Spirit Realm

“The Miao Family has truly declined with every generation!” Hong Bowen shorted coldly.

Miao Wenfan stopped in midair as blood trickled down the corner of his lips. Hong Bowen had emerged out of nowhere, and when Miao Wenfan stared at him, his eyes were full of fear, “H-Hong Bowen! You’re still alive?!”

“Did you wish that I was dead?” The fat Hong Bowen smiled like a buddha, but his eyes gleamed with killing intent. “Plenty of people want me dead, but I have lived to this day! The Miao Family was already plenty dishonest back when they served Blood Fiend Sect, and I remember personally visiting you once and killing many of your elites! Perhaps so much time has passed that some people have forgotten Blood Fiend Sect’s lessons, but that’s okay. I can help you remember everything from the past!”

The moment he said this, Miao Wenfan went stiff as fear flooded into his heart out of nowhere.

He knew exactly how scary, cruel, and bloodthirsty this fat Blood Fiend Sect elder was back then.

As Miao Wenfan recalled the past, multiple dust covered memories slowly surfaced in his mind. They made Miao Wenfan become increasingly afraid and alarmed.

A thousand years ago, before Blood Fiend Sect had been attacked by all the forces of the Land of Chaos, the Miao Family often committed numerous petty maneuvers and purposely failed to send in their share of the tribute so they could accumulate strength as the strongest out of the five great families.

The Miao Family thought that their little schemes had been well-hidden and that Blood Fiend Sect didn’t know about anything it. They thought that was why their lives had been peaceful and at ease all those years.

All of that lasted until the day a smiling Hong Bowen suddenly visited the Miao Family.

Back then, the patriarch of the Miao Family was none other than the ingenious Miao Fengtian. He didn’t know Hong Bowen at the time, and he had considered the smiling Hong Bowen a harmless lamb. He didn’t give Hong Bowen the respect he deserved, and he even attempted to hide the truth.

As a result, Hong Bowen smiled the entire time he slaughtered the Miao Family clansmen right in front of Miao Fengtian. He killed six Miao Family elders who rejected Blood Fiend Sect and refused to turn in their tributes multiple times in a row.

Only when the blood of the six elders drenched the Miao Family’s great hall, their heads hung around Hong Bowen’s waist like lanterns, did the entire Miao Family truly experience fear.

Back then, Miao Wenfan was just a junior who hid in a corner with his patriarch and witnessed Hong Bowen’s bloody might from beginning to end.

That bloody scene of Hong Bowen slaughtering six Miao Family elders in the great hall made up Miao Wenfan’s nightmares for a very long time.

The Miao Family then became obedient and didn’t commit any of their little schemes until the enemy forces attacked Blood Fiend Sect.

After so many years, Hong Bowen emerged once more, and Miao Wenfan suddenly felt cold sweat pouring down his back as he remembered the past.

Then he discovered two more Fragmentation Realm martial practitioners dressed in scarlet robes among the Gold Sun Island forces. They exuded a thick stench of blood.

One vacant moment later, Miao Wenfan came to sudden realization, his expression turning serious.

Numerous Miao Family clansmen behind Miao Tai were shouting loudly as well.

“Miao Tai!”

“Miao Tai stop!”

“Quickly, stop!”

Miao Wenfan abruptly turned away from Hong Bowen to look.

On the ground below, he saw Miao Tai, who was supposedly clashing souls with Qin Lie, bleeding out of every pore in his body like a man that had just been scooped out of blood.

Miao Tai’s life force looked like a well that was about to dry up. His pupils no longer held any luster.

This was a sign that he was on his last legs.

Qin Lie smiled calmly as lightning sparked through his eyes. Thunder boomed inside his body as he arrogantly taunted Miao Tai. “If you wish to die, then I shall grant that wish!”

Everyone’s gazes instantly shifted from Miao Wenfan and Hong Bowen over to Miao Tai.

At this point, everyone could tell that, if he kept this up, Miao Tai was going to exhaust his soul energy.

Since Hong Bowen was watching Miao Wenfan closely, and the other two Blood Fiend Sect Fragmentation Realm experts were keeping their bloody eyes on the Miao Family clansmen, no one dared to interfere with Miao Tai and Qin Lie’s soul battle.

If Miao Tai really didn’t fear death, if he really was that courageous, he would take this battle beyond his limits.

He would keep going until he finally died.

“Phew…”

Miao Tai suddenly exhaled deeply and withdrew the wisps of purple light back into his body.

Miao Tai’s body shook once, and he collapsed on his back, fainting instantly.

Qin Lie’s smile slowly faded as he coldly said, “And here I thought that you were a real man, Miao Tai. In the end, all of it was just an act!”

The moment he said this, the faces of many Miao Family clansmen turned ugly in an instant.

