“Swoosh.”
Ling Feiyu gripped the returning Heaven-Burying Sword, pointing it at Hong Yuantong and the others, her powerful killing intent surging.
“Ling Feiyu, do you realize the grave mistake you’ve made, bringing doom to the sect? Will you keep erring?” Hong Yuantong shouted.
Ling Feiyu’s eyes blazed with lethal intent, locking onto him. “Hong Yuantong, even now, you show no remorse. Do you think I wouldn’t dare kill you?”
“Remorse? What have I done wrong? The Kunlun Realm is on the brink of collapse. I act for the sect’s sake, allying with You God Temple. Even if the Kunlun Realm falls, the sect will have their support. This was Master Shi’s grand plan. You dare question him?” Hong Yuantong argued boldly.
Backed by Shi Qianjue, he didn’t believe Ling Feiyu would touch him, maintaining his defiance even after being exposed.
Ling Feiyu’s gaze grew colder. “You dare use Shi Qianjue to pressure me? Not just you—even Shi Qianjue himself would die by my hand for betraying the sect.”
Hong Yuantong involuntarily stepped back, his bravado masking fear. “Ling Feiyu, what are you doing? Trying to tear the sect apart?”
“Swoosh.”
Ling Feiyu struck, her sword flashing like lightning.
A sword light passed, and before Hong Yuantong could react, his head was severed.
“Ling Feiyu, you actually dared…”
Hong Yuantong’s eyes widened, filled with unwillingness.
Until his death, he couldn’t believe Ling Feiyu would kill him.
“Thud.”
His head hit the ground, his gaze dimming, his body and soul extinguished.
Both at the Rule Heaven and Earth realm, Hong Yuantong’s true strength was a fraction of Ling Feiyu’s, despite cultivating a millennium longer.
Seeing him fall, the remaining three sect Saint Kings trembled, a shadow of death looming over them.
With a thud, they knelt before Ling Feiyu, pleading, “Spare us, Palace Master! We were blinded by greed, misled by Hong Yuantong. Give us a chance to atone. We’ll follow your orders without question.”
They saw the situation clearly. Ling Feiyu was truly enraged, and no one could save them. Without begging, only death awaited.
They wanted to flee, but hadn’t they seen Ling Feiyu swiftly kill three You God Temple Dao Domain realm powerhouses and Hong Yuantong? With Zhang Ruochen present, escape was impossible.
Ling Feiyu ignored their pleas, her killing intent unabated. “The sect has no place for traitors. You knew the consequences of betrayal.”
She raised her sword to strike.
Zhang Ruochen appeared beside her, intervening. “With the Kunlun Realm facing great enemies, killing them is a waste. Let them redeem themselves on the merit battlefield, fighting Infernal Court cultivators.”
The three kneeling powerhouses seized the chance. “We’re willing to fight on the merit battlefield. Please, Palace Master, give us a chance to atone.”
To survive, they’d rush to any danger, not just the merit battlefield.
Ling Feiyu turned to Zhang Ruochen, studying him briefly before reining in her killing intent. “Fine, one chance. Take your people and head to the merit battlefield immediately to face the Infernal Court’s armies and uphold the sect’s honor. If anyone slacks, my sword will show no mercy.”
“Yes, yes, yes.”
The three, as if pardoned, nodded eagerly.
Casting grateful glances at Zhang Ruochen, they hurried out of the Demon Emperor Palace, fearing Ling Feiyu might change her mind.
Had they known it would come to this, they’d never have followed Hong Yuantong.
Resisting You God Temple and awaiting Ling Feiyu’s return would’ve earned them great merit, not exile to the perilous merit battlefield.
The battlefield was deadly; they might never return to Wuding Mountain.
Still, this was the best outcome. Without Zhang Ruochen’s intervention, they’d be dead by Ling Feiyu’s sword.
They owed him their lives.
That same day, three high-ranking sect elders led hundreds of Saint Realm and above sect powerhouses from Wuding Mountain to the Central Domain’s merit battlefield.
Meanwhile, Ling Feiyu and Zhang Ruochen arrived at the sect’s icy prison for captives.
Those loyal to Ling Feiyu, refusing to collude with Hong Yuantong, were imprisoned here.
The icy prison was ancient, its origins unknown, stretching deep into the earth, growing colder the further down one went.
Legend held that even Great Saints couldn’t linger long in its deepest level, unable to withstand the chilling aura.
