Sang Hua’s actions truly shocked all the immortal leaders present. In recent times, demonic evils had grown increasingly arrogant, and malicious spirits appeared with mounting frequency. Sang Hua stood as the highest in cultivation among all immortals and served as the core pillar of reliance for the immortal world. At this critical juncture, if Sang Hua were to leave the sect, the entire immortal realm would plummet into an even more passive and vulnerable predicament.
“Sang Hua, are you going to abandon your sect for the sake of an undead spirit destined to bring calamity to the world? Duan Junyi has already fallen into demonic ways; he deserves death. Why must you drag yourself down into this, Junior Brother? If you want a disciple, we can readily train one for you with fine aptitude. Why must you obsess so stubbornly over an undead spirit, over a demonic lord?!” Xi Heng couldn’t believe Sang Hua would actually pull such a stunt.
Yet Sang Hua remained unshakeably resolute: “Sect Leader, Senior Brother, A-Yi is an undead spirit, a survivor returned from death, but he is never the source of the world’s calamity. The goodness and wickedness of human hearts cannot be dictated by a single word. Since you have all judged him guilty, further words are useless please inflict the thunder punishment, Senior Brother!”
With Sang Hua’s mind made up and his stance unwavering, Xi Heng reluctant and unwilling though he was had no choice but to send Sang Hua to the Thunder Marsh Execution Platform.
Xi Heng was merely executing Sang Hua in accordance with sect rules, stripping him of his position as Disciplinary Elder without expelling him from Fuweimen; Sang Hua remained the master of Yujin Peak.
When Sang Hua stepped onto the execution platform, the disciplinary elder, Chang Lin, still couldn’t bear to initiate the lightning strikes. Standing at the edge of the platform, he whispered words of persuasion to Sang Hua: “Junior Brother, you should go apologize to Sect Leader Senior Brother. Once eighty-one thunder punishments strike, even if you survive you’ll lose a layer of skin. It’s not worth it for that little beast.”
Did everyone think it wasn’t worth it? Did everyone find themselves unable to tolerate him?
“A-Yi is my disciple. Senior Brother insulting him like this is no different from insulting me.” Standing upon the execution platform, Sang Hua closed his eyes and instructed Chang Lin, “Senior Brother, summon the lightning!”
Seeing that Sang Hua could not be dissuaded, Chang Lin turned around and shook his head at Xi Heng in resignation.
The first peal of thunder rang out behind them. Xi Heng and Chang Lin simultaneously averted their gazes, unable to bear looking at the impending scene upon the platform.
Within the Thunder Marsh, thunder rumbled continuously, one peal after another. As forty heavenly lightning bolts struck back-to-back, Sang Hua could barely manage to stand upon the platform, yet he bit down hard on his teeth, refusing to let a single sound escape his lips.
Many disciples lingering on the outskirts of the Thunder Marsh could no longer bear to watch, stepping forward one after another to plead for mercy on Sang Hua’s behalf.
Neither Xi Heng nor Chang Lin wished to execute the thunder punishment, but once initiated, the eighty-one heavenly lightning bolts could not be halted until every single one had struck.
Listening to the continuous thunderclaps echoing from the execution platform, they too felt a pang of intolerable anguish, not even daring to cast a glance toward the platform.
Aside from the mountain-guarding disciples, all other disciples of Fuweimen, along with the leaders of the major immortal sects, were currently gathered at the Thunder Marsh. It was precisely the moment when Fuweimen’s defenses were at their strictest—yet right at this very hour, the forces from the Dome actually launched an assault on Fuweimen.
Before the messenger reporting the mountain guards’ alert could reach the Thunder Marsh, a sword aura surged straight toward it.
Fierce and overbearing, the sword aura hurtled directly toward the execution platform, intercepting an impending bolt of heavenly lightning. The collision of the sword aura and the heavenly lightning generated two opposing forces that forcefully blasted the execution platform into complete pulverization.
The formation array on the execution platform was shattered, accidentally halting all remaining heavenly lightning strikes as well.
Before the immortal leaders could recover their wits, a black-robed figure wielding a longsword materialized within the Thunder Marsh.
The clash between sword aura and heavenly lightning had not only erased the array on the execution platform but also blasted the platform itself to smithereens. Miraculously, Sang Hua who was right upon the platform did not suffer a shred of harm.
