Volume 1 Volume 5 Chapter 148

Volume 5 Chapter 148: Escaping Death, Before the Final Battle (Part 1)

Whether the nine-tailed demon fox learned Mr. Liu’s special skills, or it killed Xu Qingfan, or it led countless demon beasts to attack "Ronghua Mountain" and wreak havoc on the Shenzhou Continent, Mr. Liu had many reasons to want to kill it.

And when the other eleven masters were about to arrive, Mr. Liu was very confident that he could stop the nine-tailed demon fox.

However, Mr. Liu did not expect the nine-tailed demon fox to be so determined, or rather, one might say it was more like a scoundrel.

Sensing the approaching presence of the eleven masters, the nine-tailed demon fox looked at Mr. Liu, who was filled with killing intent, and surprisingly smiled.

The nine-tailed demon fox often showed expressions similar to a human’s, so Mr. Liu was not as shocked as the first time he met it. However, it seemed that whenever the nine-tailed demon fox smiled, something bad would happen.

Mr. Liu just couldn’t understand what other tricks the nine-tailed demon fox had up its sleeve to change the situation.

Mr. Liu overlooked the fact that battles between Mahayana cultivators should not involve Condensed Core Stage cultivators. Once the nine-tailed demon fox broke through his defenses and reached the mountain top, it was destined that Mr. Liu would be unable to do anything to it.

The nine-tailed demon fox showed no concern for Mr. Liu’s large knife-shaped treasure or the fierce killing intent around him; it calmly took graceful steps towards Mr. Liu.

Until the nine-tailed demon fox passed by Mr. Liu, reached behind him, and then used the cloud-moving technique only cultivators could perform to leave with the other four heavenly level demon beasts, Mr. Liu did not try to stop it. His face showed a struggle, but his stance remained, showing no intention to attack, allowing the nine-tailed demon fox to escape with the four heavenly level demon beasts before the other masters arrived.

At the moment Mr. Liu blocked the nine-tailed demon fox, the nine-tailed demon fox and the four heavenly-level demon beasts behind it suddenly changed greatly, and the Spirit Qi waves they produced became chaotic and violent, which was a sign of a demon beast or cultivator about to self-destruct.

The meaning of the nine-tailed demon fox was very simple: if you stop me, I and the four heavenly-level demon beasts will self-destruct immediately. Anyway, when the other eleven masters arrive, we will all die; it’s better to self-destruct now. Even if you find a way to survive the self-destruction of the five heavenly-level demon beasts, the more than a thousand people on the mountain top will be doomed as well.

The meaning was clear, the method was despicable, but it was very effective.

Mr. Liu wished to cut the nine-tailed demon fox into a thousand pieces, but the more than a thousand cultivators on the mountain top were the core strength of the Righteous Alliance, and he could not afford to lose them. So after some hesitation, he let the nine-tailed demon fox go.

※※※※

By the time the other eleven masters arrived, Mr. Liu was fighting countless ordinary demon beasts left behind by the nine-tailed demon fox at the top of "Wolf Howling Mountain," numbering over ten thousand.

However, whether it was a basic Human-Level demon beast or a high-level Earth-Level demon beast, they posed no threat to Mr. Liu at all. He moved freely among the beast crowd, swinging his large knife continuously. With every slash, a blade-like energy shot out from his weapon, and wherever the blade energy passed, any demon beast, regardless of its level, was left with no power to resist, cleanly cut in two.

Mr. Liu’s expression was extremely frightening; his usual calmness and indifference were completely gone. The sharp killing intent was so strong that even the other eleven masters were secretly shocked and dared not speak.

From beginning to end, Mr. Liu could do nothing to the nine-tailed demon fox, and in the end, even with the upper hand, he allowed the nine-tailed demon beast to escape safely. This was something Mr. Liu, who was proud, could absolutely not tolerate.

But this is only one reason; the main reason Mr. Liu acted like this is because of Xu Qingfan.

After the nine-tailed demon fox escaped, Mr. Liu quickly flew to the place where Xu Qingfan was burned by the nine-tailed demon fox’s "Karma Blaze," thinking that the "Karma Blaze" was extremely powerful. Although Xu Qingfan had no chance of surviving, he hoped to at least find Xu Qingfan’s body. However, he discovered that the "Karma Blaze" was still raging, and Xu Qingfan had turned to ashes, with no body left.

This is why Mr. Liu completely exploded with anger.

