Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 410 The Self-Destruction of a Void Returning Realm Cultivator
Qu Heng watched as Zhou Lang and Yin Xiaoshuang were beaten until they vomited blood, but he felt no emotion whatsoever.

Even he couldn't tell whether the two were acting or not.

The injuries on these two people were so realistic that Qu Heng couldn't see any flaws.

But whether he is real or fake, Qu Heng directly regards the Mirage Sect as his opponent. It's just one against three, which is not a big problem.

Now Qu Heng only needs to wait until the two members of the Mirage Sect are completely killed, or until Fei Lian is eliminated.

Regardless of the method, he would never take action unless someone was killed.

Seeing Qu Heng's cold response, Zhou Lang couldn't help but feel annoyed.

Chen Ye, the sect leader, was a swindler who stole all the mirage demons from the Mirage Tower Sect. This Supreme Elder, who came from a demonic sect, not only refused to help but also wanted to reap the benefits.

The Yellow Springs Sect is indeed full of bad people from top to bottom.

However, judging others by one's own standards, Zhou Lang had long anticipated that the Yellow Springs Sect would be vengeful, so when Qu Heng didn't fall for it, he had other methods.

Zhou Lang, supporting his half-collapsed body, looking like he was on the verge of death from serious injuries, let out a grief-stricken cry: "Although the Yellow Springs Sect and my Mirage Sect have a grudge, I never expected that they would still be so petty in the face of such a matter of right and wrong. Qu Heng, you stood by and watched someone die, you are unworthy of the title of righteous path!"

Qu Heng watched expressionlessly. Zhou Lang was far too naive to think he could risk his life based on just a few words.

Regardless of whether his acting was good or bad, Zhou Lang shouted, "Slaying demons and eliminating evil is our righteous duty. Let's risk everything and perish together!"
Zhou Lang's voice sounded very firm. He clasped his hands together, circulated his magical power, and streaks of light appeared on his body.

Soon, a semi-transparent spherical barrier formed, enveloping half of the sky.

Zhou Lang, Yin Xiaoshuang, and Fei Lian were all trapped inside the barrier. From the outside, the scene inside the barrier was completely distorted, like a chaotic mass of light and shadow, making it impossible to see clearly.

This looks like they're going to tie Fei Lian up and then fight him to the death.

However, Qu Heng felt that Zhou Lang's acting was a bit exaggerated.

If you really can't beat them, why don't you run away? Demonic cultivators usually have methods of rebirth. Why are you two righteous cultivators risking your lives? Are you out of your minds?
However, just because Qu Heng can see through it doesn't mean others can.

Zhou Lang's righteous and awe-inspiring speech could be heard by even the mortals in the imperial city.

Perhaps they didn't know what the Mirage Sect or the Yellow Springs Sect were, but when later people investigated, the Yellow Springs Sect could be condemned for crimes such as failing to save those in distress and betraying their fellow practitioners.

"But is this Zhou Lang really just putting on such a show to frame the Yellow Springs Sect?"

Qu Heng frowned in thought, feeling that it wasn't that simple.

The Huangquan Sect could easily dispel most of the misunderstanding with a simple explanation; the Huangquan Sect, which dominates the northern frontier, cannot be shaken by a few idle words.

If a few idle words could destroy a major sect, then the Incense Burning Sect would have been wiped out long ago, without needing to wait for the Demon Lord Wujiu to take action.

Qu Heng felt that Zhou Lang had ulterior motives, and the more he couldn't guess what Zhou Lang was up to, the more careful he should be.

Inside the barrier, Zhou Lang was no longer in a state of grief and indignation. His body, which had lost most of its bones, had been restored to its original state, and the previous injuries were entirely an act.

Zhou Lang faced Fei Lian, speaking to him like a friend: "This barrier can completely block outside prying eyes, so there's no need to worry about being discovered."

Lord Feilian exclaimed, "The illusion techniques of the Mirage Sect are indeed superb. Just now, I couldn't even tell whether I had hit your physical body or not."

