Chapter 504: Calm Down, the Sect Leader Is Already Beyond Saving

On Red Sun Peak, a terrifying phantom of a Flame Demon born of pure killing intent shrouded the entire mountain, unleashing a searing heatwave.

Everyone was congratulating the Sect Leader on mastering his Spiritual Technique. For a time, the atmosphere was utterly jubilant.

However, Zuo Fan held a different opinion. He knew that what Xu Ziyang had mastered wasn’t the Nine Fire True Yang Red Dragon Skill, but the Flame Demon Body Refining Technique.

The problem was, a fully mastered Flame Demon Body Refining Technique shouldn’t produce a phenomenon like this.

This was clearly a sign that his cultivation had gone awry, so Zuo Fan went to investigate at the first opportunity.

However, Xu Ziyang refused to see him. With matters as they stood, Zuo Fan had no choice but to find Qi Suian.

“Uncle, the Sect Leader’s condition… I’m afraid it’s not looking good. I suspect his consciousness has been replaced by the will to kill,” Zuo Fan said gravely.

Qi Suian poured Zuo Fan a cup of tea before saying, “Easy now. Don’t be rash.”

Seeing Qi Suian’s calm demeanor, Zuo Fan’s heart settled slightly.

“Does that mean he can still be saved?” Zuo Fan asked.

“No. I mean the situation is hopeless. He’s completely beyond saving.”

“So there’s no point in you panicking,” Qi Suian said nonchalantly.

“Huh???” Zuo Fan was dumbfounded. ‘So the only reason you’re not worried is because he’s beyond saving? And here I thought you had it all under control, that you had a solution!’

“Then what should we do? Kill him?” Zuo Fan had calmed down and now proposed a solution.

‘Since Xu Ziyang has lost control and turned into a Flame Demon, killing him would solve everything.’

“You’re probably… not his match.” After a brief assessment, Qi Suian explained, “When Xu Ziyang becomes a Flame Demon after mastering this divine art, it’s not just a simple change of species.”

“The Pure Yang Wuji Heart Method, the Innate Li Fire Sword Technique, and the Flame Demon Body Refining Technique he practices will all be instantly elevated to the level of perfection.”

“He’ll also gain a higher upper limit and greater potential, and his power will skyrocket in a very short time.”

“Let’s put it this way: the Celestial Pavilion’s Ghost King and Yaksha could have easily thrashed Xu Ziyang before. But now, even if those two went all out, they couldn’t even scratch the Flame Demon Xu Ziyang’s defenses.”

“If they were even a fraction too slow to dodge and took a single blow from the Flame Demon Xu Ziyang’s Li Huo Giant Sword, they would die on the spot, guaranteed.”

“As for the flaws I intentionally left in the technique… those were designed for humans, not Flame Demons.”

“So, as he is now, Xu Ziyang is genuinely and truly invincible in this world.”

“Perhaps that leader of the Celestial Pavilion might be a worthy opponent, but that’s only a maybe.”

As for Qi Suian… well, he didn’t belong to the category of “this world.” He belonged to the heavens. Crushing the Flame Demon Xu Ziyang would be simple for him.

After all, such a powerful Spiritual Technique was his own creation. The Flame Demon Xu Ziyang didn’t even qualify as a proper creation, merely a byproduct of one.

Dealing with him would be effortless, but Qi Suian just wanted to watch the show, push Zuo Fan into power, and gather more “protagonist aura” data.

Thus, Xu Ziyang becoming a Flame Demon was also part of his plan.

“I guess that’s true… Even if he went astray cultivating the Flame Demon Body Refining Technique, he still genuinely reached the Great Accomplishment stage.”

“Even his Pure Yang Wuji Heart Method and Innate Li Fire Sword Technique must have reached at least the Minor Accomplishment stage. I’ve only just started. Although I’ve made progress, I’m still a long way from Minor Accomplishment,” Zuo Fan said, realizing the true scope of the problem.

