roccoschili Chapter 838 - 686: Confrontation
Chapter 838 - 686: Confrontation
"Who is the Red Hero?" the steward from the Palace of Leaving Fire asked angrily.
"He is a loose cultivator from the Northern Domain, but his cultivation is quite profound. Previously, he broke out from the encirclement of many in the Demon Clan, including top-tier demon generals and those with royal bloodline among the demons..." Li Haorang, with no choice under the eaves, answered honestly.
Seeing several major sect members show a dubious look.
Li Haorang smiled bitterly, "I happened to record the scene at that time, can I play it?"
Having received permission, he immediately took out a semi-transparent black memory stone, input spiritual essence, and projected a large colorful light screen into mid-air.
It presented, like displaying a 4K film, the fierce scenes where Lou Yi, surrounded by top demon generals, slaughtered demon generals, crippled a silver divine ape, and killed a unicorn ant.
Upon seeing this scene, many who had not heard of Lou Yi’s reputation couldn’t help but suck in a breath of cold air.
"This Red Hero is a ruthless man."
"Is he really a loose cultivator? Can a loose cultivator have such combat power?"
Meanwhile, those from Taiyi Sect and the other three sects sent for investigation also furrowed their brows, grabbing the memory stone to study it thoroughly.
Finally, they had to acknowledge that this person’s strength was indeed astonishing, with the possibility of threatening Daoist masters and mistresses.
"This Red Hero is highly suspicious. As soon as he emerges, capture him and take him back to the Alliance of Immortal Taoism for strict interrogation!" The steward from the Palace of Leaving Fire, having learned that Lou Yi severely injured Daoist Heaven-Burning, was full of malice towards him.
"Everyone, I’ve told you everything I know. Can you release me now?" Li Haorang pleaded in a low voice.
"No rush. Things have not come to light yet. You stay aside for now." The hook-nosed elder of Taiyi Sect coldly rejected Li Haorang’s request.
Li Haorang was filled with indignation, but under the binding of the rope spiritual artifact and the cold gaze of the Undying War Puppet, he could only obediently walk to the other side, not daring to resist.
Meanwhile, people from the four major sects continued to stand guard at the cross-boundary bridge, eyes fixed intently on the opposite side of the bridge.
A moment later, five or six cultivators flew from the other side of the bridge, their cultivation mostly between the fourth and fifth layers of the Spirit Platform, easily defeated and captured by the Undying War Puppet, without any ability to resist.
"Quickly tell, have you seen our sect’s Daoist Zhao Wushuang?"
"Did you see Daoist Ningshuang in any conflict with anyone?"
Falling into prepared traps, these people, recognizing their bad luck, cursed inwardly but could only confide everything they knew.
"On the first day I entered the blessed land, I saw Daoist Zhao display great power, slaughtering a local monster!
On the second day, I bumped into one of his subordinates... On the last three days, however, I didn’t see them, though it might just be bad luck not to encounter them."
"Me too, I saw Daoist True Mastery in the early days, but didn’t encounter them in the last few days either."
"...Currently, the most powerful forces in the blessed land are led by Red Hero, Su Xinghe, and Daoist Ming Du..."
The scene of Lou Yi killing several demon clan royals, nobles, and human Daoists and Daoist mistresses was only witnessed by Lin Xuan and Su Xinghe personally.
Others arrived later, and these captured ones naturally were unclear about the truth.
However, in the beginning, clearly, Zhao Wushuang’s team’s strength was the strongest in the blessed land, but later it was overshadowed by the teams led by Red Hero and Su Xinghe, which says a lot.
Whoever benefits the most is often the real culprit.
"Again this Red Hero?" Members of Taiyi Sect and the other three sects all wore dark faces, their minds swirling with various sinister ideas.
"Su Xinghe, Ming Du, they’ve arrived!" someone in the waiting crowd suddenly whispered.
On the rainbow bridge, this time, a dozen cultivators appeared together, crossing the bridge collectively.
The two at the forefront both seemed to be in their twenties.
One wore a black Daoist robe with white trims, sword eyebrows and starry eyes, exuding a sharp aura.
The other wore a black robe, had darker skin, unremarkable appearance, but carried a somber demeanor.
They were indeed Daoist Su Xinghe from the Boundless Sword Sect and Daoist Ming Du.
Behind them, were Lin Xuan with her horn braids, Elder Gui with white hair, the enchanting Ding Shiniang, the physically strong Shen Ao, the amiable Three Corpses Daoist, and Fang Zhiyuan with thick eyebrows and large eyes, all present in the lineup.
"Go, capture them!" Taiyi Sect’s hook-nosed elder said viciously.
"These people surely know the cause of death of several Daoists and Daoist mistresses," the middle-aged man in deep blue Daoist robe from the Five Elements Sect analyzed coldly.
Wearing a golden thread jade garment and radiating rainbow light, the Undying War Puppet shot into the air with a ’whoosh’, transforming into a bolt of lightning shooting towards Su Xinghe’s team!
Su Xinghe and Ming Du, originally casually conversing, felt the incoming malice and both had a change in their complexion.
"Not good!"
Su Xinghe’s spiritual essence suddenly surged, his Daoist robe billowed, and a pigeon-egg-sized silver pill flew out from his sleeve, ’zinging’ across the sky, transforming into a silver giant sword swinging towards the Undying War Puppet.
The air resounded with intense thunderclaps of ’clang clang clang’, sparks flying everywhere, and layers of white air waves crazy spreading around, forcing surrounding others to dodge.
The Undying War Puppet that initially could defeat a sixth-layer Spirit Platform expert like Li Haorang in a few moves, surprisingly couldn’t break through at the moment.
