CHAPTER 501: CHAPTER 397 WHAT IS A DEMON?_2

BOOM! Suddenly, within the Chi Yuan Holy Array, waves surged skyward, cresting hundreds of feet high. Dense Water Tao Marks and Space Tao Marks blazed fiercely in the void, threatening to engulf the black stone bridge where Hong Yuan stood.

Hong Yuan’s figure was completely engulfed by the waves, vanishing from sight.

"He couldn’t withstand it?" Ansheng Martial Saint said, his tone somewhat eager as he craned his neck to look.

However, the Ocean-viewing Taoist’s expression was as dark as ink as he watched Hong Yuan calmly walk out from the boundless waves.

Witnessing this, the Ocean-viewing Taoist spat out a mouthful of vital blood with a PFFT!, startling Ansheng Martial Saint.

Ansheng Martial Saint saw his senior brother’s aura weaken while Hong Yuan steadfastly continued to break the array. His own resolve wavered.

"Can we really hold on until Taoist Minghuo and the others arrive?"

「...」

"Faster, faster!" Taoist Minghuo urged sharply, pressing the four allied Martial Saints behind him.

The thought of the intelligence Li Shenyu had provided regarding "Bo Qing" weighed heavily on Taoist Minghuo’s mind. Ocean-viewing, Ansheng, you two must hold on.

RUMBLE—

The sound of explosions erupted, and a divine, dawn-like rainbow left ethereal afterimages in the Sea of Clouds.

「...」

[Array Tao +1,000]

[Array Tao +1,000]

A chill capable of freezing one to the marrow, to the very depths of the soul, washed over him. Hong Yuan’s expression remained unchanged, specks of sword light flickering in his eyes as he continued to break the Holy Array, steadily improving his mastery of Array Tao.

Indeed, this chill was terrifying enough that even a seventh-rank Saint would find it extremely troublesome. But Hong Yuan was different. His Demonic Body was that of a Cold Moon Dragon, possessing Divine Powers far colder than this.

To Hong Yuan, this chill was truly insignificant.

CRACK!—CRACK!—SNAP!

The Cold Marrow Divine Water released by the Cloud Sea Scroll Holy Artifact was something the Wooden Phoenix Marquis and other Daxuan Martial Saints would typically avoid at all costs, fleeing at the mere hint of its presence.

Yet now, this Cold Marrow Divine Water was being greedily devoured by the azure Water Dragon phantom above Hong Yuan’s head. In other words, it was being devoured by the Heavenly River Sword!

The Heavenly River Sword and its Sword Body were one and the same.

After devouring the Cold Marrow Divine Water, the Heavenly River Sword continuously fed Water Tao Origin back to Hong Yuan. This enhanced the Immortal Aperture Origin of his Heavenly River Blessed Land, causing Hong Yuan’s aura to strengthen incrementally and bringing him ever closer to the realm of a seventh-rank Sword Saint.

Although Cold Marrow Divine Water was not one of the Ten Great Strange Waters, it was still a peak-tier Strange Water, far more potent than Ten Thousand Heavy Water.

After all, Ten Thousand Heavy Water was merely an ordinary, purified Water Tao Divine Power. While formidable at lower cultivation levels, it had gradually failed to keep pace with Hong Yuan’s advancing realm.

Within Hong Yuan’s body, the "Reversed River Protective Dream Robe" Divine Skill Talisman glowed with a subtle light. Irrigated by the Cold Marrow Divine Water extracted by the Heavenly River Sword, the Divine Skill Talisman became even more profound and formidable.

With Cold Marrow Divine Water replacing Ten Thousand Heavy Water, Hong Yuan’s "Reversed River Protective Dream Robe" saw its defensive capabilities increase by at least thirty percent, enough to withstand a Divine Power attack from a seventh-rank, or even an eighth-rank, big shot.

If he could acquire water from the Heaven Earth Secret Realm’s Reverse River, this defensive Divine Power would achieve true mastery, becoming legendary!

Not bad, not bad at all. Quite the gain. Feeling his strength increase, Hong Yuan’s eyes gradually brightened.

Completing tasks and such can wait. The most important thing is my own growth.

Hong Yuan had been adept at exploiting tasks for personal gain, a skill he’d mastered instinctively since he was just a minor Demon.

In his younger days, he had even extorted a vast amount of resources from Spirit Fox Island to fuel his rapid advancement.

Employing this tactic once more, he was naturally adept, executing it with ease.

Time to enjoy the main course. Hong Yuan’s eyes narrowed with a smile, as if he could see through the Chi Yuan Great Array to the Ocean-viewing Taoist and the Cloud Sea Scroll.

Hong Yuan lightly exhaled a breath of turbid air, the excitement in his eyes gradually calming.

His pace remained unhurried and steady as he advanced along the black stone bridge. Around him, the waves crashed with increasing frequency, and the surrounding chill intensified in its desolation.

