Unscrupulous

Supreme Daoist True Qi?

A Daoist mole?

Lu Li's heart jolted. He took a careful look at Lady Red Furnace, a flicker of surprise flashing through his eyes.

Lady Red Furnace looked back at him with a beaming smile.

There seemed to be a hidden meaning within that smile.

The next moment, Lu Li gave a slight nod to show his gratitude, retreated to the side of Ghost Demon True Person, and kept his eyes fixed forward, silently circulating the Kunpeng Heaven-Swallowing Demon Art to devour the Five Elements Sun True Qi he had just refined.

"Alright."

At this moment, Ghost Demon True Person spoke, his voice cold: "The guests have all arrived. Serve the food. Once the meal is finished, you may all depart."

Time to eat!

Just then, the voice of Bai Jinfei rang out: "The Scripture Protection Elder of the Scripture Depository has arrived!"

Immediately, a white-haired old man wearing a necklace of human skulls around his neck flashed into the room, teleporting inside.

It was that old man from the Scripture Depository!

Lu Li's expression turned solemn.

"Greetings, Scripture Protection Elder!"

Seeing the white-haired elder appear, the various True Lords in the hall, along with Ghost Demon True Person and Lady Red Furnace, all stood up to bow and pay their respects.

Clearly, this white-haired old man held a very high status; he was likely a Spirit Transformation powerhouse.

"No need for formalities. Little Li, I thought highly of you back in the day. I didn't expect you to advance to the Nascent Soul stage so quickly. Congratulations! Take this spirit treasure as a gift!"

The white-haired elder's voice was like a booming bell. He flipped his large palm, and a black demon pestle appeared in it.

In an instant, a terrifying, ferocious aura permeated the hall.

An aura that could make even a Nascent Soul cultivator tremble—it could only be a spirit treasure!

"The Black Demon Pestle? Many thanks, Scripture Protection Elder!"

Seeing the black demon pestle, Ghost Demon True Person's expression turned to one of joy, and he quickly cupped his hands in thanks.

Nearby, True Lord Yellow Spring, True Lord Flying Fox, and Great Devil King Heaven-Shaking all wore expressions of envy.

The next moment, everyone invited the Scripture Protection Elder to take the seat of honor to the upper right of Lady Red Furnace.

The white-haired elder did not stand on ceremony; he sat down boisterously and, with a sweep of his gaze, spotted Lu Li.

He let out a sound of surprise.

He proceeded to look Lu Li up and down several times, strange golden crystalline light flashing in his eyes.

Clearly, he was activating a Dharma eye.

Lu Li's expression remained unchanged as he cupped his hands toward the elder in a gesture of respect.

"Men, serve the food!"

Ghost Demon True Person accepted the Black Demon Pestle, flashed back to his white-bone chair, and gave a sharp command.

"Wait a moment!"

No sooner had the words fallen than True Lord Flying Fox, sitting at the upper left, interjected.

"Hm? Old Ghost Flying Fox, what are you trying to do? Are you here to sabotage me?"

Ghost Demon True Person asked with a frown, his expression displeased.

"Hehehe, Old Ghost Li, your banquet is far too dull and boring! There's nothing here! Not even a beauty dancing! Is this it? What a waste of the gift I sent!"

True Lord Flying Fox said with malicious intent.

His gaze swept over Lu Li inadvertently.

Here it comes!

Lu Li's heart tightened, and he braced himself with full alertness.

"Bah! You only sent ten thousand mid-grade spirit stones, and you want entertainment? Should I dig up your old mother and have her dance for you instead?"

Ghost Demon True Person retorted without the slightest bit of politeness.

"You!"

Upon hearing this, True Lord Flying Fox's eyes widened, and his purple face instantly flushed red.

At this moment, the Scripture Protection Elder spoke up, his tone indifferent: "Flying Fox, it's not as if you don't know that Little Li has always had a foul mouth. You won't gain anything by bickering with him. If you have something to say, just say it."

Hearing this, everyone knew the purpose of this elder's arrival.

He was here to keep order.

Clearly, the sect higher-ups also valued Ghost Demon True Person and did not want his banquet to end in an ugly scene.

"Hmph."

True Lord Flying Fox let out a cold snort and stopped wasting words, saying directly: "Ghost Demon True Person, I heard you recently took in a closed-door disciple who is extremely arrogant. As it happens, I have also taken in a closed-door disciple. Why don't we have them compete to see whose disciple is more formidable?"

As these words fell, everyone's gaze swept toward Lu Li's face.

Lu Li remained calm.

"Fine!"

To everyone's surprise, Ghost Demon True Person agreed cleanly and decisively, narrowing his eyes as he coldly said, "Where is that closed-door disciple of yours? Tell him to come out and die quickly!"

"Who dies is not yet certain. Hu Fei, come out."

True Lord Flying Fox called out toward the table beside him.

"Yes!"

A youth draped in a snow-white sable cloak stood up, bowed in response, and drifted into the center of the hall in a single step.

His cultivation: sixth level of Qi Refining.

