Chapter 594: The Sect Master’s Death, Wei Tu’s Words of Threat

“It’s Ding Lezheng and Madam Yinlian?”

Wei Tu’s face darkened, his eyes flashing with killing intent. Even a fool could guess how these two had joined forces and for what purpose.

But soon his expression calmed. He opened his mouth and replied to Lian Shourang’s threats.

“Let you in? Fine!”

“As long as Sect Master Lian stops, I’ll let you in right away.”

His words made Lian Shourang pause, clearly not expecting Wei Tu to be so “reasonable.” Was Wei Tu really willing to risk everything, furious for the sake of beauty, and open the Ziwu Strange Prohibition to let him in?

‘Could it be he’s planning to open the restriction, then join hands with Madam Jin and the others to kill me instead?’

Lian Shourang frowned slightly, thinking to himself.

He did not believe for a moment that Daoist Fu, who had made such a name for himself in the cultivation world, was some fool who couldn’t read the situation.

‘Ridiculous! I am the dignified Sect Master of Shengya Mountain. How could I fall to the likes of you? Besides, Uncle Ding will be here in just 20 breaths.’ Lian Shourang sneered inwardly.

As long as Wei Tu opened the Ziwu Strange Prohibition and hadn’t yet fully re-entered the Locking Demon Hall’s main chamber, if he could stall until Ding Lezheng and the others arrived, Wei Tu—no matter how strong—would have no choice but to submit.

And he had full confidence that stalling for 20 breaths was well within his ability.

Thinking so, Lian Shourang put on a look of joy. He halted his attacks against Madam Jin and the other two, just as he had promised, and waited for Wei Tu to open the way.

…

In the distance, Ding Lezheng, Madam Yinlian, and Gongshu Chou were rushing toward the Locking Demon Hall. When they saw this scene, faint smiles appeared on their faces.

Three Nascent Soul powerhouses working together—how could they have possibly allowed Madam Jin and her group to escape in the Golden Ghost Bone Palanquin? It was all just bait for Wei Tu.

They knew full well that threatening with hostages would only earn Daoist Fu’s hatred. It was unlikely to get him to open the hall.

But if Daoist Fu saw even the slightest chance to rescue Madam Jin, he might willingly open the hall’s gates himself.

“Slow down a little. Don’t push this Daoist Fu too hard,” Ding Lezheng sent by voice transmission.

Right now, Wei Tu had only nibbled at the bait. It wasn’t time to reel him in. Ding Lezheng didn’t want to spook this big fish by moving too fast.

20 breaths… he could even extend that to 25, maybe 30.

He believed in Lian Shourang’s strength. The man would surely keep Wei Tu from escaping the hook.

“Alright.” Madam Yinlian and Gongshu Chou both agreed without objection and slowed their flight.

One breath.

Two breaths.

After three breaths, under their watchful eyes, the Ziwu Strange Prohibition sealing the Locking Demon Hall’s main chamber finally broke open.

At that moment, Wei Tu shot out of the chamber like lightning, heading straight for Lian Shourang.

“Shourang, stall him! Don’t let him recall the Yuan Gravity Light and retreat back into the hall!”

Ding Lezheng’s face lit with joy. He quickly transmitted his command through a voice tool.

—For in truth, the Ziwu Strange Prohibition hadn’t been broken open. Wei Tu had simply used the Yuan Gravity Light to dissolve a temporary passage.

The moment Wei Tu willed it, the light would vanish, and the passage would seal shut again.

So right now, Lian Shourang had just one task—hold Wei Tu outside until reinforcements arrived.

But—

The very next moment, what happened inside the Locking Demon Hall made Ding Lezheng, Madam Yinlian, and Gongshu Chou stiffen, their smiles faltering.

As soon as Wei Tu stepped through, he moved like a phantom, reaching Lian Shourang in an instant.

With only a few blows, the Sect Master of Shengya Mountain—first among the righteous sects—was smashed away like a torn sack. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his aura plummeting.

Their plan had gone wrong.

They had gravely underestimated Wei Tu’s strength.

Lian Shourang, who had only just reached mid Nascent Soul, wasn’t even close to being a match.

Forget 20 breaths—even 10 breaths, he couldn’t stall.

“Shourang! Use the sect’s treasure to block the passage!” Ding Lezheng’s face turned dark as he sped up, shouting urgently.

