Han Jue Falls to the Demonic Dao? The Emperor Bestows the Mind-Cleansing Tortoise Cry

At the Martial Practice Arena.

Han Jue's eyes were bloodshot.

The chill radiance on the long spear in his hand surged, killing intent roiling along its tip as though it would pierce the arena's formation patterns.

Ao Lie stood opposite him, Blackwater dragon qi coiling around his arms as layers of scales emerged over his dragon claws.

Their auras collided wildly.

On one side stood the Ice-Scaled Tribe's sharpest young prodigy.

On the other was the Blackwater Dragon Palace's Third Prince, now the outer sect commander guarding Dragon-Suppressing Pass.

If they truly fought without restraint, the entire Academy Martial Practice Arena might collapse.

The Realm Guard cultivators' expressions changed drastically.

"Commander Han!"

"Prince Ao Lie!"

"Stop!"

But Han Jue could no longer hear them.

The world in his eyes still overlapped with the Heart Demon illusion.

He saw Ao Lie transform into a colossal black dragon, leading the Dragon Clan Main Lineage to trample Dragon-Suppressing Pass.

He saw Guixu Academy collapse.

He saw the Northern Darkness Sea dyed blood-red by the Dragon Clan.

He saw countless disciples of weaker races wailing beneath dragon claws.

The scene was too real.

So real that every trace of rage in Han Jue's heart was ignited.

"Ao Lie!"

He let out a low roar.

His long spear streaked through the air like icy lightning and thrust out once more.

Ao Lie's gaze darkened completely.

He knew Han Jue had fallen prey to a Heart Demon.

But those words—"The Dragon Clan will always be the Dragon Clan"—still pierced his heart like a thorn.

All these years, he had guarded Dragon-Suppressing Pass.

He had stood against Ao Yin.

He had refused to return to Blackwater Dragon Palace.

Even when the Ancestral Dragon Dao Thought had descended in person, he had chosen to continue upholding Guixu's rules.

Yet at this moment, he was still the first one Han Jue suspected in his Heart Demon.

His Dragon Clan identity was like a brand.

No matter how much he did, it seemed impossible to erase.

Anger rose within Ao Lie, and Blackwater dragon qi suddenly surged.

"Han Jue!"

"Wake up!"

Dragon claw and long spear collided again.

Boom!

Great swathes of the Martial Practice Arena's formation patterns lit up.

Fine cracks appeared across the surrounding stone pillars.

When Feng Li arrived, this was the sight she saw.

Her expression changed as she raised a hand and unleashed Frost Phoenix Frostflame.

Icy blue Frostflame fell around the edge of the Martial Practice Arena, forcibly freezing the leaking killing intent.

Lin Yue followed close behind, power from the earth veins rising beneath his feet to stabilize the formation foundation that was about to shatter.

Lan Shuang stepped into the Martial Practice Arena holding the Book of Cause and Effect.

At a glance, she spotted the faint wisp of demonic qi between Han Jue's brows.

"A Heart Demon."

Her voice turned cold.

"Someone has tampered with the Academy."

The killing intent around Han Jue grew even stronger.

In his eyes, Feng Li and Lin Yue changed as well.

The Frost Phoenix phantom behind Feng Li became a fire phoenix burning Guixu.

The earth veins beneath Lin Yue's feet became a giant beast devouring the Northern Darkness Sea.

In his Heart Demon, the figures of all three races had become enemies.

"You..."

"You all want to destroy Guixu!"

Han Jue suddenly raised his spear.

This time, he actually intended to attack Ao Lie, Feng Li, and Lin Yue at once.

Lan Shuang's expression changed drastically.

Han Jue possessed the strongest killing nature among Guixu's younger generation.

If the Heart Demon completely magnified his fighting intent, he might truly fall to the Demonic Dao.

Deep within Guixu.

Lu Chen had already heard the system prompt.

"Detected Demonic Dao Heart Demon corrosion within Guixu Academy. Han Jue's mind has lost control. Please choose."

"One, personally intervene and suppress all Heart Demons. Reward: one Demon-Suppressing Tortoise Shell fragment."

"Two, seal Guixu Academy and expel the disciples of the three races. Reward: ten Purity Talismans."

"Three, bestow the Mind-Cleansing Tortoise Cry and allow the younger generation to break their Heart Demons themselves. Reward: Mind-Cleansing Profound Sound."

Lu Chen's gaze fell upon the third option.

Personally suppressing the Heart Demons would naturally be effective.

But it would make everyone in the Academy dependent on him.

If they encountered Heart Demons in the future and simply waited for him to save them, that would not do.

Sealing the Academy and expelling the disciples of the three races was too extreme as well.

The old grudges between the three races already existed. Expulsion would only worsen the problem.

The third option was best.

The Mind-Cleansing Tortoise Cry.

He would give them a chance to awaken.

Those who could awaken would continue to uphold Guixu's rules.

Those who could not would be suppressed with the Book of Cause and Effect.

"Choose three."

"Congratulations, Host. You have obtained Mind-Cleansing Profound Sound."

The next moment.

Lu Chen's true body, sleeping beside the Ruins Sea Eye, gently exhaled.

That breath was slow.

Heavy.

Like an ancient Black Tortoise that had slept for eternity, letting out a low cry in its dream.

"Hmm..."

The tortoise cry arose from Guixu's deepest depths.

It was not loud.

It did not even shake the mountains and rivers.

Yet when it entered every living being's ears, it was like a drop of clear water falling into a chaotic lake of the heart.

At the Martial Practice Arena, Han Jue's raised spear suddenly stopped.

The blood-red hue in his eyes fluctuated violently.

Within the Heart Demon illusion, the black dragon destroying Guixu was suddenly shattered by the deep tortoise cry.

