Qin Yun had been watching all of this from afar.

He finally lost his patience when he saw what was about to happen. The first task of "eating meat" had already infuriated him. Skyfiends from the Mental Demon lineage were known maniacs. Daoist cultivators were most afraid of developing a mental demon, but the Skyfiends of the Mental Demon lineage deliberately went down that route. Upon making contact, Qin Yun had infinite killing intent. Such fiends deserved death! He could not tolerate it!

However, he still acted according to the plan.

Skyfiends from the Mental Demon lineage had numerous enemies, many who wanted their heads. More than half of Ancestral Fiend Moxiu"s personal disciples had already died as a result of vendettas they created, but that was very common. This was the "calamity" that those from the Mental Demon lineage often encountered. Death awaited them if they failed to overcome it, but surviving the calamity meant that they could go further!

Qin Yun had feigned being someone with a vendetta with Moncanton! One who had finally gained the strength to seek revenge after many years of cultivation.

"Who are you?" Moncanton stood and glanced at Qin Yun who had rushed in, saying leisurely, "There are just too many who have grudges with me, many of whom I do not know."

Although he had a casual air, the array formation beneath his feet had already begun spinning. There was an array formation in the ceiling that was spinning in the opposite direction.

Layers of light protected Moncanton.

This was his cave abode! How could his lair not have any life-preservation means?

"Array formation?" The youth"s expression changed as he said coldly, "You are trying to stall for time. Die!"

With that said, a blood-colored crescent remained by his side to protect him while the other two streaked over with terrifying might, tearing apart the void.

Puah! Puah! Puah!

The two blood-colored crescents sliced through seven layers of light before losing their momentum.

Upon seeing this, Moncanton"s expression changed. "You concealed your strength previously? You have the strength of a half-step Ancestral Fiend?"

"I was afraid you would flee," said Qin Yun coldly.

Moncanton"s expression was ugly as he immediately crushed a blood jade. With talisman runes swirling around him as protection, he immediately transformed into a phantom in a bid to escape.

Hum!

The void warped, completely trapping Moncanton within.

"I have prepared for so many years to kill you. You won"t escape." Qin Yun"s cold voice was filled with killing intent.

"No, no—" Moncanton was on the brink of insanity as he racked his brains for means to escape.

He only had the strength of a ninth firmament Skyfiend. As a Skyfiend of the Mental Demon lineage, his life-preservation means were very unpredictable and immense despite him having ordinary offensive strength. Even if a half-step Ancestral Fiend were to attack him, it was still possible for him to escape if there was just a hint of carelessness on the attacker"s part. Therefore, Qin Yun had pretended to be a half-step Ancestral Fiend who had made arduous preparations. He wanted to make Moncanton feel utter despair.

Moncanton"s body warped in a bid to tunnel through the void, but he failed to do so.

Moncanton"s subordinates had long fled far away when they realized the situation was going downhill.

"It"s actually a half-step Ancestral Fiend."

"Master has just too many enemies. Real trouble has befallen him."

As for the five captives from the Wind Returning Sect in the hall, they were reeling with excitement. They had an immense grudge with Moncanton! Countless members of their sect were either dead or injured by his hand. Only a few thousand disciples remained alive, and they were the only five remaining members of the sect"s upper echelons.

"Hahaha! Moncanton, this is retribution! Even as fiends, you have to be careful of karmic retribution! You die once it befalls you!"

"Dad, Mom. This Moncanton is finally dying. He"s dying." A female prisoner wept.

"Moncanton, I can die in peace now that I get to watch you die."

"Senior! We have a huge grudge with Moncanton as well. Please save us."

"Senior…"

The five spoke out one after another.

However, Qin Yun ignored them completely. Although these five Skyfiends had been tormented by Moncanton, they had similarly committed heinous sins. They had also killed countless, only to succ.u.mb and be tortured to such a tragic state as a result of the Fiendish Dao"s strangest Mental Demon lineage. In fact, nearly all cultivators in the Fiendish Dao were the same. Few could be untainted when dabbling in such a heinous art!

