Not Afraid At All

“Stop, or I will kill him. This is your great hope for the Seven Stars Sword Sect, so stop now!” Yin Youming reiterated, fearing that Nangong Xiyun might attack.

Seeing that Nangong Xiyun didn’t move, Yin Youming smirked in triumph. However, he then noticed that the other side was employing the same tactic, but twice as effectively.

Instantly, Yin Youming felt the situation turn precarious.

“It’s you who should stop,” Nangong Xiyun said while caressing Su Luo’s cheek. “Release my disciple, or would you rather see your Demon Lord die here?”

Su Luo, feeling ticklish, thought to himself, “Can’t we just talk? No need to get handsy.”

In such a moment, Yin Youming had to maintain his imposing demeanor, “The Seven Elders can be replaced, but this one? You might not find a better candidate.”

“Is that so? But I don’t believe you. The Seven Elders aren’t that important. If they weren’t, why haven’t you left already?”

If Nangong Xiyun hadn’t broken through his cultivation, holding Yin Youming here would have been difficult.

“So what if that’s true? Our Heavenly Demon Sect fears nothing, not even death!” Yin Youming responded aggressively, despite being called out.

“Indeed, kill me. Having Lin Xuan by my side, I’ve gained more than I’ve lost. After all, I’ve always wanted to kill Lin Xuan,” Su Luo chimed in, acting brave and ready to die.

Situ Ye, lying on the ground, was not on board with this plan.

“It’s just your personal feud with Lin Xuan! Don’t drag me into it!”

The Heavenly Demon Sect might claim they aren’t afraid of death, but that’s because they know they probably won’t die. Not really.

Su Luo, please, think rationally! Don’t do anything rash!

Situ Ye wanted to voice his opinion, but the blow he took left him unable to speak, and keeping his consciousness intact was difficult enough. He was utterly frustrated.

“Well said, Su Luo. You truly live up to being one of the Heavenly Demon Seven Elders,” Yin Youming praised.

“Is that so?”

Nangong Xiyun stabbed his sword down, and Situ Ye let out a painful cry, defying medical odds.

Yin Youming winced momentarily but remained steely.

“Hah, is that all? I’m not even scared,” Su Luo remarked, unfazed.

Of course, you’re not scared, because it’s me being stabbed!

Situ Ye wanted to tell Su Luo to stop acting tough. Couldn’t they just work together to survive?

Instead, he was met with another sword strike.

“Hold on there, Situ Ye. I know you can endure it. Don’t shame the Seven Elders. Or else, not only will I not forgive you, but Qing Bukuang won’t either.”

When it’s not your body being pierced, of course, you won’t feel the pain. Just shut up, I want to live, dignity can wait.

All Situ Ye could do was scream in agony.

“Let’s negotiate—how about an exchange?” Yin Youming eventually gave in. After all, the Seven Elders were still valuable, and with too many dying recently, it wouldn’t look good.

“Agreed.” Nangong Xiyun consented.

Yin Youming then considered the situation and realized it wasn’t ideal.

Even if they were released, the balance of power hadn’t changed, and Nangong Xiyun was too strong. Without reinforcements, there was no guarantee he could ensure the survival of the two Demon Lords in future battles.

No, he needed to buy more time.

“No, in addition to the exchange, you must compensate us for our losses.”

“Are you joking? Are we doing this exchange or not?”

“Hmph, go ahead and strike again, and I’ll make sure this young man suffers as well.” It suddenly dawned on Yin Youming that he could also inflict pain on Lin Xuan.

“Sect Leader Nangong…” The members of the Seven Stars Sword Sect began to urge him, as Lin Xuan’s status in their hearts was even higher than Nangong Xiyun’s, given their shared experiences.

“Compensation? Not a chance. What do you want?”

Yin Youming wanted to say, “Let us go,” but that felt too humiliating.

If not for these burdens, he could’ve escaped easily by himself.

Yin Youming couldn’t bring himself to utter such embarrassing words, so he stalled: “All I want is compensation. If you don’t agree, then don’t bother with the exchange. Let’s all perish together.”

It was a gamble to see who would crack first. With members of the Seven Stars Sword Sect already urging Nangong Xiyun, Yin Youming felt he had anticipated the situation correctly.

“Don’t push it,” Nangong Xiyun retorted, refusing to yield.

Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate, representatives from Medicine King Valley arrived. Upon seeing the prominent figures, they quickly stepped in.

“Esteemed leaders, if there’s any dispute, why not discuss it inside? Consider it a favor to our Medicine King Valley,” the envoy said amicably, especially noting the important status of Situ Ye, who lay injured on the ground.

Having already clashed near their doorstep, Medicine King Valley couldn’t stay uninvolved.

Both sides remained silent, waiting to see how the other would respond.

The envoy from Medicine King Valley continued, “With us as guarantors, you can surely trust the sincerity of the negotiations.”

“Very well, let’s proceed inside,” Yin Youming agreed, seeing the logic in Medicine King Valley’s proposal.

“Agreed.”

Entering Medicine King Valley implied their endorsement as a neutral third party. With Medicine King Valley’s guarantee, neither side would dare to renege.

Even inside Medicine King Valley, Yin Youming remained vigilant.

During the negotiations, he continued to stall, refusing to release anyone, all the while secretly summoning reinforcements.

He couldn’t openly call for backup; what if the other side did the same? Turning a negotiation into a full-scale war between two major sects without any preparation would be ridiculous.

And so, the first day passed this way, with Medicine King Valley urging both sides to rest and promising that neither party would harm the hostages.

If anyone violated this pact, Medicine King Valley vowed to hold them accountable.

This served to calm both sides, alleviating fears that the hostages might be harmed.

When Yin Youming returned to his temporary quarters, he initially wanted to summon reinforcements immediately.

However, as he observed Lin Xuan, he noticed something extraordinary.

This young man is truly remarkable.

Yin Youming was surprised to find himself filled with admiration—a feeling he hadn’t experienced in decades.

He proceeded to perform a series of minor tests on Lin Xuan, none of which caused harm, merely serving to gauge his potential across various aspects.

To his astonishment, Lin Xuan excelled in every area, surpassing anyone Yin Youming had ever encountered. Calculations showed that if Lin Xuan were to switch to the demonic path, he could achieve great things, potentially even becoming one of the prestigious Four Heavenly Demons.

It’s such a waste for such talent to remain in the righteous sects.

Yin Youming sighed, his thoughts quickly turning to a devious plan.

Ah, why not use these few days to tempt him toward the demonic path?

Not only would it bolster our ranks with a future Heavenly Demon Lord, perhaps even one of the Four Heavenly Demons, but it would also deal a significant blow to the righteous sects.

With resolve, Yin Youming began his schemes, alternating between threats and temptations.

Threats? Lin Xuan remained steadfast, refusing to bow even in the face of death.

Enticements—elixirs, cultivation techniques, secret arts, even the charms of beautiful women from the Heavenly Demon Sect—all proved ineffective.

What a resolute will. This only made the challenge more exciting.

With that in mind, there was no need to rush. He would take his time, and during the negotiations, he would extend the process, giving himself ample opportunity to corrupt Lin Xuan.

When the others see Lin Xuan fall, their expressions will be priceless.