Escape

"Heretical nonsense!" Flower Face immediately snorted.

As for who would ultimately rule the Martial Forest, Flower Face did not know.

Nor did he need to.

The cohesion of the Hundred Flower Grave was currently zero, perhaps even negative; if not for the existence of the Life-Eroding Flower, these people would have long since descended into total chaos.

Therefore, Flower Face did not need to consider the future of the Hundred Flower Grave at all.

"I only want one thing, and that is to make you of the Tianwu Holy Land pay the price!" Flower Face was very clear in his heart.

What sustained him was never fame or fortune, but a bone-deep hatred.

"Even if the Outer Realm Demon truly returns, his cruelty will inevitably plunge the Martial Forest into misery and disaster once again."

"Why not take this opportunity to eradicate his lackeys? Only then is there a possibility for the Martial Forest to return to normal."

Flower Face's implication was crystal clear: you have already participated in the rebellion, so it is too late to turn back now. If the Demon returns, you will inevitably be purged; you have no choice but to walk this dark path with us to the end.

Once these words were spoken, the previously unstable situation was steadied.

Yet, there were still some who harbored misgivings.

The once lively public trial of Lu Bai gradually cooled down.

In many cases, it is the silent majority that determines the outcome, but for the most part, this majority is represented by the minority.

In other words, they help whoever is winning, and whoever they help ends up winning.

Previously, the Tianwu Holy Land had been retreating steadily with limited power to resist, while the Hundred Flower Grave's situation looked excellent, so they naturally stood on the side of the Hundred Flower Grave.

But now that the Tianwu Holy Land had stepped forward, the past fear of the Holy Land, combined with the news that contact with the Outer Realm was about to be restored, made them pause their choice of sides.

Lu Bai's position became somewhat subtle.

When he was out of power, Lu Bai was an Outer Realm Demon, but once he had backing, Lu Bai was a Celestial.

Thus, the grudge between Lu Bai and the Hundred Flower Grave no longer involved the "greater trend," but was merely a personal vendetta.

If it was just a personal vendetta, they did not want to get involved.

"Heh, since that woman entered the Tianwu Demon Realm, her parents deserved to die!" Flower Face glanced at the woman standing among the Phoenix Flying Ladies and said with disdain.

"Using future events to judge past crimes—you, He Yi, certainly wield great authority." Lu Bai did not care.

Flower Face had become obsessed with opposing the Holy Land. When dealing with such a fanatic, reasoning was useless; one only needed to ensure that the surrounding people were not dragged into the fray with him.

"Anyway, you aren't satisfied that I killed your father, who was fooling around with village men and women, so we will have to fight it out eventually." Lu Bai stretched his limbs, the blood flow from his cracked wounds finally stopping.

"It wouldn't be impossible for me to fight you again." Lu Bai looked at Flower Face and noticed that his aura was significantly stronger than before.

This was not surprising. After symbiosis with the Life-Eroding Flower and practicing the Withered Glory Scripture through evil methods, their growth rate was only slightly slower than that of a Traveler like Lu Bai, who directly utilized modules.

To some extent, in terms of pure strength, Flower Face might even be stronger than Lin Haixian.

If Lu Bai were to fight him again in his current state, there would be a ninety percent chance of death.

Yet, at this moment, Lu Bai's eyes were bright, as if waiting for Flower Face to agree.

"Revenge for my father must be taken, but not now."

"Men, surround these Phoenix Flying Ladies." As Flower Face said this, he addressed Lu Bai: "I will deal with these cheap maids and demonic women first; I will find a time to meet you."

"It is better than being accused of taking advantage of someone's vulnerability."

Flower Face's gaze swept over Lin Haixian and the others, his heart filled with hidden resentment.

He hated the Tianwu Holy Land the most, followed by people like Lu Bai, and then those like Lin Haixian who wanted to maintain a balance.

If he could, he would naturally want to wipe them all out.

But unfortunately, his strength was not yet sufficient, so he could not act recklessly.

He could only focus his target on the party with the greatest conflict.

Following Flower Face's order, many disciples of the Hundred Flower Grave and martial artists gathered around.

Just as Flower Face had said earlier, once they had resisted the Holy Land, they had no choice but to walk that path to the end.

"Heh, then you had better be careful not to die before you get the chance to trouble me." Lu Bai did not cry or shout about wanting an immediate battle.

He was not the type to seek death; if he couldn't avoid it, he would fight with all his might.

If he could avoid it, Lu Bai would run as far as he could.

The appearance of the Phoenix Flying Ladies had shielded Lu Bai from the blade.

Lu Bai nodded at Lin Haixian and the others, then turned and left. The events to follow were nothing more than a war between righteousness and evil; whoever won would be righteous, and whoever lost would be the demon.

His condition was poor, so it was better not to get involved immediately.

There would be plenty of opportunities later. According to Lu Bai's estimation, he could stay in this world for another ten days or half a month; perhaps by then, the dispute between the Hundred Flower Grave and the Tianwu Holy Land would reach its most intense point.

Before long, someone came trotting over to take Lu Bai away.

That person arranged a small courtyard for Lu Bai and invited several physicians, who prescribed plenty of medicine and tonics for his injuries.

Lu Bai did not stand on ceremony; he settled in, ate, and slowly began to recover.

He knew exactly who had arranged for these people to come.

Half a day later, the aftermath of that great battle arrived; three of the Phoenix Flying Lady's followers were dead.

Many disciples from the Hundred Flower Grave and various other sects had also perished, adding another batch of blood debts to the ledger.

Flower Face had sustained some injuries, and unable to catch up, he let the remaining Phoenix Flying Lady followers escape.

By nightfall, Lu Bai could hear quite a bit of commotion outside the courtyard; some people wanted to investigate the situation, while others stood in their way.

By now, Lu Bai's identity had been confirmed: a person from beyond the realm. One could call him a fiend, or one could call him a celestial being.

The Tianwu Holy Land had originally been founded by nothing more than a young shepherdess who gained the support of a person from beyond the realm.

Back then, those from beyond the realm were celestial beings. The celestial beings beat all dissenters into submission, and the shepherdess became a figure of supreme authority within the Martial Forest.

All she had paid was to invite the celestial being to stay the night at her home after their first meeting.

Although Lu Bai currently lacked the martial power to suppress the world, who knew what his status was in the Upper Realm?

Regardless, by fostering a bit of goodwill, the future rewards might far exceed anyone's imagination.

Even if one could not replicate the success of the Tianwu Holy Land, Lu Bai was, at the very least, a top-tier expert in the Martial Forest right now.

Investing in such an expert would never be a loss.

As the night grew deeper, Lu Bai finished a bowl of medicine, and a faint rustling sound drifted down from the night sky.

Then, two Phoenix Flying Lady followers dressed in alluring attire flew from outside into the courtyard.

It was the leader from earlier that day, along with the woman Lu Bai had 'saved.'

This night, it seemed, was not yet over.