Chapter 245

Chapter 245: The Escape by the Skin of One’s Teeth Named Li Hui

At the entrance of the Hongmo Sect, after a long flight, the main Corpse Island suddenly slowed as it soared through the clouds.

“Boom, boom…”

Every roar represented a Corpse Island landing atop the mountain peak. The three ancestors spoke in unison, “Reporting to the sect leader, the trial at Wan Nest Island has concluded. The sect can refresh itself, which is a cause for celebration.”

“Great! Survival of the fittest; only the strong remain. As the righteous dissipate, the demonic grows; it should be this way!” The voice seemed to come from the heavens, instilling a deep sense of fear.

The three ancestors grew even more respectful. Luo Tianyuan stepped forward, saying, “Our Hongmo Sect has prepared for many years, reaping abundant rewards. However, at the end of the trial, Blood Moni sent forth a Blood Body to disrupt our plans, causing Wan Nest Island to sink prematurely, and we were unable to seize the Heavenly Nine Cloud Ring.”

“Once again, Blood Moni! After escaping, he even dares to be so reckless. You must have obtained that ancient mirror from Wan Nest Island, right?” a booming voice echoed from above.

“Fortunately, we have succeeded, and the ancient mirror has been unsealed!” Luo Tianyuan waved his sleeve, releasing a brilliant light that resembled a round Bright Moon, drifting elegantly into the sky.

“Hahaha! With this ancient mirror, let’s see how Blood Moni can escape now.” The laughter held a hint of satisfaction, as if some method had caused the ancient mirror to emit numerous light and shadow effects. Mountains and rivers quickly dispersed, as if viewing the world from the Azure Sky. Time began to rewind; suddenly, the perspective zoomed in on Wan Nest Island, continually descending until entering the Dark Path of the Black Fortress.

“Boom…”

The ancient mirror shook violently as a gigantic black hand inexplicably appeared, reaching into the mirror and pulling a wisp of Blood Light from the Black Fortress. An authoritative voice rang out, “Hmph! Even if Blood Moni has multiple skills, this time he won’t escape. Yet my sect disciples actually assisted an outsider in fleeing into the Dark Path? Cultivating the True Demon? This sect despises such erratic conduct. Pass my orders to detain Hongmo Zheng and imprison him alongside Blood Moni.”

“Hongmo Zheng?” The three ancestors dared not defy the order and lowered their heads to accept the command.

As winds surged, the ancient mirror ascended. Before the pressure dissipated, the voice said, “The escapee named Li Hui has truly matured; he actually allowed someone to escape from Wan Nest Island during my time in charge of the sect. You should know what to do.”

“Understood! We will take down this child,” the three ancestors secretly resented. They presided over the trial, and someone managed to escape? What a disgrace!

“Go catch Blood Moni. Bring more men; his hiding place is peculiar. Send others to eliminate the escapee.” The voice faded away.

“Following your orders!”

At this moment, atop the Urgent North Peak in the Hongmo Sect, a bent figure stood on the summit, speaking without turning around, “Zheng, I feared you would take this path, so I watched Hongmo Xi destroy your Dao Foundation. Who would have thought, who would have thought, you truly walked this road.”

“Hahaha! The flaws do not overshadow the brilliance. Good and bad are just as they are! I am born this way; I cannot be hidden. Sooner or later, I will burst forth like a nail!” Hongmo Zheng replied, “But you, old man, your health isn’t great. Take care of yourself after I’m gone.”

“What’s this about being a virtuous child and loyal grandson?” The old man still did not turn. He coldly laughed, “Our demonic sect does not harbor such sentiments. Remember the cultivation methods you learned when you were young; in the Forbidden Region, there may still be opportunities to survive. The sect leader fears taking action against true cultivators because he fears heavenly tribulation may strike his place of seclusion. If Blood Moni can live well, so can you. We are a stubborn breed by nature; even if others won’t let us live, we will.”

“Hmm?” Hongmo Zheng laughed maniacally, “Hahaha! The old man even calls himself stubborn. Good, good, good! Then you must not die. I haven’t married yet, haven’t tasted all the finest wines, haven’t become the host of my brother’s temple. Dying would be such a waste!”

