: "Mingzu is no longer in the Returning to Truth Realm, yet he still considers himself a Saint and dares to challenge the Demon Capital. What, have you forgotten everything from the past?"

When Mingzu saw that he had revealed this matter so easily, his pupils contracted, but he could not refute it with a single word.

Ru Xian held a finger to her lips, gesturing for silence: "You haven't forgotten, have you? The three of you made a pact to fight me, and you were utterly defeated. We made a vow that you won't be able to utter a single word now. Don't waste your energy."

Mingzu's eyes flickered slightly, her chest already burning with rage. She immediately looked at Qingping King: "Didn't you say that once he was trapped in the incantation, there was no way for him to escape?"

Qingping King's expression finally changed. He frowned, clearly even more surprised than Mingzu. Having spent a long time in the esoteric sect, how could he not know the power of this incantation? Just as he was wondering, Mingzu spoke again.

"He fled, so what? Could these countless curses suppress him?"

Qingping Wang understood the implication in her words and replied, "He has a way to escape the curse, but I'm not sure if this restriction will be effective now."

Mingzu's face had already turned cold, and he stared intently at the figure, calculating in his mind.

Ru Xian took so long to emerge from seclusion; he must have suffered some hardships. He wasn't as relaxed as he appeared. He might be putting on a brave face. Besides, he wouldn't use that move in front of everyone.

Does he really dare to reveal his identity?

Even though his cultivation level had fallen, he was still in the Divine Travel Realm. The two were evenly matched, and it was not unfounded to say that he could avenge his previous defeat.

Mingzu plotted in his heart, but hesitated to take action, his heart still shrouded in a shadow of fear.

If she could have exposed Ru Xian's true identity, the situation would certainly have been different. It's just a pity that she was defeated back then. If she could have pushed him to the brink, perhaps...

"What are you thinking about?" someone behind me asked softly.

Mingzu was terrified and immediately turned around. He saw Ruxie hovering in mid-air, holding a green spear in his hand. After their eyes met, he raised his eyebrows slightly, retracted his long arm, and the spear swept across like a startled swan, floating to the side, yet falling down as if weighed down by a thousand pounds.

Mingzu's jade ruyi immediately flew out, attempting to block the attack. However, it spun to the side like a hailstone, and the spear in his hand launched a surprise attack. His movements were so unpredictable that he surrounded and defeated her in just a few steps, leaving her with no chance to fight back.

Everyone was already stunned.

Having served as a mascot for so long, some people have even forgotten how he nailed the long-ruling demon king to the ground, how he cut off his head and placed it on the city wall, and how he looked down upon him with disdain.

"So what if I am a king? From now on, I will be the only one who reigns supreme in the demon realm."

With a loud bang, a burst of light appeared beside the two of them. They fought several more times, but in the end, Mingzu was no match for him and was knocked to the ground from the air.

"Lin Feiran." Standing like a hailstone in mid-air, he tilted his head slightly to look at the figure amidst the dust and smoke. "Can you still stand up?"

Mingzu raised her hand to call back the jade ruyi, her expression resentful. She looked back and saw a figure materialize in the dust that had been kicked up.

His black hair was disheveled, his clothes were covered in scratches, and there seemed to be blood between his lips and teeth, but his gaze was firm and bright.

She wiped the dust from her cheeks and simply said, "Yes."

Her sword will no longer tremble.

His eyes, slightly darker than usual, gazed at her with a satisfied look, his expression revealing complete contentment.

"Want to take action yourself? Opportunities to fight a fake saint like this are rare these days."

Lin Feiran raised his sword, closed his eyes slightly, and savored the "Calming the Waves" sword technique he had used earlier, his heart already stirred with emotion.

She parted her lips slightly and exhaled a cold breath: "Yes."

Having said that, she no longer hesitated and went straight up with her sword.

Faced with the overwhelming spiritual pressure of the ancestor, Lin Feiran's figure did freeze for a moment, and her hands trembled, but she suppressed it all in no time.

Every move, every thought, is contained within the sword and in the heart.

Lin Feiran moved with lightning speed. As her longsword swept across the ground, the sword spirit emerged from it, dancing with her amidst the dust and smoke. In an instant, the sword realm behind her opened wide, and the wind of the wilderness blew, fluttering her flowing robes.

She suddenly said, "Senior, is 'Only the Clear Light is Good' really the final move? I always feel that this sword is not yet finished."

The sword spirit said, "Indeed, the former master only wrote these four moves, and had no ideas for the rest. Perhaps you can try to fill in the gaps."

