Chapter 103 Leaving 2: Identity Exposed (Bonus Chapter with 6k Nutrient Solution)...
Skillfully dissecting the monster's corpse and keeping the useful parts, Wen Lu turned to look at Chen Du, who was standing guard nearby, and felt a pang of emotion.
Back then, in order to save up spirit stones to treat Wen Yao's illness, she snatched a lot of missions from Shen Du. She never expected that they would have a day to cooperate.
However, she is still at the peak of the Golden Core stage, while Shen Du, this junior, has already formed the Nascent Soul stage. He is truly a formidable young man. In addition, with Jin Chu's secret assistance, today's matter should go smoothly.
As night deepened, Chen Du lowered his eyes and stroked the sword. "Killing only the fourth-tier demon beasts is not enough; the fifth-tier demon beasts have not yet appeared."
Although their descent down the mountain was intentional, intended to provoke Extreme Fire Peak into action, the mission they accepted was genuine.
Wen Lu looked at the mountains and forests not far away. "The monsters of Fuping Hill have been causing trouble for a year. If it weren't for the passing cultivators, who knows how many more children the mortals here would have had to offer to those monsters."
After dealing with the fourth-tier demonic beast, Wen Lu was about to pursue the trail of the fifth-tier demonic beast when the night wind brought a repulsive aura. Wen Lu frowned, and the next moment she saw a familiar figure appear not far away.
A gentle smile appeared on Zhu Xingyou's handsome face. "Lu'er."
"Don't disgust me, what are you doing here?" Wen Lu said coldly.
Seemingly oblivious to the disgust on her face, Zhu Xingyou said softly, "The black fragrance on Yao Yao's body back then wasn't my doing. Don't you believe me?"
"Let's go."
Wen Lu remained expressionless as she continued walking with Shen Du. As they passed each other, Zhu Xingyou's voice reached her ears again, "Sorry."
"Is this the fifth-tier demonic beast you're looking for?"
A loud female voice suddenly rang out, and a huge black rock beast was thrown down from the air, crashing heavily to the ground. It shook its slightly dizzy head, flicked its needle-like tail, and immediately launched an attack upon seeing Chen Du and Wen Lu with its scarlet eyes.
Shen Du leaped forward, raising his sword to block the beast's tail, and reminded Wen Lu, "It's been controlled, senior, be careful."
Seeing Shen Du locked in combat with the demonic beast, Wen Lu immediately went to help, but was stopped by Zhu Xingyou, who said, "Your opponent is me."
Standing in mid-air, Kan Yuanyi looked down at the fight on both sides. He noticed that Zhu Xingyou was not holding back and that Wen Lu, who was at the Golden Core stage, was no match for him and was only barely holding on. Kan Yuanyi then let out a light hum in a good mood.
Having just severed the leg of a demonic beast, Shen Du was struck through the right arm by a beam of spiritual light shooting from the sky. He groaned and said coldly, "Senior Kan, are you trying to avenge your disciple?"
He was originally capable of dealing with the demon beast alone, but Kan Yuanyi would occasionally launch several attacks to assist the demon beast, yet he did not directly subdue Shen Du, as if he was deliberately toying with him.
Only when Shen Du was completely soaked in blood did Kan Yuanyi slowly pin him to the ground with several flames, and said contemptuously, "Weren't you very proud of challenging my eldest disciple of Extreme Fire Peak that day? I thought you were some kind of genius, but it turns out you're nothing special. You don't even deserve to be the champion."
Her tone was matter-of-fact, showing no sign that she felt there was anything wrong with a Nascent Soul cultivator personally dealing with a Spirit Transformation cultivator.
"Alright, I've had my fill of fun." Kan Yuanyi blew out the flame on his fingertip, glanced at the two who had already decided the outcome, and listlessly instructed Zhu Xingyou, "Kill that woman, you wouldn't be reluctant to do so, would you?"
She raised an eyebrow at the darkness behind her, "Demon Envoy, aren't you going to make a move? Remember, I want the complete sword bone."
A thick cloud of black mist suddenly appeared, and the man hidden in the black robe smiled and said, "As you command."
