Chapter 356

Chapter 356: Battle with Jie Yan

When Jie Yan Chan Master heard this, he sneered and said, "The example is right here. The Chongming Ancient Temple you sold to us has no treasure at all; you took it long ago. Isn’t this deceiving us?"

"Ridiculous!" Fang Lie scoffed. "I didn’t want to sell that estate in the first place, but you forced me to sell it to you. I agreed out of pity for you. When I sold it, I clearly told your Master that I was selling only the Chongming Ancient Temple and not guaranteeing there was any treasure inside. Your Master agreed without hesitation. I remember you were there too. Have you forgotten so quickly?"

"Hmph! You were playing tricks at that time; you clearly got the treasure but did not tell us. Can you honestly say otherwise?" Jie Yan Chan Master said angrily.

"Whether I got the treasure is my business and has nothing to do with you," Fang Lie replied with a smile. "That place originally belonged to me. What I obtain, do I need to report to you?"

"Hmm?" Jie Yan Chan Master’s face lit up as he eagerly asked, "So does that mean you really did obtain the treasure?"

"Sorry, I have nothing to say!" Fang Lie smiled.

"Hmph!" Jie Yan Chan Master snorted coldly and sneered, "Fang Lie, do you still have any hope left? Since you’ve fallen into my hands, don’t expect to keep any secrets!"

"Is that so?" Fang Lie laughed. "How can I tell that I’m in your hands? You truly think highly of yourself!"

"You’re just a junior at the Qi Sea realm. What qualifications do you have to resist in front of me, the Fire Tribulation Immortal?" Jie Yan Chan Master declared proudly.

"Qualifications? That’s something we’ll only know after a battle!" After saying this, Fang Lie turned to the little demons and said, "This guy is powerful. I’ll hold him off; you all run quickly! Remember to run far away. If I die in battle, he won’t spare you!"

The little demons were stunned, shock and gratitude on their faces. They never expected that Fang Lie, whom they had just met, would rather sacrifice himself to help them escape.

No matter their previous impressions of Fang Lie, at that moment, they felt deep respect for him.

Little Yellow shouted, "Brother, I’m not leaving. I want to stay and fight the bad guy with you!"

"Right! Let’s fight together; maybe we can beat him!"

"Don’t underestimate me! I might not seem strong, but I can make really stinky farts; maybe that will drive him away!"

"I can also move big rocks; I can break trees, so I can definitely help you!" The other little demons energetically expressed their willingness to help Fang Lie.

However, Fang Lie was speechless at their displayed combat strength. He smiled wryly and said, "This guy has a thousand years of cultivation, capable of turning rivers and seas, smashing mountains with a breath. With a light breath, he could flatten the forest for dozens of miles. Your abilities are simply not enough to compare! In fact, I’m definitely not his opponent! You all stop talking and quickly run away!"

"But how can we leave you alone?" Little Yellow said sadly.

"Yeah, Big Brother is a good person; I don’t want you to die!"

"Big Brother, how about we run together? We can spread out and maybe more of us can escape!"

"Stop talking!" Fang Lie said sternly. "Hurry up and go. If you’re not here, I might still have a chance to escape. If I try to protect you, I might not be able to get away!"

Hearing this, the other little demons hesitated.

Little Yellow was more straightforward and said, "Alright, we won’t stay here and drag you down, but Big Brother, you must survive!"

"Yeah, you still need to take us to the Mo Sect!"

"Big Brother, you must live!" The other little demons cried as they scattered in fear.

They were all Flower Demons, and escaping in the dense forest was quite easy. In the blink of an eye, they disappeared deep into the woods.

Seeing the little demons leave, Fang Lie sighed in relief. He didn’t want to accidentally hurt these adorable, mischievous little ones during the fight!

Jie Yan Chan Master did not interfere, only smiling as he observed. He actually did not want to accidentally harm these Flower Demons, as they were incredibly valuable. After dealing with Fang Lie, he could catch them one by one, which would be a significant gain.

Moreover, he needed to interrogate Fang Lie soon, and some information was too sensitive to leak. Having fewer people around was better.

So Jie Yan Chan Master patiently waited until the little demons were far away before smiling and saying, "I didn’t expect that you actually care for these little demons!"

"They are charming little spirits with weak strength. I like their innocence and can’t bear to harm them, so I can only complete the sect missions this way," Fang Lie replied calmly.

"Haha, after all you’re still lying to them, aren’t you?" Jie Yan Chan Master sneered coldly. "I bet once these little demons went to your Mo Sect, they’d immediately be bound with restrictions and turned into your slaves, right?"

"Hmph, don’t measure a gentleman’s heart with your own petty standards!" Fang Lie retorted. "When they joined the Mo Sect, they became official Mo Sect disciples, enjoying all the rights of Mo Sect disciples. I kept my word. No restrictions, no slavery!"

"Heh, pretty words!" Jie Yan scoffed. "Even if you meant it, what then? Since when does a nobody like you command the Mo Sect? Those greedy family clans would never let Flower Demons roam free without snatching them!"

"You underestimate me," Fang Lie growled. "Under my protection in the Mo Sect, anyone harming them dies by my hand!"

"Hah! Since when does an outer disciple boast louder than the Mo Sect Leader?" Jie Yan mocked. "Even Mo Qianxun wouldn’t dare slaughter great family clan disciples at will!"

"Because I’m the candidate Token Lord of the Benevolence Token!" Fang Lie declared. "I kill whom the Sect Leader fears to kill! Ask around—thousands of family disciples have fallen to me!"

Jie Yan stiffened. "Impossible! You’d have been expelled long ago!"

To fulfill his Master’s task, Jie Yan had once questioned a Mo Sect friend about Fang Lie. But that friend, a family clan disciple, hid the shameful truth of Fang Lie’s massacres.

Fang Lie coldly said, "I *was* expelled. Why else would I be banished to Wanxing Sea?"

"Banished?" Jie Yan blinked, then laughed. "No wonder a Great Pill Master like you, a talent even the Xuan Sect would cherish, toils alone in Wanxing Sea! Cast out by your own sect!"

Fang Lie’s jaw tightened. "Enough. State your purpose."

"To capture you and extract answers," Jie Yan said lightly. "But as a junior, you may strike first."

Fang Lie knew this was mere pretense. Their difference in Magic, realm, and battle experience was vast. Without treasures, his divine skills couldn’t scratch this millennium-old monster.

Yet his family’s pride forbade surrender. "Then die! Soulfire Lance!"

Flames erupted from Fang Lie’s hand, coalescing into a blazing Fiery Lance. With a swing, it shot toward Jie Yan’s head like a comet.

This Ultimate Skill, inherited from an Ancient Heroic Soul, consumed a drop of Original Essence Blood but could obliterate Soul Imprints in treasures. Enhanced by Fang Lie’s growing divine sense, even Fourth-tier Magical Items might shunder its strike.

Yet Jie Yan didn’t flinch. Swaying on his branch like a leaf, he let the lance pierce his face—only for it to harmlessly pass through, blasting the tree behind him.

Fang Lie gaped. He’d expected futility, but this? A soul-locked attack, fueled by his essence blood, missing a stationary target? Unthinkable!