My Wife Is The Leader Of A Demonic Cult

After pondering for a long while, An Jing asked, “Do you know where the Seven Evils Sect’s Book Storage Tower is located?”

“Go out of this door and turn left,” said the woman in black.

“I have important matters to attend to, so I must take my leave,” she said, and with that, her body sprang up and she headed into the distance.

“Out the door, turn left…”

An Jing did not hesitate either and quickly walked out the door.

The peaks of Nanhua Mountain were stacked on top of each other, bathed in moonlight that shone like water, and the jade towers loomed, creating a landscape akin to a celestial realm. Most of it were remnants of South Shu architecture, which had been maintained in their original state through hundreds of years of repairs.

An Jing walked out of the house and looked around to find himself as if in a heavenly realm on Earth.

Both had greatly restrained their moves and suppressed their Qi Mechanisms just now, apparently unnoticed by the experts of the Seven Evils Sect.

An Jing left the small house with its secret compartments and then headed to the left.

On the way, he saw only a few disciples of the Seven Evils Sect, each with considerable cultivation, some of whom had even reached the Fourth Grade Realm.

He then came across several separate courtyards.

Passing through these courtyards, he saw a tall tower with three large characters inscribed on it—”Book Storage Tower.”

Next to it was a small wooden hut, where a Seven Evils Sect expert of the Third Grade Realm sat inside.

Lou Xiangzhen had told him that the Golden Pill was inside a white jade statue in the Book Storage Tower of Nanhua Mountain.

“Better get the Golden Pill quickly,” An Jing took a deep breath, his body flitted, and he slipped into the Book Storage Tower, while the expert in the wooden hut did not notice that someone had sneaked into the Book Storage Tower at all.

The Book Storage Tower of Nanhua Palace was built with elegance and grandeur, stunningly beautiful. It was once said to contain hundreds of thousands of books, but after Nanhua Palace was destroyed, most of the books were taken by the Great Yan Royal Family. Later, when the Seven Evils Sect moved in, they refurbished the Book Storage Tower and added the sect’s martial arts, as well as their books, to its collection.

In any sect, the place where martial arts were stored was of the utmost importance, let alone in a major sect like the Seven Evils Sect.

Shelves upon shelves were filled with books including tales of strange occurrences, historical volumes, martial arts, encyclopedias, and crafting manuals.

An Jing walked to the inner area, seeking the white jade statue that Lou Xiangzhen had mentioned, but he quickly realized that there were only rows of books here and no statue to be found.

“It can’t be, Lou Xiangzhen shouldn’t have deceived me,” An Jing’s brows furrowed tightly, and after searching once more without finding the statue, he wondered, “Could the Seven Evils Sect have discovered the secret of the Golden Pill in the statue?”

Just then, a piercing scream spread throughout Nanhua Mountain.

“This is bad!”

“The Life Gu of Elder Gou Feng and Elder Meng Dong has shattered.”

“Someone has intruded into the Forbidden Land.”

“Quick, to the Seven Evils Hall, someone is attempting to assassinate the Sect Leader.”

….

A cacophony of noises arose, and the entirety of Nanhua Mountain descended into chaos.

An Jing hurried to the top floor of the Book Storage Tower, and upon seeing the disarray below within Nanhua Mountain, he was startled. He knew he had killed Gou Feng, and he was clear about that.

But he hadn’t tried to assassinate the Sect Leader of the Seven Evils Sect. Could it have been the woman in black from before?

Hadn’t she said there were experts within the Seven Evils Sect with cultivation surpassing her own? How dare she make a move? And why did she want to kill the Sect Leader of the Seven Evils Sect?

An Jing took a deep breath and continued to search for the statue.

Suddenly, atop a square platform on the top floor of the Book Storage Tower, there appeared two statues as clear and lustrous as white jade, depicting a boy and a girl.

“Reminder: There is a green opportunity nearby (left statue).”

“Reminder: There is a blue opportunity nearby (right statue).”

At the same time, the long-missed reminders from the Earth Book sounded.

“Found it.”

