thefictionvixens Chapter 109 Putting on the Mask = Taking Off the Mask
Chapter 109 Putting on the Mask = Taking Off the Mask
Chapter 109 Putting on the Mask = Taking Off the Mask
Han Li turned to the side, his gaze falling on Russell's face, signaling him to explain in detail.
Russell didn't keep anyone in suspense. He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the surging sea of clouds in the distance, and slowly began to speak: "The three paths that the Heavenly Emperor deduced from ancient texts—the Path of True Martial Arts to comprehend oneself, the Method of Earthly Immortals to comprehend a small world, and the Art of Transformation to transform oneself into a vast world—if you ponder them carefully, you will find that they all ultimately point in the same direction."
He paused, then uttered two words: "Harmony with the Dao."
"The idea of cultivators becoming the true masters of a world, in harmony with heaven and earth, and wielding power is only possible in high-level fantasy worlds. Even if the ancient cultivation civilization in the world of Jade Dynasty was brilliant, it was far from reaching that level. So, barring any unforeseen circumstances, those three paths are truly just hypothetical scenarios, and no one has ever actually walked them."
Han Li frowned slightly upon hearing this. He recalled the experience of being pulled into the chaotic space just moments before; the feeling was too real, too real to be an illusion. If those three cultivation methods were merely hypothetical, then what had Russell just demonstrated?
Seeing his expression, Russell didn't keep him in suspense and said frankly, "I have a deal with Lu Mingze."
"trade?"
"Yes." Russell nodded. "And I've already received my payment in advance: a complete set of Dragon King's authority."
Han Li: "————"
Very well, Russell, without making a sound, has indeed done him another big one.
He had read all five parts of the Dragon Raja series, so he naturally knew what the words "complete Dragon King's authority" meant.
Don't be fooled by Da Ye's stumbling and underwhelming combat prowess in the story; that's because her authority is incomplete. To truly measure the power of a Dragon King, you have to look at a complete Dragon King like Odin, whose every word of power can cover the entire world.
Russell continued, "And because of this authority, I now have the power to open up the Nibelungen. And I have indeed done so."
Han Li understood: "So, you got the result first, and then worked backward to deduce the process."
"That's right," Russell nodded. "Although these cultivation methods are hypothetical, their general direction is correct, and they can indeed help me accelerate the process of opening up and mastering the inner world."
Han Li remained silent for a moment, then let out a soft breath: "Impressive."
His tone was full of admiration, merely a reflection on the facts, without a trace of envy.
Russell is strong and has cheat codes, that's a well-established fact, but Han Li is also a protagonist of a world, and his position is no less impressive.
Moreover, he has been inspired by an anime called "Super God Academy" that Russell uploaded recently.
Celestial computers, genetic engineering, dark energy-driven technology—with the existence of the Heavenly Bottle, he will not lack resources; with his cultivation, he will not lack time; and with his powerful divine sense and active mind, he is a promising candidate for researching the path of science and technology.
Once the Void Heaven Palace instance is finished, he will calm down and start researching these things. When his celestial-level supercomputer is born, combining technology and cultivation, he is confident that he will not lag behind anyone in the group.
The next day, early in the morning.
Youji brought Biyao to Russell's tent early on.
"Elder Luo," You Ji asked politely, "did you have a comfortable night's stay?"
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"Thank you for your concern, Sacred Envoy Suzaku. The scenery here is beautiful, and I'm not having any trouble adjusting."
"That's good." Youji nodded slightly. Before she could speak further, a faint whooshing sound came from outside the tent.
The three looked in the direction of the sound and, through the open tent flap, could see the open space in front of the camp.
Han Li stood with his hands behind his back, looking intently at Xiao Yu in front of him. Xiao Yu sat cross-legged, her eyes closed and her mind focused. A faint spiritual light flowed around her, and a sword-shaped magic weapon about an inch long was slowly circling around her.
This is a magical artifact that Han Li just gave her; it can only be refined by those at the Core Formation stage.
Not only that, just a few incense sticks ago, Han Li also taught her the "Great Evolution Technique".
And it is given away free of charge without any conditions.
Yes, free of charge.
After spending so much time together, Han Li had already come to regard Xiao Yu as another younger sister.
He felt guilty towards his younger sister, so he was never stingy with her.
Xiaoyu opened her eyes, stretched out her hand, and the small sword landed steadily in her palm. She raised her head, gave Han Li a bright smile, and said something.
Youji's gaze fell on that petite figure, and her pupils contracted slightly.
The cultivation world has never lacked geniuses, and she has seen many outstanding talents who became famous at a young age. However, someone like Xiaoyu, who looks to be only a little over a thousand years old, is already able to fly so skillfully. This is not just rare, it is unique and unparalleled.
She couldn't help but speak, her tone filled with emotion: "This must be the young lady Xiaoyu from last night, right? Truly, heroes emerge from among the young. It seems that in a hundred years or so, our Holy Sect will produce another extraordinary figure."
