573: Luo Xuan of Fire Dragon Island

Inside the main hall, Luo Xuan was practicing fire techniques.

He was tall, with red hair like fire, a face as red as a jujube, and wore a bright red Taoist robe embroidered with Bagua symbols, his body wreathed in visible, distorting heat waves.

He was not using any Magic Treasure at the moment, but with just a wave of his hands, countless crimson fire crows appeared out of thin air in the hall, screeching and dancing in formation, sometimes coalescing into a giant fireball, sometimes scattering into a sky full of flowing fire, controlled with ease, exquisite and peerless.

Below the dais, several Taoists with equally scorching auras sat or stood, observing and commenting; they were his fellow practitioners, Liu Huan, Zhu Zhao, and others.

Suddenly, Luo Xuan frowned, retracted his hand seals, and the fire crows scattered with a 'puff.'

His crimson eyes, sharp as lightning, shot towards a spot in the Void Realm outside the hall: 'What petty thief is skulking about, disturbing my peace?'

In the distorting heat waves outside the hall, a faint wisp of emerald smoke, desperately restraining its own plague aura, emerged and struggled to coalesce into the disheveled, ethereal figure of Lü Yue.

'Senior Brother Luo Xuan... Fellow Daoists... I, Lü Yue, have an urgent matter of the utmost importance to report!'

Lü Yue's voice was weak and hurried, his Primordial Spirit flickering, appearing incredibly miserable.

Luo Xuan and the others were all stunned.

They naturally recognized Lü Yue; although they were fellow Disciples, their cultivation paths were vastly different, and they did not interact much.

Seeing him in this state now, they couldn't help but be surprised.

'Junior Brother Lü Yue? Why are you in such a sorry state?'

Liu Huan asked aloud; he was a middle-aged Taoist with a sharp, capable face, carrying a pair of red copper whips on his back.

Lü Yue fell to the ground with a thud, tears streaming down his face as he wailed, 'Senior Brother Luo Xuan! Fellow Daoists! Junior Brother... I almost never got to see you all again!

My line of Disciples, except for me, has been completely wiped out! Even the four Junior Brothers from Nine Dragon Island—Demon King Wang, Yang Sen, Gao Youqian, and Li 興霸—have met with foul play and are all dead!'

'What?' Everyone in the hall stood up abruptly, their faces showing shock and rage.

They were familiar with the reputation of the Four Saints of Nine Dragon Island; they were fellow Disciples, and although they didn't interact much, they knew their cultivation was not weak and they each possessed unique Magic Treasures. How could they have fallen?

'Who is so bold? To dare kill so many of our fellow Disciples of the Jie Sect in succession?' Zhu Zhao said in a deep voice; he was a red-bearded elder who often held a flame light lamp in his hand.

Lü Yue raised his head, his eyes filled with lingering hatred: 'It is the Disciples of the Chan Sect, the sons of Li Jing of Chentang Pass, the Eleven Great Protectors!'

'Them?' Luo Xuan frowned. 'I've heard of them. Weren't those bastards who screwed over their father supposed to have been punished by that old man Haotian after they got Immortal Master Taiyi killed? How dare they still act so recklessly?'

'Senior Brother, you do not know. These Eleven Great Protectors are notoriously arrogant and domineering. After getting Immortal Master Taiyi killed, they were left without discipline and now rely on the Magic Treasures left behind by Taiyi to hunt our Jie Sect Disciples everywhere to earn Karma. They are incredibly rampant!'

'Hunting?' This word was sensitive, and everyone present frowned.

The vast majority of Jie Sect Disciples were transformed from various animals, plants, Essence Spirits, and natural phenomena.

They could not stand the word 'hunting.'

'It is more than just hunting!' Lü Yue wept. 'That brat Nezha spouted wild words, saying that our Jie Sect 'teaches without discrimination,'

and that most of our Disciples are sources of Karmic Obstruction who 'wear fur and horns, or are born from eggs and moisture,' and they deserve to be used as sacrifices for their path to Karma!

They kill every one they see! Anyone even remotely connected to the Jie Sect, or possessing even a little bit of Karma, becomes a target for their hunt!

They kill people, seize Magic Treasures, earn Karma, and gain Materials! They treat us Jie Sect Disciples like walking prey.'

'Bastards!'

'They have gone too far!'

The hall was instantly filled with angry shouts.

The immortals of Fire Dragon Island were naturally hot-tempered and valued their reputation above all else; how could they endure such insults to the very foundation of the Jie Sect?

Luo Xuan's hair and beard stood on end, his aura of fire soaring to the heavens, lighting up the hall ceiling in a deep red: 'You yellow-mouthed brats, how dare you insult our sect like this! Do you really think our Jie Sect has no one left?'

Lü Yue cried, 'Senior Brother! Fellow Daoists! If they can wipe out my entire line today and destroy the Junior Brothers of Nine Dragon Island, tomorrow their butcher's knife will fall upon Fire Dragon Island!

I, Lü Yue, came to report this to ask you, Senior Brothers and Junior Brothers, to go elsewhere to avoid the limelight, lest you lose your lives over this...'

'Bang!'

The red crystal table in front of Luo Xuan was shattered into pieces with a single slap, melting into a pool of lava!

'Enough!' With his roar, the entire Fire Dragon Island seemed to tremble, and the volcano erupted with flames dozens of feet high.

'Chan Sect brats, you have bullied me too much!'

His crimson eyes swept over his indignant fellow practitioners in the hall: 'I, Luo Xuan, have cultivated for thousands upon thousands of years, absorbing the Li Fire of heaven and earth. Am I someone to be slaughtered at will?

Furthermore, I will not tolerate petty thieves insulting my sect and destroying my Dao lineage!'

Liu Huan, Zhu Zhao, and the others were also furious and said in unison: 'We are willing to follow you, Senior Brother, to seek justice! We will execute these madmen and restore the name of our Jie Sect!'

Seventh Day, Night

Western Qi, Bo Marquis Mansion, secret chamber.

The candles on the incense table had been replaced seven times, and the withered straw doll had been bowed to until it turned faintly black, the eight characters written on it appearing as if blood might seep out at any moment.

Ji Fa slowly performed the seventh bow.

With this bow, he bent down extremely low, his forehead almost touching the ground, and the duration was exceptionally long.

No strange phenomena appeared.

The candle flames remained steady, and there was no breeze.

The peaceful seventh day passed just like that.

But Ji Fa clearly felt something heavy, cold, and yet something that made his whole body tremble, flowing back from the straw doll, pouring into his limbs and bones, and filling his Divine Soul.

It was a kind of irresistible Luck, a Supreme and noble Luck, a Luck that originally belonged to him but had been separated.

He stood up, his eyes completely different.

The struggles, hesitation, and wavering of the past all faded away, leaving only calmness and scarlet.

'Things that belong to me, if I do not give them, you cannot take them!

My path, I will walk it myself.'

Almost at the same moment Ji Fa stood up, in the study on the east side of the Bo Marquis Mansion.

Bo Yikao, who was discussing spring plowing strategies with several old officials, groaned without warning, and the bamboo slip in his hand fell to the ground with a 'clatter.'

His face instantly turned sallow, fine cold sweat oozed from his forehead, and an indescribable feeling of weakness spread from his bones outward!

'My Lord! What is wrong?' the old officials exclaimed.

'It is nothing... perhaps I am tired... a rest will suffice!'

Bo Yikao smiled with effort and wanted to raise his hand to signal, but his vision suddenly went black, and he fell forward.

'My Lord!!'

The exclamation pierced the night, and the Bo Marquis Mansion was instantly thrown into chaos.