The disciples from Bitan Manor never would have thought that Mount Huang would claim the life of their Palace Master before the battle had even begun.

      Although Li Wuxin was already advanced in years and his movements showed signs of slowing down, he wouldn’t have died so suddenly if it weren’t for the fact that his meridians were flowing in reverse due to the effects of the boundary nightmare.

     After a few moments of silence, the Bitan Manor disciples all knelt down one after another. Their mournful cries shook the heavens, and everyone was shocked at the sound of the lament. The disciple who had been trying to settle the score with Nangong Si cried and crawled back to the old master’s side, wiping his tears away with his sleeve.

     Suddenly, the huge boundary in front of Mount Huang let out an ear-piercing buzzing sound. Jiang Xi’s expression changed as he said in a stern voice, “Someone fill Li Wuxin’s spot. Otherwise, we’ll all die here today!”

     Xue Zhengyong turned his head and shouted, “Yuheng! Come and give me a hand!”

     Chu Wanning naturally didn’t need to be told twice. He was the most proficient in barrier techniques, and clearly understood that the buzzing sound was a curse left behind by the demonic phoenix spirit. To be able to reach this layer of the curse meant that the elders were not far from breaking the boundary.

     If they could break it, then they would succeed, but if they couldn’t, then the backlash from the curse would be able to move mountains and fill the seas. It would be an even bigger disaster than the tribulation fire at Rufeng Sect, and even more difficult to escape.

     He immediately flew over. With a sharp gaze, he waved his sleeve and raised his hand, fiercely striking the empty space left behind by Li Wuxin.

     As soon as he touched it, he was startled. He immediately looked at Huang Xiaoyue, who was standing next to him.

     “...”

     He saw that Huang Xiaoyue was sweating profusely, trembling all over. His face was flushed red, as if he was using all of his strength to circulate his spiritual energy—the other sect leaders clearly thought so too.

     Huang Xiaoyue had fooled everyone, but he couldn’t deceive the master of barriers, Chu Wanning.

     As soon as Chu Wanning received Li Wuxin’s burden, he immediately felt that the backlash from this position was extremely ferocious. In other words, Li Wuxin alone had actually been forced to bear the demonic aura for both sect leaders. There was only one possibility for such a situation to occur, and that was that the caster beside him had not used any strength at all.

     Huang Xiaoyue was actually just pretending!

     Chu Wanning was furious, his black brows creasing as he said sternly, “You… How dare you play games?!”

     “Wh, what…” Huang Xiaoyue gasped for breath, his voice as soft as a mosquito. His entire body seemed to be on the verge of collapse. When the surrounding sect leaders heard the commotion, those who still had the energy to spare also turned to look.

     “Zongshi, what are you talking about…? What games?”

     “You know very well what games! Get the hell out of here!”

     Xue Zhengyong couldn’t keep his composure, and shouted, “Yuheng, why are you being like this to Huang-daozhang? Look at him, he can’t even speak. If there’s anything wrong, let’s open the boundary first, then talk about it!”

     Huang Xiaoyue’s eyes drifted over, only to be shocked by the frosty gaze that was like a vicious blade. He had only been able to glance over for a moment before he was frightened by those eyes, his heart going cold.

     He simply didn’t have the strength to open the phoenix boundary. The reason why he took the initiative to rush up and help was to gain face. Afterwards, he would be able to let the upper cultivation world know that Jiangdong Hall’s strength was still there, and that he, Huang Xiaoyue, still had some skills.

     However, Li Wuxin, that good-for-nothing, actually couldn’t bear the evil aura for two people, and was instead hit by the Phoenix Nightmare and died right beside him. It was fine if he died, but the person who took his place had to be Chu Wanning—

     This Chu-zongshi deserved to be cut to pieces!

     Huang Xiaoyue’s greasy face was covered in beads of sweat. This time, however, his sweat wasn’t being forced out.

     Knowing he’d been caught, he was covered in a cold sweat as he thought, What should I do?

     At this critical moment, Huang Xiaoyue bit his tongue so violently that a stream of hot blood flowed. He let the saliva mixed with blood seep into the corner of his mouth, “Zongshi… you really misunderstood this old man… After Palace Master Li withdrew his power, this old man really… can’t… can’t…”

     He coughed violently, and blood splattered everywhere, “This old man really can’t take it anymore.”

     How could Chu Wanning fall for it?

     Between Li Wuxin and Huang Xiaoyue, it was clear who was stronger and who was weaker. If both of them had been using all of their power, how could the first one to fall be Li Wuxin?

     He waved his sleeves in rage and swung Tianwen with a single hand, flipping Huang Xiaoyue over ten feet away.

     “Get lost!”

     “Ah!”

     Jiangdong Hall’s disciples were shocked. They all rushed forward to surround their respected elder.

