Chapter 44: I Definitely Won't Go Adventuring

“Senior Brother, you mean...!”

Jiu Li'er stopped mid-sentence, looking around warily.

Zheng Tuo nodded in affirmation.

*Damn it!*

*I knew it would turn out like this,* Zheng Tuo cursed inwardly.

In truth, his reason for observing the Falling Immortal Array was twofold: one part was for learning, and the other was out of caution, fearing that the Demon Race might slip through the array. The demons were notorious for their bizarre and unpredictable methods; there was no guarantee they wouldn't use some specialized technique to break through. Therefore, to be safe, he had brought along the array-talented young girl, Jiu Li'er, to observe the Falling Immortal Array together.

Now, it seemed his intuition was correct—demons had indeed managed to slip in.

“Senior Brother, are you sure? You couldn't be mistaken, could you?” Jiu Li'er looked at Zheng Tuo with disbelief, wondering silently if he was merely making up an excuse.

Zheng Tuo shook his head. “I’m not mistaken. Demonic energy has indeed appeared.”

“But... but the Falling Immortal Array is a seventh-tier array. Even Martial Uncle Yun Yangzi cannot enter or exit it at will. How could there possibly be demon...” Jiu Li'er glanced around, and seeing that no one was watching, whispered, “How could the Demon Race get in? Could their strength be even greater than Martial Uncle Yun Yangzi’s?!”

“The Demon Race is full of tricks; they possess many methods beyond our imagination. Besides, the cultivation world is vast, and there are countless techniques we know nothing about. It is merely a seventh-tier array, not a peerless immortal array. Do you understand what I mean?”

Zheng Tuo was absolutely certain of his judgment. After all, this information had been provided by the Ancient Bronze Mirror—a Post-Natal Spiritual Treasure. There was no reason for it to be wrong.

Neither of them spoke further.

Soon, someone from Falling Immortal Peak arrived. The newcomer wore black martial attire and appeared quite heroic.

Lei Jiu, the son of Lei Xing and the number one talent of the younger generation on Falling Immortal Peak.

Lei Jiu looked at Zheng Tuo and Jiu Li'er; clearly, he recognized them both.

“Follow me.”

Lei Jiu led them to a secluded forest area where people rarely ventured.

“Was it you two who sent the message saying demons had appeared?” Lei Jiu needed to confirm the information.

Jiu Li'er turned to look at Zheng Tuo. Zheng Tuo, meanwhile, surveyed the silent, desolate forest. He raised his hand, produced an array disk, placed it at his feet, and activated it.

The Anti-Eavesdropping Array was a small invention of Zheng Tuo's, used specifically to prevent others from intercepting information. Once it was set, Zheng Tuo looked at Lei Jiu with a serious expression.

“Senior Brother Lei Jiu, while we were observing the Falling Immortal Array, we discovered the presence of demonic energy in the east-southeast position. It is right here.”

Zheng Tuo produced the Ancient Bronze Mirror, and the location where he had detected the demonic energy manifested within the mirror.

Lei Jiu looked at the location in the mirror, then back at Zheng Tuo. If it had been anyone else, he would have been highly skeptical. But this Zheng Tuo received special care from his father; his identity must be extraordinary, and he likely wouldn't be bored enough to lie.

“Let’s go. Take me to see it.” Lei Jiu intended to investigate personally before making a decision.

“No.” Zheng Tuo rejected him outright.

“What did you say?” Lei Jiu already felt some resentment toward Zheng Tuo. His father had never shown him such concern, focusing only on his cultivation every day, yet he took exceptional care of the Zheng Tuo before him. Jealousy caused him to view Zheng Tuo through a biased lens.

“I said no,” Zheng Tuo replied decisively.

“Junior Brother, do you realize that if demons truly appear within the Falling Immortal Sect and are allowed to escape because of you, it will be a capital crime,” Lei Jiu said, his tone unfriendly.

“I am well aware,” Zheng Tuo remained steady. “I can lead you there, but only if you call Martial Uncle Lei Xing over.”

*Are you joking?*

The demons had already infiltrated the Falling Immortal Sect. God only knew how many there were, whether they had set traps or ambushes, or what bizarre methods they might employ. If even the seventh-tier Falling Immortal Array couldn't stop them, how could a mere disciple at the early stage of the Qi Sea Realm handle it? Don't be ridiculous.

