Huo Chongjun frowned, looking puzzled. "Master? I don't know Huo Yan. What do you mean by that, True Lord Zhengyang? How could I be related to demonic cultivators?"
"Whether it matters or not, we'll find out by trying." Xu Zifan stepped forward and bowed to Xiang Wentian. "Sect Leader Xiang, I have come here today only for your safety. A demonic cultivator by your side will surely bring trouble and be detrimental to the Xuantian Sect. Please do not stop me, Sect Leader Xiang."
After saying that, he flew towards Huo Chongjun. Huo Chongjun dodged and, while defending, said angrily, "True Lord Zhengyang, don't push your luck!"
Xu Zifan said coldly, "You demonic villain, enough with your nonsense!"
Xu Zifan's attacks were fierce, his lightning-based spells striking Huo Chongjun relentlessly. The two fought and retreated outside, attracting a large crowd of Xuantian Sect disciples. Xiang Wentian and Sect Leader Shi also came to the doorway to watch their fight.
Xiang Yushuang urgently grabbed Xiang Wentian's arm, "Father, quickly tell Senior Brother to stop, don't let them fight."
Xiang Wentian frowned, and after a long while shook his head, "Zhengyang knows what he's doing."
Xiang Yushuang wanted to rush over to help, but Shi Yunxuan stopped her. Anxious to help Huo Chongjun, Xiang Yushuang attacked her instead. Shi Yunxuan, who was just looking for a chance to retaliate, immediately pretended to have been slapped, then, enraged, she and Xiang Yushuang began fighting.
Shi Yunxuan's pretense had even fooled Xiang Wentian. Although he was worried about his daughter, she had struck Shi's daughter first, and Shi's expression was so cold that he couldn't say anything more and felt quite embarrassed. This was the daughter he doted on; she didn't care about the reputation of the Xuantian Sect at all. He sighed and said to Shi, "The children are still young and too impulsive. Continuing to fight like this isn't a solution. Perhaps we should call them back to clarify things?"
Sect Leader Shi said indifferently, "It's a good thing for them to spar. Only in this way can they know their shortcomings and cultivate diligently."
Since this fight was categorized as a "sparring match," it became even more difficult to stop. Xiang Wentian also wanted to see if Xu Zifan could force Huo Chongjun to use his demonic arts, so he remained silent and stared at Xu Zifan and Huo Chongjun.
Xu Zifan's most important goal was not to force Huo Chongjun, but to defeat him fair and square. Now that many people from the Xuantian Sect were present, and two sect leaders were watching from above, he could be considered fair and square as long as he didn't use any underhanded methods. Therefore, every move he made was filled with killing intent, and he went all out without holding back.
Huo Chongjun was also enraged. This man was practically his nemesis. Not only had he stolen Chu Duan's inheritance, but he also knew about Huo Yan. He had a premonition that if he didn't eliminate Xu Zifan, it would definitely affect his revenge plan. Furious and wary, Huo Chongjun exerted all his strength. However, he knew even more clearly that he absolutely could not use a single trace of demonic energy, otherwise everything he had done before would be in vain.
Xu Zifan's lightning was incompatible with demonic energy. Huo Chongjun's attempt to suppress his demonic energy resulted in him being severely beaten by Xu Zifan, feeling suppressed. After returning from the Boundless Forest, Huo Chongjun had been diligently cultivating his yin and yang to improve his cultivation, which allowed him to reach the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage so quickly. Unexpectedly, Xu Zifan had also reached the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage. However, for some reason, Xu Zifan's speed and ease in using magic were far superior to his.
The two fighters moved faster and faster, and at their most intense, disciples with lower cultivation levels could only see a blur of afterimages, unable to distinguish one from the other. On the other side, Shi Yunxuan and Xiang Yushuang were fighting fiercely. Shi Yunxuan was driven by hatred for her martial uncle and junior sister, while Xiang Yushuang blamed her for harming Huo Chongjun, and perhaps also for her engagement to Xu Zifan. She couldn't tolerate her either, and showed no mercy in her attacks.