Zhou Lang said proudly, "If I were to fail so easily, all my hard work over the past few hundred years would have been in vain."

Yin Xiaoshuang remained silent, showing no reaction to the collusion between good and evil before her, hovering to the side like a puppet.

Lord Feilian glanced at Yin Xiaoshuang, then said to Zhou Lang, "Getting back to the point, Qu Heng is completely unmoved. How do you plan to deal with this? Don't forget you promised Youluozi that you would remove obstacles for me."

Zhou Lang's face turned somewhat ugly, and he couldn't help but curse, "I didn't expect the Yellow Springs Sect to be so despicable. They remain indifferent at this critical moment. They talk so grandly in ordinary times, but when it really matters, they are nothing but selfish people."

Lord Feilian did not agree; instead, he seemed slightly embarrassed.

The Zhou Lang in front of us is truly shameless. He clearly sided with the Demonic Sect, yet he turns around and blames the Yellow Spring Sect for being selfish and self-serving.

Even among the demonic cultivators, few are so brazenly unreasonable; this is the kind of hypocritical, sanctimonious person depicted in folk tales.

However, Zhou Lang was a decisive man. Since he had already embarked on a path of no return, he had no intention of turning back.

"Please rest assured, fellow Daoist, I have already made preparations. As long as we do this and that..."

Zhou Lang spoke carefully with Fei Lian for a few moments, then glanced at Yin Xiaoshuang, looking confident and composed.

Fei Lian listened carefully, and when he fully understood Zhou Lang's plan, he couldn't help but show a shocked expression.

That traitor is ruthless!
Fei Lian asked, "Are you sure you have this Sect Leader Yin completely under your control?"

Zhou Lang said with absolute confidence, "Of course, I have erased all her memories. Otherwise, the Ice and Fire Phoenix Fellow Daoist might not have been able to deal with it so easily."

Lord Feilian was too lazy to argue with Zhou Lang, but simply reminded him, "Then hurry up. Although Youluozi is holding back Yunlu Immortal Sect and Qinghe Sword Sect, she may not be able to hold out for long. If these two sects can free themselves, then you will have no choice but to flee for your life."

Zhou Lang's expression was stern, and he said resolutely, "There are no ifs."

After saying this, half of Zhou Lang's body collapsed again, with several more gruesome wounds than before, making him look like he only had half a breath left.

Yin Xiaoshuang's body was also like that, limp and as if all the bones in her body had been broken, her Taoist robe was covered in bloodstains, and she looked no different from a corpse.

In the blink of an eye, the chaotic and distorted barrier suddenly burst open, and two figures fell from the sky like kites with broken strings. They were Zhou Lang and Yin Xiaoshuang. They looked exhausted, clearly having suffered a great loss in their battle with Lord Feilian.

The two crashed heavily into the imperial city below, collapsing more than a dozen magnificent palaces and kicking up clouds of dust.

Even so, the Crimson Dragon Buddha, suspended high in the sky, remained unmoved. Qu Heng merely watched coldly, as if the lives and deaths of the two were none of his concern.

But Lord Feilian had no intention of letting him continue watching the show. He pointed his black wooden staff at Qu Heng, and a beam of dark light shot out from the tip of the staff, directly towards the huge phantom of the Crimson Dragon Buddha.

With a sudden, thunderous roar, the Crimson Dragon Buddha's massive tail lashed out, striking the dark light with pinpoint accuracy.

At the point of impact, the void shattered inch by inch, and spiderweb-like black cracks spread outwards. This simple strike had already exceeded the limits of what this realm could withstand.

Qu Heng had no choice but to shift all his attention to Fei Lian.

He didn't care whether Zhou Lang acted or not, but if Fei Lian was serious, he would have to be careful.

The supernatural power of "words becoming law" is too special; one wrong move and you might capsize in a ditch.

Fei Lian, with the air of a victor, said to Qu Heng, "I know you. When you cooperated with Nirvana Sect, I advised Monk Jinming against it. He thought he was the one waiting in the wings, but in my opinion, Nirvana Sect was clearly trying to get something from a tiger."

