CHAPTER 82: CHAPTER 81: HUMANS ARE INFERIOR TO SNAKES (SEEKING INVESTMENT AND FOLLOWERS)

"Stop the nonsense. Do you dare to face me in battle?" Hong Yuan roared, immediately interrupting Li Jianxiang. He just wanted to resolve the fight quickly and then make his escape.

"Hmph, then come on up," Li Jianxiang said arrogantly to Hong Yuan, lightly blowing on his sword’s edge.

He had been defeated last time only because Hong Yuan and Xu Haisheng joined forces. Under the onslaught of the beast horde, one person could hardly withstand the attack. But against Hong Yuan alone, he could beat ten like him!

The watching official disciples saw that a good show was about to begin and quickly gathered around.

"Who is this guy? Does anyone know him?"

"I don’t know him."

"I’ve never seen him before."

Hong Yuan always lived in seclusion on Phoenix Fire Peak. Even in his spare time, he stayed in his own courtyard studying martial arts. Consequently, very few in the Phoenix Creek Sect knew him, let alone anyone at the minor Sword-washing Stand.

Stepping onto the Flower Rock Stage, Hong Yuan quickly picked up the challenge letter from the ground and assumed a stance across from Li Jianxiang.

"I really didn’t think you would—"

"ROAR!"

Hong Yuan bellowed, not giving Li Jianxiang another chance to speak. He brandished his Tang Sword and charged forward.

[Fly Leopard Savage Worm], activate.

With a thought, Hong Yuan suddenly felt his body bolstered with an overwhelming force. When he coursed True Essence through it, the power became even stronger, explosively so, as if it were the unstoppable force of a hundred thousand horses!!!

BOOM!

A violent wind suddenly rose on the Flower Rock Stage, whipping up sand and stones, forcing the spectators to squint to watch.

The formidable aura emanating from Hong Yuan caused Li Jianxiang’s complexion to change drastically; his mocking demeanor vanished. He quickly spurred his True Essence within his Aperture, unleashing the Nine Heavens Sword technique to counter Hong Yuan.

CLANG!

The clash of sword and saber emitted a screeching metallic sound, causing the audience to cover their ears.

Li Jianxiang, locked in combat with Hong Yuan, felt an overbearing Power Tao surge through their weapons and into his arms. In an instant, he was uncontrollably sent flying backward.

Seeing his anticipated opportunity, Hong Yuan’s eyes flashed fiercely. He instantly flipped his saber, using its back to furiously strike Li Jianxiang’s abdomen. Terrified, Li Jianxiang struggled to swing his sword but found himself helpless against Hong Yuan’s mid-air attack.

He had been completely seen through by Hong Yuan!!!

BANG!

A deafening noise erupted, and smoke swirled around the stage, leaving a deep crater on the incredibly firm Flower Rock ground.

Within the crater, Li Jianxiang’s eyes were glazed, his limbs splayed out, lying powerless as he began to question the meaning of life.

At this moment, Li Jianxiang’s limbs were shattered and his internal organs damaged. Drenched in blood, his injuries were clearly far more severe than Lin Yiru’s!

In the blink of an eye, Hong Yuan had neatly and decisively dealt with Li Jianxiang.

Turning and disappearing into the smoke, Hong Yuan silently apologized in his heart, I’m sorry. I am a disciple of Lin Daoyan.

Not using his full strength to kill Li Jianxiang was already the greatest mercy he could show him.

As the smoke cleared, the watching official disciples discovered that the unknown challenger had disappeared. Meanwhile, Li Jianxiang, previously seen as a shining star, was now like a dead dog, lying in a pool of blood, barely clinging to life.

HISS!

GULP!

Sounds of sharp intakes of breath and dry swallows arose simultaneously.

The disciple who had obtained the latest edition of the ’Small Phoenix Cry List’ kept glancing at the list, his eyes widening in disbelief.

Could it be that the challenger just now was one of the Heavenly Talents ranked above Li Jianxiang?

「...」

After dealing with Li Jianxiang, Hong Yuan immediately went to the black market. He changed into his black robe and, by expending Energy Stones, launched a rumor-spreading campaign.

He spread rumors, stayed behind the scenes, and muddled the waters.

The common disciples only knew that someone among the training disciples had dealt a severe blow to Li Jianxiang’s pride.

Some had confidently identified Hong Yuan, but the majority were distracted by the fake news Hong Yuan released by expending Energy Stones.

Some said Zhang Tianyuan had defeated Li Jianxiang, while others claimed it was Guan Lan. However, most people preferred to believe that Chu Tianjiao, number one on the ’Small Phoenix Cry List’, had defeated Li Jianxiang.

Li Jianxiang also deeply dreaded the opponent who had defeated him.