Watching Hong Yuan transition from a slow walk to a leisurely stroll, as if navigating his own courtyard, the Ocean-viewing Taoist and Ansheng Martial Saint looked ashen-faced, overcome with a sense of powerlessness.

At that moment, they even considered abandoning Chi Yuan Pass and fleeing. However, the thought of Hong Yuan’s incredible speed plunged them into despair.

Demon Cultivators might be lacking in other areas, but speed was one aspect where they could not afford to be weak. As a Saint among Demon Cultivators, Hong Yuan, with his Sword Body, was naturally exceptionally fast.

Suddenly, the Ocean-viewing Taoist and Ansheng Martial Saint grew animated. Hong Yuan also narrowed his eyes, halted, and fixed his gaze intently on the core of the Chi Yuan Holy Array.

"Ocean-viewing, how did you end up in such a wretched state?" Taoist Minghuo gasped, shocked as he looked at the Ocean-viewing Taoist, who appeared as withered and ancient as a dying tree.

"Elder Ocean-viewing, Brother Ansheng..."

The other newly arrived Martial Saints were also wide-eyed with shock.

Relying on his special-grade blessed land and the Holy Artifact Cloud Sea Scroll, the Ocean-viewing Taoist’s strength among the sixth-rank Saints of the Sect Alliance was second only to a few veteran elders like Baixiang Xuanjiang.

Witnessing his current plight, it was hard for these junior Martial Saints not to be astonished, or even feel a sliver of fear.

Is Bo Qing truly that formidable?

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven...

「On the other side.」

Hong Yuan’s gaze was profound. He pierced through the isolating defenses of the Chi Yuan Holy Array and detected seven auras of sixth-rank Saints, their strengths varying.

Perhaps an ordinary Heavenly Talent Martial Saint facing these seven Sect Martial Saints would find it troublesome, possibly having no choice but to flee.

But this certainly did not apply to Hong Yuan.

Even as just a Sword Body, his strength was beyond the imagination of ordinary Martial Artists.

Among the sixth-rank, his Sword Body was virtually invincible. Facing a seventh-rank powerhouse, he could still manage to defeat them. And under the assault of an eighth-rank powerhouse, he could still preserve his life.

Moreover, if he were to use the ’Heavenly Demon Dismantling’ technique, which burned Life Span for combat power, he could even escape the clutches of a Great Saint!

Therefore, defeating these seven Martial Saints of the same rank would be trivial if Hong Yuan used his true abilities. However, the repercussions would be significant, providing more intelligence to those with ulterior motives—an outcome Hong Yuan wished to avoid.

When is a hidden sword most dangerous? When it remains unsheathed.

Besides, he was now a Demon Cultivator Sword Saint.

What is a demon? A demon is cunning, greedy, despicable, and utterly unscrupulous!

If he, Hong Yuan, were to exhaust his efforts and risk everything for the Daxuan Dynasty, he would truly be betraying the name "Bo Qing"!

Heh, trying to gang up on me, Bo Qing? Wishful thinking, Hong Yuan scoffed internally.

Without hesitation, he turned and fled, intending to drag the Daxuan Dynasty’s Martial Saints into the fray and divert the trouble onto them.

Hong Yuan’s swift actions stunned the seven allied Martial Saints.

They had barely begun to speak, not even exchanging a full sentence or two of pleasantries, when Hong Yuan had already bolted.

"AAAAH! Damn you, Bo Qing! Just as expected of a Demon Tao spawn, so desperate to save your own skin!" Ansheng Martial Saint roared at the sky, his face contorted in fury. At that moment, he recalled "Bo Qing’s" equally decisive actions back in Nanyang Government.

"Hmph, trying to escape? Dream on! Everyone, with me! Charge!" Taoist Minghuo’s gaze was glacial as he immediately shot forward.

The Ocean-viewing Taoist and the other Martial Saints followed Taoist Minghuo, all seven Saints charging out, vowing to capture Hong Yuan.

However, they discovered "Bo Qing" had long since vanished, leaving them to gnash their teeth in frustration as they gave chase with furious determination.

Had Hong Yuan not departed so swiftly, he might have been trapped within the Chi Yuan Holy Array, forced to reveal his true strength.

And so it was that on this day, seven Martial Saints of the Sect Alliance jointly pursued "Bo Qing," their situation exceedingly "perilous."

Faced with this predicament, although Hong Yuan appeared anxious, his mind was perfectly calm.

He intended for the Heavenly River Sword to devour not only the Holy Artifacts of the Sect Alliance’s Martial Saints but also those belonging to the Daxuan Dynasty’s Martial Saints.

If he could accelerate his Sword Body’s advancement to the seventh-rank Sword Saint realm, why wouldn’t he do so?

As for being ungrateful or cold-hearted—heh, that’s Bo Qing’s business. It has nothing to do with me, Hong Yuan!