"Die!" Qin Yun acted like he was giving his all. He controlled the blood-colored crescent and conjured what appeared to be "powerful" treasures.

He looked like his was giving his all, but Qin Yun was thinking to himself, "A ninth firmament Skyfiend from the Mental Demon lineage has quite impressive life-preservation means. Spending about ten seconds to kill him as a half-step Ancestral Fiend can be considered normal. As long as Ancestral Fiend Moxiu is willing to save his disciple, that ten seconds is definitely enough."

"Moxiu, are you coming to save your disciple or will you watch him die?"

Qin Yun was waiting.

…

Moxiu Palace.

This was Ancestral Fiend Moxiu"s cave abode palace. There were ma.s.sive numbers of Skyfiends patrolling in its periphery. Although Moxiu"s true body was not here, he still left an avatar in there to handle all sorts of miscellaneous matters.

His many disciples would also often leave an avatar in here even while traveling outside.

In an opulent hall.

Moxiu sat cross-legged inside alone. His body was ethereal as though he was an illusionary existence. He was covered in a pale golden halo. Suddenly, he sensed something and gave the order, "Take your leave, all of you."

"Yes." The servants inside the hall immediately left.

Moxiu stood up and suddenly a figure condensed inside the hall. It was a white-haired and white-robed elder with a benevolent countenance. Similarly, it was suffusing a pale golden halo.

"Patriarch." Moxiu bowed reverently.

The elder in front of him was the pioneer of the Mental Demon lineage—Patriarch Mental Demon! Although he only had the strength of a peak Ancestral Fiend, as the creator of the strangest lineage in the Fiendish Dao, the threat he posed to the Daoists, Buddhists and Heavenly Courts was in no way less than an existence with a perfected Great Dao. He did not engage in frontal a.s.saults, but acted in secret, enchanting others and controlling them.

It had already been revealed that several mighty figures were under Patriarch Mental Demon"s control.

"Moxiu," asked Patriarch Mental Demon. "Did you succeed in gathering information about Yang Jian?"

"My mental demon servant is a subordinate of his, having the post of general," said Moxiu with a frown. "Yang Jian had made an appearance back when Qin Yun swept through the twenty-six dominions of us fiends, but he never left Guanjiang River."

"The heavenly secrets behind Guanjiang River are blurry, making it difficult to spy upon. My mental demon servant will definitely be watching. Once Yang Jian does anything of note, immediately inform me," instructed Patriarch Mental Demon.

"Yes, Patriarch," replied Moxiu.

Patriarch Mental Demon nodded slightly before his avatar dissipated away.

Moxiu sat cross-legged gain as he frowned. "Yang Jian is only a pinnacle Golden Immortal. Although he cultivates in the Eight-Nine Arcane Art. His existence doesn"t make a significant impact on the Heavenly Courts and Daoists. Whatever, I"ll just abide by the orders given!"

All these years, Moxiu could sense that the fiends were gearing up for something. However, it was a vague feeling.

Suddenly—

"Master, save me. Save me!" A scream sounded from outside the hall.

"Come in." Moxiu frowned as he controlled the cave abode array formation and allowed Moncanton"s avatar entry.

The moment Moncanton"s avatar entered, it said frantically, "Master, a half-step Ancestral Fiend has arrived inside my cave abode and is attempting to kill me. I can"t last much longer."

"What?" A sharp glint flashed in Moxiu"s eyes. "Which half-step Ancestral Fiend is it?"

Among his remaining eleven disciples, Moncanton was indeed his most beloved.

"I don"t know him. Probably one of my enemies who recently had a breakthrough. He is sparing no expense in order to kill me." Moncanton"s avatar knelt as he said hurriedly, "Master, I can"t last longer. Master, save me!"