Seeing this, An Jing’s eyes lit up with a flicker of brightness. He stomped his foot on the ground, leapt up, and grabbed the two white jade statues with his hands.

“One green opportunity, one blue opportunity, what’s going on here?”

An Jing picked up one of the white jade statues for a closer look, then suddenly realized that the one on the right was exceptionally heavy. Though it did not appear large, it seemed to weigh tens of pounds.

“Hm!?”

Looking through the white jade statue, it seemed like something was pulsating inside. Upon closer inspection, it was clearly a cocoon, and something inside appeared to be throbbing.

And just as the white jade statue was lifted from the platform, a thread suddenly snapped.

“Sssss! Sssss!”

The next moment, a strange noise sounded.

An Jing scanned his surroundings.

He saw multiple black Gu insects swarming from all directions, rushing towards him, or more precisely, towards the white jade statue in his hands.

“There are so many Gu insects here?”

An Jing’s eyebrows knitted together tightly the moment he saw the insects.

The black Gu insects were dense and numerous, forming a swathe of blackness on the ground.

Clang!

An Jing pointed a finger toward the swarm of Gu insects. Explosive Qi Mechanism surged and crashed upon the insects, instantly creating a cacophony of loud noises.

Despite their tough exteriors, the black Gu insects were shattered by the powerful force.

These Gu insects were stronger than those encountered underground; not only were they significantly larger, but their carapaces were also sturdier.

….

At Nanhua Mountain, in the rear hall of Nanhua Palace.

In a quiet chamber.

A white-haired man was sitting cross-legged on a meditation mat, surrounded by dozens of red Gu insects.

Each insect was the size of a fist, with sharp mouthparts that looked incredibly bloodthirsty. Their mere appearance was unnerving and chilling to the bone.

This man was the Sect Hierarch of the Seven Evils Sect, Feng Xiu.

Feng Xiu looked at the Gu insects in front of him with a hint of infatuation in his eyes and whispered, “I wonder if these twelve red Bloodthirsty Gu can evolve into a purple Bone-eating Gu by next year.”

He had put countless effort and energy into these twelve Bloodthirsty Gu, longing for the day when he could cultivate a purple Bone-eating Gu. Then he could use the Bone-eating Gu in combination with the special Body Refining martial arts techniques of the Southern Barbarians.

Just then, a cold voice suddenly rang out, “I’m afraid this Bone-eating Gu would require the blood of many people, wouldn’t it?”

“Who!?”

Feng Xiu felt a sudden tremor in his heart and looked toward the source of the sound, only to see a woman in black standing not far away, holding a cold longsword in her hand.

To enter his meditation room without a trace, her cultivation was truly terrifying.

Seeing this, Feng Xiu spoke with a grave tone, “You are… ”

The woman in black coldly asked, “Feng Xiu, three years ago you killed my disciple Bai Yu’er. Do you remember?”

“Bai Yu’er!?”

Feng Xiu was suddenly startled, “You are Wang Ningshui?”

Bai Yu’er, this name he would naturally not forget.

Three years ago, it was during the struggle for control of Nanhua Mountain twenty years ago between the Unrivaled Palace and the Seven Evils Sect that he led a group to assassinate the then Palace Master of the Unrivaled Palace, Bai Yu’er, in secret.

Because Feng Xiu’s cultivation was only at the Human Flower Realm, and Bai Yu’er was also at the Human Flower Realm, he did not have the confidence to kill Bai Yu’er, so he had to resort to such a despicable strategy.

And Bai Yu’er’s master was none other than the renowned Unrivaled Sword King Wang Ningshui from the Great Yan martial world of that time.

“It seems you still remember.”

The woman in black nodded after hearing this.

Feng Xiu felt a chill in his heart and said in a low voice, “Senior, haven’t you retired from Jianghu?”

Wang Ningshui sighed lightly, “I originally thought I could see through worldly affairs and leave Jianghu behind, but reality has shown me that Jianghu is not something I can just leave whenever I wish.”

Only those who have truly stepped into Jianghu know that it’s not a place one can simply walk away from.

