The Journey of Immortal Cultivation-Chapter 792 - 438: Challenge for the High Seat_2
Her action was exactly what Elder He had hoped for. He was very familiar with the poison from that evil insect, which seemed to be the Lifebound Gu that Lord Jiu Mo cultivated himself. As an Ancient Strange Insect, its power of surprise attack was astonishing. If they hadn’t met Miluo, also a master of poisonous insects, during the negotiation, whether Elder He could still be alive would be unknown. Since Jiu Mo made the first move and got injured—Ning Xiaoxian almost dealt a fatal blow to the evil insect, and Miluo used a Secret Technique to forcibly sever her connection with the Poisonous Demon, causing her to suffer twice the trauma. At that time, she was discussing affairs in the palace when she suddenly felt a violent tumult in her chest, an excruciating pain in her heart, and she only managed not to cough out blood thanks to her profound cultivation.
However, forcibly holding it in like that is extremely harmful to the body, so she managed to endure until the meeting ended two quarters later before returning to her courtyard to recuperate. By then, her injury had compounded, and she would not recover in a short time. She had no time to deal with the problems caused by Elder He’s subordinates.
With her reputation in the Hidden Stream rising high and Lord Jiu Mo seriously injured, how could Elder He let go of such a rare opportunity? He exclaimed in surprise, "This really happened! Do you know what caused it?"
Someone immediately came out to explain the cause and effect, but since this person was one of Jiu Mo’s subordinates, the facts were naturally biased in their own favor. Elder He then coldly scoffed at the person, "According to what you said, when the two demons were fighting at that time, that little demon and the demon crowd also insulted my reputation. Why didn’t Thorny Hall pursue and capture them?"
With that, he left the other party speechless, yet his words made him seem arrogant. After all, how could a mere elder compare to the Sect Leader? But times had changed; he had made substantial contributions to the Hidden Stream and would not let anyone slosh mud on him so easily.
Jiu Mo coldly asked, "What do you want?" She knew very well that this old man came prepared and would not back down easily.
"Release the captured Demon Soldiers of the legion!" Elder He emphasized the word "legion," reminding everyone that those captured had made significant contributions to the Hidden Stream, "Also, hand over the murderer who killed Xiong Er. He was the dear nephew of my old subordinate, and his death must not go unaddressed!" As soon as these words came out, there was a fierce flicker in the eyes of the people behind him, clearly stirred by his agitation.
In the past, he had dozens of ways to say such words more perfectly and pleasantly, but tonight, he deliberately chose to state them bluntly, leaving Jiu Mo no room for choice or maneuver.
If she were to release the prisoners according to his words, then Jiu Mo would never be able to hold her head up high in the Sect again, not to mention that she knew very well Xiong Er’s death must have been the work of Elder He’s Black Hand. Now, to have the cheek to demand she hand over the supposed murderer was utterly preposterous!
She sneered in extreme anger, "What if I refuse to release them?"
As soon as she said this, several old foxes from Jiu Mo’s faction knew things were going to be bad. Indeed, before they could even speak up to mediate, Elder He had preempted, "Even if you are Lord Jiu Mo, you have no right to detain the elite under Lord Langya! The Sect Leader has lost virtue, made decisions that misled the Sect, causing the Hidden Stream to lose over ten thousand Demon Personnel on the Northwest battlefield, and is no longer worthy of your high position. I invoke the laws of Hidden Stream to challenge you for your position."
He actually spoke so bluntly! The people present looked at each other in shock, all of them horrified. Although Jiu Mo’s cultivation was not as high as Langya, her natural poison was extremely terrifying, and there were rumors that even immortals couldn’t neutralize Lord Jiu Mo’s poison. On the other hand, Elder He, far inferior in cultivation and showing signs of age, could he really defeat the flourishing Jiu Mo?
Jiu Mo had never anticipated, Elder He actually had this idea in mind, slightly taken aback, but then filled with great joy inwardly, he still tried to maintain an indifferent facade, "Duel with me, you?"
"Indeed." Elder He appeared even more composed, "A duel to the death. Whoever wins gets to handle the affairs of the deceased." The ’affairs’ he referred to meant taking over the other’s forces.
"Since you’re seeking your own death, I’ll grant your wish!" She had been looking for an excuse to kill him and couldn’t believe this old fellow delivered himself to her door. Although Elder He was always meticulous and never fought unprepared, he wasn’t renowned for his martial prowess. She thought it over and didn’t see how he had any chance of winning, "The closest to here is Secret Realm No.1, let’s have our duel there."
Chi Bihu took a step forward, whispering, "Elder..."
Elder He raised his hand to stop him from continuing. At this moment, Elder He seemed to exude a certain dignified grace, "I have made up my mind; you just need to wait for the outcome."
A challenge for the seat of power is no monkey business; it doesn’t require an audience. Out of respect for both experts, the Water Moon Mirror in Secret Realm No.1 was removed, meaning from that moment until the end of the challenge, no one could see the situation inside the realm.
Jiu Mo sneered at Elder He and entered the secret realm first. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
Elder He stared at the ripples of the realm’s entrance, momentarily in a daze, until brought back to his senses by Changtian, "What am I doing? I’ve been meticulously planning for so long just for this chance to battle Jiu Mo, and here I am daydreaming, letting that poisonous woman have more time to set up in the realm?"
He took out his Yan Ling Saber and stepped inside. At this moment, his seemingly aged body revitalized with an intense fighting spirit. The figure he left behind to the onlookers was proud and resolute, not at all like an aged Immortal Crane awaiting death in a coffin. Many quietly held their breath, realizing they had misjudged him.
Even though Ning Xiaoxian knew a battle between these two was inevitable, she still felt uneasy, "Changtian, do you think Elder He can truly win?" Their entire plan rested on Elder He; if he were to lose, it would all be for naught.
In the past few hours, Changtian seemed to have adjusted his mood as well, answering, "He can. He has borrowed the Demon Core from me; with that he’s invincible against Jiu Mo’s lethal poison. Having kept a low profile for centuries, everyone thinks he’s only skilled in Alchemy Dao, but his close combat skills are not inferior to Qi Zai. The Magic Artifact he wielded, ’Star Array’—you saw it that day as well—is a Treasure on the same level as the Reincarnation Platform."
"And Jiu Mo is currently severely injured due to the Evil Gu. The one whose Lifebound Gu is stolen or destroyed suffers greatly from the backlash, and it won’t heal for at least ten days to half a month. If I were to place a bet, I would still believe Elder He has a bigger chance of winning." (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to give a recommendation ticket and monthly ticket. Your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)
