Chapter 234: Colluding with Demon Cultivators

Ruan Xing's expression stiffened somewhat.

She suddenly recalled why this person looked familiar.

After she wiped out the Six Suns Study, she took over several of the Six Suns Study's businesses.

Those small families that came to the Six Suns Study through unknown channels, hoping to use Qi luck to enter the Dao and quickly become high-level Cultivators, exchanged large amounts of Spirit Stones every year for a spot and an opportunity.

After Cai Wen took over those case files and records, some of those people died, some were sent back after their memories were altered by the Xian Tai Tree, and only the last one remained, still tirelessly delivering Spirit Stones to the mountain gate on time every year.

The person who was left behind was named Shao Yang.

Afterwards, Ruan Xing had considered the hidden danger of this person remaining, but she could not find the person delivering the Spirit Stones at all, and she needed Spirit Stones for simulation at that time, so after thinking it over, she let Shao Yang practice as a Demon Cultivator, so that even if the small family came to demand a person in the future, she would have a handle on them.

She did not expect that this person was not aiming for fast cultivation at all.

Ruan Xing looked at him with cold eyes, "You say I am colluding with Demon Cultivators... what kind of righteous conduct is your own? You are clearly at the Transformation Stage, yet your Divine Soul has performed Possession on the body of an ordinary mortal."

The demonic energy on Shao Yang's body had not yet dissipated; he had truly and genuinely practiced as a Demon Cultivator using this body.

But his current Transformation Stage cultivation was also not fake; it was impossible for him to cultivate so quickly, and the only possibility was that he was originally at the Transformation Stage and had now used a secret technique to return to his original realm.

After Ruan Xing advanced to the Return to Ruins Stage, she had even met disciples within the Xumi Realm; if the other party were simply hiding their cultivation, it would be absolutely impossible to successfully conceal it under her nose.

"In an emergency, one must act with expediency; the overall situation is paramount. I compensated that mortal's family, and I believe everyone can understand my actions," Shao Yang said calmly.

Judging solely from his words, the starting point of his actions was based on the interests of Immortal Cultivators.

Other Immortal Cultivators who enjoyed the information he had gone to great lengths to obtain had no qualification or standing to accuse him.

It was just that Ruan Xing felt a bad taste in her heart.

Judging from the case records, Shao Yang had been in the Xumi Realm for over twenty years.

But it was not until Ruan Xing took charge of the Xumi Realm that Shao Yang had the opportunity to begin cultivating.

In other words, before he entered the Xumi Realm, the body he used was just an ignorant child.

At an age when he was still naive, this child became, whether voluntarily or forced, a high-sounding stepping stone for Immortal Cultivators.

More importantly, they were actually using this stepping stone to deal with her.

Ruan Xing felt that she was a little angry.

She sneered, "Then on what grounds do you say I am colluding with Demon Cultivators?"

She wanted to know all the trump cards the other party held during this simulation, so that she could better deal with them when she reached reality.

"I naturally guessed that you might not admit it, therefore, I brought evidence," Shao Yang said.

He clapped his hands to signal, and several Wanbao Tower attendants brought three hog-tied Demon Cultivators onto the platform; the three seemed to have undergone a period of torture and torment, with obvious scars on their exposed skin.

"Everyone can take a look; these few people are the Demon Cultivators that Sect Master Ruan harbored in the Fengling Yueying Sect, and they all claim to be disciples of the Fengling Yueying Sect."

Shao Yang reached out and lifted the chin of one of them, forcing him to speak.

His lips were bloody and his face was obviously bruised and swollen, but Ruan Xing could still recognize that it was Xu Can.

All three were Demon Cultivators with quite fast cultivation progress in the Xumi Realm, and they were already at the Golden Core Stage; if Shao Yang had caught a few small fry at the Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment stages, it probably would not have had any persuasive power.

Xu Can pursed his lips and lowered his head without speaking, looking stubborn.

He was a person who extremely understood how to weigh pros and cons; being caught here by these Immortal Cultivators to threaten Ruan Xing, if he refused to do as the Immortal Cultivators wished, perhaps Ruan Xing might still save him.

