Walking deep into the forest of red maples, Hua Che didn't persist in searching for Lu Yao.

He summoned Hanxue and began to play the xiao flute.

The melody was poignant and sorrowful; as the old saying goes, "The heart-wrenching flute sends the soul to its death," and it was not an empty reputation.

After infusing it with true essence, the tragic sound of the flute became lethal. In an instant, the birds flying in the sky stopped and perched on the branches, the weather changed, and flowers and plants shed tears. As a demonic fog drifted from afar, Hua Che didn't stop playing but intensified the sound.

The demonic fog dispersed instantly, revealing Lu Yao within, his eyes blood-red and his fingers like eagle claws, reaching for Hua Che's neck. He couldn't even break through the protective true essence Hua Che had released.

Hua Che mercifully stopped playing and said lightly, "Your concentration isn't that great."

Lu Yao's eyes were filled with spider-like blood vessels. He held his head, which was about to explode, and said in a suppressed voice, "Do you really want to kill me completely?"

"I'm just sending you back to the Shangqing Immortal Sect. Elder Qianyang will judge your crimes," Hua Che said with a smile. "I won't abuse my authority."

"Hehehehe..." Lu Yao laughed coldly, his voice hoarse. "I once thought we could become confidants, friends who could talk about anything, but I didn't expect..."

"I didn't expect that the two of us were destined to be irreconcilable enemies, unable to coexist," Hua Che continued.

Whether in past live or this one, nothing had changed.

Hua Che had considered directly killing Lu Yao, but then he changed his mind.

"When we reach Mount Kunlun, you will kneel from the foot of the mountain and climb up. Don't forget to pay respects along the way, and properly commemorate the disciples killed by Lu Mingfeng, for your father's sake and your own. They were your senior brothers, after all."

Hua Che cast a binding spell on Lu Yao and sealed his golden core.

"I estimate that Elder Qianyang will activate the ancient Shangqing formation, so I'm saying my goodbyes here in advance. In your next life, or the one after that, forever and ever, never meet me again, and by all means, never get to know me."

With his mind disturbed by inner demons, Lu Yao shed tears of blood as he knelt on the ground, crying bitterly.

Was he crying out in despair because he knew he couldn't resist?

Or was he regretting it?

Regretting why he met Hua Che back then, regretting why Hua Che saved him.

If Hua Che hadn't saved him back then, if he hadn't known him from the start, would he have ended up like this?

Maybe if he had been sold to a theatrical troupe by the traffickers, his fate would have been better. Who knew?

*

Outside the Fen Qing Palace, the situation for the Immortal Dao was not looking optimistic.

Firstly, Mu Qinian was still unconscious and couldn’t be counted as a fighting force. Although Mu Rongsa's cultivation had improved, he was still young. Xie Wanting had a severe injury from fighting Yin Wuhui head-on two months ago, not losing to Mu Qinian in severity.

Chu Changfeng had been injured dealing with Lu Mingfeng and hadn't recovered since. Treating injured cultivators for five consecutive years had taken a great toll.

The leaders of the three major sects were all wounded, and their disciples suffered from countless injuries, both minor and severe, visible and hidden.

On the demonic side, only three of the ten helmsmen were left. Although the Left Guardian was dead, the Right Guardian remained. Shang Wangliang hadn't appeared, rumoured to be in the mortal world, possibly part of Yin Wuhui's schemes.

Chu Changfeng looked at Elder Qianyang and asked, "Elder, what are our chances of winning?"

Five years ago, they had Xie Wanting test the Water Jade Purple Mist, proving that its legendary power to reverse time and space was just a myth.

Elder Qianyang closed his eyes briefly and said, "Twenty percent."

Mei Cailian exclaimed, "So low?"

"That's a conservative estimate," Elder Qianyang said, pain in his eyes. "Our Shangqing Sect had eight thousand disciples. After five years of continuous war, three thousand have died, and two thousand are severely injured. Only these remnants are left, struggling for the future of the cultivation world. We must consider making peace with Fen Qing Palace."

"Peace!?" an old Taoist roared. "After all this fighting and the sacrifices of countless lives, making peace now would dishonour the fallen cultivators!"

Elder Qianyang responded, "What other choice do we have? Let Yin Wuhui slaughter the future of the Immortal Dao?"

Chu Changfeng added, "Even if you want peace, Yin Wuhui must agree. What if his condition is handing over Xie Wanting? What then?"

"This..." Elder Qianyang was at a loss.

Zhuang Tian said, "Yin Wuhui hates Xie Wanting deeply. Master Chu is right."

