Chapter 46: The Sowing of the Demonic Heart

The entire corridor fell silent all at once, the smiles on the young men's faces freezing instantly.

The two hiding by the stairs no longer concealed themselves, approaching rapidly behind the young men with hurried footsteps.

The three stared at Li Musheng, murderous intent surging in their eyes, yet they hesitated for a moment, unable to gauge his strength.

Li Musheng shook his head; the strength of the three before him was too meager, with only one barely reaching the Xiantian Realm.

To be honest, even though he knew they were there to kill him, he had absolutely no intention of striking back.

"What are you doing?"

At that moment, the eunuch Xiao Anzi suddenly appeared at one end of the corridor, rushing over immediately upon seeing the scene.

"Strike! Once the people from the palace arrive, it will be too late!"

One of the young men let out a low growl, a ruthless expression crossing his face as he was the first to charge toward Li Musheng.

Hearing this, the other two no longer hesitated. They sank their internal energy, lunging forward with a sudden burst of speed, trailing a gust of wind as they followed close behind.

However, Xiao Anzi seemed exceptionally skilled in lightness kung fu; his movement was significantly faster, arriving in close proximity in just a few flashes of movement.

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*

Several palm strikes, condensed with Kuiyin True Qi, were unleashed, sending a surge of frigid energy crashing toward the three.

As if buffeted by a sudden, biting gale, two of them felt a chill sweep through their bodies; before their advancing steps could even land, they were blown backward in the next instant.

The remaining one surged with true qi, throwing a punch to break through the oncoming energy. Just as he was about to continue his assault on Li Musheng, he abruptly collided with a diagonal palm strike from Xiao Anzi.

This palm strike was wreathed in wisps of Kuiyin True Qi, incredibly sharp, making even the surrounding air feel several degrees colder.

*Bang!*

The young man in the scholar's robe was sent flying, following in the footsteps of the other two, crashing onto the corridor floor. The impact cracked the wooden planks, sending splinters flying.

"The Aurora Pavilion has long had rules against private fighting. Wait here for your judgment," Xiao Anzi said, standing before Li Musheng and looking down at the three on the ground with a cold expression.

Two of them spat out mouthfuls of dark blood, clutching their chests as they struggled to prop themselves up. One was clearly filled with regret, teeth clenched as he hissed

"If I had known, I wouldn't have hesitated just now. I missed the best chance to kill him!"

The other turned his head, looking at the young man in the scholar's robe with a pale face, and asked

"We are no match for that little eunuch. What do we do now?"

Hearing this, the young man in the scholar's robe wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth but said nothing, merely staring fixedly at Li Musheng.

"Do you still intend to make a move?"

Xiao Anzi narrowed his eyes, his true qi circulating quietly, ready to respond to any sudden attack.

At that moment, the young man in the scholar's robe slowly stood up. He cast a downward glance at the other two and said in an icy voice

"We still have a chance, but I will need your assistance."

The other two's eyes instantly lit up. Just as they were about to speak, a hand landed on their heads.

Before the two young men could understand what was happening, their bodies suddenly lost control, trembling violently and shriveling up at a rate visible to the naked eye.

Strands of crimson blood qi flowed from the scholar's palm, rapidly merging into his body, while his face and skin gradually filled out, becoming radiant.

*Thud!*

With a face full of healthy color, the young man in the scholar's robe pushed outward, and the two desiccated, corpse-like bodies collapsed to the ground.

"Thank you. I will help fulfill your wishes."

A bloody light flickered in the young man's eyes as he slowly raised his head toward Xiao Anzi and Li Musheng, a faint, cruel smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

"Are you a practitioner of the Demonic Path?"

Xiao Anzi stared at him warily, his expression filled with suspicion, but he quickly shook his head and said

"Impossible. Everyone who enters the Aurora Pavilion is secretly inspected. If you were practicing demonic arts, there is no way you could hide it!"

The young man in the scholar's robe gently cracked his neck and said

"And they say this little eunuch is young—your knowledge is truly shallow!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the young man transformed into a blood-red shadow, vanishing from his spot.

Xiao Anzi felt a nauseating scent of blood rush toward him; his opponent had already arrived right in front of him.

Seeing this, his pupils constricted. His palm, already condensed with Kuiyin True Qi, suddenly struck out at the blood-colored figure.

But in the next moment, Xiao Anzi discovered to his horror that his palm had merely struck a blood-red afterimage.

The real young man in the scholar's robe had suddenly appeared at his side, and simultaneously, a terrifying sense of mortal danger descended upon him.

From the corner of his eye, Xiao Anzi could see that the young man's fair palm had, at some unknown point, grown blood-red, razor-sharp nails, which were currently plunging toward his heart.

A flash of terror and despair crossed his face. However, just as he thought his heart was about to be gouged out and his life ended...

Those blood-red nails, like a scythe of death, stopped abruptly just half an inch from his heart.

Xiao Anzi's eyes widened, and he subconsciously swallowed hard.

Before he could understand what had happened, a lazy voice sounded in his ear

"How was it? Was it thrilling?"

Xiao Anzi stiffly turned his neck to look back, only to find Li Musheng watching him with an air of composure.

Xiao Anzi hurriedly scrambled back several steps, moving his heart away from those blood-red nails that could have easily taken his life.

Then, he looked at the young man in the scholar's robe, whose face was contorted yet who remained motionless, and finally understood.

He took a heavy breath, turned toward Li Musheng, and performed a deep bow.

"Thank you, Young Master Li, for saving my life. This servant is eternally grateful!"

Li Musheng had previously helped him dispel the Northern Qi Meditative Qi, a feat even his foster father, An Quan, could not achieve.

Now, the man had saved him once again. Although he did not know the true extent of his strength, he was certain the man was extremely formidable.

Hearing this, Li Musheng shrugged and walked up to stop in front of the young man in the scholar's robe.

In his mind, however, he was contemplating the creation of the Life-Death Talisman martial art.

Judging from Xiao Anzi's performance just now, it was clear: true fear should stem from the sensation experienced at the very moment of facing life and death. This must be the principle behind why the Life-Death Talisman was so torturous.

With this thought, he lightly flicked his finger. The young man before him, whose face was flushed and eyes blood-red, suddenly twitched his throat. He was finally able to speak, though his voice sounded hysterical

"Die... die... die!"

Li Musheng was unfazed, merely raising an eyebrow and asking

"Kid, have you practiced the Star-Sucking Great Art or something?"

However, the young man in the scholar's robe did not answer. His eyes only grew redder as he continued to curse like a madman.

Seeing this, Li Musheng frowned slightly, preparing to experiment the newly realized Life-Death Talisman martial art on the man.

But just then, a feminine, soft voice drifted from mid-air

"If this servant is not mistaken, what he has is the 'Demonic Heart Seed'!"

(End of Chapter)