Just then, Shen Du, who was clearly powerless to fight back, suddenly sprang into action, his golden sword light instantly engulfing Kan Yuanyi's spiritual fire. Without turning his head, he hurled his sword, which pierced through the barrier erected by Zhu Xingyou, knocking him back two steps.
"To attack a junior is truly unbecoming of the leader of an inner sect peak."
Jin Chu's lazy voice rang out. Even though only a clone of him had arrived, it possessed the spiritual power of the Nascent Soul stage. In an instant, the pressure enveloped the entire Fuping Hill, and the fifth-tier Black Slaughter Rock Beast immediately lay on the ground, trembling.
"Jin Chu, are you sure you want to go against Extreme Fire Peak?" Kan Yuanyi didn't expect Jin Chu to have followed them.
Jin Chu shrugged. "Haven't I been going against you all along?"
Taking out the magical artifact his elder brother had given him for self-defense, Kan Yuanyi angrily said, "Don't think I don't know you're still recovering from your injuries. Do you really think I'm afraid of you?"
Jin Chu finally put away his lazy expression, "Then let's give it a try, Peak Master Kan."
Just as Jin Chu faced off against Kan Yuanyi, Shen Du's gaze remained fixed on the man in black robes, who had remained motionless since Jin Chu's appearance. Amidst the dense demonic energy, Shen Du sensed a familiar aura.
With his right arm bleeding profusely, Chen Du gripped the sword hilt tightly as he approached step by step. Just as he reached the man in black robes, a voice that only he could hear rang out, "Good disciple, I've come to help you. Do you really intend to draw your sword against me?"
Shen Du's right hand trembled slightly as he said, word by word, "Senior Feng Zhun..."
The next moment, the man in black robes let out a soft laugh and instantly turned into black mist and disappeared.
"Damn it! The demons have indeed betrayed their promise!"
In the end, Kan Yuanyi paid the price of several high-level magic artifacts to finally shatter Jin Chu's clone, but she no longer had the spiritual power to deal with Chen Du. With her spiritual power exhausted, she even had difficulty escaping from this place.
Fortunately, Zhu Xingyou seized the opportunity to rescue her. After the two escaped, Shen Du came to Wen Lu and saw that Wen Lu's spiritual power was only temporarily sealed, but she was unharmed.
He couldn't help but frown. Why was Zhu Xingyou...?
The wounded Kan Yuanyi angrily wiped the blood from her lips. Noticing the strange scene around her, she frowned and shouted, "Useless trash! Why aren't you taking me back to Extreme Fire Peak to heal?"
Zhu Xingyou looked down at her, motionless. His expression was indistinct in the darkness, except for his eyes, which shone eerily and were somewhat unsettling.
Kan Yuanyi finally realized something was wrong. She was horrified and quietly gathered spiritual power in her right hand.
Zhu Xingyou gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, her voice as gentle as ever, "Ayi, just now, in order to escape, Kan Yuansi broke the protective spirit mirror that you gave you, right?"
The protective spirit mirror is an extremely powerful magical artifact. Not only can it withstand a full-force attack from a Nascent Soul stage expert, but it can also record the surrounding situation of the wearer and transmit it back to the owner. In other words, with such a magical artifact, almost no one can harm Kan Yuanyi. Even if they succeed, they would have to consider whether they can bear the crazy revenge that Kan Yuansi, who has the cultivation of a Body Integration stage, will take in the future.
"You..." Kan Yuanyi had barely opened his mouth when he completely lost consciousness.
Black energy surged, and the man in black robes reappeared.
Zhu Xingyou gently stroked Kan Yuanyi's cheek with pity and whispered, "Don't let her die in too much pain."
The man in black chuckled, amused. "After all these years of pretending, you've really managed to portray yourself as a romantic?"
Black light flickered in his palm, and Kan Yuanyi's body gradually melted in the dense black light. Her skin, flesh, bones, and nascent soul energy all turned into a spiritual pill wrapped in flames. Her soul was also completely shattered, and she could not even enter the cycle of reincarnation.
Zhu Xingyou opened his mouth and swallowed the elixir. He let out a sigh of relief, and the spiritual light within his body surged. A few breaths later, he instantly reached the Nascent Soul stage.
Thunderclouds were gathering faintly in the dark sky, clearly indicating an impending tribulation, but they dissipated the next moment.
