Chapter 249

Seeing the hall erupt once more in heated debate, each side refusing to yield, the Grand Confucian Liu Yan raised a hand in a calming gesture, and silence fell instantly—everyone, regardless of status or strength, still recognized Liu Yan’s authority.

Liu Yan turned again to Lu Fang and said, “But those are four Half-Saints. Even if all four of their guardians joined forces, it would be nearly impossible to threaten them.”

Lu Fang shook his head with a bitter smile. “The King of the Wuyi Clan doesn’t need to strike the four Half-Saints directly—he only needs to absorb their cultivation roots to rapidly restore his own power. Then, no one will dare say whether the four Half-Saints can stand against him.”

“Only then would the Wuyi Clan dare refuse surrender and directly move to trap the four Half-Saints.”

“The longer we hesitate and waste time here, the worse our position becomes. Believe me, the Wuyi Clan has no reason—”

Before he could finish, Lu Fang’s demonic heart thudded like thunder, and in an instant, the surroundings seemed to fall silent as his hyper-perception surged countlessfold.

A vast, unknown energy was hurtling straight toward his face.

Even with his hyper-perception’s warning, Lu Fang could only barely summon the power of heaven and earth to resist—and still, he was blasted backward by the force.

“Huh! Still alive? What a pity.”

In the empty space, a towering Wuyi warrior materialized, grinning savagely, then vanished with a flick.

Lu Fang spat blood, feeling his qi settle, then glared fiercely at the spot where the Wuyi warrior had disappeared—he recognized the man: one of the King’s four guardians, Lu.

He hadn’t expected Lu could vanish without a trace.

Had Lu not struck suddenly, Lu Fang’s hyper-perception might never have sensed him.

Demonic Heart: “Your situation is dire. I agree with everything you just said. Once the Wuyi King uses his secret method to absorb the cultivation roots of the four Half-Saints, all of you will die here.”

“Ancient clans sealed away aren’t just powerful—they’re also ambitious and intelligent.”

“I also believe the Wuyi King wouldn’t have moved to trap the four Half-Saints without careful planning.”

Lu Fang remained alert, scanning his surroundings. He had only sensed Lu’s attack because his demonic heart had briefly amplified his hyper-perception. Now that boost was gone, and he feared Lu might still be lurking nearby, waiting to strike.

“He’s gone?”

Demonic Heart: “Gone. He struck once and fled—that shows these aren’t fools.”

“Thank you for intervening just now,” Lu Fang said. “Without your help, I might not have died, but I’d have been badly wounded.”

Demonic Heart: “I’ve thought about it. We don’t need to be enemies. If you die, I die too. It’s better if we help each other grow. At first, I hated that you had some unknown force to restrain me.”

“But now I see—it’s actually fine. Since you have a way to erase me, you won’t need to guard against me so tightly.”

“Use my power freely—no side effects. I’ll deal with you in ways that benefit us both.”

Lu Fang didn’t answer the Demonic Heart. At that moment, Xue Luo Sha rushed over, worried, asking urgently: “Are you alright? I sensed it, but I was too late to warn you.”

Lu Fang inhaled the scent of scholarly qi, then calmed: “It’s nothing. Just a minor injury. Did you sense it too?”

Xue Luo Sha nodded, rolled up her sleeve, and revealed the mark of Xiao Jing. “It sensed it—but too late.”

As the two whispered quietly,

Grand Confucian Liu Yan, having confirmed the barrier was now safe, bowed to Lu Fang. “Literary Marquis, I was negligent. I was lost in thought and failed to remain vigilant—I should have noticed.”

Lu Fang shook his head. “The one who ambushed me was a Wuyi guardian. His invisibility is likely a unique supernatural ability. The barrier and perception wouldn’t detect him easily—it’s not your fault.”

“But I still urge everyone to heed me: try harassing the Black Mist Tunnel. If I’m wrong, that Wuyi guardian wouldn’t have risked attacking me.”

Seeing the crowd begin questioning again, making excuses to avoid action, Xue Luo Sha shouted angrily: “Do you think it’s easy for the Literary Marquis to make this decision?”

“If all of you are wounded or killed, won’t the Literary Marquis and I be just as defenseless?”

“If the Literary Marquis were as selfish and short-sighted as you, he’d just hide here and wait for the four Half-Saints to break free—wouldn’t that be simpler?”

“What benefit does the Literary Marquis gain from sending you to harass the Black Mist Tunnel? Can any of you name even one?”

Grand Confucian Liu Yan, already convinced, stepped forward and said: “My friends, I trust the Literary Marquis’s judgment. Those willing to join me in harassing the tunnel, step forward.”

Five people who had supported Lu Fang from the start immediately moved to Liu Yan’s side, volunteering to go.

Lu Fang frowned. “Too few. If only they go, they won’t gain any advantage—they might even get crushed. Do you really think the rest of you have any chance of survival?”

“It’s just harassment. It’s not as hard as you imagine.”

“I’m only a fourth-rank, second-tier Confucian, but I’ll go with you. Trust my judgment.”

Xue Luo Sha stepped beside Grand Confucian Liu Yan. “I’ll go with the Literary Marquis too.”

Seeing one Confucian and one Luo Sha, both at fourth- and fifth-rank, so firmly committed,

a Dao Lord chuckled bitterly. “I’ll go too. If I don’t step forward, word will spread and I’ll lose face. Actually, the Literary Marquis’s analysis makes sense.”

One of the Grand Confucians who had just questioned Lu Fang sighed silently and walked over to Liu Yan’s side—his action spoke for itself.

As more and more people moved over, the remaining few had no choice—they reluctantly agreed.

Grand Confucian Liu Yan smiled with relief, turning to Lu Fang and Xue Luo Sha. “You two shouldn’t go. If the four Wuyi guardians attack you, it’ll only make things worse.”

Lu Fang looked at Xue Luo Sha. “You stay. I must go. If you give me time to approach the Black Mist Tunnel, I can break part of its restrictions—perhaps freeing the four Half-Saints.”

That was what the Demonic Heart had just told him.

He only needed to let it absorb a portion of the Black Mist Tunnel’s power.