Infiltrating the righteous path? Just another place to be a sycophant.

The longsword flew back, and a figure surrounded by a red orb appeared in the air. It seemed as if ghosts were following him, and strange whispers could be heard as soon as one got closer.

That was the cry for help from the dead.

But to Lu An, it was no different from background noise.

It's so noisy! What's making all that noise? It's even more annoying than the squeaking of mice.

"Who is that?"

"That's Li Yun. I didn't expect him to be at the ninth level of the Nascent Soul stage..."

Zhi Ruo looked at the figure surrounded by red light and couldn't help but grit her teeth.

Have we fallen behind again? Li Yun is truly a monster.

"So it's Senior Brother Li. Not bad, you've reached the ninth level of the Nascent Soul stage." Liu Zhengxuan looked at the person in front of him and laughed heartily. "But it's a pity, I achieved the Nascent Soul stage much earlier than you!"

"You've only just broken through, and you just endured the tribulation lightning, so you must be feeling pretty bad, right?" Li Yun sneered, the long sword in his hand surging with demonic energy, emitting a cold and sharp blade light.

"So what if you are? Once you reach the Divine Transformation stage, you will naturally be different from your Nascent Soul stage!" Liu Zhengxuan sneered, then opened his palm and made a grasping motion in the air towards Li Yun.

Several visible cracks suddenly appeared beside Li Yun, and then Li Yun felt a powerful squeezing force coming from the void, pressing towards him.

Suddenly, the longsword in Li Yun's hand shone brightly red, and demonic energy carrying intense heat surged out, then transformed into thousands of red lights, cleaving open cracks.

"Using the power of a Nascent Soul to break through spatial laws, Li Yun, you truly have a knack for it!"

Liu Zhengxuan looked at Li Yun, who had neutralized his spatial suppression technique in an instant, and couldn't help but show a hint of surprise on his face.

This is a power that can only be used in the Nascent Soul stage. I didn't expect Li Yun to have mastered it while still in the Nascent Soul stage. He really is one of the most promising fellow disciples of the Heavenly Demon Sect.

Zhiruo also witnessed this scene, after all, she had not expected that Li Yun had actually crossed the realm and mastered the strength of the Nascent Soul stage.

Then she looked at Lu An beside her, only to find that Lu An looked completely calm and collected.

As expected of Senior Brother Lu, he wasn't surprised by anything he saw; it seems he's seen a lot of things.

Moreover, judging from Senior Brother Lu's move just now, he has probably already crossed the realm and mastered the power of the Nascent Soul stage, right?

What Zhi Ruo didn't know was that Lu An's indifferent expression was because he couldn't understand it.

He couldn't understand it at all. He just felt that these guys were amazing, even more awesome than the anime he had seen before.

Damn, this is real cultivation... no, demon cultivation, isn't it? These special effects are way more realistic than anything photoshopped on a computer!

I should try to escape. I'm in a distraction phase right now. What can he use to fight me? Can I even scare him?

What if this guy is a reckless fool who insists on testing us with some trick? That would be troublesome.

"You've only just entered the Nascent Soul stage, don't be so arrogant!" Li Yun's longsword surged with demonic energy as he fiercely slashed at Liu Zhengxuan: "You're just in the Nascent Soul stage, watch me chop you down!"

"Are you crazy? A Nascent Soul cultivator attacking a distracted spirit? Even if Li Yun is strong, Liu Zhengxuan is no ordinary disciple." Zhiruo exclaimed in shock as she watched Li Yun charge directly at Liu Zhengxuan.

A brute, a real brute!

"Why are there two more people over there?"

Lu An pointed to the side, and only then did Zhi Ruo notice that there was a man and a woman hiding behind a tree next to the dense bushes, their bodies faintly accumulating powerful energy.

"I knew Senior Brother Li wouldn't be alone; it turns out he called for backup." Upon seeing the two, Zhiruo instantly understood everything and explained, "Senior Brother Li must be trying to distract Liu Zhengxuan so he can coordinate with the others to defeat him!"

"Really? Are you sure they're not just trying to take advantage of the situation, Lao Liu?"

“Senior Brother Lu, it’s hard to say for sure, but…” Zhi Ruo scratched her head and stuck out her tongue: “Senior Brother Li is a very cautious person. He can be impulsive at times, but not to the point of being that impulsive.”