Zhu Xingyou looked up at the sky and thought, "Deceiving the heavens, what a brilliant tactic."
"He discovered your identity? If you failed to obtain the sword bone this time, you'll likely have few more opportunities in the future."
“We can’t kill him now, or Little Dragon will be heartbroken,” the man in black chuckled. “Don’t worry, he’ll come to me soon.”
He glanced at the sky out of the corner of his eye and saw a white light rushing towards him in the distance. "I should go now, Peak Master Zhu. Don't forget what you promised us."
Xu Xing finally arrived at Fuping Hill. The night wind swept across her cheeks with a chill, and suddenly, she shivered as if she smelled a rotten odor.
Without uttering a word, her golden eyes darted around, and just as her hair was being blown about by the wind, she suddenly threw a chilling sword intent left to her by her master into the darkness.
The next moment, a spray of blood erupted from the empty air. Xu Xing heard a muffled groan, followed by a laugh that faded into the distance. "What a volatile little dragon..."
Her intuition was right; there really was something there!
Xu Xing frowned. Little Dragon?
"Senior Jinlong, what were we just passing through?"
“A high-ranking demon.” At this moment, Jinlong could no longer care about being angry and said in a deep voice, “Strange, he also has the aura of the Abyss.”
Xu Xing immediately thought of the man he had seen on the Transmission Pearl. The man was able to enter and exit the Abyss of Corruption and appeared in the Eastern Pole. Could he be the mastermind behind leaving the Abyss of Corruption on his senior brother?
After joining forces with Shen Du to eliminate the remaining fifth-tier demonic beasts, Wen Lu lost interest in disposing of their corpses.
"I always felt that something was off about Zhu Xingyou."
Wen Lu frowned. Although Kan Yuanyi had left seriously injured, she still felt uneasy. She absolutely did not believe that Zhu Xingyou had no ill intentions towards her and her daughter, but he had indeed not made a move just now.
To lower Kan Yuanyi's guard, Shen Du made sure that all his injuries were real. He first confirmed that his main body was not injured in Jin Chu of the Jade Cloud Sect before he sat down to meditate and regulate his breathing.
The next moment, Lingji sent another message from Jin and Chu: "Kan Yuanyi is dead. You must leave Fupingqiu immediately."
"What? Kan Yuanyi escaped, how could he be dead?"
Wen Lu was shocked. She suddenly realized something and murmured in disbelief, "Zhu Xingyou is also a Heavenly Spirit Body. He did this for..."
She finally understood.
Before Shen Du could find out the details, he learned that Kan Yuanyi was dead and that Kan Yuansi would definitely come over. They were no match for him.
The two immediately took to the air on their swords, only to run into Xu Xing in mid-air.
Xu Xing didn't ask anything, and quickly said, "Come with me!"
Immediately, she took out a teleportation artifact, and the three of them were instantly teleported back to Xuanjian Peak.
When Kan Yuansi rushed over in a rage to find his sister's body, he found nothing. He couldn't even find half a fragment of her soul. Kan Yuanyi had completely vanished from the world.
...
The atmosphere at Xuanjian Peak was heavy. After Wen Lu left, Xu Xing silently treated Chen Du's injuries. Her pills were useless against injuries caused to Nascent Soul stage cultivators. Fortunately, there were pills left by Senior Wei Sheng.
Chen Du felt uneasy and whispered, "I'm sorry, I..."
“Senior brother, there’s no need to apologize,” Xu Xing rested his head on his shoulder, his voice muffled. “Back then, when you won first place, wasn’t it just to attract the attention of Extreme Fire Peak?”
"Senior Jin said that Kan Yuansi was injured and only a pure spiritual body can slow down the injury. Wen Yao has a heavenly spiritual body, and my sword bone is also considered pure. Since Extreme Fire Peak has been watching us for a long time, instead of waiting to be killed, we might as well take the initiative to lure them into making a move."
Shen Du explained softly, but did not mention that Xu Xing might have originally been their target as well.
"Chen Du, get out here!"
Suddenly, a loud shout came from outside. Kan Yuansi slammed his palm on the barrier of Xuanjian Peak, but how could the barrier personally set up by Fu Shuang be so easily broken? Moreover, he was injured and his strength had dropped significantly.
