Kill them for me, leave not a single one alive!
In the Valley of Ten Thousand Obscurities, the wind and clouds shifted as immortal qi and demonic energy mixed and intersected in the sky, building up a thick, ash-grey layer of clouds.
Sect Master Yan Moxiao had personally brought a crowd of Sacred Domain experts to demand custody of the people from Demon Venerable Jun Yanye.
As the saying goes, a dragon swimming in shallow waters is teased by shrimp, and a tiger falling to the flat plains is bullied by dogs. Jun Yanye had suffered heavy damage from his lightning tribulation, causing his cultivation to drop drastically, and he had no demonic reinforcements by his side.
On the contrary, countless demons and evil spirits were coveting him, making the situation extremely disadvantageous for him; only because of this did Yan Moxiao dare to come to his doorstep.
While Yan Moxiao and his party waited at the Ghost Chi cave dwelling, someone was the first to detect that something was amiss. “Sect Master, demonic energy permeates this place. I am afraid it is not just that demon who is here.”
Immediately afterward, the demon generals led the vanguard, welcoming Jun Yanye out. Even the demon throngs under Ghost Chi’s command followed their deployment, pouring out in a continuous line to assemble into a formation.
Yan Moxiao’s heart stifled, and the expressions of the crowd behind him turned even more grim. The demonic reinforcements had actually arrived!
They had also sent scouts here today to gather information, yet they had absolutely no idea that the demon race had reinforcements here.
Shi Li stood side by side with Jun Yanye, looking at Yan Moxiao with a smile. “After a separation of a few days, my foster father has become quite haggard. It is evident you have spent a lot of worry.”
“You named Yan,” Du Yuanzhong spoke discourteously, his demonic halberd pointing at Yan Moxiao’s face. “You came to rob us while the house is on fire, right? Today, don’t even think about a single one of you leaving!”
A demon soldier held a sword to hold Gao Ruoxi hostage. Gao Ruoxi was bound with ropes and lowered his head, saying, “Master, it is this disciple’s incompetence. Master does not need to have misgivings on account of this disciple.”
Jun Yanye had never liked speaking much; he only looked carelessly at Yan Moxiao, not placing them in his eyes at all.
Yan Moxiao looked around at the situation at the mouth of the cave, compared the strength of both sides, withdrew the murderous intent from his eyes, and gave a lofty, aloof smile. “Demon Venerable, in truth, this person’s arrival today is merely to make a trade with the Demon Venerable so that each gets what he needs. There is truly no need to resort to large military weapons.”
“Ha ha ha!” Demon General Du Yuanzhong’s laughter shook the heavens. “What a joke! The Changming Sect actually has the capital to make a trade with the Demon Realm? Since you have come today, it is a case of me being the cleaver and you being the meat. Did you still expect to return with both your beard and tail intact?”
“The general’s words are incorrect. Does the general not know that the Demon Venerable has recently been on good terms with this person’s foster son, Shi Li? However, Shi Li’s spiritual root is damaged and he cannot cultivate, so his lifespan is already running short.” Yan Moxiao looked toward Jun Yanye, observing his expression. “This person can restore his spiritual root to its original state, as long as the Demon Venerable agrees to three conditions of mine.”
Jun Yanye raised his eyes to look at Yan Moxiao for the first time. “Speak.”
The Demon Venerable, who was usually ruthless but spoke little, did not directly strike but instead listened to Yan Moxiao finish speaking, which made the demon generals and soldiers very surprised.
“First, release this person’s disciple, Gao Ruoxi.”
“Second, Shi Li tells this person the method to cure Shi Chen.”
“Third, this person and the crowd from the Sacred Domain retreat with our whole bodies.”
Yan Moxiao looked into Jun Yanye’s eyes, not showing the slightest timidity. “The Demon Venerable’s magic power is high and strong, and making us all find our burial places here would not blow away a single speck of dust. However, the Demon Venerable must always consider things for Shi Li.”
“No.” Shi Li pushed through the crowd and stepped forward. “Foster father, your entire wager is nothing more than healing my spiritual root, but I do not need it.”
As soon as these words came out, even the demon generals and soldiers fell silent; they could not understand Shi Li’s way of thinking.
Even though Yan Moxiao deliberately maintained his smile, his face still grew cold inch by inch, his original stable and calm expression on the verge of collapsing.
The trade he had painstakingly calculated and plotted could be overturned by Shi Li with a single sentence.
