Inside the Star Pavilion, two Golden Core Stage Demon Cultivators sprawled carelessly in their chairs, each with an arm wrapped around a girl. Several other brightly dressed women were serving them tea and pouring wine.
If anyone from the outside were to see this, they would be utterly shocked to discover that these fawning men and women were the very idols they daydreamed of and worshipped.
"This is the life! What pure enjoyment!" Protector Miao squinted, his hands wandering freely.
Beside him, Protector Zhang clicked his tongue and said, "Elder Qi really knows how to have fun! If you ask me, guarding our base here is great. There’s a lot to gain in Limitless City, but it’s also dangerous. If something went wrong, wouldn’t it be a huge loss?"
It was strange, though. While the women before them were attractive, this was not the first time the Protectors had indulged. In the past, it had always felt just so-so. But ever since Elder Qi had styled and promoted them, the experience was completely different. It gave them a pleasure unlike any other. The feeling was especially potent when they thought about the foolish humans outside, who spent their days lusting after and worshipping these wretches.
It was simply exquisite.
After a few more drinks, their spirits soared. Protector Miao grew restless. He stood up with a girl in his arms and announced, "You guys keep drinking. I’m heading back to my room!"
Protector Zhang scoffed, "Look at you, so impatient. We have all the time in the world, don’t we?"
"You don’t get it," Protector Miao said. "I’ve been holding it in for way too long!"
When Elder Qi was around, he wasn’t completely without entertainment, but he always got the leftovers. Today, however, he was the brightest star in the Star Pavilion.
Mine, mine, all mine!
Filled with this magnificent ambition, Protector Miao strode out of the room, hugging the girl tightly. He laughed heartily at the sky, "This time, I shall battle for three days and three nights!"
[Detected boasting. Congratulations, Host, for gaining Mana +66!]
"Protector Miao, you’re so naughty~"
Protector Miao had just returned to his courtyard with the girl when a voice suddenly called out from behind him.
Protector Miao turned to see Protector Zhang and couldn’t help but ask, "Why did you follow me?"
Protector Zhang gave him a knowing smirk. "I just got some good stuff from a healer!"
At these words, Protector Miao’s eyes lit up. "Oh? Such a thing exists? Quick, let me see!"
Protector Zhang chuckled and flipped his hand over. "Look!"
Protector Miao focused his gaze. With a flash of mystic light, a blood-red immortal sword suddenly appeared in "Protector Zhang’s" hand. Its murderous aura was overwhelming, and its Sword Intent was astonishing.
Protector Miao’s pupils shrank. The feeling of being enveloped by death instantly snuffed out his consciousness. The girl beside him didn’t even have time to scream before her throat was slit by a flash of the blade. Her body convulsed, revealing its true form: a massive, dark green spider.
Back in the room, Protector Zhang watched Protector Miao’s retreating figure, then turned to the girl in his arms and said, "Come on, forget about him. Let’s keep drinking!"
After a couple more cups, Protector Zhang froze. "Brother Miao? You’re back already? Don’t tell me... you’re finished?"
"Nonsense!" Protector Miao retorted. "That’s not true! I didn’t!"
"PFFT!" Protector Zhang burst out laughing, clutching his stomach. "Brother Miao, my friend, I’m not laughing at you. I just suddenly thought of something hilarious... Hahaha..."
"Stop laughing!" Protector Miao snapped.
Protector Zhang continued, "Brother Miao, don’t be sad. It’s no big deal! I know a healer who can work miracles, specializing in this sort of problem. He’s very effective... To be honest, I used to be just like you! But after his treatment, hehe... look at me now!"
[Detected boasting. Congratulations, Host, for gaining Mana +66!]
As he spoke, the woman in his arms rolled her eyes.
"Come, come, Brother Miao. You’re probably not in a hurry anymore. Let’s keep drinking... Elder Qi is finally gone for a bit, so we have to have fun!" Protector Zhang walked over and slung an arm around Protector Miao’s neck.
"If you keep this up," Protector Miao said, "I might have to stab you, you know!"
