219: Chapter 3 Vermilion Bird Great Demon 219: Chapter 3 Vermilion Bird Great Demon “Stand firm, firmer.”
“…Don’t get distracted!”
A stern reprimand echoed in the back mountain, and the young girl took a deep breath, holding a horse stance with her fists extended, maintaining the position.
Today, the clouds were dense.
Yet above Golden Turtle Peak, it seemed as though a blazing sun hung, with divine halos showering down on the ground.
Jiang Huang’s forehead was covered in sweat.
She lifted her head, looking at the high place on the mountain where Xie Xuanyi had previously stood, which was now again obscured by clouds and fog, all a blur.
Since Zhao Chunyang had come, this “locked demon” area had been “unsealed.”
A hundred yards around, there stood numerous densely packed secret runic pillars.
Vermilion Bird, in human form wearing a red robe, sat atop a pillar, silently watching the young girl practice her punch stance in the center of the red earth.
He slightly frowned, followed Jiang Huang’s gaze back over his shoulder, then after dropping a comment to practice well, he waved his hand raising a barrier.
A reddish glow burst forth from the ground, forming an upturned large bowl that enveloped Jiang Huang completely.
“I don’t like interruptions when I teach cultivation,” he stated.
Vermilion Bird rose from the pillar, coldly watching the direction where the clouds flowed.
Tongtian Law Enforcement, with Xie Xuanyi, arrived at the demon-locking area.
“…”
Tongtian Law Enforcement looked expressionlessly at the Great Demon.
After his elder brother’s visit.
The Vermilion Bird Great Demon had become much more compliant; these two months, he’d not caused any trouble for himself, yet from his present demeanor, it was clear…
he didn’t quite respect him yet.
In the Demon Country, respect was given to those with the strongest fists.
His elder brother’s fists were indeed strong enough, leading Vermilion Bird to lower his head in submission willingly.
Now, with such poor attitude, was he looking for a good fight?
Buzz buzz buzz!
The Purple Bamboo Forest stirred up bursts of Sword Intent.
Hearing this noise, Xie Xuanyi immediately felt a headache.
He had only wanted to check on Jiang Huang, not expecting the environment at the back mountain of Golden Turtle Peak to be so tense and hostile.
He hastily stepped forward, smiling amiably, “So this is the Vermilion Bird left by the reverent Lotus?
I’ve long admired you…”
Many years ago.
The young Reverent Lotus went beyond the Northern Border Great Wall for cultivation and accidentally found a demon beast, bringing it back to Lotus Peak.
This was a severe infraction of the Sword Palace’s rules.
Great Demons usually awoke very early, with strong and unyielding personalities.
For thousands of years, the Demon Country and Human Race were bitter enemies, engaged in ceaseless slaughters, embedding hatred deep into their very bones.
Thus, the picked-up spirit beast was tremendously difficult to tame, nearly impossible to “domesticate.”
But Reverent Lotus was, after all, the darling little sister most cherished by Sect Leader Pure Yang and Tongtian Law Enforcement…
So, this demon beast was exceptionally allowed to remain on Lotus Peak, enormously fortunate to absorb the primordial energy of Xuanshui Cave Heaven, enjoying the blessings of Lotus Peak, growing rapidly.
If not for the battle of swallowing poison decades earlier, perhaps this Vermilion Bird could have become a Mountain Guardian Spirit Beast for the Da Sui Sword Palace; over the years, Reverent Lotus had established a very stable bond with the Vermilion Bird Great Demon, even signing a Divine Soul Contract.
But unfortunately.
Reverent Lotus ultimately died in battle on the northern battlefield.
The Vermilion Bird Great Demon broke through to become a Yang God, no longer controlled by the Divine Soul Contract, and began trying to escape the Da Sui Sword Palace.
Lately.
It had become the situation they faced now.
Tongtian Law Enforcement “volunteered” to imprison Vermilion Bird in the back mountain of Golden Turtle Peak, using Sword Qi to grind against the demon aura, but in truth, he could not bring himself to be ruthless; coupled with the resilience of a Yang God Great Demon, the decade passed, with Vermilion Bird growing ever more defiant and its hatred for the Sword Palace deepening.