Mu Tianling, one of the three ancestors, personally came to detain Hongmo Zheng. He said coldly, “Hurry along. Knowing full well that the sect leader cultivates the methods of dominion over demons and prohibits disciples from following the path of true demons, you still dare to test the limits. Go repent in the Forbidden Region under punishment!”

“Pah! Repent? I am born of a free spirit. I used to be confined by the rigid rules of the Hongmo Sect, but this trial at Wan Nest Island was quite nice; it helped me find myself.” Hongmo Zheng stood up, declaring, “Authentic demonic path, the world transforms; you evil ones wouldn’t recognize a swan from a bug!”

Watching the figure fly away, the old man’s back bent a little more, blood tears sliding down his cheeks. His lips trembled, and his nails had already embedded themselves into his palm…

Meanwhile, far away on Blue Moon Island, Li Hui spat out blood, feeling a sense of disbelief as he touched his chest, thinking, “Oh no! A terrible misfortune approaches, causing a backlash of fortune. I cultivated the treasure cabinet to gain enormous fortune, yet the Fortune Ascending Talismans are already overloaded. I can’t believe I even vomited blood; this is a warning from fate.”

After deep contemplation, Li Hui resolutely stood up and loudly declared, “Fortune and calamity, align with my will, defend against all misfortunes, and prevent minor troubles from escalating.”

Each time he used the Fortune Ascending Talismans, the success rate for creating talismans would drop as a cost, and now it was nearly at the lowest limit. However, out of a sudden whim, he decided to give it a try; consuming a bit of fortune to scout should pose no problem.

“Zing…” The Four Fortune Ascending Talismans lost a hint of luster, with only a minor effect. Yet Li Hui’s expression changed dramatically as Hongmo Zheng’s image suddenly appeared in his mind, as if he was journeying far away and would not return.

“Understood! Fortune is interdependent; Dao and demon are uniquely synchronized; Yin-Yang naturally exist; fortune and calamity are inseparable! The Hongmo Sect intends to take action against the old man!” Li Hui gritted his teeth and said, “I can only apologize to the embroidered ball; the talisman brush’s revival time will be considerably delayed. Hurry, hurry, hurry! I’m betting it all on my fortune to secure a sliver of hope for survival.”

“Boom!” Fortune gushed forth like a tide.

“Boom, boom, boom, boom!” The Four Fortune Ascending Talismans dimmed, leaving only a sliver of silver light flickering on the talisman surface.

Li Hui, with disheveled hair and appearing frantic, sent his fortune to the depths of fate, not knowing where Hongmo Zheng was. He truly put everything on the line. The troubles for Hongmo Zheng were likely due to letting outsiders escape at the rear, and the Hongmo Sect would certainly find a way to calculate the comings and goings of Wan Nest Island, perhaps sending people to hunt him down.

Just when he had enjoyed a few carefree months, the Hongmo Sect reemerged to create trouble, and resentment grew within him. Once his cultivation matured, he vowed to venture into the Den of Dragons and Tigers.

There was no need to test; it was already clear that the success rate for creating talismans had crashed through the floor, tumbling down to the basement, and from the basement into the depths of the earth. Without tens of thousands of pieces of blank talisman paper at the base, there was no hope of returning to normalcy.

As the fortune dissipated, Li Hui slumped to the ground and wiped his ring, saying, “Official seal, oh official seal! Having exhausted my fortune, if someone employs insidious means against me, you must help me restrain them.”

As for Hongmo Zheng, Li Hui could only assist to this extent for the moment. He felt an immense crisis approaching, and upon reaching Blue Moon Island, he needed to replenish quickly; then he would need to escape swiftly.

When the Jade Symbol Sect was annihilated, he felt a glimmer of hope at sea. Now that misfortune was descending, he could confirm that hope lay on land; only by madly heading toward the land could he survive.

“Boss, we’ve arrived at Blue Moon Island!” Chef Zhao ran over excitedly to report, but once he saw Li Hui’s pale face sitting on the ground, he knew something was wrong.

“Tell Qiniang to prepare for a swift escape; the Hongmo Sect is already aware of an escapee. We need charts and a large quantity of spiritual shells.”