Volume 3 Chapter 60: Demons

In the year 13,800 of the Shenzhou calendar, June 7th, the Xuanwu appeared, and the sunlight was a gloomy red. Great misfortune and much bloodshed. Be cautious with marriages and long journeys. — "Shenzhou Continent Calendar"

Looking at Xiao Huazhe and Elder Weichi standing before him, Zhou Huahai’s eyes turned cold, a flash of anger flickering away. Besides him and Zhang Hualing, these two were the most powerful cultivators present, along with the now-deceased Ma Huaguang and Xu Qingfan’s master Lu Huayan, collectively known as the "Four Elders of Jiuhua." Breaking through their defense was exceedingly difficult.

"Senior Brother Xiao, are you really going to betray me and join Zhang Hualing? Have you forgotten how he treated you in the past?" Zhou Huahai glared at Xiao Huazhe, speaking coldly.

Zhou Huahai had nothing to say to Elder Weichi, as he was always a staunch follower of Zhang Hualing. But Xiao Huazhe was different. Four hundred years ago, after losing the struggle for the sect leader position to Zhang Hualing, he had been discontent with Zhang Hualing. After Zhang Hualing became the sect leader, the offerings to Xiao Huazhe had been significantly reduced, worsening their discord. Zhou Huahai had leveraged this relationship to enlist Xiao Huazhe’s help.

Yet, unexpectedly, at the most crucial moment, Xiao Huazhe, who was at odds with Zhang Hualing, ultimately sided with Zhang Hualing.

Xiao Huazhe ignored the fury in Zhou Huahai’s eyes and calmly replied, "I haven’t sided with anyone, so where’s the betrayal? I haven’t forgotten how Brother Zhang treated me. Only he and I understand our relationship. He knew I would stand in your way at this time, which is why he can confidently use ‘Substitute for Heaven.’"

Hearing Xiao Huazhe’s words, Zhou Huahai was momentarily stunned but then spoke more angrily, "You’ve reached the level of heavenly perception and sworn allegiance to me. Aren’t you afraid of divine punishment for breaking your vow?" Pausing slightly, a cold smile appeared on Zhou Huahai’s lips, "You may not know this, but the ‘Sky Spiritual Pill’ I gave you boosts your power greatly, but you must take it continuously. If you stop, your cultivation won’t just revert, you’ll suffer Qi deviation from Spirit Qi backlash!"

When Zhou Huahai’s threat reached Elder Weichi’s ears, his heart couldn’t help but tremble, turning anxiously to look at Xiao Huazhe. However, Xiao Huazhe’s expression remained calm as he softly said, "Had I not feigned friendliness with you back then, I would probably have ended up like Martial Brother Ma, wouldn’t I? At least by doing so, I could contribute to the continuation of our Jiuhua lineage."

As he spoke these words, Xiao Huazhe’s tone grew even more somber and melancholic.

"As for your ‘Sky Spiritual Pill’ and its ability to control the life of the user, I foresaw this long ago. And the heavenly punishment is the same; there’s no need for your reminder. Jiuhua Mountain has gone through such great catastrophe, how can we come out unscathed without sacrifices? It just so happens that I’m the one. Moreover, like Martial Brother Lu back then, my cultivation has stagnated for years and my lifespan has already withered. Doing this now only hastens my end by a decade or so."

Hearing Xiao Huazhe’s words, Zhou Huahai was slightly taken aback, not expecting Xiao Huazhe to be at the end of his lifespan. Compared to Xiao Huazhe, Zhou Huahai started training just a century later, so how much longer could he remain in this world?

Not far away, Zhang Hualing’s overwhelming pressure grew stronger, jolting Zhou Huahai out of his saddened thoughts. Realizing that if he didn’t stop Zhang Hualing’s spell, he would surely face defeat at the hands of the mysterious "Substitute for Heaven," he decided to speak no more. He shouted at Xiao Huazhe and Elder Weichi, "Those who block me, die!"

