Xiao Man turned around and looked at the Holy Son and his group who had returned. Everyone present was surprised to see Xiao Man.
"It's you."
"You're still alive!" Qing Ti was particularly astonished. He had personally witnessed Xiao Man turn to dust before his eyes, yet this person was now alive and kicking in front of him.
Xiao Man appeared composed. "Everyone, I trust you are all well."
"You're the one who set the inner city on fire!" Qing Ti finally reacted. This person had been causing trouble from the very beginning!
"Yes."
"And you killed the High Priest."
"Not exactly," Xiao Man pondered. "He attempted to possess me, failed, and his soul was annihilated. I wouldn't say I killed him."
"You..." Qing Ti gritted his teeth. "Where are the humans from Zhongzhou Street?"
"Killed."
"Killed!" Qing Ti's voice rose. "You are far too brutal, to kill even your own kin!"
"Killing a few humans is hardly surprising, considering I've already lost count of how many I've killed," Xiao Man said indifferently. "Furthermore, you have also killed a great many humans. What right do you have to condemn me here?"
"You will pay the price for this."
"Hold on a moment," Xiao Man raised her hand. "I have only one question: Where is Tian Ze?" Su Dan Novel Network
"Isn't the person you're looking for right behind you?"
"Although I haven't seen him for a while, I can still recognize that this person is not Tian Ze. I'll ask again, where is Tian Ze?"
"What, if we don't tell you, can you kill us?" Mo Ya stepped forward. He never expected that the person before them would be their sworn enemy, and that she dared to toy with them like monkeys!
"It is rumored that the Holy Land has three thousand Nascent Soul realm cultivators and over a hundred Transcending Tribulation realm powerful beings. I wonder how many Nascent Soul cultivators and Transcending Tribulation realm powerful beings remain in the Holy Land now?" Xiao Man asked with amusement. "The Nine Netherworld Fire can burn even a Nascent Soul cultivator's soul to ashes."
"So, you've come to the Holy Land to seek death!"
Xiao Man wiggled a finger. "No, no, no. I've come to the Holy Land to find someone. But if I can't find the person I'm looking for, I get angry. When I get angry, I don't know what I might do."
The Holy Son lowered his gaze and chuckled lightly. "This fire has killed and injured many of my kin. If I don't kill you, it will be impossible to quell the public's anger. How about this: we fight a fair battle. If I win, you will surrender to my divine race. If I lose, I will tell you Tian Ze's whereabouts."
"Deal."
"To deal with her, why would the Holy Son need to act? I will do it," Mo Ya stepped forward. "I will fight her."
"You are no match for her," the Holy Son stopped Mo Ya and graciously made way. "This is not a suitable place for a fight. Please, let us move to the martial arts arena."
"Holy Son, this person is extremely cunning. If we let her leave, she might escape."
"She will not escape," the Holy Son stated with certainty. "If she escapes, Tian Ze is as good as dead."
Xiao Man simply smiled. "Don't worry, I won't escape. I won't escape until I see Tian Ze."
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Xiao Man proceeded to the martial arts arena. As soon as the two stepped onto the platform, the Holy Son activated the arena's barrier.
"To avoid harming the innocent, I have activated the barrier. You don't mind, do you?" The Holy Son's smile was pure, his expression that of someone with a clear conscience.
But Xiao Man knew that this Holy Son was no ordinary person; he was likely a clone of the Demon King. The last time she had seen him was in the Land of Nothingness, when she had released Yu Ju.
"I don't mind," Xiao Man replied calmly. "Even if I did, you wouldn't change your mind, would you?"
The Holy Son smiled and nodded. "I am merely considering safety."
"What is your consideration for safety?" Xiao Man drew her sword and asked with a smile. "Is it me, or the Demon Lord?"
The Holy Son gathered spiritual energy to form a sword, his posture graceful and elegant. "The divine envoys sent to Wuji City, you killed them, didn't you?"
"No, no, no, I didn't kill them," Xiao Man denied, shaking her head. "They were demonized."
The Holy Son's brow furrowed. The word "demonized" was the two words he disliked hearing the most. "Are you ready to die?"
"So, you intend to kill me," Xiao Man's eyes twinkled with amusement. "As the Holy Son, you are truly shameless. You previously said we'd have a fair fight and if I lost, I'd surrender to the divine race. Now, on the martial arts arena, you're telling me to prepare for death. As expected, demons are demons. Even with the skin of the divine race, they cannot change their inherently base nature."
"Seek death!" The Holy Son lunged forward instantly, each strike aimed at vital points. Had Xiao Man's cultivation been any lower, she would have died countless times over.
Xuan Ling lowered his gaze, a hint of confusion in his heart. Why did Xiao Man say that demons are demons? Who was the demon, the Holy Son?
"Mo Ya, if I recall correctly, the ones who went to Wuji City were disciples of the divine race, weren't they?" Xuan Ling quietly asked Mo Ya beside him.
"Yes."
"Demonization, isn't that something only humans experience? Why would someone from the divine race be demonized?"
Mo Ya's expression stiffened slightly. Their demon race, when forced to reveal their true forms, was also called demonization, but few could force them to do so.
Mo Ya pondered for a moment before explaining, "What this person says is unreliable. Don't you remember how she tricked us both last time? Thinking back, this person clearly treated us like monkeys."
Xuan Ling didn't press further, instead turning his gaze to the martial arts arena. It was the first time he had seen someone fight the Holy Son to a draw. Even he himself would not be a match for the Holy Son, yet this person was not at a disadvantage at all.
"Her cultivation is very high."
"No matter how high her cultivation, she is no match for the Holy Son."
Before Mo Ya could finish speaking, the Holy Son he was referring to quickly retreated, creating distance from Xiao Man and staring at her defensively.
Xiao Man merely smiled and, like an arrow released from its bow, charged forward again. If the first half of the battle had been dominated by the Holy Son, the second half saw Xiao Man take the offensive. Her attacks were sharp and precise, forcing the Holy Son into a somewhat flustered state.
"What did you do?" the Holy Son asked angrily, blocking Xiao Man's sword.
"Guess, what is the situation in the inner and outer cities now?" Xiao Man asked with a smile. "If there are no longer three thousand Nascent Soul cultivators, and only the Transcending Tribulation realm beings in Futu City, do you think you can stop me?"
"You... you intend to slaughter the citizens of the inner and outer cities!" The Holy Son was somewhat incredulous. Those were his people, his kin. "How dare you!"
"Haven't I already done so?" Xiao Man said softly. "With a single fire, I burned down the entire inner and outer cities. I not only want to destroy Futu Mountain, but I also want the world to know that you are nothing more than monsters wearing the skin of the divine race!"
"Something has happened in the inner and outer cities. Investigate immediately."
"It's too late," Xiao Man replied. "From the moment I stepped onto this martial arts arena, the inner and outer cities have been isolated from Futu City. Now, you cannot leave, and can only watch as they slaughter each other."