Holy Demon Standoff: Wang Hao Tears Up While Getting Rich

Three thousand miles beyond Yellow Springs Ferry.

The heavens and earth had been split in two.

To the east, holy light surged across the land.

Powerhouses from the Twelve Holy Lands arrived one after another. Although not every faction had sent Transcendent Realm experts, Martial God Realm cultivators were packed densely together, their auras merging into one overwhelming presence, like a divine mountain pressing down upon the earth.

The lunar radiance of the Lunar Holy Land hung at the very front, cold and immaculate.

The Sword Ruins Holy Land had formed a forest of sword arrays, with ten thousand swords shining like a river of stars.

The Blood Lotus Holy Land’s banners snapped in the wind, their baleful aura condensing into one eerie red lotus after another.

The Golden Watchtower Holy Land’s golden-armored Martial Gods stood in formation, resembling an indestructible wall of heaven.

They had not come to start a war.

At least, not at first.

They had come to receive the three Transcendent Realm experts and determine exactly what Wang Hao had done.

But the moment they arrived, they saw demonic clouds rolling over the Land of Sin.

To the west, demonic energy blotted out the sky.

The White Bone Demon Sect’s army of corpse puppets carpeted the wasteland.

The Yellow Springs Demon Sect’s soul banners stretched across the land like a black sea.

Ghostly shadows wailed without end around the Ten Thousand Souls Demon Sect.

The Blood Prison Demon Sect’s blood-armored army trampled mountains and rivers beneath its feet.

The Nine Great Demon Sects had not all arrived, but several of the leading sects had already taken up battle formations.

The two sides faced each other across a cracked, barren plain.

There had originally been mountains on that plain.

But after the Transcendent Realm experts fought, the mountains had been beaten out of existence.

The earth had split open into ravines stretching for thousands of miles. Lingering within them were Lunar Holy Frost, Blood Lotus Balefire, Yellow Springs Soul Qi, and Sword Ruins sword intent.

Any ordinary martial artist who took even one step closer would be torn to pieces.

Wang Hao was mixed in with the Yellow Springs Demon Sect’s forces.

He had changed into a bloodstained black robe. His face was pale, and his aura weak and unsteady, making him look like someone who had barely escaped alive from a siege by the Holy Lands.

Meng Xuan was standing personally at his side.

That alone changed the way many demon cultivators looked at Wang Hao.

To receive such regard from the Master of Yellow Springs Ferry…

And to be pursued by three Transcendent Realm experts from the Holy Lands…

This man clearly possessed some tremendous secret!

In the Land of Sin, people with great secrets generally met one of two fates.

They either became honored guests…

Or became ingredients.

For the moment, Wang Hao was the former.

The Holy Lands had already come knocking at their gates.

No matter how badly they wanted to devour him internally, they would have to wait until the outside enemy had retreated.

From the Blood Prison Demon Sect’s ranks, a burly man in blood armor strode over.

He stood nine feet tall and carried a serrated broadsword on his shoulder. Behind him, his bloodthirsty aura formed the image of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

He was Tu Qianshan, Vice Sect Master of the Blood Prison Demon Sect.

A peak Martial God.

He looked at Wang Hao, his voice booming like thunder.

“You’re that Blood Wusheng?”

Wang Hao cupped his hands and coughed twice.

“That would be me.”

Tu Qianshan narrowed his eyes.

“I heard you defected from the Blood Lotus Holy Land?”

A flash of pain crossed Wang Hao’s eyes.

“It wasn’t defection.”

“It was survival.”

He spoke the four words softly.

Yet many of the surrounding demon cultivators’ expressions shifted.

They did not care whether Wang Hao was truly pitiful.

They cared whether his story was exciting enough.

Wang Hao raised his head and looked toward the Blood Lotus Holy Land’s battle flags in the distance.

His voice was hoarse.

“Does everyone know how the Blood Lotus Holy Land creates its Blood Lotus Pool?”

“With the heart’s blood of virgin boys and girls as the catalyst.”

“With the essence blood of Martial Gods as the foundation.”

“With the souls of traitors as the lamps.”

“My Blood Clan served them for generations. In the end, because we knew too much, our entire clan was wiped out in a single night.”

“Not one old man, woman, or child survived.”