Biyao listened from the side, her gaze falling on Xiaoyu, a hint of envy showing in her eyes.
If she had that kind of talent, she'd probably be laughing in her sleep. But alas, there are no "ifs".
Russell ignored Youji's flattery and asked directly, "The Holy Envoy has arrived so early; surely you have other matters to discuss with me?"
Seeing that Russell was getting straight to the point, Youji stopped with pleasantries and said seriously, "Your sect is new here and must not be very familiar with the current situation on the island. The sect leader sent me here to introduce it to Elder Luo."
Upon hearing this, Russell thought it was great, saving him the trouble of investigating himself: "Then I'll have to trouble the Holy Envoy."
Youji nodded slightly, and then took Russell out.
"Aunt You," Biyao suddenly spoke up, "You all go ahead, I'll stay here by myself for a while."
Youji paused, turned her head to look at her, her eyes filled with tenderness, but she didn't ask any more questions. She only instructed, "The island is not what it used to be. When I'm not around, remember not to wander off."
"I know," Biyao replied casually, but her eyes were already searching through the crowd, as if she was in a hurry to find someone.
A daughter is like a tree that grows up and cannot be kept at home.
Russell glanced at her, a smile playing on his lips. His purple wings unfurled, their edges shimmering with iridescent light, and he and You Ji took off one after the other, flying northward.
In less than half a day, Youji had led Russell on a tour of the northern part of Liubo Mountain, which was occupied by various factions of the Demonic Cult.
This area is characterized by rolling hills and deep ravines, with numerous large and small demonic camps scattered throughout, occupying every mountain peak.
Larger sects either occupy the main peak or the valley, while smaller sects can only squeeze at the foot of the mountain or halfway up the mountain.
The poisonous miasma of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect shrouded the entire valley, the camp of the Longevity Hall was built on a cliff, and the residence of the Joyful Union Sect was shrouded in an ambiguous pink mist—You Ji would give a brief introduction to each place she visited.
Because of her status as the Vermilion Bird Envoy, all the factions along the way treated the two with great respect and had no intention of interfering with them.
Russell knew in his heart that there were only two reasons why Youji accompanied him on this stroll.
Firstly, to prevent him from wandering around and discovering the Ghost King Sect's true scheme against Kui Niu; secondly, to use him to strike at established demonic forces like the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect and the Longevity Hall.
The Ghost King Sect has only risen to the ranks of the four major sects in the last few hundred years, and it is no match for these ancient and powerful demonic sects. If they could use the Blood Refining Hall as a tool to curb the arrogance of these old rivals, they would naturally be happy to see it happen.
However, Russell didn't care. Since the Ghost King had gone to such lengths to mark the coordinates for him, he naturally wouldn't let that effort go to waste.
That night, inside the main camp, Russell had Zhang Xiaofan summon the Qingyun Sect members to the main camp. Facing the Qingyun Sect disciples, Russell pointed to a valley in the northeast of the sand table in front of him and said, "This is the stronghold of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect."
"I personally investigated today. The Ten Thousand Poisons Sect only has two experts at the Upper Clarity level: Hundred Poisons Master and Blood-Sucking Old Demon. There are fifty-seven other people whose cultivation levels are between the fifth and seventh levels of Jade Clarity."
Daoist Yunyi nodded emphatically, then cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Luo Su: "If that's the case, then we'll need Elder Luo's assistance with this operation."
He was not overconfident. Both Bai Duzi and the Blood-Sucking Old Demon were renowned figures who had been famous for many years. Although Yun Yi was also at the Shangqing Realm, he dared not easily claim victory in a one-on-one fight. If it were a two-on-one fight, he would surely die.
The only problem is, at his age, if he dies, so be it, but if he implicates the young master—
He subconsciously glanced at Zhang Xiaofan standing in the crowd, thinking to himself, if something really went wrong, how could he face the ancestors of Qingyun Sect?
"You flatter me, Master. My Xiaoyao Sect will naturally do its part in eradicating the demonic path, but there is one more thing before that."
As he spoke, Russell looked at Han Li, who understood. He raised his hand and slapped the storage bag. A flash of light appeared, and a wooden box about half a person's height landed in the tent with a dull thud.
Russell stepped forward, lifted the lid of the box, and inside were neatly stacked black cloaks.
The cloak was made of a peculiar material, neither cloth nor cloth, with eerie dark red patterns embroidered along its edges, which shimmered faintly in the candlelight.
Russell took out a garment and unfolded it: "We need to wear this to conceal our identities."
Daoist Yunyi leaned closer to examine it, a look of doubt on his face: "This is—"
Russell offered no explanation, simply putting on his cloak and pulling up his hood.
The next moment, black mist surged from the edge of his cloak, instantly obscuring the area where his face was.
Deep within the mist, two dark red lights shone, like will-o'-the-wisps. Below the mist, a slightly parted, blood-red line outlined the curve of a mouth.
The temperature in the entire tent seemed to have dropped a few degrees.
Daoist Yunyi fell silent.
The Qingyun disciples also fell silent.
