What's wrong with a snake that just wants to cultivate and transform?

Witnessing the foolish demonic cultivators being eliminated one by one, the hope for escape seemed imminent to Elder Qiu and the others.

Elder Qiu, in his heart, resolved that once this ordeal was over, he would interrogate the cultivators of Fanyin Pavilion severely. He planned to unite the Elders of various sects to obliterate this island, a small speck in the ocean, to quell his raging heart.

At that moment, a chilling and overwhelming aura swept over them like a tsunami, and a mysterious figure suddenly appeared before them.

The more than twenty Nascent Soul Elders present were shocked and terrified at the sight of this powerful cultivator in front of them, wearing a strange mask and a reddish-brown robe.

It was an Immortalization stage demonic cultivator!

No wonder they were effortlessly controlled in an instant; such power could only belong to someone of the Nascent Soul stage.

Using an Immortalization stage cultivator as the focus, the ancient Demon-Sealing Formation could be activated instantly without prior preparation.

It’s just that Elder Qiu couldn’t figure it out. Although it wasn’t as simple as killing an ant for an Immortalization cultivator to kill Nascent Soul cultivators like them, it wasn’t that difficult either. There was no need for him to use himself as the focus of the formation to suppress the twenty-four Nascent Soul elders including himself, and even trap himself in this square inch of land. This was really an extremely unreasonable behavior.

Unless…

Elder Qiu’s face turned ashen. The only explanation was that this Immortalization stage cultivator intended to kill every one of them.

A cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage possessed the power to move mountains and tear through the void. Even if all the Nascent Soul cultivators joined forces against him, their chances of victory were less than ten percent.

An Immortalization stage cultivator could handle twenty-four Nascent Soul cultivators but couldn’t prevent them from escaping to call for reinforcements. Each of these old cultivators had life-saving artifacts; even if he could instantly kill all the Nascent Soul cultivators, there was no guarantee that a few wouldn’t escape and bring back Immortalization stage cultivators from their sects as reinforcements.

Elder Qiu’s face was now covered in cold sweat. Having painstakingly cultivated to the late stage of Nascent Soul, close to Immortalization stage, he couldn’t bear the thought of dying here so inexplicably. He strained to release his spiritual energy, hoping to use even the slightest amount to escape.

But as if reading his thoughts, the Immortalization stage demonic cultivator chuckled mockingly from behind his mask, “Stop struggling, you self-righteous worms of the so-called righteous path.”

Elder Qiu glared back defiantly, arguing, “Even if you are at the Immortalization stage, aren’t you afraid of provoking a united front from the Eight Righteous Sects against you?”

The Mahayana cultivator in the air snorted contemptuously, “Worms are worms, and your thinking is as ignorant as ever.”

Damn demonic cultivator, completely irrational.

Elder Qiu was so furious that his beard trembled. Throughout his cultivation journey, he had always been respected and never before had anyone dared to call him a worm or accuse him of being ignorant.

Actually, Immortalization cultivators in the entire cultivation world are rarely seen in public. The Immortalization ancestors of the great sects have long ceased to concern themselves with worldly affairs and are in secluded cultivation, striving for transcendence.

However, Immortalization stage cultivators of the demonic path differ significantly. They do not contemplate ascension but rather relish in causing trouble for the righteous sects.

These individuals often harbor twisted beliefs about purifying the world through the slaughter of cultivators. In short, they are mentally ill and their behavior is extremely unreasonable.

When Xu Nian arrived beside Ji Yuebai on her flying lotus cloud artifact, they had already eliminated most of the attacking demonic cultivators and were in the final stages of the cleanup.

Despite the optimistic situation in their immediate vicinity, the overall scenario was grim, even causing Ji Yuebai to show a rare expression of concern.

Xu Nian looked up at the Immortalization stage demonic cultivator floating in the air. The overwhelming pressure emanating from him made her feel as though she was in a space with gravity many times normal, making even breathing difficult.

She wondered how such a terrifying adversary could be defeated. Even Elder Qiu and the other Nascent Soul cultivators were immobilized, helpless as fish on a chopping board.

Xu Nian feared that even hiding in her black box would not save her from this calamity.

As for why the Immortalization cultivator didn’t attack her when she flew over, it was like a human not bothering about an ant coming to aid; there was essentially no difference between the two in his eyes.

Elder Qiu was restless, unsure what the sinister Immortalization demonic cultivator was waiting for, hoping someone would figure out a way to bring a Mahayana savior in this brief time.

After all, there were more than twenty Nascent Soul Elders here, along with elite disciples from various sects If they were all to meet their end here, it would leave a significant void among the newer and intermediate members of the Eight Great Sects. Such a loss would hit these eight sects hard, and rival groups eager for their wealth might see an opportunity to challenge them. This could lead to unrest and chaos in the cultivation world.”

Suddenly, a powerful aura rivaling the unknown Immortalization cultivator emerged from the east.

Before the person arrived, his authoritative and resonant voice was heard: “Impudent! How dare you cause chaos in my Fanyin Pavilion!”

The Fanyin Pavilion Elders, who had been immobilized and verbally bullied by the Elders of the other seven sects, were moved to tears at the arrival of their savior: “Elder Xianyuan, you’ve come to rescue us!”

Hearing that their savior had arrived, the Elders of the other sects also showed signs of hope and anticipation.

In an instant, the elegant Elder Xianyuan of Fanyin Pavilion arrived in front of the Immortalization demonic cultivator. With a flick of his finger, he released a silent and traceless sound wave.

The demonic cultivator did not notice the sound wave and was immediately struck by it. He was knocked out of the air and landed hard on the competition stage, and the seemingly light sound wave attack created a deep crack several meters long in the stage, which had stayed intact throughout the competition.

