At these words, everyone’s face turned deadly serious.
Carrying a demon seed was a grave taboo, condemned by the entire world — every man had the right to slay such a person on sight!
Ying Shaoxuan’s expression changed as well.
He seized one of Zhou Tong’s arms and swept his divine light across it — sure enough, a wisp of demonic energy seeped from Zhou Tong’s palm.
That kind of energy could only come from a Heavenly Demon.
Heavenly Demons were the natural enemies of humanity, delighting in torturing and devouring humans — the common foe of all the human race.
At the sight, the looks people cast at Zhou Tong changed entirely, brimming with contempt and scorn — some even wished they could tear him limb from limb.
“So he’s a demon whelp after all.
And here I was feeling sorry for him a moment ago — what a waste of good will!”
“Don’t insult dogs, will you?
A man fallen to the demonic path is worse than a beast — he should be cut down on the spot!”
“Heh heh…
no wonder he could grow so strong — he’d long since become a demon.
Maybe deep down he was always trash!”
Ying Shaoxuan’s expression turned razor-sharp, his gaze like a blade fixed on Zhou Tong: “Is what Mo Liusu said true?”
“It is not.”
Without the slightest hesitation, Zhou Tong replied directly.
“Even now you dare talk nonsense — you simply refuse to shed tears until you see the coffin.
With witnesses and evidence all before us, your quibbling won’t save you!”
Mo Liusu needled Zhou Tong mercilessly, sparing no effort to drive him into a corner.
“Exactly right.
For one fallen to the demonic path, there’s nothing more to say — only one word: kill!”
“Kill him!”
“Kill him!”
“We can’t let this demon whelp live — who knows how many more people he’ll harm!”
In an instant, the clamor surged like a tidal wave, condemning Zhou Tong from every side.
Falling to the demonic path crossed everyone’s line — any who embraced it must be eliminated!
“Hold on — there is no longer any demon seed in his body!” After a moment, Ying Shaoxuan said in a deep voice, silencing the uproar.
“How is that possible?”
Many were stunned.
The hard criterion of falling to the demonic path was the presence of a demon seed within — and now there was none.
Who could still call Zhou Tong a demon?
“Be that as it may, his connection to the demon race is an indisputable fact.
Wipe out evil completely; rather kill a hundred innocents than let one enemy slip — that was humanity’s stance toward the demon race.
Ying Shaoxuan frowned as well and said to Zhou Tong: “By the code of the Grand Enforcer, in a case like yours, unless some sect is willing to vouch for you, even if we don’t kill you, we must seal your cultivation so you can never practice again.
Can you find a sect willing to vouch for you now?”
At that, everyone turned to look at Mo Liusu in the projection.
“Don’t look at me.
The Yuqing Sect is a righteous orthodox sect — how could we ever vouch for a demon whelp?
Do with him as you please!”
Mo Liusu said without a trace of emotion, while Tang Qi’s eyes brimmed with mockery.
So what if Zhou Tong had achieved enlightenment?
In the end, he couldn’t escape his fate of downfall.
Only he, Tang Qi, was the true protagonist chosen by destiny!
“If that’s the case, then there’s no helping it.”
Ying Shaoxuan’s expression turned cold and severe: “By the rules, I must seal your cultivation so that you can never cultivate again.”
He stepped toward Zhou Tong and slowly raised his hand, about to cast the spell.
“Hold on — we are willing to vouch for him!”
Just then, a lovely voice rang out — like a clear spring rippling, like a gentle breeze against the face, refreshing the spirit.
The crowd parted, and a young woman in red made a striking entrance, becoming the center of attention the moment she appeared.
“It’s her!”
At the sight of her, everyone’s pupils contracted — she was clearly a formidable figure.
The young woman was like a lotus rising from clear water.
Her bare, flawless feet trod the ground without a speck of dust, and with each step lotus blossoms seemed to bloom beneath her, her figure swaying with enchanting grace.
Her beauty was intoxicating — already bearing the seed of a peerless beauty of the ages, radiating heart-stirring charm in every gesture.
“You Cangyue of the Hehuan Sect!”
Someone revealed the young woman’s origin, and many knew her well.
At the last Hundred Sects Tournament, she had dominated all comers and taken second place — behind only Zhou Tong.
As for the Hehuan Sect, the very name suggested it was anything but a proper, orthodox sect.
Yet decades ago, the Hehuan Sect had ranked among the top sects in the entire realm.
But after some upheaval, it had declined with alarming speed — taking in only female disciples — and now it lay in ruins, on the verge of vanishing altogether.
From any angle, the Hehuan Sect had no reason whatsoever to vouch for Zhou Tong.
It was an unexpected variable that saved Zhou Tong — and made Mo Liusu’s face grow even colder.
Her plan to force Zhou Tong into submission had failed once again!
“A demoness of the heretical path — since when does a depraved, disorderly sect have the right to vouch for anyone?” she sneered, seeking to deny the Hehuan Sect’s qualification.
“You don’t accept it?”
You Cangyue turned her gaze to Mo Liusu: “Shall I have my master come and meet you in person?”
At that, more than a few people drew sharp breaths.
Over a decade ago, she had single-handedly stirred the whole world into turmoil, destroying over a dozen powers, and no one had been able to stop her.
It was said that after that war she too had burned out her vital essence and had little time left — but until the day she died, no one dared provoke her.
“Very well.
Since the Hehuan Sect is willing to vouch for Zhou Tong, by the rules we won’t make trouble for him.
But if anything happens in the future, you bear full responsibility.”
Ying Shaoxuan tossed out those words and departed, and the experts of the other sects, now losing interest, filed out without so much as a glance at Zhou Tong.
And so only Zhou Tong and You Cangyue remained.
The two faced each other, and a complex emotion flickered in Zhou Tong’s eyes.
If there was anyone in his past life toward whom he felt guilt, it could only be the little enchantress standing before him.
“Little enchantress…” Zhou Tong murmured softly — but to his surprise, the girl let out a cold laugh, and in the next instant a longsword flashed from its sheath, its tip pressed against his throat.
“Who would have thought the day would come for a heartless man like you?
Do you remember what you did to me at the Hundred Sects Assembly?
You have no right to call me that!”
At that, everyone was stunned — by the look of it, the two had known each other long before, and their relationship ran deep.
Watching this, Mo Liusu’s expression shifted several times again: “He’s even entangled with an enchantress — what a disgrace!
It seems my choice was right.
Filthy creatures like you are unworthy to be my disciple!”
Zhou Tong ignored her entirely, his gaze fixed steadily on the girl before him: “Why did you come to save me?”
“You really do think highly of yourself.
Is it possible I saved you just so I could kill you with my own hands?”
The girl sneered, pressing the sword a fraction closer — which thrilled Tang Qi to no end.
“Kill him!
Kill him now!” Tang Qi clenched his fists, screaming in his heart.
“Say whatever last words you have, or you’ll lose the chance.”
The young woman pressed again, looking like she meant it.
But Zhou Tong showed neither sorrow nor fear; his gaze was calm, and he looked at her with a smile as gentle as the wind.
“I’m sorry.
I know I was wrong!”
Just a few short words — yet they struck like a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, carrying devastating force.
Even the little enchantress was stunned.
The coldness on her face shattered to pieces, and the longsword slipped from her hand and clattered to the ground.
At the same time, in the Great Judgment Hall of the Yuqing Sect, an utterly frigid aura erupted from Mo Liusu.
She, too, had been completely shattered by those words!
That rebellious disciple would rather die than bow to her — yet he had yielded to the enchantress so easily!