Sitting and forgetting longevity

Chapter 1998 We Won
Thick blue clouds surged up and, in an instant, completely covered the huge battle platform, blocking the burning gazes of thousands of cultivators below.

Liu Qinghuan slowly withdrew her hand, which was tightly gripping Xuan Yin's throat, and wiped it on the other person's clothes.

"Cough, cough—!"

A violent cough struck his throat, which was nearly crushed, bringing a tearing pain. Xuan Yin dared not use any strength to cough. He could only hunch over his body, which was bound by the Immortal Binding Rope, and squeeze out hoarse, broken sounds from his lungs. Every word was covered with thick, bloody foam.

"According to the rules of the Nine Heavens War, once one side concedes defeat, the other side must immediately stop fighting and may not delay, harm, or even kill the other side under any pretext or reason... What are you doing?!"

His voice suddenly rose in pitch as he stared at Liu Qinghuan's actions with a mixture of shock and anger. His originally gloomy and murky eyes suddenly flashed with extreme panic.

Liu Qinghuan didn't even lift her eyelids. Her fingertips gripped Xuan Yin's withered claw covered in black scales, and she steadily exerted force with her fingertips.

With a series of teeth-grinding cracking sounds, his tightly clenched fingers were broken one by one.

Xuan Yin was in so much pain that his whole body convulsed violently, but the domineering power of the Immortal Binding Rope locked all his meridians and physical strength, making it impossible for him to struggle even slightly.

He could only watch helplessly as Liu Qinghuan pried open his bloodied palm and forcibly dug out the two-inch-long, jet-black jade talisman from the deepest part of the palm lines.

Liu Qinghuan held the talisman between two fingers, lowering her eyes to examine it closely.

A small sword was engraved on the jade talisman, with several dark purple lightning patterns wrapped around it. Although it was an inanimate object, a faint, eerie sword sound emanated from it.

What surges atop it is a more condensed, ferocious, and purer true demonic energy than ordinary demonic energy.

"So this is your last trump card, a sword talisman that seals the power of the Demon God."

Liu Qinghuan casually twirled the sword talisman halfway around with her fingertips, her eyebrows slightly raised, her tone carrying a hint of cold mockery.

"First, he pretended to be blinded by anger, shouting and yelling as if he had lost his mind, in order to make me lower my guard;
"So, you're planning to use close combat as an opportunity to activate this sword talisman, intending to kill me in one blow when I'm off guard?"

"So what!"

Xuan Yin clenched his teeth, his eyes swirling with malice and resentment.

But the regret in his heart had already spread like a wildly growing poisonous vine throughout his internal organs, almost driving him mad.

This True Demon Sword Talisman was a priceless treasure he obtained after venturing into the ancient demon god's ruins and narrowly escaping death.

It contains a demon god's sword, which, when fully unleashed, can kill even a rogue immortal on the spot.

If this guy in front of him weren't so troublesome, and even the Spring Water Pouch couldn't do anything to him, he would never have been willing to take it out.

But despite his meticulous planning, he hadn't anticipated that Liu Qinghuan possessed a merit-based magical artifact, and the next moment she unleashed that elusive technique that left no trace, one that even he couldn't find a single flaw in.

He never expected that the other party would suddenly unleash the legendary Immortal Binding Rope. In the instant that gray light flashed by, he didn't even have a chance to react before he was tightly bound.

Once bound by the Immortal Binding Rope, one cannot even muster a shred of physical strength, let alone activate magical power, leaving one completely at the mercy of others.

His carefully planned assassination scheme ended in vain.

He suppressed his surging hatred, forced a show of submission, and said urgently in a hoarse voice:
"Dao Kui! I admit defeat, I have lost this battle! According to the rules of the Nine Heavens Battle Platform, now that I have admitted defeat, you cannot take my life..."

"rule?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Qinghuan chuckled softly, but there was no warmth in her laughter, only a chilling coldness and mockery.

He raised his hand and unceremoniously grabbed Xuan Yin's hand, stripping off the three storage rings embedded in his fingers one by one, and casually putting them into his sleeve.

“When you, a heretical cultivator, have the upper hand, you only know how to slaughter indiscriminately and disregard the rules.”
Now that a knife is at your throat and you're at a disadvantage, your attitude has changed quickly. You're suddenly trying to talk to me about rules again?

"you!"

Xuan Yin couldn't catch his breath, and he was so angry that he trembled all over, and his old face turned blue and purple.

With the threat of death looming overhead, he could only swallow his raging anger and hastily lower his stance, his tone even carrying a hint of pleading.

"Dao Kui! You are the Dao Kui, revered by everyone in the cultivation world. You are known for your integrity, uprightness, and tolerance, and are the foremost figure of the righteous path. I was blind and offended you before. I hope you, Dao Kui, will be magnanimous and forgive me this time!"

Liu Qinghuan smiled faintly, but there was no ripple in her eyes.

"What? In your eyes, do I look like the kind of soft-hearted person?"

