"I... even if I turn into a ghost..."
The killing elder let out a mournful howl, his fierce and malevolent eyes fixed on Ying Chen, spitting out a dying curse.
But before his curse could be finished, a continuous crackling sound echoed from within his body.
It was the Zi Zhu Ming Huo, spreading and blooming throughout his organs, instantly filling every corner of his body!
The killing elder fell to the ground, writhing like a slippery loach, his struggles leaving trails on the earth.
Within seconds, he fell silent.
He curled into a ball, only the faint green flames flickering silently.
Hiss!
Seeing this, everyone collectively gasped.
Even the few Shen Nong Sect elders who had intended to intervene retreated.
With the Zi Zhu Ming Huo's unshakeable nature upon contact, if they had stepped in to help, their fate would have been the same as the killing elder!
"Demon! Demon! I never imagined that after over a hundred years of purity in the Xuanmen, a demon like you would reappear!"
"Elders, the time has come to act on behalf of heaven and punish evil! As a great sect of the Xuanmen, we Shen Nong Sect cannot stand idly by in the face of resurgent demons!"
"Kill him!"
Cang Jue Zi was skilled at twisting truths and inciting people.
He directly branded Ying Chen as a demon.
It was important to note that since the Xuanmen unified a hundred years ago to eradicate a powerful demonic sect, no demons had appeared.
Under the guise of "exterminating demons," Cang Jue Zi perfectly concealed his ignoble intentions of murder and treasure seizing!
If this were to spread, he would not only escape condemnation but would likely receive widespread praise!
The remaining elders of the Shen Nong Sect reacted swiftly, raising their arms and shouting: "Act on behalf of heaven, punish evil!"
"Act on behalf of heaven, punish evil!"
In an instant, their shouts resonated, the atmosphere surged.
A united momentum coalesced, harmonizing with the feng shui and qi of the Shen Nong Sect. It rose into the sky, transforming into a blossoming lotus-shaped cloud that descended in strands.
All Shen Nong Sect disciples within the cloud's reach felt inexplicably invigorated, as if receiving some kind of power boost!
Meanwhile, Ying Chen and those around him felt as if their minds were being subjected to a terrifying pressure. Their thoughts became sluggish, and their eyes were filled with intense fear.
It was as if they were trapped in the depths of hell, with Cang Jue Zi as Yama, the elders as judges, and the remaining Shen Nong Sect disciples as ox-headed and horse-faced demons, and ghostly soldiers.
"No... don't..." Min Ziqing's willpower was clearly inferior to Professor Li's. He was the first to be affected.
He cried out in terror, his knees buckling as he was about to fall to his knees.
He looked as though he were confessing his sins before the King of Hell's judgment!
Professor Li, on the other hand, though his body trembled and his teeth were clenched, stood ramrod straight, showing no inclination to kneel.
"You are quite beyond my expectations." Ying Chen cast a surprised glance at Professor Li.
He had initially thought Professor Li was merely a pedantic scholar, but he did not expect him to possess such strong mental fortitude.
It seemed Professor Li must have gone through some experiences to possess such resilience.
"You demons, burdened with heavy sins, why do you not kneel?"
Cang Jue Zi suddenly bellowed.
His voice, amplified by the lotus cloud, rolled and spread like thunder from the heavens, striking Ying Chen and the others' ears.
Min Ziqing, who was already on the verge of kneeling, could no longer resist. He immediately knelt before Cang Jue Zi.
Professor Li's last sliver of mental defense was breached, and his body also began to bend.
Just as the two were about to be disgraced, Ying Chen spoke softly, his tongue flicking slightly.
"Break!"
Boom!
As if a divine decree had been issued from the heavens, the oppressive cloud that had been hanging over their heads suddenly exploded.
The terrifying pressure vanished instantly without a trace.
Min Ziqing's knees, which had been about to touch the ground, sprang back straight like springs.
Professor Li also straightened his posture.
Conversely, all the Shen Nong Sect disciples and elders let out a muffled groan and staggered back a step.
Some even spat out a mouthful of blood!
"How can this be?"
The Shen Nong Sect members exchanged bewildered glances, disbelief etched on their faces.
This was a technique they had been learning since the day they first entered the sect!
By leveraging the sect's advantageous feng shui and terrain, combined with the disciples' spiritual consciousness and blood qi, they formed an aura that could suppress their enemies.
Anyone below the Heaven Rank would inevitably be affected, their combat power greatly reduced!
Who would have thought that Ying Chen would not only be unaffected but would also shatter their technique with a casual word?
A flicker of fear and awe ignited in the eyes of many Shen Nong Sect disciples.
Such cultivation was likely beyond even their Sect Leader, Cang Jue Zi.
"I underestimated you!" Cang Jue Zi's eyes glinted with seriousness as he said coldly.
"However, the more difficult the path of demon eradication, the more it proves the righteous heart of our Shen Nong Sect!"
"Are the eight hundred disciples of our Shen Nong Sect afraid of death?"
"I shall lead the charge!"
"If I fall in battle, please engrave these words on my tombstone – Cang Jue Zi of Shen Nong Sect: I died without regret, eradicating demons and upholding righteousness!"
Cang Jue Zi declared righteously.
Then, he transformed into a blur, charging towards Ying Chen with immense power!
The remaining Shen Nong Sect elders and disciples, inspired by Cang Jue Zi's fearless spirit, felt ashamed to retreat.
With their Sect Leader so resolute, how could they falter?
Thus, they ignited their resolve for a deathly battle, shouting "Kill!" and swarming towards Ying Chen like a dense, fearless tide of ants!
In a blink of an eye, all that could be seen were the charging figures of the Shen Nong Sect members.
Ying Chen was no longer visible.
It was as if he had been mercilessly swallowed!
"As expected of an immortal sect! Such a display deserves a round of applause and hearty toasts!"
The onlookers who had come seeking medicine expressed their excitement and reverence.
It was as if Cang Jue Zi's earlier act of murder and treasure seizure had been erased by his stirring speech.
All that remained was Cang Jue Zi's magnificent figure, charging forward to eradicate demons and uphold righteousness.
"What should we do?" Professor Li and Min Ziqing, facing the tide of Shen Nong Sect members, asked with pale faces.
Ying Chen, however, remained calm and replied, "If numbers were effective, I would have died alone on the Bai Yue battlefield years ago, instead of being alive today."
Professor Li's expression stiffened.
The Battle of Bai Yue was the most arduous and fierce campaign in the process of the First Emperor's unification of the six kingdoms!
It had cost hundreds of thousands of lives and rivers of blood to conquer Bai Yue, completing the final step of unification!
Who would have thought Ying Chen had even participated in that war?
And had faced the Bai Yue army alone?
The thought of that heroic history stirred boundless ambition and courage in Professor Li's heart.
If even the Bai Yue army could not defeat Ying Chen, what chance did a mere few hundred Shen Nong Sect disciples have?