Feng Xiu seemed to sense Wang Ningshui’s murderous intent and began to manipulate the Gu insects around him.

“Hiss!”

Wang Ningshui’s eyebrows raised slightly as she drew her longsword.

“Bang bang bang bang!”

As the sword was lifted, a chilling light cast an icy coldness in the room, and the dozens of Gu insects instantly turned into a mist of blood.

Feng Xiu’s face was also splattered with blood, a look of fear appearing in his eyes.

“Do not move.”

Wang Ningshui said indifferently, “Tell me all about how the Seven Evils Sect has been colluding with the Southern Barbarians over the years, and perhaps I can offer you a swift death.”

Feng Xiu wiped the blood from his face, his heart seized up, “I don’t know what Senior Wang is talking about.”

Wang Ningshui’s eyes narrowed to a slit, “Still not willing to talk? For example, you trafficking women to the Southern Barbarians, and feeding human flesh to Southern Barbarian Gu insects, practicing taboo martial arts.”

“You… you…”

Upon hearing this, Feng Xiu could no longer sit still, a look of shock appeared in his eyes.

He had carried out these acts in absolute secrecy, even some of the Seven Evils Sect’s elders were unaware that he was behind them, so how did Wang Ningshui come to know?

Seeing Feng Xiu’s expression, Wang Ningshui became even more certain, then couldn’t help but ask, “The Southern Barbarians are uncivilized tribes, some of which still live on raw meat and blood to this day. Yet, you dare to sell off the common people of Great Yan to the Southern Barbarians, and even use the flesh and blood of our Great Yan people to feed Southern Barbarian Gu insects… don’t you have any conscience at all?”

The conflict between the Seven Evils Sect and the Unrivaled Palace was over interests, which Feng Xiu could understand.

But she couldn’t understand how Feng Xiu, a person of Great Yan, could do something so universally abhorrent and utterly devoid of conscience.

Do some people really have no bottom line at all?

“Conscience?”

Feng Xiu’s inner terror gradually subsided, and he said coldly, “Is conscience useful? How much money can buy a pound of it?”

Wang Ningshui didn’t speak, just quietly watched the white-haired man in front of her.

“Without strength, you’re fucking nothing, who would even give a damn about you?”

Feng Xiu’s audacity grew as he spoke, his voice ferocious, “When I had a conscience, everyone despised me, insulted me, everyone wished they could defecate and urinate on the head of our Seven Evils Sect. Tell me, which of the current seven major factions isn’t sanctimonious, sordid behind closed doors? The Zhenyi Sect’s deacons and temple masters raising serving girls to entertain guests. And the nobility, which one of them does not have blood on their hands, with piles of bones beneath their feet? In their eyes, the common folks of this world are nothing but livestock they rear. Why don’t you ask them where their conscience is? Who really has a conscience?”

Wang Ningshui’s gaze turned icy, “You have fallen into devilry.”

“I’ve fallen into devilry?”

Feng Xiu laughed mockingly, “Senior Wang, you must have grown senile from withdrawing from Jianghu. In this world, unwavering since ancient times, only strong power is fundamental. Everything else, like conscience and the like, they’re all worthless crap.”

“Only those who live well and enjoy themselves have a conscience. Someone like me doesn’t deserve one.”

Wang Ningshui looked at Feng Xiu, not interrupting him.

“Liang Mo, Senior…”

Just then, Feng Xiu saw someone behind Wang Ningshui, a look of joyful surprise on his face.

Liang Mo!?

Wang Ningshui naturally was familiar with that name—it was the wizard from the Southern Barbarians.

In the Southern Barbarians, those who are called wizards are figures with unfathomable strength and high status. In any tribe, they hold great authority and are often the spiritual leaders.

In the Southern Barbarians, the title of wizard is a symbol of power and authority, supreme and unassailable.

With the development of the Southern Barbarians over the past few centuries, the tribes had grown stronger and the number of martial experts had gradually increased. However, the number of witch doctors had not increased much at all.