Xue Wuhen immediately lowered his head, his shoulders trembling.

Yin Jiuyou also fell silent, his face filled with grief.

Han Shanyue stood behind them, expressionless.

It was not that he did not want to play along.

He was simply afraid that if he opened his mouth, he would be unable to stop himself from telling the truth.

Tu Qianshan sneered.

“The Blood Lotus Holy Land was never anything good.”

“But do you have any proof that the Twelve Holy Lands intend to purge the Land of Sin?”

Wang Hao raised a hand.

A Memory Crystal appeared.

Within it, three Transcendent Realm experts crossed the void and pursued their target.

Next came the scene of them bombarding the Master of Yellow Springs Ferry’s residence.

Yin Jiuyou had just recorded the footage using a formation disk.

The angle was excellent.

The sound was also crystal clear.

Especially the Blood-Robed Elder’s line—“If the Yellow Springs Demon Sect dares to interfere, we’ll kill a few of them while we’re at it”—which had been singled out and replayed three times at full volume.

The moment Tu Qianshan heard it, his eyes turned vicious.

“How dare they!”

The surrounding demon cultivators also erupted in fury.

“Kill a few of us while they’re at it?”

“What do they think the Land of Sin is?”

“Do the Holy Lands really think they still rule the world?”

Wang Hao said in a low voice, “Everyone, today they dare to kill members of the Yellow Springs Demon Sect as an afterthought.”

“Tomorrow, they’ll casually wipe out the White Bone Demon Sect.”

“The day after that, they’ll casually flatten the Blood Prison Demon Sect.”

“When the Nine Great Demon Sects fight separately and are broken through one by one, who among us will still be alive?”

From the White Bone Demon Sect’s side, an old man leaning on a bone staff came over.

Seven Martial God corpse puppets hovered behind him.

He was Gu Ming, First Elder of the White Bone Demon Sect.

He said coldly, “You certainly make it sound convincing.”

“But what if you deliberately lured the Holy Lands into the Land of Sin?”

Wang Hao’s heart stirred.

This old man was more difficult to deceive than Meng Xuan.

But that was not a problem.

He liked clever people best.

Clever people were capable of filling in the blanks themselves.

Wang Hao gave a bitter smile.

“Senior is right.”

“I did lure the Holy Lands here.”

The moment those words left his mouth, the expressions of the demon cultivators changed.

Even Meng Xuan frowned.

Wang Hao continued, “If I had not come to the Land of Sin, I would have died on the road.”

“If I had not lured them here, all of you would still be unaware that the Holy Lands had already sharpened their blades.”

“I admit it. I wanted to borrow your strength to stay alive.”

“But you must also admit that without me, you would not even have known that your enemies’ blades had already reached your throats.”

He raised his head, his eyes bloodshot.

“I’m despicable.”

“I’m shameless.”

“I’ll do anything to stay alive.”

“But at least I brought you the truth!”

“And what have the Holy Lands brought?”

“A surprise attack by three Transcendent Realm experts!”

“The deaths of three hundred and seventy-two disciples of Yellow Springs Ferry!”

“And that line—‘kill a few while we’re at it’!”

Silence.

A vast silence descended.

Gu Ming narrowed his eyes as he stared at him.

He knew there were flaws in Wang Hao’s words.

Yet he could not identify the crucial one.

Because the Holy Lands really had come.

They really had attacked.

The dead were real.

The aura of the Transcendent Realm was real.

The Holy Land tokens were real.

That was what made this scheme so poisonous: Wang Hao’s story was not entirely false.

He had strung together a pile of real things and woven them into the most false story imaginable.

But the more genuine it seemed, the more false it became; and the more false it seemed, the more genuine it became.

In the end, the truth was no longer important.

What mattered was that neither side believed it could retreat.

Tu Qianshan suddenly burst out laughing.

“Interesting!”

“I like little villains like you!”

“At least you’re honest about being a scoundrel. You’re more pleasing to the eye than those sanctimonious bastards from the Holy Lands who spout nothing but heavenly destiny!”

Wang Hao solemnly cupped his hands.

“Thank you for the compliment, Senior.”

Tu Qianshan froze.

“I was insulting you.”

Wang Hao nodded.

“I know.”

“But in the Land of Sin, being a scoundrel is practically a compliment.”