Protector Zhang paused, then chuckled. "Stab me? Go on... let’s see you try! I—"
He suddenly stopped, his smile freezing on his face. He slowly lowered his head, his eyes widening in disbelief at the blood-red immortal sword piercing through his kidneys.
What the hell, you’re serious?
"You people of the Demonic Path, why do you always make such bizarre requests?"
Protector Miao’s voice changed, becoming a pleasant, youthful tone. His appearance shifted in an instant.
"You... you..." Protector Zhang’s eyes bulged as he tried to muster his last ounce of strength to reach his Communication Token.
The Sword Intent exploded within him, unleashing a cloud of blood mist. His body, along with his Golden Core, was utterly annihilated.
The room fell silent for a moment before a piercing scream shattered the quiet. Not far away, a man with a limp wrist and an orchid-finger pose scrambled to his feet and fled outside. The rest of the men and women snapped out of their stupor and ran for their lives.
The Golden Core Stage protector was dead. How could these minor demons and devils, who were merely at the Foundation Establishment Stage or even the Qi Refinement Realm, have any thought of resisting?
Wang Xiu stood leisurely in place, waiting until they had run a few dozen meters and burst through the main entrance of the Star Pavilion. Only then did he form a hand seal.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
The Four Symbols Evil-Subduing Formation, laid out in advance, activated instantly. In a flash, azure, red, white, and green mystic lights shot into the sky, enveloping the entire pavilion. The crushing power of the Four Symbols bore down on them. The disciples of the Demonic Path were completely immobilized, pressed to the ground with their bones creaking loudly. As a reflex, waves of demonic and ghostly auras seeped from their bodies in a futile attempt to resist.
On the street, the common folk stared, dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events. They clearly hadn’t processed why their dazzling idols had suddenly transformed into such hideous figures. Get full chapters from novèlfire.net
"Brother... Brother, what’s happened to you?" a deeply infatuated girl in the crowd cried out, her heart aching as she stared at one of the glamorously made-up men, tears welling in her eyes. She wanted to run over and give her beloved brother a hug.
However, she stopped halfway, her eyes wide with disbelief at the scene before her. The handsome, slender man, under the terrifying pressure of the formation, could no longer maintain his disguise.
He reverted to his true form—a pitch-black rooster!
"CLUCK! CLUCK! CLUCK!"
The loud crowing assaulted everyone’s ears. They were all stunned. The scene fell into a dead silence. The girl was completely dumbfounded.
My brother... is actually a chicken? No! This can’t be!
Her world was in shambles as she stood dazed in the wind. She wasn’t the only one in disarray; the others around her were equally stunned. Soon, they could only watch as their idols transformed into all sorts of bizarre creatures. Some grew tails from their backsides, others turned into monkeys. Still others became wailing spirits, struggling within the formation with eerie, terrifying shrieks. The variety of monsters was endless.
These creatures were merely tools for the Seventh Elder to test his methods. He was only trying to see if this approach would work. They weren’t genuine Demon Cultivators. In the market, the weakest of the Devil Race were the cheapest. Not to mention cat girls and leopard girls; even chickens were used. Then there were the lost souls. One only had to find a body, and they were ready to use. Budget-friendly and convenient.
With Wang Xiu’s current strength, he could have set up the Four Symbols Evil-Subduing Formation to instantly wipe out these minions. But he deliberately controlled the formation’s power to let the obsessed fans outside see the true faces of these monsters.
Slaying demons is easy. Eradicating the Heart Demons of others is hard. If he was later branded as the one who killed their beloved brothers and sisters, that would be a nightmare. It would be impossible to explain.
Finally, when all the demons and monsters had revealed their true forms, Wang Xiu no longer hesitated. With a wave of his hand, the power of the Four Symbols swept across the area, erasing them all from existence.
The monsters are dealt with! Now, for my spoils of war!
Wang Xiu first collected the Space Rings and Communication Tokens from the two Golden Core Stage protectors. Then, following the memories he had plundered, he located the Star Pavilion’s treasury and kicked open its massive doors.
When he saw the inside filled to the brim with gold piled up like a mountain, a genuine smile spread across his face.
Just then, the Communication Token at Wang Xiu’s waist chimed.
Is that... Xiao Qingyu?