Russell removed his hood, the black mist dissipated, revealing his smiling face.
"This cloak is a precious treasure that I specially commissioned to be made," he explained. "Once you wear it, it can not only conceal your appearance, but also transform our magical artifacts and spell effects into a demonic style, so you won't have to worry about being exposed."
Daoist Yunyi suddenly realized and nodded repeatedly: "Elder Luo's thinking is indeed more thorough."
Russell waved his hand dismissively and distributed the cloaks from the wooden crates one by one.
The crowd took the cloaks and curiously unfolded them to examine them. Some couldn't resist trying them on on the spot. The moment the hood was pulled up, black mist surged out, dark red eyes lit up, and blood-red lips split open, making them look exactly like people from the demonic path.
Before long, the entire tent was filled with grinning, grimacing faces.
The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat eerie.
"Jie————"
Someone started it, letting out a suppressed chuckle.
The laughter seemed to have flipped a switch.
"Hehehe————"
"Hehehehe————"
"Hehehehehehe—!"
For a moment, the camp was filled with a cacophony of maniacal laughter, as if the people were possessed by something strange, their shoulders shaking with uncontrollable laughter.
"Enough!" Daoist Yunyi finally couldn't help but speak up, his gaze sharp as he swept through the crowd, pinpointing the instigator: "Zeng Shushu! What are you yelling about for no reason!"
Zeng Shushu took off his hood, revealing an innocent face, and scratched his head, saying, "Uncle-Master, I don't know why, but as soon as I put on this cloak, I can't help but laugh."
Qi Hao nodded in agreement, "Indeed, I almost laughed just now too."
Xiao Yicai's expression also turned strange: "Me too, but Junior Brother Zeng beat me to it."
"————" Daoist Yunyi coughed. Actually, he had wanted to laugh just now, but in order to maintain his image and the image of Qingyun Sect, he forced a straight face and said, "If you want to laugh, don't laugh here. Let's go laugh on the top of Wandu Sect's head."
Upon hearing this, the Qingyun Sect members tensed up and gripped their magical weapons tightly.
"Let's go!" Seeing the high spirits of the crowd, Russell didn't delay any longer and immediately announced the start of the operation.
Before he finished speaking, Daoist Yunyi was the first to rise from the ground, his spiritual power surging around him. The next moment, a huge skull phantom suddenly appeared behind him, opening its dark, gaping maw and soaring into the sky!
"Wow!"
Seeing this, the Qingyun disciples couldn't contain themselves and began to activate their cloaks, testing out their special effects.
Some were surrounded by a hundred ghosts, with chilling winds blowing; some had a sea of blood churning beneath their feet, the stench overwhelming; some had twisted demonic shadows emerging behind them, baring their fangs and claws; some had eerie green flames flickering in their hands—
For a time, demons danced wildly in the sky above the camp, and ghostly figures loomed overhead.
"Little Luo Ge"
Xiaoyu had somehow gotten close to Russell, tilting her little face up and staring at him pitifully with her eyes.
She wanted to go too.
Russell looked down into those bright, sparkling eyes, paused for a moment, and knew that the chances of Xiaoyu willingly staying here were almost zero, so he could only say, "Don't leave my sight later."
"Yay!" Xiaoyu cheered, quickly put on her cape, pulled down the hood, and transformed into a small, grinning ghost face.
Russell and Han Li exchanged a glance, then each donned a cloak and, leading the group of Blood Refining Hall cannon fodder who had been placed under the restriction, took to the air and sped towards the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect.
Dozens of streaks of light streaked across the night sky, vast and unobstructed.
Various special effects were laid out, almost turning half of the sky into a bizarre and fantastical magical realm.
Such a grand display naturally did not escape the notice of the cultivators on the island.
Whether righteous or demonic, figures emerged from their tents in camps large and small, looking up at the sky with varying expressions: some were surprised and suspicious, some were wary, some were gloating, and some were waiting to see a good show.
Inside the Ghost King Sect's camp.
The Ghost King stood with his hands behind his back in front of the tent, looking up at the streaks of light that pierced the night sky, a slow smile playing on his lips.
"As expected of young people, they're unwilling to suffer any loss or wait for any opportunity, and they've already started."
You Ji stood beside him, her gaze following the departing black figures, and asked in a low voice, "Sect Master, how much of a chance do you think the Blood Refining Hall has of success on this trip?"
The Ghost King did not answer immediately, but simply raised one finger.
You Ji frowned slightly: "Only one-tenth?"
Leaving aside Russell's unfathomable abilities, Elder Han alone possesses extremely high skills; it's impossible that he only has a tenth of his abilities.
The Ghost King shook his head, smiled slightly, and said confidently, "We will definitely win. Just watch, the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect is in big trouble this time."
"You vampire old devil! Come out and face your death!"
Under the cover of night, a furious shout shattered the tranquility above the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect.
Amidst the chilling, grotesque laughter, streaks of blood-red light, imbued with sharp sword intent, descended from the sky.
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