At his words, Lian Shourang did not hesitate.

He glanced once at Wei Tu, who had already swept Madam Jin and the others inside, then quickly formed seals.

With a flash of light, a tiny mountain appeared in his hands.

Rich with spiritual energy, humming with power, it grew from palm-sized to half a man’s height in an instant. With a single flare of light, it shot forward, sealing the very passage Wei Tu had just carved through the restriction.

With the mountain blocking the way, the crimson-black light curtain of the Ziwu Strange Prohibition couldn’t close, its glow flaring brighter as it pressed down on the tiny mountain.

Crack! Crack!

Under the massive pressure of the prohibition, the miniature mountain’s spiritual light dimmed, yet it stayed wedged in place, unmoving.

“With the Myriad-Supporting Mountain here, it should hold until Uncle Ding arrives.” Lian Shourang wiped the blood from his lips, his hands glowing yellow as he poured energy into the little mountain.

But soon his face paled, drained from the effort. Clearly, controlling the so-called Myriad-Supporting Mountain came at a steep price.

On the other side, Wei Tu, who had thought he’d succeeded in his rescue, frowned at the sight.

With the tiny mountain blocking the passage, Lian Shourang had still managed to stall him.

Once Ding Lezheng, Gongshu Chou, and Madam Yinlian arrived, his chances would be slim to none. He didn’t believe he could take on all three at once.

‘But maybe this treasure can break the stalemate.’

Wei Tu’s thoughts stirred, and he summoned the Mysterious Spirit Golden Chain he’d just refined. He hurled it toward the little mountain.

At once, the chain wrapped tightly around it like a giant serpent.

Wei Tu pulled hard, and the chain glowed gold and green, tugging the mountain toward him.

Yet after moving only half an inch, the mountain froze, suddenly heavy as a mountain itself.

But Wei Tu was in no rush. He glanced coldly at Lian Shourang, who was pouring his strength into stabilizing the artifact, then shouted low, “Nine Secrets of Vitality!” His body swelled, muscles bulging, his frame rising past nine feet. A terrifying wave of blood and energy surged from him, thick as substance.

Rip! Rip!

With this pull, the mountain that had been wedged in the prohibition shuddered, then with a loud crack was yanked into the Locking Demon Hall’s chamber.

At the same time, Lian Shourang, still forcing power into it, couldn’t hold on. He spat blood and was blasted back several feet by the backlash.

“Mid stage of Body Refinement fourth tier? His physical power is that terrifying? And he has a treasure that restrains the Myriad-Supporting Mountain?” Lian Shourang’s heart shook.

But there was no time to think. He gathered his qi, ready to control the mountain again, or at least reclaim it.

If not, losing Shengya Mountain’s sect master’s treasure would make him a criminal to his sect.

Yet—

Before he could act, he caught a flicker of green-gold light at the edge of his vision. The Mysterious Spirit Golden Chain shot toward him.

In a flash of light, it wrapped around his neck.

“No!”

Lian Shourang’s face twisted in panic. He struggled to break free, but the chain was a sixth-rank treasure. Escaping it in moments was impossible.

So in that instant, he could only watch helplessly as Wei Tu dragged him into the Locking Demon Hall.

From start to finish, it took only a dozen breaths.

When Ding Lezheng, Gongshu Chou, and Madam Yinlian arrived a few breaths later, they could only see Lian Shourang through the prohibition barrier, trapped inside.

“Bold! Daoist Fu, release our Shengya Mountain’s sect master at once. Do you even know what you’re doing?” Ding Lezheng’s voice was cold and sharp.

Shengya Mountain had many Nascent Soul cultivators. Aside from himself, there was another late-stage like Lian Shourang. But Lian Shourang’s identity was different—he was the sect master, the face of Shengya Mountain.

Now, the sect master himself was reduced to a prisoner. If word spread, Shengya Mountain’s prestige would be shattered.

“I don’t know.”

Wei Tu chuckled lightly, tossing back words that made Ding Lezheng’s fury burn.

But though his face looked calm, Wei Tu held no illusions.

He wasn’t only wary of Ding Lezheng and the others outside, but also of Lian Shourang—trapped with him inside.

The chain had only caught him by surprise. A late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator wasn’t someone who could be so easily subdued.

At that moment, Lian Shourang severed his own arm, using a secret art to escape. He broke free from the Mysterious Spirit Golden Chain’s grip and regained control of the miniature mountain, secretly sending it crashing toward Wei Tu.

