Infighting

Seeing Qi Mo staring straight at him, Lin Qingyang averted his gaze slightly and turned to Mo Yan. The elder's expression was even more hostile, and lightning had already gathered in his palm, as though he might strike at any moment.

"Elder Mo, what a coincidence. Are you here to slay demons too? You're a little late. I've already dealt with the Snake Demon," Lin Qingyang said with a smile.

Mo Yan stared at him coldly. "The sect leader treated you well. Why did you harm him?"

"You believe a Snake Demon's attempts to sow discord? He blurted that out without any context just now. Presumably, he saw you coming and said it deliberately," Lin Qingyang said.

"Hahaha! What's wrong, Lin Qingyang? You dared to do it, but won't admit it? You personally asked me for poison to kill Shi Ruobai!" Chimei said with a laugh. "You said he wasn't fit to be sect leader, and that the position should be yours!"

Mo Yan's gaze grew colder, the lightning in his palm intensifying. Lin Qingyang was just about to argue when Mo Yan raised his hand and sent a bolt of lightning at him.

Lin Qingyang immediately dodged aside, but Mo Yan followed with several more bolts. With his spiritual power depleted, Lin Qingyang could no longer evade them. He could only raise his sword to barely fend them off, but he was blasted away and hit the ground. The Windflower Sword flew from his hand and fell to the ground as well. A fierce pain tore through his chest, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Beside them, Chimei, restrained by the Demon-Capturing Net, sneered mockingly. "Serves you right!"

Mo Yan frowned, clearly not expecting Lin Qingyang to fall to a single blow.

"I actually came to find an antidote for the sect leader," Lin Qingyang explained, glancing at the sword beside him. Lin Yao had gone silent again.

"You think I'd believe your lies?" Mo Yan said coldly. It wasn't as though he had never seen Lin Qingyang's talent for spouting nonsense.

Lin Qingyang reached out to retrieve his sword, but the instant he extended his hand, a bolt of lightning struck his arm. He cried out in pain and pulled his hand back.

"Mo Yan, you're using your position to settle a personal grudge!" Lin Qingyang said through the pain.

Mo Yan snorted. "Say whatever you like. Once I take you and this Snake Demon back for questioning, the truth will become clear!"

Lin Qingyang frowned. He had planned to bring the antidote back, then run while the sect leader was being detoxified. If he fell into Mo Yan's hands, how the hell was he supposed to escape?

As Mo Yan approached step by step, Qi Mo suddenly darted out from the side and pounced on him like a wolf. But Mo Yan quickly flung him off, sending him crashing to the ground. A long, bloody cut remained on Mo Yan's neck, inflicted by the curved saber in Qi Mo's hand-the very one he had hidden earlier.

Mo Yan touched the blood on his neck and stared coldly at Qi Mo. A demon slave had dared to injure him! Then Lin Qingyang saw an anger he had never seen before appear on Mo Yan's face. The lightning in his hand suddenly transformed into a long bronze mace, electricity flashing all around it. This was Mo Yan's weapon, the Thunderclap Mace.

"A-Qi, watch out!" Lin Qingyang shouted anxiously at Qi Mo.

But the mace in Mo Yan's hand had already swung down. In an instant, the Seven-Star Shield on Qi Mo blazed with light, blocking Mo Yan's attack. The recoil forced Mo Yan back two steps, and he glared at Lin Qingyang with even greater fury.

"You actually let him use the Seven-Star Shield!" Mo Yan said furiously.

The Seven-Star Shield was a first-rank magical artifact of the Nine Skies Sect. Even the sect's disciples had no chance to use it, yet Lin Qingyang had used it to protect a demon slave!

Qi Mo froze, then lowered his head to look at the magical artifact hanging around his neck. Something so important, yet Lin Qingyang had given it to him! And he had doubted him over a few words from the Snake Demon. He deserved to die!

"No wonder you keep protecting this demon slave. It seems Lei Guang was right. You're all in league with one another!" Mo Yan snorted.

