Translator: CinderTL
At that moment, rainbow light appeared on the horizon. Tu Wanshan frowned and looked in that direction, muttering to himself, "Someone found it so quickly..."
The bald woman asked excitedly, "Should we...?"
As she spoke, a fierce glint flashed in her eyes. She drew her thumb across her throat in a 'kill him' gesture.
One of Tu Wanshan's followers immediately spoke up to stop her. "Senior Brother, Qi Liang said they only want the first Holy Son Token. He'll likely compete for it. Of course, we're not afraid of him, but there's no need to fight over it. Junior Brother believes it's best to let him have the first one and conserve our strength for the second. That's the safer approach."
The Holy Son Competition doesn't rank the participants. All Holy Sons hold equal status, so there's no difference between first and fifth place.
Moreover, Qi Liang's faction was indeed significantly stronger than theirs. A direct confrontation would be unwise.
Tu Wanshan's rough face turned serious as he nodded silently. "Junior Brother is right. We'll let Qi Liang take this one."
Though seemingly crude, Tu Wanshan was actually quite meticulous. He was not one to act on impulse, especially since he had grown up in the demonic sect, where those without brains rarely survived long.
The bald woman pouted, appearing somewhat disappointed.
Tu Wanshan patted her gleaming head and chuckled reassuringly. "Don't worry, Junior Sister. You'll have your chance to shine."
"Mm."
Tu Wanshan pointed toward an ancient tree ahead. "Go on, but be careful not to provoke the beast roar."
Then he pulled the woman beside him closer. "You stay with me."
"Rest assured, Senior Brother." The group dispersed.
Deep within the dense forest behind Tu Wanshan, a hawk perched on a treetop, peering around curiously. Suddenly, it flapped its wings and soared away...
Xu Sanyan stared at the massive stone, pondering how to climb it and investigate.
Just then, Chi Yu approached with a grave expression, leading the Jin Brothers. He leaned in close and whispered, "Senior Brother Xu, those Demonesses from Joyous Harmony Mountain are up to something on the outer perimeter. Gong Niang is there too, so I didn't dare get close. It doesn't look like they're searching for the Holy Son Token. It seems more like..."
Chi Yu hesitated, unsure how to phrase it. Jin Feng, standing beside him, finished the sentence, "They appear to be conducting some kind of ritual."
"A ritual?" Xu Sanyan asked, puzzled. What kind of ritual would they be performing at this moment?
Regardless, it couldn't be anything good. Xu Sanyan waved his hand. "Let's go see."
The four men walked toward the scene, and from a distance, they saw a tall platform constructed from massive stones standing in the open space. It looked newly built, very crude and hastily assembled.
The platform was divided into three tiers. At the top stood a stone table, upon which lay... three human heads.
All three heads were male, their necks severed by a sharp blade. Crimson blood flowed from the severed ends, soaking into the stone table.
The headless corpses stood stiffly behind the table, their clothes soaked through with blood. A faint, metallic scent of blood hung in the air.
At the four corners below the high platform, four women knelt, their hands clasped in prayer, their faces devout as they murmured softly.
Xu Sanyan frowned, feeling that the three heads looked familiar. Jin Ming whispered from behind, "Those three came with Gong Niang. They're also from Joyous Harmony Mountain."
Xu Sanyan nodded silently. No wonder they seemed familiar.
Gong Niang, spotting Xu Sanyan in the distance, approached with a radiant smile. "Junior Brother Xu? Why aren't you searching for the Holy Son Token? What are you hiding here for?"
Xu Sanyan pursed his lips, forcing a cold smile. "Senior Sister, what exactly are you doing?"
Gong Niang glanced at the high platform. "Oh, these three broke the rules and are undergoing punishment."
"Heh... So Senior Sister thinks I'm a fool, does she?" Xu Sanyan's smile gradually faded.