Qu Heng chuckled lightly: "You flatter me, Your Excellency. At that time, I was merely a Nascent Soul cultivator, no different from an ant. What merit or ability did I have to earn such high regard from Your Excellency?"

"Let's not beat around the bush," Fei Lian's voice was as cold as the wind. "Your achievements today prove my initial judgment. I'm bringing up the past not to settle old scores, but to tell you that I never underestimated you. But your caution cost you two people who could have been your help."

"So you brought this on yourself, you deserve to die!"

Lord Feilian raised his black wooden staff high, declaring as if in judgment: "Dragons and snakes must not be mixed!"

Qu Heng's expression changed.

The phantom of the Crimson Serpent Dragon Buddha behind him let out a painful roar. The majestic dragon horns on its head rapidly retracted, and the sharp dragon claws on its body withered and disappeared. In a mere breath, the imposing Crimson Serpent Dragon Buddha was forcibly reverted to its original form, degenerating back into the appearance of a Crimson Serpent.

This is not just a change in appearance, but a serious decline in strength.

Lord Feilian weakened Qu Heng's strength by half with just a single sentence.

Qu Heng knew he couldn't continue watching the show; if Fei Lian kept talking, he might just talk him to death.

In an instant, raging golden flames erupted from his body, transforming into thousands of fire serpents that shot towards Lord Feilian in an overwhelming barrage. Each fire serpent seemed to possess a life of its own, twisting and dancing in the air, weaving together a vast golden net that blotted out the sky, completely enveloping Feilian.

Faced with the "Golden Flame Serpent Dance," Fei Lian did not use his "Words Come True" technique again. Instead, he tossed the animal hide cloak behind him into the air. The cloak grew in the wind, transforming into a huge curtain that precisely blocked the fire net.

Qu Heng laughed and said, "It seems I was overthinking it. Your words can't kill me with just a few words, can they?"

In the midst of their conversation, his figure appeared like a ghost above Fei Lian's head, slamming down with one hand. As the hand descended, it rapidly transformed into a scarlet demonic palm, its skin peeled off, emanating an aura that corroded everything.

Devouring Heaven Demon Hand, the signature move of the Demon Lord Wujiu.

With a single palm strike, all things wither and die.

Fei Lian's animal hide cloak had just blocked the golden flames, but under the shadow of the demon's hand, it immediately began to emit wisps of smoke, clearly unable to withstand the corrosive power.

Fei Lian had no choice but to speak again: "This treasure is indestructible!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the surface of the animal hide cloak, which had been corroded and charred black, was immediately coated with a hazy, clear light. No matter how much the scarlet, poisonous blood dripped down, it could only be like water droplets sliding across a lotus leaf, unable to cause it the slightest damage.

Qu Heng, however, seemed not to see it. Instead of withdrawing the spell, he frantically circulated his spiritual energy, his hands moving so fast they became a blur.

In an instant, dozens of identical scarlet demonic hands appeared simultaneously from all directions, slapping wildly at Fei Lian in the center, as if they wanted to crush a fly into mincemeat.

Even the strongest supernatural powers consume spiritual energy, and Qu Heng refused to believe that Fei Lian could outlast him. The endless incense offerings and prayers of the Northern Frontier were continuously providing him with magical power. Although the Crimson Dragon Buddha had been forcibly degenerated, its fundamental essence remained intact, only temporarily suppressed. As long as the pressure continued, he was confident that he could completely deplete this demon's spiritual energy.

He wanted to see if this supernatural power of making words come true could conjure up spiritual energy out of thin air.

The afterimage of the Devouring Demon Hand pounded wildly, and Fei Lian could only rely on his animal hide cloak to barely hold on, while constantly waving his black wooden staff and shooting out streaks of dark light to fight back.

Qu Heng dared not take the strange dark light head-on, and could only control the huge body of the Crimson Serpent Buddha to defend or dodge.

The battle between the two in the sky abandoned all the exquisite techniques and turned into the most primitive and savage head-on collision.