“Peak Master Lei Xing is busy. I will handle this,” Lei Jiu said. His way of doing things was much like his father's: confident, efficient, and decisive.

“No, no, no. If Martial Uncle Lei Xing doesn't come, I'm not going.” Zheng Tuo shook his head like a rattle. He had a psychological shadow regarding the Demon Race; having only Senior Brother Lei Jiu was far too unsafe.

“You are playing me!” Seeing Zheng Tuo's attitude, Lei Jiu felt he was being mocked. He suspected there were no demons at all. Every cultivator in the Eastern Region knew the power of the Falling Immortal Array; how could the Demon Race possibly break in?

“Senior Brother Lei Jiu, that is uncalled for.” Zheng Tuo was quite dissatisfied with Lei Jiu's attitude. “My time is precious; I don't have time to play games with you. Call Martial Uncle Lei Xing. If he doesn't come, then we wait. For all we know, while you are wasting time bickering with me, the demons might have moved their position or fled. However, I feel obligated to remind you: Falling Immortal Peak has guarded the Falling Immortal Sect for hundreds of years, and I have never heard of a demonic invasion. If a major catastrophe occurs, it won't just be you who loses face, but also Peak Master Lei Xing. To put it bluntly, if the Falling Immortal Sect suffers casualties due to your negligence, the consequences will be more than you can bear alone.”

Zheng Tuo was not joking. For a prestigious cultivation sect to be infiltrated by demons without any detection would be a massive joke in the cultivation world. If word got out, the disciples of the Falling Immortal Sect would never be able to hold their heads up again.

In truth, Zheng Tuo understood Lei Jiu. Although the Thousand-Year Holy War was raging, the Demon Race had never stepped foot into the Eastern Region. Over time, the various sects had naturally become lax in their defenses against them. After all, not everyone was like him, placing caution above all else at every moment.

Lei Jiu looked at the stubborn Zheng Tuo and was speechless.

“Fine. I, Lei Jiu, swear that if there truly are demons and they wish to harm you, they will have to step over my corpse first.” Lei Jiu felt he had done more than enough. Moreover, he increasingly doubted the truth of Zheng Tuo's words.

Zheng Tuo looked at the serious Lei Jiu and decisively shook his head. “Senior Brother Lei Jiu, I respect you greatly, but your life is worth nothing to me.”

Hearing this, Lei Jiu's expression darkened, and he looked ready to explode with rage.

“Don't be quick to anger. Listen to me,” Zheng Tuo waved his hand, stopping the impending outburst. “Your life is not important to me, but my own life is extremely important to me. You can gamble with your life, but you cannot gamble with mine. Don't blame me for being cautious; I simply do not want any disciple of the Falling Immortal Sect to come to harm, including myself. Because if something truly happens, it will be a fatal blow to the entire sect. Do you understand?”

Zheng Tuo watched as Lei Jiu's anger gradually subsided. He assumed the other had listened. After all, as one of the Five Sons of Falling Immortal, a top-tier existence, his intelligence shouldn't be on the same level as a commoner.

“Therefore,” Zheng Tuo continued, “since there is a foolproof way to do this, why take unnecessary risks? Is there something wrong with being cautious?”

Zheng Tuo would never gamble with his life. The Demon Race was not a benevolent kind; one could never afford to be careless. *And if I didn't have to guide you, I would have gone back to hide in Falling Immortal Mountain long ago. Why bother debating with you here?*

“Senior Brother Zheng Tuo is right,” Jiu Li'er chimed in. She hadn't understood him at first, but after hearing his reasoning, she found it quite logical. “Senior Brother Lei Jiu, the Demon Race is not of our kind. Since they have appeared in the Falling Immortal Sect, they are certainly a threat to us. If we encounter them, it will inevitably be a fight to the death. If they use some bizarre method to harm other disciples, I'm sure no one would want to see that.”

Jiu Li'er spoke up to support Zheng Tuo.

Lei Jiu looked at the two of them, thought for a moment, and then nodded. “Mhm, you are both right. I was being inconsiderate.”

Although Lei Jiu was still somewhat annoyed with Zheng Tuo, he fully agreed with his words. He had experienced firsthand that the Demon Race was not to be trifled with.

He pulled a black spiritual talisman from his robe and crushed it. In less than three breaths, Peak Master Lei Xing arrived in a hurry.