Gong Niang seemed oblivious to the change in Xu Sanyan's tone, her beautiful eyes gazing into the distance. "Junior Brother Xu, I have no intention of making an enemy of you. If you leave now, I'll owe you a favor. How does that sound?"
"Heh," Xu Sanyan sneered. "A favor? How much is your favor worth? Go ask your mother for a favor!"
Before Gong Niang could finish speaking, Xu Sanyan's figure vanished from where he stood. He reappeared directly in front of her, his iron fists carrying a fierce wind as they slammed toward her face.
Xu Sanyan didn't know what Gong Niang was doing, but that was precisely why he had to strike first. Whatever she was planning, he had to stop her before she could succeed.
Hesitation would cost him the initiative!
Xu Sanyan understood this perfectly. Did he really have to wait until Gong Niang was fully prepared before making a move?
That would be a fool's errand!
Gong Niang was momentarily stunned. Why had he attacked so suddenly? But her reaction was lightning-fast. With a flick of her sleeve, a slender jade palm shot out from beneath her silk robe, meeting his iron fists head-on.
Bang!
Spiritual Power erupted between them, creating a deafening explosion in mid-air. Gong Niang was forced to retreat repeatedly to absorb the impact, while Xu Sanyan remained completely unfazed, pressing his attack once more.
A look of concern crossed Gong Niang's face. This man possessed incredible strength!
"We have no grievances between us. Why must you go this far?"
Gong Niang's veil fluttered in the wind, and the hand hidden beneath her sleeve trembled slightly. She had never been known for her physical strength, and this sudden attack had caught her off guard, leaving her arm aching.
"Hmph, how can there be no resentment or enmity? Once you participate in the Holy Son Competition, you're all enemies!"
Xu Sanyan shot a meaningful glance at Chi Yu before pulling out a discipline ruler from his storage pouch and slamming it down with force. He had obtained this ruler in the Soul Realm.
On the other side, Chi Yu understood immediately. With a wave of his hand, the Stone General grew rapidly in the wind, instantly reaching over ten feet tall. Its massive body charged toward the high platform, determined to destroy it.
Chi Yu, followed by the Jin Brothers, rushed toward the four women seated beneath the platform.
Gong Niang's expression tightened. With a wave of her hand, she summoned a skull. Pale blue yin fire ignited in the skull's empty eye sockets, and two flames detached from the sockets—one hurtling toward Xu Sanyan, the other toward Chi Yu.
As the two flames departed, the skull slowly began to generate more fire, as if its supply were endless.
Seeing this, Chi Yu shouted, "Senior Brother, be careful! That's yin fire! You absolutely must not let it touch you!"
Xu Sanyan paused, quickly turning to dodge the flame. But before he could escape, two more blue flames emerged from the skull, flanking him from front and back, determined to engulf him.
Gong Niang's face, hidden behind her veil, was grim. Controlling four yin fires was already her limit; she had to end this quickly!
Xu Sanyan dodged the yin fires while gradually closing in on Gong Niang. Though the flames moved swiftly, they couldn't match his physical speed.
Seeing this, Gong Niang grew even more desperate. She shouted, "Junior Brother Xu, if you let me go, I'll leave immediately after this is over. You can explore these ruins alone!"
Xu Sanyan sneered inwardly. Let you go now? Dream on!
As the thought flashed through his mind, an invisible, needle-like spike gradually materialized in the void. Silent and unseen, it pierced toward Gong Niang—the Lu Clan's Spirit Refining Force.
He had approached her precisely because this technique had a range limit; it wouldn't work from too far away.
"Agh!"
Gong Niang's eyes suddenly turned bloodshot. Intense pain pierced her divine soul, as if someone were scooping out her brain with an iron spoon, leaving her wishing for death.
Her divine soul damaged, Gong Niang could no longer control the yin fires. Chi Yu reached the base of the high platform without resistance, his longsword aimed directly at the kneeling woman.
Xu Sanyan also lunged toward Gong Niang, his discipline ruler crashing down heavily on her head.
(End of the Chapter)
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