He always felt indebted to Liu Huaxiang, having taken away Liu Huaxiang’s family love when they were young. After they met again, he constantly mocked Liu Huaxiang. When Liu Huaxiang willingly gave up and asked for his help against Zhang Xusheng, Mr. Liu ignored him, which indirectly led to Liu Huaxiang’s death.

Mr. Liu transferred all his guilt and desire to make things right onto Xu Qingfan. First, Xu Qingfan was Liu Huaxiang’s chosen disciple and successor. Second, Mr. Liu could faintly see a part of Liu Huaxiang’s shadow in Xu Qingfan.

However, he never expected that before he could make amends, Xu Qingfan would die right in front of him, with no body left to recover. He could only watch as the murderer calmly left. Remembering that he had promised to protect Xu Qingfan and ensure that Xu Qingfan would not be harmed, Mr. Liu was filled with guilt. Then, that guilt turned into rage, which he directed at the abandoned demon beasts.

From the escape of the nine-tailed demon fox to the arrival of eleven masters with Jin Qinghan, Dongfang Qingling, and others, in just the time it takes for a cup of tea, hundreds of demon beasts had died at Mr. Liu’s hands.

When Zizhen and the other masters arrived, they were shocked to see the chaotic battle on the mountaintop and Mr. Liu’s outburst. They quickly joined the fight. The twelve masters, together with Jin Qinghan, Lv Qingshang, Dongfang Qingling, and over a thousand cultivators who had been stirred up by Xu Qingfan’s death, managed to wipe out the ten thousand demon beasts on the mountaintop in just over an hour.

After everything was over, Immortal Zizhen, along with the other ten masters, walked up to Mr. Liu, who was clearly happy after killing ten thousand demon beasts. He smiled and asked, "Why did you act so wildly just now, Taoist friend? This time the casualties are not great, and we killed over ten thousand demon beasts in one go. We can say we have achieved an initial victory. Also, on our way here, we encountered a wave of demon beasts, not less than this group. There was also a heavenly level demon beast leading them, which was attacking a mortal city, and we removed it as well. But killing that heavenly level demon beast was a bit troublesome, so it took us some time."

Indeed, besides Xu Qingfan, more than a thousand cultivators on Wolf Howling Mountain fought together, and the battle did not last long. Less than a hundred died, so in this regard, it can definitely be considered a great victory.

However, the one Mr. Liu valued the most, Xu Qingfan, has died.

"You all arrived just in time."

Facing Immortal Zizhen’s smiling face, Mr. Liu coldly mocked.

Seeing Mr. Liu’s unfriendly expression, Immortal Zizhen finally noticed something was wrong and put away his smile, asking, "Taoist Friend Liu, what has happened?"

Knowing this matter was not Immortal Zizhen’s fault, Mr. Liu still felt very uncomfortable and eventually coldly told the eleven masters what had happened on Wolf Howling Mountain.

When they heard that Xu Qingfan had bravely attacked the nine-tailed demon fox to save the other cultivators and delay its outburst, even the eleven masters, who had seen much, slightly changed their expressions, their eyes filled with admiration.

Although Xu Qingfan’s attack on the nine-tailed demon fox was a desperate act to save his own life, in everyone’s subjective view, he became a hero who disregarded his own safety to save others.

After all, Xu Qingfan was already dead, and for a deceased person, everyone preferred to think well of him.

Besides admiring Xu Qingfan, Immortal Zizhen was quickly calculating what would be gained and lost if Xu Qingfan died.

"Xu Qingfan has a very high reputation in the Righteous Alliance. If he dies just like that, it would greatly hurt the morale of our Righteous Alliance. However, bad things can turn into good things. We might as well promote the idea that Xu Qingfan died saving others. This way, morale won’t be damaged; instead, it will inspire everyone to look up to Xu Qingfan as a role model and point fingers at the ‘Dark’ organization. In that final battle, everyone will fearlessly face death, and our chances of winning will increase."

"But, Xu Qingfan is the next sect leader of the Jiuhua lineage. If he dies, it will be hard to explain to Jiuhua. Also, Taoist Friend Liu has always wanted to use Xu Qingfan to make up for Li Xuhan. Now, in this situation, we need to comfort him well."

A person’s position reflects their mindset and how they think. Xu Qingfan has done great deeds for Qingxu Gate and Immortal Zizhen, and Immortal Zizhen admired Xu Qingfan and believed in his future. Upon hearing the news of Xu Qingfan’s death, there was sorrow in their heart.

