Sacred Demon Gate (Part 2)

Nine Sacred Demon Gate (Part 2)

The dueling arena was suffused with a mysterious yet powerful force. The entire vast arena was paved with black stones, and Great Sage Inscriptions flowed across every single one. The force permeating the arena emanated from these black stones, shrouding the entire dueling arena to prevent battles from destroying this place!

"A Great Sage-level dueling arena!" Though it was not his first time here, Nan Huairen was once again shaken by the vast and solemn atmosphere.

The disciple surnamed Zhang could not help feeling rather proud as he said, "This dueling arena was personally built by our patriarch. It can withstand the force of Great Sage battles!"

A Great Sage-level dueling arena truly displayed the profound foundations of the Nine Sacred Demon Gate. For many sects, this was indeed something worthy of pride.

"Our Washing Yan Ancient Sect once had a dueling arena from the Mythological Era—" Nan Huairen could not help saying, but his voice was very low. Then he abruptly fell silent, unwilling to say more.

Indeed, the Washing Yan Ancient Sect had once possessed a dueling arena even greater than the Great Sage-level one before them. Legend had it that Immortal Emperor Mingren had directly carried it back from the depths of an unimaginably distant starry sky. It was even said that this arena could withstand the suppressive force of an invincible being like an Immortal Emperor!

Unfortunately, for unknown reasons, that dueling arena had later been sealed away. Since then, no one from the Washing Yan Ancient Sect had ever been able to open it again!

"Four Symbols Stone Men." Li Qiye, standing nearby, had not heard their conversation at all. His gaze fell upon the enormous stone statues at the four corners of the dueling arena.

At each of the arena's four corners stood a towering stone statue, every one of them a hundred zhang tall, like giants. The four statues all had different expressions, yet each was lifelike beyond compare, as though crafted by a master artisan, their carving strokes seamless and heaven-born!

This was what Li Qiye had most wanted to see. Ever since Nine Sacred Great Sage had passed away, he had never returned to the Nine Sacred Demon Gate, nor had he been inclined to. He had not expected that after countless years, these four stone men were still here!

While Nan Huairen chatted with his friend, he did not notice Li Qiye for a time. But before long, the disciple surnamed Zhang frowned. "What is that idiot doing?"

Nan Huairen looked over and saw Li Qiye actually climbing one of the enormous stone statues at the eastern corner. However, Li Qiye's strength was limited, and the statue stood a hundred zhang tall. He tried several times to climb it, but failed every time.

By then, quite a few disciples had gathered outside the dueling arena. Seeing Li Qiye pawing and feeling the giant stone statue like a country bumpkin, even muttering endlessly under his breath as if he had never seen such a colossal statue in his life, many of the surrounding disciples burst into laughter.

The scene made Nan Huairen awkward. Although these four stone statues were not sacred relics of the Nine Sacred Demon Gate, Li Qiye was acting like a country bumpkin, feeling here and pinching there, even trying to climb atop the statue. Nan Huairen did not know whether to stop him or not.

Just as Nan Huairen was caught in embarrassment, Li Qiye beckoned to him, telling him to come over. Under so many watchful eyes, Nan Huairen could neither go nor refuse. In the end, he had no choice but to walk over to Li Qiye.

"This statue is a little too tall. Send me up." Even under the gaze of so many people, Li Qiye remained utterly composed as he instructed Nan Huairen.

"Uh—" Nan Huairen was speechless. He truly wondered whether Li Qiye was thick-skinned or simply an idiot. With so many Nine Sacred Demon Gate disciples watching, Li Qiye still wanted to climb the giant statue like a country bumpkin. Was this not throwing the Washing Yan Ancient Sect's face out into the street?

"Are you sending me up, or are you going to keep letting everyone watch a monkey show?" Li Qiye did not care in the least. He looked as calm as drifting clouds and a gentle breeze, composed and unhurried, as though he were the true spectator.

What else could Nan Huairen do under so many gazes? He could only grit his teeth, grab Li Qiye, and leap onto the giant stone statue in one breath.

Li Qiye sat there as steady as an old god, perched upon the giant stone statue's shoulder as he gazed into the distance over the Nine Sacred Demon Gate, taking in thousands of miles of mountains and rivers at a glance.

Nan Huairen did not have Li Qiye's thick skin. He jumped back down and stood to one side. At that moment, he wanted to leave, but he could not abandon Li Qiye there alone. If Li Qiye could not get down and was left hanging up there, the Washing Yan Ancient Sect would lose all its face.

As for Nan Huairen's friend surnamed Zhang, he was even less willing to stay and lose face. Without so much as a farewell, he turned and left.

"Hmph, people from the Washing Yan Ancient Sect really are rude and unmannered country bumpkins!" Some Nine Sacred Demon Gate disciples said disdainfully as they watched Li Qiye sit atop the statue.

One Nine Sacred Demon Gate disciple snorted coldly. "Pah! Does he really think he's some great figure, daring to sit up there? Why doesn't he piss in a puddle and take a good look at himself!"

Quite a few Nine Sacred Demon Gate disciples were deeply displeased by Li Qiye's outrageous behavior! Yet Li Qiye did not care at all. Sitting on the stone man's shoulder, he leisurely swung his feet while chattering on and on, as if he were talking with the stone man.

In the eyes of others, Li Qiye's behavior was that of an idiot! A thing that did not know whether it lived or died!

The sight made Nan Huairen, standing nearby, extremely awkward. He desperately wanted to leave right then, but he could not leave Li Qiye hanging up there alone.