Several attacks failed to break the barrier, and Kan Yuansi was furious. In an instant, a group of Punishment Hall cultivators surrounded Xuanjian Peak. "If you're so capable, then hide on Xuanjian Peak for the rest of your life! You dared to kill Yuan Yi, I'll make you pay with your life!"
"Oh, Hall Master Kan, why are you so angry? What, could a mere Nascent Soul junior possibly injure the Peak Master of Extreme Fire Peak?"
Jin Chu's lazy voice rang out, "Without evidence, even the Punishment Hall can't disregard the rules and act recklessly, can it?"
But in his rage, Kan Yuansi no longer cared about the sect rules. He was a man of unscrupulous means. Although he knew that Shen Du's cultivation level was not enough to kill Kan Yuanyi, Kan Yuanyi had come down the mountain today to attack Shen Du. How could her death be unrelated to Shen Du?
While inside Xuanjian Peak, Xu Xing remembered something and immediately sent a message to Wang Lianhua and the others, instructing them to close their shops and not open them for the time being. Still somewhat uneasy about the reputation of Kan Yuansi and his sister, she also sent messages to Zhu Fangyun and Gu Hongguang, asking for their help.
She was right. A group of Punishment Hall cultivators did indeed storm into Flowing Gold Street. They drove away all the customers and tried to arrest all the managers in the shops. Fortunately, Zhu Fangyun arrived in time and saved everyone.
Even if the Punishment Hall were to act arrogantly, it wouldn't dare to anger an eighth-level alchemy master.
Xu Xing immediately used his spiritual ability to post on the forum. In an instant, several posts were pinned to the top, and everyone with spiritual abilities could see them.
"The head of the Punishment Hall abuses his power to attack a junior? Where is justice?"
"Who exactly is the murderer of the peak master of Extreme Fire Peak?"
"Is it to uphold the rules or to vent personal grudges? Expose the true face of the Punishment Hall!"
"Those who commit many unrighteous acts will surely perish; the cycle of karma is inevitable!"
Countless disciples saw the post and began to discuss it. The peak master of Extreme Fire Peak had died under mysterious circumstances. This was a big deal!
But what does this have to do with Shen Du? No matter how powerful he is, could he really kill a Nascent Soul cultivator? It must be a case of misplaced anger, right?
Moreover, why would Kan Yuanyi follow Shen Du down the mountain after he accepted the mission?
The news shouldn't have spread so quickly, but now many cultivators, both inside and outside the sect, have become quick-witted. One person tells ten, ten tell a hundred, and soon everyone in the Jade Cloud Sect knows that the Hall Master of the Punishment Hall is angry with Shen Du because of his sister's death and has sent people to surround Xuanjian Peak.
Such a commotion also alarmed Sect Master Linghua Immortal Venerable and Elder Ning Wenbin, among others.
"Kan Yuanyi is dead?" The voice of Immortal Venerable Linghua was ethereal, revealing neither joy nor anger. "And he died at the hands of a Nascent Soul cultivator? Has Kan Yuanyi gone mad?"
Ning Wenbin immediately explained, "Sect Master, he was so protective of his sister that he lost his temper. I'll go and persuade him to calm things down."
“The reputation of the Punishment Hall has been rather poor lately,” Linghua Immortal Venerable glanced at him indifferently. “Tell him that if he doesn’t want to be the hall master, there are plenty of people who do.”
"Yes." Ning Wenbin nodded, then tentatively asked, "But Kan Yuanyi was, after all, the leader of a peak. To die like this, without any explanation, isn't that......"
"What does it matter to Yu Xiao if he dies outside?" Ling Hua glanced at him dismissively. "What if he really was killed by a Nascent Soul junior..."
His voice deepened slightly, "The Jade Cloud Sect cannot afford to lose face like this."
"Understood, sir." Ning Wenbin felt a chill in his heart, but forced himself to remain calm and nodded as he withdrew.
As he left, he glanced back at the main peak that stood tall amidst the clouds, his gaze complex. To the sect leader, even an inner sect peak master was nothing special.
Just like Jin Chu back then, he was replaced instantly simply because he offended the sect leader over one matter.
Kan Yuansi thought he had won the fight, but in reality, it was all up to the sect leader. He could please the sect leader, so he became the new hall master.
Now, the sect leader is unhappy.