If a Southern Barbarian witch doctor were present today, not to mention killing An Jing, whether I could even walk away alive would be questionable.

Wang Ningshui furrowed her brows and looked behind her, her hand going to her back which was empty, void of any human shadow.

“What an opportunity!”

Seeing this, a cold light flashed in An Jing’s eyes, and he immediately struck his palm towards Wang Ningshui’s back.

He used all his strength for this palm strike, not holding back in the slightest.

But just as his hand was about to reach Wang Ningshui, his arm suddenly halted, unable to advance even an inch further, as if it was bound by some kind of shackle.

“The Heavenly Flower Realm!?”

An Jing felt the Qi mechanism and a look of astonishment appeared in his eyes.

Wang Ningshui spoke coldly, “Since you’ve chosen to be a dog for the Southern Barbarians, I can only send you on your way.”

“Puchi!”

Wang Ningshui didn’t hold back either, thrusting her sword fiercely forward, piercing directly through An Jing’s throat.

“Gurgling—!”

Blood flowed down from his neck.

An Jing felt his life force rapidly fading, his strength draining away from his hands, and then with a thud, he collapsed to the ground, his body even beginning to convulse: “I… I… I have the Southern Barbarians’ Gu insect inside me, if I die, you will be exposed too, that Liang Mo is truly inside the sect, I advise you to leave quickly before he notices.”

“The Southern Barbarians’ Gu insect?”

Wang Ningshui’s heart shook when she heard this, and she quickly asked in a low voice, “Do you mean you’re being controlled by the Southern Barbarians?”

An Jing, lying on the ground, cracked a feeble smile, “I, An Jing, acted of my own free will, who could control me? I wanted to make Seven Evils Sect the national religion of Great Yan, the religion of the whole world, and I, An Jing, would be remembered for thousands of years…”

An Jing hadn’t finished speaking when his breath stopped.

“What controls you is your own desire.”

Looking at An Jing lying in a pool of blood, Wang Ningshui sighed deeply.

She knew that An Jing had intentionally told her this.

“Leave quickly.”

Wang Ningshui took a deep breath and walked towards the outside of the chamber.

But just as she stepped out of the chamber, a figure appeared in front of her.

The person stood under the moonlight, seemingly merging with the moon’s glow, tranquil and natural, dressed in the Southern Barbarians’ ancient attire, wearing a strange hat.

Because he was against the moonlight, his face was unclear.

But Wang Ningshui’s brows tightened.

“Unrivaled Sword, Wang Ningshui?”

The figure inquired.

The voice was somewhat hoarse and dry, showing great age.

Wang Ningshui clenched her longsword tightly and asked, “Witch Doctor Liang Mo?”

Liang Mo nodded, saying with emotion, “I have long heard of the great name of Unrivaled Sword; seeing you today, I can confirm you are indeed extraordinary. You managed to silently infiltrate Seven Evils Sect and even slay its Sect Leader.”

Wang Ningshui responded calmly, “Compared to Witch Doctor Liang Mo, I am but an amateur in the presence of a master. Witch Doctor Liang Mo himself has slipped into Great Yan, slaughtering many in the Martial World of Great Yan, nurturing Southern Barbarian Gu insects, all unbeknownst to us.”

Liang Mo chuckled, which, despite the laughter, felt chilling, “One should be careful with what they eat, but even more so with what they say. I am a tributor of the Seven Evils Sect, how could it be sneaking in? Besides, since my arrival in Great Yan years ago, I have never killed a single person from Great Yan.”

“Is that so?”

Wang Ningshui gripped her longsword tightly and spoke, “I wonder since when the Southern Barbarians have adopted Buddhism?”

“Whether the Southern Barbarians have Buddhism, I am not sure, but today, for you, I am willing to break my vow of non-killing.”

After Liang Mo finished speaking, he reached forward with his palm.

An overwhelming surge of Qi Force came rushing forth like a tidal wave toward Wang Ningshui, carrying with it the sounds of wind thunder.

Half-step Master!

With just one move, Liang Mo had revealed his formidable strength.