Both of them were at the Golden Core stage, but Xiang Yushuang had less practical combat experience, while Shi Yunxuan was quite cunning, with thousands of ever-changing moves that often caused Xiang Yushuang to miss, allowing Shi Yunxuan to attack her at the same time. After hundreds of moves, Xiang Yushuang was at a disadvantage. Shi Yunxuan caught a glimpse of the anxious look in the Sect Leader's eyes and her mother's expression out of the corner of her eye, knowing that they were about to call a halt. She immediately risked injury to meet the attack, channeling all her strength into her palms and slamming them hard into Xiang Yushuang's chest!
The two were sent flying backward at the same time, spitting out a mouthful of blood at Yu Shuang. Shi Yunxuan immediately bit her tongue, leaving a trail of blood, and coughed a few times while clutching her chest.
"Shuang'er!" Xiang Wentian flew over and caught Xiang Yushuang, frowning as he checked on her condition.
Sect Leader Shi caught Shi Yunxuan at the same time. After checking her, he found that she was only slightly injured and was relieved. When Xiang Wentian looked over, he took out a pill and gave it to Shi Yunxuan. His expression was not good. "Yunxuan's previous injuries had just healed, and she was injured again today. I'm afraid we can't stay any longer. Sect Leader Xiang, we will leave once Zhengyang stops. I wonder how your daughter is?"
Xiang Wentian sensed that she no longer cared about the three corpses, so what could he say? Although Xiang Yushuang was seriously injured, he suppressed his anger after considering the situation and said in a deep voice, "Very well, we'll meet again another day. Shuang'er's injuries are quite severe, and she needs to recuperate for a while."
Xiang Wentian ordered someone to take the unconscious Xiang Yushuang back to her room, and Sect Leader Shi also had Shi Yunxuan sit in a chair to heal her injuries.
Xu Zifan and Huo Chongjun were both injured. Huo Chongjun was exhausted, and his attacks were greatly reduced. Xu Zifan, however, had his meridians expanded by the Snow Crystal Fruit, and still had abundant spiritual power, so his attacks were undiminished. The difference in skill was immediately apparent. Xu Zifan threw his Xuan Iron Fan, severing Huo Chongjun's sword in one fell swoop, and then unleashed a barrage of lightning strikes at Huo Chongjun. Huo Chongjun was completely enveloped in the lightning. He instinctively wanted to use his demonic powers, but he managed to restrain himself. The lightning made him feel suffocated, and his counterattack was delayed by half a beat. This hesitation allowed Xu Zifan to deliver a heavy blow, causing him to vomit blood on the spot, exactly the same situation as Xiang Yushuang.
Huo Chongjun struggled to his feet, saying reluctantly, "I admit defeat. But Zhengyang Zhenjun's actions were truly unreasonable. Can you now clear my name?"
"Of course not." Xu Zifan had successfully completed the mission, suffering only minor injuries, and was in a good mood. He smiled at Huo Chongjun, feinted a move, and flicked three pills that suppressed demonic energy into Huo Chongjun's mouth. Huo Chongjun's eyes widened in anger, and he shouted, "What did you feed me?!"
Xu Zifan didn't speak publicly, as the disciples outside were unaware of any demonic arts. He walked up to Xiang Wentian and spoke in a voice only those in the main hall could hear: "Sect Leader Xiang, the pill I gave him was personally refined by my master, specifically designed to counteract demonic energy. If he has no demonic energy, all is well. But if he is truly practicing demonic arts, no matter what method he uses to conceal it, the demonic energy within him will become chaotic. Here is another one; you can have the elders of the Alchemy Peak examine it."
An elder from the Xuantian Sect walked up behind Xiang Wentian, frowned, and asked, "How can we know that you are telling the truth?"
Xu Zifan bowed and said, "Sect Leader Xiang, esteemed elders, I grew up here and do not wish for anything to happen to the Xuantian Sect, nor do I wish for Sect Leader Xiang to be deceived. I do not blame Junior Sister for choosing Huo Chongjun, but I always feel that there are too many suspicious points in this matter. Huo Chongjun is definitely not a good person. After leaving the Xuantian Sect, I have been secretly investigating and finally discovered that Huo Chongjun is Huo Yan's son. He came to the Xuantian Sect to seek revenge on Sect Leader Xiang. Whether Sect Leader Xiang believes it or not, I was raised and taught by Sect Leader Xiang, and I should repay this favor. Now that I have informed you of this matter, my wish has been fulfilled. I will take my leave now."
