Chapter 65: Demon-Suppressing Umbre, Azure Arc''s Tremor


    As dawn broke, more and more Outer Sect disciples entered the Outer Sect City.


    Disciples from the Demon-ying Hall and Law Enforcement Hall began guarding the city gates, meticulously inspecting the identity tokens of every entrant.


    On the Heavenly Mending tform, numerous disciples sat cross-legged in meditation, awaiting the start of events. Su Han and Zhen Qin stood at the edge of the tform, their brows furrowed as they surveyed the surroundings.


    "Senior Brother, something feels off. Should we leave?" Zhen Qin whispered.


    She had trained in the techniques passed down by Jiang Qiong, sharpening her senses. The Demon-ying Hall disciples stationed around the tform gave her an inexplicable sense of unease, making her instinctively want to flee.


    Su Han also sensed that something was amiss. He nodded, deciding to lead his junior sister away.


    As they moved against the flow of people, they noticed others who shared their apprehension, attempting to leave the Outer Sect City. However, the majority of disciples chose to trust the Taixuan Sect.


    When they reached the city gate, Su Han and Zhen Qin were stopped by Demon-ying Hall disciples, who coldly dered, "Today, entry is permitted, but no one may leave."Su Han''s gaze fell upon the banners newly erected along the city walls. His frown deepened—these gs had not been there yesterday.


    "Junior Sister, I’ll distract them while you try to escape," Su Han said through voice transmission.


    Zhen Qin instinctively turned to look at him.


    At that moment, Su Han unsheathed his sword and, with a swift step, charged toward the city gate.


    "Impudent!"


    The disciples guarding the gate shouted in anger. Before orders could be issued, the surrounding Demon-ying Hall disciples sprang into action.


    Zhen Qin wanted to help Su Han but saw him quickly surrounded. If she joined the fray now, both of them would surely be captured. It would only waste Su Han''s efforts.


    She immediately headed for another part of the gate, aiming for a less crowded area. At the same time, other disciples attempting to leave also began to make their moves, throwing the gatefront into chaos.


    The weakest of the Demon-ying Hall disciples were at the fifthyer of the Foundation Establishment Stage. Su Han was soon pinned to the ground, unable to move.


    He struggled to raise his head, only to see Zhen Qin struck down and injured. Blood stained her lips as she fell, and Su Han''s eyes turned bloodshot.


    The one who injured Zhen Qin was a woman dressed in the ck uniform of the Demon-ying Hall. She strode through the gate from outside and coldly addressed the crowd:


    "Today, we are purging demonic spies. Anyone who tries to leave will confirm their identity as a member of the demonic path!"


    Her words caused the uneasy disciples to breathe a sigh of relief.


    So this was a demon-spy purge—no wonder such arge operation was in ce.


    They had been more worried about the Taixuan Sect orchestrating some other conspiracy. If this was just about weeding out demonic practitioners, they had no reason to fear; their consciences were clear.


    Su Han, Zhen Qin, and other captured disciples had their spiritual energy sealed with talisman papers before being escorted to the Heavenly Mending tform.


    By noon, the gates of the Outer Sect City were shut.


    A loud bell echoed across the city, followed by amanding voice:


    "All disciples, assemble at the Heavenly Mending tform immediately!"


    On every street, disciples began heading toward the tform. The massive tform, though already crowded with tens of thousands of disciples, still felt spacious.


    Ye Lan arrived at the edge of the tform, escorted by Law Enforcement Hall disciples. As she was about to ascend the steps, her gaze fell upon a group of kneeling disciples in the distance. Her brows knitted as she recognized Su Han and Zhen Qin among them.


    Their disheveled hair and bloodied faces made it clear they had been in a fierce struggle.


    Ye Lan refrained from acting rashly and looked away, pondering how to rescue her junior martial nephew and niece.


    After much deliberation, she had to admit that her only option was to approach Lu Jiu Jia.


    The Law Enforcement Hall had been thoroughly overshadowed by the Demon-ying Hall. Even its hall master would struggle to extract anyone from their grasp.