Aside from practicing Gu Technique, the Southern Barbarians’ Body Refining Martial Arts were also extremely powerful, second only to the contemporary Great Snow Mountain and Buddhism, ranking third in the world.

“Indeed, the witch doctors of the Southern Barbarians are extraordinary.”

Wang Ningshui narrowed his eyes slightly, and his longsword swung out.

Hiss!

A streak of cold light surged forward, and in an instant, the two figures crossed paths.

Under the moonlight, silhouettes became chaotic, indistinguishable from one another.

Even though Wang Ningshui was at the Heavenly Flower Realm, Liang Mo was a Half-step Master, his fist force surging and turbulent, with an imposing momentum that was shocking.

In just a few dozen exchanges, Wang Ningshui had already fallen into a disadvantage, and that was even without Liang Mo using his full strength.

“Thump!”

With a casual punch from Liang Mo, the air seemed to shatter, emitting a deafening sound.

Wang Ningshui’s complexion turned pale, and he quickly crossed his longsword in front of his chest.

Countless streams of airflow surged forward, forming a spiraling vortex.

Thousand-Change Sword Technique! Soul Leaving Cone!

Wang Ningshui was extremely talented in the sword dao, but he wasn’t considered top-tier in the current era. Although he had not reached the Fifth Realm, he was now at the peak of the Fourth Realm.

After the collision, Wang Ningshui staggered as if severely stricken, continuously retreating towards the back.

And their battle, of course, alarmed the disciples of the Seven Evils Sect on Nanhua Mountain. The death of Sect Leader Feng Xiu was discovered, and immediately dozens of Seven Evils Sect experts rushed over.

Liang Mo looked toward Wang Ningshui and said indifferently, “The person before you is the murderer who killed Sect Leader Feng. You all back me up while I capture this person.”

Instantly, all the members of the Seven Evils Sect glared fiercely at Wang Ningshui.

The expression of the Great Elder of the Seven Evils Sect also fluctuated uncertainly.

On ordinary days, it seemed like the Sect Hierarch gave the orders, but those who truly understood the situation knew that it was actually the wizard Liang Mo from the Southern Barbarians who had the real say.

If he could curry favor with Wizard Liang Mo today, he might even gain the position of Sect Hierarch.

“Quick, run!”

Wang Ningshui, knowing that he was no match for Liang Mo and seeing the threatening aura of the other disciples from the Seven Evils Sect, couldn’t help but feel a chill in his heart. Waving his longsword, he leaped toward the distance.

“Wizard Liang Mo, don’t let the criminal escape,” the Great Elder of the Seven Evils Sect immediately shouted.

He had just received news that someone had broken into the ‘Forbidden Land’, and it was likely the expert before them. If it became known that the Seven Evils Sect was colluding with the Southern Barbarians, the Sect might very well be exterminated.

“Don’t worry, she won’t get away,” Liang Mo said as his body soared, following in pursuit.

……..

Book Storage Tower.

An Jing, after slaying dozens of Gu Insects, realized he might have been exposed. He stowed away the White Jade Statue and began to fly down the mountain.

Just then, a familiar figure appeared ahead.

“Hurry!”

Wang Ningshui saw the Ghost Swordsman ahead and immediately called out sharply.

An Jing, upon seeing Wang Ningshui, was momentarily stunned. Before he could react, Liang Mo’s figure appeared behind him.

“Holy Essence Gu!?”

Seeing An Jing holding two White Jade Statues, Liang Mo’s expression changed dramatically, and then he spoke gravely, “I don’t know who you are, but I advise you, don’t take what you shouldn’t.”

Compared with the Holy Essence Gu before him, the matter of killing Feng Xiu and entering the Forbidden Land involving Wang Ningshui was not worth mentioning.

The Holy Essence Gu was the work of half his lifetime.

From the Qi Mechanism released by Liang Mo, An Jing sensed that this person’s cultivation was roughly around the Half-step Master Realm. Having obtained the statues, he had no desire to entangle with him and headed toward the foothills below.

“Think you can leave!?”