However, as the leader of the Righteous Alliance, upon learning about Xu Qingfan’s death, they could only hide their emotions and think about the pros and cons of the situation.

"Ahhhhhhh…"

Just as Immortal Zizhen was thinking about how to comfort Mr. Liu and the Jiuhua lineage, a loud scream suddenly echoed from the top of Wolf Howling Mountain, filled with grief, anger, and a strong killing intent that shocked all the masters.

Turning towards the direction of the scream, they saw Jin Qinghan, who had always been indifferent, now changed completely. He was looking up to the sky and shouting, his eyes turned red.

There were no tears in his eyes, only coldness, yet everyone could sense tears streaming down Jin Qinghan’s face.

Jin Qinghan had just arrived at "Wolf Howling Mountain" with eleven masters. After the masters killed the demon beast at the top of the mountain, he began to search for Xu Qingfan among the cultivators.

He had gotten used to standing next to Xu Qingfan, quietly training, and working together with him.

But what awaited him was Li Yuhan, who had witnessed Xu Qingfan being burned to death by the nine-tailed demon fox’s "Karma Blaze," leaving no trace behind. The look of sorrow on Li Yuhan’s face was heartbreaking.

Jin Qinghan then heard Li Yuhan slowly recounting what had happened.

Jin Qinghan was stunned, and then he let out a wail, losing control of himself.

After Jin Qinghan’s cry, filled with anger and sorrow, came to an end, his expression returned to its usual coldness, as if the person who had just cried out was not him.

At the same time Jin Qinghan heard this bad news, Lv Qingshang, Dongfang Qingling, and Xu Xiurong were also present. Xu Xiurong’s mouth fell open in disbelief, Lv Qingshang looked completely dazed, and Dongfang Qingling, usually strong, was now covering her face and crying.

Once he calmed down, Jin Qinghan ignored the comforts or worries of those around him and walked straight towards the twelve masters.

Lv Qingshang, Dongfang Qingling, Li Yuhan from Jiuhua Gate, Xu Xiurong, Lv Ziqing, Chou Xuan, and others who knew Xu Qingfan, along with cultivators from different sects who felt moved or ashamed by Xu Qingfan’s previous actions, all seemed to know what Jin Qinghan wanted to do and followed closely behind him towards the twelve masters.

The cultivators who did not know what had been discovered and stood between Jin Qinghan and the twelve masters were all intimidated by Jin Qinghan’s powerful aura, quickly stepping aside to clear a path.

Then, Jin Qinghan and his companions walked straight in front of the twelve masters and, under their watchful gaze, knelt down together.

Along the way, two or three hundred cultivators had gathered behind Jin Qinghan, and at that moment, all knelt down at once, creating a spectacular scene.

Amidst the grandeur, there was a faint yet clear sorrow.

"Junior, why do you do this?"

Immortal Zizhen understood Jin Qinghan’s intentions but suddenly thought that this was an opportunity to boost morale, so he looked at Jin Qinghan kneeling before him and slowly asked.

"I humbly request all the seniors to lead us now to confront the demon beasts outside ‘Ronghua Mountain’ and avenge Senior Brother Xu."

After Jin Qinghan finished speaking, the more than two hundred people behind him also shouted in unison, "Please lead us, masters, to fight the demon beasts and avenge our friend, Taoist Xu."

The sound was thunderous.

The other cultivators, who did not know what Jin Qinghan and the others were planning, suddenly understood that Xu Qingfan had died to save them. At that moment, their hearts were filled with hatred and shame. One by one, they walked behind Jin Qinghan and the others to kneel down. It started slowly and then turned into a large group. In the end, over a thousand cultivators on "Wolf Howling Mountain" were all kneeling before the twelve masters, creating a dark scene.

"Please, esteemed masters, lead us to fight the demon beast and take revenge for our friend Xu."

Remembering what Xu Qingfan had done and how he died, everyone’s eyes were full of determination and anger, as they once again shouted in unison.

From Jin Qinghan, to the more than two hundred cultivators who first followed him, and then to the over a thousand cultivators on the entire "Wolf Howling Mountain," the sound of their pleas grew louder and louder, creating a powerful sight.