"You brat, how dare you argue with me!"

Mingzu was furious. The jade ruyi in his hand shone with golden light, and in an instant, golden lightning rained down. Lin Feiran immediately retreated to dodge. Because she had learned lightning techniques from Xuanzhen, her speed was now comparable. With the help of her sword realm, she was always half a step faster than the falling lightning.

Now that she has reached the advanced stage, she still has the strength to fight against the fallen Ancestor.

Qingping King's eyes flickered slightly, and Xiyao King and the others stopped watching. They were covering their wounds and were about to grit their teeth and step forward when suddenly, several beams of spiritual light fell down, blocking them from entering.

Everyone looked up and saw only eyes like hailstones, seemingly smiling yet not smiling.

But it was only for a moment. His gaze was quickly drawn to that figure again, constantly dodging, constantly being repelled, and constantly trying to get back up.

No matter how the person was defeated, he did not intervene. He only tried to stop Ming Zu when he was about to unleash his killing move, but he quickly withdrew, leaving the battlefield to Lin Feiran alone.

The blazing sun sank into the wilderness, and all that could be seen was a dazzling white expanse.

Mingzu spun around, a burst of purple lightning flashing in his hand, actually shaking the sword realm by half, and finally some blurry shadows appeared before his eyes.

She glared angrily at the figure, raising her hand with all her might to meet its gaze. With a loud bang, the entire city wall of the demon capital shook slightly, and dust billowed everywhere, obscuring the sky.

Such immense spiritual power is absolutely impossible for a cultivator who has just entered the Ascending Realm to withstand.

But Mingzu still felt a slight chill pass through his chest, though he was slow to realize it.

Beneath the dust and smoke, she looked down and saw a turquoise spearhead pierce through her, then withdraw like a swimming dragon.

Mingzu looked at the person in front of him and suddenly knelt down: "You killed me, are you afraid that I would reveal your secret even if it meant my own death?"

Ru Shan raised her eyebrows slightly and said, "Do you think I care? I only took action because you did something unpleasant."

Mingzu laughed loudly, quietly took out a jade tablet, and continued to stall him: "You care about the Demon Capital? Even if you cut off my head and use it as a football, I still don't believe it."

"Of course not the Demon Capital."

With a clang, the jade tablet in Mingzu's hand shattered. He withdrew his hand like a hailstone and looked unabashedly in another direction.

“How can we sit idly by and watch someone who likes my discipline get hurt? Don’t feel it’s unfair. As for the others who did it, I will take them back and hurt them one by one.”

Mingzu was furious: "If it weren't for you, how could she have had the chance to hurt me!"

Ru Xian stepped forward and said, "Why are there so many 'ifs' and 'what ifs'? What has happened has happened, and there are no 'what ifs'."

Everyone looked over and saw that Mingzu had been pierced through and was lying on the ground, his face pale. Ruxian stood in front of her, wiping the bright red stain off the gun, and looked at Lin Feiran, who was just getting up, and said softly.

She will surpass me.

Neither you nor I will be her final destination.

"Mingzu!"

A hint of worry finally appeared on Qingping King's usually calm face. He immediately turned around and walked towards the young man who had been watching the battle for a long time, cupping his hands in greeting.

"My lord, please lend a hand!"

The young man's gaze was fixed on Ru Xian, his eyes filled with doubt, and many guesses flashed through his mind.

【Certainly】

He spoke softly, but Ru Xian still looked at him, her eyes filled with undisguised mockery.

"The spell had no effect on him, and I don't know how it did. I will go back and ask the saintess about him and the spell."

He looked at Prince Qingping and spoke bluntly.

"You want a mutually beneficial cooperation with us; you want the position of Demon Lord, and we want what's in it. But at this moment, I truly cannot control him, and if the people you bring cannot subdue him either, we will have no choice but to give up the position of Demon Lord."

Or, you can join us in blackmailing them.

Qingping Wang looked at Mingzu. The jade tablet shattered, and she disappeared like a streak of light. But he knew in his heart that Mingzu could not survive.

He suddenly laughed, his eyes bloodshot, and suddenly felt that all his plans had become a joke.

But there is still a chance. As long as you have achievements and gain the recognition of the esoteric sect, there is still a chance!

He felt no regret, only great resentment. He looked at the boy, composed himself, and said, "Of course, the affairs of the sect are of utmost importance."

He stepped forward and said to Ru Xian, "Although I don't know how the Venerable One was able to escape the influence of the curse, I think you can only control yourself, not everyone else."