Whether the Devouring Demon Hand will destroy the animal skin cloak first, or whether Qu Heng will be struck by the black wooden staff first, will depend on who can't hold on any longer.

This kind of simple consumption of spiritual energy often lasts for a long time, because cultivators in the Returning to the Void Realm can tear through the void and thus directly "steal" some spiritual energy from the Immortal Realm to replenish their own consumption.

Just like when Chen Ye condensed his eighteen Qi Seas, there was no suitable place for cultivation in the mortal realm, so he could only break through the shackles of the mortal realm with an array to obtain vast spiritual energy from the immortal realm.

Cultivators at the Returning to Void Realm do not need formations; they can tear through the void wherever their thoughts reach, thus continuously replenishing their energy.

Therefore, this will be a protracted battle.

Qu Heng is not afraid of being drained. Besides the incense offerings from the Northern Frontier, he also has allies.

As long as we can stall for time until Master Yuji of the Qinghe Sword Sect arrives, the two of them working together will surely make it impossible for this demon to escape.

The fierce battle quickly reached a stalemate, with Qu Heng and Fei Nian both fully focused and not daring to be distracted in the slightest.

But at that moment, Qu Heng suddenly sensed something was wrong.

Feilian's speed seemed to have increased significantly without anyone noticing. The Crimson Serpent Buddha, who could previously spare a moment to spew golden flames to suppress the attack, was now forced to coil up and passively defend against the Black Wooden Staff's attack with its hard bone armor.

Even more strangely, although the opponent's speed had clearly increased, the consumption of spiritual energy seemed to remain unchanged.

Qu Heng frowned deeply.

It wasn't that Feilian had become faster, but rather that something was affecting his senses.

Qu Heng immediately realized the problem and couldn't help but curse, "Zhou Lang, you despicable scoundrel, you've finally stopped acting?!"

Unbeknownst to him, he had already fallen into an illusion. The other party's methods were extremely skillful; they did not create any false scenes, but subtly distorted his five senses, making him always react a fraction slower than Fei Lian.

In a contest between those at the Void Returning Realm, the slightest difference can lead to a completely different outcome. This slight delay was enough to put him at a complete disadvantage.

Despite this, Qu Heng remained completely calm. From the very beginning, he had never trusted Zhou Lang and Yin Xiaoshuang, and had long been prepared to fight three against one.

"You wicked thief, let's see the treasure!"

Qu Heng roared and took out a glittering golden object from his storage bag, then threw it into the air.

It was a golden seal the size of a palm. After it was released, it grew larger in the wind and in the blink of an eye, it turned into a blazing sun, hanging high in the sky.

Ten thousand golden rays shot out from the seal, piercing in all directions like sharp swords.

Wherever the golden light passed, the surrounding space rippled like water with pebbles thrown in, before quickly returning to its original calm.

The Flying Lord, who had been moving at an unbelievable speed, suddenly stopped and returned to normal speed.

Qu Heng laughed loudly, "My grand-disciple is indeed a person favored by Heaven!"

This golden seal, like the water-repelling pearl and the Ruyi Divine Weapon, was obtained by Chen Ye from opening a box in the Ruins of Return. Qu Heng studied it for a period of time before he understood the effects of this golden seal.

This golden seal has no offensive or defensive capabilities, and it's too slow to use it to smash people, but wherever the golden seal covers, the spiritual energy changes accordingly.

It's like stamping a seal on a piece of paper; it means everything is set in stone and cannot be easily changed.

The golden seal's function is to limit the changes in spiritual energy in one area, which is perfect for countering illusion techniques.

Zhou Lang, who was hiding in the shadows, seemed to have not expected that Qu Heng would have such a magic weapon. Caught off guard, he was hit by the golden light and his figure was immediately exposed.

"Damn it! Why does your Yellow Springs Sect always suppress my Mirage Sect in everything!"

Zhou Lang let out a roar of unwillingness, his eyes instantly turning blood red. He stopped using any magic and charged straight at Qu Heng like a mad bull.