That sword aura had been aimed straight at the execution platform, yet not only did it leave him unhurt, it had actively protected him.
As the dust and smoke cleared before his eyes, Sang Hua recognized the person standing before him. Enduring the agonizing pain wracking his body, he reached out a hand, desperately trying to clutch the edge of the other person’s robe: “A-Yi…”
Realizing that the newcomer was none other than the great demonic lord of the Dome, the immortal cultivators swarmed into the Thunder Marsh to encircle Duan Junyi.
Thinking of how his junior brother had landed in this miserable state precisely because of this great demonic lord, Xi Heng burned with rage: “Duan Junyi, you still have the face to return? Have you come here to court death?”
“Return? Court death? Heh, you people think far too highly of yourselves.” Duan Junyi let out a cold laugh, not even sparing a glance of peripheral vision toward the immortal cultivators surrounding him. However, because Sang Hua who had just suffered the punishment and sustained severe injuries was positioned too close to Duan Junyi, lacking even a fraction of self-protection right now, they dared not act rashly out of fear that Duan Junyi might bring harm to Sang Hua.
Following closely behind Duan Junyi, the demonic army of the Dome swept in, swiftly subduing all the mountain-guarding disciples. Yet once they reached the Thunder Marsh, they ceased further attacks, leaving both sides locked in a tense standoff.
Having just undergone the thunder punishment, the agonizing pain coursing through every meridian and bone of his body left Sang Hua unable to stand despite trying several times; even gripping the edge of Duan Junyi’s robe had exhausted his remaining strength.
Crouching down smoothly, Duan Junyi looked down patronizingly upon the blood-soaked Sang Hua, holding his sword upright by Sang Hua’s side. He lifted Sang Hua’s chin, forcing him to raise his head and lock gazes with him.
“You could still exchange a few moves with this seat last night, yet today you’ve become this wretched. Many thanks to the Yujin Immortal Venerable for putting on such a fine show for this seat; this seat has likewise brought a grand gift for everyone in the immortal sects.”
The instant Duan Junyi touched Sang Hua, Chang Lin panicked instantly: “Little beast, don’t touch him! Fuweimen may have treated you unjustly in the past, but your master has never wronged you nor treated you coldly—don’t you dare harm him.”
Watching Chang Lin grip his longsword with nervous tension, wearing a vigilant expression that screamed he would rush forward to risk his life the second Duan Junyi dared make a move to harm Sang Hua, Duan Junyi chuckled with disdain: “Look, Elder Chang Lin is so nervous for the Immortal Venerable. However, I wonder if a real fight were to break out, how many moves Elder Chang Lin could survive under this seat’s hands?”
Sang Hua knew full well that Duan Junyi possessed terrifyingly formidable cultivation talent. During their combat yesterday, Sang Hua could sense that Duan Junyi’s cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds once again; even in a direct, genuine duel between the two of them, the outcome remained difficult to predict.
Yet if Duan Junyi intended to strike at Chang Lin Sang Hua’s gaze instantly turned glacial.
Before Sang Hua could utter a sound, Duan Junyi read his thoughts from his eyes alone. Fingertips wiping away the trail of blood from the corner of Sang Hua’s lips, Duan Junyi smiled: “Immortal Venerable, rest assured—this seat has no wish to move against people of Fuweimen today. As I said, I came to deliver a gift.”
With a wave of Duan Junyi’s hand, his subordinates immediately shoved forward two youths clad in red-and-white garments embroidered with profound flame patterns. The palace master of the Southern Separation Wing-Fire Palace instantly recognized them as disciples of his own sect, shouting in furious reprimand: “Little beast, how dare you capture disciples of my sect and storm the immortal sect in broad daylight today—what are you trying to do?!”
Duan Junyi sneered coldly, his eyes brimming with unadulterated wickedness and unsuppressed fury. Studying him for a long while, Sang Hua still failed to guess what on earth Duan Junyi was aiming to achieve.
“What am I trying to do? You all treated me to a fine show, so naturally I must observe the rules of reciprocity and return the courtesy with a return gift.”
The two youths of the Southern Separation Wing-Fire Palace had their mouths stuffed with cloth strips and their hands and feet tightly bound, rendering them unable to speak or move, leaving them capable only of shaking their heads at their palace master with eyes expressive of absolute terror.
