Ambush

"You brought us all this way here, and then you tell me the seal can't be broken?"

The boar-headed demon was already huffing and puffing, getting a little annoyed. "I've been banging on the door for ages, even breaking my teeth! It was about to Door Opening! And then you call us back! The seal can't be broken, so are we going to have to go back again? Running around like this!"

The yellow-faced demon gloated, watching the wild boar-headed man, who had taken the wrong path and arrived a full incense stick's time later, clearly in a worse state than himself. "Who told you to choose that path?"

Another creature, covered in black fur and of indeterminate shape—whether a bear or a chimpanzee—angrily urged, "Sky Daoist, how much longer? What if the demon kings discover us..."

"Enough! I told you not to call me by my Daoist name! What's the rush? Let me do my divination in peace!"

The Sky Daoist initially pretended to be a mysterious person, but now he has taken off his veil, revealing himself to be an ordinary-looking, even somewhat overweight, middle-aged man.

He was now clutching his hair, lying on the ground arranging counting rods, "Impossible... How could they use such a complex restriction? This isn't even using the calculation methods from the Immortal Venerable era! Did the Nangong Family recently send someone to update the seal? A mathematical master like him has been reduced to reinforcing seals in the Nangong Family?"

Ugh, I messed up again! Damn it!! That damned Nangong Family! They're utterly despicable! They're disgusting!

' The Profound Heaven Sword Intent Dao, humph, you can't even unravel it in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn; you're trash whose arithmetic is terrible.'

Li Fan looked at the middle-aged man from the cult with a hint of sympathy. Well, he couldn't figure it out either...

"Calculate, calculate, calculate! What's there to calculate! Can't we just break the seal?!" the boar-headed man yelled.

The Sky Daoist roared, "Idiot! You blasted open the demon god's egg below and destroyed it all! What's the point of eating it now?!"

You insulted me!

"Aren't you a pig?!"

"Alright, alright, stop arguing, stop arguing." The black-haired demon quickly pulled the pig away. "Let Fellow Daoist Sky catch his breath. He can definitely do it."

The yellow-faced demon yawned, "Hey Sky, I'm not trying to be mean, but you always boast about how good you are at calculations. Sending you here to enlighten us is a waste of your talents. But it seems you can't even break the seal set up by the Nangong Family."

Could it be that the Nangong Family is actually much stronger than yours? Wouldn't it be safer for us to join them? We're all powerful demons now, and I've heard the Nangong Family is quite short-handed. If we go and join them, we might be able to directly receive divine treasures from the divine palace without having to search for them ourselves!"

The Sky Daoist paced around the seal, muttering to himself, "Hmph! Now you all know how to find another backer. That's good. At least you know how to use your own brains to think about your future. It seems that teaching you wasn't a waste of time."

But remember, when choosing someone to rely on, don't make a hasty decision before assessing their character. Otherwise, you might end up being treated like livestock, losing your freedom, and suffering a huge loss. Don't blame me for not warning you.

The Nangong family is truly a bunch of withered bones, their fate sealed, their days numbered. Going there will inevitably implicate them. If you really want to seek refuge with the Immortal Palace, I saw that people from the Xiao Clan of Lanling have come this time. If they are willing to take you in, it would be a good place for you...

"... No, this definitely wasn't arranged by Nangong's people. It looks more like the work of the Xuanmen. I need to cast a divination. You all protect me."

He suddenly plopped down, and the three demons groaned and shifted their positions, forming a triangular formation to protect the cultist. The other man then produced eighteen lamps, setting up a magic array. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed out a handful of counting rods that floated in mid-air, while his left hand held a compass, and his right hand silently recited calculations. After a while, he pointed with his right hand, throwing out a flame to light a lamp, and the restrictions outside the lair seemed to loosen.

' The Profound Heaven Sword Intent Dao, oh my? Eighteen Flying Stars? Is this person really from a divine sect? Why isn't he using the Inch of Heart Calculation...'

It was quite strange. Although Li Fan couldn't understand any algorithms or arithmetic, he could tell that the three Nascent Soul Stage demons, despite their grumbling and cursing, were like tamed pets, with pretty good tempers and quite obedient to the Golden Core cultivator.

Is the Divine Cult now planning to train demons for their own use? Just like using the Body Domination Technique to train mortals into an army, are they trying to create a demon army to bridge the gap with the Immortal Palace and the Mystic Sect? Judging from their conversation, these three great demons are all humanoid transformations they created themselves, and they've already reached the Nascent Soul Stage. They're so obedient, and they even look quite human. This seems to be the first sign of success...

"The Profound Heaven Sword Intent said, 'This Daoist doesn't know the Divine Sect's secret technique, the <Inch-Mind Calculation Rule>, so he might not be a member of the Divine Sect. Or perhaps he's not even a core member; he's only exchanged for an escape technique to save his life. What a pity, otherwise I could have taken advantage of his distracted divination to kill him instantly. Now he's using the Eighteen Flying Stars formation to calculate, which will be a bit slower, but at least he won't be distracted. If the surprise attack fails, he'll probably escape using his escape technique...'"