Immortal Zizhen showed a shocked expression, then seemed to make a certain decision. He slowly flew into the air, his face filled with sorrow, and said softly, "I already know about Xu Qingfan. Just over an hour ago, the nine-tailed demon fox attacked with great fury, and everyone was frightened and immobilized. The ‘Sky Star Array’ had too many flaws due to everyone’s panic, and if the nine-tailed demon fox had attacked, everyone would have been slaughtered. In such a situation, Xu Qingfan remained calm and courageous. To hold off the nine-tailed demon fox and give others a chance to regroup, he bravely charged at it despite the huge power difference. In the end, thanks to his efforts, the nine-tailed demon fox could not strike at the best moment, allowing Taoist Friend Zhang and the rest of us to arrive in time, saving everyone’s lives."

At this point, Immortal Zizhen’s voice became somber.

"However, Taoist Friend Xu lost his life to the nine-tailed demon fox because he was not strong enough. He had a bright future, having reached the Golden Core Stage in less than two hundred years of cultivation. He was very likely to become a Mahayana Stage master, respected by thousands. He was the chosen successor of Master of Jiuhua and was destined to hold great power. His future would have been more glorious than most of us. But in that moment of life and death, he did not think of these things. He sacrificed his own bright future for the lives of everyone else."

Then, his tone became impassioned once again.

"We claim to be the Righteous Alliance. So what is righteousness? Why has our righteous path endured? Why have the forces of evil been suppressed by us? It is because we have righteous heroes like Xu Qingfan among us, and because we have the spirit of sacrifice for the greater good."

Let’s not talk about how many of the over a thousand cultivators in front of Immortal Zizhen dared to charge at the nine-tailed demon fox at that time, nor how many of the Righteous Alliance could truly risk their lives for justice. We won’t mention that Xu Qingfan became a hero only because of circumstance, but after Immortal Zizhen’s words, everyone’s feelings were stirred, their gratitude for Xu Qingfan grew stronger, and their determination to take revenge for him became even firmer.

"But the death of our friend Xu will not be in vain. We will carry on his wishes and continue to work hard for the righteous path. He sacrificed for us, and now we must avenge him!"

Immortal Zizhen’s voice echoed across the land but was soon overshadowed by the unified shouts of over a thousand people.

"Revenge! Revenge! Revenge!"

"Revenge! Revenge! Revenge!"

Immortal Zizhen nodded in satisfaction. He originally planned for everyone to take some time to recover their Spirit Qi before leading them to attack the demon beasts surrounding "Ronghua Mountain" and help the Righteous Alliance, but it seemed like that wouldn’t be necessary. With everyone so fired up, even though their Spirit Qi was low, they could still defeat the demon beasts under the guidance of the twelve masters.

"Now, let’s go and avenge our friend Xu!"

Immortal Zizhen pointed to the direction of "Ronghua Mountain" and shouted loudly.

"Revenge!"

Everyone echoed in agreement and quickly rushed towards "Ronghua Mountain" under the lead of the twelve masters.

A moment later, "Wolf Howling Mountain," which had been bustling and lively, was now completely empty.

No, there was one person left, and that was Dongfang Qingling, who had just petitioned with Jin Qinghan.

She did not join the other cultivators to fight against the demon beasts besieging "Ronghua Mountain" because she knew with twelve masters leading and over a thousand Condensed Core Stage experts full of excitement, the Righteous Alliance was sure to win; after all, the enemy only had six heavenly level demon beasts, and there was only one nine-tailed demon fox at the level of Mr. Liu, Immortal Zizhen, and Li Fulu.

However, Dongfang Qingling also knew that she had no way to deal with the true murderer of Xu Qingfan—the nine-tailed demon fox; this was beyond her capabilities. Joining everyone to seek revenge, aside from killing a few low-level demon beasts, would have no effect.

Instead, she wanted to stay at "Wolf Howling Mountain," quietly sitting where Xu Qingfan had died, to spend more time with him.

Her eyes were a bit dry; she wanted to cry but could not. A certain feeling brewed inside her, unspeakable and unexpressed. Her mind was filled with memories of the past, each memory containing Xu Qingfan’s figure.

The "Karma Blaze" that had burned Xu Qingfan to death was still raging, seemingly burning forever. Was Xu Qingfan’s soul contained within it?

Dongfang Qingling stared blankly at the red and green "Karma Blaze," feeling as if she could not do anything and did not know what to do. She felt that a very important part of her suddenly vanished, leaving only emptiness.

Confused, Dongfang Qingling reached out a hand, surprisingly not afraid of the terrifying "Karma Blaze," and touched it as if it were Xu Qingfan instead.

But just at that moment, something unexpected happened.