"You?!"
Ru Lan, reminded by the words of the Seven Luminaries Sect disciple, suddenly recalled the fake "Lu Ziyin" from before.
He had played her for a fool, making her realize she'd been deceived only after meeting the "real deal."
It was clear how masterful his disguise and acting skills were; even someone familiar would find it hard to tell them apart at a glance.
She exchanged a glance with Lu Ziyin, confirming their thoughts with their eyes. Ru Lan raised her chin, her brow furrowed in seriousness, and her clear voice echoed through the surroundings, "I also encountered someone impersonating Lu Ziyin not long ago. He was very convincing, almost indistinguishable from the real person. I don't know if he's a demon, but this person is cruel and violent, definitely not a righteous individual!"
After Ru Lan met the real Lu Ziyin, out of caution and a desire to uncover the truth, she returned with him the way they came. Upon seeing the innards and organs torn to shreds along the path, staining the entire forest with a scarlet hue, and smelling the thick, nauseating odor that lingered persistently, they felt a wave of discomfort.
They could face various bloody scenes, but such a large-scale, indiscriminate slaughter was rare.
It wasn't that they were afraid, but rather that some were disgusted, while others inferred from the killer's swift and brutal actions that their nature was as ferocious as wolves.
"Whether he's a demon or not, someone who has no right to be in the Dragon Island Secret Realm, yet intrudes by masquerading as someone else, looks ill-intentioned, doesn't he?" Lu Ziyin tapped his palm with the tip of his fan, a gesture of contemplation.
At this moment, Cheng Hong, in the silence, interjected, "There's a ghost cultivator of unknown identity within the secret realm."
A ghost cultivator?!
Upon hearing this, Lang Ci's cold eyes shifted, fixing firmly on Cheng Hong. His gaze was deep and unsettling.
Was he trying to divert blame at this moment, or did he want to vouch for Gu Junshi?
Lang Ci did not want to arouse any suspicion, so his overly intense gaze and displeased expression were quickly masked.
He lowered his eyes slightly, a smile playing on his lips.
He was too lazy to guess Cheng Hong's intentions, as he was bound to fail regardless of which it was.
Perhaps due to the good reputation Cheng Hong had cultivated, although he didn't speak much, every word he uttered carried significant weight.
"A ghost cultivator?" Ru Lan exclaimed in surprise.
She cast a questioning look at her brother, asking what he meant.
Yan Tianjiao raised an eyebrow and said sharply, "That ghost cultivator is only fit to be chased and is probably hiding somewhere now. Unlike the person below, who is calmly and composedly listening to us discuss matters above."
This statement indeed reminded them. While the figure in the black cloak wasn't particularly tall or imposing, compared to their solemn readiness, she (he) was indeed too quiet and placid.
Cheng Hong had been convinced that Gu Junshi would come to the "Dragon Island Secret Realm" to seek a way to survive for the sake of the child in her womb. However, after the previous misunderstanding with the ghost cultivator, he had some doubts.
What if she had no intention of keeping this "accident"? After all, she had killed her husband to achieve enlightenment. A person who dared to defy the heavens and chose to ascend to the upper realm alone, unburdened and with her past severed, was not an unimaginable feat.
This kind of act was not uncommon among male cultivators; it was merely a change of gender for her, but the essence was the same... scummy.
Therefore, he could not confidently assert that the person in the black cloak was Gu Junshi. He had spoken that sentence not for anyone in particular, but to offer a fair piece of information for everyone to discern.
He remained silent thereafter, needing to observe more carefully.
Dan Ya had just endured great hardship and was not in good spirits. Honestly, his mind was filled with all sorts of chaotic speculations and doubts. First, there was someone who could change appearance at will, impersonating others so convincingly that distinguishing the real from the fake was impossible. Then there was a ghost cultivator. Was the person before him truly the one he had identified? Why should he believe in a mere feeling to find the truth? What if it was an illusion? What if someone was deliberately misleading them? Could he afford the price of misidentification?
Dan Ya's face turned pale, his lips pressed into a straight line, and he stood there with a look of bewilderment, appearing neither able to blend into the pressing interrogation nor detach himself from the increasingly chaotic and taut atmosphere.
Lang Ci, disguised as a Seven Luminaries Sect disciple, seemed to know something. Upon hearing this, he immediately declared with finality, "They are definitely working together! I haven't seen the ghost cultivator, but she must be a demon cultivator!"