    Ye Lan''s concern shifted to Gu An. She silently prayed he had not entered the city.


    She had a nagging feeling that today’s events were not as simple as catching demonic cultivators.


    As a Law Enforcement Hall disciple, she couldn’t flee merely on suspicion. Deep down, she held onto a sliver of faith in the Taixuan Sect, believing that the Demon-ying Hall could only engage in underhanded activities secretly.


    Far away, Jiang Qiong stood with a hunchbacked elder at the window of a tall pavilion. They were not alone; a few Inner Sect disciples passing through the Outer Sect City had also refrained from heading to the tform, curious about the ongoing events.


    "Last night, a powerful divine sense swept through the city. Its owner’s cultivation must exceed the Transformation Stage," the elder said grimly.


    "Beyond the Transformation Stage?" Jiang Qiong narrowed her eyes.


    The elder turned to her and asked, "Young Mistress, isn’t it time you told me your purpose for being here?"


    Jiang Qiong gazed at the Heavenly Mending tform in the distance. "To kill a traitor."


    "A traitor?" The elder’s expression turned puzzled.


    As time passed, the number of disciples on the tform swelled past a hundred thousand, yet it still felt vast.


    Lu Jiu Jia stood at the tform’s edge, surveying the crowd. His brow carried an unmistakable murderous aura, making him appear exceptionally dangerous.


    Ye Lan approached. Seeing her, Lu Jiu Jia frowned.


    "Su Han and Zhen Qin were captured by your people. Can you let them go?" Ye Lan asked softly.


    Though she had severed ties with Lu Jiu Jia, she had to lower her pride for the sake of the two juniors.


    If it were her own life on the line, she could ept death. But as Gu An''s disciples, she couldn’t turn a blind eye to their plight.


    Lu Jiu Jia''s frown deepened, but after a brief pause, he nodded slightly.


    "Thank you!"


    Ye Lan left quickly after expressing her gratitude.


    Lu Jiu Jia watched Ye Lan’s retreating figure, hesitated to speak, and ultimately sighed deeply before heading to retrieve Su Han and Zhen Qin.


    Half a stick of incenseter, he returned to his position with the two in tow.


    "Uncle Lu," Zhen Qin asked cautiously, "is this really just about catching demonic spies?"


    Lu Jiu Jia nodded lightly without saying a word.


    Zhen Qin let out a breath of relief and chose not to press further, while Su Han scrutinized Lu Jiu Jia closely. His instincts told him something was off.


    Suddenly.


    From behind a tall building to the east of the Heavenly Mending tform, a crimson umbre rose into the air and swiftly flew to the center of the tform, attracting countless gazes.


    As the red umbre unfurled, strings of white jade beads cascaded down, suspended by silky threads. The beads swayed and collided, producing a series of crisp, melodic sounds.


    Boom!


    The crimson umbre burst forth with a surge of powerful spiritual energy, unleashing a faint golden halo that rapidly expanded, connecting to the banners mounted on the city walls.


    Everyone in the city looked up—some in awe, others in fear.


    Underneath the crimson umbre, a figure materialized out of thin air. It was none other than the ck-robed man.


    "I am Chu Xian, an elder of the Taixuan Sect’s main city. I am here today to purge the demonic spies in the Outer Sect," the ck-robed man dered.


    The moment Chu Xian’s voice rang out, the overwhelming aura of a Void Transformation Stage expert swept across the Outer Sect, making his immense power palpable to all.


    Amid the crowd, Ye Lan gazed up at Chu Xian, her eyes brimming with shock.


    What kind of cultivation level could produce such amanding presence?


    She wasn’t alone—Lu Jiu Jia, Su Han, and Zhen Qin were equally stunned. The majority of Outer Sect disciples looked up in reverence, as though beholding a celestial being.


    "For years, the Outer Sect’s Demon-ying Hall has apprehended many demonic spies. Yet demonic cultivators still run rampant. Thus, the first investigation will target the Demon-ying Hall itself!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Chu Xian’s voice was chillingly indifferent. As his words fell, the crimson umbre above him began to sway, emitting an eerie sound that reverberated throughout the city.