But if he followed the Immortal Cultivators' words and actions, then regardless of whether Ruan Xing won or the Immortal Cultivators won, he would not escape death.

Shao Yang impatiently gave him a slap; without using Spiritual Power, relying solely on the strength of his physical body, he made Xu Can's head tilt to one side.

"This Demon Cultivator is truly loyal to Sect Master Ruan," Shao Yang laughed.

Ruan Xing suddenly laughed, "Is this your evidence? Catching a few random Demon Cultivators to slander me?"

Shao Yang responded calmly, "I have the testimony recorded by the Image Recording Bead here."

"Image Recording Beads can be prepared in advance, and there is also the possibility of forgery. If you have the heart to slander me, even more evidence can be fabricated. It would not be difficult for you to force a confession from these few Demon Cultivators," Ruan Xing said unhurriedly.

"A pack of lies, quibbling and twisting facts!" Shao Yang sneered, "Even if you talk until the sky falls today, it is useless. With both human witnesses and material evidence present, your collusion with Demon Cultivators is irrefutable. For the sake of the peace and righteousness of the Cultivation world, it is only right and proper for my Wanbao Tower to issue a bounty for you with the Heavenly Dao Order!"

As soon as his voice fell, the representatives of the various sects who had been listening quietly suddenly realized.

That's right, there was no need to care whether Ruan Xing had actually colluded with Demon Cultivators.

Immortal Cultivators needed a legitimate reason, and Wanbao Tower provided this name; as for the benefits, Wanbao Tower also provided the profit. As long as they killed Ruan Xing, they could obtain the ownership of Wanbao Tower, as well as a powerful Spirit Tool like the Heavenly Dao Order!

The crowd immediately became restless, but everyone was not stupid; they knew Ruan Xing's strength was high, and although they could not see her specific cultivation, she was at least above the Transformation Stage, and no one was willing to be the first to stick their neck out.

They only surrounded Ruan Xing with covetous gazes.

"Actually, if you want to kill me, you don't need to go to such trouble," Ruan Xing sighed, "But I don't want to die under such a false accusation. I have heard that the Xuanbing Sect has a Questioning Heart Stone, which can see through the truth. The Mysterious Grade Sect, as one of the three major sects, should also have such a treasure, right? I would like to request the use of the treasure to clear my name."

Her gaze slowly passed over Qingyuan Daojun and Peak Master Qi, and looked at the two Elders of the Mysterious Grade Sect not far away.

Those two Elders looked at each other and nodded imperceptibly; one of the Elders said, "Very well. Building Master Cheng has occupied Dongzhou for thousands of years, and I believe that Building Master Cheng's disciple would not make groundless accusations. Since that is the case, I will use my sect's secret treasure, the Fluorescent Jade, to let everyone see clearly."

How could the Mysterious Grade Sect stand on Ruan Xing's side?

Did the Heavenly Dao Order have no attraction for them?

Shao Yang was stunned; he could not see what the Mysterious Grade Sect was planning, and slightly tilted his head to look at Cheng Zhishu.

Cheng Zhishu shook his head slightly at him.

Shao Yang then patiently waited to see how the other party would respond.

The Mysterious Grade Sect Elder took out the Fluorescent Jade, and after activating it with a Magic Art, a dazzling red light enveloped the three Demon Cultivators on the platform.

Their eyes gradually became dull.

Ruan Xing smiled without a word, her hands behind her back, quietly twisting her fingers a few times.

The Mysterious Grade Sect Elder said, "Now, you can ask whatever you want to know."

Shao Yang stood next to the few Demon Cultivators, vigilantly staying a few steps away from the red light, and asked, "Are you disciples of the Fengling Yueying Sect of Nanzhou?"

He had asked this same question when he recorded it in the Image Recording Bead, and at that time, all three Demon Cultivators had nodded in admission.

However, a change occurred.

The three Demon Cultivators shook their heads dully.

"How is that possible!" Shao Yang said incredulously, "Is this Fluorescent Jade really a Dharma Artifact that makes it impossible for people to resist telling the truth?"