He bent down, his fingertips hooking the dusty gray water pouch at Xuan Yin's waist. With a slight pull, he ripped it off, his tone growing even colder: "Now you think of begging for mercy, begging for forgiveness? Too late!"

This Spring Water Pouch truly lives up to its reputation as a primordial treasure. The Void Devouring Insects had been gnawing at it for so long before they managed to create a tiny hole, but now it's completely intact, without even the slightest trace of damage.

Liu Qinghuan ran her fingertips over the cool pouch, her gaze darkening slightly.

He hadn't forgotten that his Void-Eating Insect Swarm was still sealed inside this bag. With a forceful pull, he removed the stopper from the Spring Water Bag and gently shook it with the opening facing down.

A moment later, a group of small black insects fluttered their thin wings and filed out of the sac. They circled in mid-air, recognized Liu Qinghuan's presence, and immediately buzzed as they flew over.

Liu Qinghuan counted them and confirmed that not a single Void Devouring Insect was missing, finally letting out a sigh of relief.

After collecting the insects, he glanced at Xuan Yin, who was lying on the ground unable to move. After a moment's thought, he reached out and turned the man over, beginning to carefully examine his body.

"What...what exactly do you want to do?!"

Xuan Yin panicked a little, his voice filled with shock, anger and trembling.

"You've already taken the True Demon Sword Talisman. In my three storage rings, there are still two Primordial Treasures, as well as countless spirit stones, demon crystals, and so on. Consider it all my apology. How about that, waaaah!"

She tore off a piece of Xuan Yin's clothes and used it to shut his incessant mouth, finally giving Liu Qinghuan some peace and quiet.

"Noisy."

Liu Qinghuan patted Xuan Yin's distorted old face lightly, and to prevent him from making a desperate move, she gave him a false promise.

"Don't rush. Once I've stripped you naked, I'll let you go. I promise you in the name of Dao Kui that I will never break my word."

Then, he used his extraordinary skill to reach into Xuan Yin's storage space.

……

Beneath the battle platform, which Qingyun had kept out, chaos erupted once again.

"What's going on? Why is it covered by clouds again? What is Dao Kui doing?"

Some impatient cultivators tiptoed forward, eager to press their eyes against the dense, impenetrable blue clouds.

"Did you all see that just now? Dao Kui raised his hand and with a whoosh, a rope flew out and tied up that old man Xuan Yin tightly!" A sharp-eyed cultivator was so excited that he waved his hands and raised his voice.

Someone nearby immediately chimed in, their voice filled with shock: "That rope, could it be some kind of magical artifact? Otherwise, how could it bind Xuan Yin so easily?"

"Hey, that must be the legendary Immortal Binding Rope! Only the Immortal Binding Rope has such power. Once the rope is drawn, even immortals and gods cannot escape. Once bound, they cannot use any of their magic power."

But as soon as he finished speaking, a demonic cultivator from the Nine Netherworlds sneered, his face full of disdain.

"It's just a broken rope, yet you dare to boast about it like it's some kind of magic? How could the Xuan Yin Ancestor be trapped by a rope? Just wait and see, when this fog clears, the one standing there will surely be the Ancestor!"

“That’s right!” someone immediately echoed, their tone full of arrogance: “Who was wailing like that just now, like their father had died? Tsk tsk! You can continue wailing when the clouds clear up…”

"Who the hell are you talking to?! Watch your mouth!"

A nearby cultivator immediately became enraged and rolled up his sleeves, ready to step forward and argue.

"I'm talking to you, so what? Remember to cry louder!"

The two sides instantly became tense and started arguing and making a scene.

Even so, the overall atmosphere in the audience was much more relaxed than when Xuan Yin had feigned victory.

After all, those who hoped Xuan Yin would win were mostly the demonic cultivators in the Nine Netherworlds who shared his spirit, or gamblers who had placed heavy bets on him.

Besides most of the Qingming cultivators, many people from the Nine Netherworlds also hoped that Liu Qinghuan would win.

As Xuan Yin had said before, Liu Qinghuan's name as "Dao Kui" had already resounded throughout the heavens and earth, and was known to everyone in the entire cultivation world.

His appearance was like a stabilizing force.

Since the demon realm launched a massive invasion of the cultivation world, when the great calamity of heaven and earth descended upon the three thousand realms, even if the sky collapsed and the earth caved in, there must be tall people to hold it up.

Dao Kui, that tall man, may not be revered by everyone, but he is an irreplaceable pillar of strength in this chaotic world.

Amidst the clamor and intense anticipation, the thick blue clouds that had enveloped the battle platform finally began to disperse slowly like a tide.

The tension and anticipation in everyone's eyes reached their peak.

Liu Qinghuan, dressed in a spotless blue robe, slowly emerged from the dispersing clouds and mist.

Behind him, Xuan Yin lay stiffly on the ground, his eyes wide open, his face frozen with the terror and resentment of his dying moments, lifeless.

A deathly silence enveloped the entire hilltop, but a moment later, a deafening cheer erupted, like a tsunami crashing down!
"We won! Dao Kui won!!"