Chapter 63

The Demon's Selection (63)

Neng Suomi was flabbergasted at the sight of the black-robed figures striding confidently into the Demon Valley, which was his home.

‘Well, I guess.’

They were the same kind of people who had been beaten by Fan Jiawei.

People who only realize something is hot when they burn themselves, and only shed tears when they see a coffin. This is why ignorance is so terrifying.

"Did you come from the Zhangluo Hall?"

At Neng Suomi's words, the leader of the black-robed figures, E Yingqi, hesitated.

"You seem curious about how I knew?"

Neng Suomi chuckled.

"I've already met your other gang."

Only then did E Yingqi notice the unconscious owner of the herbal shop.

But this only made things more incomprehensible. It was impossible for E Yingshan to let them go so easily.

Moreover, the person smirking in front of him was clearly much weaker than they were.

E Yingqi frowned.

"How did you get back?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself? You'll meet him soon enough."

E Yingqi looked around with a puzzled expression, but there was no sign of the others.

Neng Suomi mocked him.

"No matter how hard you look, they won't come. They're probably too busy having an audience with the Flame King right now."

"What?"

"Don't worry. You won't have to wait long. You'll soon be standing next to him."

"Rubbish!"

E Yingqi was inwardly flabbergasted and exasperated.

Already annoyed from wandering in the mountains, he was even more infuriated by the absurd words.

Kidnapping the herbal shop owner was easy, but he didn't know much.

All they found out was that the Son of the Divine lived somewhere in the mountains and always used the East Gate when he came to the village.

So he and his subordinates began to search the eastern mountain thoroughly.

But the terrain was so intricate that it was hard to find anything.

If not for encountering Neng Suomi, they might still be wandering in the mountains.

"If you want to leave a body intact, you'd better keep your mouth shut."

E Yingqi's threat made Neng Suomi laugh.

"At least you have a conscience? Unlike your brother who lies to my face while claiming to save me."

E Yingqi flared up for a moment but quickly suppressed his anger.

He realized that engaging in a long conversation with this guy would only be to his own detriment. While he might not be skilled in martial arts, the guy was a master at talking.

Soon, he wouldn't be able to talk even if he wanted to.

Moreover, the purpose of his visit was more important now.

E Yingqi's gaze turned to Dan Aoxian.

"Are you the Son of the Divine?"

Dan Aoxian glared back at him with a chilling stare.

"It's you. The ones who caused all this trouble just to find me."

E Yingqi suddenly burst into laughter as he stared at Dan Aoxian.

"Ha ha ha! Good! Very good!"

After laughing for a while, E Yingqi's smile turned bitter.

"Indeed, the bloodline is terrifying. The face of the Divine is clearly there."

A dark light flickered in E Yingqi's eyes.

"Now it's time to settle old debts."

"I owe you nothing."

At Dan Aoxian's words, E Yingqi chuckled.

"A father's sins are carried by his children. That's the karmic retribution of blood. And that's the way of the martial world."

Dan Aoxian bit his lip in anger.

"Good. That face... very good."

The murderous intent on E Yingqi's face deepened as he stared at Dan Aoxian's expression.

"Divine... his face is very similar to yours."

"..."

"Look forward to it. The face that will cry and beg for mercy..."

A wave of uncontrollable anger surged in Dan Aoxian's eyes as he glared at E Yingqi, who was grinning like a demon.

At that moment, Han Xuehua stepped in front of Dan Aoxian.

Then she said to Neng Suomi.

"Take the two of them to the pavilion."

Short but clear, her words conveyed a clear meaning.

She didn't want Dan Aoxian to witness the gruesome scene that was about to unfold.

"Let's go, Master of the Valley."

"But..."

Neng Suomi persuaded Dan Aoxian with a gentle smile.

"Don't we need to treat him quickly?"

Dan Aoxian sighed and nodded. But before leaving, he didn't forget to glare at E Yingqi.

Neng Suomi led Dan Aoxian and the herbal shop owner to the pavilion.

E Yingqi's gaze, which had been on Dan Aoxian, now fixed on Han Xuehua. His lips curled into a mocking smile.

"Are you the rumored Ice Jade Immortal?"

