Chapter 239: Long Time No See

Chapter 239: Long Time No See

Ying Wujiu had no interest in what had poked Fēng Sha’s rear end. He had deliberately left his most formidable corpse puppet in the Demon Realm to keep an eye on Lu Yan. He never expected that these two would secretly come to Feijue Peak behind his back.

"Swish—!"

With a cold flick of his sleeve, Ying Wujiu smashed the teacup on the table, barely restraining his fury as he commanded, "Bring them back immediately!!"

The shattered teacup mirrored his current state of mind—a mess that could easily cut someone if not handled carefully.

At that moment, Lu Yan and the corpse puppet were unaware of this. After dawn, they walked with the disciples toward the exit of the dense forest. Although they encountered some trouble along the way, Elder Yue Deng made it easy for them to handle.

Lu Yan appeared calm, but his thoughts were more complex. Although Lei Nu had discovered their trail, she wouldn’t inform Ying Wujiu due to various reasons. However, Fēng Sha was unpredictable; his rash nature and inability to lie made him a liability.

As feared, when they reached the forest exit, a group of black-clad demon cultivators was already waiting there. Leading them was a man in green robes, his face covered by a golden silk mask, making his features indiscernible. His voice, however, seemed faintly familiar:

"I am Dànză, the protector under Lord Wujiu, here to escort you all into the second trial. Please hand over your tokens."

It was Tang Su?!

Lu Yan and the corpse puppet exchanged a subtle glance, suppressing their inner turmoil.

Although the Immortal Sect and the Demon Realm often clashed, they still adhered to certain courtesies. Elder Yue Deng politely responded, neither overly warm nor impolite: "Thank you. May I ask how the second trial will proceed?"

The disciples behind her orderly handed over their tokens, each having exactly two.

The man in the golden mask nodded slightly and slowly uttered two words: "Scatter!"

The battle erupted instantly. As soon as he spoke, hundreds of demon cultivators charged forward, scattering everyone like wolves among sheep, driving them into the canyon. The disciples fumbled to draw their swords but were quickly overwhelmed.

Elder Yue Deng was shocked, thinking these demon cultivators were about to attack. She prepared to summon her golden bell, but a calm voice interrupted her:

"Elder Yue Deng, please do not panic. We are only dispersing everyone; no one will be harmed. You should join us!"

A palm struck her from behind, pushing her out of the forest. The scenery changed abruptly, revealing towering cliffs—a new illusionary realm!

The disciples were all driven into the second trial’s illusion, leaving only Lu Yan and the corpse puppet at the forest exit. The man in green removed his golden silk mask, sighed, and bowed to them: "Grand Steward, General Corpse Puppet, why did you leave the Demon Realm? Please follow me up the mountain; Lord Wujiu wishes to see you both."

This wasn't a casual meeting; it was clearly a reckoning.

Lu Yan thought they had run right into Ying Wujiu's hands, but he had anticipated this. He remained composed: "When did Lord Wujiu discover our presence?"

Tang Su replied, "Just now."

Lu Yan pressed on: "Is Lord Wujiu angry?"

Tang Su hesitated: "Well..."

Seeing Tang Su's nervous expression, Lu Yan smiled amiably and patted his shoulder: "Brother Tang, don't worry; I was just asking. Let's go up the mountain together; we shouldn't keep Lord Wujiu waiting."

Tang Su felt a pang of unease seeing Lu Yan's smile. Last time, Lu Yan had tricked him similarly, feeding him a Corpse Worm Pill without an antidote yet. Tang Su inwardly groaned and led them up the mountain.

On Feijue Peak stood a vast martial arena, large enough to accommodate dozens of sects. A black palace loomed ahead, backed by towering mountains, exuding an imposing grandeur.

Tang Su led the way, but upon reaching the palace entrance, a guard whispered: "Lord Wujiu is currently receiving guests. He instructed that if you bring the Grand Steward, settle him in the rear hall temporarily."

Tang Su asked, puzzled: "Guests? Who are they?"

The guard revealed: "Led by Tan Yue of Wuwang Sect and Liu Bai Xuan of Feixing Sect, they brought other sect leaders to visit. There are about ten of them."

Tang Su realized why Lord Wujiu hadn't met with the Grand Steward: those people had arrived. "I understand. Guard this place well."

He then turned to Lu Yan: "Grand Steward, Lord Wujiu is receiving guests. Let me take you to the rear hall to rest."

Lu Yan heard the guard’s words and nodded, indifferent: "Receiving guests is important. I'll wait in the rear hall."

But he sighed inwardly, fearing these guests might have ill intentions.

In the main hall, the visiting sect leaders sat opposite each other. On the left was a white-robed man with a jade hairpin, his gentle demeanor suggesting compassion—Tan Yue, the leader of Wuwang Sect. On the right was a refined middle-aged man—Liu Bai Xuan, the leader of Feixing Sect. They had led this joint visit.

"Lord Tan, this Ying Wujiu is too disrespectful. Though this is his domain, we’ve given him ample respect by coming here. Yet he keeps us waiting so long!"

An elder, noticing his tea had cooled, voiced his frustration, stirring subtle discontent among the others. Tan Yue raised a hand, remaining calm: "Since we are here, let’s be patient. Lord Wujiu may be busy. Since we seek reconciliation, we should be more understanding."

A deep, lazy voice suddenly echoed from above:

"Lord Tan truly has a compassionate heart, deserving your reputation."

