Chapter 326: Black Evil Cult Leader

The blazing flames shot up over sixty feet high. Qingwen, completely engulfed in flames and transformed into a giant fiery figure by the immense bird, fell straight down from the sky. Upon hitting the ground, he only managed to scream twice before turning into a pile of white ash, without even a shred of resistance.

As Han Li watched in utter astonishment, the fiery giant bird let out a sharp cry, then turned its head and fiercely lunged towards the two cocoons of light. A towering pillar of fire erupted between the two cocoons, instantly engulfing the two Blood Servants, who were on the verge of completing their transformations, in a sea of fire.

Han Li clearly saw that the blood-red glow of the two cocoons resisted the fiery blaze for only a moment before dissolving completely without a trace. The two vague human figures that were revealed silently swayed a few times before being entirely refined and consumed.

This fire, which appeared no different from ordinary flames, was incredibly powerful, leaving Han Li utterly horrified. He gained a new, clear understanding of the formidable power of magic treasures wielded by Core Formation cultivators.

Song Meng and the others, though equally astonished as Han Li, showed more delight and surprise on their faces.

"This true treasure is incredibly powerful!"

"We owe it all to Senior Brother Liu for being able to eradicate this evil cult!"

The others exclaimed, filled with extreme excitement.

In their opinion, once the Blood Servants were eliminated, dealing with the Black Fiend Cult Leader, who was still in seclusion, would be simple. After all, with so many Foundation Establishment cultivators present, it was unthinkable they couldn't defeat one cult leader.

Liu Jing watched as the blazing flames, transformed from the fiery bird, gradually vanished below. His heart was filled with extreme regret, but after hearing the praise, he felt his spirits lift.

"Let's go! We've wasted enough time here," Liu Jing declared with renewed confidence, waving his hand. "Let's go in and eliminate the Black Fiend Cult Leader too!"

The others nodded in agreement, and the group flew down.

Han Li smiled faintly, preparing to descend himself. However, as he glanced to the side, he noticed Senior Brother Wang staring intently downwards at something, a peculiar expression on his face.

This made Han Li pause, slightly startled. He couldn't help but follow Senior Brother Wang's gaze, but on the ground, besides the white ash that was once the demonized Qingwen and the fellow disciple sorrowfully collecting his deceased companion's remains, there was nothing else noteworthy.

"Senior Brother Wang, did you find anything?" Han Li couldn't help but ask, a hint of suspicion on his face.

"No, nothing found? Junior Brother Han, you're overthinking it!" Senior Brother Wang replied evasively, his eyes darting away as he immediately retracted his gaze after Han Li's question.

Seeing this, Han Li immediately understood. How could he not know what was going on? This person must have made an important discovery but didn't want others to know, which was why he had such an expression!

Thinking this, Han Li felt a little annoyed. But on the surface, he smiled faintly and said with a normal expression:

"Since there's nothing wrong, we should go down quickly," Han Li said, pointing towards the entrance of the dilapidated palace. "Senior Brother Liu is already heading in!" Without another word, he flew down on his magical artifact, leaving Senior Brother Wang suspended in the air, his face showing fluctuating emotions. But then, with a stomp of his foot, he reluctantly followed.

Just as Han Li landed, a soft voice drifted down from the sky.

"Senior Brother Liu, Junior Brother Han, wait for us!"

Han Li paused, surprised, and slowly turned his head. Liu Jing and the others also stopped after hearing the voice, looking in its direction with joyful expressions.

Beneath the soft moonlight, Zhong Weiniang, Chen Qiaoqian, and an extremely pale middle-aged man slowly descended from the sky.

The middle-aged man, wearing golden-yellow robes, looked utterly terrified. He was practically suspended by his collar, hanging outside the flying magical artifact as Zhong Weiniang held him. Upon seeing Han Li, Senior Brother Liu, and the large group, the panic on his face intensified even further.

Seeing this, Liu Jing smiled faintly and went to meet them.

"It seems your trip was very smooth, Junior Sisters! This must be the Yue Emperor!" After the two female cultivators landed, Liu Jing's gaze swept over the middle-aged man's face, then he casually shifted his gaze and asked.

"That's right!" Zhong Weiniang chirped. "This fellow was holding an audience with several ministers in some hall. My Senior Sister and I went up, knocked out the others, and apprehended him. At that time, two Qi Condensation Black Fiend Cult disciples rushed out from the side to try and stop us, but my Senior Sister and I easily dealt with them. Senior Brother Liu, it's great that you're safe too!"

Zhong Weiniang, seeing Liu Jing safe and sound, seemed extremely happy and chattered on endlessly, her concern for him clearly evident. This made Liu Jing feel slightly embarrassed under the gaze of everyone, and Han Li found it amusing.

