Chapter 576

Chapter 576: The Trial Showdown

At the summit of Mount Tai, Ruan Xingxing snorted coldly, “What’s that brat crying about? I want to rejuvenate too but can’t manage it! Senior Sister Gu said that this disciple was brought back by Junior Brother from overseas, so it’s a favor for blocking a Red Demon ancestor for you.”

Su Qing’er wiped her tears and, with her hands on her hips, declared boldly, “What nonsense is this Red Demon Sect? I come from the Aofeng Sect, and two old ladies have already gone to the Red Demon Sect to block two Red Demon ancestors for Senior Brother, but they can only hold them off, not kill them.”

Li Hui clapped his hands and said, “One of the ancestors from the Red Demon Sect is my adoptive brother’s great-grandfather. This elder will just watch from the sidelines. With all the seniors assisting, the Jieyin will make sure to suppress these Red Demon ancestors one by one, and in the end, I will slay Shang Feiran.”

……

On Magic Deer Island, under the jurisdiction of the Red Demon Sect, tens of thousands of demon cultivators stood ready.

As the sun rose to its zenith, they saw hundreds of floating warships flying toward Magic Deer Island in a formation resembling geese. Thunder rumbled from afar, followed by the guard formation distorting and roaring, as terrifying Yin Thunder raged.

“Advance! Let’s leave no armor behind in our assault!”

The fleet began its offensive on the island, as the Red Demon Sect consolidated its forces across one hundred and eight medium-sized islands.

After the dark moon appeared, a large number of Shadow Beasts cultivated in the sea, and the days of the Red Demon Sect turned bleak. They had started shrinking their strength long before, and the last few months had been exceptionally bloody, leaving behind endless killings.

In just one day and night, the Great Xia fleet surged forward like a broken bamboo, capturing thirty-six outer islands.

The ancestors of the Red Demon Sect were filled with rage, as the fleet relentlessly bombarded them, overwhelming them with the might of the nation and the strength of a prosperous sect. The elders wanted to take action, but sensing energy from formidable cultivators fixating on them, they hesitated. The leaks from the Wan Nest Island trials had unexpectedly reached such a level; had they known this would happen today, they would have disregarded the Jin Tian Sect and landed to eliminate this young man.

Luo Tianyuan, Qiu Tiange, and Mu Tianling, three ancestors from the Red Demon Sect, contemplated assassinating Li Hui. However, by then, Li Hui had taken the cross-continental teleportation array to the Geng Gold Continent, so they missed their chance.

Moreover, even if they hadn’t missed out, Li Hui had already achieved significant power with the Six Paths of Reincarnation, making it unlikely for the three ancestors to capture him together.

Now, within the Red Demon Sect, divisions formed into three factions. The retreat faction advocated pulling back to other continents. The neutral faction suggested seeking refuge underwater, waiting for the calamity of heaven and earth to strike. They believed that not only would they avoid danger in the sea, but they could also counterattack on land. Meanwhile, the radical faction insisted on taking the offensive, feeling trapped on the islands and arguing for the use of Corpse Island to scatter the Great Xia fleet.

It must be said that the foundation of the Red Demon Sect was astonishing. After capturing the thirty-six outer islands, they took eighteen medium-sized islands. Soon, formations arose from the sea, and no matter how much Yin Thunder they unleashed, they could not break through.

Xie Xuan paced back and forth anxiously, his heart racing. “What should we do? Did you receive any orders from my adoptive father?”

“Crab, you need to calm down.” The azure bull feasted happily on the deck, having found plenty of spirit herb gardens on the conquered islands filled with blood ginseng and He Shou Wu, firmly believing that strength comes from eating well.

“Qing, why are you so relaxed? Since you’re so powerful, why not just use your true form to break the array?”

“Goodness! Why don’t you go and break it yourself? Why make me do it?” The azure bull turned its head away, not wanting to deal with this silly fellow. The array circle on the opposite island roared; would you still be able to come back after crashing in? Born from old masters, how could their differences be so vast? It’s no wonder it liked him more.

