Chapter 124: Was That She-Demon a Fake?

Ye Quan, realizing that his attempt to sneak away had been exposed to everyone, felt his face grow hot with embarrassment. He immediately roared at the man who had called him out, "Come out here and face me in a duel!"

The man did not back down in the slightest. "Who’s afraid of you? I’ve long wanted to test the strength of the Immortal Masters from the Changba Sect."

Lu Yixian quickly intervened with a stern shout, "Enough of this nonsense! With a formidable enemy at our doorstep, to think you still have the heart for internal squabbling!"

Since the Immortal Venerable had spoken, Ye Quan and the other man, both being merely Immortal Master-level sect cultivators, dared not stir up any more trouble.

Just then, a sudden, deafening crack of thunder tore through the clear, cloudless sky, striking the front courtyard of the residence. Emerging from the thunder was a man draped in black robes, his face concealed behind a bronze mask.

"It’s a demonic cultivator!"

Lu Yixian and the other five Immortal Venerables rose to their feet in unison, staring at the black-robed figure, standing ready for battle.

"Everyone, please, there is no need for such tension. I come here with no ill intent," the black-robed man said, his voice low and sinister. "I have simply come to help you resolve a difficult problem."

"Who exactly are you, and why do you hide behind a mask?" Ni Xuan demanded.

"Hahahaha!" The man looked up and let out a series of laughs. "Then why do you not ask Demon Venerable Xuanyuan to take off her Purple Demon Mask in front of you?"

As soon as these words left his lips, Ni Xuan was rendered speechless.

Those in both the immortal and demonic realms had long been consumed by curiosity about the face hidden behind that mask, yet no one had ever dared to demand that Demon Venerable Xuanyuan remove it to her face. It was rumored that even her seven personal disciples had never seen her true countenance.

In reality, Qin Xuanxi’s greatest secret was not her face, but her rare constitution: she possessed both an immortal and a demonic cultivation body. She could switch between them at will; when she had posed as Su Qingyu, she had switched to her immortal form, which was why others could not detect her demonic cultivation.

Lu Yixian spoke up again, addressing the intruder. "We do not welcome demonic cultivators here. It would be best if you left at once."

"Rest assured, I have only come to say a few words, and then I shall depart," the man replied. "In truth, the Demon Venerable Xuanyuan who appeared before you half an hour ago was a fake. You have no reason to fear her, nor is there any need to continue discussing how to handle her."

"What?! That female demon is a fake?" The members of the immortal sects present were struck with utter astonishment.

"How could that be possible?" Lu Yixian countered. "Thirty years ago, I encountered that female demon myself. Her appearance today was identical to what I saw then, and even the spiritual aura she exuded was exactly the same. More importantly, the one who appeared today possessed an unfathomable level of cultivation; she was undoubtedly an Imperial Demon Venerable. Why would an Imperial Demon Venerable bother impersonating another?"

The black-robed man shook his head. "You have all been deceived by her. Besides, it is an ironclad fact that Demon Venerable Xuanyuan has perished. Years ago, she personally planted a Soul-Brahman Flower, which shared a psychic link with her. Three years ago, that flower withered, which signifies that she has truly fallen."

Ni Xuan’s brow furrowed. "How do you know these things? Could you be from the Fanyuan Sect?"

"There is no need to speculate about my identity. You only need to know that I am here to help you," the man continued. "The reason the fake Demon Venerable Xuanyuan could project the same spiritual aura as the true one is that her true form is a White Nightmare Snake. She once received a single drop of essence blood from Demon Venerable Xuanyuan, which allowed her to take human form. That is why she possesses an identical aura. In reality, that demon snake is the least capable of the Venerable’s disciples, with a cultivation level of only the eighth stage of the Demon Origin Realm. You have no reason to fear her."

At this, Ye Quan, the Immortal Master from the Changba Sect, began to calculate internally: *'The fake Demon Venerable is only at the eighth stage of the Demon Origin Realm? That would make her weaker than me! Why on earth was I running away?'*

Lu Yixian shook his head once more. "But if her true form is merely a demon snake at the eighth stage of the Demon Origin Realm, why was I unable to discern her cultivation level earlier today?"

The black-robed man let out a sinister chuckle. "Heh, that was merely a small trick." He reached into his storage space and produced an object resembling a snake's fang. "This is a Void-Veil Fang. It can obscure one's true cultivation level, making it impossible for others to probe. Catch!"

He tossed the object to Ye Quan, who caught it in his palm. The man then pointed at Ye and Lu Yixian. "Now, try to probe the cultivation of this 'weak' man."

Hearing this, Ye Quan bristled. "Who are you calling weak? I dare you to say that one more time!"

Relying on the six Immortal Venerables present to back him up, Ye Quan spoke with great bravado. However, no one paid him any mind. Lu Yixian began to probe Ye Quan’s cultivation with intense focus, and his expression immediately turned to one of shock. "Immortal Master Ye’s cultivation... it is as vast as an abyss. I cannot discern it at all."

"Now you understand how that White Nightmare Snake managed to impersonate the Demon Venerable," the black-robed man laughed. "Her goal is to rescue her senior sister. If you fall for her ruse and release the Demon Venerable Taiyin, you will truly become the laughingstock of both the immortal and demonic realms."

"That demon snake is cunning indeed," Lu Yixian growled, his teeth clenched in rage. "My reputation as the Yi Immortal Venerable was nearly ruined by her."

Ni Xuan then spoke to the black-robed man in a gentle tone. "Although we stand on different sides, we thank you for coming to warn us."

"No thanks are necessary, but I would like to offer one more piece of advice," the man said.

"Please, speak," Ni Xuan replied.

"Do not let word of the fake Demon Venerable spread. If that demon snake realizes she has been exposed, she will flee immediately. If you let her believe her plan is flawless, she will surely return by noon tomorrow, posing as the Demon Venerable to demand the release of her senior sister. When that happens, you can capture them all at once and root them out completely. Would that not be ideal?"

The six Immortal Venerables present all agreed with the man's suggestion. Luring the enemy in and capturing them in one fell swoop was indeed the best strategy.

Naturally, they had already begun to guess the identity of the black-robed man. Knowing about the Soul-Brahman Flower, the White Nightmare Snake, and the secret of the Void-Veil Fang, he had to be from the Fanyuan Sect. And within that sect, the person most dissatisfied with the disciples of the late Demon Venerable was the current Sect Master, Luo Ziyin. After Luo Ziyin had assumed the position of Sect Master, the six disciples had immediately declared their departure from the sect, showing him absolutely no respect. Therefore, this man was undoubtedly an agent sent by Luo Ziyin.