The Mysterious Grade Sect Elder's expression immediately turned sour, "What are you doubting? This is a Dharma Artifact bought at a Wanbao Tower auction one thousand three hundred years ago."

One thousand three hundred years ago, Shao Yang hadn't even been born yet.

He hurriedly apologized to the two of them with a sheepish look.

Next, they asked a few more questions, but the few Demon Cultivators all claimed to know nothing, and in the end, when asked who Ruan Xing was, they even replied that they did not know her.

Shao Yang's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

The smile on Cheng Zhishu's face, however, grew even deeper.

The other Cultivators felt a sense of regret while simultaneously feeling relieved.

Someone couldn't help but ask, "Since there is no way to prove that Sect Master Ruan colluded with Demon Cultivators, then is the matter of this Heavenly Dao Order... still valid?"

"Of course it is valid," Shao Yang said through gritted teeth, "Even if she used some unknown method to make these three Demon Cultivators unable to identify her, what I saw with my own eyes when I was undercover can never be false!"

"Haha!" Ruan Xing couldn't help but burst into laughter, "Fellow Immortal Cultivators, everyone has seen it; it was his Wanbao Tower that provoked trouble for no reason first. My Fengling Yueying Sect has always acted with a low profile, but we are certainly not cowardly or afraid of trouble, nor will we let others slaughter us at will. Shao Yang, this shell should have returned to the dust along with its owner long ago. You have occupied it for so many years; it is time to return it to him!"

Ruan Xing reached out, and the White Jade Sword flew out from an unknown place, hovering by her side as a sharp beam of sword light rushed toward Shao Yang.

Shao Yang hurriedly dodged; he had only returned from the Fengling Yueying Sect a few days ago and had just recovered his cultivation realm, so he was currently unable to exert his true strength.

Seeing that Cheng Zhishu had no intention of entering the fray, Shao Yang could only beg the other Cultivators for help, "Fellow Daoists, quickly help me execute this woman! Once her head falls and her soul dissipates, the Heavenly Dao Order will be presented immediately!"

Upon hearing this, several people immediately entered the fray to assist.

Qingyuan Daojun also stood up, preparing to strike, but Peak Master Qi signaled him to stop with a look and said in a low voice, "The Xuanbing Sect was ambushed by Demon Cultivators; we must preserve our strength to deal with the aftermath. Do not let yourself be used as a pawn."

Qingyuan Daojun sneered, "Such petty villains deserve to be killed by everyone. My Xuanbing Sect was indeed ambushed by Demon Cultivators, and since this person colluded with Demon Cultivators, shouldn't I kill her?"

Having said that, he coordinated with the others' offensive and charged up together.

Peak Master Qi sighed, shook his head, and did not stop him again, instead watching the battle with deep worry.

Among those present, most were Spirit Severing Daojuns, and with only six or seven people attacking in total, Ruan Xing handled it with ease.

It was just that she still had to divert her attention to watch Cheng Zhishu off the stage, guarding against him suddenly joining in.

Ruan Xing used Instant Movement to get onto the stage and asked in Shao Yang's ear, "Where is Mo Cijun?"

"I don't know." Ruan Xing's sword was pressed against his body, and Shao Yang said, forcing himself to remain calm.

"Do you guess whether Cheng Zhishu will come to save you?" Ruan Xing chuckled, "Your Divine Soul is a result of Possession; you have no chance of reaching the Return to Void in this life and have no utility value left. This is your final contribution to the Hidden Sect."

"What nonsense are you spouting? What Hidden Sect? I don't understand."

Ruan Xing's voice was like a devil's whisper, "He should very much hope that I kill you in front of everyone; that way, I would completely cement my notorious reputation. Therefore, he will not come to save you; he has already abandoned you."

Shao Yang's eyes flickered, and his lips trembled, unable to speak.

He did not want to believe what she said.

Ruan Xing smiled and pushed him away; the White Jade Sword collided with another person's sword, emitting a crisp, ringing sound.

"Yo, Fu Yuanzhen, I was so busy scolding him that I forgot to hit you." Ruan Xing laughed, her wrist flipping to weave a sword flower.