"Why not wait until the cult has calculated the result using the Eighteen Flying Stars, then you can use your flying sword to kill them. Although these three great demons are guardians, without the cult's magical support from behind, maintaining distance and avoiding close combat will allow you to eliminate them all without much effort."

The monsters sent to this remote and impoverished place for training are probably not core members like Lu Chai, right? But it doesn't matter. Li Fan isn't worried at all about taking on these four one-on-one. Besides his raw strength, he also has the Profound Heaven Sword Intent, an arena champion, a master of hidden sword attacks, and a king of murder and robbery, offering advice from the sidelines. In addition, he has many other methods he prepared beforehand. Not only did he place a Gu poison at the entrance, which could have a miraculous effect in the fight, but the 'reinforcements' he had called for earlier have also arrived.

"Someone's coming! There are so many people outside!" The yellow-faced demon suddenly became alert, flipped his hand and took out a staff that reached his eyebrows, stuck it in the ground, and listened intently.

Black Hair and Wild Boar Head also took out their weapons and prepared, one wielding a broadsword and the other a spear. They looked quite skilled, perhaps even having learned the Body Domination Technique.

Seriously, can monsters also practice Body Domination Technique?

"The Profound Heaven Sword Intent said, 'What's wrong with that? They've already reached the True Person realm and can cultivate Human Race Cultivation Method. It's quite common for the Immortal Palace to take in demons as guardian deities, so teaching them the Body Domination Technique would be much more effective. However, usually, great demons at this level are rarely willing to submit to humans. They don't seem to be under any restrictions, and they don't even have shackles on them, so why are they so obedient? And it's so strange...'"

What could be stranger?

' The Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, their demonic nature is evident, and their aura is impure and mixed; they are the worst of the worst. They shouldn't have reached the True Person realm for long, so their beastly nature shouldn't be extinguished. But strangely, their demonic energy isn't strong, and their intelligence is unexpectedly high...'

Is this considered high intelligence? It's nowhere near as good as the previous one who could play the piano and sing!

"The Profound Heaven Sword Intent said, 'How can this be compared? A fox giving birth to nine tails is Auspicious Sign that occurs only once in a thousand years, indicating a deep affinity for the Dao. Divine Beast like the Kun is even more rare and unattainable. But these three are clearly not some innate extraordinary species. It's already outrageous that they can cultivate into human form. Look at them, they've even learned the art of Qimen Dunjia. These three beasts have been trained quite well.'"

They really knew how to set up an array. The black-haired monster used its hairy claws to grab flags and plant them in the ground, while the wild boar head used its spear to draw lines on the ground. The three of them worked together and actually managed to conceal the Sky Daoist, who was making calculations, with an illusion array.

Then, the yellow-faced demon beckoned, and the three of them jumped onto the shrine next to the altar, right under the demon statue where Li Fan was hiding. Each of them took out a yellow talisman, stuck it on their bodies, and transformed into three statues of the Immortal Palace generals holding weapons, and hid away.

Wow... those three are really shrewd... like they're wearing costumes...

In contrast, the Nangong Family disciples entered shortly after.

"What happened? Who broke the seal?"

"What kind of demon is being held here?"

"Didn't you see that huge statue? It's probably some kind of Snake Demon. The protective barrier doesn't look broken. Did it go somewhere else again?"

"Are there any Heavenly Treasure?"

Are you all blind? Can't you even see through the illusion set up by the monster?

It's truly hard to tell. Although the two men with the Nangong face who entered were both at the Golden Core stage, the Samadhi True Fire on their bodies was only on their chests and shoulders. Clearly, they were illegitimate disciples who hadn't received the full true teachings of the <Samadhi Bright Flame Phoenix Profound Technique>. Even though they were both at the Golden Core stage, they couldn't see the Divine Cult cultivators calculating before sealing the formation, let alone the three great demons disguised as statues under the Demon God statue.

I don't know whether to praise the three monsters for their superb array-setting skills or lament that the Nangong Family has no successor...

Two disciples from the Nangong sect held up lanterns and shone them on the seal of the lair. Seeing that the seal was intact and the magic array was working properly, they shrugged and said, "Let's go. There's nothing in this run-down place. Just report to the princess that everything is fine."

The demons have broken through all the barriers and breached the seals to reach this temple, and you're telling me everything's normal? How long has it been since you last came down to patrol?

Li Fan was speechless, but how could he let the 'reinforcements' leave like that? He quickly used his Divine Sense to lock onto the two of them!

And then... those two idiots just walked out without even realizing it! They walked out, can you believe it?!

Li Fan covered his face. It was hopeless. The Nangong Family was truly beyond saving.

Before the three monsters could even breathe a sigh of relief...

"Huh? What's wrong? No, this is bad! Poison! Cough cough! Ah! I've been poisoned! I've been poisoned!"

Li Fan and the monsters stared expressionlessly at the two useless people who had collapsed from poison at the door.

'The Profound Heaven Sword Intent Dao, this is too useless... Could there be some kind of conspiracy?'

