Chapter Twenty-Two: The Heavenly Demon Sect

He only mentioned looking for Yang Nan, without ever seeking out Fang Qingyan as Long Yao had instructed. His words were highly ambiguous, causing Long Yao’s face to flush with a rosy hue as she snapped angrily, "Who told you to look for Fellow Daoist Yang? I only told you to look for Sister Fang!"

"Damn it, why bring up the one thing I shouldn't have? Isn't this just digging my own grave?" Turtle Commander cursed himself inwardly. Seeing the princess fuming, his bald head broke out in a cold sweat. He nodded repeatedly, stammering, "Yes, yes! I was babbling nonsense. Princess, your bond with her is as deep as kin; I will certainly go and bring her back."

Long Yao snorted coldly, "Capital punishment may be waived, but living punishment is unavoidable. If I don't give you three hundred lashes with the Dragon-Scale Staff, you’ll continue to be this sluggish in the future!"

'Three... three hundred lashes with the Dragon-Scale Staff?' The world went black before Turtle Commander's eyes, and he nearly fainted. The Dragon-Scale Staff was a palace instrument of torture specifically designed to break the defenses of the demon race. Even with his naturally thick turtle hide, he couldn't possibly withstand it. Three hundred strikes would surely cost him his life.

The Whale Guards, knowing only how to loyally execute the princess's decrees, cared nothing for the commander's fate. If they angered the princess, they would be lucky to save their own skins!

As the commander was being dragged toward the door, a flash of inspiration struck him. In a desperate bid for survival, he shouted, "Princess! I have one more thing to report! It concerns... no, it concerns Fairy Fang! Please, let me speak before you strike!"

Long Yao paused, frowning with displeasure. "You wretch, why didn't you say so earlier? Speak quickly!"

'This lady used to have such a pleasant temper; how has she become so difficult to serve? Does a fairy really change her nature once she becomes infatuated with a mortal?' The commander lamented inwardly, but with Long Yao’s formidable aura still pressing down on him, he dared not delay. He recounted the details of the battle between Yang Nan and the Dragon Meteor. Having encountered the battle between two Grandmaster-level experts, his three hundred shark soldiers had dared not approach for fear of death.

They had only watched from afar, yet they had seen everything clearly. Since Long Yao hadn't asked before, he hadn't thought to report such a trivial matter. Now, with disaster looming, he clung to the information like a life-saving straw, relaying every detail in hopes that the princess would be pleased enough to spare him the staff.

Long Yao knit her delicate brows, thinking to herself, 'That wretch is truly bold! To think he would provoke the Seventh Royal Brother, who is at the Venerable Realm. Even though the Royal Brother hasn't recovered from his severe injuries, his strength is no less than that of a Grandmaster. If something happens to him at Yang Nan's hands, how am I supposed to face this?'

Yang Nan had seized the Five Spirits God-Sealing Map and even pulled a tooth from the White Dragon; his audacity had already left Long Yao stunned. She recalled the day Yang Nan, having just become a Grandmaster, dared to tweak the whiskers of the Blue Star Venerable and forcibly snatched the Thirty-Six River-Luo Heavenly Mechanism Map from her hands. Recalling this, her surprise subsided slightly.

Yang Nan’s overbearing ways were bound to invite countless enemies. Since the Turtle Commander had provided such vital intelligence, he had successfully escaped his beating. However, the Dragon Palace descended into even greater chaos. With Princess Long Yao in a foul mood, her subordinates suffered greatly.

From the Turtle Commander to the shrimp soldiers and crab generals, from the handmaidens to the fish swimming in the sea—who wasn't suffering under her constant outbursts?

Observing the princess’s volatile temper, the Turtle Commander realized the root cause lay with Yang Nan. He immediately dispatched nimble demon soldiers into the sea to gather news from the Southern Continent. Fortunately, with the world in turmoil, it was common for demons to enter the mortal realm. As news of Yang Nan gradually trickled back to the Western Sea, Long Yao finally calmed down a little.