“I’m not as strong as Yao’er and Qing’er; should I crash into it or not?” While Xie Xuan was conflicted about whether to go for it, he suddenly saw a handsome monk descending gracefully. Overjoyed, he shouted, “Aha! Uncle Guang Jin! It’s been two years since I’ve seen you! When did you arrive? My little nephew failed to welcome you properly; forgive me!”

“Little Xuan, why have you become so airy?”

Xie Xuan stood up straight and smiled, “I’ve been working beside the Empress, often meeting ministers. Yao’er told me to try to sound more cultured, but I’ve mixed it all up. You can’t say I was wrong; I think being unique leaves a deep impression on everyone, so I didn’t change. After all, we aren’t working for the government. My ambition is to help the weak against the strong, and I’ll definitely become a hero in the mortal world.”

“Ha ha ha! I never expected this silly little thing to aspire to be a hero,” Guang Jin laughed, waving his hand and saying, “You should stop thinking about breaking through the front islands. Forcing an entry would lead to significant losses. We’ve already lost a thousand warships, and the Red Demon Sect has figured out most of our capabilities. Those radical demon cultivators will soon join the fight; we should refurbish on the twelve eastern islands and make those the battlefield.”

“Understood!” Xie Xuan cupped his hands and notified the nearby warships to head to the islands for refurbishment.

The twelve eastern islands erupted with massive sounds as many bizarre trees demonstrated a terrifying growth. Within half an hour, the trees formed a forest, and after half a day, countless towering trees connected the twelve islands. Their canopies blocked the sky, covering any presence to the point where the fleets and personnel vanished from sight.

As the dark moon hung high, a massive shadow suddenly plummeted from the sky.

“It’s finally here! They plan to destroy our arrangements with Corpse Island!” Yao’er coordinated in the center, with Duanmu Mingming and Deng Shuqing assisting her. The three exchanged glances and nodded.

“Boom, boom, boom…” The colossal Corpse Island plummeted with a roar, just as it was about to shatter the Heavenly Talisman Sect’s arrangements. Suddenly, layers of green light appeared, and then the Corpse Island vanished, replaced by strange flames in the distance.

The demon cultivator activating the Corpse Island exclaimed in shock, “Not good! The Heavenly Talisman Sect has moved the Corpse Island. The impact point is…!”

Yao’er sighed heavily, having anticipated that the Red Demon Sect would resort to this. They had also used Corpse Island to destroy the formations at Wan Nest Island back in the day, so they took precautions right from the start. As long as no more than six large Corpse Islands fell simultaneously, the formation set with the Qian Kun Moving talisman should hold.

From afar, thunder rumbled as the Red Demon Sect shattered the Corpse Island.

Deploying a Corpse Island as an attack was evidently just a probe. Luo Tianyuan, Qiu Tiange, and Mu Tianling, the three Red Demon ancestors, were in charge of engaging. They intended to gauge the depth of the Heavenly Talisman Sect before making further decisions.

One hundred thousand red-sailed warships appeared. They could not compare to the Great Xia floating warships, but their sheer numbers closed in from all directions.

Hundreds of thousands of demon cultivators, along with many magic puppets, landed on the islands. No matter how many preparations the Heavenly Talisman Sect made, they could not avoid a bloody confrontation—this was a fierce battle that would determine the fate of their sects.

Many experts from the original Jade Symbol Sect and Haotu Sect joined the battle. Li Changtian remained with the troops, and Zhao the Fatty and Huo Qiniang also arrived. They, too, were survivors of the Wan Nest Island trials and vowed to annihilate the Red Demon Sect.

The twelve islands became a blood-and-flesh grinding mill, with cultivators falling with every breath—friends and foes alike. Even when Zhong Yuan and others faced danger, Li Hui did not step in.

He had already provided enough assistance to his disciples. Assuming this area was Wan Nest Island, even without the silver snake bracelet, relying on the treasure cabinet and their strong foundation should allow them to overcome this ordeal. Rather than an assault on the Red Demon Sect, this was more of a trial.

The sky darkened ominously, and the leader of the Red Demon Sect appeared as if ready to face tribulation. Li Hui knew that Shang Feiran had already faced his tribulation a year ago and had held back until today to unleash his full force.