Chapter 12 Madman, save me!
The Heavenly Demon Sect, Core Disciple area.
A detached courtyard, situated above a tributary of a Spiritual Vein and shrouded in faint Devilish Qi, looked magnificent.
The courtyard gate was carved from obsidian, and two ferocious Demonic Beast statues stood at the entrance.
Only those Sect Core Disciples ranked on the "heavenly demon ranking" or those who had rendered great service to the Sect could possess an independent Immortal Cave here.
The "heavenly demon ranking" was the authoritative list for the Heavenly Demon Sect to gauge the strength and potential of its Disciples, taking only the top three hundred.
Every year, a Sect ranking challenge tournament was held; they were completely different from those Righteous Path Sects—if one wanted to be on the list and obtain good Cultivation resources, one had to go up and fight; on the challenge stage, life and death would inevitably be decided!
Disciples on the list not only enjoyed illustrious reputations but could also enjoy Cultivation resources, independent Immortal Caves, and preferential training from the Sect far exceeding that of ordinary Disciples.
As for ordinary peak-lord Disciples like Xiao Ming and Lin Fan, they could only live in uniformly planned Disciple quarters where the Spiritual Qi was thin.
At this moment, Liu Feier was laboriously supporting the ashen-faced Zhang Kuang as they arrived outside this courtyard.
The sorry state of the two formed a sharp contrast with the imposing and austere atmosphere of the courtyard.
Zhang Kuang looked up at the tightly closed gate, humiliation and struggle flashing in his eyes. Finally, gritting his teeth, he took a deep breath, forced himself to straighten his body, and bowed respectfully, his voice hoarse.
"Tribal younger brother Zhang Kuang requests an audience with Tribal elder brother Xiaotian! I implore you, elder brother, to stand up for me!"
A moment after his voice fell, the gate slid open silently. A guard Disciple with cold eyes and an Aura that had reached the Foundation Establishment Late Stage swept a detached glance over them. His gaze lingered for an instant on Zhang Kuang's ruined Dantian, a flash of imperceptible contempt crossing his eyes.
"Come in, Senior Brother is in the courtyard."
Upon entering the courtyard, the Spiritual Qi instantly became dense, several times stronger than outside.
The layout inside the courtyard was elegant yet luxurious, showing the status of Core Disciples in the Sect.
Zhang Xiaotian was sitting leisurely in a pavilion. His cultivation had already reached the Golden Core Peak; it was precisely by relying on his formidable strength to rank 163rd on the "heavenly demon ranking" that he was qualified to occupy such an Immortal Cave.
Upon seeing Zhang Xiaotian, Zhang Kuang seemed to have grasped a straw to save his life. He broke free from Liu Feier's support, stumbled to the stone steps in front of the pavilion, knelt down with a "thump," and burst into tears:
"Tribal elder brother Xiaotian! You must stand up for me! It was all that Lin Fan..."
He tearfully recounted his encounter, embellishing the story of how Lin Fan had "despicably ambushed" him and ruined his cultivation, his words filled with malice and pleading.
Zhang Xiaotian listened expressionlessly before slowly putting down his teacup. He swept a cold glance at Zhang Kuang kneeling on the ground, his eyes looking as if he were observing a piece of trash: "With your Dantian ruined, you are nothing but a Mortal. Family resources will have nothing to do with you from now on. Get back to the secular world; the Zhang Family can still ensure you a lifetime of wealth."
Zhang Kuang was struck as if by lightning. His entire body trembled, and he collapsed to the ground, all color instantly draining from his face.
But the next moment, his instinct to survive and his craving for cultivation caused him to crawl forward two steps, kowtowing desperately and begging:
"Tribal elder brother! Tribal elder brother, save me! My Dantian... although my Dantian is broken, you, Tribal elder brother, have vast Divine Abilities; you must have secret techniques or Spirit Pills that can save me! I beg you, for the sake of us sharing the same lineage, save me this once! I, Zhang Kuang, am willing to act as a beast of burden for the rest of my life to repay your great kindness, Tribal elder brother!"
His voice was shrill and he was covered in tears and snot; there was not a shred of the arrogant Zhang Kuang of the past left.
Upon hearing this, the corners of Zhang Xiaotian's mouth curled into an undisguised sneer, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.
He slowly put down his teacup, his gaze piercing Zhang Kuang like an ice pick: "Save you? Secret techniques? Spirit Pills?" He scoffed, "Zhang Kuang, have you stayed in this Sect for so long that your brain has gone bad?"