In his furious shout, he unleashed all his powers—Golden Dragon Hand, Holy Spirit Shield, Roar of the Wild, Indestructible Body, and Eye of Annihilation. Rare powers of the cultivation world all manifested on his body.

Under Zhou Huahai’s fierce attack, although Xiao Huazhe and Elder Weichi were mentally prepared, they still scrambled at first. However, since their skills were not far below Zhou Huahai’s, their defense soon stabilized.

Seeing this situation, a fierce expression flickered across Zhou Huahai’s face. He activated some unknown secret technique, causing his body to double in size, his skin turning black. In his transformed state, each punch and kick was several times more powerful, catching Xiao Huazhe and Elder Weichi off guard and injuring them consecutively.

Breaking through the two’s defenses, Zhou Huahai hesitated not, charging fiercely at Zhang Hualing.

Just as Zhou Huahai was about to reach Zhang Hualing, in the critical moment, Zhang Hualing finally merged with the world around him, unleashing an incredibly powerful aura and presence. This aura was so strong that even a master at the Mahayana Stage couldn’t compare to him at this moment. Feeling this terrifying pressure, all the elders who were engaged in a duel stopped their fights and turned to look at Zhang Hualing.

At this moment, facing Zhang Hualing directly, Zhou Huahai felt as if he was challenging the entire universe, and compared to the universe, he felt so small and insignificant.

Slowly opening his eyes, two beams of captivating light shot out from Zhang Hualing’s eyes, piercing straight towards Zhou Huahai.

The instant Zhou Huahai was caught in Zhang Hualing’s gaze, his body shook uncontrollably. Even with his middle stage Golden Core abilities, he felt utterly powerless, unable to move even for a moment.

Then, Zhang Hualing pointed at Zhou Huahai and softly commanded, "Heavenly Way invisible, man’s folly rampant, act on behalf of Heaven, dispel evil and uphold justice. Press!"

Though the voice was gentle, it carried a sense of omnipresence, as if his words embodied the ultimate truth of the universe.

As Zhang Hualing’s voice faded, Zhou Huahai, rushing towards him, suddenly felt an immense force pressing down from the sky. Despite resisting with all his might, he was inevitably being pushed downward.

Under the astonished gaze of the onlooking elders, in just a brief moment, Zhou Huahai was firmly pinned to the ground by this immense force, unable to get up, as if he was bowing down in submission to Zhang Hualing.

"Disperse!"

Zhang Hualing softly commanded again.

With Zhang Hualing’s gentle command, all the magical abilities attached to Zhou Huahai disappeared one after another. Zhou Huahai’s face turned even paler, large beads of sweat dripping from his forehead, yet he persistently struggled upward, trying to stand.

Seeing Zhou Huahai still resisting, Zhang Hualing’s face remained calm and emotionless. He pointed at Zhou Huahai again, softly commanded, "Bind!"

Instantly, all the Spirit Qi within Zhou Huahai vanished completely. Without Spirit Qi, Zhou Huahai could no longer withstand what Zhang Hualing now represented as the Heavenly Way, and he was firmly pressed to the ground.

After restraining Zhou Huahai, Zhang Hualing looked indifferently at the elders who had previously followed Zhou Huahai. Under Zhang Hualing’s gaze, the elders bowed their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.

In just a moment, Zhang Hualing had once again seized control of Jiuhua Mountain’s situation.

But Xiao Huazhe and Elder Weichi, closest to Zhang Hualing, noticed that Zhang Hualing’s face was nearly transparent, his body trembling uncontrollably. Clearly, even after overextending his life, the "Substitute for Heaven" cultivation method wasn’t something he could easily perform; the strain on his body was immense. Just performing it three times had already reached his limit, and now he was merely holding on by sheer will.

Seeing the two preparing to fly over to support him, Zhang Hualing slightly shook his head, now was not the time to show weakness. His lips parted slightly, about to speak to the elders who had betrayed him, but suddenly something unexpected happened.

