The underground prison of the Jade Fragrance Pavilion was instantly filled with powerful demonic, fiendish, and corpse energy. The air congealed like mud and sand, as if a demonic purgatory had descended.
The Union Sect Incense Master, Hua Yinke; the Union Sect demoness, Madam Rui; the great demon of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain, the Blood Jiao Mountain Lord; one of the Three Hermits of Skeleton Cave, the Withered Bone Hermit; the Guardian of the Yin Corpse Valley, the Green Corpse Master.
These are figures you wouldn't normally encounter even one of, yet now they had all gathered at the Jade Fragrance Pavilion for some unknown reason.
It seemed the Jade Fragrance Pavilion wasn't a Union Sect stronghold but rather the headquarters of the demonic path.
The oppressive and violent demonic aura permeating the air made Yu Cangming's hair stand on end, and his heart felt like a thousand-pound boulder was crushing it, making it hard to breathe.
He was the Deputy Director of the Demon Suppression Department, having faced bloody storms his entire life, killed many great demon cultivators, and been ambushed by many mighty demon lords. But he had never encountered such a "grand" scene as before him.
Five entire Golden Core peak, nearly half-step Ascension demonic overlords, with surging murderous aura, none of them but were covered in blood and viciously cruel.
These great demon lords were all wanted by the Dao Court Department; killing any one of them would be a great merit.
Now they had all openly appeared in the most prosperous area of Houtu City in Kun Prefecture.
And he, to kill one Incense Master Hua Yinke, had to design in advance, lay out a careful plan, set up bait layer by layer, launch a sneak attack first to seize the initiative. Only if everything went smoothly would there be a twenty to thirty percent chance of beheading the evil-doing Hua Yinke and removing this scourge.
But in the blink of an eye, the situation changed abruptly. Four more demon lords of Hua Yinke's caliber had appeared out of nowhere, each with a different demonic lineage, including demon, ghost, and corpse, none weaker than Hua Yinke.
Yu Cangming found it absurd and also felt desolate:
This world has truly changed; the demonic beasts hiding in the shadows dare to appear so openly—
Man proposes, heaven disposes; perhaps this is fate—
Having suppressed and killed demons for years, how could he not fall into a demonic trap?
Yu Cangming turned to look at Gu Changhuai, saying with guilt, "Director Gu, I'm sorry for dragging you into this—"
Having fought life-and-death battles against demons for so long, he knew very well this was a dead end.
Surrounded by all these demons, even with his high cultivation and mastery of concealment, he had at most a ten to twenty percent chance of barely escaping with his life, after suffering severe injuries. Whether he would survive even then was uncertain.
But Director Gu, who was at Golden Core mid-stage, and his two Golden Core early-stage helpers, were definitely going to die.
This was the fate of those who slay demons and devils.
Gu Changhuai's gaze was cold, but his tone was calm: "Exterminating demons and defending the Dao, death is inevitable. Senior need not blame himself."
But thinking of someone, a trace of reluctance appeared in his eyes.
Gu An and Gu Quan also gripped their blades tighter, ready to die.
Yu Cangming looked at Gu Changhuai with both regret and remorse.
Mo Hua, far away, sighed.
Uncle Gu truly is a big pitiful fool. I wonder how much salary he gets from the Dao Court Department. With his desperate attitude, he'll eventually get himself killed.
Seeing this, Madam Rui also looked at Gu Changhuai and smiled, "Director Gu, you have such an upright nature. That truly impresses me."
The more demonic a seductress, the more she likes a righteous man with a strong will and pure spirit.
To capture him as a toy, toying with him wantonly, corrupting his Dao heart—that was the most amusing pleasure for Madam Rui.
Seeing Madam Rui looking at Gu Changhuai with coquettish charm, the tall Blood Jiao Mountain Lord of Ten Thousand Demon Mountain flashed a fierce look in his eyes, pointed at Gu Changhuai and said hoarsely, "This Director, I want to eat."
