Chapter 993: Jian Shenghua Flees

It wasn't that Mo Yu had come looking for them.

Instead, while asking around, Jian Shenghua had learned that a pitch-black qilin had appeared on an immortal mountain in the Southern Domain.

"According to my source, the cultivators of Xuanjiu Immortal Mountain intended to make contact with the divine beast," Jian Shenghua explained. "But when they saw its overwhelming demonic qi, they tried to suppress it instead. The demon qilin managed to escape, and the news has since spread."

Chen Changsheng paused. "Xuanjiu Immortal Mountain?"

"Have you heard of Xuanjiu Immortal Mountain, Mister?" Jian Shenghua asked.

"I paid them a visit in my early years," Chen Changsheng said.

"Then should we..."

"It's fine. We'll make the trip and see if we can find him."

There was a high probability that the beast in the rumors was Mo Yu.

To anyone in the know, a divine qilin could only be him.

The two set off for Xuanjiu Immortal Mountain without delay.

Upon arriving, they first paid a visit to the sect master.

"Mister Chen's visit brings profound honor to Xuanjiu Immortal Mountain."

The sect master remained as courteous as ever.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Chen Changsheng got straight to the point. "I heard your esteemed sect recently attempted to suppress a demon qilin."

The sect master admitted it freely. "It is true. When the elders and I first heard about a qilin, we hoped to subdue it as a guardian beast for the mountain. But when we arrived, we saw it was overflowing with monstrous demonic qi. Left alone, it would surely become a great disaster. We initially intended to slay it, but after a few exchanges, we gained no ground and suffered significant losses. With no other choice, we resorted to suppression."

"Who could have predicted it would suddenly go berserk? With our disciples suffering countless casualties, we had no choice but to retreat. Sigh..."

The sect master looked deeply heartbroken, clearly burdened by guilt over his lost disciples.

Chen Changsheng paused before asking, "Do you know where the demon qilin fled?"

The sect master thought back. "I don't know its exact whereabouts, but it was already severely injured. It couldn't have run far. When it escaped, it seemed to be heading north."

"Did you come specifically for this demon qilin, Mister Chen?" the sect master asked.

Chen Changsheng nodded. "I have a matter to settle with it."

The sect master nodded, then personally guided Chen Changsheng and Jian Shenghua to the site of the battle.

Lingering demonic qi still clung to the area. The surrounding forest and riverbeds had been laid to waste. Massive craters pitted the earth, and since there had been no rain for days, the congealed blood on the ground was still clearly visible.

Jian Shenghua scanned the surroundings, trying to discern from the aura whether the beast had truly been Mo Yu.

However, apart from the residual demonic qi, nothing else remained.

Their search turned up empty.

The sect master had no further information to offer, either.

Disheartened by the heavy losses his sect had suffered, the sect master excused himself and returned to the mountain.

Chen Changsheng offered his thanks and watched him depart.

"Mister, why don't we split up and search?" Jian Shenghua suggested.

Chen Changsheng gave him a glance and nodded. "Very well."

The two went their separate ways.

Chen Changsheng looked back at Jian Shenghua's retreating figure.

Unbeknownst to Jian Shenghua, Chen Changsheng had quietly planted a wisp of divine sense on him to track his movements.

Once Jian Shenghua was far out of sight...

Chen Changsheng took out the Black Pagoda and asked, "Take a sniff. Which direction did the demonic qi go?"

The Black Pagoda was immediately offended and started cursing. "Sniff? Do you think I'm a dog? It's called perceiving! Perceiving!"

Chen Changsheng chuckled. "Alright, alright. Perceive it, then."

The Black Pagoda dropped its attitude, reached out with its senses, and pointed in a specific direction.

"It's the direction my spire is pointing."

"Are you sure?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

Chen Changsheng looked where the spire was indicating. It was the exact same direction Jian Shenghua had gone.

With his suspicions more or less confirmed, he followed after Jian Shenghua.

He wanted to see exactly what kind of game Jian Shenghua was playing.

Jian Shenghua tracked the trail relentlessly until he finally stopped above a lake.

"Hmph."

Jian Shenghua let out a cold snort and swung his sword.

A massive geyser of water erupted from the lake, exposing the figure hiding at the bottom.

It was a qilin deeply entangled in swirling demonic qi.

Clamped tightly around the qilin's foreleg was a severed hand. Ghastly and deathly white, it was relentlessly eroding the qilin's divine sense.

"Roar!!"

The qilin let out an agonized howl, its bloodshot eyes glaring up at Jian Shenghua in the sky.

"I didn't expect you to still retain a shred of sanity."

Sword in hand, Jian Shenghua looked down at the qilin in the lake.

The qilin's eyes were completely crimson. Plagued by the demonic qi, its mind was already in chaos, yet beneath that madness, a sliver of lucidity remained.

"You..."

Mo Yu panted heavily, shaking his head. As the demonic qi suddenly surged into his Sea of Consciousness, he roared in agony and violently smashed into the surface of the lake to vent the torment.

"When you betrayed the Demon Lord, you should have expected this day would come," Jian Shenghua said, watching him. "You nearly ruined my grand plans."

He sneered. "Since you're on the verge of succumbing to your inner demons anyway, I'll go ahead and send you on your way!"

With that, he raised his sword to strike, aiming to sever the very last sliver of Mo Yu's sanity.

"Graah!!!"

The qilin surged up to fight back, spewing a mouthful of qilin fire. Scalding steam instantly blanketed the lake, hissing and popping as if the entire body of water had begun to boil.

The flames blunted most of the sword strike's power, but the residual force still slammed heavily into the qilin.

Behind Jian Shenghua, a tiny wisp of divine sense had been listening to every word.

Just as Jian Shenghua was about to deliver another strike...

A murderous sword suddenly flew out, blocking his path.

"Hm?"

Jian Shenghua frowned.

"This sword..."

He narrowed his eyes, finding it inexplicably familiar.

Wasn't this the very same sword that had slaughtered them when the spirit cage shattered?

The Taiqing Sword hovered before Jian Shenghua. The killing intent radiating from the blade was so dense it was almost palpable, as if ready to strike at any second.

Mo Yu fought desperately to suppress the demonic qi, but the corpse hand gripped him tighter and tighter.

"Roar!!"

The qilin let out an agonized scream.

The lucidity in its eyes wavered dangerously, on the brink of fading away completely.

"Could it be..."

Jian Shenghua's brow furrowed tightly as sudden realization dawned on him.

He glanced over his shoulder.

Looking back, he raised his hand and gestured.

The deathly pale hand clamped onto Mo Yu instantly released its grip.

The severed corpse arm flew back and vanished into Jian Shenghua's sleeve.

Without another moment's hesitation, he mounted his sword and fled.

At that exact moment, Chen Changsheng arrived on the scene.

He reached out, caught the Taiqing Sword, and watched the direction Jian Shenghua had fled.

"He runs fast..."

Freed from the suppression of the demonic arm, Mo Yu completely lost his strength. He collapsed into the lake, kicking up towering, tumultuous waves.