Chapter 103 In March, across the Nine Provinces, "Exterminate the Eighteen Realms and Purge the Immortal Sects!"...
It's been three months.
The sweltering heat has returned to the land of Kyushu.
After withering for several months, the Endless Tree has finally begun to show signs of new life.
The summer heat was scorching, and the fragrance of lotus rose up, touching the branches and leaves of the Endless Tree.
The long-awaited shade fell, and the restless people of the Eighteen Realms finally found a moment of peace.
The barrier in Shenxiao Palace had not been removed, and Nanyushan stood at the outer end of the barrier, looking at the person inside meditating with their eyes closed through a water-colored barrier.
A pond of lotus flowers was in full bloom. Heng Qichun, dressed in a thin gauze robe, sat cross-legged on the lotus platform, his fingers forming a mudra, a wisp of divine grace gathered in his palm.
Three months have passed, and his injuries have only just begun to heal. His face still has a sickly pallor, which, combined with his disheveled white hair, makes him appear as if he's floating on clouds.
The hall was quiet except for the sound of the escaped Pixiu cub snoring at Heng Qichun's feet.
Nan Yushan silently withdrew his gaze, not caring whether Heng Qichun could hear him while he was in meditation, and said to himself, "I thought the southwest had been stabilized, but today Xiuzhu came to report that a divine beast had died there."
"It was Bifang. Before it died, it sent a message to the Chongming Bird, saying that the people who killed it were a group of demons."
Heng Qichun did not react; his eyes were gently closed, his brows slightly furrowed, as if he were still pondering something extremely worrying even in meditation.
Nan Yushan sighed, his voice gradually softening, "It's been three months. Ever since the demonic bone on Lou Yan's body appeared, there hasn't been a single day of peace in the Nine Provinces."
"First it was Xuanqing Palace, then Hehuan Sect, and Sect Leader Chu's body still hasn't been buried—look at the uproar among all the immortal sects!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a faint sound came from within the barrier.
Heng Qichun's hand, which had been forming a hand seal, fell down, and his fingertips accidentally touched a lotus bud that was about to bloom. A faint lotus fragrance rose up and collided with the water shimmering on the barrier.
“He didn’t do it,” Heng Qichun said.
Nan Yushan was stunned for a moment before realizing that Heng Qichun had actually heard everything.
His brow furrowed quickly, and he opened his mouth as if to say something, but seeing Heng Qichun's still pale face, he swallowed his harsh words.
He no longer held back and simply sat down on the spot, lifting his robes, looking at his junior brother through a water-colored barrier.
Sometimes, when you're in a high position and have been exhausted for a long time, you can't even muster up a huge temper.
Therefore, he simply asked in a deep voice, "He fell into the demonic path in front of everyone that day, how can you still make such a guarantee?"
Heng Qichun was still recovering from his serious injuries, and his reactions seemed to have slowed down considerably. He sat there with his eyes half-closed, his gaze fixed on a vague, ethereal spot in mid-air, lost in thought.
After a long while, Nan Yushan finally heard his hoarse voice, "Because I am his master."
Nan Yushan choked, and his expression immediately changed.
He stared intently at Heng Qichun's profile, wondering when his once indifferent junior brother had become so stubborn. After glaring at him repeatedly, he still said sternly, "Ha, you care about your master-disciple relationship with him, but do you know whether he still has you as his master in his heart?"
Heng Qichun didn't reply, but pursed his lips and looked over with a stubborn and proud gaze.
If it weren't for the fact that Nan Yushan was his senior brother who had taken care of him since childhood, he probably would have already made his move by now.
"Why are you glaring at me? If his Daoist heart has not changed, why has the Nine Netherworld Realm gathered and grown so powerful, and why have the Human and Immortal Realms fallen into this state of devastation?"
As he spoke, Nan Yushan stood up. He was preoccupied with trivial matters and could not stay any longer. Before leaving, he said to Heng Qichun, "There are still ten days until you leave the pass. If you do not believe what I said, you can go and check his whereabouts yourself in ten days."
The opening and closing of the wooden palace doors brought with them a lush, summery scent.