Everyone was startled, looking up to see a red figure appear at the balcony. The person wore a half-golden silk lotus-patterned mask, leaning against the railing, looking down at them. This must be the new Demon Lord, Ying Wujiu.

His eyes were unreadable, his exposed half-face cold and unfamiliar, yet there was something oddly familiar about his rebellious aura.

Tan Yue remained silent, his hand tightening on his knee, veins bulging.

Liu Bai Xuan called out: "Since Lord Wujiu is here, why not join us for a drink and celebrate together!"

Ying Wujiu stood with folded arms, descending the stairs, his voice distant and indifferent: "I can control the Demon Realm, but you can’t control Tan Yue. Therefore, everyone else should leave. Your gathering is noisy and bothersome."

His words were blunt. The elder who had complained earlier slammed the table: "Ying Wujiu, don’t be ungrateful! If you submit to the Immortal Sect and repent, past deeds will be forgiven. But if you persist, we’ll make your Demon Realm suffer. The previous Demon Lord endured seven hundred years of torment in the Bone Sword Furnace before dying. Don’t follow his path—"

"Bang—!"

Before the elder finished, Ying Wujiu swept his red sleeve, sending him flying into a coiled dragon iron pillar. When he landed, he spat blood, his bones broken, his cultivation shattered.

Everyone was shocked, rising from their seats:

"Lord Jin!"

"Lord Jin, are you alright?!"

"Such ruthless means, even shattering the dantian!"

They chattered in shock and anger, but not a single one dared to step forward to help. They didn't even dare to blame Ying Wuju by name, fearing that they might be next.

Ying Wuju closed his eyes, his expression dark, clearly at the end of his patience: "Enough noise!"

The red sleeves fluttered without wind, just as someone was about to suffer. Suddenly, Tan Yue spoke up: "Then I suggest the heads of the sects return to the guest hall for now. I will discuss this matter with Lord Ying."

With his words, no one dared to argue. After all, no one wanted to stay with Ying Wuju, the demon god. They quickly carried the half-dead Jin Zunzhu out. Liu Baixuan, the head of Feixing Sect, sighed and followed them out. Soon, only Ying Wuju and Tan Yue remained in the great hall, along with a white-robed attendant standing behind Tan Yue.

"This attendant is my trusted aide, unable to speak or hear. Lord Ying, feel free to speak openly."

Tan Yue's gaze never left Ying Wuju, trying to find traces of an old acquaintance on the masked face. Yet, even immortals with extraordinary memories could not remember everything from centuries past, making that face somewhat blurry.

Ying Wuju stared at him with an unfathomable expression, his gaze cold like a venomous snake: "Lord Tan, I have nothing to say to you. Now that you've brought people here to confront the Demon Realm, I'd like to hear your suggestions."

Tan Yue answered obliquely: "Lord Ying resembles an old friend of mine."

Ying Wuju: "Oh?"

Tan Yue: "He was my junior brother."

Ying Wuju: "Oh."

Tan Yue smiled sadly: "Unfortunately, he took the wrong path and died in the end."

Ying Wuju: "And then?"

Tan Yue: "I hope Lord Ying can choose the righteous path. The immortal realm is declining, and the Demon Realm even more so. Why not turn over a new leaf and merge with us to achieve greatness together, seeking the last trace of immortality in the three realms."

Ying Wuju neither became angry nor upset. He casually picked up a wine jug and poured himself a cup, saying with interest: "Merge together? Is Lord Tan planning to abdicate and give me the position of the Immortal Alliance leader?"

Tan Yue agreed readily, pretending not to hear the hidden meaning in his words: "If Lord Ying's virtue can win the respect of the entire Immortal Sect, what's the harm in Tan Yue stepping down?"

Ying Wuju raised an eyebrow indifferently: "This Lord does not have the virtue to convince others. But if it's about subduing through force, that might be possible."

Hearing this, Tan Yue's gaze darkened, and his aura surged, implying: "If Lord Ying wishes to kill, feel free to try."

Ying Wuju smiled: "Do you think I haven't tried?"

Unaffected by Tan Yue, he casually waved his sleeve, dispelling the pressure the other had deliberately exerted in the air. This caused Tan Yue's expression to change slightly, revealing surprise.

In that moment, both sensed the presence of their souls, turning the vast front hall into a turbulent sea beneath the surface, seemingly calm but filled with murderous intent.

At that time, Lu Yan was hiding upstairs, observing secretly. His senses were far more acute than anyone else's, allowing him to detect the presence of a soul in Tan Yue. To his surprise, the soul's presence was quite strong, suggesting there was more than one fragment!

Lu Yan's eyes flickered, his thoughts racing. Indeed, Tan Yue had already planned to send assassins after the father of Hatered Red to seize the soul fragments years ago. As the head of the top sect, he could easily command countless followers, possibly obtaining several fragments in secret.

Lu Yan was grateful he had taken a trip and retrieved the soul fragments from the Buddha statue and Hatered Red beforehand; otherwise, they would have ended up in Tan Yue's hands.

As he thought this, he looked back downstairs, his gaze sweeping over the tense Ying Wuju and Tan Yue, finally settling on the white-robed attendant standing quietly behind the table. The attendant was almost completely turned away from Lu Yan, making his face hard to see, but there was a strange sense of familiarity.

Just as Lu Yan prepared to take a closer look, the attendant suddenly lifted his head, meeting his gaze with a slight smile, silently moving his lips:

"Long time no see."

Lu Yan's expression changed.