Sage of Humanity

From Liu Zhenguan's standpoint, everything happening now is clearly part of Ziwei Dao Palace's plans, and Pang Huanyin, as the Palace Master, is the main culprit.

However, he truly did not expect Pang Huanyin to be so audacious, to forcefully invade his domain was one thing, but to dare attack without any prior signs was another.

That guy named Lu Yiye, his power is terrifying. If he hadn't heavily injured me with one strike, I wouldn't have been captured so easily.

Pang Huanyin sighed, "Mountain Lord Liu, you misunderstand..."

At this stage, explanations seemed pointless, she was quite helpless.

Liu Zhenguan snorted coldly, "Don't think that by capturing me, you can do as you please! Don't forget, this is Mount Sumeru!" He suddenly shouted, "All disciples of Mount Sumeru, heed my command. Do not care for my life or death, capture these people for me. If I die, they'll accompany me in death!"

Ying Wuji thrust his long blade forward, his voice low, "If you wish to die, I can fulfill your wish right now!"

"Do it!" Even with his life in others' hands, Liu Zhenguan showed no signs of retreat, instead provoking, "If you have the guts, just kill me!" Seeing the people of Mount Sumeru hesitate, afraid to act rashly, he shouted angrily again, "What are you waiting for! Make your move!"

Pang Huanyin's expression turned cold, "If the Mountain Lord could be as tough against the Corpse Race, that would be great. Unfortunately, your toughness and persistence are misplaced!"

Originally, after today's upheaval, she felt quite sorry for Mount Sumeru, but seeing Liu Zhenguan's posture, she couldn't help but get angry.

With such courage and boldness to face life and death, why not use it to fight against the Corpse Race? Facing one's fellow humans with such arrogance, what's the point?

A person like this only knows how to bully their own kind.

"Enough nonsense!"

At this moment, Hua Ci stepped out from behind Pang Huanyin, looking at Liu Zhenguan with a gentle smile, "Mountain Lord Liu, how about I offer you a deal?"

Liu Zhenguan, though appearing furious and overwhelmed by anger, was merely disguising his true intentions. Hearing Hua Ci's words, he frowned, "What kind of deal?"

Hua Ci spoke unhurriedly, "Using the lives of all the cultivators in this hall of Mount Sumeru, in exchange for letting us leave peacefully, do you think this deal can be made?"

Liu Zhenguan's face darkened, "What do you mean by this?"

"Perhaps my words are not clear enough, why don't you see for yourself?" As Hua Ci spoke, she gently lifted her slender fingers, and with a wave of spirit force, pointed towards a cultivator in the crowd.

An unbelievable scene unfolded.

With her point, that cultivator suddenly groaned, his spirit force instantly becoming chaotic, and a layer of emerald green mist rapidly surfaced on his body.

The mist was clearly not a good thing, it erupted without any sign, enveloping the cultivator tightly within a few breaths, no matter how he tried to expel it, to no avail, with signs of becoming more intense!

The surrounding cultivators hurriedly scattered, each filled with uncertainty and alarm.

"I've been poisoned!" the cultivator screamed in terror, clearly feeling his spirit force becoming sluggish and dull, rapidly losing strength.

The crowd was in shock.

Lan Ziyi's scalp tingled...

All these days, she had been inseparable from Hua Ci, yet she never saw her use any methods on anyone from Mount Sumeru. On the surface, this healing cultivator seemed gentle and harmless, but who could have expected her to have such unfathomable abilities!

There was no way that cultivator could get poisoned for no reason, Hua Ci must have used some secret technique.

No wonder Hua Ci hadn't been anxious all this time, even when faced with a forceful marriage, she appeared calm—she was well-prepared.

It now seemed that even if Lu Yiye and the others hadn't come to Mount Sumeru, Hua Ci could have safely left with her methods.

Indeed, those chosen by Heaven's Augury are extraordinary. It's laughable that I once thought she was just a healing cultivator.

Inside the grand hall, Hua Ci, standing in front of Pang Huanyin, still smiled harmlessly, "Mountain Lord, if you didn't see clearly, you can look at others too!"

With these words, the cultivators of Mount Sumeru were even more frightened, unsure if they had already been secretly poisoned.

Liu Zhenguan's face twitched violently, and his eyes kept flickering. At this moment, he finally realized that he had misjudged. Among the two women, it was this gentle-tempered one who was truly unfathomable.

It was laughable how he always thought he could easily control her...

In a deep voice, Liu Zhenguan said, "Since you two entered Mount Sumeru, I have treated you well..."

