Chapter 203: Playing the Bianzhong (Chime Bells).
"Are all these people... dead?" Rong Xie couldn't believe it.
Shen Bingsi's face also turned gloomy, and the knuckles of her hand resting on the Shengxie Sword became prominent.
A cultivation sect can only absorb a limited number of talented disciples, which means they can only cultivate a limited number of high-level disciples. The fact that so many high-level disciples were left dead here almost destroyed the core strength of the sect, not to mention the elders, who represent the limits of a cultivation method and the sect's ability to cultivate talented disciples.
Now, all of that is lost. What lies at the bottom of Wenxin Gorge is not just a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, but also the present and future of the entire Xuantian Sect.
The Xuan Tian Sect Master and the five elders were ashen-faced, and for a moment no one spoke.
“Those people have all been affected by the magic of the mimosa flower demon. We drove them here,” Judge Jiang said calmly. “Some of them have already taken effect and are killing each other, so injuries and deaths are inevitable. Some are still trapped in the dream and don’t know when they will wake up. Some may never wake up. Some of them have even died from weakness in the dream.”
Rong Xie and Shen Bingsi breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing Brother Jiang's explanation, but their mood did not improve at all.
Brother Jiang was indeed carrying out the plan that had failed to be implemented at the Ruthless Dao Palace: to drive all those under the Nightmare spell together and lock them up.
However, neither Rong Xie nor Shen Bingsi expected it to be in such a tragic way.
"Where's Sister Xiaohe? Why isn't she here?" Shen Bingsi asked.
The registrar and Judge Jiang arrived together. Judge Jiang is still here, but she is gone, which is worrying.
“She has returned to the Mirror Palace. If the Heavenly Mirror has any new instructions, she will pass them on to me immediately,” Brother Jiang said.
"I see, that's for the best." Shen Bingsi nodded. "Although Sister Xiaohe has a high level of cultivation, she is not a combat-oriented cultivator. It would be better for her to go back and guard the Heavenly Mirror instead of staying here."
“Yes,” Brother Jiang said with a wry smile, “at least we can still pin our hopes on the Heavenly Mirror. If a demon-slaying official could fall from the sky, that would be even better.”
Shen Bingsi fell silent.
Beside him, the last of the five elders suddenly opened his eyes.
"Shen Bingsi, this is all your fault."
A muffled accusation came from the side. Shen Bingsi and Rong Xie were surprised and looked over. It turned out that the last elder was speaking. They had never seen him before and did not know why he had suddenly started the attack.
"If your resolve hadn't been so weak, you wouldn't have lost your position as a demon-slaying official. Now look what's happened! There isn't a single decent demon-slaying official left in the world. Monsters are rampant and no one is capturing them. Don't you feel ashamed of what you've become?"
The last elder, while issuing a rebuke, smiled and gazed ahead.
Shen Bingsi should have retorted, but when he saw the strange expression on the last elder's face, he was confused. The last elder's words and expressions were completely inconsistent, and his gaze was not on the person he was speaking to, but staring blankly ahead.
"Don't you think..." Shen Bingsi turned to Rong Xie beside her and said, "He's acting strange?"
"Yes." Rong Xie nodded. In fact, from the moment he saw the strange expression on the last elder's face, a chilling feeling enveloped Rong Xie.
“There’s nothing strange about it,” the second-to-last elder next to the last elder also spoke up. “He’s been affected by a nightmare spell and is being controlled by the Acacia Flower Fairy.”
"What?" Rong Xie and Shen Bingsi were both shocked.
The last elder was inside the magic array. Although he didn't know what kind of magic array it was, he could tell that it was of great importance and could only be maintained by the combined efforts of the top members of the Xuantian Sect and Judge Jiang. Now, one of the elders in the magic array had been affected by the nightmare spell. Could the magic array still be maintained?
What's even stranger is that the others in the magic circle didn't seem particularly surprised, as if they already knew about it.
"bass"!
The Victory Sword was drawn, its golden light bursting forth. Shen Bingsi stood protectively in front of Rong Xie, watching the last elder warily.
The last elder closed his eyes, as if he were asleep.
“Brother Jiang, if it’s inconvenient for you to take action, should I…” Shen Bingsi stared intently at the last elder and asked Judge Jiang for instructions.
“No need,” Judge Jiang sighed. “Let him be. No matter whose will he belongs to, he has become part of the Heaven-Sealing Formation and will continue to provide spiritual power to it. Even if the flower demon controls him, it won’t cause any trouble.”
“Yes,” the second-to-last elder chimed in, his gaze lowered and his face expressionless, like a Buddha statue on an altar. “Even if we can gain control of the body, so what? This powerful formation not only suppresses those trash and useless people below, but also the seven of us. None of us can leave.”
"..."
Now that things had come to this, Rong Xie and Shen Bingsi both understood why Brother Jiang couldn't leave and why he told Shen Bingsi not to go any further.
The Heaven-Sealing Formation not only seals those who have been afflicted by the Nightmare Spell at the bottom of the Heart-Questioning Gorge, but also the seven people in front of us who have formed the Heaven-Sealing Formation.
