Chapter 208: Proof (Vol 2 Complete)

Chapter 208: Proof (Vol 2 Complete)

Gui Delun turned toward him, and in that instant, pressure slammed into Huis shoulders. He fell to his knees, unable to stand upright. Deep in Gui Deluns eyes, a golden spark flickered, igniting into a flame, a golden flame that burned with the power of life itself. Hui felt a golden flame wrap around him as well, burning hot. His eyes widened. He coughed blood, then fell flat on the floor, instinctively killing his qi.

The cultivators beside Gui Delun stared, wide-eyed. One gasped and put her hands over her mouth. Another looked at Gui Delun, confused.

Gui Delun stared, dumbfounded. His jaw gaped slightly, his upright and stern demeanor showing cracks for the first time.

A long, silent moment passed. Lan Taijian sighed and put his face in his hands.

Hui stirred, coming back to life. Slowly, he climbed back to his knees, though the pressure permitted him to climb no higher. He let out an awkward cough and brushed down his robes, patting at the fresh bloodstain. Ah haha, I er, tripped?

Gui Delun harrumphed. He crossed his arms and frowned. Your proof.

Hui lifted his limbs. Gold flames danced over his whole body, not devouring it, but merely sitting atop it. He patted his arms, but still felt no heat.

If you speak untruths or omit truths, the flames will devour you. Until then, they are harmless, Gui Delun intoned.

Its like Li Xiangs ability, but much more powerful. After all, she can only detect lies, not instantly kill liars! Though I wonder, if she refines her lie-detection skill will she become this powerful in the future?

Hmm and, too I can evade Li Xiangs skill if Im careful. I wonder if I can evade this skill as well? I dont want to admit to the exorcist that I used demonic skills, after all.

Hui glanced at Weiheng Wu, hovering overhead. Master, will you be able to intervene? he wondered silently.

Weiheng Wu stared back at him. After a second, he inclined his head, but slowly.

Mmm. So with difficulty, and only if the other option is my death, I suspect. Then Im on my own!

Speak. I have little patience, Gui Delun said.

Hui bowed low, kowtowing to Gui Delun. Honorable Gui Delun, this small disciple on the behest of my sect, I traveled into the mortal world, then infiltrated the demonic sect that Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect conspired with in order to frame these three righteous sects!

Lan Taijian stared, wide-eyed. From overhead, Weiheng Wu nodded silently, as if hed known all along. Hui snorted under his breath. Knowing Master he probably did!

The flames grew hotter, but did not yet burn him. Huis eyes flashed. Aha! So I can fool the flames! I did travel into the mortal world on the behest of my sect, then, afterward, infiltrated a demonic sect! The way I worded that made it sound as if I infiltrated the demonic sect at the behest of my sect, which isnt true, but because I told two truths back to back in a way they could be misunderstood, I got away with it!

Ah not that it would be too harmful if I admitted I entered the demonic sect accidentally, rather than intentionally. Rather, it was a simple way to test the limits of the flames and Gui Deluns lie-detection abilities, and relatively harmless in case the flames did react and I was forced to clarify myself!

Oh? Gui Delun asked, raising his eyebrows.

Hui reached into his storage ring and drew out the jade hed been given by Black Asp Sect, along with a pair of their robes. He set them on the ground before him as evidence. My fellow disciples knew me as Xie Hao. I was invited into the sect alongside a retinue of Black Asp disciples, and shown the various traps Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect had set up to destroy the righteous disciples!

Murmurs sounded through the Mysterious Heavenly Forest disciples. They glanced at one another. The triplets, in particular, stood on their tiptoes to see, brows furrowed in disbelief.

Around you are the remains of Qi Seed plants. If you have a botanical expert, investigate the roots that remain in the ground, Im sure they can confirm my words! Likewise, behind you is the ashen remains of a Lotus Pill lotus, a fearsome plant that, like Qi Seeds, can infect with no symptoms, spread rapidly through cultivators, and ultimately destroy many disciples. In the worst case, the disciples would return to their sects without knowing they were infected, and inadvertently spread the infection to their entire sect. There is no cure for the Lotus Pill infection, and as for the Qi Seeds as far as this small disciple knows, the only one in this era who knows the cure for them is myself.

The Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect is a plant-cultivating sect. Its no surprise they cultivate a few dangerous plants, Gui Delun said, uninterested.

Hui bit his lip. Dammit. He wants to ignore this, go the easy route, allow Sect Master Mus testimony to stand and leave here without having to invest effort into actually investigating. I have to force him to face the truth. But how?

His eyes lit up. Honorable Gui Delun, when it comes to demonic sects that is, what is a hallmark of a demonic sect?

There are many. Your point?

When it comes to demonic cultivation techniques, the basics are, naturally, sacrificing disciples to treasures, and killing mortals and disciples alike to feed their demonic constructs. Do you not agree? Hui said, gesturing.

Gui Delun shot a sharp gaze at him. Do you speak from experience, as one who has infiltrated a demonic sect?

Hui sighed. He shook his head. Unfortunately, those tragedies I speak of I saw here, in Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect!

Sect Master Mu jumped up, forgetting his injuries. He speaks lies!

If he lies, the flames will consume him. Calm yourself, Sect Master Mu. Gui Delun nodded at Hui, prompting him to continue.

Hui took a deep breath. All at once. Quickly. Too quickly for anyone to sense anything! He reached into his storage ring and withdrew the red gem. A bloody aura welled up from it, an aura Hui threw all his strength against and quashed. The gem barely left the ring before he sent it back in, but in his hand he now held a smoke-colored ball, immaterial and impossibly fragile. It wisped gently in his palm, not fully physical.