Yet Li Qiye, seated above, had no awareness whatsoever that he was losing face. He lounged there at ease, chatting away with the stone man as though it could truly speak with him.

No one knew how agonizingly long that time was. Nan Huairen felt as though he were sitting on pins and needles. Only after a long while, when Li Qiye seemed to have grown tired of sitting there, did he finally beckon to Nan Huairen.

Nan Huairen felt as though a great burden had been lifted. He immediately leaped up and brought Li Qiye down. Once they were down, Nan Huairen hurriedly said, "Senior Brother, it's getting late. Let's head back first." He did not want to keep taking Li Qiye around. He was truly afraid Li Qiye would do something even more outrageous.

Li Qiye merely laughed softly at Nan Huairen's attitude and nodded lightly.

"Pah—" Seeing Li Qiye remain so calm, one of the Nine Sacred Demon Gate disciples could no longer hold back. He sneered at Li Qiye, "The Washing Yan Ancient Sect is nothing but a third-rate little sect. A turtle bastard like you wants to eat swan meat like a toad dreaming of the moon? Pah! You're just a worthless idiot, yet you want to marry our Senior Sister!"

Openly provoked, Li Qiye slowly turned his head to look at the disciple. He said unhurriedly, "Marry your Senior Sister? You really know how to gild your own faces. Even if a celestial maiden wanted to marry me, I would still have to consider whether I wanted her! Much less your Senior Sister!"

"You thing that doesn't know whether it lives or dies—" Li Qiye's words instantly provoked public outrage. Many male disciples present from the Nine Sacred Demon Gate were admirers of Li Shuangyan, and countless furious gazes immediately fixed upon Li Qiye.

"Peace is precious, peace is precious." The scene made Nan Huairen's spine go cold. He immediately grabbed Li Qiye and turned to leave. He did not want Li Qiye to remain here any longer!

"Rat, if you have the guts, don't run!" The Nine Sacred Demon Gate disciples cried indignantly. If Li Qiye and Nan Huairen had not been guests, they would have pursued them at once and beaten Li Qiye into a cripple!

Nan Huairen half dragged and half pulled Li Qiye back to the small courtyard, fleeing all the way back in one breath. Nan Huairen finally let out a sigh of relief, though lingering fear still filled him. At this point, he even wondered whether Li Qiye was arrogantly self-important, a fool who was ignorant and fearless.

"Senior Brother, the Nine Sacred Demon Gate is not someone we can afford to provoke. Take one step back and the sea is wide and the sky is vast; endure it, and it will pass." Nan Huairen could not help trying to persuade Li Qiye. This was not merely for Li Qiye's sake—he did not want to lose his life in the Nine Sacred Demon Gate.

"What is there to endure?" Li Qiye smiled calmly. "When soldiers come, generals block them; when water comes, earth dams it!"

Nan Huairen was immediately speechless. Having drawn this assignment was simply asking for trouble. At this moment, he could not help regretting accepting it.

As for the marriage alliance between the Washing Yan Ancient Sect and the Nine Sacred Demon Gate, many disciples of the Nine Sacred Demon Gate's younger generation were in fact deeply dissatisfied. Li Shuangyan was the Nine Sacred Demon Gate's favored daughter of heaven, lofty and exalted. Countless young male disciples adored her. Now, Li Shuangyan might be promised to the Washing Yan Ancient Sect's Chief Disciple, naturally enraging innumerable young male disciples.

To the younger generation of the Nine Sacred Demon Gate, the Washing Yan Ancient Sect had already declined into a third-rate little sect, utterly unqualified to form a marriage alliance with the Nine Sacred Demon Gate. Not to mention that the Washing Yan Ancient Sect's Chief Disciple was a useless waste with a Mortal Physique!

This marriage alliance insulted the dream goddess in the hearts of many young disciples. Who knew how many young male disciples wanted nothing more than to crush Li Qiye to death.

Du Yuanguang was one of the disciples who found Li Qiye particularly displeasing. Du Yuanguang was an outer disciple of the Nine Sacred Demon Gate. His talent was quite exceptional, and he was known as one of the Nine Sacred Demon Gate's little prodigies. After only five years in the sect, he had already reached the peak of the Palace Opening Realm. Once he passed this year's assessment, he would become a disciple the Nine Sacred Demon Gate focused on cultivating!

Within the Nine Sacred Demon Gate, Du Yuanguang was definitely one of the disciples most infatuated with the sect's divine maiden, Li Shuangyan. This was because, when the Nine Sacred Demon Gate had selected disciples back then, Li Shuangyan herself had presided over the selection when Du Yuanguang joined the sect.

Upon first seeing Li Shuangyan, Du Yuanguang had been struck as though meeting a heavenly being. Since Li Shuangyan had selected him to enter the Nine Sacred Demon Gate, he believed that she favored him somewhat.

Du Yuanguang, blessed with considerable talent, was full of confidence. He longed for the day when he could cultivate alongside Li Shuangyan and become her Dao companion.

Now, this inexplicable marriage alliance with the Washing Yan Ancient Sect had filled Du Yuanguang with hatred toward Li Qiye, whom he had never even met. Especially after hearing Li Qiye's disdainful words about Li Shuangyan in the dueling arena today, Du Yuanguang's fury soared to the heavens.

"You little beast that does not know whether it lives or dies! A mere useless mortal dares to spout such shameless boasts? You arrogant, ignorant thing—if no one teaches you a lesson, you won't know how high the heavens are or how thick the earth is!" Upon hearing this, Du Yuanguang's gaze turned cold, and murderous intent surged around him.