Of course, Wei Tu had full confidence he could kill Lian Shourang. His death was only a matter of time.

He ignored Ding Lezheng and focused instead on the sect master of Shengya Mountain whom he had deliberately dragged inside.

This man would be the first debt he collected from Shengya Mountain.

“Little Big Dipper Divine Technique!” Wei Tu barked coldly. As the Mysterious Spirit Golden Chain shot from his sleeve to intercept the miniature mountain, he swept his robe, releasing his false dharmic form. A towering hand reached down to seize Lian Shourang himself.

Seeing the giant hand overhead, Lian Shourang’s face twisted. His lips moved quickly, and a silver book appeared above his head, meeting the strike.

Boom!

Like thunder splitting the sky.

The clash of the two divine abilities erupted, spiritual pressure bursting outward and covering nearly all the open space outside the Locking Demon Hall.

“Perhaps… Shourang has a chance.”

Watching from outside, Ding Lezheng felt a flicker of hope.

It wasn’t baseless. Lian Shourang had lost earlier because his task was to stall Wei Tu, forced to defend without counterattacking. But now they were locked in a true life-or-death battle. The winner was not yet certain.

And—

When two fighters’ strength was close, skill and battle experience often decided the outcome.

Lian Shourang had cultivated for over a thousand years. Ding Lezheng didn’t believe he could lose to a mere disciple of the Red Dragon Patriarch.

Yet as the moments ticked by, Ding Lezheng’s heart sank.

In just a few breaths, Lian Shourang exchanged more than ten moves with Wei Tu, but in every single one he was pressed down. Several times, he was almost fatally struck.

“This boy’s combat skill… how is it this seasoned?”

Ding Lezheng frowned. That was even more troubling than knowing Wei Tu had the Yuan Gravity Light and the Mysterious Spirit Golden Chain. The former came from talent and luck. But this—this was raw life-and-death experience.

With such experience, Wei Tu was far less likely to make mistakes in battle.

He instinctively glanced at Madam Yinlian. Based on what he had pried from Venerable Master Jiuli’s soul, Daoist Fu had only ever killed two mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators from the Hehuan Sect. He shouldn’t have this kind of experience.

“Shourang… is going to die.”

A moment later, Ding Lezheng shut his eyes and sighed, turning his head.

And then—

Up in the air, Lian Shourang was pierced through by several blood spears. He died instantly, blood raining from the sky.

“No!”

His eyes went wide, staring in disbelief at Wei Tu, who had turned into the Filthy Blood Demon Coffin. His face was filled with shock.

Then, in a flash of bloody light, a yellow Nascent Infant, seven inches tall, flew out of his body, terror on its face as it tried to escape.

But before it got far, a black banner fell from above.

Under its shadow, the yellow infant vanished without a sound.

“Ding Lezheng, if you dare raise your hand against me or my teacher’s wife again, I promise you this—Sect Master Lian will not be the first one from Shengya Mountain to fall.”

Wei Tu pulled back the Soul-Refining Banner, his gaze cutting toward Ding Lezheng outside the hall. His tone was flat, but every word was sharp.

The atmosphere froze, cold as death.

Behind him, Madam Jin and the others looked at him differently, their eyes showing both shock and softness.

But Ding Lezheng, Madam Yinlian, and Gongshu Chou wore only grim expressions. Their eyes glinted with killing intent.

“You dare threaten me, boy?”

Ding Lezheng’s face was cold as ice, his fists tightening inside his sleeves. His voice was sharp enough to cut.

As Shengya Mountain’s foremost figure, he had not heard such arrogant words in a very, very long time.

For Wei Tu to speak so now was like trampling on his face.

Yet Wei Tu gave no reply.

He only glanced at Ding Lezheng, then turned and walked deeper into the Locking Demon Hall.

At that moment, silence spoke louder than words.

Ding Lezheng, Gongshu Chou, and Madam Yinlian all understood: if they pressed further, it would be war to the death.

And realizing that, a chill ran down their spines.

For the man who had just killed Lian Shourang absolutely had the power to seek vengeance.

It was no empty threat.

They themselves didn’t fear revenge, but their disciples and sect members surely did.

“Fellow Daoist Ding, what do we do?”

Madam Yinlian frowned slightly, breaking the silence and asking their new ally.