Only then did everyone discover that Su Xinghe’s aura had reached the peak of the Sixth Layer of the Spirit Platform.
Combined with his extraordinary status as the Daoist of Wu Liang Sword Sect, his strength naturally surpassed Li Haorang, who was a solitary figure, by far more than one level.
Unfortunately, Su Xinghe managed to hold the silver giant sword for only a little over ten breaths, but it still got pushed back constantly by the Undying War Puppet enveloped in dazzling flowing light, wailing endlessly.
Seeing this, Daoist Ming Du released all his aura, a black spirit platform with eerie ghost energy rose, reaching the sixth layer, and even a slight glow emerged from the seventh layer, clearly showing he had reached the peak of the Sixth Layer of the Spirit Platform, like Su Xinghe.
He actively controlled the seemingly tangible sixth layer spirit platform forward, like a small mountain being pushed, and together with the silver giant sword, barely blocked the Undying War Puppet.
"Why has the Undying War Puppet of the Immortal Dao Alliance been dispatched here, and even to deal with us?" Daoist Ming Du said with some anger and shock.
Su Xinghe did not speak, concentrating fully on controlling the flying sword, but his expression gradually turned cold.
"Oh, worthy of being a Grand Daoist, you indeed have some skills." The elder from Tai Yi Sect sneered, as another black burlap sack appeared in his hand, opening the mouth to release a second war puppet.
With the second war puppet joining, the pressure on Su Xinghe and Daoist Ming Du increased significantly, and the battle seemed on the verge of collapsing.
Witnessing this, the Three Corpses Daoist, Lin Xuan, Ding Shiniang, Elder Gui, and others all took action, exerting their efforts fully, either unleashing magic spells, wielding spiritual artifacts, or throwing talismans, gathering everyone’s strength, barely holding off the two war puppets.
But as the third, fourth... the seventh war puppet emerged one after another, Lin Xuan and the others’ faces turned pale.
Each of these war puppets possessed cultivation close to the Seventh Layer of the Spirit Platform, and unaffected by magic spells, they could only be targeted with spiritual artifacts.
They were already using all their might just to hold off two, how could they possibly hold off seven!
Perhaps even cultivators rumored to be of the Eighth Layer of the Spirit Platform might not achieve this?
As the remaining five war puppets were about to join the battlefield.
"Stop!"
In this critical moment, several figures arrived at the scene.
One person suddenly released two human-shaped puppets shrouded in black aura from his sleeve, with cold eyes, although differing in appearance from the Undying War Puppets, yet the aura was strikingly similar.
Another raised a thick white jade plate engraved with dragons and phoenixes and embellished with many holes along the edge, with silver beams shooting from several holes, transforming into over ten sword lights flying back and forth in the sky, forming a grand spectacle.
"Life and Death Puppets of the Xuan Yin Sect?"
"Heirloom Treasure of the Present Realm Master!"
Seeing these two methods, the hook-nosed elder from Tai Yi Sect and several others’ faces darkened.
It turned out that these arriving figures also had backgrounds, dispatched by Wu Liang Sword Sect and Xuan Yin Sect to assist their sect’s Daoists.
The Xuan Yin Sect revealed its heirloom Life and Death Puppet, which was not much weaker than the Undying War Puppets treasured by the Immortal Dao Alliance.
Wu Liang Sword Sect was even more extravagant, the Present Realm Golden Core Master bestowed their heirloom treasure.
Different from other treasure artifacts, the heirloom treasure contains a trace of the master’s mighty power, rendering it nearly invincible at the Foundation Establishment Level.
But bringing it out carries substantial risk; if damaged, it may affect the master’s cultivation base.
Nonetheless, this showed the sects’ prioritization of their Daoists.
"What are you doing!" The support dispatched by Wu Liang Sword Sect was a young sword cultivator in white robes, whose hair and beard were standing on end, eyes glaring fiercely.
"If you don’t provide a reasonable explanation, it will be decided at the Immortal Alliance Conference." The gray-robed elder from Xuan Yin Sect said coldly, his voice extremely hoarse.
"Just want to invite the two young friends for a chat, to investigate the cause of my sect’s Daoist’s demise." The hook-nosed elder from Tai Yi Sect spoke unyieldingly.
But in his heart, he knew it would be difficult to further harm Su Xinghe and Daoist Ming Du.
"Because they died, you want to act against my sect’s Daoists?" Wu Liang Sword Sect’s white-robed sword cultivator sneered, then waved his hand, "Let’s go!"
Attempting to lead Su Xinghe and the others away.
"Hold on!" The middle-aged man from Five Elements Sect said calmly, "You may take your people, but the others must stay to cooperate with the investigation."
His gaze swept coldly across the surroundings: "Also, Red Hero, where is the one called Red Hero?"
According to earlier scenes, Red Hero was not among the people, likely hiding.
No one answered, but the Five Elements Sect cultivator didn’t mind, simply forbidding others from leaving.
"They are all my friends, I am responsible for their safety." Su Xinghe spoke with firm resolve, intent on protecting the Three Corpses Daoist, Shen Ao group.
"Heh, you cannot take them." The person responsible for the investigation from Spirit Treasure Sect was equally tough, "The Immortal Alliance Conference’s decision must clarify the truth of this matter!"
The seven Undying War Puppets flew together to stand, facing off against the Life and Death Puppets and the master’s heirloom treasure, an invisible standoff commenced, various magic spells’ flowing light clashing, producing either muffled or crisp sounds.
The forces, both sides were plunged into a stalemate.
...