Ru Xian just smiled and didn't say anything. King Qingping suddenly felt something was wrong and chuckled to himself. When had this person ever cared about the life and death of others?

But that doesn't matter; these words are meant for other people.

The other tribal leaders indeed showed anger on their faces. Supporting their weak bodies, they stepped forward and asked sharply, "It seems that leading us to the Demon Capital today was also part of your plan. What exactly do you want by setting up such a trap?!"

The pale-faced youth stepped forward, coughed a few times, and then said, "I don't want much. I'll use the lives of all the demons present as a bargaining chip to exchange for two things from the Demon Lord."

One is your position as the Demon Lord.

Secondly, we need to enter the Xingzhi Palace and find a dry well.

Lin Feiran frowned: "What kind of dry well is it, and what are you going to do with it?"

The young man then turned his gaze to her: "I'm sorry, I can't tell you. You can agree or not."

"No."

As soon as she finished speaking, Ru Xian resolutely refused, leaving no room for others to object.

“I’ve always been the one threatening people; no one has ever been able to threaten me. If you can do it, then go ahead and kill them.”

The young man looked him up and down, then took three steps forward: "You know the Skywalkers very well. I certainly can't kill that many people, but I can certainly stun their spiritual veins and prevent them from cultivating for the rest of their lives."

King Qingping's gaze swept over the crowd, and he suddenly took a step back: "It is indeed difficult to ask the Venerable Lord to give up his position as the Venerable of a realm for the sake of everyone. I can withdraw, but I only hope that the Demon Lord can grant the second request."

It shouldn't be too difficult to exchange the cultivation levels of everyone for an abandoned, dry well.

Moreover, Xingzhi Palace was originally built by various tribes and is hundreds of years old. Could a dry well within it also be considered the property of the Venerable One?

As if a wisp of hair was raised slightly, before she could even speak, she heard a thumping sound coming from not far away. Lin Feiran turned her head and saw a person kowtowing repeatedly, prostrating himself on the ground and begging.

"My Lord, that's just a well! Please have mercy on us! If demons cannot cultivate, what difference is there between them and fish on a chopping block? Not everyone can live in the Demon Capital and receive your protection!"

Hearing that someone wanted to seize the position of Demon Lord, all the tribes that came today were their chiefs and elders. They originally intended to take sides and defect, but who would have thought that it was a series of interconnected schemes that made them trapped like turtles in a jar.

In the demon realm, everyone is a cultivator, and the difference between the strong and the weak is even more pronounced than in the human realm. In addition, they have few offspring, and once they lose their spiritual power, they have no power to protect themselves. In the future, they may be enslaved or their entire clan may be wiped out, all at the whim of others.

The weaker tribes, having grasped the key to this, also stepped forward and kowtowed, and the once crowded street was once again filled with people prostrating themselves.

"Please, Lord, have mercy on me."

"We don't want to become ordinary people!"

"There are frequent conflicts between the tribes. If we don't address this today, there will be great disaster in the future!"

Amidst the commotion, Ru Xian remained silent, her fingertips twirling Lin Feiran's loose hair, her eyes unreadable, but she was clearly unmoved by such tenderness.

Lin Feiran couldn't bear to watch any longer. She pursed her lips and pondered for a moment before stepping forward and saying, "Everyone, no one knows what that dry well is. If the people of the Secret Sect find it, it may lead to even greater bitter consequences."

The Demon City is quite large; if you have any concerns, you are welcome to reside here.

Someone immediately retorted, "Do you expect us to stay in Guangzhou forever?!"

Lin Feiran was speechless for a moment.

Who would want to spend their whole life in the Demon Capital, living in constant fear? How could a cultivator with innate spiritual veins possibly endure the life of a mortal?

Throughout her life, she has always been a loner. When faced with the most formidable enemies, she always had three choices: fight, flee, or die. Even when faced with the possibility of having her sword bones removed, she resolutely chose to save herself and flee.

Many things in the world cannot be solved by simple choices. The greater one's ability, the more dilemmas and confusion one will encounter.

She knew, but this was the first time she had encountered it.

If it were just her alone, there would certainly be a solution, but with so many people involved, Lin Feiran couldn't find a way to satisfy everyone at the moment.

She turned to look at the young man, her gaze complex, but he said calmly.

"You don't need to look at me. You may not know, but there's no way to break a spell, unless..."

He glossed over the words: "No matter what the method, I need to live. If you want to threaten someone's life, ha, there's no one here I care about."