Ding Bo, Hui said, and breathed a breath of qi into the ball. The qi met the death qi inside and corrupted to death qi. Only a tiny iota of death qi emerged from the conversion, not enough that Hui had to truly worry about it infecting his qi, but it was enough. The ball stirred. A blank-faced young man formed from the mist, staring blandly into the middle distance.

From within the Mysterious Heavenly Forest disciples, Ding Lao took a deep breath. Ding Bo? Ding Bo! Answer me! He ran toward Hui.

Sect Master Mu gestured. Other disciples reached out and grabbed Ding Lao, preventing him from getting too close.

A captured soul? Truly, you spent too long amongst demonic cultivators, Gui Delun commented.

Not at all, not at all. I have not once used this soul for any magic technique, nor to advance my cultivation! In fact, the one who did was Sect Master Mu! I rescued this soul from a tablet expressly designed to convert souls into wraiths. Honorable Gui Delun, answer meis this the act of a righteous sect? Hui demanded, slapping his other hand on the ground.

Ding Bo blinked. He looked around, eyes still hazy.

Hui joined Weiheng Wu atop his sword. Weiheng Wu hurtled upward, and for a time, they both travelled in silence.

Unable to bear it any longer, Hui coughed awkwardly. Master, did you ascend to another realm?

Weiheng Wu glanced at him, then turned away.

Thats a yes, thats definitely a yes! Hold on, didnt you say it would take you another few years to achieve a Sect Masters level? Master what happened to that? Was your comprehension so great even you couldnt comprehend it?

Ah Huis eyes blurred over, and he stared into the distance. Why does that feel like the most likely answer?

Aha, Master, all that talk about demonic sects and

I dont mind.

Ieh? Hui asked, blinking.

Weiheng Wu scoffed. He tucked his hands behind him, gazing into the distance, and a scholarly aura enveloped him. Demonic and righteous are labels people put on things after they are created. Nothing is inherently demonic, nor inherently righteous. It all depends in the way one uses an art.

Er I guess? Hui said, frowning. I feel like corpse cultivation is pretty but no! This small cultivator cultivates corpses righteously, after all. Its as Master says! Its all in how one uses the art!

Weiheng Wu nodded. Not all cultivators share the same level of comprehension as myself, so mind that you do not reveal any demonic arts too lightly. As long as your heart does not waver, theres no need to let a label hold you back.

Disciple hears and obeys!

Silence. The wind rushed by, loud in Huis ears. He stared back, watching as they passed over the limits of Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect.

Weiheng Wu stopped abruptly. He gazed into the heart of the sect.

Master? Hui asked, confused.

The word for immortal is made up of two characters: man and mountain. Weiheng Hui, have you ever felt that the second character looks like two mountains?

Nno? Hui said. Wheres Master going with this?

Weiheng Wu reached out a hand and made a grasping gesture.

A huge purple hand gripped Mount Mu, the giant tree at the heart of Mysterious Heavenly Forest, and pulled upward. A horrible tearing sound roared out as the earth itself shifted. The tree screamed, releasing waves of green and gold light.

The light slammed into the purple hand, and the light dissipated! The tree wriggled, but the hand was unmoved. It wrenched again, and this time, yanked Mount Mu directly out of the ground.

Hui stared, eyes wide as dinner plates. He turned slowly to his Master.

Weiheng Wu gestured, and the tree flew to his side, diminishing in size until it was no bigger than a bonsai. He nodded then, satisfied, and sent it to hover after him.

Weiheng Wu! Sect Master Mu howled, bursting out of the forest. He barely passed a dozen meters into the air before he slammed into an invisible barrier. The golden symbol appeared over his heart and pulsed, burning veins of golden light through his entire body. Blood boiling, veins standing out on his flesh, he glared at Weiheng Wu.

All around him, the other Mysterious Heavenly Forest disciples rose out of the forest. Some gaped, some glared in anger, and some simply watched, eyes dead.

I accept the compensation youve offered me for injuring my disciple, Weiheng Wu said evenly. With that, he turned and flew away.

Weiheng Wu! If you leave with Mount Mu today, our Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect will spare no cost to end your life! It doesnt matter what corner of the earth you hide in, we will hunt you down! You might be powerful, but you arent all powerful! There are still heavens above you! Sect Master Mu screamed.

What corner of earth? Weiheng Wu asked, pausing in midair.

Thats right! No matter where you hide

Weiheng Wu smiled. Then what about heaven?

Sect Master Mu gaped. Youeven you cannot ascend to heaven so quickly!

Saying nothing more, Weiheng Wu turned and flew away again.

YouWeiheng Wu! All of Mysterious Heavenly Forest swears an oath, this day, to hunt you down! We will not rest until your death!

Hui shifted nervously atop the sword. Er, Master, can I get off? I dont want to be caught between you, and whatever blood enmity you want to provoke!

Weiheng Hui, hear my words. When it comes to fearing and being feared naturally, the powerful are feared, and the weak fear! Weiheng Wu said loudly, refusing to look back. Between myself and Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect I wonder who it is that should fear?

Hui caught his breath. He stared at Weiheng Wu, his eyes wide. Ah. Thats right. Its Master, after all. Its Master, after all!

Sect Master Mus howls of rage faded into the distance. Huddled atop Weiheng Wus sword, Hui glanced back one last time. The entire Mysterious Heavenly Forest Sect glared back at him, gold symbols glowing on their chests, unable to pursue them one step further.

Thisis the definition of domineering! Hui swallowed and gazed up at his Master, then shook his head. Until the day I die, I dont think Ill be this incredibly overwhelming!

The day I die? Never! This small disciple will become immortal! Even if I die today, I will never die forever! Hui grit his teeth and clenched his fist, determination welling up from his soul.