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Heavenly Grain
With a loud rumble, a large hole suddenly appeared in the sky. This hole formed a stark contrast with the surrounding sky, revealing thick lead-gray clouds outside, while the area around the hole displayed an eerie, mirror-like deep blue sky.
A cold crescent moon struggled to peek out from behind the thick clouds, its light streaming through the hole into Heavenly Grain, accompanied by a gust of cold wind and snowflakes rushing in. Moments later, the crescent moon retreated back into the clouds, making the hole appear even darker, resembling an irregular black stain on a deep blue curtain.
Qiu Mingzi and his companions quickly rushed out of the Reception Hall, witnessing black dots resembling dandelions rapidly scattering from the deep black hole into Heavenly Grain, growing in number to thousands.
“Demon Sect!” Qiu Mingzi gasped in shock, his warm drink turning to cold sweat in an instant, his back becoming chillingly damp. He timidly glanced at Xuan Chengzi and the others, awkwardly whispering, “Should we retreat? It’s not too late to leave now…”
“Bah! You coward, why retreat? Quickly ring the bell, sound the alarm, shout out!” Xuan Chengzi exclaimed anxiously. After saying this, he leaped into the air and shouted, “Demon Sect Monsters are coming! All disciples prepare for battle!”
Only then did those inside the Guardian Hall react, frantically ringing the alarm bell. The sound echoed from the towering Medicine Peak to every corner of Heavenly Grain. However, the bell rang intermittently and weakly at times, sometimes sounding like a torrential downpour of beans frying, reflecting the frantic state of those ringing it and their mixed feelings of despair and fear.
Upon hearing the bell, someone at the front of the Demon Sect team frowned. Soon after, those flying in like black bats swiftly headed towards Medicine Peak, descending upon Guardian Hall.
Moments later, the bell's sound strangely halted abruptly at its peak and did not ring again.
There were no thunderous shouts or cries; it was eerily quiet everywhere as if nothing had happened before the Demon Sect Monsters arrived. There was no river of blood or large-scale resistance; only sporadic fires ignited in various places. Gradually, more and more flames sparked up like stars spreading across a field, growing larger until Heavenly Grain shone as bright as day.
In the silence, occasional unwilling roars could be heard but were quickly silenced. Heavenly Grain remained deathly still; only the sounds of crackling fire and wind could be heard, with no trace of human voices.
This was entirely one-sided slaughter. Most elite disciples of Heavenly Grain were still trapped in the Ancient Celestial Field, their fates uncertain. Many low-ranking disciples perished under the siege of the Celestial Sect Alliance, leaving few survivors. After enduring so many upheavals and witnessing the army of Demon Sect charging towards them, these disciples had lost even the will to resist. Many silently turned away, despairingly closing their eyes as they raised their blades against themselves.
Death can sometimes be a silent form of resistance.
The situation had turned dire, and Xuan Chengzi had no choice but to agree to retreat.
In fact, there was no option to stay; apart from the five of them, there was not a single living soul in Heavenly Grain. All that surrounded them was an eerie silence, accompanied only by the approaching army of the Demon Sect.
Qiu Mingzi hid among Xuan Chengzi and the others, watching as the Demon Sect Monsters surrounded them in layers, leaving no escape. His eyes bulged in fear. When he heard Xuan Chengzi agree to retreat, he was overjoyed and immediately began to form a seal.
A beam of golden light shot up into the clear deep blue night sky, where it connected with one of the interfaces of the Misty Array of Hundred Herbs. As long as they directed their seal towards that point, a passage would appear leading outward.
The golden light soared into the clouds, and a dark square shadow emerged in the sky, growing larger by the moment. Qiu Mingzi was ecstatic; their fate hung in the balance!
"Quickly, go!"
He propelled himself towards the passage with all his might, followed closely by Xuan Chengzi, Xuan Mozi, and others who jumped into the passage one after another.
"Trying to escape? Hmph!" Someone from the Demon Sect's ranks sneered.
A beam of golden light shot up like a spirit snake and struck at the entrance of the passage. The dark square shadow began to fade immediately.
Just as the last one, Xuan Hezi, stepped into the passage, he suddenly felt unable to move. Looking down, he saw his feet seemingly sinking into a quagmire; no matter how he circulated his energy, he couldn't pull his feet out! This shock was immense for Xuan Hezi; he was already at Mid-Stage Nascent Soul cultivation! In despair, he tried to circulate his energy again, but moments later even his Nascent Soul began to stiffen gradually, a numbness representing death spreading from his lower abdomen throughout his limbs.
Xuan Hezi was horrified and couldn't help but cry out in despair: "Help me! Pull me up quickly!"
Xuan Mozi, who was ahead, turned back in shock and immediately flew back to grab Xuan Hezi's hand with all his strength to pull him upward.
Xuan Hezi felt his legs loosen, but his body quickly sank down even faster. Seeing that his calves were no longer visible, he hurriedly reached out and tightly grasped Xuan Mozi's hand, pleading, "Senior Brother, please don't let go."
"Alright." Xuan Mozi exerted all his strength, his old face turning crimson as he desperately circulated his energy. Steam began to rise from his head.