Madam Rui frowned slightly.
But the Withered Bone Hermit said, "This man is full of righteousness and must have a proud spirit. I want his bones to refine my magic treasure."
The Green Corpse Master also said, "No, keep him to refine into a corpse. The Director's corpse will be very useful for the next stage—"
Seeing these demon lords completely unceremonious, Hua Yinke sneered, "Everyone, don't forget this is my Union Sect's territory. Are you trying to steal people from my Union Sect?"
The Blood Jiao Mountain Lord looked at Madam Rui and snickered, "Madam Rui, aren't you also a member of the Union Sect? She invited us to share the spoils—"
Hua Yinke looked gloomily at Madam Rui, cursing in his heart this pimping slut for flirting and gathering a bunch of lovers as backers. Truly hateful to the extreme.
The Green Corpse Master said, "The demonic path is one family. Why distinguish between Union and not Union?"
Hua Yinke's expression was icy, but he was severely injured, and Madam Rui had so many supporters, so he could only accept his bad luck.
The Withered Bone Hermit was suspicious by nature, so he said, "Better to capture them early to avoid complications—"
The Green Corpse Master nodded, "Capture them first, then consider how to divide—that works."
Madam Rui said with a smile, "Everyone cultivates different demonic paths: Yang, blood, flesh, corpse, bone—we'll each take one part. There's no conflict."
The Blood Jiao Mountain Lord nodded, "Indeed."
The Green Corpse Master said, "One day, the world's demonic path will be unified, no longer separate—"
As they spoke, the several demon lords reached an agreement. Their gazes were either seductive or ferocious as they looked at Yu Cangming and Gu Changhuai, as if they were birds in a cage, fish on a chopping block, ready to be divided and eaten.
At the same time, waves of powerful demonic energy began to surge wildly.
The blood qi of a flood dragon, the flower pistil of lust, the white bones of a skeleton, and the green corpse poison—all kinds of strange phenomena filled the ground.
Cold murderous aura spread, and the atmosphere instantly became tense to the extreme.
Gu Changhuai and the others knew this would be a fight to the death and gritted their teeth.
But just as the demonic energy reached its peak, the atmosphere was suffocating, and the bloody battle was about to begin, a warm voice like clear jade rang out: "Enough, stop fighting."
This voice seemed gentle, but at this critical moment, it made everyone's heart skip a beat.
The originally murderous atmosphere also paused.
The demon lords traced the sound and saw in the corner two handsome young gentlemen who had been overlooked until now.
This sentence came from the gentleman wearing a bronze mask.
Seeing that this young gentleman was only at Golden Core early stage, everyone present showed very interesting expressions.
Some sneered, some scorned, some found it absurd, and some showed indifference and killing intent.
Even Yu Cangming and Gu Changhuai were stunned, both admiring and sighing that this lad truly had the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard, his courage surpassing the heavens.
Madam Rui initially smiled when she saw a handsome young man, her eyes rippling like autumn water. But as she looked, she saw a familiar shadow in his face, and her smile faded.
An incredible scene from years ago gradually surfaced in her mind, and Madam Rui's face grew pale: "You—you—"
At this point, Mo Hua slowly removed the mask from his face, revealing a delicate, picture-perfect countenance.
The Union Sect elders, both male and female, felt their hearts thump violently at the sight, and their breath slowed for a moment.
Gu Changhuai saw the face and gradually recognized who it was. He gasped sharply, his heart filled with shock and worry.
Gu An and Gu Quan were dumbfounded, thinking, Could this be—the Young Master Mo from back then?!
As for the demonic side, Yu Cangming, Hua Yinke, the Blood Jiao Mountain Lord, the Withered Bone Hermit, and the Green Corpse Master frowned slightly, not knowing who this mysterious young man was.
Only Madam Rui's face lost all color, as if she had seen a living ghost.
The Blood Jiao Mountain Lord frowned and asked, "Madam Rui, who is this kid?"