Liang Mo’s foot stomped fiercely, and the bluestone slabs beneath his feet cracked, while his figure turned into a black light and instantly disappeared from where he was.

“Is he chasing after me? Could it be for the White Jade Statue?”

As Liang Mo’s figure vanished, An Jing felt a chill at his back and hurriedly executed the Soaring Nine Heavens Body Technique.

Boom!

A fist shadow struck, hitting precisely where An Jing had just been standing, and immediately a massive noise echoed, shaking the surroundings.

A punch missed its target, and Liang Mo’s expression remained unchanged as he launched another two punches that thundered like drums.

An Jing’s figure retreated once more, as if avoiding the sharp edge.

“Who is this person, to be no weaker than Wang Ningshui?” Seeing An Jing continuously dodging his punches, Liang Mo couldn’t help but be shaken.

It is known that the grandmasters of the Great Yan Martial World haven’t come out of seclusion, and Half-step Masters are also rarely seen in Jianghu. Therefore, experts of the Heavenly Flower Realm are already considered the peak. The arrival of someone like Wang Ningshui from Nanhua Mountain had already been astonishing enough, but now there was someone not weaker than Wang Ningshui. How could Liang Mo not be surprised?

An Jing, who was darting back rapidly, suddenly stopped. In the depths of his black eyes, there was a trace of solemnity.

Golden light surged behind him.

Brahma Heart Sees Me!

Before him, dark light emerged, and Liang Mo’s figure appeared once again. His punches, like mountains, enveloped him as if wanting to crush him in one blow.

Yet facing Liang Mo’s punch, An Jing no longer retreated.

An Jing’s expression was as undisturbed as an ancient well, then he pointed forward.

The two ferocious and domineering Qi Forces heavily collided with each other.

Boom!

The wild light swept over heaven and earth like a sun rising from the point of their fists’ collision. The terrible current of Qi Mechanism blast waves wreaked havoc, and under the impact, the ground itself began to collapse layer by layer.

“What’s going on?”

“Isn’t Liang Mo a Half-step Master in terms of cultivation?”

“Can someone actually fight on par with Master Liang Mo and not be at a disadvantage?”

……

The several Seven Evils Sect experts following Liang Mo hurried over. They were all trembling inwardly at the sight.

They stared intently at the center of the rampaging Qi Mechanism.

Bang!

Qi Mechanism swept over, and the two figures clashed with each other again.

An Jing’s feet repeatedly stomped on the ground, and each step left a dent in the ground below, indicating the strength of Liang Mo’s force.

After retreating dozens of steps like this, he finally managed to stabilize his body. A golden Buddhist light surged and radiated from behind him.

“What on earth?”

Wang Ningshui also noticed that Liang Mo stopped chasing her and instead went after that Ghost Swordsman, which caused her eyebrows to furrow.

Meanwhile, Liang Mo took three steps back, his eyes filled with disbelief.

The might of a Grandmaster!

After that one confrontation, he actually felt a trace of a Grandmaster’s might.

“Golden Bone?”

Liang Mo looked at An Jing and said indifferently, “If you are willing to relinquish the white jade in your possession, I can pretend this never happened.”

Naturally, he did not intend to let the two of them go—after all, both could be accomplices and might have entered the Forbidden Land. But now, with the man in the black robe holding the Holy Essence Gu, he felt somewhat constrained.

Wang Ningshui interjected, “This person is Liang Mo from the Southern Barbarians. You can’t trust his words.”

Liang Mo’s eyes narrowed as he looked toward the distant Wang Ningshui, and his urge to kill grew.

An Jing played with the white jade statue in his hand, “This was never an item belonging to your Southern Barbarians to begin with, so why should I give it to you?”

He naturally did not believe Liang Mo’s words, and besides, the two statues contained one green and one blue opportunity, so there was no way he would hand them over.

“If that’s the case, then there’s nothing more to say.”

As Liang Mo’s voice fell, the Inner Strength within his body surged forth like the vast waters of a river or lake.

A powerful Qi Mechanism pressure spread out from within.