Tu Qianshan was silent for a moment before throwing back his head and roaring with laughter.

“Good!”

“You’ve got no shame at all!”

“If you survive today, come serve as a guest elder of the Blood Prison Demon Sect!”

The corner of Yin Jiuyou’s eye twitched.

His Majesty’s range of professions was expanding at an alarming rate.

Emperor of Great Xia.

Righteous man of the demonic path.

Young Master of the Blood Clan.

Future guest elder of the Blood Prison Demon Sect.

At this rate, even the Twelve Holy Lands would have to reserve a position for him.

Across the battlefield, within the Holy Lands’ ranks, the Blood-Robed Elder was trembling with rage.

“Wang Hao!”

“How dare you continue spreading such vile lies!”

Wang Hao immediately took half a step back, his face turning deathly pale.

“Look!”

“He’s panicking again!”

The New Emperor Sword cooperated perfectly, letting out a mournful sword cry.

“Master, be careful! The Old Blood Lotus Dog is going to silence you again!”

“You dare slander me, you sinister artifact!”

The New Emperor Sword flew into a rage.

“What do you mean, ‘sinister artifact’?”

“I am the relic of a victim!”

Wang Hao’s eyelid twitched.

This sword was a little too eager to steal the spotlight.

An old woman in white stepped out from the Taiyin Sacred Land’s formation.

Her aura was deep and imposing. Though she had yet to transcend, she was still at the peak of the Martial God Realm.

“Fellow Daoists of the Demon Sects,” she began.

“This man is Wang Hao, Emperor of Great Xia, and he is treacherous beyond measure.”

“Earlier, he sowed discord among the sacred lands in the South Sea and released Ji Wushang, plunging the Central Continent into chaos.”

“Now he has entered the Land of Sin. Clearly, he intends to provoke a war between the sacred lands and the Demon Sects.”

“Everyone, do not fall for his scheme.”

Her words were perfectly clear.

The logic was sound as well.

The only problem was that the speaker came from the Taiyin Sacred Land.

Would the Demon Sects believe her?

Of course not.

Meng Xuan sneered.

“Emperor of Great Xia?”

“An emperor sneaking alone into the Land of Sin?”

“And carrying the Blood Lotus battle standard fragment, the Taiyin jade talisman, and the broken sword from the Sword Ruins?”

“If you sacred lands are going to make up stories, at least make them believable.”

The old woman in white said coldly, “Those items were things he obtained from the battlefield of the sacred lands.”

Wang Hao immediately said, “Did you hear that?”

“She just admitted that these sacred-land relics are genuine!”

The old woman in white fell silent.

At that moment, she suddenly understood why the three Transcendent experts had pursued this man all the way, yet had still been unable to capture him.

It wasn’t a matter of strength.

It was a matter of shamelessness.

His heart was simply too black.

An old man in a gray-white Daoist robe said in a deep voice, “There is no point in saying more.”

“Hand over Wang Hao.”

“Otherwise, the sacred lands will not hesitate to fight today.”

The words were meant as a threat.

But at that moment, they only poured oil on the flames.

Standing atop a sea of demonic clouds, the Yellow Springs Ancestor spoke in a sinister tone.

“Will not hesitate to fight?”

“You twelve sacred lands have entered the Land of Sin and attacked Yellow Springs Ferry, yet you still expect us to hand over a man?”

“Do you truly think the Demonic Dao has no one left?”

In the direction of the Myriad Souls Demon Sect, a vast sea of souls churned.

A thousand-foot-tall ghostly face emerged.

“Ke ke ke…”

“It has been a long time since this old man has tasted the souls of the sacred lands.”

On the Blood Prison Chariot, Tu Qianshan hefted his saber and roared with laughter.

“Then let’s fight!”

“Whoever retreats is a grandson!”

Although Gu Ming of the White Bone Demon Sect was cautious by nature, even he had no choice but to declare his stance at this moment.

“Disciples of the White Bone Demon Sect, heed my command.”

“Form the Corpse Formation!”

Rumble!

Countless corpse puppets marched forward.

White bones piled into mountains, while Yin energy surged into a sea.

Across the sacred-land camp, the expressions of numerous Martial Gods turned solemn.