"Could you not jump to conclusions without evidence?" Lin Qingyang said, at a loss for words.

Mo Yan coldly watched Qi Mo climb to his feet. Gripping his curved saber, Qi Mo stood in front of Lin Qingyang, his gaze fierce, looking ready to fight to the death.

Mo Yan sneered. "You think I can't do anything just because he's wearing the Seven-Star Shield?"

As he spoke, he raised his left hand and muttered something. The Seven-Star Shield flew from Qi Mo's neck into Mo Yan's hand. It was a magical artifact of the Nine Skies Sect, so naturally, as an elder, Mo Yan could control it. Then he raised his hand and blasted Qi Mo away with a bolt of lightning. Qi Mo slammed into the rock wall beside them and tumbled to the ground, coughing up blood. He lay there, his fate unknown.

"Qi Mo!" Lin Qingyang called anxiously. Seeing Mo Yan about to advance again, he hurriedly added, "Mo Yan, I forced him to come here. He has nothing to do with this case. Don't kill an innocent!"

Mo Yan said coldly, "For a demon slave who dared to injure someone, execution is already letting him off lightly."

Lin Qingyang froze, remembering that in this world, humanity's enslavement of the Demon Clan was not merely physical, but psychological as well. To keep them cowed, any disobedience or defiance from demon slaves brought the harshest punishment, and injuring a human was a capital offense. Looking at the killing intent in Mo Yan's eyes, Lin Qingyang knew that whatever he said now would probably be useless.

Mo Yan stared fixedly at Qi Mo, yet Qi Mo's expression remained fierce, without the slightest trace of fear. This was not an expression a demon slave should have. Mo Yan's voice and expression grew colder as he raised his mace and poured spiritual power into the blade. Electricity blazed brightly. If this blow landed, Qi Mo would undoubtedly die.

Trapped in the Demon-Capturing Net, Chimei watched the scene excitedly, murmuring, "Kill him, kill him..."

As Chimei muttered, Lin Qingyang suddenly grabbed him and hurled him at Mo Yan, withdrawing the Demon-Capturing Net the instant he threw him.

Caught completely off guard, Chimei flew straight toward Mo Yan's face. Sensing him, Mo Yan turned and swung his mace. Freed from the Demon-Capturing Net, Chimei nimbly dodged the mace and coiled straight around his neck. But Mo Yan grabbed him with a backhanded reach, releasing lightning from his hand at the same time. Chimei howled as the electricity coursed through him.

Lin Qingyang seized the chance to step forward and pull Qi Mo outside amid the chaos. But after only one step, he saw Mo Yan topple stiffly to the ground. Black markings instantly spread across his face, while bite marks remained on the back of his hand.

Lin Qingyang was rather speechless. "Seriously? You were so full of energy when you were beating me, but a Snake Demon takes you out in an instant?"

Chimei slid off Mo Yan and glared furiously at Lin Qingyang, roaring, "Lin Qingyang, you're dead!"

Then his serpentine body began rapidly expanding, and his tail swept wildly toward them. At the sight, Lin Qingyang shoved Qi Mo aside, but the tail coiled around him instead. Its immense strength made him feel as though all his internal organs were being squeezed out.

Qi Mo scrambled up, grabbed his curved saber, and stabbed at Chimei's serpentine body. The blade sank into Chimei, and he let out a hiss, but his tail only tightened further. Lin Qingyang spat out another mouthful of blood. Seeing this, Qi Mo dared not make another reckless move. He watched Lin Qingyang anxiously, trying in hatred to tear the Demon-Locking Ring off his neck, but to no avail.

Chimei lifted Lin Qingyang to eye level and opened his bloody maw with a furious roar. Lin Qingyang felt himself drawing closer and closer to that mouth. A foul, bloody stench rushed into his face, making him so nauseated that he nearly threw up. Seriously? This is way too disgusting a way to die! Lin Qingyang screamed inwardly. He wanted to struggle, but the coils held him fast.

"Can't you at least give me a different way to die?" Lin Qingyang cried weakly.