267: Chapter 267: The Demonic Sect Doesn't Talk About Reason

Xiao Ran hid behind a stone pillar, watching this scene unfold.

He recognized Sword Sect Elder Zhou Xuan and saw through his predicament.

Although Sword Sect Elder Zhou Xuan's situation was perilous, it wasn't quite at the point where he was about to die.

A Void Refinement Stage Cultivator might not be able to win a fight, but they could still escape if they wanted to.

The Sword Sect's escape technique, 'Sword Light Escape,' was world-famous, capable of traveling a thousand miles in a single bound.

Why wasn't Sword Sect Elder Zhou Xuan running?

Why did he insist on shouting for help?

Xiao Ran's heart stirred as he continued to observe.

Sword Sect Elder Zhou Xuan shouted again, his voice shrill and miserable.

His sword grew slower, his Qi weakened, and his aura became increasingly chaotic.

He looked as if he could die at any moment.

Xiao Ran's thoughts raced, and he suddenly understood.

Sword Sect Elder Zhou Xuan was doing this on purpose.

He was fishing, trying to drag a passing Cultivator into the fray.

Once that Cultivator stepped in to help, he could take the opportunity to escape, drawing the Yao Race's fire onto someone else.

He might even turn around and snatch that Cultivator's treasures.

He had seen this kind of scheme many times in the Cultivation World.

People from the Sword Sect acted like upright gentlemen on the surface, but they were incredibly devious behind the scenes.

Xiao Ran smiled.

He decided to beat him at his own game.

If you're fishing, then I'm fishing too.

Let's see who catches whom.

He transformed into a grayish-black escape light, rushing out from behind the stone pillar toward the battlefield.

The escape light was incredibly fast, carving a long trail through the grayish-black mist.

“Senior, I'm here to help you!”

Xiao Ran shouted, his voice carrying just the right amount of anxiety and concern.

When Sword Sect Elder Zhou Xuan saw Xiao Ran, a flash of joy crossed his eyes, but he quickly returned to a look of panic.

His acting was superb; he truly lived up to being a member of the Sword Sect.

“Little friend, thank you!”

“These two members of the Yao Race stole my treasure. Help me hold them off, and I will reward you handsomely once we're out!”

Sword Sect Elder Zhou Xuan shouted while defending, his voice filled with gratitude and urgency.

The Golden Lion saw Xiao Ran and let out a cold snort.

“Another one coming to seek death.”

“Nine-Headed Snake, you deal with him. I’ll kill this human!”

The Nine-Headed Snake hissed, seven of its heads turning toward Xiao Ran as it lunged at him.

It was fast, its body like black lightning, leaving a deep furrow in the ground.

Seven heads opened their mouths simultaneously, spitting venom, poison fire, poison mist, poison smoke, poison needles, poison silk, and poison miasma.

Seven different poisons surged toward Xiao Ran, blotting out the sky.

The venom was like ink, the poison fire like a dragon, the poison mist like clouds, the poison smoke like pillars, the poison needles like rain, the poison silk like a net, and the poison miasma like fog.

The seven poisons intertwined to form a massive toxic net, enveloping the area for dozens of yards around Xiao Ran.

Xiao Ran didn't dodge.

He raised his right hand, and a grayish-black vortex appeared in his palm.

Guixu Vortex, external release.

The vortex grew larger, spreading from his palm to in front of his body, transforming into a black hole about ten feet wide.

The black hole spun, emitting a buzzing sound like a hungry giant beast opening its maw.

It devoured everything around it—air, Qi, light, sound, and all the poisons spat out by the Nine-Headed Snake.

The venom, fire, mist, smoke, needles, silk, and miasma were all pulled into the black hole as if grabbed by an invisible giant hand, leaving nothing behind.

The black hole spun faster and faster, its devouring speed increasing.

The Nine-Headed Snake's seven heads froze simultaneously, its eyes bulging, its vertical pupils filled with terror.

“What?!”

The Nine-Headed Snake shrieked, its voice sharp and ear-piercing.

The corner of Xiao Ran's mouth curled up, and the vortex reversed.

The devoured poisons were spat back out of the black hole, shooting toward the Nine-Headed Snake with even greater speed and power.

Each of the seven poisons had been purified, compressed, and amplified by the Guixu Vortex, making them several times more powerful than before.

“Ah—!”

Unable to dodge in time, the Nine-Headed Snake was corroded by its own venom, its skin splitting and scales falling off to reveal the tender red flesh beneath.

Poison fire charred three of its heads, the scorched flesh emitting a foul stench.

The poison mist and smoke made it cough incessantly, tears streaming down its faces.

Poison needles pierced its body, leaving rows of tiny bloody holes.

Poison silk wrapped around two of its heads, strangling it until it couldn't breathe.