Elder Qianyang stiffened, "Of course, we can't hand him over. What does he take us for?"

Chu Changfeng, deeply worried, said, "Prepare for anything. If it comes to the worst..."

Suddenly, Tao Ranli, Xie Wanting's eldest disciple, who was playing the guqin in the distance, cried out, "Look, it's the young master!"

This cry of "young master" left everyone stunned before they realized whom he was calling.

In the distance, Hua Che was flying on his sword. Below him, the red maple leaves were engulfed in flames, forming a vast sea of fire!

Zhuang Tian, with his eyes poisonous, loudly reminded, "It's Yin Wuhui!"

In the sea of fire, Yin Wuhui, covered in blood and with dishevelled hair, let out inhuman screams, his voice hoarse and exhausted.

Xie Wanting, grabbing Jiuyou, retreated from the flames. Chu Binghuan arrived just in time to seal Xie Wanting's injured meridians, preventing the injury from spreading. He then shouted to Hua Che in the distance, "Soul fire!"

Hua Che nodded, fighting back with his spiritual power to extinguish the overwhelming soul fire.

At the same time, Hua Che cast a spell, filling the sky with countless fragments of light. As the spell dispersed, the light fragments fell back to the ground, transforming into numerous people.

They were the cultivators who had originally attacked the Fen Qing Palace!

Remarkably, not a single one was harmed by Yin Wuhui's soul fire!

"What was that move?" Chu Changfeng exclaimed in astonishment. "How did he save more than two thousand people in an instant?"

Mu Rongsa was equally shocked, his mouth agape. "How, how did he suddenly become so incredible?"

The soul fire ravaged the area, causing one sturdy tree after another to fall, turning the vast hall of Fen Qing Palace into a wasteland.

Chu Binghuan tightly gripped his Sword. As the austere sword aura swept through, the vegetation rejuvenated, tender green shoots sprouting from the charred ground. The gentle breeze cleansed the air of its bloody stench.

Like a rat exposed to daylight, Yin Wuhui scrambled to cover his face, desperately seeking darkness. "My Zijin, my son..."

He was severely injured, barely clinging to life.

Suddenly, Yin Wuhui laughed wildly, his blood-red eyes filled with a nearly twisted tenderness as he looked at Hua Che in the distance. "Join this Demon Lord in hell!"

Chu Changfeng's expression changed drastically. "No, he's going to self-destruct!"

Hua Che made a slight grasping motion with his right hand, and his sword, Gentle Breeze, flew back to him.

Everyone saw Hua Che's figure blur, a streak of crimson moving from in front of Yin Wuhui to behind him, as fast as lightning and as powerful as thunder.

Blood spurted out, and Yin Wuhui's throat was slit. His body convulsed and he fell to the ground.

Like an earthworm cut into pieces, Yin Wuhui was still not dead, making gurgling sounds from his throat that no one could understand.

Chu Changfeng, who had been ready for a desperate fight: "..."

Elder Qianyang, who had been considering a tactical retreat: "..."

Zhuang Tian, who had been preparing to hold his disciple and flee with him: "..."

Mei Cailian, utterly stunned: "..."

The Demon Lord, who had once claimed dominance over everything, just died like that?

A single sword to the throat, and it was over?

Hua Che glanced at the crowd with a calm, breezy look, his gaze as if to say: What else did you expect? Could it be any more complicated?

Everyone: "..."

The demonic cultivators who were still fighting were completely dumbfounded. Initially shocked, they quickly shifted to disbelief, and finally, they had no choice but to accept the reality.

The saying goes, "To catch a thief, first catch the leader." If even the mighty Demon Lord could be killed with a single stroke, what chance did they have to make any significant impact?

There were only three helmsmen left, barely enough to even be a snack for Hua Qingkong.

As for the Right Guardian, Shang Wangliang, who was still in the mortal world and hadn’t returned yet, would he be enough for Chu Binghuan to deal with?

They felt a wave of despair.

Amidst the chaos, a newbie who had just started cultivating the demonic path was utterly confused by the situation. Based on what he saw, he stated plainly, "In the demon realm, the strongest always rule. According to the rules of the Fen Qing Palace, whoever kills the Demon Lord becomes the next Demon Lord. So, Hua Qingkong is the new Lord now?"

His companion immediately punched the newbie's head in frustration!

Hua Che overheard this and almost burst out laughing. Turning to see who had spoken such divine words...

It was none other than that fool from the water prison!

 

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The author has something to say:

PS: The fool is the MVP of the scene! (NT: MVP: Most Valuable Player)

 

Translator: DarNan