According to the principles of Gou Dao, Hong Yuan should ideally not act. But if he did, he was supposed to annihilate all witnesses, including their souls, and erase every possible trace.

But, after all, this was within the Sect.

Where there are people, there is society. Once you’re caught in its currents, you can hardly control your own fate.

「...」

Fortunately, the situation with the Demon Beast Hong Yuan was very favorable, so much so that the snake lost all desire to return home from joy.

Hong Yuan would sometimes privately lament, Humans are not as good as snakes...

「Zero Desolate Sea Area.」

「Light Bridge River.」

The Demon Beast Hong Yuan brazenly stopped a fearsome fifth-order demon on the river. With a smile on his face, he flicked his forked tongue and leisurely swayed his tail, thoroughly enjoying himself.

"Hehe, Big Brother, how are you?" the Demon Beast Hong Yuan skillfully spoke in the demon tongue, yet he did not clear the path on the river.

This was clearly a threat.

A second-order demon beast threatening a fifth-order demon beast seemed laughable. Yet, in this very situation, the opposing fifth-order great demon dared not unleash its power.

In truth, he didn’t want to extort ’tea money’ or tolls from the great demons visiting his godfather Xuan Qi. If a great demon lost its temper, it would be a terrible injustice to him.

However, his godfather had repeatedly hinted that he should accept these ’tea fees’ from the great demons. He was to keep one-tenth for himself and use the rest to develop the Mysterious Water Snake clan.

Later, Hong Yuan came to a realization: If a great demon could kill me right under my Flood Dragon godfather’s nose, then being kind to them is useless. Thus, Hong Yuan accepted his godfather’s suggestion with a clear conscience and began aggressively collecting ’toll fees.’

"Haha, you must be the young friend from Light Bridge, right? I understand, I understand," said the newly arrived fifth-order great demon, the Arm-length Monkey Yuan Tongtian, laughing heartily and acting as if he were in on the joke.

At that moment, the Arm-length Monkey showed none of its rumored domineering presence. Nor did it, with its famed explosive temper, retaliate fiercely against Demon Beast Hong Yuan’s disrespect, as it might have elsewhere. It kindly brought out three large jars of Spirit Monkey Wine, suspending them in the air.

Just a whiff of the Spirit Monkey Wine made Hong Yuan feel as if he had attained enlightenment and ascended, a wonderfully refreshing sensation spreading through his entire body.

"’This is a fourth-order treasure, Spirit Monkey Wine,’ Yuan Tongtian gently explained to Demon Beast Hong Yuan, detailing its preciousness. ’Only one jar is produced every fifty years. The monkeys of Vine Fruit Mountain gather hundreds of kinds of spirit fruits in a particular cave. These fruits then spend fifty years gradually fermenting, eventually brewing into this ’Hundred Fruit Wine’.’"

[Life Span +5]

[Life Span +5]

[Life Span +5]

Just like that, Hong Yuan’s Life Span had astonishingly increased by 15 years—truly incredible!

CLICK!

Seeing the joyful expression on Demon Beast Hong Yuan’s face, the Arm-length Monkey Yuan Tongtian slowly sealed the Spirit Monkey Wine.

Hong Yuan glanced at the Spirit Monkey Wine with a hint of regret, then shook his head at the Arm-length Monkey and repeated, "Hehe, Big Brother, how are you?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Tongtian’s monkey eyebrows twitched. He scrutinized Demon Beast Hong Yuan more closely, thinking, This upstart serpent! How dare it be so arrogant with me, just because it has backing! If we were outside, I’d surely give it a taste of my staff and make it wish it were never born!

Ultimately, despite his inner reluctance, Yuan Tongtian, considering the Flood Dragon big shot’s reputation, still bit the bullet and produced two more jars of Spirit Monkey Wine for Demon Beast Hong Yuan.

Demon Beast Hong Yuan watched Yuan Tongtian leave and then, with immense satisfaction, used his abilities to freeze the five jars of Spirit Monkey Wine, taking them back to his cave.

「The new Mysterious Water Snake cave.」

Outside the cave, two shrimp soldiers and crab generals stood guard.

If it were not for the low rank of Demon Beast Hong Yuan, the forces under its command would have been even more impressive.

"Young King..."

"Young King..."

The two shrimp soldiers and crab generals greeted Demon Beast Hong Yuan. He nodded slightly and swam into the Mysterious Water Snake cave.

Upon entering the cave, Demon Beast Hong Yuan activated his Innate Abilities [Myriad Silence Realm] and [Frost Armor], unlocking the secret vault.

Inside the vault were all sorts of treasures sealed in ice: Moon Qiong Paste, Companion Spirit Grass, Spirit Iron...

Relying on the renown of his Flood Dragon godfather, Demon Beast Hong Yuan was living an incredibly comfortable life!