The poison miasma enveloped its entire body, corroding its scales and flesh.

The Nine-Headed Snake rolled on the ground in agony, its body twisting frantically like an earthworm whose tail had been stepped on.

Its tail swept out, snapping several stone pillars in half and sending stone fragments flying. It churned up the soil, leaving a massive pit in the ground.

It struggled a few more times and then went still.

Its seven heads lay crookedly on the ground, its sixteen eyes closed, foaming at the mouth.

The Golden Lion was shocked. It abandoned its pursuit of Sword Sect Elder Zhou Xuan and lunged at Xiao Ran.

Its speed was like lightning, its golden figure leaving an afterimage in the air.

It struck with a paw, the golden claw shadow blotting out the sun and carrying a terrifying pressure.

A full-strength strike from a Middle Stage Void Refinement expert. Everywhere the claw light passed, the air was torn apart, and a deep furrow was carved into the ground.

Xiao Ran did not retreat. He moved forward to meet it, throwing a punch.

The grayish-black vortex on his fist spun, colliding with the golden claw shadow.

The vortex devoured the claw shadow and then reflected the force back.

The Golden Lion felt as if its paw had hit cotton; it couldn't exert any force.

Then, a massive force surged back through its paw, sending it flying backward.

The Golden Lion crashed into a stone pillar, which shattered on impact. Fragments of stone rained down on it, making it grimace in pain.

It spat out blood, the golden liquid sizzling as it splashed onto the broken stones.

Its golden mane was a mess, several strands broken and scattered on the ground.

It struggled to stand, its four legs trembling, its vertical pupils filled with terror.

“You... you are...”

The Golden Lion stared at Xiao Ran, its voice trembling.

It hadn't expected an Early Stage Void Refinement human to be this powerful.

Xiao Ran ignored it and turned to look at Sword Sect Elder Zhou Xuan.

Sword Sect Elder Zhou Xuan was standing thirty feet away, holding the Storage Ring, preparing to run.

When he felt Xiao Ran's gaze, his whole body stiffened, and he forced a smile.

“Little friend, what skill! Thank you for saving my life.”

“These two members of the Yao Race stole my treasure—a High Grade Heaven Rank longsword.”

“Help me hold them off, little friend. I'll go retrieve the sword and share half the benefits with you later.”

Hearing this, Xiao Ran instantly laughed.

“Senior, what you're saying isn't right.”

Sword Sect Elder Zhou Xuan was stunned. “What's not right?”

Xiao Ran said calmly.

“Without me, you would already be dead.”

“If you were dead, your treasure would be mine anyway.”

“I saved you, yet you want me to be cannon fodder while you run off with the treasure? Senior, do you think I'm stupid?”

Sword Sect Elder Zhou Xuan's face changed, and he quickly waved his hands. “Little friend, you misunderstand! I didn't mean that! I just...”

“Just what?”

Xiao Ran interrupted him, his voice gradually turning cold.

“Just thought I was young and easy to trick? Just thought I was easy to bully because I'm in the Early Stage of Void Refinement?”

“Senior, you are a member of the Sword Sect. Since when did the Sword Sect become so shameless?”

Sword Sect Elder Zhou Xuan's face turned beet red, veins bulging on his forehead.

He could act this way, but he wouldn't allow others to say it.

He gritted his teeth and said, “Little friend, it is a fact that you saved me, and I owe you for that.”

“But I discovered this treasure first. I spent three days getting it out of that cavern.”

“Giving you half is already more than fair. What else do you want?”

Xiao Ran looked at Sword Sect Elder Zhou Xuan, his eyes full of ridicule.

“More than fair? Senior, let me remind you of something.”

“What?”

“I come from the Demon Sect, and we don't listen to reason.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Ran moved.

He was as fast as lightning, his grayish-black escape light flashing through the twilight, appearing before Sword Sect Elder Zhou Xuan in an instant.

The Guixu Vortex condensed in his palm as he struck at Sword Sect Elder Zhou Xuan's chest.

The vortex spun, buzzing like a hungry giant beast.

Sword Sect Elder Zhou Xuan was shocked and raised his sword to block.

The sword and palm collided. The sword blade was devoured by the vortex, and its Qi was sucked away.

The light on the sword dimmed at a rate visible to the naked eye.

It went from platinum to gray, from gray to black, finally looking like a piece of scrap metal.

Sword Sect Elder Zhou Xuan felt his Qi like a bursting dam, surging frantically into Xiao Ran's palm.

“You—!”

Shocked and furious, Sword Sect Elder Zhou Xuan desperately circulated his Qi, trying to break free.

But he found his Qi completely out of control, as if gripped by an invisible giant hand, unable to move.

His face went from red to white, from white to green, and from green to purple.