Of these seven people, one has already been afflicted by the nightmare spell...
"This flower demon is truly despicable!" Shen Bingsi suddenly raised the Shengxie Sword, about to rush into the Sealing Heaven Formation. "How long will this drag on? Why not summon it out and let it fight against the Shengxie Sword in my hand!"
Judge Jiang shook his head: "Bing Si, don't you understand? If that flower demon were willing to come out and compete with us, your brother Jiang, if not confident, would at least not be defeated by it. But the problem is that it is unwilling to come out."
“Brother Jiang is right. That flower demon is cunning and can stir up trouble from behind the scenes. Why should it come out? Even if it doesn’t come out, it has already caused chaos here…” Rong Xie pulled Shen Bing Si back, preventing him from rushing into action. “This matter needs to be discussed carefully.”
"Hahaha, Young Master Rong understands me best. Why come out when you can control everything from behind the scenes?" The last elder let out a strange laugh.
Shen Bingsi gripped the Shengxie Sword and immediately turned to the last elder.
“Yes, the king sits in the Mingtang Hall, and the generals decide the battle from afar. I have so many beloved generals and strong soldiers, why should I take action myself?” The second elder also raised his head, with a smile on his face and his eyes staring blankly ahead.
"What a pity that they actually came up with such a treacherous method, sacrificing themselves to trap me," the third elder raised his head and continued the conversation of the previous two elders. His expression was exactly the same as the previous two elders, with a strange smile, as he spoke words that did not reflect his true feelings. "The sect leader and elders of the number one sect in the world have all become my subjects, yet I cannot take them to see my Demon Lord. Such a great achievement is only witnessed by two insignificant people like you. It is truly a pity."
"..."
Rong Xie and Shen Bingsi stared intently at the bizarre scene before them. The five guardian elders raised their heads one by one and uttered words that were completely out of character for them. After one finished speaking, he lowered his head, and then another raised his head and continued speaking.
Such terrifying control, akin to playing a set of chime bells, comes from a flower fairy who was unknown to the world not long ago. It's unbelievable how fast it grew.
Is this the power of demons? Hundreds of years ago, demons ravaged the human world. The predecessors of the cultivation world paid the price of blood and lives to repel them. That war between gods and demons caused a direct break in the lineage of powerful cultivators. The famous cultivators of today all emerged after that war... If every demon has such a terrifying growth rate as the Flower Demon, I can't even imagine how the predecessors of that time managed to repel them. Now, how will this generation of cultivators, who have not yet come of age, fight against the demons that have resurfaced?
Rong Xie and Shen Bingsi both felt heavy-hearted. The peaceful days were so short-lived. The times were beginning to reveal their dark fangs to them. Before this, they had never realized how precious and fragile the peaceful environment was.
"You just mentioned the Demon Lord?" Shen Bingsi stared intently at the elder who was speaking and asked, "What is that?"
"Hahahaha..." The elder lowered his head, and this time it was the Xuan Tian Sect Master who burst into hearty laughter. "Did I say that? You must have misheard. You insignificant people are not worthy to mention His name. The Demon Lord is as vast as the sky and as deep as the sea. When He reigns supreme, you will naturally know His face."
A demon lord as powerful as the heavens, isn't that...?
Rong Xie's brow twitched, and an ominous premonition crept into his heart.
"Shen Bingsi!" The sect leader suddenly raised his voice, his face changing from a strange smile to an angry expression. "Do you know that they've become like this because of you! If it weren't for your weak will and shattered Dao heart, the Xuantian Sect wouldn't have been destroyed here!"
Shen Bingsi was still pondering the Demon Lord's matter when she was suddenly scolded. She pointed at herself and asked in confusion, "Me?"
"You, it's you!" The sect leader was furious.
"What does this have to do with me? I'm not the sect leader of the Xuantian Sect. How can you blame me for the sect's destruction?" Shen Bingsi found it utterly ridiculous.
"Of course it's your fault! If your heart were as firm as iron, you could have crossed this barrier right now, slain this demon, and fulfilled your duty as a demon-slaying official!" The sect leader looked heartbroken. "But you were indulging in base desires, insisting on becoming Daoist partners with your best friend. For such a trivial matter, you actually abandoned your duty as a demon-slaying official, causing us all to perish here!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Bingsi almost burst out laughing: "Rong'er, what nonsense are you listening to? He himself is possessed by a demon and can't stand his own sect, yet he still wants to pin the blame on me—Rong'er?"
Shen Bingsi turned her head and saw that Rong Xie's face was pale and his eyes were lowered. He seemed to be unable to deny the sect leader's accusations and was filled with guilt.
Shen Bingsi grabbed Rong Xie's hand and sighed, "Rong'er, did you really listen to me? You are the most innocent in this matter. If I have to take one-thousandth of the responsibility, then you only have to take one-ten-thousandth of the responsibility. Your responsibility is that you are too cute in appearance and personality."
"..." Rong Xie turned back and forced a smile, "Don't talk nonsense in front of the seniors."