As he struggled with all his might, Qiu Mingzi turned around and immediately saw the situation of the two. He stomped his feet in despair and exclaimed in panic, "It's over! There must be a traitor below! The Demon Sect actually knows our Heavenly Grain formation sealing technique! That person down there has already closed the great formation, and Xuan Hezi is stuck in the star power field of the closing formation. It's over for him! Even the gods can't save him! We must leave here immediately, look!"
Qiu Mingzi pointed at the top, where there was also a dark square mark that was fading away, clearly indicating that the exit of that passage was disappearing.
Xuan Hezi's face turned pale, knowing that Qiu Mingzi was speaking the truth. If he got trapped in the Misty Herbal Concealment Formation star power field, it meant a painful death and a terrible end. Xuan Hezi suddenly tightened his grip on Xuan Mozi's hand and cried out in fear, "Don't let go! Senior Brother, I don't want to die! I don't want to die like this!"
Xuan Mozi looked grim, unable to speak but nodding repeatedly. Xuan Hezi felt slightly reassured, panting heavily as he looked at Xuan Mozi, his eyes filled with gratitude.
Suddenly, a loud shout rang out: "Go!"
Xuan Chengzi unexpectedly struck towards Qiu Mingzi with a palm.
Qiu Mingzi was taken aback. His cultivation level was not high; he was only at the mid-stage of Refining the Heart. Knowing he couldn't avoid Xuan Chengzi's strike, he simply closed his eyes. However, he felt a powerful force surge towards him, lifting him high into the air as if riding clouds and mist, darting out of the passageway like lightning.
At the same time, Xuan Chengzi, looking grim, closed his eyes and said, "Junior Brother, I'm sorry!" He struck fiercely.
Xuan Hezi let out a long cry of anguish as both arms shattered into numerous pieces and flew out. Blood and flesh splattered throughout the passage. Those two bloody severed hands still tightly held onto Xuan Mozi's hand, hanging on to him.
"No..."
Xuan Mozi shouted, his eyes bulging in shock, almost unable to move. Xuan Chengzi's face turned pale as he dared not look back at Xuan Hezi, quickly pulling Xuan Mozi upward.
Below, Xuan Hezi had become a bloodied mess, his expression frozen in extreme surprise and pain. Suddenly, his mangled body sank sharply and disappeared into the Misty Herbal Concealment Formation.
Outside, the cold wind howled, and the four who had narrowly escaped death felt a lingering dread.
Qiu Mingzi's mind was still immersed in the earlier scene, thinking about how a powerful expert at the Nascent Soul Stage had died so tragically. A mix of fear, awe, and pride surged within him regarding their own Misty Herbal Concealment Formation. He lowered his head to look at the black earth that was now invisible, even forgetting to escape.
Xuan Chengzi's hands trembled; that scene would likely become a Heart Demon for him throughout his life. However, he forced himself to calm down and said to Xuan Qingzi, "Junior Brother, you three take Qiu Mingzi, the Master of the Grain, and leave first. I will hold them off. Hurry! The Demon Sect Monster will definitely break through the formation and chase us soon!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a light-colored square mark suddenly appeared on the black earth below, indicating that the formation's passage was opening again.
"Run!" Xuan Chengzi shouted, forcefully waving his sleeve towards his three junior brothers before turning to confront the threat.
"We're not leaving," Xuan Qingzi and Xuan Mozi shouted in unison.
The two exchanged glances, and Xuan Qingzi calmly said, "All three of us are at the Nascent Soul Stage. If we work together, we might have a chance to escape back to Kunlun. If we scatter, we'll all die! As for him," Xuan Qingzi looked at the trembling Qiu Mingzi, "he can leave alone. If we can hold off the pursuers, it will be his luck."
After a long moment, Xuan Chengzi slowly nodded as the passageway fully revealed itself.
Qiu Mingzi summoned his Flying Sword and took off but curiously glanced back. Just that one glance nearly caused him to fall off the Flying Sword; he almost forgot how to fly.
"It’s you! Qingqinzi! How are you with the Demon Sect?"
In front of the Demon Sect army, a Purple Robe Demon stood proudly with his hands behind his back, coldly observing Xuan Chengzi and the other two. This demon was extremely handsome, with a cruel smile on his face, looking at Xuan Chengzi and the others as if they were fish on a chopping board. Beside him was Qingqinzi, who was a whole head shorter.
Qingqinzi wore a pink brocade dress and had her hair styled in a falling horse bun, adorned with many luxurious and precious jeweled hairpins. Around her neck hung a string of priceless jade beads. Dressed in such opulence, she looked nothing like a cultivator; she resembled a concubine from a wealthy family in the Mortal Realm.
Qiu Mingzi's eyes widened in surprise. "Qingqinzi, what on earth is going on? Have you really been having an affair with the Demon Sect Monster? Him?" Qiu Mingzi's hand trembled as he pointed at Xiao Rushi.
"Since you already know, don't think you can escape," Qingqinzi said coldly. "Attack! Kill them and you'll be heavily rewarded!"