"Dantian shattered, this is a damaged Foundation of the Dao; it cannot be fixed without Heaven-Defying divine medicine or supreme secret arts! Do you think such Opportunities are like Chinese cabbage? Even if they existed, the cost would be more than the entire branch Family could pay! To pay such a price for a piece of trash like you? Are you worthy?"
Every word was like a heavy hammer, smashing fiercely onto Zhang Kuang's heart, shattering his last hope into pieces!
"Tribal elder brother! I..." Zhang Kuang still wanted to argue.
"Enough!" Zhang Xiaotian's face darkened, and his Golden Core Peak Spiritual Pressure was suddenly released. Although he did not use his full strength, it crashed down on Zhang Kuang like a small mountain!
"Pfft!" Zhang Kuang was already heavily injured, and at this moment, he was shaken by this pressure, his blood and Qi churning. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his entire body pinned firmly to the ground, struggling even to lift his head, his eyes filled with endless fear and despair.
"Recognize your own status, trash." Zhang Xiaotian's voice was cold, devoid of any emotion. "Returning to the secular world is your only choice. If you dare to chatter again, don't blame your Senior Brother for being heartless; I will cripple your last bit of mobility and make you crawl back!"
Feeling that undisguised killing intent and the absolute disparity in strength, Zhang Kuang completely collapsed.
All his struggles, pleas, and unwillingness vanished at this moment. His face was ashen, his eyes dim, as if all his soul had been drained away.
He was disheartened, like a walking corpse, struggling to crawl up, but he stumbled due to his injuries and the pressure. Liu Feier subconsciously wanted to support him.
"She stays."
Zhang Xiaotian's cold voice rang out again. His gaze, as if tangible, passed over the limp Zhang Kuang and pinned itself precisely onto Liu Feier.
That gaze carried undisguised scrutiny and playfulness, roaming back and forth over her graceful body, which was trembling slightly from fear, and her tear-stained, pitiful face, filled with unquestionable possessiveness.
Zhang Kuang's body stiffened abruptly. He looked at his Tribal elder brother in disbelief, his lips moving, but he could not make a sound.
Liu Feier felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave. Her whole body trembled violently, and she subconsciously took half a step back, her arms nervously wrapped around her chest, as if this could protect her.
She looked toward Zhang Kuang with eyes brimming with tears, filled with terror and pleading, hoping to see a shred of protection.
Zhang Xiaotian gave an impatient cold snort, and a tyrannical Golden Core Spiritual Pressure, like an invisible mountain, suddenly pressed down on Zhang Kuang's heart: "Do I need to say it a second time?"
Zhang Kuang's expression changed several times in an instant; humiliation, fear, and struggle finally all turned into a deathly gray despair.
Under Zhang Xiaotian's ice-cold, knife-like gaze, he gritted his teeth, did not look back, and stumbled, almost crawling, out of the courtyard, abandoning Liu Feier alone in this den of tigers and wolves!
"Brother Kuang—!"
Liu Feier let out a cry of extreme despair, her outstretched hand frozen in mid-air, only managing to catch Zhang Kuang's determined retreating back.
The last shred of hope was completely shattered, and her pretty face instantly lost all color.
"Hmph."
Zhang Xiaotian slowly stood up and approached step by step. The shadow cast by his tall figure completely enveloped the trembling Liu Feier.
He reached out and, with one finger, in a highly insulting and controlling manner, frivolously lifted Liu Feier's smooth chin, forcing her to raise that tear-stained face filled with terror.
"Your appearance and figure indeed have some capital," he said as if evaluating goods, his voice carrying a hint of mockery, "From now on, be sensible and obediently follow this Senior Brother. If you serve well, perhaps... I might even reward you with a future."
Before he finished speaking, in Liu Feier's suddenly dilated pupils, Zhang Xiaotian's approaching figure was reflected.
Before she could react, with a crisp "rip" sound of tearing silk, the already thin gauze outer garment on her upper body was roughly torn apart from the middle!
Large patches of snow-white, smooth skin were suddenly exposed to the cool air; her rounded shoulders and exquisite collarbones were fully visible. Even more fatal was that the full curves, which the tight, lotus-root-colored undergarment could not contain, trembled and heaved violently, threatening to burst out, outlining a breathtakingly alluring curve.
Liu Feier let out a short scream of "Ah," her hands trying in vain to cover herself, but her wrists were easily caught by Zhang Xiaotian.
Boundless fear and despair overwhelmed everything, and tears, like broken beads, fell continuously down her cheeks...