Descending, Ling Feiyu freed many imprisoned sect powerhouses.
Fortunately, they’d been recently detained, and Hong Yuantong hadn’t acted against them, leaving them unharmed.
Had it been otherwise, Ling Feiyu would’ve shown no mercy, annihilating all traitors.
Entering a particularly frigid level, Zhang Ruochen spotted a familiar face in a cell.
“Sister Qi, long time no see.”
Zhang Ruochen smiled.
The prisoner was Qi Feiyu, a Saintess of the sect’s Saintess Palace, whom he’d met at the Liang Yi Sect.
When he’d stormed Wuding Mountain for Mu Lingxi, he’d seen Qi Feiyu. Years later, she’d become a Saint King, holding a high position in the sect.
When the sect split, the Qi family followed Shi Qianjue, but Qi Feiyu alone chose Ling Xiu—or rather, Ling Feiyu.
Thus, Ling Feiyu favored her, aiding her rapid rise to Saint King and entrusting her with much of the Saintess Palace’s affairs.
Now, with the Qi family’s top powerhouses sent to the merit battlefield, Qi Feiyu was the sole exception.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen, Qi Feiyu was surprised, then stood and bowed to Ling Feiyu. “Greetings, Palace Master.”
Ling Feiyu nodded, waving to open the cell door.
“Palace Master, your safe return means the sect won’t fall to that schemer Hong Yuantong,” Qi Feiyu said.
Ling Feiyu replied, “Hong Yuantong betrayed the sect and colluded with enemies. I’ve killed him. All involved Saints and Saint Kings have been sent to the merit battlefield. You have nothing to worry about.”
Qi Feiyu was stunned, then smiled. “Palace Master, your wisdom shines.”
Without details, she guessed the sect’s salvation was tied to Zhang Ruochen.
Ling Feiyu lifted the seals on Qi Feiyu, saying, “Go stabilize the sect, calm the unrest.”
“Yes, Palace Master.”
Qi Feiyu nodded, flashing a nod at Zhang Ruochen before darting out.
“Hm?”
A glint flickered in Zhang Ruochen’s eyes, sensing something.
“Swoosh.”
He streaked into a nearby passage.
Puzzled, Ling Feiyu followed.
At the passage’s end, Zhang Ruochen stopped before another cell containing another familiar figure.
The prisoner was none other than the First Rat, or God-Devil Rat, the top of the sect’s Thirty-Six Guardian Beasts.
Once arrogant, it met its match in Little Black and obediently protected Mu Lingxi in the sect.
Now, beside God-Devil Rat was another figure.
Sensing this presence, Zhang Ruochen had rushed over.
The figure was short and scrawny, with a pointed face, yellowed buckteeth, and tiny, mung-bean-like eyes, looking utterly sleazy—near identical to God-Devil Rat.
“Awakener.”
The thought flashed through Zhang Ruochen’s mind.
Having met Jiang Yunchong and Hong Tianji, he was increasingly attuned to Awakeners’ auras.
God-Devil Rat’s eyes lit up at Zhang Ruochen. “Boss Dust, you here to save me?”
“I thought you’d have slipped away. Didn’t expect you’d be locked in the icy prison,” Zhang Ruochen laughed.
Knowing God-Devil Rat, it was slippery as they came, always the first to bolt. Courage wasn’t its thing, so it shouldn’t be here.
God-Devil Rat glared, indignant. “Those bastards were sneaky, ambushing me. How else would Lord Rat get caught?”
Turning to Ling Feiyu, it grinned. “Palace Master Ling, glad you’re okay. That old dog Hong Yuantong said You God Temple nabbed you. Don’t let him off!”
“Rest easy, Hong Yuantong’s dead by my sword. Who’s this?” Ling Feiyu eyed the middle-aged man resembling God-Devil Rat.
God-Devil Rat chuckled. “Meet my old man.”
Zhang Ruochen and Ling Feiyu exchanged stunned looks.
God-Devil Rat, unearthed decades ago from a Middle Ages ruin, was solitary. Where did this father come from?
Especially since both sensed this man’s profound cultivation, unfathomably deep.
“May I ask your name, senior, and your connection to the sect?” Ling Feiyu asked solemnly.
She’d never seen or heard of this man, unsure if he was part of the sect.
The man, as sleazy as God-Devil Rat, grinned. “Call me Spirit-Devouring King. A hundred thousand years ago, I was already with the sect. What connection do you think I have?”
