Chapter 173: The Evil Cultivator Blocking the Way (Please Subscribe)

Boom, boom, boom...

Once Du En had swiftly finished clearing out the demonic beasts, he looked back to see that the mushroom forest, which had originally been dense and layered, was now a scene of devastation, with scorched pits and craters visible everywhere.

The battle was over.

Fu Yong was leading the men to clean up the aftermath.

This time, eighteen guards had died, and the others all bore injuries ranging from light to heavy.

Meng Changqing's brow had been furrowed the entire time, never once relaxing.

Seeing Du En return and leap to his side, he spoke: "Do you find it strange why they are so fearless of death, even though we are actually from the same Immortal Sect, and there is really no need to throw away their lives for such matters?"

Upon hearing this, Li Jian suddenly stopped moving, tilting his head at an angle as if he might snap his own neck if he exerted too much force, which looked particularly eerie.

Du En faintly heard his muttering, and Li Jian also thoughtfully provided an explanation for the others.

After Li Jian finished his crazed rambling, he suddenly corrected his posture, put on the serious and solemn expression only a normal person would have, slowly scanned the nearly one hundred people before him, and said word by word: "I highly suspect that we are all puppets, puppets of the Immortal Sect!"

Du En asked at this moment: "How did you become an evil cultivator? I am a bit curious about that."

At this very moment, with the enemy having many injuries and us having few, and the enemy changing formations, it was the perfect time to strike directly!

Thus, the group prepared to turn around and head at full speed straight toward the entrance of the Nancang Ruins, striking just as the High Envoy's formation revealed a gap!

They were not people from the High Envoy's side.

They really looked like death soldiers who had been brainwashed and raised from childhood.

"People with concerns might try to maneuver around them and attempt a psychological game, but those who have no concerns and possess strength will only choose to kill the innocent rather than let a single one escape."

Because both the High Envoy's side and Meng Changqing's side were calculating and capable of using their brains.

Before the words had even faded, a sudden, sharp, grating sound caused everyone to experience tinnitus, their heads buzzing.

Once the tinnitus and dizziness passed, everyone only saw Meng Changqing looking somewhat helpless as he lowered his hand.

He wore a suit of filthy black clothing, was very tall and thin, his facial expression involuntarily mixed with madness, his aura flickering in and out, invisibly revealing a sense of evil.

An evil cultivator!

"Fu Yong and the others know each other well and cooperate with perfect tacit understanding; if I, an outsider, were to suddenly insert myself, I fear it would be counterproductive, which is why I did not participate."

It was a very obvious situation: they were either puppets or death soldiers, and in that fleeting glimpse just now, Du En judged it to be the latter.

Then, they stopped their movements.

Because someone had suddenly appeared before them.

This was likely also why this side could not employ that spatial movement technique just now to bypass this evil cultivator, Li Jian.

The atmosphere quietly turned cold and silent.

Li Jian grinned and nodded directly: "It is me, that's right..."

Seeing only silence in response, Li Jian's expression turned even gloomier, the evil nature in the air churned, and evil anomalies began to sprout.

These loyal guards were not indignant or shaken by the death and injury of their colleagues; there was only a faint sorrow, which made them appear even more resolute.

It was Tang Yiping's incompetence again.

Du En noticed his gaze was focused primarily on him, thought for a moment, and said: "Could it not be the great High Lord? I hear them all address him that way."

"Sigh~"

But rather...

Because after these armored soldiers were wiped out so easily, as if there had been preparations, the High Envoy's side would inevitably develop suspicions, and as long as there was even a shred of suspicion, it meant Du En was completely exposed.

Du En said this while glancing at Meng Changqing, seeing his eyes flickering, dimming and brightening.

"Because they are death soldiers."

"This big shot from the Immortal Sect need not be in such a hurry to erase my eyesore of an existence; the evil anomaly the High Lord left behind at the site where the whistle jade shattered is enough to temporarily protect my safety."

Du En thought to himself.

"This thing called resentment, it really..."

"Do you have any?"

"Let's strike at the heart of the enemy."

Meng Changqing: "..."

"I am Li Jian, pleased to meet you all."

Now it was his turn to fall into silence, shifting his gaze back to Du En.

Du En only said this.

Du En appeared calm, unconcerned about his exposure, and not surprised that he would be exposed.

Li Jian turned his gaze, staring straight at Meng Changqing, pulled out a cold sneer, and continued: "How I became an evil cultivator—don't tell me you don't know. Don't tell me that the reason there are so many evil cultivators has nothing to do with you. Therefore, that we are all puppets of the Immortal Sect is a very obvious deduction!"

Meng Changqing's mouth twitched; detaching himself from his emotions, he turned his head to look at him and spoke solemnly: "No, there is actually no need to do that, because I can find like-minded people."

Seeing that Fu Yong and the others had quickly finished cleaning up the aftermath, Meng Changqing nodded directly and said: "That's right, we should indeed strike at the heart of the enemy!"

Having said this, he finished his check and skipped over the topic, turning to another: "Speaking of which, you were also very decisive just now, running straight off to clear out the demonic beasts."

"Hehe, High Lord, oh High Lord..."

"... If other evil cultivators heard you say such things, they would likely tear you apart alive."

"That is so, that is right! They would do that!"

Li Jian: "..."

Clearly, Du En had not promptly eradicated the remaining evil anomalies in his patrol sector, and instead, this evil cultivator had successfully recovered them; now, using them for protection, even Meng Changqing could only helplessly withdraw his hand and plan otherwise.

Meng Changqing nodded, sighed, and said in a low tone: "That's right, death soldiers. Within the Immortal Sect, there are always people who will try every possible means to cultivate death soldiers who are loyal only to themselves."

Du En asked directly, his gaze fixed on Fu Yong and the others.

He had suddenly appeared here, blocking their path!

"Are you the one who entangled Camp Master Xiang earlier?"

"The other side is indeed not easy to fool, but the current situation is likely beyond their expectations as well, so then..."

"You have met Him, haven't you! You must have met Him! Hahaha! That's right, after all, it was I who made Him notice you, though I didn't expect He would actually chase you all the way outside the border city, hehe, hahaha, since you have already met Him, then, do you think that kind of thing is truly worthy of being called the Great Sovereign?"

Li Jian was speaking somewhat incoherently, causing the crowd to hesitate and stop advancing.

"You aren't wrong about that; actually, I had originally considered whether or not to leak a couple to you to clear your suspicion, but thinking about it carefully, there really is no need."

Du En listened to his voice and immediately thought of what happened before.

They only heard the other side continue: "To tell you the truth, I only know now that encountering a Grudge-Fiend will turn one into an Evil Cultivator, but as for how it specifically works, I still don't quite understand. Can you help me resolve my confusion?"

Staring straight ahead, then glancing at Meng Changqing, who was slightly bowing his head and currently shrouded in gloom, Li Jian suddenly laughed, though it sounded like he was crying: "Sure, I still remember, I just don't know if you remember."

(End of this chapter)