"Lu Li, go and play with him," Ghost Demon True Person ordered coldly.

"Yes."

Lu Li bowed, walked slowly into the hall, and looked at the youth in the sable cloak.

The youth in the sable cloak looked back at Lu Li.

"Junior Brother Lu, is it? Seeing that you are at the fifth level of Qi Refining, I shall only use the mana of the fifth level as well. However... blades have no eyes. If there is any injury, please do not blame me." The youth named Hu Fei said with a smile on his lips as he bowed.

His smile carried a trace of evil, like a cat toying with a mouse.

"How could I?"

Lu Li also revealed a smile: "Being able to spar with Senior Brother Hu is my good fortune. Even if I were to die by your hand, I would accept it."

"Good!"

Hu Fei let out a clear laugh.

His robes billowed without a breeze.

Beneath his cuffs, several streaks of black light faintly flickered.

He was preparing to strike.

To the side, a cold, murderous glint flashed in Li Jing's eyes.

Several True Lords frowned slightly.

What Hu Fei was hiding in his sleeves was a Talisman Treasure, a treasure forged by forcibly compressing the power of a spiritual artifact and infusing it into a talisman.

Using a Talisman Treasure in a Qi Refining stage duel was truly lacking in martial virtue!

However, Ghost Demon True Person did not speak.

The other True Lords naturally remained silent, and some even watched with schadenfreude, waiting for Lu Li to meet his end.

"Senior Brother, wait!"

Just then, Lu Li suddenly shouted.

"Oh? Does Junior Brother Lu have something else to say?"

Hu Fei was stunned for a moment.

"Before the duel begins, I have one more thing I would like to remind you of, Senior Brother." Lu Li said with a righteous expression: "My cultivation has surged recently, and I cannot control my strength well. I have no sense of restraint, and if I am not careful, I fear I might beat you to death. Senior Brother, are you... sure you want to spar with me?"

This was blatant contempt!

As these words were spoken, a sinister look appeared on Hu Fei's face: "I am sure!"

The moment the word "sure" left his lips.

Boom.

The entire ground shook violently, as if a volcano had erupted.

A blazing, masculine blood energy, like molten lava, rushed toward him.

Hu Fei felt a wave of heat rolling in; his eyebrows and hair felt as if they were being scorched, and the stench of burnt feathers filled his nose.

By the time he blinked and focused his eyes, he discovered that Lu Li was like a fierce tiger released from its cage, crossing several yards in an instant to strike right before him.

A large palm, like a dragon, slammed down fiercely!

"Hmph!"

"You want to kill me?"

"You're courting death!"

Killing intent surged in Hu Fei's heart. Without a second thought, he prepared to trigger the Talisman Treasure in his sleeve to instantly annihilate the Lu Li before him.

However, catching a glimpse from the corner of his eye, he saw his own master, True Lord Flying Fox, looking grim.

In True Lord Flying Fox's pupils, he saw, to his horror, that he was already surrounded by eight ghostly figures.

Surrounded on all sides.

Spirit Ghost Phantom Step!

Layers of Ghost Shadows!

Not good!

Alarm bells rang in Hu Fei's heart. Sensing disaster, he prepared to dodge and retreat.

But at that very moment, the Lu Li before his eyes shattered like a bubble.

Behind him, an afterimage solidified.

With a look of compassion for heaven and humanity, Lu Li's large palm descended like the heavens, landing lightly upon the crown of Hu Fei's head.

An immortal strokes my crown.

Binding my hair to receive eternal life.

"Damn it! A sneak attack! You have no martial honor! I wasn't ready yet..."

This final, resentful thought flashed through Hu Fei's mind.

The next moment.

Bang.

An explosive sound rang out.

Red and white matter sprayed in all directions.

Hu Fei's head was gone.

He passed away on the spot, finally achieving his eternal life.

Whoosh.

The surrounding afterimages vanished one by one.

A gust of wind whipped through the hall.

Thud.

The headless corpse collapsed to the ground with a dull sound.

Only Lu Li's upright figure remained standing in the hall.

This familiar scene was reflected in Li Jing's eyes.

It was also reflected in the eyes of all the guests present.

Instantly, everyone watching this scene couldn't help but widen their eyes in shock.

This... he just died?

Hu Fei, who held a Talisman Treasure and had victory within his grasp, just died like this?

He couldn't even defend against a single move before his head was removed, dead as a doornail?

In an instant, the entire hall fell into a deathly silence; one could hear a pin drop.

Just then, a yellow light flashed from the storage ring on Lu Li's finger. A stack of yellow paper money appeared in his hand, which he scattered with a flick of his wrist.

Amidst the paper money fluttering through the air.

Lu Li shook his head and sighed, "Senior Brother, I already warned you that you would die. Why wouldn't you listen? However, it's a good thing I'm a kind-hearted person who enjoys charity. Take this paper money and spend it slowly on the road to the Yellow Springs."

After speaking, he pulled out another stack of paper money and scattered it over the corpse on the ground.

The crowd: "..."