Shi Li turned his face to smile at Jun Yanye again. “Your Supreme, whatever you want to do now is up to you.”
“Shi Li, do you mean to watch your Eldest Senior Brother go to his death?!” a Sacred Domain expert questioned.
“Shi Li, what exactly do you want?” Yan Moxiao truly could not restrain himself, finally asking the question out loud. “To restore your position as the Young Master, or to directly succeed as the Sect Master? As long as you speak it out.”
The whole field was dead silent, and all gazes focused on Shi Li.
Shi Li dressed in a suit of red clothes, his gaze slowly sweeping across every person’s face, looking at their expressions which were either shocked, fearful, or bewildered.
Especially Yan Moxiao; that expression of being unable to restrain himself yet working hard to restrain himself was truly very spectacular.
“Ha ha, ha ha ha…” Shi Li suddenly laughed very happily, laughing until he was a bit short of breath, just like a child who had obtained satisfaction. He leaned against Jun Yanye’s shoulder so that he would not laugh until he fell over.
Jun Yanye looked at Shi Li’s miserable smile, feeling an indescribable taste in his heart.
“In order to welcome Shi Chen into the sect, my foster father ordered my death; in order to preserve Shi Chen’s life, my foster father wants to save me again.”
Shi Li laughed until tears came out, but he did not wipe them away, allowing the tears to remain on his cheeks. “How could I possibly satisfy your heart’s desire? I just want to see your expression of being unable to get what you seek! Even if I destroy myself, it is very much worth it.”
“Foster father, you can only watch Shi Chen die bit by bit while you are completely helpless, without any solution. Look, time is flowing past…” Shi Li stared infatuatedly at the clouds in the sky.
The dark clouds were dense layer upon layer, slowly drifting and changing in the sky above.
At this moment, no one except Shi Li had the mood to raise their heads to look at the clouds, but Shi Li looked very intoxicated.
“Shi Li.” Jun Yanye felt that Shi Li’s heart demon had become more serious. Even though he had just taken the medicine, seeing Yan Moxiao again still aroused his heart demon.
“Jun Yanye, kill them for me, leave not a single one alive!” Shi Li’s gaze was like a knife, looking toward Yan Moxiao’s position.
The crowd from the Sacred Domain behind Yan Moxiao was instantly startled, and one after another their sharp swords unsheathed. The weapons of the demon soldiers also responded immediately, and the battle was on the verge of breaking out.
Jun Yanye’s Xuanhuang sword emitted a blood-red bright light, and in an instant, the sacred swords in everyone’s hands shattered completely!
A determination to wage a life-and-death struggle emerged on Yan Moxiao’s face.
However, the crowd heard Jun Yanye say, “Sect Master Yan, what method do you have to save Shi Li?”
“Jun Yanye!” Shi Li felt as if he had been stabbed by someone; he spun around fiercely, his eyes red as he glared at that man.
Jun Yanye lightly caressed the back of Shi Li’s neck. Shi Li closed his eyes and fell limply into his embrace.
Yan Moxiao felt around in his breast pocket and produced a piece of blood chalcedony, holding it high. “Within this chalcedony remains the essence of his spiritual root. When his spiritual root had just grown out, this person stored some for him to prepare for an emergency. With this, his spiritual root can be reconnected.”
“Very well.” Jun Yanye nodded. “If it truly can make Shi Li’s spiritual root rise from the dead, everything is easy to discuss. If anything goes wrong with Shi Li, every single person in the Sacred Domain, even if it is a dog, This Deity will not let them off. Sect Master Yan, did you hear clearly?”
The crowd saw the ruthless murderous intent in Jun Yanye’s eyes, and their hearts grew cold.
“Dissolve this blood chalcedony with ungrounded water and give it to him to drink, then pair it with tonic medicines; he will fully recover within seven days.” Yan Moxiao handed the object to Jun Yanye.
“Shi Chen’s primordial spirit is trapped inside the Dream-Following Longing Jade Pendant. Currently, Ghost Chi has already returned this item to True Person Lanhua,” Jun Yanye said.
“Many thanks to the Demon Venerable.”
Jun Yanye glanced at Gao Ruoxi, who was held hostage; the demon soldier understandingly released his hand, and Gao Ruoxi immediately returned to Yan Moxiao’s side.
“Demon Venerable, we take our leave.” Yan Moxiao performed a salutation.
Jun Yanye carried Shi Li in his arms, turned around, and entered the mountain cave.