"Demoness, die!" Qingyuan Daojun shouted coldly.

Ruan Xing's gaze turned cold; she still clearly remembered how fragile her neck was in his hands, shattering with a light squeeze.

"Boring," she said, "I'm done playing."

There was nothing to be proud of for her, a Return to Ruins Stage cultivator, to bully a few Spirit Severing ones here.

As long as Cheng Zhishu did not make a move, everyone here combined was not enough for her to fight.

She tossed the White Jade Sword aside, letting Cai Jiao control it herself, and Ruan Xing gripped the air with both hands, watching Qingyuan Daojun rush toward her without dodging or yielding.

She gave him a contemptuous smile, and Qingyuan Daojun's internal alarm bells rang loudly; however, he truly did not sense any Spiritual Power fluctuations from her and did not know where a trap might be waiting for him. Just as he hesitated, his body shuddered, and a sword had already pierced through his chest from his back.

"Shao Yang!" Cheng Zhishu, who had been calm and composed, finally changed his expression.

"Master..." Shao Yang responded with a trembling voice, only then realizing what he had done.

The sword in his hand was currently stuck in Qingyuan Daojun's body, and Qingyuan Daojun had only come to help him because he saw him being held hostage by Ruan Xing, so he had absolutely no guard against him.

"It wasn't me just now!" Shao Yang explained weakly and pale-faced, while forcefully pushing the sword in his hand further down to stir Qingyuan Daojun's dantian.

He felt as if his hands were no longer under his own control.

Despite trying his best, he still could not pull the sword back; he was almost on the verge of tears, watching in terror as Qingyuan Daojun's Divine Soul detached from his body.

Qingyuan Daojun's Divine Soul wore an expression of disbelief, seemingly not yet understanding what had happened, and it was only after a second that it shifted to a look of fury, but it was already too late.

Ruan Xing hooked Qingyuan Daojun's Divine Soul and, just as he had choked her to death in the Simulation, crushed his Divine Soul.

Shao Yang muttered, "What... Magic Art is this..."

"Guess?" Ruan Xing gave a wicked smile, her full pressure radiating out, suppressing the few Transformation Stage Cultivators around her until they couldn't move an inch.

Inside the venue, most people were still standing by and watching, and seeing that several Spirit Severing Daojuns combined could do nothing to her, they dared not try easily.

At this moment, seeing the pressure Ruan Xing radiated, they were filled with horror, "It's actually the Return to Ruins Stage!"

"Impossible, how many years has it been since a Heavenly Dao anomaly appeared on the Xianyuan Continent!"

"Didn't one happen just last year?"

Everyone suddenly remembered that last year, a white light as bright as day in the middle of the night had come from the direction of Nanzhou, bathing the entire land in aurora for three or four minutes.

Because so much had happened in the past six months, everyone had temporarily forgotten that Heavenly Dao anomaly; in their hearts, they had actually long defaulted to the idea that a Sect capable of producing a Return to Void Xianjun must have a profound heritage.

Yet they never expected it to be the obscure Fengling Yueying Sect.

"So that aurora was her Heavenly Dao anomaly..."

Are you kidding? Nowadays, Return to Ruins Stage cultivators in the Xianyuan Continent are rarer than giant pandas; if they were to go and besiege a Return to Void Xianjun, were they crazy or was Cheng Zhishu crazy?

Cheng Zhishu's first goal had obviously failed.

"You... are very good." Cheng Zhishu finally made a move.

It was just that his target was not Ruan Xing, but Shao Yang, who was standing in front of Qingyuan Daojun's corpse in a daze.

"Master...!" Shao Yang knelt on the ground, the light in his eyes gradually fading away.

He was originally a rebirth through Possession, and he had no chance for a second Divine Soul detachment.

"How ruthless," Ruan Xing praised.

Cheng Zhishu smiled bitterly: "Not as much as you."

After Ruan Xing released her pressure, the three Golden Core Stage Demon Cultivators on the platform were already unable to bear the burden, their eyes bulging as they lost their breath.