‘Even if I put my life on the line, I’d be no match for him.’

“Uncle, do you have a plan?” Zuo Fan looked to Qi Suian, having run out of ideas.

Qi Suian stroked his chin, then said, “It’s not that there are no solutions…”

“Remember the Celestial Spirit Alliance? You could try to rally all the sects in the world. Together, you might be able to besiege and kill Xu Ziyang.”

“But before that can happen, you need to become the Sect Leader of the Yanghuang Sect. Otherwise, you won’t have the proper authority to make such a call,” Qi Suian said with a grin.

And there it was. Qi Suian had finally revealed his true objective.

In truth, this was the case. As long as Zuo Fan allowed his “protagonist aura” to fully form, and coupled that with a home-field advantage, killing the Flame Demon Xu Ziyang wouldn’t be that difficult.

He could even turn the crisis into a fortuitous opportunity for his own advancement.

Zuo Fan gave a bitter smile. “Uncle, you must be joking. How could I possibly become the Sect Leader of the Yanghuang Sect? I can’t even get past Xu Ziyang.”

‘To become the Sect Leader, I’d have to kill Xu Ziyang. But if I was strong enough to kill him, why would I need to become Sect Leader and form some Celestial Spirit Alliance in the first place?’

‘It’s a vicious circle.’

“Not necessarily,” Qi Suian said. “Xu Ziyang’s condition is a classic case of cultivation deviation. He’ll surely be controlled by his thirst for slaughter.”

“He hasn’t fully transformed yet. That’s your opportunity.”

“Use this window of time to prepare for the evacuation of the Yanghuang Sect’s members. Once Xu Ziyang makes his move, you’ll be able to ensure the survival of the greatest number of disciples.”

Zuo Fan’s heart tightened at Qi Suian’s advice. He finally understood.

‘Once the Flame Demon Xu Ziyang emerges from his seclusion, he’ll become a crazed killer who recognizes no one, not even his own family. If I don’t prepare in advance, the Yanghuang Sect is doomed.’

‘Three Spiritual Techniques, all at the mastery level… he’ll be absolutely unstoppable.’

“You’re right, Uncle. I’ll go make preparations right away and contact the other eight major sects,” Zuo Fan said, knowing this was a burden he had to bear.

Fortunately, he had one advantage: enough strength to at least make these preparations.

“Good. Be quick. If necessary, you can directly eliminate anyone who stands in your way.”

“Sacrificing the few to save the many is a worthy cause.” Qi Suian fed Zuo Fan another line of convenient philosophy.

“I know!” With that, Zuo Fan turned and left immediately.

After watching him leave, Qi Suian returned to his basement.

Downstairs, the Ghost King and the Yaksha were beaten so badly they were barely recognizable. From them, he had extracted the information he wanted.

‘The Celestial Pavilion Leader’s name is Celestial Dao? What an arrogant title.’

‘Then again, if he were truly the Celestial Dao of this universe, he probably would’ve smote you all with a bolt of lightning by now.’

Qi Suian had now confirmed it: the human Spirit Masters were originally outside invaders. After killing the Tree-Born Demon, they had taken over its nest and eventually became the new “native” inhabitants.

The original Spirit Masters had indeed been incredibly powerful, capable of burning mountains, boiling seas, and commanding the winds and rains with ease.

But that was then. After settling in this universe, their power gradually weakened until they became what they are today.

As for the Five Elements Spiritual Treasures, they were once the source of all Spiritual Techniques for the Spirit Masters—a treasure beyond measure. Now, however, they were merely a unique type of energy source.

They had long since lost their original power and might.

The Celestial Pavilion, on the other hand, didn’t draw its power from the legacy of the ancient Spirit Masters, but rather from a creation of the original Tree-Born Demon.

The Spirit Masters leaned more toward fantasy-style cultivation, whereas the Celestial Pavilion’s methods were closer to biological technology.

