Chapter 65: Demon-Suppressing Umbrella, Azure Arc's Tremor
As dawn broke, more and more Outer Sect disciples entered the Outer Sect City.
Disciples from the Demon-Slaying Hall and Law Enforcement Hall began guarding the city gates, meticulously inspecting the identity tokens of every entrant.
On the Heavenly Mending Platform, numerous disciples sat cross-legged in meditation, awaiting the start of events. Su Han and Zhen Qin stood at the edge of the platform, their brows furrowed as they surveyed the surroundings.
"Senior Brother, something feels off. Should we leave?" Zhen Qin whispered.
She had trained in the techniques passed down by Jiang Qiong, sharpening her senses. The Demon-Slaying Hall disciples stationed around the platform gave her an inexplicable sense of unease, making her instinctively want to flee.
Su Han also sensed that something was amiss. He nodded, deciding to lead his junior sister away.
As they moved against the flow of people, they noticed others who shared their apprehension, attempting to leave the Outer Sect City. However, the majority of disciples chose to trust the Taixuan Sect.
When they reached the city gate, Su Han and Zhen Qin were stopped by Demon-Slaying Hall disciples, who coldly declared, "Today, entry is permitted, but no one may leave."
Su Han's gaze fell upon the banners newly erected along the city walls. His frown deepened—these flags had not been there yesterday.
"Junior Sister, I’ll distract them while you try to escape," Su Han said through voice transmission.
Zhen Qin instinctively turned to look at him.
At that moment, Su Han unsheathed his sword and, with a swift step, charged toward the city gate.
"Impudent!"
The disciples guarding the gate shouted in anger. Before orders could be issued, the surrounding Demon-Slaying Hall disciples sprang into action.
Zhen Qin wanted to help Su Han but saw him quickly surrounded. If she joined the fray now, both of them would surely be captured. It would only waste Su Han's efforts.
She immediately headed for another part of the gate, aiming for a less crowded area. At the same time, other disciples attempting to leave also began to make their moves, throwing the gatefront into chaos.
The weakest of the Demon-Slaying Hall disciples were at the fifth layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage. Su Han was soon pinned to the ground, unable to move.
He struggled to raise his head, only to see Zhen Qin struck down and injured. Blood stained her lips as she fell, and Su Han's eyes turned bloodshot.
The one who injured Zhen Qin was a woman dressed in the black uniform of the Demon-Slaying Hall. She strode through the gate from outside and coldly addressed the crowd:
"Today, we are purging demonic spies. Anyone who tries to leave will confirm their identity as a member of the demonic path!"
Her words caused the uneasy disciples to breathe a sigh of relief.
So this was a demon-spy purge—no wonder such a large operation was in place.
They had been more worried about the Taixuan Sect orchestrating some other conspiracy. If this was just about weeding out demonic practitioners, they had no reason to fear; their consciences were clear.
Su Han, Zhen Qin, and other captured disciples had their spiritual energy sealed with talisman papers before being escorted to the Heavenly Mending Platform.
By noon, the gates of the Outer Sect City were shut.
A loud bell echoed across the city, followed by a commanding voice:
"All disciples, assemble at the Heavenly Mending Platform immediately!"
On every street, disciples began heading toward the platform. The massive platform, though already crowded with tens of thousands of disciples, still felt spacious.
Ye Lan arrived at the edge of the platform, escorted by Law Enforcement Hall disciples. As she was about to ascend the steps, her gaze fell upon a group of kneeling disciples in the distance. Her brows knitted as she recognized Su Han and Zhen Qin among them.
Their disheveled hair and bloodied faces made it clear they had been in a fierce struggle.
Ye Lan refrained from acting rashly and looked away, pondering how to rescue her junior martial nephew and niece.
After much deliberation, she had to admit that her only option was to approach Lu Jiu Jia.
The Law Enforcement Hall had been thoroughly overshadowed by the Demon-Slaying Hall. Even its hall master would struggle to extract anyone from their grasp.
Ye Lan's concern shifted to Gu An. She silently prayed he had not entered the city.