As the palace doors creaked shut, Heng Qichun's gaze finally returned to the small golden-armored beast at his feet.
He reached out as if possessed and gently scraped the back of the Pixiu cub with his cool fingertips, making a very faint "clanging" sound. The scales were cold, and the familiar touch against his fingertips made him pause slightly, immediately bringing to mind many scenes from the past.
Last year, when he was bedridden due to a snowstorm, Lou Yan ordered his little Pixiu to roast rabbit meat for him.
When he played with the mythical beasts, he would often make a clear, crisp sound like metal objects colliding.
Heng Qichun involuntarily closed his eyes, his chest heaving rapidly due to his unsteady breathing, and he bent over, letting out a series of long, muffled coughs.
Because of worries and anxieties.
It's been three months. He's been detained here in Nanyu Mountain to recuperate as punishment for the lightning strike.
The lotus pond was rich in divine essence, and his spiritual power recovered day by day. However, the scene of the day the tribulation lightning descended upon him kept replaying in his mind's eye.
When Lou Yan broke through his form-fixing spell, his identity as a demon wolf was exposed. He then withstood the third tribulation lightning. The huge impact shattered the demon-concealing pearl on his body. In the blink of an eye, demonic energy surged and could no longer be suppressed with spiritual power. In front of the immortals, Lou Yan completely fell into the demonic path.
Greed drives the brave.
Master Chu of Xuanqing Palace was the first to shout, advising everyone to take advantage of Lou Yan's serious injuries to dig out his demonic bones and kill this demon, who was destined to bring chaos throughout his life, in his infancy.
Heng Qichun blocked that sword strike.
He was already severely injured and exhausted, but he still forced himself to gather all his spiritual power and set up a lotus-scented barrier between Lou Yan and the others.
The fragrance of lotus blossoms filled the air amidst the rain, and the divine aura made people dare not approach.
"Who says that the demon race must oppress living beings? That the demonic path must harm the human world?" Heng Qichun held the dying Lou Yan in one arm, his cold eyes glancing at the crowd rushing up, his tone growing colder and colder. "Even if he possesses demonic bones, he is still my disciple, and I should personally supervise and discipline him. The internal affairs of the Eighteen Realms are not for you to interfere with."
As soon as these words were spoken, people immediately questioned them.
"Is the God Lord going to protect his own disciple?!"
“Thousands of years ago, Elder Hengyang of Hezizhou also tried to protect his disciple who possessed demonic bones in the same way, but what happened in the end? Didn’t he personally escort him to the realm of gods to suffer divine punishment?”
Amidst the deafening sound of the rain, Heng Qichun suddenly looked up and successfully caught the most striking words in the sentence.
He didn't look at the group of indignant people again, but instead subtly shifted his gaze and exchanged a glance with Nan Xu, who was hidden in the crowd.
The boy had probably gradually become aware of his identity over these days. He accidentally met Heng Qichun's gaze, and quickly lowered his head guiltily.
His lips moved slightly, but he still managed to say, "No... Senior Brother Lou wouldn't be that kind of person..."
The surrounding "voices of justice" were too loud, while his voice was too small, and he was quickly drowned out, even by the overwhelming sound of the rain.
But those who possess demonic bones will not necessarily grow into demons.
Heng Qichun looked at Nan Xu with certainty.
"Human hearts are still insatiable, so how can you conclude that my disciple is not a good person?!" Blood trickled from the corner of Heng Qichun's lips, and his eyes reddened with anger. "Is it based solely on your one-sided accounts?!"
Regardless of Lou Yan's true intentions, Heng Qichun made a valid point.
Human desires are insatiable.
The whereabouts of the Demon Bone are unknown, and people throughout the Six Realms are filled with fear. Everyone regards Heng Qichun as their only hope for survival.
With the deity above, one naturally obeys only the deity's commands.
But what if the deity is not present?
The deity has protected the wicked and allowed his disciple to become a demon. The immortal realm should send out a new person to take his place.
Sect Leader Chu stepped forward with an imperious air.
"It is a fact that the God has protected his rebellious disciple. Before we could even question the God about where he places the common people, he has already started spouting these paradoxes at us?"