"What's going on? Have you no shame?"
Upon arriving outside Xuanjian Peak, Ning Wenbin, with a grim face, stopped the still-mad Kan Yuansi and whispered, "If you still want your position as hall master, then hurry back."
Upon hearing this, Kan Yuansi's bloodshot eyes instantly regained some clarity. His sister's cause of death was important, but he could not lose the position of hall master that he had worked so hard to obtain!
He gritted his teeth, stared at Xuanjian Peak, and finally waved his hand emphatically, "Let's go back first!"
He said coldly, "Once I find the evidence, I will grind this person to dust!"
Ning Wenbin glared at him. "You know there's no evidence right now? Why aren't you leaving?"
Peace finally returned outside. Xu Xing breathed a sigh of relief, then asked worriedly, "Senior Wen said that Kan Yuanyi was very likely killed by Zhu Xingyou? Wasn't he only at the Nascent Soul stage? How could that be?"
"Zhu Xingyou is also a Heavenly Spirit Body. This kind of physique is not only extremely suitable as nourishment, but can also devour the spiritual power of others."
Xu Xing was startled, feeling a chill run down his spine. "Has Kan Yuanyi been devoured by him?"
He and Kan Yuanyi had been husband and wife for decades, yet...
Both were preoccupied with their own thoughts, yet they both refrained from mentioning the existence of the man in black.
Afterwards, no one knew how Zhu Xingyou managed things, but with Kan Yuansi's support, he became the new peak master of Jihuo Peak. On the surface, he was still a Nascent Soul cultivator, but this incident made Wen Lu confirm his suspicions once again.
While the Punishment Hall seemed to have calmed down, their people were everywhere on Liujin Street, and Xu Xing's shop would not be able to open for a while.
Upon learning that the shop had been destroyed by the Punishment Hall, Chen Du said in a deep voice, "I'm sorry, I've dragged you into this."
His and Wen Lu's original plan was to verify why Kan Yuanyi was targeting them, but unexpectedly a strange man in black robes suddenly appeared.
That man in black robes had probably been in cahoots with Zhu Xingyou for a long time. Whether they succeeded in obtaining Shen Du's sword bone that night or spared Kan Yuanyi's life, it was a win-win situation for them.
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
Xu Xing looked relaxed. "Why do we need to say these things between us? It's the sect's rules, and there's nothing they can do. We can just open it again another time."
Moreover, even without today's events, their grudges with Extreme Fire Peak would not have been resolved.
When things are out in the open, they are actually easier to resolve.
Although Xu Xing had some reservations about the Jade Cloud Sect's handling of the matter because of the Demon Blood incident, she felt that there was still justice within the sect. They hadn't done anything wrong, so naturally nothing would happen to them.
Currently, the Punishment Hall is targeting them to vent their anger, forcing the shop to temporarily close. However, many cultivators are still using spiritual means to contact Wang Lianhua and others to purchase pills and magical artifacts, so her business has hardly been affected.
But unexpected events always come one after another, as if the heavens couldn't bear to see them so carefree and personally pushed her toward her predetermined fate.
Xu Xing never expected that, not long after, she would see through the true nature of the Jade Cloud Sect.
Although the sect had previously protected them in the face of Kan Yuansi's anger, they were also able to expel her from Yuxiao without any mercy after discovering her identity as a demon.
That day, Xuanjian Peak, which had been quiet for a short time, was besieged again, and those surrounding them included not only members of the Punishment Hall, but also many high-level inner sect cultivators.
Elder Ning Wenbin, usually mild-mannered, had a cold face and icy gaze. "Xu Xing, you have been concealing your identity as a snake clan member and infiltrating the Jade Cloud Sect for many years. What exactly are you plotting?"
If the new Snake King hadn't personally come to demand the person, the Jade Cloud Sect might never have known about this.
Kan Yuansi, who was accompanying them, said in a cold tone, "Even the bone-examination stone couldn't reveal your identity. It turns out you had ulterior motives the day you joined the sect."
If they were demons, then the death of my sister at their hands would be explained; there must have been some underhanded trickery involved!
Unexpectedly, his identity was suddenly exposed, but Xu Xing remained calm. "I have been a disciple for many years and have never had any disloyal intentions. Please see the truth, Elder."