“Why don’t you try taking another punch from me?!”

Liang Mo launched another punch, but this time when the Fist Force howled out, it was not only the terrible strength of the body and the formidable force but also the overwhelming Qi Mechanism that billowed out like a torrential mountain flood.

It seemed like a flood that pierced through heaven and earth, and anything blocking its path would be utterly destroyed.

Liang Mo’s punch could inflict serious injuries on any regular Heavenly Flower Realm expert if it landed directly.

The Qi Mechanism piercing through heaven and earth was reflected in An Jing’s pupils. His expression at this moment was also quite solemn. However, within his solemnity, there was no sense of fear.

An Jing’s palm extended, and he slashed the Evil Suppressing Sword toward the front.

“`

Boom! Boom!

Two shadows crisscrossed, their Qi mechanisms fiercely colliding, each impact akin to an earthquake shaking the very earth and sky.

Below, the experts of the Seven Evils Sect watched with grave expressions as the harsh clashes in the sky sent shockwaves that dispersed the surrounding houses and trees.

In just a few dozen breaths’ time, the two figures in the sky had already exchanged dozens of rounds.

“This Ghost Swordsman is indeed formidable; his sword technique is beyond what I can match,” one observed.

And Wang Ningshui could see that An Jing’s sword skill was likely at the Fifth Realm, which prompted a sigh of sentiment within her.

Watching the two combatants, the experts of the Seven Evils Sect had looks of utter shock, causing an uproar.

“Who is this person?”

“A half-step Master Realm expert does not wander the Jianghu without renown.”

…….

After exchanging several dozen moves, An Jing was gasping for air, his sword-wielding arm numb and tingling, blood flowing from his palm.

Although this Southern Barbarian wizard wasn’t as strong as the Half-step Master he had encountered at Liumu Villa, he was still of the Half-step Master Realm and exerted tremendous pressure on An Jing. If not for his Golden Bone being refined to Perfection, he might have already been defeated.

Liang Mo’s eyes flickered with a cold light, seemingly at the limit of his patience.

The Inner Strength within his body converged into his meridians, while a massive phantom formed behind him, slowly emanating a chilling dominance that instilled fear.

“Since my arrival in Great Yan, I haven’t displayed my Southern Barbarian Martial Arts,” Liang Mo said, his gaze filled with bloodlust as he slowly spoke, staring at An Jing.

An Jing, with an equally solemn look in his eyes, stared at the phantom behind Liang Mo. That oppressive feeling was not something any ordinary person could sense.

The next instant, his hand moved the Evil Suppressing Sword.

Nine-character Sword Technique! Lin Character Secret!

The sword moved forth like the vast water of a river, cascading down from the heavens, continuous and eternal.

Liang Mo let out a cold snort, and punched forward with overwhelming Fist Force that seemed to pierce the very air.

The punch sent a shiver through everyone present.

Even Wang Ningshui, standing some distance away, unconsciously retreated several steps.

As the Sword Light and Fist Force collided, everything around them trembled, the tide of Qi mechanism rampaging outwards.

An Jing stepped back three paces, feeling an odd sense in his heart.

His gaze pierced through the vast tide of Qi mechanism, looking towards Liang Mo, who seemed to have a cold smile on his lips.

Liang Mo’s fist was launched once more.

Soaring Snake Technique!

The world dimmed for a moment as a gigantic yellow python burst from his hands, a strange noise echoing across the horizon. With a punch, a terrifying dominance swept across the world. The surging python opened its gaping maw as if to swallow An Jing whole.

As the punch was struck, An Jing felt a violent tremor in his heart, his skin prickling with pain.

Bang!

The protective Qi mechanism around An Jing shattered in an instant, clearly overpowered by the surging python.

Liang Mo watched An Jing with indifferent eyes, his gaze reminiscent of looking at a man about to die.

The violent Qi mechanism crushed all Sword Light, proving that An Jing, despite his skill, still fell short against a Half-step Master.

The remaining force assailed him viciously, like a small boat in the tempest.

Then, a brilliant golden light refracted, deflecting all the Fist Force.