It wasn’t so easy to confuse the two.

‘Huh? Someone’s trying to wipe out the Purple Gold Tower, one of the Nine Great Sects?’

‘Oh, it’s one of my Seven Kills Disciples. Never mind, then.’

‘He’s probably the strongest of the Seven Kills Disciples. I’ll have to find a way to make him clash with Xu Ziyang and Zuo Fan.’

—————–

The Life-taking Saber coiled around Mu Can like a great python. On the python-saber’s forehead, two new bulges had appeared.

After so much slaughter, the Life-taking Saber was on the verge of transforming into a flood dragon.

“The Purple Gold Tower. Truly magnificent. It’s only fitting that today, I use it to christen my saber,” Mu Can said, a brutal smile spreading across his face.

He no longer bore any resemblance to the young disciple of the Mu Family he once was. Even if his own parents were to stand before him now, they would never recognize this man as the gentle and refined Mu Can of the past.

The Tower Master of the Purple Gold Tower watched him with a grave expression. He had heard of Mu Can’s reputation.

Mu Can, the Blood Sea Evil Dragon—a title built on a mountain of corpses.

The more he killed, the stronger he became. Among all the Seven Kills Disciples, not even the late Mad Beggar could compare to him.

“Mu Can, you greatly underestimate my Purple Gold Tower.”

“The Purple Gold Tower is one of the nine great sects of the world. If you leave now, I will spare your life.” The Tower Master didn’t actually want to fight.

Mu Can was a Seven Kills Disciple who had carved a path through mountains of corpses and seas of blood; he was both incredibly experienced and ruthlessly vicious.

Although the Tower Master’s own strength was considerable, after becoming the leader of a sect, he had rarely had to fight himself.

Even if you knew you could win, who would want to trade blows with a desperate madman who fights with no regard for his own life?

Winning meant getting injured for no gain, while losing meant instant death. It was a no-win situation, so naturally, he had no desire to fight.

But Mu Can had slaughtered his way here; there was no way he would stop now. The smile on his face grew from brutal to utterly savage.

“Today, the Purple Gold Tower is doomed.” As the words fell, he seized the hilt of the Life-taking Saber—the tail of the great python.

A torrential killing intent erupted in an instant. As he swung the Life-taking Saber, the foul stench of blood materialized from thin air, coalescing out of the sheer intent to kill.

The “Blood Sea” in his title, of course, referred to more than just the Blood Sea Body possessed by the Seven Kills Disciples.

As their kill count rose, they gained the ability to manifest the blood of their victims at the start of a battle, creating a literal sea of blood to use as a terrain advantage.

The Purple Gold Tower Master’s face went rigid, and he hastily raised his defenses.

However, the Spiritual Technique he deployed couldn’t stop Mu Can’s Life-taking Saber in the slightest. It shattered instantly as the enormous, python-like blade swept down horizontally.

“How is this possible?! NO—!” The Tower Master was seized by bloody hands that shot out from the sea of blood. He had no time to break free and could only watch in horror as the Life-taking Saber descended.

BOOM!

A web of dense cracks spread across the Purple Gold Tower, and its Tower Master died on the spot, slain by Mu Can’s Life-taking Saber.

“The leader of one of the nine great sects… nothing more than this.” Mu Can retracted his Life-taking Saber, his expression filled with contempt.

With the death of their Tower Master, the remaining disciples and Elders of the Purple Gold Tower scattered like birds and beasts.

“Fleeing?” A cruel smirk. “Where do you think you can go? My Blood Sea Slaughter Sutra still requires your… assistance.”

Having come all this way, Mu Can had no intention of stopping with just the Tower Master. He intended to slaughter everyone present and use them as nourishment to increase his own power.

The sea of blood swelled in an instant. The Life-taking Saber plunged into its depths, dissolving into countless snake-fang blades that shot out in all directions, leaving a trail of death in their wake.