Ning Wenbin didn't want to say anything more to her. He raised his finger and pointed to the barrier outside Xuanjian Peak. They couldn't break through the barrier, but they could open it from the inside.
Xu Xing hesitated for a moment, but then Kan Yuansi waved his hand, and several high-level cultivators pushed Wang Lianhua, Tong Yuanbai and others forward.
"The longer the barrier is delayed, the more injuries they will suffer."
"..."
At the same time, Zhu Fangyun, having received the news, immediately rushed to the main peak.
"Sect Master, I don't understand what you mean. You knew Fu Shuang's identity all along, yet you still agreed to let her become the master of the inner sect's Spirit Peak. Why are you handing Xu Xing over now?"
Linghua Immortal Venerable remained as ethereal and otherworldly as ever. "Since she is the princess of the Serpent Clan, how can Yuxiao keep her alive?"
The incident happened suddenly. Before today, no one could have imagined that the former Snake King and the former Demon King, the great demon Yu Jingzi, was not dead. Not only did he regain the Snake King's throne, but he also came to Yu Xiao to retrieve the Snake Clan's princess.
When Yu Xiao received the news, he had already led a group of demons to the outside of the mountain gate.
"But the missing Snake King Shengqing has been accused of usurping the throne and treason by Yujingzi. Xu Xing is her child. How can she live peacefully as a princess after returning to the Snake Clan?"
I'm afraid it's just a pawn used to threaten Sheng Qing.
Zhu Fangyun's voice was earnest, "Sect Master, Xu Xing's potential is extraordinary. She is skilled in both alchemy and weapon crafting. In the past ten thousand years, there has never been such a genius in the Spirit Martial Continent! The Poison-Clearing Pill and the Spiritual Energy are enough to prove her infinite potential in the future. Protect her this time, and she will surely help Yuxiao become the number one sect in the East in the future."
Linghua said calmly, "You mean, my Jade Cloud Sect needs a snake demon to prop it up?"
"..."
Soon, Jin Chu also arrived at the main hall. Seeing Zhu Fangyun's expression, he knew that the Jade Cloud Sect would never protect Xu Xing.
Jin Chu immediately realized that something must have happened to Fu Shuang, otherwise the sect leader would not have this attitude.
Regardless of their demon race or social status, the benefits Xu Xing has brought to Yu Xiao over the years far outweigh anything she might have gained from being a demon. The only reason someone would willingly hand over such a promising disciple is that there are now far greater benefits to be gained…
When he was taken to the mountain gate and saw the unfamiliar man in front of the group of demons, Xu Xing had no idea what had happened.
Are all those handsome men and beautiful women demons? Even if they wanted to take her back, would they need to make such a big fuss?
Not finding familiar figures like Yunlan and Yunxi inside, Xu Xing's heart pounded, and he couldn't help but tighten his grip on Chen Du's hand.
Shen Du always protected her. What concerned him most was not the sudden visit of the snake clan, but Yu Xiao's attitude.
The Jade Cloud Sect has never concealed its distrust of the demon race, believing that those who are not of our race must have different intentions.
But the master's identity was definitely not a secret to the core elders of Yu Xiao. Now that the master had disappeared without a trace and Yu Xiao's attitude had suddenly changed drastically, could it be...?
Wearing a cloak, Yu Jingzi looked like a noble and precious person. He looked Xu Xing up and down, raised an eyebrow and said, "You are Xu Xing? Hmm, I like your eyes."
Xu Xing cautiously looked at the handsome man who was supposedly the new Snake King—no, actually the Snake King two years ago—and after thinking for a moment, he finally spoke, "Thank you for the compliment."
Judging from the attitude of the Jade Cloud Sect elders, she has no choice but to return to the Snake Clan this time.
Yu Jingzi smiled, seemingly in a very good mood. "According to the seniority system valued by humans, you can call me Grandpa."
Xu Xing: "..."
Not only do they want to kidnap people, but they also want to take advantage of them?
absurd!
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Author's Note: Thank you to XiXiZuiKeAi, ChangChun, TianTianShuiDongZiZiXing, YanYan, XingFuMiao, 57786656, Yuan, and PianZhi╮ for the nutrient solution! Thank you, my little cuties! [Please!]
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