Things were actually getting worse.
Until not long ago, when Zhao Chunyang abruptly slapped it, making Vermilion Bird’s eyes turn “clear.”
“What are you?
Get lost!”
Vermilion Bird Great Demon glanced coldly at Xie Xuanyi, speaking bluntly.
In his view.
A Cave Heaven Realm human cultivator dared to call himself a cultivator?
If unfettered, he could kill him with just a strand of Divine Thought!
Earlier, he had seen this human lad standing far away, greeting Jiang Huang, interrupting his teaching of martial arts.
Seeing this, the Law Enforcement raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
He silently stood with hands behind his back, curious to see how Xie Xuanyi would handle this encounter with the Great Demon.
“…”
Xie Xuanyi looked at the Great Demon standing tall on the stone pillar, not annoyed but instead smiling, “I forgot to introduce myself; I am the new master of Xuanshui Cave Heaven, the ‘lucky one’ inheriting the teachings of Reverent Lotus.”
The words ‘Reverent Lotus’ came out.
Vermilion Bird Great Demon again narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the black-robed youth before him.
“My surname is Xie, first name Xuanyi.”
Xie Xuanyi removed his mortal semblance, revealing his true face to Vermilion Bird Great Demon.
The latter’s pupils contracted slightly.
The strand of Divine Thought sent by Zhao Chunyang stirred in the sky above the Heart Lake, trembling like thunder.
Vermilion Bird recalled that familiar face.
It looked at the young man before it with a complex expression, frowning, “Is it you?”
“It’s me.”
Xie Xuanyi put the mortal semblance back on, saying lightly, “All these identities aren’t really important; you just need to remember one: I am a disciple of Zhao Chunyang.”
The arrogance of Vermilion Bird Great Demon immediately vanished.
“…”
The day Zhao Chunyang came to Golden Turtle Peak.
For Vermilion Bird, it was the most dismal day in a century, to describe it as the darkest day was no exaggeration.
It said irritably, “What are you doing here?”
“Nothing much…
As an elder brother, I ought to fulfill the ‘brotherly’ duties.”
Xie Xuanyi shook his head, “In a few days, I’ll be leaving the Sword Palace for a while.
With the departure imminent, I wanted to see Jiang Huang and have a few words with her.”
“You’re her brother?”
Vermilion Bird Great Demon seemed to hear an extremely funny joke, “Do you know what she is?”
“Phoenix Blood Descendant.”
Xie Xuanyi smiled and said, “In a way, Jiang Huang’s lineage is even more powerful than yours.”
Boom!
The man in the red robe standing on the stone pillar slightly tilted his body, the robe instantly bursting from the intense flames.
The originally lean body burst forth in a moment with millions of red glimmering lights, transforming into a several dozen meters tall, fierce demonic bird under the suppression of the Demon Array.
In just a single breath, the huge demonic bird’s head was right in front of Xie Xuanyi, its massive vertical pupil burning fiercely as it stared into Xie Xuanyi’s calm eyes.
“She is a demon, you are human…”
Vermilion Bird mocked with a laugh, “Do you really think you are her brother?
What right do you have?!”
The stone pillars, inserted in every direction, lit up with radiant brilliance at this moment.
These pillars shot out beams of red divine light, and the chains behind Vermilion Bird turned into auroras, instantly tightened, causing its body to tremble.
Tongtian Law Enforcement also summoned hundreds of Sword Qi, hanging above the Demon Array to prevent Vermilion Bird from launching an angry attack.
In response,
Xie Xuanyi simply dusted off his clothes nonchalantly, shaking off the sparks that had fallen on his vajra body.
“You should know that there are two strands of soul within Jiang Huang’s body.”
Xie Xuanyi knew that the Great Demon Vermilion Bird dared not act rashly.
Not because he understood Vermilion Bird,
but because…he understood his master.
Since Zhao Chunyang had been to the Demon-locking Ground, and confidently sent Jiang Huang under Vermilion Bird’s command, it indicated that all trouble had already been settled.
That was also the reason he revealed his identity.
Clearly,
the master had already explained “his” origin to this Great Demon, and in the master’s usual manner, he would likely transfer Vermilion Bird’s future “control” into his hands.