The inhabitants of the Western Sea Dragon Palace, seeing the princess’s temper stabilize, breathed a collective sigh of relief. However, they knew that as long as the princess remained unsatisfied, they would continue to suffer. The tens of thousands of demons in the Western Sea prayed incessantly for Yang Nan to visit the palace again. Their anticipation was like that of a parched land longing for rain, or a starving ghost awaiting a feast.

"Warm springs wash away the dusty air; no flowers drift within the Immortal Spring City."

***

Springs City, also known as "Immortal Spring City," was filled with hot springs everywhere. Mists drifted like phantoms, and the city was a breathtaking sight, adorned with flowering trees and petals falling in profusion. High towers stood tall, and pedestrians bustled about in a scene of constant activity.

Just as Yang Nan and Chiyang flew into the airspace above the city, the spiritual light radiating from them was so intense it pierced the clouds. Soon, local cultivators were alerted, and a man in black robes flew over from the horizon. He stopped mid-air, gazing coldly at Yang Nan, and said, "Fellow Daoist, this is the territory of the Heavenly Demon Sect. May I ask what business brings you here?"

The man in black exuded a faint scent of blood, and his brow carried a hint of malevolence. Though he asked under the guise of etiquette, his tone was essentially a challenge. With a sweep of his spiritual eyes, Yang Nan understood the situation. He turned and smiled, "This humble Daoist hails from Kunlun. I was passing through and decided to stop for a rest. I didn't intend to disturb you; please forgive my intrusion." The Heavenly Demon Sect occupied this place, and given the blood-aura on the man, he had clearly killed many cultivators. How could Yang Nan let others run wild on his own soil?

While Yang Nan wore a warm, gentle smile, his inner fury surged.

When the man in black heard he was from Kunlun, his expression tightened. He sneered, "Kunlun has quite the reputation! With the seventy-two temples occupying seventy-two cities, Hot Springs City is now under the domain of my Heavenly Demon Sect. I suggest you leave at once."

Yang Nan felt a surge of anger, but he smiled calmly. "The land where I stand belongs to the Great Yuan Divine Prefecture. Under the vast heavens, is there any land that is not the sovereign's? I wonder when your sect seized the divine artifacts of the state?"

In the mortal world, every inch of land belonged only to the emperor. No matter if they were demons, monsters, or ghosts, cultivators entering the mortal realm were supposed to restrain their magical arts!

Seeing the man’s insolence, Yang Nan sighed inwardly, realizing the world had truly begun to descend into chaos. Otherwise, how could a minor sect like the Heavenly Demon Sect dare to occupy an entire prefecture?

The man in black shouted with malice, "Is the way our Demonic Sect operates any concern of you Kunlun people? Leave now, or don't blame me for using you to consecrate my flag!"

Yang Nan shook his head, looking down at the main temple standing below, and sighed, "We cultivators have always avoided interfering in mortal affairs. Since your sect wishes to play king here, this humble Daoist would like to test your mettle."

"You thief!" The man in black raised his palm, and a ghost flag unfurled in the wind. A malevolent spirit leaped into the air, shrouded in thick black fog. It looked exceptionally fierce, baring its claws and gnashing its teeth at Yang Nan, as if desperate to swallow him whole. "Our Heavenly Demon and Heavenly Talisman sects have killed countless ignorant fools here; adding you will just make for a fine addition to my Fierce Ghost Flag!" He gestured, and the spirit roared as it lunged forward.

Seeing that the spirit was only at the early Grandmaster stage, Yang Nan chuckled dismissively. "Two major sects? How impressive. I happen to be looking for a test."

A faint smile curled at the corners of Yang Nan’s lips. With a light wave of his hand, the Xuanming Yin-Sha Flag inside the Heavenly Rainbow Boat within his Jiangshan Ring reacted instantly. Two masses of black fog erupted into the void, and two Grandmaster-level spectral gods roared as they pounced.