His confident, irrefutable tone made everyone else look towards Lang Ci.
Liu Jiang Fusheng, hearing their disjointed conversation, had just regained consciousness. The area from his forehead to the top of his head felt numb and dull. He could sense the tremor, commotion, and the earth-shattering red marks and scorching blackness that had occurred shortly before.
However, due to the barrier, they might have only sensed the initial disturbance and were unaware of what happened later. They even mistook the collapse of the blood-filled lake and the oppressive destruction of spiritual energy for the naturally harsh environment near White Pagoda City, as they were entering the central area for the first time.
Who had done all this?
The dissipating consciousness in his mind, was it related to him? He remembered the ghost infant, the "ghost infant" with evil red eyes.
That person was not the perpetually silent and gloomy youth he knew. Now, hearing the jumbled information from these people, he had reason to believe that the "ghost infant" was impersonated by someone else.
Was the consciousness that had lingered in his mind for years dissipating related to the "ghost infant"?
Where had that "ghost infant" gone? Was it dead? Had it escaped? Or had it won and left?
The "ghost infant" had simply vanished inexplicably, replaced by this mysterious figure in black.
She (he) flicked a whip at him, but he didn't dodge. Perhaps subconsciously, he felt no killing intent from the whip; it merely carried a chilling, bone-weakening coldness, like a persistent drizzle.
You want to kill me.
Liu Jiang Fusheng's mind was not yet clear, carrying a hint of grogginess from just waking up. His eyes held an inexplicable innocence and docility. He instinctively chose to speak the truth, "...I don't remember."
The tension in the air seemed to dissipate.
Gu Junshi, perhaps without realizing it herself, was affected by his show of "weakness."
Later, a group of people arrived and intervened. Liu Jiang Fusheng rubbed his forehead, revealing a red mark, and then his mind became clear, fully integrating his instincts and reason.
The person before him, who shouldn't be in the "Dragon Island Secret Realm," was indeed suspicious, even dangerous. He had truly acted on impulse just now.
He landed before everyone like a golden leaping light, the few people standing in a formation resembling the Big Dipper. Liu Jiang Fusheng glanced at the Seven Luminaries Sect disciple, his eyes carrying inexplicable pressure, "You say she's a demon. What evidence do you have?"
Lang Ci sneered inwardly.
It seemed his eyes hadn't recognized the person, but his misguided heart had already identified her. Otherwise, why didn't he ask her directly?
But Lang Ci wouldn't let Liu Jiang Fusheng suspect him. Thus, he didn't evade Liu Jiang Fusheng's gaze. They met eyes, and now, using someone else's face, he also adopted the expressions and demeanor that person should have.
He put on a show of emotion, his eyes flustered and chaotic, "I, I saw it with my own eyes... she probably killed the tenth-ranked disciple to obtain an identity that would allow her to appear in public openly. I can feel it; it's demonic energy that can absorb spiritual power. If you don't believe me—"
At this point, Lang Ci looked around, meeting their varied gazes. As if provoked, he became filled with hatred and desperation. Gritting his teeth, he declared, "Then I'll test her for you!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he drew his sword with a sweep of his wrist. Spiritual energy surged through his body, and he plunged from the air towards Gu Junshi.
He was also a sword cultivator. The Seven Luminaries Sect was a sword sect, skilled in using star formations as sword moves. Sword light fanned out, and the shadow twirled, casting overlapping light and shadow that obscured the sky. His fierce swordplay was quite imposing—
But in Gu Junshi's eyes, it was incomparable to Liu Jiang Fusheng, Dan Ya, and the others... She didn't believe he truly intended to "offer himself to the tiger." What was he planning?
"I'm curious, how do you plan to test me?"
Gu Junshi flicked her sleeve and leaped several zhang into the air. Lang Ci was, after all, not a true disciple of the Seven Luminaries Sect. While his sword style might seem somewhat respectable in others' eyes, Gu Junshi saw it as mere posturing.
Gu Junshi swept her palm downward, and a "fire dragon" surged up from the red sea lava, colliding with the sword moves. A dark glint flashed across Lang Ci's eyes. He quickly crushed a prepared "Yellow Gourd Stone" and sprinkled it accurately towards Gu Junshi's location—
Gu Junshi had long suspected he would have a trick up his sleeve, so she wasn't arrogant enough to be unguarded. However, this "Yellow Gourd Stone," derived from the six-eyed blood-spotted spider, was not a poison. It had no effect on others when they came into contact with it. But this "Yellow Gourd Stone" had a unique property: it would cause discomfort to pregnant individuals, even if they came into contact with or inhaled a small amount.