Embarrassingly, not a single person from the Demon Sect moved; all their eyes were on the Purple Robe figure.
Though Qiu Mingzi's heart sank, seeing this scene brought him genuine delight. The more he thought about it, the happier he became, even forgetting his fear.
He mockingly laughed, "So you really have defected to the Demon Sect! How rare! After thousands of years of Immortal Sect factions establishing themselves, you're the first to turn to the Demon Sect! Qingqinzi, you’ll go down in history! It's just a pity—hahaha—that no one listens to your commands! At least in the Immortal Sect, you were still the leader of a major faction, but here in the Demon Sect, you've sacrificed your virtue and they treat you like a dog! A pink little lapdog begging for scraps! Hahaha..."
"Shut up!" Qingqinzi's nose crinkled in anger as she screamed madly. "Everyone attack! Leave him to me; I want to kill him myself!"
Xiao Rushi frowned slightly and nodded gently.
Behind them, the Wave-Flow Palace guardians rushed forward to tightly surround Xuan Chengzi and the others along with Qiu Mingzi. Just as they were about to strike, a delicate voice rang out, "Wait!"
Upon hearing this voice, Qingqinzi's brows furrowed slightly.
With a flash of white shadow, an exceptionally beautiful young man appeared before everyone. Even though he was an enemy, Qiu Mingzi was taken aback; there truly existed such an exquisite beauty in the world!
Li Xiaolou's eyes flickered as she captured the astonished expression of Qiu Mingzi. She flew to Xiao Rushi's side, smiled charmingly, and turned gracefully, the hem of her white dress billowing elegantly. With her delicate hand, she pointed the Moonlight Flute at Qiu Mingzi and said, "These three old fellows must die, but let that one go."
Qingqinzi grew even angrier. "Li Xiaolou, are you causing trouble? He is the newly appointed Master of the Grain from Xuanxu. Letting him go will put me in a difficult position!"
Li Xiaolou laughed proudly, casting a disdainful glance at Qingqinzi while radiating an irresistible charm.
"Qingqinzi, stop trying to deceive others. Right now, no one in the Immortal Sect knows you have allied with our Dao Sect. There are only four people here who know about it, and you want to kill them all? What do you mean by that? Are you trying to leave yourself an escape route? One day when you find my Third Senior Brother displeasing, will you use your seductive tricks to cry in front of the Xuanxu Old Man and claim you were coerced? Then you'll just go back to being your Master of the Grain?"
Li Xiaolou posed a series of questions and then covered her mouth with a smile, her slender finger pointing at Xiao Rushi's chest. "Third Senior Brother, you're really foolish; don't blame me for not reminding you."
Xiao Rushi frowned.
Qingqinzi was so angry she trembled, her manicured nails digging deep into her palm.
Yet Li Xiaolou was unwilling to let Qingqinzi off the hook; she loved watching her humiliated in front of so many people, especially in front of those from the Immortal Sect and Heavenly Grain.
She sighed lightly and said, "Third Senior Brother, your taste is really poor. How could you dress her like this? She would look better in a robe; this kind of sheer fabric is wasted on her! In the future, Third Senior Brother, don’t meddle in what she wears. I heard that when you were at Wave-Flow Palace, you originally ordered her not to wear any clothes!"
Li Xiaolou chuckled softly, covering her mouth with her hand in a bewitching manner. To everyone's surprise, Xiao Rushi also smiled lightly without denying it.
Qingqinzi was so furious she nearly spat blood, and Qiu Mingzi's dismissive gaze only pushed her closer to the edge.
Then she heard "Ailang" calmly instructing nearby, "Small Pavilion is right. Let Qiu Mingzi go; as for the other three, kill them."
"Have your grand dreams!"
With a loud shout, the three of them, Xuan Chengzi, finally erupted after preparing for a long time. In the midst of their verbal sparring, they had already coordinated their breaths and reached an agreement.
A beam of white light suddenly shot out, wrapping around Qiu Mingzi. Before Qiu Mingzi could even call out, he was whisked away by the white light at high speed towards the West.
Immediately after, three streaks of Azure Light flashed in place, and the three of Xuan Chengzi vanished.
Qingqinzi shouted in anger, "Are you all dead? Hurry up and chase them!"
"No need," Xiao Rushi coldly glanced at Qingqinzi. "I deliberately delayed my move because I wanted to let them go. Sister Xiao Lou is right; no one from the Immortal Sect knows that you are already mine. It's time they learned this news, lest you become dishonest or have ulterior motives!" After saying this, Xiao Rushi vanished into the depths of the Heavenly Grain.
Qingqinzi hovered in mid-air, struggling to maintain composure, but her face was still a mix of green and red.
Xiao Rushi's move was extremely ruthless, effectively crushing all her quietly budding thoughts. In fact, she had already begun to regret it. Xiao Rushi was no longer the same Xiao Rushi from before; that "lover" had long since disappeared into the past like smoke in the wind. The current Xiao Rushi was more like a master and tyrant than a husband.
A plump face suddenly floated to her mind, only to quickly transform into a chilling skull.
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