Cheng Zhishu had originally intended to let Ruan Xing spread the reputation of killing Immortal Cultivators, but he had not expected that it would be his own disciple who killed the Immortal Cultivator who came to help first.

Although a small number of people could guess that Shao Yang had been controlled by someone, Ruan Xing's methods were too inconceivable; they had not felt any Spiritual Power fluctuations, so naturally, they could not convince themselves or others that she had used some special Magic Art.

They could not very well admit that they were the ones who were ignorant.

If that were said, it would only be that Cheng Zhishu's disciple killed Qingyuan Daojun.

Although both were at the Transformation Stage, Shao Yang was a rebirth through Possession, had a background that was not glorious to begin with, and had no special title before.

Yet Qingyuan Daojun had been famous since his youth and had even compiled his life's deeds into a biography for later generations of Cultivators to read; although his personality was very flawed, his reputation as a genius was beyond doubt.

Comparing the two, Shao Yang was naturally at a disadvantage in terms of public opinion.

Fortunately, Xie Yao had already wiped out most of the Xuanbing Sect, and the Xuanbing Sect could no longer bear the title of one of the three great Immortal Sects.

"Don't worry for now; I am not someone who would let myself suffer grievances."

After Ruan Xing finished speaking, she reached out and summoned the Heavenly Dao Order into her hand.

"I'll take this as interest."

Ruan Xing blinked slyly.

Cheng Zhishu just watched without stopping her: "As you wish."

"Then, in the spirit of reciprocity, I have a gift for you too," Ruan Xing laughed, and immediately dozens of explosions rang out.

Deafening.

The power of the shockwaves from the multiple overlapping self-destructs caused many Cultivators to bleed from their mouths and ears incessantly, and some weaker Cultivators had already fainted.

She had detonated the Self-destruct Puppets she had ambushed nearby before entering Wanbao Tower.

It blew large swaths of pavilions and houses within the Wanbao Tower area into ruins, and some Cultivators who had come to attend the auction also became collateral damage.

After the explosion sounds completely ended, she waved her hand: "Goodbye."

Then Ruan Xing left via Instant Movement.

Cheng Zhishu looked around; many Cultivators in the venue were seriously injured, and the two corpses on the platform gave him a headache.

Sighing softly, Cheng Zhishu wanted to order the attendants to clean up the place, but... the explosion affected more than just the Cultivators in the venue.

The auctioneer and attendants outside the venue were also almost completely wiped out.

Cheng Zhishu could only put on a genial expression and do it himself.

Fortunately, the Second Floor Master, Cen Zhong, and a group of alchemists arrived soon; they urgently took on tasks that were not their own and began to clean up and treat the other injured Cultivators.

Cen Zhong pushed the Second Floor Master's wheelchair to Cheng Zhishu's side.

"Just let her take the Heavenly Dao Order like that?" the Second Floor Master said indifferently.

"Let her take it; it's of no use in her hands anyway," Cheng Zhishu said, "This is precisely my second goal."

Ruan Xing took the Heavenly Dao Order, and according to the relationship between Ruan Xing and the Heavenly Dao, she would not give the Heavenly Dao Order to Xie Yao.

Yet Xie Yao was determined to obtain the Heavenly Dao Order.

Their cooperation was one step closer to falling apart.

"Do you want to spread this news? Let Xie Yao ask her for it?"

"Yes, but she definitely won't listen to Xie Yao," Cheng Zhishu said.

"You seem to have done more than what was necessary for the Heavenly Dao Order," the Second Floor Master's silver hair was coiled into a simple bun, and the kind old grandmother seemed to have a helpless expression.

"I did not," Cheng Zhishu said, "Those were all accidents."

The people in the venue were busy, either treating each other's wounds or discussing today's events.

Two Mysterious Grade Sect Elders, who had been watching coldly from the sidelines, huddled together and whispered: "Why did he choose Ruan Xing of the Fengling Yueying Sect to open the situation? He didn't control it himself, making such a mess; what is he trying to do?"