The fire phoenix phantom Feng Li had become dissipated.

The earth-vein beast beneath Lin Yue's feet also dissolved into clear qi.

Han Jue's eyes flew open.

He saw the real Martial Practice Arena.

He saw blood at the corner of Ao Lie's mouth, yet Ao Lie still stood in front of him.

He saw Feng Li freezing the leaking killing intent to keep the Academy's disciples from being injured.

He saw Lin Yue using the earth veins to stabilize the formation foundation.

He also saw Lan Shuang holding the Book of Cause and Effect, her eyes filled with concern.

Han Jue's arm trembled.

With a clang, the long spear fell to the ground.

He staggered half a step back, his face turning pale at once.

"I..."

"What did I just do?"

Ao Lie clutched his chest and said coldly, "You nearly ran me through."

Han Jue opened his mouth.

For a moment, he could not say a word.

Seeing that he had regained his senses, more than half of Ao Lie's anger faded.

He gave a cold snort.

"Idiot."

"You believe whatever your Heart Demon shows you?"

Han Jue lowered his head.

This time, he did not retort.

Because he knew Ao Lie was right.

For that instant, he had truly believed it.

He had truly thought Ao Lie would betray Guixu.

That killing intent had risen from his heart with absolute clarity.

Had the Emperor's Mind-Cleansing Tortoise Cry not descended in time, he might truly have thrust out that spear.

Feng Li said softly, "It was not just Han Jue."

"I was affected as well."

A trace of gravity flashed through her eyes.

"For one moment, I saw Zhu Yan leading the Phoenix Clan to burn the Frostflame Parasol Tree."

Lin Yue nodded as well.

"I saw Mysterious Peak Mountain trampled to pieces by the Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan."

Ao Lie fell silent for a moment.

"I saw all of you turn around and leave Guixu."

Those words quieted them all.

Youdu's Heart Demons had not been fabricated from nothing.

They had seized upon their deepest fears.

Han Jue feared the three races would betray Guixu.

Ao Lie feared he would never be trusted.

Feng Li feared the Frost Phoenix Lineage would once again be dragged back into war by the Phoenix Clan.

Lin Yue feared the young Water Qilin lineage would lose its place to live.

Everyone had cracks in their hearts.

The Demonic Dao slipped in through those cracks.

Lan Shuang raised her hand, and the Book of Cause and Effect hovered in the air.

"The Emperor has bestowed the Mind-Cleansing Tortoise Cry. The Heart Demons of everyone in the Academy have been temporarily suppressed."

"Now, find the source."

Black-and-white radiance spilled from the Book of Cause and Effect.

This time, the Mind-Cleansing Tortoise Cry still echoed above the Academy.

The concealment of the Demon Shadow Talisman began to loosen.

In the outer city, the smile on Youdu's face suddenly froze.

"Mind-Cleansing Profound Sound?"

"This Black Tortoise can even break Heart Demons?"

He immediately tried to leave.

But the Book of Cause and Effect had already caught the source of that wisp of demonic qi.

Black-and-white radiance passed through the Academy, the outer city, and the stone alley before falling directly upon Youdu.

The gray robe on his body instantly burst into black demonic flames.

The disguise shattered.

The formerly gentle, thin Youshui Tribe cultivator transformed into a Demonic Dao envoy with a pale face and pitch-black eyes.

The Academy bell rang loudly.

"A demonic cultivator!"

"A demonic cultivator infiltrated Guixu!"

The Realm Guard swiftly sealed off the outer city.

Han Jue picked up his spear, killing intent rekindling in his eyes.

This time, he was fully lucid.

"So it was you."

Ao Lie stepped to his side as well.

"We'll settle what happened earlier with him."

Han Jue glanced sideways at him.

"You don't blame me?"

Ao Lie said calmly, "We'll talk after the fight."

Han Jue grinned.

"Fine."

Feng Li's Frostflame rose.

The earth veins emerged beneath Lin Yue's feet.

Holding the Book of Cause and Effect, Lan Shuang said coldly, "Youdu, envoy of the Demon Cult."

"You used the Demon Shadow Talisman to conceal your karma, infiltrated Guixu Academy, and stirred up the old grudges among the three clans."

"Guixu has recorded this crime."

Seeing that his identity had been exposed, Youdu did not flee. Instead, he remained where he was.

He stood in the middle of a stone alley in the outer city, black mist churning behind him.

"Guixu's rules."

"The Book of Cause and Effect."

"The Mind-Cleansing Tortoise Cry."

He looked toward the depths of Guixu, his gaze cold and sinister.

"Black Tortoise, you ruined the Demonic Dao's plans."

The Guixu Dharma Body had yet to manifest.

Only Lu Chen's calm voice came from the depths of the Northern Darkness Sea.

"You entered Guixu and caused trouble."

"You've got some nerve."

Youdu chuckled.

"Amid the Great Tribulation, all living beings should enter the tribulation."

"By opening Guixu to evade the tribulation, you are cutting off the Demonic Dao's sustenance."

"Black Tortoise, do you really think you can protect these people?"

Lu Chen sighed inwardly.

He had known it.

Luohou would sooner or later notice Guixu.

He just had not expected it to happen so soon.

But he could not show weakness now.

The less he said, the more imposing he seemed.

"Try me."

The two words fell.

Han Jue, Ao Lie, Feng Li, and Lin Yue stepped forward at the same time.

For the first time, the younger generation of Guixu Academy truly stood on the same side.

Youdu looked at them, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

"Good."

"Then this envoy shall see."

"Whether dragons, phoenixes, qilins, and the Guixu Guardian Team can suppress the Demonic Dao's heartfire."