She had a nagging feeling that today’s events were not as simple as catching demonic cultivators.
Lu Jiu Jia’s expression changed drastically. Clutching his chest, he collapsed to his knees with a heavy thud.
It wasn’t just him—other Demon-Slaying Hall disciples nearby suffered the same fate, with some crying out in agony.
"Uncle Lu, what’s wrong?" Zhen Qin asked anxiously, her voice trembling.
Lu Jiu Jia’s entire body felt as though it was being gnawed apart by a thousand insects. The excruciating pain rendered him speechless, leaving him to gesture feebly for Zhen Qin and Su Han to stay back.
The Outer Sect disciples on the platform turned to look at the Demon-Slaying Hall members at the edges, murmuring in confusion.
"The artifact above me is the Demon-Suppressing Umbrella. Beneath its light, all demonic energy is obliterated. Any practitioner of demonic arts will dissolve into blood!" Chu Xian’s voice echoed once more.
The Heavenly Mending Platform erupted in an uproar.
The Demon-Slaying Hall—demonic cultivators?
For years, the Hall’s actions had bred resentment among the disciples. Now that its true nature was exposed, how could they not be enraged?
A chorus of curses and denunciations filled the air.
Lu Jiu Jia was in unbearable pain, his forehead pressed to the ground as his body convulsed violently.
"D*mn it... I knew it..." he gritted his teeth, his face contorted in anguish.
Unable to mobilize his spiritual energy, he was consumed by an unprecedented fear. A dark aura of demonic energy began to rise from his body, spiraling into the air and converging toward the Demon-Suppressing Umbrella.
It wasn’t just him—demonic energy surged from the other Demon-Slaying Hall disciples, streaming upward in a similar manner.
From the crowd, Ye Lan stepped forward and saw Lu Jiu Jia’s tortured posture. She immediately approached, taking a pill from her storage pouch and feeding it to him.
Her actions prompted a wave of insults from the disciples around her, but she paid them no mind.
Unfortunately, the pill had no effect.
"Junior... Junior Sister... run..." Lu Jiu Jia managed to rasp, each word costing him immense effort.
As the word "run" left his lips, he coughed up a large mouthful of black blood.
"What in the world is going on?" Ye Lan asked sharply, her tone heavy.
After a pause, she spoke rapidly, "I can’t escape now. Unless the truth comes to light and the entire sect rises in resistance, there’s no chance of survival."
Lu Jiu Jia no longer had the strength to respond. His trembling right hand slowly rose, and with a quivering finger, he pointed toward the sky.
Ye Lan followed his gesture and turned her gaze upward. The person he pointed to was none other than Chu Xian, floating above.
"The next step is to purge the demonic spies on the platform," Chu Xian’s voice rang out, silencing the noisy Heavenly Mending Platform in an instant.
Even the most self-assured disciples suddenly felt a flicker of panic.
The Demon-Suppressing Umbrella swayed again, its eerie sound sending chills through the hearts of all.
Ye Lan suddenly felt something and instinctively looked down. The platform’s surface was covered in dense, blood-red patterns resembling some ancient and sinister script.
Her feet happened to be positioned directly on one of these patterns. A malevolent force surged into her body, forcibly sealing her spiritual energy and leaving her paralyzed.
Her entire body trembled, and the White Spirit Sword at her waist began to emit a sharp cry.
All the disciples on the platform collapsed to one knee in unison, like a tide surging and falling. The same intricate blood-red patterns appeared beneath their feet.
"I didn’t expect the demonic path to have infiltrated this deeply. Since that’s the case, this Outer Sect no longer has a reason to exist," Chu Xian’s icy voice descended from above, chilling everyone to the core.
In Xuan Valley, within a pavilion
Gu An was calmly writing at his desk when the surface suddenly began to tremble, causing his brush to pause mid-stroke.
His gaze shifted to the Qinghong Sword resting on the table beside him. The sword was vibrating violently, as if it were about to leap out of its scabbard. A faint sound resembling the cry of a bird echoed from within.
Staring at the Qinghong Sword, Gu An's expression subtly changed.