“What a formidable swordsman!”

Wang Ningshui exclaimed in surprise, knowing if she had been in the place of the Ghost Swordsman, that punch would have either killed or gravely injured her.

“Perfection in Golden Bone? Body Refining Martial Arts at the Heavenly Martial Level!?”

Liang Mo was shaken by this realization, followed by a sudden, inexplicable sense of panic.

“Thump!” “Thump!”

His heart began to beat wildly, an uncontrollable pounding, as his blood started to circulate rapidly.

“What is going on?”

Liang Mo bit the tip of his tongue, forcing himself to calm down.

“`

Below, the members of the Seven Evils Sect were terrified beyond belief, as if they had witnessed the most horrifying thing in the world.

Behind Liang Mo, a gigantic and fearsome snake’s head emerged, its triangular eyes emitting a cold gleam.

The massive head of the snake was like a small mountain, and beneath its huge body, Liang Mo seemed so insignificant.

“Hiss—!”

Liang Mo seemed to sense something too and turned around to look, completely taken aback.

All he saw was a snake’s head, its mouth agape, rushing towards him, and then all sight was swallowed by boundless darkness, leaving him unable to move at all.

Liang Mo didn’t have any time to react before he was directly swallowed by the gigantic snake.

All was quiet between heaven and earth, except for the swallowing sounds of the thousand-year-old Black Python.

All members of the Seven Evils Sect had stupefied expressions, having been scared senseless.

The Half-step Master, Liang Mo, was swallowed whole by the Black Python.

That was a Half-step Master. There were not many experts like that in the Southern Barbarians, and yet, he perished in the jaws of the Black Python, becoming its food.

An Jing let out a slight breath, leapt onto the back of the thousand-year-old Black Python, and transformed into a streak of light heading down the mountain.

Only a long while after the Black Python had departed did the people of the Seven Evils Sect come back to their senses.

“That was… too terrifying.”

“Who exactly is that person?”

“Was that an exotic, mysterious beast just now?”

“A Half-step Master dies just like that?”

……

The experts of the Seven Evils Sect gulped, still immersed in the scene of the exotic beast devouring the Half-step Master.

It was truly too terrifying, too shocking.

Had they not seen it with their own eyes, who would believe that a Half-step Master could just perish like that?

The powerful visual impact of that moment would be something they’d never forget for the rest of their lives.

“My God, who on earth is that sacred figure?”

The Great Elder of the Seven Evils Sect had a pale complexion, looking at the far-off figure in a daze.

Wang Ningshui was also deeply shaken. Then, thinking of something, she quickly followed.

……

In the early morning, at Dongluo Pass, Dongluo Tower.

Zhao Qingmei sat in front of the dressing table, holding the Golden Flower Rouge in her hands, seemingly reminiscing about her days in Yu State City, and couldn’t help but let out a light chuckle.

“I wonder if the husband has gotten up yet.”

With a light laugh, Zhao Qingmei used a hairpin to delicately lift some rouge and, after mixing it properly on her hand, applied it to her lips.

The sandalwood exuded a faint, cool fragrance, and the copper mirror inlaid with mutton-fat jade reflected carved hollow flowers, showcasing her unparalleled beauty, enthralling and bewitching. As she raised her eyes and smiled, it was as if all the beauty in the world paled in comparison.

“Sect Hierarch!”

Just then, the voice of Yu Qiurong came from outside the door.

“Come in,” Zhao Qingmei said indifferently.

“Creak!”

The room door opened, and Yu Qiurong walked in carefully.

It was not easy to enter Zhao Qingmei’s boudoir, even she rarely had the chance, so it seemed that the Sect Hierarch was in a good mood today.

After thinking for a moment, Yu Qiurong said, “A secret letter has arrived from Yu State City.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qingmei instinctively asked, “Who sent it from Yu State City?”

“Protector Tan.”

Yu Qiurong took out the secret letter and presented it with both hands.

“Oh?”

Zhao Qingmei took the secret letter immediately and couldn’t wait to open it.