"You seem to know Li Yun very well?" Lu An asked quietly.

Wow, you're such a good commentator! Do you do commentary part-time?

"We've been rivals for many years, and also good friends." As she said this, Zhiruo's face suddenly turned red.

With his amazing intuition, Lu An sensed something.

Lu An frowned, sensing that something was wrong.

This little girl, why is she blushing like a teapot?

The crimson blade flashed down, creating a sharp and fierce wave of light. The wave swept past like a storm, grazing the rock where Lu An and Zhi Ruo were hiding, and cutting a flat surface in another rock.

A deep knife mark was left on the ground, kicking up a large cloud of yellow sand.

"Yuan... Nascent Soul Stage 9, this level of strength?"

Looking at the deep knife marks on the ground, Lu An felt an immense pressure, like a mountain.

Run! We have to run!

But there were people watching nearby.

Damn, women are such a hassle!

"What's so special about that? Compared to Senior Brother Lu, it's nothing!"

Zhiruo patted Lu An on the shoulder and said confidently.

I really don't know if you are me or I am me. This makes me think about my strength. If I encountered this wave of blades, I would have been vaporized, okay?

The next moment, Li Yun swung his long sword, and thousands of blades of light swept towards Liu Zhengxuan.

However, Liu Zhengxuan simply stretched out his hand and then clenched his fist in the air, and a black-gold barrier suddenly appeared, completely erasing his blade light.

"Hahaha, Senior Brother Li, if I were still in the Nascent Soul stage, I would be somewhat afraid of you, but unfortunately, I am already in the Spirit Division stage!"

A surge of powerful demonic energy erupted around Liu Zhengxuan; it was the demonic aura of someone in the Nascent Soul stage.

"Distraction stage, huh? So what!?"

Seeing that the sword's probing was ineffective, Li Yun charged forward. Liu Zhengxuan, who had been holding the sword behind his back, clenched his fist slightly, and a long sword on the ground flew into Liu Zhengxuan's hand.

Bang!

The two began to clash with their weapons, and wave after wave of demonic energy spread out wildly, with faint hints of dragons soaring and tigers roaring.

Although he was only at the ninth level of the Nascent Soul stage, Li Yun's aura was in no way inferior to Liu Zhengxuan's.

But that’s all.

"However, at the ninth level of the Nascent Soul stage, Li Yun, you and I are no longer opponents in the same league!"

Liu Zhengxuan condensed a powerful demonic aura in his hand, and the next moment, Li Yun was sent flying, rolling to the ground with a thud.

However, Li Yun simply rolled over and resumed the fight.

After a series of fierce battles, a blade of light slashed out, and Liu Zhengxuan's expression changed. His demonic energy and spiritual power surged out wildly, forcefully knocking Li Yun away.

Li Yun planted his long sword in the ground, barely managing to steady himself. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and gave a faint smile.

"You've got some skills, haven't you?"

Liu Zhengxuan looked at his half-naked body. A thin, long scratch appeared, and then a stream of bright red blood flowed out, gradually becoming more and more noticeable.

"Li Yun has injured Liu Zhengxuan, who is in the Nascent Soul stage!" Zhiruo was incredulous at the sight.

To injure a Nascent Soul cultivator with the power of a Nascent Soul cultivator, how strong must that be?

"He has some skill, but not enough."

Liu Zhengxuan touched his wound, not caring at all, and reached out his hand, wanting to heal it.

However, not long after, Liu Zhengxuan's expression suddenly changed.

It cannot be cured...

"Hehe, it's not over yet!"

Before Liu Zhengxuan could react, two figures rushed out from his left and right sides, one red and one purple, two different lights.

Those were the two people who had just been seen by Lu An and Zhi Ruo, hiding in the shadows.

At this moment, they were putting all their strength into attacking Liu Zhengxuan.

"You guys... you've teamed up...?"

Chapter 18 I have powerful backers!

Three figures attacked Liu Zhengxuan. In the blink of an eye, hundreds of lights flashed by, and the entire mountain peak lit up with colorful lights.

Not only Zhiruo and Lu An, but everyone watching through the mirror was stunned.