From the hole left on the "Nine Pole Array" after Zhang Hualing and others broke through, the black mist within suddenly surged, with endless terrifying roars emanating from it, echoing throughout Jiuhua Mountain as if the hole was a gateway to hell.

Hearing the roar, everyone on the field couldn’t help but look towards the hole, where they saw shadows moving within the black fog. Suddenly, countless figures flew out from the hole, and without pause, they rushed toward the elders and disciples on Jiuhua Mountain, their eyes full of madness and bloodlust.

As they got a clearer view of these creatures, the people of Jiuhua Mountain were shocked to see that among them were beings with sharp horns, three eyes on their foreheads, green skin, or towering figures with black wings, all resembling terrifying demons and none looking human. Even the experienced elders of Jiuhua were taken aback by the sudden appearance of these monstrous beings, completely unaware of their origins.

In the brief moment of shock, the demons had already reached the elders, catching them off guard. Despite their strength, the elders found themselves in chaos against these demons.

More of the demons were attacking the distant disciples.

Although Zhang Hualing was equally shocked, he quickly regained his composure and shouted, "Elders of Jiuhua Mountain, work together to block the entrance and prevent more demons from entering. Ten elders should stay here to help the disciples eliminate the demons that have already invaded Jiuhua. Ring the Linghua Bell, gather all Jiuhua disciples to avoid any accidents."

Zhang Hualing noticed during the demon attack that their strength ranged from the late stage of the Inedia Stage to the late stage of the Lingji Stage. While they couldn’t threaten the elders, allowing them to attack the lower-level disciples would be disastrous, so all the disciples needed to unite to defend.

By this point, four to five hundred demons had flown out from the hole in the "Nine Pole Array" and were still increasing. It was unknown how many more would come, but they had to use most of their strength to block the entrance and prevent more demons from getting in. Even the current number of demons was enough to keep Jiuhua Mountain busy for quite a while.

Hearing Zhang Hualing’s continuous orders, both the elders who had previously betrayed him and those who always remained loyal nodded involuntarily and followed Zhang Hualing’s commands, just as they had for the past four hundred years.

Ten elders voluntarily stayed behind, quickly moving throughout Jiuhua Mountain, slaying any demons in sight. Meanwhile, most of the elders flew quickly towards the hole in the "Nine Pole Array."

However, the elders had already used up a lot of their Spirit Qi due to previous events. The monsters were not only powerful but also had special abilities. If they were unable to defeat them, they would choose to self-destruct without hesitation, making them very difficult to handle. Despite the elders’ full efforts, they achieved little success against the numerous monsters.

By this time, most of the monsters had reached the young disciples of Jiuhua Mountain. Terrified, the disciples were unable to move, and in an instant, nearly a hundred were injured or killed. Zhang Hualing felt deeply pained watching this. Only after seeing Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang snap out of shock and effectively lead the disciples did Zhang Hualing feel slightly relieved.

Just as Zhang Hualing was about to join the other elders at the broken gap of the "Nine Pole Array" to stop the main force of monsters, he suddenly staggered, almost falling from the sky.

Seeing Zhang Hualing in this state, Xiao Huazhe, who was fighting the monsters, swiftly appeared by Zhang Hualing’s side, supporting his arm. With a calm yet slightly concerned tone, he said, "Sect leader junior, you need to rest."

Zhang Hualing nodded slightly, but his gaze habitually looked towards the top of Jiuhua Mountain.

However, there it remained surrounded by clouds and mist, with not a bit of reaction to the chaos at Jiuhua Mountain.

"Sigh…" Zhang Hualing let out a small sigh.

"Boom… Boom…"

Just then, the sound of the Linghua Bell rang out, echoing throughout Jiuhua Mountain. The continuous nine tolls signaled that Jiuhua Mountain was facing a critical moment of life and death.