Madam Rui sighed and said in a trembling voice, "He is—" She suddenly dared not speak that name.
The Withered Bone Hermit pressed, "Madam Rui, who exactly is this kid?"
Madam Rui was silent for a moment, then helplessly sighed, "His name is—Mo Hua."
Gu Changhuai and the others changed expression.
It really is—Mo Hua—
Hearing this long-missed name, past events gradually surfaced in their minds.
The image of the clever little disciple of the Taixu Sect from back then gradually overlapped with the now gentle and refined young gentleman.
Gu Changhuai and the others were momentarily dazed. But then their hearts tightened, wondering why Mo Hua would suddenly risk danger to appear in the prison of the Jade Fragrance Pavilion.
Upon hearing the name Mo Hua, the Blood Jiao Mountain Lord and the Withered Bone Hermit still disregarded it.
But the Green Corpse Master's pupils suddenly contracted.
The Blood Jiao Mountain Lord sneered, "No matter where this pretty boy comes from, a mere Golden Core early stage, I'll crush him with one hand and swallow him in three bites—"
Flood dragon scales emerged on his arm, and he was about to attack and kill Mo Hua, but Madam Rui suddenly grabbed him and shouted, "Don't!"
The Blood Jiao Mountain Lord frowned, "Why not?"
The other Golden Core peak demon lords also looked at Madam Rui, wondering why she prevented them from killing a mere Golden Core early stage kid.
Madam Rui didn't want to say, but seeing the situation, she had to say with a pale face, "If you act, you—will die."
Everyone was shocked.
The Blood Jiao Mountain Lord was so angry he laughed. His gaze turned icy, "You say—I will die?"
"Me, a Golden Core peak, half-step Ascension, kill him, a Golden Core early stage, and I will die?"
Madam Rui hesitated for a long time, looked at the Blood Jiao Mountain Lord with a complicated expression, and said slowly, "A few years ago, your cousin Lord Demon Jiao died—at the hands of this young man."
"Not only Lord Demon Jiao, but also the Golden Core late-stage Ghost Child Hermit of Skeleton Cave and the Silver Corpse Elder of Yin Corpse Valley were also killed by him—"
At these words, not only the demon cultivators but also Yu Cangming and Gu Changhuai were stunned, feeling it was absurd and chaotic.
Had Madam Rui of the Union Sect lost her mind, telling such ridiculous jokes?
Bai Zixi also looked strangely at her little junior brother.
The Blood Jiao Mountain Lord was first stunned, then enraged, sneering, "Nonsense! During the Great Wilderness Incident years ago, my cousin Lord Demon Jiao Mountain clearly died at the hands of the Mysterious—that Daoist!"
"Only that Daoist, with his heaven-reaching cultivation, could kill my cousin."
The Withered Bone Hermit also sneered, "Indeed, Brother Ghost Child was one of the Three Hermits of Skeleton Cave like me. He fell in the Great Wilderness Calamity and died at the hands of that unmentionable Daoist. What is this kid? Madam Rui, are you mocking us?"
Only the Green Corpse Master's eyes flickered, saying nothing.
Madam Rui was momentarily speechless. It was hard to explain, and she had no reason to explain.
How could a righteous young man newly entering Golden Core early stage kill three Golden Core late stage or even peak demon lords?
She had witnessed it herself back then and still found it hard to believe.
Even less could she spread this "rumor" to others.
And the three like Lord Demon Jiao Mountain dying at the hands of the terrifying Mysterious Daoist was understandable, even glorious.
After all, the Mysterious Daoist was a fearsome figure who had slaughtered six Cave Void experts, single-handedly triggered the Great Wilderness Mutation, and brought the Mysterious Dao into the world.
To die at the hands of such a terrible Daoist was nothing. But to die—at the hands of an unknown righteous young man—that would be a great disgrace.
