Chapter 167

Chapter 167: Sudden Onset

“No, not even half a one! You’re a cultured and skilled young master of the demonic path, so stop acting like a beggar, okay? Even though you really do resemble one,” Li Hui shook his head vigorously, like a rattle.

“You little brat, are you looking to die?” Hongmo Zhengfang’s anger flared up again. Qian Qiu Yue stepped in front of Li Hui and disdainfully tossed out a dozen magical items and magical treasures.

“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…” The magical items and treasures flew out in all directions. Hongmo Zhengfang wanted to curse Li Hui for playing with a dog, but remembering his own lack of funds, he decided he needed those magical items and treasures to stop himself from humiliating himself.

Thinking better of it, Li Hui had at least made one valid point; he was indeed a cultured young master of the demonic path, so how could he resort to cursing?

Qian Qiu Yue had managed to gather so many magical items and even four or five magical treasures from who knows where, scattering them around like bait. Hongmo Zhengfang cast aside his shame and begged, “Not enough, far from enough. Be generous and give me all the magical items and treasures you’ve collected! Also, include the unique magical potions and items from our Hongmo Sect.”

Hearing this, Li Hui suddenly remembered he had collected thirty-nine magical statues from the great demon cave, which surprisingly had not been eroded by demonic energy or gnawed on by insect demons. Feeling playful, he pulled out four and tossed them out, shouting, “Catch!”

These magical statues varied in size, some as large as half a human and others only as tall as a pen holder. Hongmo Zhengfang was overjoyed, “You little rascal, you really found some good stuff. Hahaha, what a magical storm statue! Consider yourself lucky today; if there’s a next time, I won’t be so forgiving.”

Li Hui treated it like playing with a dog. Demonic items could be quite peculiar, and even accompanying insect demons wouldn’t eat them, indicating there was danger lurking within. Regardless of whether they were magical storm statues, he decided to test a few to see if they could be useful; if not, he could toss them all to Hongmo Zhengfang without a care.

“Junior Brother, now that you’ve entered the Inner Ring, what’s your next move?” Qian Qiu Yue suddenly asked.

“Ah ha!” Li Hui replied calmly, “Since there’s a teleportation array in the core area of Wan Nest Island, I naturally want to go there for a stroke of luck and hope to return to the Daling Dynasty. Nothing beats home.”

Qian Qiu Yue hesitated slightly and glanced at Hongmo Zhengfang, saying, “The core area is too dangerous. With your cultivation, even with my protection, it would be difficult to survive. If you had this guy introduce you before Wan Nest Island submerged into the sea, you could join the Hongmo Sect and not become a magic puppet losing your true self.”

“Senior Sister should know I possess Buddhist powers, right? Although this power came about in a peculiar way, it’s exceptionally condensed and difficult to expel. Joining a demonic sect means undergoing demonic transformation, and taking me as a disciple would cost them multiples, even tens of times that. Since when has the Hongmo Sect been so benevolent?” Li Hui smiled calmly. Following Qian Qiu Yue’s gaze, he shook his head at Hongmo Zhengfang, “This guy looks a bit older, but he is essentially like a child at heart. He’s not bad by nature; though he talks a big game, he has never harmed me. In a demonic sect, he stands out as an anomaly and is bound to get himself into trouble.”

Qian Qiu Yue confidently stated, “Don’t worry, this guy has some backing in the demonic sect; otherwise, he wouldn’t be this way. He appears fierce, but he’s actually quite cowardly.”

Li Hui still shook his head. He had the heart of Dao and proud bones; he didn’t want to submit to the demonic sect. Moreover, with only two months left to live, whether he could escape this death calamity was uncertain. Right now, he was least afraid of risking his life.

“Senior Sister, your Dharma Eye is keen. You must have noticed I am reflecting light back; my lifespan is nearly up.”