     Many people also angrily glared at Chu Wanning, “Chu-zongshi, why are you so unreasonable?!”

     “Huang-daozhang has already done his best. What right do you have to lash the vine and throw a tantrum as you please?!”

     “You think you can bully others just because you have the ability?!”

     Chu Wanning turned a deaf ear to these angry shouts and curses. His heart was filled with rage, his pair of sharp phoenix eyes flashing with ice. Perhaps it was the reflection of the red light of the boundary, but even his pupils were somewhat scarlet.

     “Get lost.”

     His voice was quiet, but extremely somber.

     Those who had a little understanding of Chu Wanning knew that there was still room for discussion even when he rebuked or scolded. However, once he became like this, cold and oppressive, no one could stop him.

     Who would try to stop him? If they did any more, they were afraid that in a fit of rage, Tianwen would take that person’s life.

     Xue Zhengyong muttered, “Yuheng… what’s going on…?”

     “Huang Xiaoyue, did you even use half an inch of strength to open the boundary?” Chu Wanning was so angry that even his hand on the boundary revealed his veins, “When Li Wuxin couldn’t bear it anymore, did you really share the burden with him?!”

     “What are you talking about?!” some female disciples of Jiangdong Hall yelled. “Our Huang-daozhang has already coughed blood, and you still say he hasn’t tried his best?! Do you really want to see him die like Palace Master Li before you’re satisfied?!”

     Chu Wanning’s brows were tightly knitted. He was about to speak again when suddenly, the boundary in front of him began to shake violently. All of the sect leaders’ palms were wrapped in a blood-red light.

     Jiang Xi immediately said, “Concentrate! This is the last layer! It’s about to be torn apart!”

     Chu Wanning was no longer in the mood to argue with those madmen. He turned around and focused on the boundary, placing his hands on top of each other and channeling his spiritual energy, filled with raging flames, into the crack.

     There was a loud bang.

     The earth trembled.

     A huge gap appeared in Mount Huang’s boundary. It was about eight feet high, and would allow for about five people to pass through side by side.

     Xue Zhengyong said happily, “It’s open, it’s open! The boundary is open!” He was very close to the opening, and immediately moved his head to take a look. However, he suddenly felt a black and red miasma rushing towards him. He couldn’t help but shout, “What’s that stench?!”

     The other cultivators no longer cared about Bitan Manor and Jiangdong Hall, and rushed over to take a look.

     The Head Abbot of Wubei Temple was the most sensitive to this. He turned the prayer beads in his hand and said in a low voice, “It’s a place of corpses. I’m afraid there are more corpses and resentment on Mount Huang than we imagined.”

     Jiang Xi grimaced, “It seems that Xu Shuanglin, that street rat, is indeed hiding in this shitty mountain.”

     As he spoke, he turned his head and said, “Everyone listen. Those who were injured, terrified, useless, or pretending…” When he said “pretending,” his cold eyes glanced at Huang Xiaoyue, who was lying on the ground, and he sneered almost imperceptibly. “All of these people stay at the foot of the mountain. The rest of you, follow me up the mountain.”

     When Xue Meng saw Chu Wanning enter the gap, he immediately wanted to follow him. However, he noticed that Mo Ran was not by his side. He looked around and found that there was a commotion where Nangong Si was.

     It turned out that, in their grief, Bitan Manor’s disciples had only grown more hateful. Although Chu Wanning had set up a barrier, Nangong Si was still surrounded by a group of twisted and ferocious faces. Every red tongue was cursing and spitting.

     Xue Meng said anxiously, “Mo Ran, what are you doing there? Everyone is going up the mountain. Hurry up and follow!”

     “You go first. Protect Shizun and Shi Mei. If you can’t handle it, come get me immediately.”

     Xue Meng had no choice but to leave first.

     By this time, only the disciples of Bitan Manor and Jiangdong Hall were left at the foot of the mountain. Mo Ran withdrew his gaze from Xue Meng’s back and said, “I know how everyone is feeling, but the matter regarding the sword manual is not Nangong-gongzi’s doing. If you want to settle the score, at least wait until you catch Xu Shuanglin.”

     “These are two different things. Whether it’s Xu Shuanglin, or Nangong Si, neither of them will escape!”

     “That’s right! Both of them will pay the price!”

     Zhen Congming was the only one who had some sense among these people. He glared at Mo Ran, “Mo-zongshi, you are an esteemed zongshi now. Your Shizun is also a zongshi. Is this how you two zongshi protect criminals and commit malpractice for personal gain?”

     Mo Ran replied, “I just want you to be fair. If you really want to get to the bottom of this matter, you should follow the rules of the cultivation world and send Xu Shuanglin and the others to Tianyin Pavilion for questioning, so the ten great sects can discuss this matter together and decide on fair judgement. Now you want to rush forward and tear a person who doesn’t even intend to fight back into a thousand pieces. What’s the point?”