    Lu Jiu Jia’s expression changed drastically. Clutching his chest, he copsed to his knees with a heavy thud.


    It wasn’t just him—other Demon-ying Hall disciples nearby suffered the same fate, with some crying out in agony.


    "Uncle Lu, what’s wrong?" Zhen Qin asked anxiously, her voice trembling.


    Lu Jiu Jia’s entire body felt as though it was being gnawed apart by a thousand insects. The excruciating pain rendered him speechless, leaving him to gesture feebly for Zhen Qin and Su Han to stay back.


    The Outer Sect disciples on the tform turned to look at the Demon-ying Hall members at the edges, murmuring in confusion.


    "The artifact above me is the Demon-Suppressing Umbre. Beneath its light, all demonic energy is obliterated. Any practitioner of demonic arts will dissolve into blood!" Chu Xian’s voice echoed once more.


    The Heavenly Mending tform erupted in an uproar.


    The Demon-ying Hall—demonic cultivators?


    For years, the Hall’s actions had bred resentment among the disciples. Now that its true nature was exposed, how could they not be enraged?


    A chorus of curses and denunciations filled the air.


    Lu Jiu Jia was in unbearable pain, his forehead pressed to the ground as his body convulsed violently.


    "D*mn it… I knew it…" he gritted his teeth, his face contorted in anguish.


    Unable to mobilize his spiritual energy, he was consumed by an unprecedented fear. A dark aura of demonic energy began to rise from his body, spiraling into the air and converging toward the Demon-Suppressing Umbre.


    It wasn’t just him—demonic energy surged from the other Demon-ying Hall disciples, streaming upward in a simr manner.


    From the crowd, Ye Lan stepped forward and saw Lu Jiu Jia’s tortured posture. She immediately approached, taking a pill from her storage pouch and feeding it to him.


    Her actions prompted a wave of insults from the disciples around her, but she paid them no mind.


    Unfortunately, the pill had no effect.


    "Junior… Junior Sister… run…" Lu Jiu Jia managed to rasp, each word costing him immense effort.


    As the word "run" left his lips, he coughed up arge mouthful of ck blood.


    "What in the world is going on?" Ye Lan asked sharply, her tone heavy.


    After a pause, she spoke rapidly, "I can’t escape now. Unless the truthes to light and the entire sect rises in resistance, there’s no chance of survival."


    Lu Jiu Jia no longer had the strength to respond. His trembling right hand slowly rose, and with a quivering finger, he pointed toward the sky.


    Ye Lan followed his gesture and turned her gaze upward. The person he pointed to was none other than Chu Xian, floating above.


    "The next step is to purge the demonic spies on the tform," Chu Xian’s voice rang out, silencing the noisy Heavenly Mending tform in an instant.


    Even the most self-assured disciples suddenly felt a flicker of panic.


    The Demon-Suppressing Umbre swayed again, its eerie sound sending chills through the hearts of all.


    Ye Lan suddenly felt something and instinctively looked down. The tform’s surface was covered in dense, blood-red patterns resembling some ancient and sinister script.


    Her feet happened to be positioned directly on one of these patterns. A malevolent force surged into her body, forcibly sealing her spiritual energy and leaving her paralyzed.


    Her entire body trembled, and the White Spirit Sword at her waist began to emit a sharp cry.


    All the disciples on the tform copsed to one knee in unison, like a tide surging and falling. The same intricate blood-red patterns appeared beneath their feet.


    "I didn’t expect the demonic path to have infiltrated this deeply. Since that’s the case, this Outer Sect no longer has a reason to exist," Chu Xian’s icy voice descended from above, chilling everyone to the core.


    In Xuan Valley, within a pavilion


    Gu An was calmly writing at his desk when the surface suddenly began to tremble, causing his brush to pause mid-stroke.


    His gaze shifted to the Qinghong Sword resting on the table beside him. The sword was vibrating violently, as if it were about to leap out of its scabbard. A faint sound resembling the cry of a bird echoed from within.


    Staring at the Qinghong Sword, Gu An''s expression subtly changed.