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Chapter 20: War Between the Righteous and Demonic Paths, Part 1
Within the ethereal confines of the floating palace, esteemed masters from various distinguished peaks were convened, encircling a vast, nearly translucent crystallized table. The venerable owner of the floating palace was in attendance; his hair bore shades of bluish-white, his visage remained striking despite being veiled by a beard, and he donned a golden robe adorned with black embroidery. Positioned centrally among the seats, he attentively absorbed the discourse of the peak masters.
"We must fortify our own peak first! Dao Ling and his followers are on the verge of arriving!"
"There's no time for that! Even if we fortify our peak, it changes nothing! We shall strike first to gain the upper hand!"
"What are our options?! This predicament stems from those treacherous elders! They conspired with the demon cult solely for the black lotus cultivation!"
"All would have been well if only Wu Qingge had surrendered his cultivation to the demon cult."
Amidst the tumultuous debate, Mo Xian brought his hand down upon the table with force. Black and blue spiritual qi surged from his palm as he surveyed the quarreling peak masters with a furrowed brow. A hush fell over the council chamber. Beside Mo Xian, Tian Lang merely listened, leisurely fanning himself and arching an eyebrow at the peak masters' exchange.
Mo Xian's voice, deep yet slightly soft, resonated as he declared, "How foolish."
"Merely opening your mouths serves no purpose. We are here to devise a strategy for war, not to squabble and voice regrets," Mo Xian added. Silence enveloped the hall; none dared to counter Mo Xian, for his words held truth, until an elder with bluish hair inquired, "Xian'er, what is the reason behind the demon cult's attacks?"
Mo Xian's gentle demeanor returned as he exhaled a weighty sigh and replied, "They covet the Black Lotus cultivation from my teachings."
"That's precisely what I've been saying!"
"Wu Qingge should have surrendered it to the demon cult."
"Fools!" Tian Lang burst out, rising to his feet with a scowl etched on his face. He could no longer bear the peak masters' bickering and exclaimed, "It's no wonder your peaks are decaying and inferior! You fail to grasp why the elders conspired with them or why they sought Wu Qingge's cultivation! It's because they aim to release the demon king! The demon cult is aware of the underworld gate's location! Haven't you noticed the frequent demon appearances in the mortal realm? It's because the demon cult has opened the underworld! And now, their plan is to liberate the demon king and conquer the cultivation world!"
The hall fell into a stunned silence, its faces painted with shock, despair, and fear. They all understood the terror that ensued when the demon king roamed free in the mortal realm. Historically, only the former Mount Hua Peak Master dared to seal him away. Hence, after the disappearance of the underworld gate and the sealing of the demon king, cultivators regained their confidence. They bolstered their ranks by recruiting disciples from the mortal realm and nurturing new talents for future generations.
The owner of the floating palace's mouth quivered slightly upon hearing the demon king. He had anticipated that the demon king's seal would eventually weaken and that he would escape from the underworld once more, but the reality came much sooner than expected! His hand shook, and he was on the verge of speaking when a cultivator burst through the door and exclaimed, "Masters! The demon cult has arrived! They have brought the gate to the underworld with them, unleashing demons that are now attacking the commoners!"
In an instant, all the peak masters were outside the floating palace, drawing their weapons and surveying the chaotic scenes unfolding in the towns and empires of mortals below.
"Curse it! Set off the fireworks to summon cultivators from across the world! There are too many of them!" The earlier shouting cultivator seized a cylindrical stick from his waist, channeled his spiritual qi into it, and watched as it ascended and burst into the air, releasing a large puff of black smoke with red sparks amidst the sky.
"Fuck! Let me out!" Liu Xiao pounded on the large red door. Despite his room's luxurious appearance, complete with an array of foods and beverages, he could not comprehend why he was confined.
What the fuck?! I was just at the inn of the Yong'an Empire yesterday, and now I'm here in a luxurious mansion?! This is so confusing... What is happening outside?!
"Wu Shidi? Wu Shidi!" Liu Xiao called out. Abruptly, a diminutive black and purple orb of fire penetrated the closed door, morphing gradually into the silhouette of a young man.
"Master is absent. Be at ease, Master Xiao! This abode is secluded in a distant mountain, and we boast an array of culinary delights! You shall find comfort here and be free from all concerns."
"I'm worried about everything!" Liu Xiao interjected, silencing the demon. "Where is Wu Shidi? Has there been an incident?" The demon remained mute, a subtle smirk forming on his visage. Liu Xiao's brow furrowed as he demanded, "Speak!"
"The master has departed to engage in the conflict," the demon disclosed with reluctance.
Liu Xiao stood aghast momentarily, then abruptly grasped his hair in dismay. WAR?! Why is there a war?! Is it the war between the demon cult and the martial peak masters?! It's supposed to be a few years later; why is everything happening sooner?!
"Please, Master Xiao, calm down," the young demon urged, attempting to soothe him. Despite this, Liu Xiao continued to tug at his hair in a fit of frustration.
Oh my god, I'm going crazy! Everything is happening soon! Did Wu Qingge cultivate properly?! What if he was weak in the war?! But wait, even though he's weak, he's still the protagonist; there will be plot armor, of course. And after the war, Wu Qingge will be...