     Zhen Congming: “...”

     Someone shouted, “What ten great sects?! It's nine! How can Rufeng Sect be considered a sect?!”

     Zhen Congming suddenly said, “It’s eight.” There were bloodstains on his face after he had wiped his master’s face of his blood and tears. The bloodstains made him look very miserable and vacant, “It’s eight sects… Bitan Manor has no leader now.”

     “Shixiong…”

     He ignored the wails of his shidi and slowly turned his head to look at Mo Ran, “After the battle of the Heavenly Rift, master once said that Sisheng Peak can be considered a fair sect. Now it seems that he was wrong about you all.”

     Mo Ran: “...”

     Zhen Congming asked, “Mo-zongshi, are you sure you want to protect these two bastards from Rufeng Sect today?”

     Before Mo Ran could answer, Nangong Si said in a hoarse voice, “Mo Ran, go away.”

     Ye Wangxi half-knelt by Nangong Si’s side and helped him up. It was really hard on her, but she didn’t cry, or feel at a loss. However, her voice was hoarse as she said, “Mo-gongzi, go up the mountain. This matter has nothing to do with you.”

     Mo Ran glanced sideways and said, “Did you acknowledge my Shizun for nothing? Since you are a member of my sect, how can this matter have nothing to do with me?”

     Nangong Si was at a loss for words, “You…”

     Mo Ran turned his head to look at Zhen Congming’s face, but by this time, he had more than just Bitan Manor disciples in front of him. Jiangdong Hall’s disciples also surrounded him like tigers eyeing their prey.

     Huang Xiaoyue, supported by two female disciples, pretended to stagger closer. He panted for breath, opened his eyes, and glared at Mo Ran. Then, he waved away the two disciples on his left and right.

     He pointed a withered finger at Mo Ran and said fiercely, “Since childhood, this old man has suffered under the influence of the upper cultivation world. How can I just idly sit by and watch while you do this?”

     “Huang-daozhang is indeed a role model in the upper cultivation world. Just a moment ago, you were struggling at death’s door, but in less than an incense stick’s time, you’re up and about again, able to enforce justice on behalf of the heavens. I really admire you.”

     “You—cough, cough, cough!” Huang Xiaoyue seemed to be furious. He clutched his chest and coughed until the sky turned dark. His acting was very good, but Mo Ran didn’t even bother to look at him directly.

     Bitan Manor’s green-robed disciples and Jiangdong Hall’s purple-robed disciples closed in on them, but no one made the first move. Everyone knew that once this move landed, it would be impossible to take back spilled water.

     Zhen Congming said in a low voice, “Mo-zongshi, I’ll ask you one last time. Are you really not going to move aside?”

     “AHH—!”

     Before Mo Ran could reply, a shrill voice suddenly rang out from the front. He didn’t know which female disciple made the sound, but soon after, a blur of black-gray mud surged from the crack in Mount Huang’s boundary.

     Huang Xiaoyue said in shock, “What’s that? A landslide?!”

     Mo Ran narrowed his eyes.

     It wasn’t a landslide.

     Everyone quickly saw it clearly and sucked in a breath of cold air. What surged from the crack was wave after wave of charred zombies! These zombies had their flesh melted and stuck together. There was still thick water oozing and bubbling from their skin, causing their faces to barely be seen at all.

     “Wah—” Immediately, someone couldn’t take it anymore, and began to vomit on the ground.

     “This is fucking disgusting…”

     “Is the mountain full of these things?”

     “How many corpses…?”

     Mo Ran was also shocked. Suddenly, a heavy muffled sound came from the sky. The boundary that the elders had just torn open was now moving again slowly, as if it was about to close.

     This barrier could actually heal itself! Not long after the crack was torn open, it would close again to prevent more people from entering!

     Mo Ran said anxiously, “Let’s go up the mountain first. We’ll talk about our grudges later. Xu Shuanglin is on the mountain. Are we just going to let the main culprit go just like that?!”

      The disciples from Bitan Manor hesitated, but Huang Xiaoyue twisted his beard and sneered, “Almost all of the experts in the world are on that mountain. We don’t have to worry about not catching Xu Shuanglin. However, these two kids from Rufeng Sect are as slippery as loaches. If we let them go, we won’t have another chance in the future.”

     “...Huang Xiaoyue.” Mo Ran was furious. A red light flashed in his hand as he summoned Jiangui, “Have you had enough?!”

     Over a hundred people in front of him saw him summon his holy weapon, Jiangui. They all pulled out their swords and raised their weapons. They stared at him with extreme wariness.