"Junior Sister Chen, are you alright?" Chen Qiaoqian's two senior brothers also stepped forward and asked solicitously.

Chen Qiaoqian responded coolly with a couple of sentences. Her gaze swept across the crowd, and after spotting Han Li, her eyes lingered on his face for only a brief moment before she immediately looked away with a complicated expression.

"Where is Senior Sister Xuehong?" Chen Qiaoqian asked, frowning slightly with a sense of foreboding.

As soon as this question was asked, the faces of those nearby turned solemn, revealing grave expressions.

"Xuehong has already sacrificed herself in battle!" Xuehong's dao companion said, forcing himself to speak despite suppressing his profound grief.

As soon as this statement was made, Chen Qiaoqian and Zhong Weiniang's faces instantly turned extremely grim.

Zhong Weiniang immediately opened her mouth, her face showing anger, and said:

"How could you..."

But this accusatory remark was only half-spoken when it was interrupted by a sudden, horrific scream.

Han Li and the others were startled and immediately looked around with extreme vigilance.

Not far from the group, a blue-robed figure had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. This person was pulling a glowing red arm out of Senior Brother Wang's chest cavity, where it had appeared. Immediately after, Senior Brother Wang's corpse fell straight to the ground, utterly lifeless.

"I didn't originally intend to kill him first, but this child really shouldn't have taken something that didn't belong to him!" the blue-robed man said with a smile. He had some crow's feet at the corners of his eyes and an extremely benevolent appearance.

After saying this, he casually bent down and picked up a thumb-sized green bead from Senior Brother Wang's hand, which deepened the smile on his face.

Upon seeing this person, Liu Jing's and Han Li's expressions turned grim almost simultaneously, revealing looks of extreme caution.

"Your Excellency is the Black Fiend Cult Leader!" Liu Jing asked tentatively, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

"Heh heh, quite clever!" the old man chuckled, his expression unchanged. "Indeed, I founded the Black Fiend Cult. You're their leader, aren't you?"

Upon hearing that this person was the Black Fiend Cult Leader, who was supposed to be in seclusion, even Han Li's face suddenly changed. Not to mention the other Yellow Maple Valley cultivators, who one by one gripped their magical artifacts as if facing a formidable enemy.

After Liu Jing's expression changed slightly, he took a deep breath to suppress the panic in his heart.

Then, after discreetly signaling caution to the others, he asked coldly:

"That's right, I am Liu Jing! I am leading this expedition to eradicate your Black Fiend Cult! Now that you're all alone, you still dare to commit murder? You certainly have some nerve!"

Liu Jing spoke these words righteously and fearlessly. He was very satisfied with his own performance and words, and his momentum seemed to grow with each word he spoke.

He believed that as long as this cult leader was eliminated, his prestige among the seven sects would surely reach a new height, and others would respect and revere him even more.

As soon as he thought of this, Liu Jing's heart gradually grew fervent, as if doused with strong liquor. With a flick of his hand, two silver hooks and a circular ring appeared.

But before he could signal the others to attack together, the Black Fiend Cult Leader opposite him suddenly gave a strange smile. Then Liu Jing heard a soft whisper:

"Then you can die!"

Almost simultaneously, Liu Jing felt a sudden pain in his chest. Before he could understand what was happening, a blood-soaked arm emerged from his chest, its five blood-red fingers clutching a faintly wriggling, circular object.

"What is this?" Liu Jing couldn't help but think in astonishment. Perhaps he understood in his heart, but he didn't truly want to know.

Then he felt a sudden dizziness and vertigo, his vision going black. He also heard several screams in his ears, which sounded like the cries of Zhong Weiniang, who had always secretly loved him. But they sounded so unfamiliar, so distant!

"Sigh, this little girl is still so prone to crying!" Liu Jing thought with a touch of bitterness, his final thought before falling into the dark, eternal sleep.

Han Li's face was extremely grim. Before they even began to fight the Black Fiend Cult Leader, their side had already lost two mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators, killed by an unexpected assailant in a single move. Liu Jing, the leader of this expedition, had fallen to this person's hand just like that.

After that person's successful strike, both of their arms were piercing the corpses of Liu Jing and one of Chen Qiaoqian's senior brothers. With a flicker, they appeared beside the Black Fiend Cult Leader, then turned and sneered at Han Li and the others. Han Li had no time to intervene and stop them.

The moment Liu Jing was killed, Zhong Weiniang let out only a few heart-wrenching screams before completely freezing and falling into a daze. Chen Qiaoqian, witnessing this from the side, quickly pulled Zhong Weiniang behind her, carefully shielding her, then glared at the attacker with a face full of fury and regret.