"You don"t know?" Moxiu frowned slightly and soon, a look of alarm flashed in his eyes. "I tried to probe the karmic ties with my true body but failed? What background does this half-step Ancestral Fiend have? No matter, I still have to think of a way to save my disciple first."

…

"Brother Kukan, my disciple, Moncanton, is under a.s.sault by a half-step Ancestral Fiend in his cave abode at the moment. Please help save my disciple."

"Moxiu, who is the half-step Ancestral Fiend? What background does he have?"

"I"ve tried inferring the karmic ties, but failed to gather anything. Perhaps he has a rare treasure on him that blurs the secrets of heaven. If you kill him, you might be able to obtain that powerful treasure."

"It"s also possible that he has a powerful background! Helping might end up giving me trouble. I won"t be able to provide any a.s.sistance."

…

Two voices communicated over a karmic voice transmission across a huge distance.

Half-step Ancestral Fiends were considered powerful experts among the fiends. They typically had masters! Even if they were originally itinerant cultivators, by becoming a half-step Ancestral Fiend, it would mean that they could enter a powerful faction. Ancestral Fiend Kukan was unwilling to help fight against a half-step Ancestral Fiend whose ident.i.ty was a mystery.

"Master, I can"t last any longer!" Moncanton"s avatar screamed in despair as he kowtowed frantically.

"Despite our ties, Kukan still does not wish to attack an unknown half-step Ancestral Fiend. Perhaps, only someone with the strength of a pinnacle Ancestral Fiend would not mind interjecting. However, the price of getting the help of such an ent.i.ty is too high. This disciple of mine isn"t worth that much." Moxiu had made up his mind while looking at his kowtowing disciple.

"Don"t worry. I"ll save you," said Moxiu as he looked at his disciple.

"Thank you, Master! Thank you." Moncanton"s avatar was overjoyed as he hurriedly said, "Master, why haven"t you taken action?"

"I"ve requested another Ancestral Fiend to help. He will soon take action." Moxiu smiled at his disciple.

"I can"t take it any longer. No more! Master, quick! Quick!!!" The eyes of Moncanton"s avatar turned red. "Master—"

Hua!

Moncanton"s avatar dissipated.

With his true body dead, his avatar naturally dissipated.

"Disciple, don"t worry. I will avenge your death." Moxiu"s eyes were cold. "I will slowly investigate who that half-step Ancestral Fiend is. Hmph!"

…

Moncanton was finally slain by the gray-robed youth after lasting for about ten excruciating seconds.

A ninth firmament Skyfiend of the Mental Demon lineage had perished just like that.

"He"s finally dead. Hahaha! I have awaited this day for so long." Qin Yun laughed loudly as he departed in the form of a beam of light.

"Senior, save us. Save us!" The five prisoners were still shouting, but Qin Yun did not return.

…

Qin Yun appeared on a desolate gra.s.sland.

"Nice one, Moxiu. As expected of an Ancestral Fiend of the Mental Demon lineage. How cunning and careful," said Qin Yun softly. "He probably could not infer my background. Not only did he just watch his disciple die, he even avoided the risk of probing across the void? With my attainments of s.p.a.ce-time, I would have immediately discovered him if he had spied remotely with his true body!"

Qin Yun felt a little helpless.

It would have been best if Moxiu had come to rescue his disciple. In a frontal a.s.sault, Moxiu was nothing.

Qin Yun would have discovered him if he had dared spy on him.

But…

Moxiu did not do so.

"However, I"ve killed your disciple and you wish to kill a half-step Ancestral Fiend like me now. A karmic tie… has been forged between us, and is strong. The stronger the karmic tie, the harder it is for you to hide." Qin Yun used the Seven Stars Art again as he inferred with his fingers. The heavenly secrets were a blur, but with a stronger karmic tie, Qin Yun had greater hopes of tearing through the fog and seeing more.

Moments later, Qin Yun revealed a smile.