These Grandmaster-level spirits were far more powerful than the ghosts of the Heavenly Demon disciples. The mere aura of their malevolence was enough to chill the heart!

Seeing the terrifying power of these spirits, the man in black turned pale and prepared to retreat. But before he could, a series of sharp howls rang out. The Xuanming spirits had already shredded the ghost on the flag and devoured it. Their blood-red eyes glared at the man in black, and they turned to lunge toward him as well.

The man in black crushed a communication talisman. A streak of red light shot into the sky, followed by a piercing screech—a sound like a ghost wailing that echoed for miles, alarming the entire prefecture.

***

Seeing him summon reinforcements, Yang Nan merely pointed a finger at the man. The two Grandmaster-level spirits let out a roar and lunged forward!

The terrifying black fog raised by the Xuanming spirits descended like a shroud. The man in black, only at the Master level, was no match for spirits of the Grandmaster rank. Once his protective artifact failed, he was defenseless. He managed only a single shriek before being torn to pieces by the spirits, his very soul devoured in an instant.

The confrontation took place high in the sky. The mortals below only saw the sky darken and heard the wind howl, unaware that someone had met a violent end. Yang Nan waved the Xuanming Yin-Sha Flag, and the two six-headed spirits circled him, clearing a path through the dense black clouds as he headed toward the main temple in the city.

The signal sent by the man in black was quickly detected. Several streaks of light shot from the main temple, stopping before Yang Nan. Several Taoists and black-robed men lined up on either side, effectively surrounding him. The leader laughed viciously, "You thief! How dare you harm a disciple of our Heavenly Demon Sect? If I don't tear you to pieces and refine your soul through the nine cycles, how will my hatred be sated?"

The man was an elder of the Heavenly Demon Sect, one of the twelve branches of the Demonic Sect. How could he not be shocked and enraged by the brutal death of his disciple? He immediately raised his magical weapon to strike. Beside him, a man standing on a red silk cloth, dressed in Taoist robes with a refined face, waved his hand and sneered at Yang Nan, "What kind of petty thief are you, daring to tweak the whiskers of the Heavenly Talisman and Heavenly Demon sects?"

'Heavenly Talisman Sect?' Yang Nan instantly recalled being besieged at the foot of Mount Kunlun. His intent to kill flared, though he replied with a smile, "Fellow Daoist, you are from the Heavenly Talisman Sect? I wonder what your relationship is to Elder Zeng Guang?"

The Taoist paused, assuming Yang Nan had some history with his sect. He replied, "This humble Daoist is Zeng Lian. Elder Zeng Guang is my sect's uncle. Could it be that you and Elder Zeng Guang are old acquaintances?" He had intended to attack immediately, but the mention of his senior gave him pause. His face filled with suspicion—if they were indeed acquaintances, it would be difficult to kill him.

Yang Nan chuckled, "That's right. I was just looking to settle an old debt with Elder Zeng Guang. I didn't expect to run into you today. Taking your head will serve as the interest on that debt!"

Zeng Lian was enraged upon hearing this. It was clear Yang Nan was mocking him. This wasn't an acquaintance; it was a blood feud. He sneered, "Little thief, daring to provoke the Heavenly Talisman Sect! Taste my twelve Dignified Talismans!"

The Heavenly Demon Sect disciples waved their small flags and vibrated their magic rings, summoning a swarm of ghosts and spirits to mob Yang Nan. The Heavenly Talisman disciples began inscribing talismans to summon gods. In an instant, the sky was filled with divine generals and ghosts, a truly astonishing display of force!

"Slash!" The red magic weapon in Chiyang's hand expanded, transforming into a ten-zhang-long blade of demonic flame, severing several ghosts and spirits in a single strike!

"Witness my Filthy Blood Ring!" The Demonic Sect elder, unable to restrain himself any longer, cast a blood-colored bone ring into the wind. It expanded into a massive circle, attempting to trap Yang Nan. Millions of wailing souls screamed from within the ring, a sight truly chilling to the bone.