Seeing Madam Rui silent, the Blood Jiao Mountain Lord frowned slightly, wondering what motive she had for fabricating such an absurd lie—
The atmosphere in the room turned subtle for a moment.
Mo Hua glanced around at everyone and roughly understood their thoughts. But he didn't mind and said gently, "I'm in a good mood today and don't want to kill. All of you, disperse—"
"If you don't leave, I'm going to start killing—"
The Blood Jiao Mountain Lord was so angry he laughed.
A little Gold Core kid says he doesn't want to kill and tells us to scatter? Does he really think he's someone? Who does he think he is?
But Madam Rui, upon hearing Mo Hua's permission, was instantly relieved.
Seeing that the other demonic overlords didn't believe her, Madam Rui only needed a second to decide.
"This lady is unwell. I'll take my leave first—"
Death to others, not to me.
In the Great Wilderness Calamity and Dragon Pool Incident back then, the Mysterious Daoist was certainly terrifying, but this Young Master Mo was equally an unfathomable monster.
If he truly got upset, life and death would be a blink away.
If you want to die, die yourselves. This lady won't accompany you.
Madam Rui thought, then rolled up a curtain of red petals and quickly retreated into the shadows, her figure disappearing from the prison.
Her graceful demeanor belied her extreme speed.
Her puzzling actions stunned the other demon lords, leaving them baffled.
Even more absurdly, seeing Madam Rui leave without hesitation, the Green Corpse Master seemed to confirm something and said, "There are matters at my sect. I won't stay—"
Then he too rolled up a gust of corpse wind and vanished.
Only Hua Yinke, the Blood Jiao Mountain Lord, and the Withered Bone Hermit were left, looking at each other in stupefaction.
The Withered Bone Hermit, whose body was nothing but white bone, cultivated the ghost path. He was suspicious and cautious, knowing that words meant nothing but actions spoke volumes.
Seeing Madam Rui and the Green Corpse Master retreat without hesitation, even faster than the wind, he didn't want to take risks. Without a word, he turned into a skeleton and dove into the ground.
In the blink of an eye, only the Blood Jiao Mountain Lord remained among the demon overlords.
The Blood Jiao Mountain Lord cursed the Withered Bone Hermit in his heart. Though he was hot-tempered and reckless, he wasn't stupid.
Madam Rui dared not touch this surnamed Mo young man.
The Green Corpse Master also left without a word.
This meant this pretty boy, even if his cultivation was weak, definitely had a big background. Perhaps he had some ancestor or Daoist-level figures backing him.
If all the demon lords were present, he might have risked testing this Young Master Mo's background.
But now that everyone else had withdrawn, it would be foolish for him to act. What if testing led to death? That would be ridiculous.
He would find out this kid's background. Killing or hacking could wait.
The Blood Jiao Mountain Lord glared at Mo Hua with icy eyes and said hoarsely, "Next time I see you, I'll swallow you alive."
With that, he turned and dragged his mountain-like body into the darkness.
The entire area now had only one Golden Core peak demonic cultivator left: Hua Yinke.
Hua Yinke was dumbfounded.
Mo Hua looked at him and said, "You go too. If you don't leave now, I'm going to kill you."
Even if Mo Hua didn't act, Yu Cangming would kill him.
A mighty Golden Core peak, half-step Ascension demon lord, the Union Sect's Incense Master Hua Yinke, was left speechless. He could only grit his teeth, wave his hand, and lead the Union Sect elders in a humiliating retreat.
The surroundings instantly quieted down.
Within the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the five demonic overlords who had been fiercely murderous and ready to devour people had all been "persuaded" to retreat by Mo Hua's simple words: "If you don't leave, I'm going to kill someone."
Yu Cangming, Gu Changhuai, Gu An, and Gu Quan all stared blankly at Mo Hua, feeling the scene was as absurd as a dream. They couldn't understand what was wrong with those demon lords' heads.
Only Bai Zixi gazed at her gentle yet "domineering" little junior brother, her eyes sparkling.