They had originally only intended to kill Wang Hao.

But now, the situation had begun sliding into an abyss.

Once the battle started, it would not be merely a few Martial Gods who died.

It might even trigger the largest holy-and-demonic war the Central Continent and the Land of Sin had seen in hundreds of years.

Wang Hao stood at the rear of the Demon Sect formation, perfectly calm inside.

Not quite enough yet.

Both sides were still holding themselves back.

They needed a blade.

A blade that would force them to strike.

He quietly retreated to the edge of a chaotic battlefield.

There, bodies lay strewn in all directions.

Some belonged to disciples of Yellow Springs.

Others were spies from the sacred lands.

There were even several wandering cultivators who had been caught in the aftermath.

Wang Hao crouched down and skillfully removed their storage rings.

Yin Jiuyou couldn’t help whispering, “Your Majesty, at a time like this, you’re still looting the dead?”

Wang Hao shot back, “What else? Wait until they come back to life before looting them?”

Yin Jiuyou was rendered speechless.

As Wang Hao continued collecting the rings, he silently called out in his mind.

“System.”

“Can I check in here?”

[Special location detected: the battlefield where the sacred lands and Demon Sects confront one another at Yellow Springs Ferry.]

[Would you like to check in?]

Wang Hao’s eyes lit up slightly.

“Check in.”

[Check-in successful.]

[Reward obtained: Three Yellow Springs False-Soul Talismans.]

[Yellow Springs False-Soul Talisman: Can imitate the aura of a dead soul, disguising the user for a short time as the remnant soul fluctuation of someone who has fallen. Anyone below the Transcendent Realm will find it difficult to distinguish.]

[Intelligence updated: In half a quarter of an hour, a Martial God from the Blood Lotus Sacred Land will secretly assassinate Meng Que, Young Master of the Yellow Springs Demon Sect, in an attempt to frame Wang Hao. If Meng Que dies, the Yellow Springs Demon Sect will launch an all-out war.]

Wang Hao narrowed his eyes.

Well, well.

The Blood Lotus Sacred Land wasn’t entirely composed of fools.

They actually intended to frame him in return.

But…

The corners of Wang Hao’s mouth lifted.

Since you’re all planning to kill Meng Que…

Then I’ll help you make the performance a little more spectacular.

The Yellow Springs Demon Sect’s Young Master, Meng Que, was standing behind Meng Xuan at that very moment.

He was still young, appearing to be twenty-seven or twenty-eight. He was at the peak of the Profound Passage Realm and had yet to enter the Martial God Realm. However, because of his noble status, he was surrounded by numerous guards.

Wang Hao glanced toward the Blood Lotus camp in the distance.

Sure enough, a Martial God from the Blood Lotus Sacred Land had quietly disappeared.

His aura was extremely faint.

Clearly, he was skilled in assassination.

Wang Hao said in a low voice, “Xue Wuhen.”

Xue Wuhen immediately approached.

“Your Majesty?”

Wang Hao handed him one of the Yellow Springs False-Soul Talismans.

“Someone will attempt to assassinate Meng Que shortly.”

“Go save him.”

Xue Wuhen was stunned.

“Save him?”

Wang Hao said indifferently, “Save half of him.”

Xue Wuhen understood.

He suddenly felt that he still wasn’t devious enough.

Compared with His Majesty, he was at most someone having a bad day.

His Majesty was practically the Dao of Heaven gone moldy.

A moment later.

A streak of blood silently appeared behind Meng Que.

The Martial God from the Blood Lotus Sacred Land struck as swiftly as lightning, pointing a finger at Meng Que’s back.

The attack was soundless and formless, yet it contained the power to corrupt the soul.

If it landed, Meng Que would certainly die.

At that moment, Xue Wuhen let out a furious roar.

“Young Master, watch out!”

He lunged forward, blocking half the attack.

Pfft!

Blood exploded through the air.

Xue Wuhen was sent flying backward, blood spraying from his mouth.

Of course, half that blood had been forced out by him himself.

The other half came from a genuine wound.

Wang Hao had said to save half, and Xue Wuhen didn’t dare fake the entire thing.

Meng Que was struck by the remaining shockwave. A bloody hole burst open in his chest, and he fell unconscious on the spot, gravely wounded.

But he was still alive.