Hua Ci immediately interrupted, "We entered Mount Sumeru after saving your cultivators. Mount Sumeru has not shown any gratitude for saving your people, and yet the Mountain Lord disregarded my wishes and wanted to forcefully marry me. Is this what you call 'well treatment'? Mountain Lord, ask yourself, is this what a man should do? Such behavior is a disgrace to all men!"

The smile on her face disappeared, her gaze cold.

Concerning her own situation, how could she remain indifferent?

She saved those people out of goodwill, who would've thought Liu Zhenguan would value her skills in such a way. Value her if you must, but if they had cooperated well, Hua Ci might not have declined. But Liu Zhenguan wanted more.

All these days, Lan Ziyi thought she was calm and adaptable, but in reality, she was secretly preparing her own moves, waiting for the right moment to strike decisively.

When the time came, with her hidden preparations and Lan Ziyi's formidable strength, escaping from here wouldn't be difficult.

Today's arrival of Lu Ye and others just advanced her plans.

Embarrassed by Hua Ci's words and now captured, with his life no longer under his control, Liu Zhenguan, furious, shouted, "You vile woman, how dare you deceive me!"

Clang...

The sound of a blade rang out, and everyone in the grand hall looked in stunned disbelief at Lu Ye, who swung his sword.

Liu Zhenguan's eyes were filled with shock as he couldn't believe someone would dare try to kill him here in Mount Sumeru!

He had been shouting so aggressively because he knew that Ziwei Dao Palace wouldn't truly kill him. Ziwei Dao Palace had always sought to ally with them to fight against the Corpse Race; killing him would make them mortal enemies, quashing any alliance.

Pang Huanyin, although young, is shrewd and wouldn't overlook this.

Hence, his confidence!

Yet this confidence was shattered by a single stroke.

"You..." Liu Zhenguan stared at Lu Ye, unable to comprehend why he acted without Pang Huanyin's order or any sign.

Had he wanted to kill him, he could've done so earlier. Why act now?

Thunk...

A large head was ejected by a spurt of blood from the neck, and Ying Wuji, who stood behind Liu Zhenguan, hastily backed away, looking at Lu Ye with a resentful face.

If you're going to act, at least say something first. You almost got me covered in blood!

"If he can't make decisions, then find someone who can!"

Lu Ye flicked the blood off his sword and looked at the furious and stunned Mount Sumeru cultivators, raising his blade towards them, "Or we'll fight our way out!"

Seeing his resolute stance, Hua Ci felt a warmth in her heart.

She could tell that Lu Ye hadn't intended to kill Liu Zhenguan before; otherwise, he wouldn't have left it to Ying Wuji to capture him.

The sudden kill was because Liu Zhenguan insulted her.

A casual insult led Lu Ye to decisively take his life. Liu Zhenguan, if aware in the afterlife, would surely regret his rash words.

Now that the situation had escalated to this point, Hua Ci no longer held back. Calling forth her spirit force, a wave of green mist spread out.

The next moment, seven or eight out of ten Mount Sumeru cultivators within the hall had their faces change, enveloped in swirling green mist, their spirit force disrupted.

Before, witnessing Hua Ci's abilities, they still hoped it was a bluff. Now, no one dared to think so.

No one realized when this gentle-seeming woman had poisoned them, many hadn't even met her before.

"If I can cure poison, I can also use it. My senior brother here has a bad temper, Mount Sumeru cultivators, think carefully before answering, or this place will be filled with rivers of blood, hard to clean up." Hua Ci calmly warned.

Even without her warning, under these circumstances, who would dare to act rashly?

With Liu Zhenguan dead, Mount Sumeru's reputation suffered, but their foundation remained. If everyone here died, Mount Sumeru would fall into chaos, causing all Mount Sumeru experts to stiffen.

Pang Huanyin and Veteran Siao watched with astonishment.

From the moment Hua Ci and Lan Ziyi arrived, within a matter of dozens of breaths, the sequence of events left everyone unprepared.

With Liu Zhenguan dead, and Mount Sumeru experts restrained, Lu Ye and the others, just four in number, had completely seized control of the situation.

Such prowess, even the Ziwei Dao Palace couldn't compare.

With a sigh, an elderly man walked forward, bowing respectfully to Pang Huanyin, "Palace Master Pang, this old man believes he can represent Mount Sumeru."

Until now, they thought Pang Huanyin was the leader, acting under her orders or hints.

Pang Huanyin was helpless, today she and Veteran Siao were mere observers.

"If the old gentleman has anything to say, speak to Yiye." Pang Huanyin said.

The old man paused, then looked at the ready-to-kill Lu Ye, speaking directly, "Today's events are unexpected. Setting aside rights and wrongs, Mount Sumeru can agree to Miss Hua Ci's proposal, ensuring your safe departure, provided you agree to one condition. If not, Mount Sumeru will use all its might to keep you here!"