This is tantamount to fanning a flame to start a huge fire.
This caused everyone present to look at each other in bewilderment. Even the torrential rain could not calm them down in such a situation.
A moment later, someone finally mustered up the courage to point at Heng Qichun and the Nanyu Mountain behind him, saying, "The Eighteen Realms recruit demons into their sects and then allow their disciples to fall into demonic ways. Behind Lou Yan, who knows how many evil spirits are disguised as immortals? In my opinion, such sects should be exterminated!"
This single glance stirred up countless waves of shock. Immediately, more people stood up, not hesitating to draw their swords against Heng Qichun, even going so far as to proclaim: "Exterminate all eighteen realms and cleanse the immortal sects!"
"Exterminate all eighteen realms, and purify the immortal sects!"
Wei Xiuzhu had just finished dealing with a few demonic beasts trying to escape in the chaos inside the Luduan Gate when he arrived and saw this scene. He was immediately at a loss and frantically tried to squeeze through the crowd, "Fellow immortals, please make way, please make way, is there some misunderstanding here...?"
The child, having not witnessed the tribulation lightning, thought there had been some misunderstanding. In the struggle, he accidentally knocked over an elder's magical artifact and was immediately grabbed by the man's wrist.
"He is also a disciple of the Eighteen Realms. His presence here must indicate he has ulterior motives!"
"Kill him first! As a warning to others!"
This was completely an undeserved disaster. Wei Xiuzhu, being simple-minded, even tried to explain herself in this situation, "No, no, I just accidentally knocked over your magical artifact... Ah!!"
Before he could finish speaking, the man had already picked up the magical weapon, raised the knife, and slashed at Wei Xiuzhu.
Wei Xiuzhu cried out in alarm twice, instinctively taking several steps back, only to trip over the shoving crowd behind him.
He staggered and fell backward to the ground, watching as the huge axe was about to cleave him in two. He could only close his eyes in agony.
The next instant, he was grabbed by the back of his collar and lifted up.
The familiar scent filled his nostrils first, and Wei Xiuzhu couldn't help but sniff. Before he even opened his eyes, he started calling out "Senior Brother" in a pitiful manner.
The person who pulled him up was indeed Fu Yusheng, but he wasn't in much better shape himself.
The green robe was soaked through by the rain, and his wet hair clung to his face, revealing a gloomy face that was almost bewitching.
He grabbed Wei Xiuzhu by the back of the neck with one hand, and with the other hand he barely managed to block the axe, while also looking up at the crowd above.
The eighteen realms are already in chaos.
These members of the immortal sects, who waved the banner of "upholding justice," have long forgotten how they used to clink glasses and beg the gods for a breather at banquets.
In less than a day, they seemed to have overthrown the Eighteen Realms to shake the prestige of the Immortal Path.
"Senior brother, be careful!" Wei Xiuzhu's almond-shaped eyes widened suddenly as she urgently warned him.
Fu Yusheng snapped out of his daze and saw that the old man holding an axe in front of them was silently chanting an incantation. The magic weapon in his hand was extending and stretching at an alarming speed under the incantation. It could string him and Wei Xiuzhu together in the blink of an eye.
It is the growth technique of Sumeru Temple.
Fu Yusheng spat inwardly, with murderous intent lurking beside him. He could no longer care about adhering to the proper etiquette of the righteous path. He immediately gathered his spiritual power and wrapped it tightly around the axe in front of him.
With a "snap".
The huge axe was thrown far away, smashing a section of paving stones, leaving the old man with only a piece of the knife hilt that was entangled by Fu Yusheng.
Wei Xiuzhu blinked in fright, and after a long while, he finally saw that what was wrapped around the hilt of the knife was a white snake's tail.
A scream immediately erupted from the crowd. Someone who was also skilled in Gu cultivation pointed at the snake tail that was sticking out from the hem of Wei Xiuzhu's robe with trembling hands, his voice shaking uncontrollably.
But everyone present still heard it clearly.
He said, "It's...it's the white snake the snake clan has been searching for for days! The chief disciple of Nanyu Mountain is a snake demon!!!"
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