Qian Qiu Yue casually replied, “Cultivators who go against the heavens can find a sliver of hope. That alone is enough to appease heaven and earth. The moment I saw you, I knew you had a way to extend your life and that you were diligently working on it.”

“Am I that easy to see through?” Li Hui froze momentarily, realizing Qian Qiu Yue’s words were identical to Lian Luosha’s. Did these two have some connection?

“Junior Brother, remember that the disciples of large sects have very effective spiritual senses and love to pry into secrets. I witnessed you collecting those beads with my own eyes, so naturally, I inspected you thoroughly. It’s a pity I still couldn’t find the root of it; you have some hidden secrets. But it doesn’t matter; I’m not interested in dissecting you; I’m considering bringing you into the sect instead.”

“Senior Sister’s sect is…” Li Hui suddenly understood why she addressed him as Junior Brother; she had this intention.

“The Jin Tian Sect has an estate. Since you stand on talisman methods, I’ve never seen you display spirit motion marks. I wonder…” Qian Qiu Yue did not keep him guessing and directly revealed her background. But when she inquired about the spirit motion marks, a tremendous booming sound came from afar, accompanied by an unimaginable radiance flooding in.

“What’s happening?”

“Ah! The great calamity of heaven and earth! What to do, what to do? We’re going to die! We’re going to die!”

The cultivators became flustered, and the noise grew louder as layers of formation rings surged in like a waterfall into the various formations of the Inner Ring.

Even Qian Qiu Yue was startled, regaining her composure after a while to say, “The outer area of Wan Nest Island is collapsing; the formations are drawing inward, steadily increasing in power. This means the Inner Ring and the core area will become even more dangerous.”

Li Hui muttered, “You really can’t fully trust the words from the demonic sect. They said it would take three months for the outer areas and the external ring to gradually collapse, but it’s only been two and a half months.”

“Boom, boom, boom…”

The rumbling intensified, even scaring Hongmo Zhengfang into crouching down.

From afar, small black dots were seen soaring into the air; these were the cultivators who hadn’t entered the Inner Ring, densely packed with halos zooming by, slaughtering in a rain of blood.

“So fast?” Qian Qiu Yue and Li Hui exclaimed in unison.

The outer island had just collapsed, and now the outer ring was following suit.

The formations, spiritual energy, and restrictions frantically shrank inward towards the island, while many halos descended from the sky, complicating the nearby formations even more…

The collapse lasted for two hours. Standing on the large rock beside the camp and looking out, they saw a tsunami rise like a mountain, perfectly illustrating what it meant to push aside mountains and overturn seas. The path the team had traversed had long disappeared, as if they were back to the moment they first set foot on the island, facing the vast ocean behind them.

“Uh, uh, we just got here yesterday,” Chef Zhao scratched the back of his head nervously. He wasn’t the only one feeling uneasy.

Li Hui felt shocked and apprehensive; it seemed they had been quite lucky, just a day short. No, not even a full day! They had entered the Inner Ring of Wan Nest Island unscathed. But now he looked around at the formation rings falling from the sky and the radiant light falling from the distance, the magical item formations returning.

Previously, Wan Nest Island had been like an open palm!

Now, Wan Nest Island was a clenched fist!

The Inner Ring area was already dangerous, and now the danger had doubled.

The sudden collapse came so unexpectedly, not only half a month early but also not the gradual breakdown stated by the Hongmo Sect. If two hours somehow equated to “gradually,” that was truly ridiculous!

This sudden collapse cast a shadow over Li Hui’s heart. He really wanted to stop and join the demonic sect; at least with the potential of the Upper Tier Spirit Motion Marks, he might be valued. But this was not his path.

What he sought was to drink chrysanthemums below the eastern fence, carefree on the southern mountain. If he confined himself to the demonic path, how could he cultivate freely? In truth, he just disliked how ugly demon cultivators were; being handsome was essential! This was a world that judged by appearance, and he refused to damage his looks.