The more he looked, the more absurd it seemed.

The woman in front of him was in her mid-twenties at most.

She didn't look like a seasoned expert at all.

While her beauty was undeniable, he was a practical person. People couldn't live that long.

Especially while maintaining their youth.

'Unless she ate the legendary Zhu An Guo.'

But even that was just idle talk from gossips. E Yingqi wasn't foolish enough to believe such absurd stories.

"Let's see if the rumors are true."

Swish.

One of the Zhangluo Hall's members drew his golden ring saber and started to approach Han Xuehua.

The saber's aura scratched the ground, leaving a long groove.

In contrast, Han Xuehua made no move.

E Yingqi thought his assumption was correct. So many people had been deceived by her impressive facade and revered her. But it didn't take long to realize how foolish that was.

"..."

E Yingqi's eyes showed confusion.

The subordinate who was approaching Han Xuehua suddenly stopped.

He was only two steps away from her.

"What are you doing?"

At E Yingqi's rebuke, the Zhangluo Hall member turned his head, his face full of bewilderment.

"My feet..."

"What?"

"They won't move."

"What nonsense!"

The subordinate couldn't respond.

He seemed to exhale a white breath, then stood still like a statue.

It was then that Han Xuehua slowly raised her hand.

Thud.

Han Xuehua pushed the shoulder of the motionless Zhangluo Hall member.

Crack.

The member, losing his balance, fell over, and his ankles shattered. His ankles were now covered in white ice.

But the truly astonishing thing happened next.

Crash.

The body of the fallen Zhangluo Hall member shattered like a porcelain bowl, scattering in pieces.

"What kind of sorcery is this!"

E Yingqi's exclamation was close to shock. Three Zhangluo Hall members immediately leaped forward and rushed at Han Xuehua at a terrifying speed.

Han Xuehua let out a cold sneer.

Swish.

The three people who rushed at Han Xuehua were sliced into pieces in mid-air without even a scream. Invisible blades, following Han Xuehua's gestures, rose from all directions and cut them to pieces.

"..."

E Yingqi couldn't recover from the shock of his subordinates' gruesome deaths, not even leaving a complete body.

He couldn't process what he had just seen.

It was that unrealistic.

'This is...'

E Yingqi's face turned pale. He couldn't believe this was human skill.

He had to admit it.

'Ice Jade Immortal!'

Rumors are often exaggerated and distorted.

He thought the rumors about her in the martial world were somewhat exaggerated, but when he saw it firsthand, the rumors seemed tame in comparison.

He couldn't understand.

How could someone with such formidable martial arts skills have lived in seclusion for so long!

At that moment, someone spoke.

"Tsk tsk, if you had thought about it a little more, you would have known..."

It was Chao Auliang.

Chao Auliang slowly continued, shaking his head in disdain.

"Do you think the leader of the martial alliance has worse judgment than you?"

At first, E Yingqi was puzzled, but he soon understood the meaning behind the words.

'Now that I think about it...'

The first place Han Xuehua appeared after her long seclusion was the martial alliance.

If she were a fake, she would have held the leader of the martial alliance, Nan Gong Bai, accountable for mocking her.

"That's why confirmation bias is so dangerous. It makes you see and hear only what you want to believe. You ignore all other facts."

"..."

Chao Auliang's eyes turned cold.

"Those consumed by greed often lose their judgment."

"I, I..."

"You wanted to settle old scores?"

Chao Auliang cut off E Yingqi's words with a sneer.

"No. Even as you said that, your eyes were filled with nothing but greed."

Struck by the truth, E Yingqi, his face flushed, couldn't continue.

One of his subordinates, unable to bear it, drew his sword and shouted.

"Shut up..."

But he didn't even finish his sentence.

Thud!

A terrifying sound echoed as his head exploded like a watermelon.

Brain matter and flesh scattered in all directions.

The sight of his subordinate, spurting blood, falling to the ground, was etched into E Yingqi's retinas.

Thud. Roll.

A moment later, a stone rolled to the ground.

'This is!'

E Yingqi's face turned pale.

The stone that had shattered his subordinate's head was clearly the one the old man had been rolling in his hand like a pressure point ball.

To shatter a person's head with just one