“…”
Countless flames whirled, enveloping Xie Xuanyi and Vermilion Bird.
Law Enforcement, standing silently outside the flames, watched as this young man negotiated with the Yang God Great Demon.
“One of those strands of soul, which you are currently teaching, has been with me since her birth,” Xie Xuanyi calmly said.
“To her, I am indeed her brother.”
Vermilion Bird mocked again with a laugh, “That strand of soul?
Extremely frail…
it could vanish at the snap of my fingers.”
Xie Xuanyi stared earnestly at the Great Demon before him and said, word by word, “If she is harmed, you will be utterly destroyed.”
Upon these words,
the Demon-locking Ground briefly fell silent.
“?!”
Vermilion Bird’s pupils narrowed into a vertical line; it incredulously raised its head, gaping at the insignificant human before it, taking several moments to realize that this was a threat.
A mere Cave Heaven daring to threaten it!
A sharp, piercing shriek burst forth.
The Vermilion Bird Great Demon at the second level of Yang God vibrated its entire demon body against the resistance of the Demon-locking Chain, lunging towards Xie Xuanyi!
Law Enforcement was about to step forward and employ Sword Qi to stop this Great Demon,
but then he frowned, noticing a flash of light at Xie Xuanyi’s forehead.
The sky darkened and countless flames whirled, violent shockwaves scattering in all directions.
Xie Xuanyi still stood firmly on the red earth, feeling an unprecedented urge to kill within his Heart Lake, stronger than any assassination attempt he had faced since his revival.
The demon before him was a Yang God!
Even constrained by countless chains, it was still a Yang God!
A mere Cave Heaven in front of a Yang God…
was indeed just an ant.
But Xie Xuanyi still did not retreat.
He even took a step forward.
Boiling killing intent swept into his Heart Lake, a tremendous wave of Demon Fire splashing towards him.
Just then,
there was a thrum of brilliant light from Xie Xuanyi’s forehead, slowly blossoming into a lotus.
In fact, since the assassination by the special envoy Qing Sun,
this lotus had been there.
This was the “Sword Intent” silently given to Xie Xuanyi by Zhao Chunyang.
So far,
only two people had seen this lotus.
One was Xie Zhisu, who had set up the negotiation trap in Prince Jiangning’s mansion,
and the other was the second-level Heaven Yang God Vermilion Bird Great Demon before him.
Xie Zhisu was really fortunate; he had not probed the identity of “Xie Zhen”…
otherwise, he would have seen the true form of this Sword Qi Lotus before Vermilion Bird.
At this point, Tongtian Law Enforcement silently stopped his forward movement.
The next moment,
the Vermilion Bird Great Demon, straining with all its might to crash into Xie Xuanyi, upon seeing the blossoming Sword Qi Lotus, retreated as if seeing a ghost, screeching forwards and then backwards, stretching its wings to their maximum extent as if fearful that a thread of red fire might accidentally strike the Sword Qi Lotus hovering above Xie Xuanyi’s forehead.
This scene was absurd, laughable yet ironic.
A mighty Yang God, terrified to this extent.
Countless red fires covered the sky, retreating as quickly as a tide.
In just a few moments, the trembling demonic body of the Vermilion Bird Great Demon transformed back into the shape of a man in a red robe.
He fell heavily to the ground, his face pale, scooting backward, not daring to look directly at the lotus on Xie Xuanyi’s forehead.
“…I knew it.”
Xie Xuanyi, who had not retreated a single step from beginning to end, saw this scene and couldn’t help but smile to himself.
He couldn’t resist reaching up to touch the Sword Intent at his forehead, feeling a faint warmth.
The master had left this strand of Sword Intent very covertly, clearly intentional.
Unfortunately, some things can’t be concealed.
Zhao Chunyang understood Xie Xuanyi, and Xie Xuanyi also understood Zhao Chunyang.
The one who cared for him most was still his master.
All around the mountain was silent.
Xie Xuanyi calmly looked down at the Vermilion Bird Great Demon, who was still seated on the ground, not yet recovered from the terror of the Sword Qi Lotus, his face deathly pale.
“Now, may I enter?”