"I'm not talking nonsense. Even without you, I would continue cultivating the Path of Ruthlessness until the end of time, until I ascend to immortality on the spot. Even Lu Yingqi can't match my speed." Shen Bingsi's eloquent words lessened Rong Xie's guilt somewhat. Even Shen Bingsi was unaware that Rong Xie harbored a hidden worry, which the sect leader had inadvertently exposed…
"Hmph, you said I wronged you, now you admit it yourself, don't you?" The sect leader sneered, "It's because of this close friend of yours that your Dao heart is shattered, and now your cultivation level isn't even at the Foundation Establishment stage, is it? You can't even use a bit of spiritual power, yet you come here to play the hero, saying you're here to help? Can you help at all? Can you drive away the flower demons on me and the elders?"
"Why not?" Shen Bingsi raised the Shengxie Sword. "It just requires you to pay a price. I don't know which of you the flower demon is possessing. To prevent the flower demon from escaping, I'll stab each of you a few times—"
"Shen Bingsi!" This time it was Brother Jiang who spoke up in displeasure, "Don't cause trouble, we don't need you here, get out of here immediately."
“But…” Shen Bingsi didn’t expect Brother Jiang to refuse his help so decisively. A sense of hidden frustration crept into his heart. In a way, Brother Jiang was more like his mentor, playing the role of a guide in his life. Being rejected by Brother Jiang was quite a blow to Shen Bingsi.
"Sect Master Feng, please have some self-respect and don't stoop to the level of a junior," Brother Jiang said, turning to the sect master sitting beside him.
The sect leader remained unmoved and continued to taunt Shen Bingsi: "What? Scared? Don't put on airs of the Demon-Slaying Sword Saint in the first place! You're just a minor Qi Refining Sword Cultivator now, unable to even enter the main gate of the Tianji Altar. You had to send a message to your Brother Jiang before you were pitifully let in. You won't admit it?"
Shen Bingsi was extremely hot-tempered and hated it most when others denied his strength. Upon hearing this, he gritted his teeth, and the Shengxie Sword vibrated incessantly in its sheath, as if it could sense its master's anger.
"Sect Master Feng!" Brother Jiang's voice rang out.
Suddenly, Shen Bingsi sneered, his tense aura vanishing abruptly. He crossed his arms and resumed his nonchalant attitude: "You flower demon, you don't really think that by imitating the tone of the Xuan Tian Sect Master, you can provoke me into going in to stab you, so that you can possess my body and slip out of the magic array, do you?"
The sect leader choked for a moment, then laughed and said, "Shen Bingsi, don't try to save face for yourself. What do you mean by imitating my tone? These words are exactly what I mean."
"Oh? Then how can you prove you're not possessed by a flower demon?" Shen Bingsi asked.
"How...how am I supposed to prove this! I am the sect leader! Do I have to prove I am the sect leader?" The sect leader was exasperated.
"Nonsense! You were just possessed by a flower demon, and you were still bragging about being some kind of demon lord." Shen Bingsi pointed out the contradictions in the sect leader's words.
"What Demon Lord? I don't remember. When the flower demon possessed me, I didn't remember anything," the sect leader protested.
"Now you're saying you're possessed, but didn't you say you weren't possessed?"
"you!"
"Stop arguing!" Brother Jiang shouted, and the two stopped arguing.
“Sect Leader Feng,” Brother Jiang said in a gentler tone, “it is indeed not appropriate to call Shen Bingsi in to capture the demon right now. What he said makes sense. The flower demon will possess him, which is not good for us. We are suppressed by the magic array, but he is not. Sect Leader Feng, your method is really inappropriate.”
"..." The sect leader knew he was in the wrong, so he stared at the crowd and remained silent.
"Shen Bingsi, I told you to leave, why didn't you leave?!" Brother Jiang's tone was no longer so patient when he spoke to Shen Bingsi.
"I..." Shen Bingsi said, "I really want to help, Brother Jiang. If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know!"
Rong Xie had also calmed down from his preoccupied state. Thinking about the confrontation between Shen Bingsi and Sect Master Feng just now, Shen Bingsi almost walked into the barrier. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and didn't actually go in. Rong Xie was still a little scared. He decided to put aside the troubles brought by the precognitive dream and focus on the matter at hand.
“Yes, Judge Jiang, Bing Si really wants to help. If there’s anything he can do, it’s better to tell him to do it than to send him away.” Rong Xie composed himself and spoke up for Shen Bing Si. “Besides, his spiritual power needs to be restored. Just resting isn’t enough. He needs to do what he wants to do.”
Upon hearing this, Judge Jiang pondered for a moment and stopped rushing to expel Shen Bingsi. After a while, he said, "Since that's the case, I'll tell you my plan. You can help me think of any loopholes."
Upon hearing this, Shen Bingsi and Rong Xie immediately focused their attention: "Brother Jiang, please speak."
"This is a long story, and since we can't get rid of the flower demon anytime soon, I'll explain it to you slowly. Do you know how the flower demon uses its nightmare magic to manipulate people? And how it grew so quickly to have such terrifying power?"
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