However, Gu Junshi was unaware of this at the moment.
Although Gu Junshi didn't know what the yellow dust he sprinkled was, avoiding it wasn't difficult. However, Liu Jiang Fusheng happened to be positioned upwind from her. This move by Lang Ci might have been calculated to involve Liu Jiang Fusheng as well.
She was unsure of the effects of this yellow dust on people. Amidst her doubts, she rolled up her sleeve and swept her palm upward, forcibly changing the wind direction. But she couldn't attend to both at once. Thus, glancing at a spot on her robe, she found it had been dusted.
Recalling the events that had transpired, she understood that this wasn't a sudden predicament but a premeditated scheme.
She didn't believe some yellow dust would affect her. Her nearly perfected chaotic body was immune to all poisons and curses.
She immediately decided not to hold back any longer. But then she saw a strange brilliance in Lang Ci's eyes, his lips curling into a grin that stretched to his ears, an expression of wishing she would die sooner as he rushed forward.
His mouth opened, and he mouthed silently—Gu Yi, you will die horribly.
Suddenly, Lang Ci shouted in horror, "Hurry and leave, she's a demon!"
At this moment, a dark, gloomy, and eerie aura inexplicably began to spread throughout heaven and earth. None of them had ever witnessed a true demon, nor had they seen a demon kill. Therefore, they couldn't discern the difference between this chilling and oppressive black energy and demonic energy.
The next second, Lang Ci appeared to be completely controlled by demonic energy. Black, spider-web-like patterns quickly appeared on his skin, a reaction of his blood being corroded by poisonous gas. His entire body convulsed violently, then his body seemed to inflate as if filled with power, and finally, unable to withstand the "demonic energy," his body exploded tragically.
*Boom—*
The grating, ear-shattering sound was enough to stop one's heart.
Immediately, a mist of blood splashed into the lava, and the scattered pieces of flesh fell to the ground with a splat. This scene could not be overstated by calling it shocking.
At this moment, everyone was stunned.
Gu Junshi's expression turned grim, her pupils dark and placid. In reality, she hadn't truly made a move. This was all a staged performance by Lang Ci to frame her.
Lang Ci was not described much in the original plot; his existence merely served to reveal a part of the protagonist's past. Therefore, she didn't understand why he harbored such enmity towards her, to the point of orchestrating a death to frame her.
"You demon! You actually murdered—" Ru Lan's face flushed with anger, the scene just now making her blood surge.
Lu Ziyin also wore a righteous look of anger, Yan Tianjiao's gaze was sharp, Dan Ya was stunned, and Cheng Hong and Liu Jiang Fusheng had the most inscrutable expressions, but they were clearly affected by this scene.
Surely, no one would now suspect that a reputable disciple would use his own death to frame another person?
Gu Junshi also understood that whatever she said next, no one would believe her.
It was quite an interesting experience.
She had now truly become a complete villain. She let out a low chuckle, her voice like a taut string, perhaps about to snap and transform into a deadly blade.
Lang Ci, the future is long.
She thought, perhaps this was for the best. She had no intention of reminiscing with them anyway; her goal was to seize the "Eye of the True Dragon" within White Pagoda City.
Now that the lines between enemy and ally were clearly drawn, and no consideration for sentiment was involved, she no longer needed to hesitate.
"Since I am a demon, if I truly wished to slaughter indiscriminately, do you think... any one of you could escape?"
Her voice was filled with a profound indifference and disregard for human life.
That suddenly cold, sinister, low voice, neither distinctly male nor female, like gold scraping against rough stone, sent a chill down everyone's spine.
The scene fell into an unprecedented silence, as if even the air had solidified and could not flow.
Lu Ziyin, always adept at knowing when to advance or retreat, understood the saying "the wise man knows when to submit." However, this did not apply when facing matters of great right and wrong.
His deep gaze fixed downward, and the jade fan in his hand had already transformed into a long sword. Spiritual energy intertwined on the sword's body, its faint luminescence reflecting in his eyes, a chilling coldness filling the air. "You have murdered two disciples of the righteous path. Even if you are a demon, even if your cultivation far surpasses ours, we must settle this score with you here!"