Not only Profound Heaven Sword Intent, but Li Fan and the monsters also looked at the two Nangong disciples lying on the ground, foaming at the mouth, as if having an epileptic seizure, with great suspicion. They were unsure what they were up to.

It wasn't until one of them fired a Vermilion Bird Talisman to call for help that the enormous firebird circled out along the Demon Palace tunnel and exploded again in mid-air! Only then did everyone react.

Ah, it's genuine garbage...

Well, it seems that at least it wasn't Li Fan's poison that caused the problem. After all, they are all Golden Core cultivators. The one from the Divine Sect hasn't shown any reaction at all, while these two have reacted so violently. That can only be attributed to the difference in their basic skills.

It's really quite pitiful. They come from a family of the Immortal Palace kings and immortals, yet they can't learn the true teachings and are forcibly turned into such useless trash...

However, the monsters weren't so carefree.

Seeing that things had escalated, the wild boar demon pounced and killed the Nangong disciples one by one with a single shot.

The yellow-faced demon waved his staff, dispelling the magic array, and said, "Sky! Stop calculating! Let's go! The Nangong Family has discovered us!"

The black-haired demon nodded repeatedly, "Yes, let's talk about it next time. If we get stuck in the tunnel, we won't be able to get out!"

The Sky Daoist lit all twelve lamps, showing no panic. "What a coward! You think you can steal my opportunity? This little risk is nothing! Go to the entrance and distract the Immortal Palace! I'll retrieve the Demon God's egg and then meet you at the usual spot!"

The three monsters exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, and said, "Then we'll hold them off! Let's go!" "Sky, be careful!" "Don't worry, he'll definitely chase after us later. He's so clever, he'll escape much faster than us."

... These three demons are actually quite humane... I'd like to respectfully address you as 'human' demons...

After the three left, the Sky Daoist stopped his calculations, letting the lamps around him burn slowly, but he put away the compass and counting rods, seemingly not intending to continue unsealing them.

Li Fan frowned. What was going on? They said they'd kill him after untying the eighteen lamps, so what were they doing now?

Just as he was about to make his move, the Sky Daoist suddenly looked up at the demon god statue and said, "No need to hide anymore, show yourself."

Li Fan was shocked!

This guy is incredibly skilled! He can see through his disguise...

"Profound Heaven Sword Intent said, 'Stay calm, I'm protecting you. Those who can't see you are monsters descended from above!'"

Above? Li Fan quickly held his breath to steady himself, and then a green snake emerged from the hollow rock above the demon statue where he was hiding, transforming into a woman's face. "What's going on? Who released the Vermilion Bird Talisman?"

It's Liu Qing! How did Ink Bamboo Mountain follow us again? And how did he suddenly appear from up there?

' The Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, did they secretly chisel through the Demon-Suppressing Platform above? No wonder the restrictions failed and the palace gates are wide open... Huh? What's going on here...?'

"The Vermilion Bird Talisman? It was activated by the Nangong Family just now, wasn't it? Someone infiltrated the Demon God Palace before us and reinforced the seal on the Demon God Egg. They even poisoned it." The Sky Daoist, facing the sudden appearance of Liu Qing, showed no surprise whatsoever. He even rolled up his sleeves, revealing a black line on his elbow. "Even the best plans can have flaws. I'm ashamed... Don't get too close. This poison is potent. I discovered it too late; it's too late to circulate my qi..."

"You've been poisoned?!" Liu Qing fell from in front of Li Fan, landing on the ground, his upper body half-transformed into human form. He threw a bottle of pills at Li Fan from a distance. "What happened?! Could it be the Divine Cult's doing?"

Li Fan immediately recognized that what was poured out of the pill bottle was clearly the Donghua Eternal Spring Divine Pill! A nine-turn one! It was refined by the Abbot!

The Sky Daoist swallowed the pill, shaking his head as he caught his breath. "This person is truly formidable. I came all the way here without noticing any sign that someone had gone ahead of me. I exhausted all my energy to break through the barrier, only to fall into his trap at the very last step."

No, I think I was completely caught in that person's scheme the whole time. I was deliberately paralyzed at the beginning, which is why I was poisoned when I entered. And he deliberately didn't use a potent poison in conjunction with the sneak attack because he knew that when I discovered the change in the seal, I would have to set up an array and cast a divination to eliminate external interference and concentrate on solving the problem he had set up. This way, the poison would slowly seep into my body!

Once I was engrossed in my calculations, the Dharma protectors dared not disturb me, and naturally, they could not detect in time that I had been ambushed and offer any assistance. It was practically a death trap!

If it weren't for the interference of the Nangong Family, and the fact that they were so useless that they couldn't even withstand this much poison, I wouldn't have been alerted. If it had been any later, the poison would have already seeped into their internal organs and bone marrow, and even a god couldn't have saved them!

"A flawless plan, intricately linked, fraught with danger, extremely perilous..."

Liu Qing was also shocked upon hearing this, "So terrifying!? Just who is this person?!"

Li Fan and the Profound Heaven Sword Intent, "..."