Huo Chongjun was seriously injured and in great pain after taking the medicine. He didn't have time to stop Xu Zifan from speaking, and by the time he caught up, Xu Zifan had already finished. Sect Leader Shi walked over with Shi Yunxuan and said coldly, "This matter is of great importance. Sect Leader Xiang should investigate it carefully, lest the Xuantian Sect become a laughing stock in the world. Farewell."
Sect Leader Shi, Xu Zifan, Shi Yunxuan, and the others left directly, and Xiang Wentian did not try to stop them. He had more important matters to attend to. If Huo Chongjun was indeed Huo Yan's son, then what kind of terrible sin was this? How could he have caused his daughter to be deceived and suffer! Xiang Wentian ordered the elders to disperse the disciples, and he personally seized Huo Chongjun and took him to the back mountain for interrogation.
He first examined Huo Chongjun's injuries and the effects of the pills in his body, and found that, as Xu Zifan had said, the pills were indeed harmless to Huo Chongjun's body. Those were the pills that Shi Yunxuan took every time her demonic energy flared up, and now that Huo Chongjun had taken three at once, his demonic energy was running rampant no matter how much he tried to suppress it.
Huo Chongjun was stubborn and patient, suppressing his demonic energy and insisting that his pain stemmed from the injuries inflicted by Xu Zifan. However, Xiang Wentian trusted Xu Zifan more this time. He couldn't gamble his life with the Xuantian Sect; he'd rather kill the innocent than let the guilty go free. He intensified his interrogation methods, even planning to use soul-searching techniques to understand Huo Chongjun's past!
Xiang Yushuang remained unconscious, and with no one to help Huo Chongjun stop Xiang Wentian, Huo Chongjun, realizing that Xiang Wentian showed no hesitation whatsoever, finally couldn't keep up the act any longer and suddenly unleashed his demonic power to attack Xiang Wentian. Xiang Wentian was prepared and naturally wasn't hit, but his face was extremely ugly. Such a demonic cultivator, an enemy, had actually become his son-in-law; he was simply blind!
Enraged, Xiang Wentian unleashed a deadly attack. How could he sleep soundly until this man was eliminated? What would become of Xiang Yushuang if he continued to bewitch her? Considering the series of troubles Huo Chongjun had caused, Xiang Wentian's attacks grew increasingly swift, as if he intended to utterly destroy Huo Chongjun.
Huo Chongjun's demonic arts were powerful, but Xu Zifan's elixirs countered them, and he had previously been severely injured, making him no match for Xiang Wentian. He barely managed to withstand a dozen or so moves before being unable to retaliate. As he fell to the ground, the demonic energy within his body began to be drawn towards a nearby stone. This was the unique characteristic of his demonic energy; it could transfer along with his life force, silently leaving this body, and would live on even if he possessed another body in the future. This was what Huo Yan meant by having nine lives.
But he was facing Xiang Wentian, who had tried many methods to kill Huo Yan and had experience in this area. Huo Chongjun's palace now had less than a tenth the size of Huo Yan's; how could he possibly escape from Xiang Wentian?
Xiang Wentian threw out an array plate that surrounded Huo Chongjun, along with the stone he had just used to transfer demonic energy, and then activated the array plate. It was the Blazing Soul-Scorching Array, capable of burning the soul. No matter how powerful the demonic energy was, without the soul, there was nothing left.
The demonic energy on the stone instantly returned to Huo Chongjun's body. He struggled desperately in the center of the formation, screaming grotesquely, lunging at Xiang Wentian, but he could do nothing, only feeling his soul being burned. Suddenly, Xiang Yushuang rushed over!
"Chongjun! No!" She rushed into the formation at lightning speed, and even Xiang Wentian, who had been on guard against Huo Chongjun, couldn't stop her!