"Indeed... although that Ruan Xing is somewhat famous in Nanzhou, she is not qualified enough to be known throughout the Xianyuan Continent. Just now, when Building Master Cheng's disciple spoke on the platform, I saw that many Cultivators from sects in other places were blank-faced; they had never heard the name Ruan Xing at all. He chose the Fengling Yueying Sect because their Sect Master Ruan Xing has high enough strength, and this sect has no foundation whatsoever, right?"

"Although her strength is high, it is not necessarily better than Building Master Cheng's. Letting her wreak havoc at the auction must have another purpose."

"It's a good thing we didn't participate; we should still keep our composure."

No one else heard their conversation.

Cheng Zhishu went to the front of the platform to comfort the only family member of a victim.

Peak Master Qi tidied up Fu Yuanzhen's remains, closed his eyes that were staring in death, and sighed with a hint of sorrow and confusion.

He already knew that the Demon Cultivators had occupied the Xuanbing Sect, and his wife, son, and the disciples within the sect were likely in grave danger.

Now Fu Yuanzhen was dead too...

Perhaps he was the only one left to carry on the legacy of the Xuanbing Sect.

He did not know what to do...

Wiping away the blood that had flowed out after his heart and lungs were shaken by the self-destruct, he swallowed a Pill, sat in meditation to heal his wounds, and after a long silence, he said: "Building Master Cheng, we must give the Xuanbing Sect an explanation."

"Of course," Cheng Zhishu said naturally.

"This is just the first step I wanted to mention. Next, there is a third step: the Demon Cultivator invasion is not just targeting the Xuanbing Sect. They have invaded the Central Province in large numbers, and the Northern Territory must be empty. We can cut off their retreat and trap them in the Central Province to wipe them out," Cheng Zhishu said.

"What are we going to fight with?" Peak Master Qi asked incredulously.

"The Demon Cultivators are in the Central Province; they haven't just plundered Xianyuan City, they have plundered several nearby sect towns. Don't they have hatred and opinions toward the Demon Cultivators? Therefore, I hope to unite everyone, organize them, and form a team to resist the Demon Cultivators together."

"This organized team will be named the Conquer North Alliance, in the name of conquering the Demon Cultivators."

Cheng Zhishu smiled and proposed such a targeted suggestion to the wounded and Cultivators on the ground.

It is impossible for the Demon Cultivators to be satisfied with occupying just one Xianyuan City; they are greedy and barbaric. After taking one city, they will take a second and a third. If they are not driven back to the Northern Territory or killed until they are no longer a threat, they will definitely come back again.

This is different from denouncing Ruan Xing; at least on the surface, Ruan Xing believes she is an Immortal Cultivator. She admits her identity as an Immortal Cultivator, and in the towns under the jurisdiction of the Fengling Yueying Sect, both mortals and Cultivators live quite well.

The representatives of each Sect were silent.

Some indicated they still needed to consider it further, some said they needed to return to their Sect to discuss it with their Sect Master and Elders, and some decided to join directly.

"Do I even have a choice?" Peak Master Qi said with a bitter smile.

He could only choose to join.

Otherwise, he would have no Sect to return to.

Now, he only hoped that Peak Master Li and Peak Master Jiang in the Northern Territory Secret Realm Space were still alive.

Otherwise, he would truly become a lone man.

Mo Cijun, who was mingling among the alchemists with his head lowered to help, happened to finish watching the second half of the events unfold.

He looked up at the impassioned Cheng Zhishu in the distance, his voice filled with confusion and bitterness, "Master... which disciple have you ever treated with sincerity?"

I have a fever, and my head is spinning; after finishing this chapter, I feel like my thoughts are flying everywhere. There should be many typos; I will fix them when I wake up. Babies, you can play 'spot the difference' and help me catch errors (*∩_∩*) Thanks to book friend 20240501105307137 for the monthly ticket~ Thanks to 'Liking is a person's business' for the monthly ticket~ Thanks to book friend 20211220005339940 for the monthly ticket~ Thanks to An An_ for the monthly ticket~ Thanks to 'I only read books and don't leave comments' for the monthly ticket~ Thanks to Qing Meizi 1996 for the monthly ticket~ Thanks to Dark Moon Eclipse for the monthly ticket~