     Mo Ran knew that he definitely wouldn’t be able to escape a fierce battle this time. He would be fine, but according to these people’s thinking, he was afraid that in the future, this would also count as a battle of Sisheng Peak…

     However, at this time, he suddenly heard a deep and cold voice behind him, “Everyone, please go up the mountain. Nangong Si will wait here. He won’t run away.”

     Huang Xiaoyue said, “Little kid, you speak so casually. Why should I believe you? Could it be that he can really draw a circle around the prison and not leave just because you say so?”

     Nangong Si looked at him coldly and stood up from the ground. Then, he suddenly raised his hand and pushed Ye Wangxi out of the barrier set up by Chu Wanning.

     “A-Si!”

     This barrier could only allow the people inside to leave. People outside could not enter.

     Nangong Si stood alone in place and slowly drew his sword. The bright light of the sword illuminated his face inch by inch, his chin, his lips, the tip of his nose.

     His eyes.

     Ye Wangxi already understood what he was going to do. She slammed her hand on the barrier and shouted, “Don’t you dare!”

     “When my ancestors founded the sect, they once said, greed, resentment, deceit, murder, rape, and plunder are the seven things that a man should never do.” Nangong Si continued, “My father was unvirtuous, and violated this teaching. However, I have been a proud man for twenty-six years, and I have never acted presumptuously. These seven things cannot be done. I have nothing to be ashamed of.”

     With a crisp sound, the sword in his hands moved out of the sheath like flowing water.

     “Don’t!”

     Mo Ran also knew what he was going to do. He tried to undo the barrier set up by Chu Wanning, but it stood firm, and couldn’t be removed in a short time.

     He muttered, “Nangong…”

     Nangong Si didn’t even look at Ye Wangxi, nor did he pay any attention to Mo Ran. He said, “Since everyone is unwilling to believe me today, I have no other choice. Fortunately, I have learned the art of the Imprisonment Technique. Now that I am here, I hope that everyone will stop implicating the innocent. I, Nangong Si, will draw a circle on the ground and await everyone’s return.”

     “Nangong—!”

     Before he could finish his words, blood spurted wildly.

     Nangong Si’s sword instantly nailed to the ground, halfway into the earth. Also nailed to the ground was Nangong Si’s left hand.

     He actually nailed his hand to the ground, like a snake’s vital point. Lightning flashed from the sword, and the imprisonment spell flew in all directions.

     Ye Wangxi knelt down in front of the barrier.

     Nangong Si’s blood flowed down the sword’s hilt, staining the ground red.

     No one could see Ye Wangxi’s expression. She hung her head low, her hands tightly gripping the barrier as her knuckles turned pale and her hands shook.

     This was the imprisonment technique used to nail evil beasts, malicious spirits, and livestock. Almost everyone in the upper cultivation world knew how to use it. Everyone could recognize it.

     Nangong Si had used this spell to nail himself.

     He was in so much pain that his lips turned blue. He couldn’t stop trembling, but he didn’t cry. After a long time, he raised his head. His eyes were scarlet, and he said one word, “Go.”

     “...” It was rare for Mo Ran to be so shocked that he couldn’t speak. In his previous life, Ye Wangxi was the only one who had managed to do so. And in this life, he had met the person Ye Wangxi loved.

     He was once confused as to why Ye Wangxi liked Nangong Si. He was a mindless young master who had little brains, and only liked to look at pretty girls. How could he possibly be worthy of Ye Wangxi’s affection?

     However, at this moment, he saw another Ye Wangxi.

     Kneeling, wretched, bloodied, but ruthless to the bone.

     Nangong Si.

     “Go!” Nangong Si roared. “What else is there to worry about?! Do you want me to nail my legs to the ground too?! Go!”

     Zhen Congming was the first to turn around. He returned to Li Wuxin’s corpse, tidied up the Palace Master’s body, and carried it back.

     “Shixiong!”

     “Shixiong, aren’t we staying?”

     “Shixiong? Are we just going to leave? Don’t tell me we have to let them go just like this—”

     Zhen Congming said, “What’s the point of staying? We don’t know how long they’ll fight on the mountain. Are we just going to let the Palace Master lie on the ground like this without even a proper coffin?!”

     The disciples of Bitan Manor looked at each other. They lowered their heads and didn’t say anything else.

     Zhen Congming walked to Mo Ran’s side and said, “Mo-zongshi, remember what you said. After this battle, we shall meet you at Tianyin Pavilion.”

     “Fortunately, in this world, there is still Tianyin Pavilion that can uphold justice.” There was a man with bloodshot eyes. He was the disciple who had spat and insulted Chu Wanning earlier. He followed behind his shixiong with deep hatred, “The Pavilion Master will definitely handle this matter impartially, so that our Palace Master can rest in peace. Mo Ran, Nangong Si… you evil people. Just you wait! You’ll all get your retribution. Just wait for your death!”