These words fueled the despair in the crowd. A cacophony of voices filled the air, accompanied by faint sobs and cries.

Like a hailstone, it suddenly became the target of public criticism.

He was not one to tolerate such things; an overwhelming spiritual pressure swept over him, instantly silencing all the howling.

He glanced at Lin Feiran, opened his palm, and a square divination tube appeared, containing dozens of jade divination sticks. He casually tossed the jade divination sticks away, and they landed accurately in the hands of each clan leader.

"It's just a well. I'm not one to meddle in other people's business. Do you think I'd guard it for you? Since you all think this well is yours, then cast lots to decide. Carve your names on the jade slips. Those who are willing, mark red; those who are unwilling, mark green. This will prevent you from changing your mind later and bothering me again."

When the right to choose was relinquished, everyone hesitated.

Lin Feiran looked at them, and suddenly felt confused again. She looked down at her palm, where there was also a jade slip.

One person, many people...

With a clang, just as she was deep in thought, the first jade slip returned to the container, and gradually, the second, the third...

Lin Feiran counted them one by one, and found that more people agreed than disagreed.

Ru Xian was not surprised, but after displaying all the jade slips, she sealed the slip container: "You've seen them? Since everyone thinks it should be exchanged for a well, then so be it."

Finally, the dust settled, and the young man, carrying a compass, walked alone into the Xingzhi Palace. The tribal chiefs followed behind him, marveling at the palace's extravagance while feeling uneasy.

Lin Feiran and Ru Xian followed along, and after about an hour, the young man finally stopped in front of a dry well in a corner.

It was a very dilapidated dry well, with an opening only an arm's length long, and it looked very cramped and narrow when viewed from above.

The young man retrieved the compass, took out a precious pearl from the belt beside him, and then threw it into the well.

Before long, water seemed to be flowing from the bottom of the dry well, making a sound like waves. Everyone was surprised and peered over to look.

At the bottom of the well, a turbulent undercurrent was present, but what floated was not clear water, but an extremely pure cluster of spiritual energy. Suddenly, a stream of spiritual energy shot out and struck the sky above, causing the surrounding clouds to scatter and turn into droplets of water.

This spiritual energy surged forth for a full quarter of an hour without stopping.

Suddenly, a complex array of intricate magic patterns appeared in the sky, instantly covering the entire heavens.

Lin Feiran found it very familiar and couldn't help but ask, "This looks a lot like the boundary array pattern of the Endless Sea."

His eyes flickered, as if he were lost in thought. He said, "It's not just like it, it is it. Do you remember where you came from when you first entered the demon realm?"

Lin Feiran suddenly realized: "I escaped from the Endless Sea, but after entering the Demon Realm, I floated down from the sky... Could the sea surface of the human realm be the sky curtain of the Demon Realm?"

Ru Xian nodded: "Yes and no. The Endless Sea is indeed above the sky, but if the sky is leaking, the seawater won't flow back in."

Lin Feiran immediately looked at the young man. The way this well was erupting was very similar to the Spirit Well she had seen in the Boundary Sea. She couldn't help but wonder, "Are they doing this to destroy the boundary gate?"

No one needed to answer; the interconnected array patterns in the sky had shattered, turning into fragments of falling stones, which was enough to give her the answer.

The spiritual energy gushing from the well no longer lingered in the demon realm, but instead, along with other spiritual energy, surged wildly into the human realm.

The demons stared at the falling stones, and for a moment no one spoke.

...

In Luoyang, it was the height of autumn, and the peonies in the courtyard were in full bloom, clustered together, surrounding the two of them.

The person on the left had a noble air about him, wearing a light purple robe. The person on the right held a whisk, had his hair tied in a Taoist bun, and wore a light blue robe that was almost washed white, with only the cloud pattern on the back still showing some luster.

The two were drinking tea and admiring the flowers when suddenly a beam of light appeared on the eastern horizon, its seven colors swirling and almost covering the entire sky.

The man on the left had dazzling eyes. He looked at the person beside him and smiled.

“Father, spiritual energy has arrived.”

Author's Note: Actually, becoming a Demon Lord isn't as complicated as Qingping Wang thinks. It's quite simple. First, tell Ruxian that you have this idea. Then, dodge everyone else, grit your teeth and take the slaps he throws at you. As long as you don't die, keep going. Then, every day, keep repeating in his ear, "I want to be a Demon Lord! I want to be a Demon Lord! I want to be a Demon Lord!" until he gets annoyed, and then you can happily become a Demon Lord (x) [heart emoji]