Qu Heng was startled. Had Zhou Lang gone mad and wanted to die with him?
Regardless of whether they are righteous or demonic, most high-level cultivators will cultivate one or two self-destructive supernatural abilities as their last resort. However, Zhou Lang's actions did not seem like he was trying to drag him down with him; rather, it seemed more like a desperate act by a dog after his identity was exposed.

Fei Lian wasn't idle either. He took the opportunity to swing his black wooden staff, causing the golden seal in the air to tremble with light, and the solidified space around him began to become unstable again.

The spiritual energy surged wildly into Zhou Lang's body, his eyes grew increasingly bloodshot, and the fluctuations of his spiritual power became extremely unstable, as if they would explode at the slightest touch.

Qu Heng didn't bother to retrieve his magic weapon; he didn't want to give Zhou Lang any chance.

Just as he was preparing to temporarily avoid the limelight, the voice of Lord Feilian rang out again.

"Certainly!"

Just one word made Qu Heng sway slightly.

Although Qu Heng was only frozen in place for the time it takes to snap his fingers, Zhou Lang had already crashed into him.

Qu Heng could only grit his teeth and let the Crimson Serpent Buddha coil around him, relying on the power of this Buddha to withstand Zhou Lang's suicidal attack.

Just as Zhou Lang was about to collide with Qu Heng, a figure with a face full of blood and tears suddenly appeared and blocked Zhou Lang's way.

Zhou Lang exclaimed loudly, "Yin Xiaoshuang!"

The two bodies collided, and Zhou Lang's long-cultivated spiritual energy erupted instantly.

The next moment, the light engulfed everything.

boom--!
An indescribable explosion erupted right in front of Qu Heng.

In that instant, Zhou Lang's soul, body, and all his life's cultivation were transformed into the purest destructive energy, sweeping out in all directions.

At the very center of the explosion, Yin Xiaoshuang was like a fragile fallen leaf, tossed high into the air by the violent energy storm and sent flying backward.

Qu Heng witnessed all of this firsthand.

He saw Zhou Lang turn to ashes, and he also saw Yin Xiaoshuang shield him from the fatal blow.

The Crimson Serpent Buddha coiled in front of him instantly disarmed itself, its massive body parting to the sides.

Qu Heng flashed into mid-air and caught the falling figure steadily.

The surface felt warm and sticky.

He looked down and saw that Yin Xiaoshuang's body in his arms was covered in blood and gore, with almost no intact flesh left.

Her mouth was open, but no sound came out; only streams of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs kept gushing from it.

Qu Heng placed her flat in the air, placed one hand on her back, and sent a wisp of pure magic power into her body to examine her carefully.

The meridians were severed, the five internal organs were shattered, and even the soul was fragmented.

These injuries are absolutely genuine.

For the first time, a genuine look of surprise appeared on Qu Heng's face.

He never imagined that Yin Xiaoshuang, who had been manipulated by Zhou Lang as a puppet, would break free of the shackles of his soul at the most crucial moment.

With her last remaining will, she shielded him from Zhou Lang's self-sacrificing attack.

But is that really the case?

Was Yin Xiaoshuang's previous tearful plea for help from outsiders? Was it truly because she was still clinging to life and wanted to break free from control?

Was Zhou Lang really provoked into choosing to perish together with Qu Heng?
Could it be that because Zhou Lang went mad, the restrictions on Yin Xiaoshuang loosened and were broken by her?
No, this is way too dramatic!
Qu Heng suddenly felt a sense of crisis welling up in his heart and quickly looked down.

The outline of the imperial city below was still clear. Although the continuous palace complex had been damaged in the previous battle, its overall magnificence remained unchanged.

Is the imperial city still standing?

If what just happened was truly a Void Returning Realm cultivator's self-destruction without reservation, its power would have been enough to turn the entire imperial city into ruins.

Qu Heng's pupils suddenly contracted.

Just then, the "dying" Yin Xiaoshuang in Qu Heng's arms suddenly became scalding hot, and boundless spiritual energy trembled around her, just like when Zhou Lang had self-destructed.

(End of this chapter)