Xu Nian watched in awe, marveling at the strength of an Immortalization cultivator.

The Fanyin Pavilion Elders became even more exhilarated. “As expected of our Fanyin Pavilion’s Elder Xianyuan, with just one move he has totally confused that demonic cultivator.'”

Elder Xianyuan, however, looked disdainfully at his juniors. “Silence, you bring shame upon us,” he scolded, though there was an undeniable hint of pride in his voice.

He thought little of the Immortalization demonic cultivator, who, despite being strong, was only someone who had cultivated in obscurity and without support. To Elder Xianyuan, such a cultivator was merely an inconvenience that could be dealt with a flick of his finger.

Suddenly, a dusty hand gripped the intact surface of the stage at the edge of the crack.

The disheveled demonic cultivator climbed out of the crack, visibly exhausted. The ancient Demon-Sealing Formation had drained much of his strength and vitality, leaving him vulnerable to the fully-powered Elder Xianyuan.

Elder Xianyuan, with a look of disdain mixed with pity in his eyes, moved too fast for anyone present to see clearly.

Only the sounds of several loud bangs were heard as the Immortalization demonic cultivator was repeatedly blasted back into the fissure of the competition stage.

When he emerged once more, his body was covered in bloody wounds. The strange wooden mask on his face had also shattered and fallen off, revealing his true appearance to everyone present.

“To everyone’s surprise, the demonic cultivator turned out to be a woman. She wasn’t just any woman, though; she had a delicate and graceful appearance, without the hint of an Adam’s apple.

This person, capable of executing such evil acts, was an Immortalization stage demonic cultivator.

Xu Nian also found it unbelievable. Could this be the law of ‘antagonists are always beyond expectation’ from her past life?”

Yet, Elder Xianyuan did not soften his approach because of the demonic cultivator’s appearance. This demonic cultivator had attacked disciples and even tried to kill the Elders of the Eight Great Sects, while also attempting to shift the blame onto his Fanyin Pavilion. Such a person, with the face of a human but the heart of a beast, deserved no less than a thousand cuts and to have their soul torn apart for a thousand years.

He abandoned his previous tactic of long-range attacks, instead gathering his spiritual energy for a lethal blow. It wasn’t an oversight on his part. He had already observed that after activating the ancient Demon-Sealing Formation, the demonic cultivator had expended a massive amount of energy, leaving her mostly on the receiving end of his attacks without any significant defensive maneuvers.

Elder Xianyuan appeared instantly in front of the demonic cultivator, his speed so swift that an afterimage remained where he had just been.

With his usual compassionate tone, he said, “Demon, rest in peace.”

In the next instant, the woman, who should have been frightened and panicked, revealed a strange smile.

“You are the one who cannot escape,” she uttered chillingly.

Elder Xianyuan felt a chilling sensation creeping over him, a foreboding shadow that he couldn’t shake off. He initially thought she was bluffing, considering her recent advancement to the Immortalization stage and her current weakened state. Even at her peak, she would be no match for him.

However, as he thought this, a terrifying energy suddenly surged forth.

The Nascent Soul cultivators, unable to move, couldn’t hold back their feelings anymore. In just a short time, tears were flowing down their faces, showing their deep sadness and despair.

As the threat of death loomed, Elder Xianyuan attempted to escape by tearing open the void, but the woman clung to him like a persistent parasite. In such a brief time, there was no way to escape.

Elder Xianyuan had to admit he had miscalculated. Despite all his careful planning, he never anticipated that the woman would choose self-destruction. It’s rare for Immortalization cultivators, who usually guard their lives very closely, to give up their years of hard work and cultivation so easily.

Using an Immortalization cultivator as bait was a huge gamble. What could be the reason for such a risky plan?

In those critical moments, Elder Xianyuan’s mind raced with countless unresolved mysteries and questions from the righteous path that had never been deciphered.

“Why can’t the righteous sects, despite holding the majority of resources in the cultivation world, eradicate the demonic path completely?”

Because the cultivators of the demonic path are damn crazy.

Elder Xianyuan learned this at the cost of his life. This was a trap orchestrated by the demonic cultivators targeting Immortalization cultivators of the righteous path—a ludicrous and absurd campaign driven by the motive to purge the ‘pests’ of the cultivation world.

…

When the powerful self-detonation of the Immortalization cultivator approached, Xu Nian’s body couldn’t even react in time, leaving her unable to move.

Ji Yuebai, however, quickly activated a Great Escape talisman she had prepared in advance, taking Xu Nian with her in an attempt to flee.

Even though they were quite a distance from where the explosion happened, the impact from an Immortalization cultivator’s self-destruction was still incredibly strong. Xu Nian felt like her internal organs were on the verge of breaking apart due to the shockwave, and she couldn’t stop bleeding, which made her see everything as if it were tinted with blood.

Ji Yuebai, who had been protecting Xu Nian the whole time, was in an even worse condition. Amidst the chaos, Xu Nian’s sight became completely blurry, overwhelmed by the intense smell of blood. Her fingers, which were on Ji Yuebai, were sticky with blood.

Xu Nian wanted to tell her to let go, to stop protecting her. But blood had filled her throat too, rendering her speechless. Trying desperately, she moved her lips but couldn’t make any sound. Her fingers held ont Ji Yuebai tightly, her breaths rasping and labored like a broken bellows, and her lips moved rapidly but silently.

A bitter sorrow swelled in Xu Nian’s heart. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.  

A pet’s duty is to protect its master.

But she was so powerless, unable to do anything…