"NO!!!" Liu Xiao shouted, readying his sword and other gear and donning the second layer of his robe. He was on the verge of opening the large red door when the young demon halted him. "Master Xiao, please calm down! The Master will return after the war."
"No, he won't!" Liu Xiao contended, his expression turning grim and his eyebrows knitting together. "Listen to me; your master is currently in danger!"
The young demon was taken aback, his eyes narrowing as he regarded Liu Xiao with a look of confusion. Despite his urgency to depart, Liu Xiao exhaled deeply and began to elucidate, "Listen, okay? The demon cult leader, Dao Ling, started this war to compel Wu Shidi into revealing himself and participating. Even though your master is formidable and unmatched, he risks being ensnared and trapped by the underworld gate!"
"Do you understand?" Liu Xiao inquired. The young demon gave a slow nod and proceeded to unlock the large red door by channeling his demonic energy, which caused it to creak open gradually. Liu Xiao's brow furrowed as he pondered why it hadn't opened earlier, despite his attempts to force it, only to realize that it had been sealed with demonic energy. He turned to the young demon and patted his shoulders. "Hey, lead the way."
"Okay," the demon agreed, and he began to levitate mid-air while Liu Xiao mounted his sword. He noticed that the mansion was situated atop a highland surrounded by towering mountains and precipices. With a frown, he addressed the demon ahead: "Why am I here? Why is it so remote?" Liu Xiao queried with a furrowed brow.
The demon hesitated but eventually responded, "The Master instructed me to bring you here for your safety and to ensure your comfort until his return. He also commanded that I do not harm you and that I respond truthfully to any inquiries you might have." Wow, Wu Qingge! Such thoughtfulness!
Clearing his throat, Liu Xiao retorted, "But why? Am I not capable enough to join in?"
Wait—he said that I'm his weakness or something... Is it related to that? But I'm strong; he doesn't need to worry about me. Most importantly, I am the one who should be worried! He will be sucked whole by that underworld gate like a black hole, and he will be trapped for so many years! Even though he ended up becoming a demon king in there and started to take revenge by taking over the demonic cult, I didn't know what happened after that! What if the way he treats me changed?!
Ever since Liu Xiao and Wu Qingge started traveling together, Liu Xiao never assumed that Wu Qingge would try to kill him anymore. It's like overcoming a big obstacle or getting a large and sharp thorn plucked. But what if, after Wu Qingge became a demon king and lost his humanity, people forgot about him? His death flag will rise even more!
Wu Qingge, you're already strong. Fuck being a demon king! Even though I'm a cannon fodder, I treated you like a brother! I have the right to stop it. No, I will stop it, even if it's an unstoppable plot!
"Bring us the black lotus cultivation!" shouted the demon subordinates amidst the chaos of the mortal realm. Mo Xian and Tian Lang unilaterally slaughtered the demon subordinates who were assaulting the cultivators and mortals, while the other peak masters eradicated the demons prowling in the mortal realm.
The owner of the floating palace surveyed the distressing scene below with a sigh and flicked his hand. A swarm of transparent crystals enveloped in white-bluish spiritual qi materialized, hurtling towards the hundred thousand demon cult subordinates and the roaming demons. Another figure flicked his hand, and a surge of black-red demonic qi erupted, dispersing the sharp crystals.
Dao Ling, the leader of the demon cult, halted the incoming sharp crystals. Seated on a black throne, his handsome yet sinister face was devoid of emotion, displaying only stoicism and indifference as he boredly observed the havoc he had wrought.
The heavenly demons and generals standing beside him refrained from engaging in battle. Veiled and masked, they stood silently, merely observing the ongoing conflict between their demon cults and the cultivators.
Later, a veiled woman's voice spoke beside Dao Ling: "Master, shall I intervene now? The hundred thousand demon cult is faltering, on the brink of defeat."
"Hmm..." Dao Ling rested his chin on his hands; his pure black and gold robe billowed as he shifted in his seat. With a simple command, he uttered, "Proceed."
In the blink of an eye, the hundred heavenly demons and generals sprang towards the smirking cultivators, who believed they were on the verge of victory. However, in a mere moment, the cultivators lay on the ground, their bodies cold and devoid of life.
The situation abruptly shifted, and now it was the fifty thousand cultivators who were being slaughtered unilaterally by the heavenly demons and generals. Mo Xian and Tian Lang, with furrowed brows, entered the fray; they managed to slay ten demons. Soon after, Bai Lan, Chen Yi, Shan Ling, and Lan Yang, along with two late-arriving peak masters, Su Luxia and Zhan Baiwon, emerged to join the battle. The trembling owner of the floating palace exhaled a sigh of relief upon witnessing their arrival.
Although the forces of righteousness momentarily regained some ground, the remaining heavenly demons and generals proved too formidable. With more demons lurking in the mortal realm, they resolved to divide their forces. Amidst the chaotic and blood-stained battlefield, a vast expanse of dark purple spiritual qi unfurled. There stood a man adorned in a black and blood-red robe, his presence radiant and unparalleled. Dao Ling, previously stoic, now revealed a sinister grin as his dark red eyes shimmered.
"You've finally appeared."
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