"Liu Zhengxuan actually broke through the Nascent Soul stage?"

"Yes, and Li Yun even dared to lead three people to besiege a Nascent Soul cultivator."

"Liu Zhengxuan has just broken through to the Nascent Soul stage. With the three Nascent Soul cultivators working together, it's still uncertain who will emerge victorious."

"Where are Senior Brother Lu An and Senior Sister Zhi Ruo? Why haven't we seen them?"

The battle on the mountain peak was fierce, and the Heavenly Demon Sect was in an uproar. Zhi Ruo watched with extreme tension, while Lu An appeared indifferent on the surface, but his heart was pounding with anxiety.

It's not enough that Nascent Soul cultivators are fighting each other; now there's a Spirit Transformation stage expert too. How am I, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, supposed to survive?

I need to hide well, lest a ripple from the other side kill me.

"Senior Brother Lu, now is a good opportunity. If we join forces, we will definitely be able to take down Liu Zhengxuan!" Zhiruo tugged at Lu An's sleeve and said.

Lu An rolled his eyes. What a great opportunity! He's already being kind by not running away, let alone joining forces with you. What's the point of going up there? To give a Nascent Soul cultivator a gua sha treatment?

After a fierce battle, the three fell to the ground, while Liu Zhengxuan, also covered in wounds, floated in the air, his longsword surging with demonic energy.

"The three of you working together are indeed very strong, but you must understand..." A faint red light emanated from Liu Zhengxuan's side: "I am only at the Nascent Soul stage! My strength is ultimately different from yours!"

Liu Zhengxuan made a grasping motion in the air. The wounds on his body had already scabbed over, and then a semi-circular, semi-transparent black-gold barrier appeared around him, enveloping Zhi Ruo who was hiding to the side.

"Is this a domain only available to those in the Nascent Soul stage?"

Looking at the semi-transparent black-gold barrier around her, Zhiruo felt a sense of solemnity.

"Domain, what's that?"

"Senior Brother Lu is indeed very strong. Indeed, a domain is nothing compared to Senior Brother Lu!"

"No...I mean..."

"I'll launch a sneak attack later, and Senior Brother Lu, you can use your sword technique to kill Liu Zhengxuan in one strike!"

"not me……"

"Senior Brother Lu, I know you're worried about my safety, but don't worry, I can do it!"

"No, that..."

Countless glossy black armor plates emanated from Zhi Ruo's body, coalescing in the air into a black longsword.

Zhi Ruo gave Lu An a look that said, "I trust you very much," and then transformed into a streak of black light, charging towards Liu Zhengxuan's back.

"No, can you please let me finish what I have to say?"

Lu An was at a loss when he saw Zhi Ruo rushing forward.

What sword techniques? Those are all just special effects! And those domains and stuff, I really don't understand them! It's not that I'm looking down on you!

However, he couldn't say anything, and could only watch helplessly as Zhiruo charged towards Liu Zhengxuan.

"Another one!?"

Liu Zhengxuan's consciousness was activated, and he suddenly turned around, then stretched out his hand. An invisible force appeared in front of Zhiruo, abruptly stopping her in mid-air.

Within this area, Liu Zhengxuan's strength was clearly greater, and this time even his sneak attack failed.

“That’s right, there should only be the four of you left.” Liu Zhengxuan nodded, looking around and said, “Strange, why is there still a very weak aura? Could it be some Tom, Dick, or Harry from somewhere? Never mind.”

Although Zhi Ruo was pinned down by Liu Zhengxuan in mid-air, the black longsword instantly dispersed into armor plates, then condensed into a sharp cone, which then pierced towards Liu Zhengxuan's ribs.

Seeing that something was wrong, Liu Zhengxuan threw Zhiruo aside, then his demonic energy surged, shattering the armor plates.

The armor plates scattered all over the ground, turning into a pile of black sand. Zhi Ruo also rolled to the ground, and then a void pressure pressed down on her, making it difficult for her to get up.

"Zhang Zhiruo, what are you doing out here?!"

"We can't just watch you fight here all by yourself, can we!?"

"Mind your own business! Are you stupid?! Besides, you didn't do anything!"

"I want...I want you to take care of it!"

Lu An hid in the back and silently gave a thumbs up.