Behind Qin Lie, the Gold Sun Island martial practitioners snickered and softly chatted among themselves.

“It appears that the reason Miao Tai persevered earlier was because he was sure that Miao Wenfan would interfere and shamelessly kill Qin Lie to disrupt the soul battle. Hmph... and here I thought Miao Tai was a real man!”

“How utterly shameless! If he really wasn’t a coward, he would’ve held on until his soul had exploded even though Miao Wenfan was stopped by Elder Hong and none of the Miao Family clansmen dared to interfere with the battle!”

“To put it bluntly, he’s just a coward!”

“Heh! Speaking of which, do you guys think that Miao Tai… might just be pretending to be unconscious?”

“Haha! That’s a likely possibility! Today I finally see that, when it comes to the Miao Family... one clansman is even more shameless than the next!”

The Gold Sun Island martial practitioners might have been chattering softly, but their purpose was still rather obvious on this quiet island.

Miao Family clansmen silently listening to the chatter felt their faces flush and turn pale with every comment. They felt absolutely embarrassed by this turn of events.

Just fifteen minutes ago, the Miao Family had arrived aggressively, itching to go to war against Gold Sun Island so they could display their ruthless might and teach them a harsh lesson.

Since Miao Tai knew Miao Wenfan well, he had jumped from the sky and acted immediately. He set his gaze on a sexy Gold Sun Island beauty and acted so domineering so that Gold Sun Island would have no choice but to counterattack.

Back then, the Miao Family looked so overbearing, and Gold Sun Island looked so weak and hesitant.

Then Qin Lie abruptly showed up out of nowhere, severely injuring Miao Tai in a thunderous fashion while Hong Bowen prevented Miao Wenfan’s ambush. He made Miao Tai vomit a lot of blood and completely turned the situation around.

Now every Gold Sun Island martial practitioner felt exalted as they watched Miao Tai’s collapse at the end of the soul battle.

All of them straightened their backs and held their heads high, feeling as if they had suddenly grown a few inches taller.

“Blue Moon Valley is Illusory Demon Sect’s vassal force, and we came here today representing Illusory Demon Sect!” In the sky, Miao Wenfan wiped the blood from his mouth and cast a fearful glance at Hong Bowen before turning his eyes to Xing Yuyuan. He continued to speak forcefully. “If Gold Sun Island truly represents Blood Fiend Sect, have you thought about the consequences of stopping us from taking over Black Cloud Palace today? Are you really going to offend Illusory Demon Sect and start a conflict with them just when Black Voodoo Cult and the three great families are about to invade your lands?”

Xing Yuyuan’s face darkened.

He hesitated earlier exactly because he was afraid that attacking Blue Moon Valley would attract Illusory Demon Sect’s anger and put a crack in the relationship between Illusory Demon Sect and Blood Fiend Sect.

After all, Blue Moon Valley was still an Illusory Demon Sect’s vassal force in name.

As the saying goes, a dog’s punishment can be only be carried out after its master has been consulted.

Xing Yuyuan also knew that Blue Moon Valley’s forcefulness and the Miao Family’s aggressiveness had been founded on the fact that Blood Fiend Sect wouldn’t dare to start a conflict against Illusory Demon Sect. This was especially the case with Black Voodoo Cult and the three great families about to invade them.

“I will tell Illusory Demon Sect everything that has happened today!” Miao Wenfan threatened in a cold voice, then made further insinuations. “I believe some of you are well aware of just how much Illusory Demon Sect has done to ensure that Blood Fiend Sect would be able to avoid the pursuit of Black Voodoo Cult and the three great families and even obtain shelter for themselves! I dare say that Blood Fiend Sect won’t exist in the Heavenly Slaughter Continent much longer!”

“It’s exactly because you’re still a dog of Illusory Demon Sect that I haven’t killed you. However, if you keep this up, I doubt you’ll live to know how long we of Blood Fiend Sect will survive in the Heavenly Slaughter Continent.” Hong Bowen chuckled.

Miao Wenfan abruptly paled.

Hong Bowen looked at him with a smile on his face.

A few seconds later, Miao Wenfan clenched his teeth and made one final threat. “You don’t have anything to rely on! Nothing that will save you from the attack of Black Voodoo Cult and the three great families! Heh, Gold Sun Island might not even exist in a month or two! It’s only a matter of time before you become Blue Moon Valley’s! A few days from now, we’ll see if you will keep acting so haughtily!”

“Let’s go!” Miao Wenfan exclaimed with a wave of his hand.

At first the Miao Family clansmen were planning on flying down and claiming the spoils of victory in excitement.

But now that Miao Tai was severely injured and unconsciousness, and even Miao Wenfan’s chest was drenched with his own blood, they had no choice but to retreat in abject defeat.

They could only give up on Black Cloud Palace’s accumulated wealth.

……