This reaction greatly satisfied Duan Junyi. Glancing down at the worried Sang Hua, he leaned close to Sang Hua’s ear and teased playfully: “They spoke words this seat dislikes hearing, so I want to pluck out their tongues. Is the Immortal Venerable looking forward to this fine show?”
Though Duan Junyi spoke right beside Sang Hua’s ear, he deliberately elevated his voice a fraction, ensuring every single person across the entire immortal sect heard him clearly.
Binding disciples of the Southern Separation Wing-Fire Palace and dragging them to Fuweimen to execute them publicly before the entire immortal world was nothing short of blatant provocation against the immortal sects.
The immortal sects could no longer restrain themselves; chaos erupted all around as battles broke out, filling the entire Thunder Marsh with the smoke of war.
Amidst the raging combat all around him, Duan Junyi remained utterly unmoved, gazing playfully at the limp, strengthless Sang Hua: “Does the Immortal Venerable plan to just watch like this? Does the Immortal Venerable think that if I were to make a move, what odds of winning do these immortal sect leaders stand?”
The sounds of fighting echoed incessantly around them. Sang Hua could perceive that the demonic soldiers brought by Duan Junyi were all elite fighters possessing high levels of cultivation, yet in their clashes with the immortal sects, none of them dealt fatal blows they had no desire to kill.
If Duan Junyi genuinely wanted to provoke the immortal sects, he could have directly severed the limbs of the two Southern Separation Wing-Fire Palace disciples and tossed them forward; the shock factor would undoubtedly have far surpassed mere verbal threats.
Yet he merely spoke of it. The two disciples remained entirely unharmed in his hands, and even the mountain-guarding disciples of Fuweimen had merely been captured alive.
Precisely because of this, Sang Hua found himself increasingly unable to guess what Duan Junyi was plotting.
Releasing his grip on Duan Junyi’s robe, Sang Hua propped up his own body and struggled to stand, asking weakly: “You brought disciples of the Southern Separation Wing-Fire Palace, seemingly provoking the immortal sects, yet your men do not deal fatal blows… A-Yi, your target is me. What is it that you want to do?”
“The Yujin Immortal Venerable’s powers of observation are truly meticulous; this seat admires you.” Standing up as well, Duan Junyi met Sang Hua’s gaze directly, letting out a contemptuous, provocative jeer: “This seat was born an evil spirit. You dared to claim yourself my master, and furthermore represent the person most cared for by the soul this seat swallowed—naturally, this seat cannot tolerate the existence of any person or object in this world capable of restraining me.”
“Therefore, this seat has come to commit matricide / master-slaying!”
A longsword pressed against Sang Hua’s chest, yet it failed to pierce even the fabric of his robes.
Within the eyes of the demonic entity surged fierce obsession and murderous intent, wrapped in a bottomless, pitch-black chill.
Yet within Duan Junyi’s eyes, Sang Hua saw none of those things only a layer of mist he could not see through.
“Master-slaying?” Sang Hua smiled faintly, pointing toward his own heart as he said softly: “Good. I once taught you that when thrusting a sword, one must be swift, steady, and precise. Today, let your master see just how swift and steady you can be.”
“You…” The hand holding Duan Junyi’s sword trembled visibly.
Sang Hua: “You can’t bring yourself to do it? The great demonic lord of the present age has slaughtered countless souls, yet now his hands will shake?”
Just as he steadied his mind, Sang Hua had already lunged forward onto his blade’s edge.
At that moment, all the chaotic noises around them seemed to freeze entirely, leaving only the sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh and penetrating a body to echo into Duan Junyi’s ears.
Warm, still-steaming fresh blood splattered across his face. He heard Sang Hua’s weak yet tender voice whispering: “The world all says that you betrayed the sect, turned demonic, and became the number one demonic overlord under heaven.”
The next second, Sang Hua lifted his head, right before the eyes of all the immortal sect leaders, across this chaotic battlefield, pressing a kiss tasting of gunpowder smoke and fresh blood straight onto the lips of the disciple he had raised with his own hands.
The rich stench of blood spread across their palates. At that moment, Duan Junyi nearly forgot where he stood, hearing only Sang Hua’s cool, ethereal voice whispering intimately between their breaths faint as a gossamer thread, yet unshakeably resolute: