The Infernal Hell's High Command was built deep underground. This vast hall vividly displayed the Unbroken Cult's ability to dig tunnels. The platform spiraled downwards, gradually going in from the outside. Each level was five feet high and four feet wide. Every seven levels for 300 feet had a bronze cauldron that burned with a deep blue flame. At the very bottom was the central altar, which was thousands of feet from the ceiling.
Most of the platforms were filled, but the atmosphere was stifling. The reason the Unbroken Cult had gathered at the High Command was to judge a traitor.
The traitor was Ma Guanshan, their former Lord Commander.
Ma Guanshan was chained to an iron pillar at the central altar. He was about to be executed with the famous Infernal Hell's burning punishment.
This burning punishment was simple but also cruel. First, the person would be tied to the hollow iron pillar. The hollow of the iron pillar was connected to the furnace. Then, red hot charcoal would be thrown into the furnace. The iron pillar would slowly rise in temperature, and the person tied to it would slowly feel the burning pain. This process was extremely long, whether it was for the spectators or the torturers. The spectators would watch as the torturers were burned for several hours, dying just before they were roasted. Because the torturers were in unbearable pain, this time would be stretched out dozens or even hundreds of times longer.
Ma Guanshan's expression was calm. He could feel the iron pillar's temperature gradually rising. He could smell the smell of charcoal, but he couldn't tell what kind of tree it was. He tried his best not to think about his current situation. Thus, he thought of an ancient story about a charcoal seller. Because he was worried that his charcoal wouldn't sell well, he prayed in his heart that the weather would become colder so that the demand for charcoal would increase, thus increasing its value. The old charcoal seller didn't know that if the weather became colder, many people who were poorer than him would freeze to death. But even if he knew, what could he do? He was only an old man who burned and sold charcoal. It wasn't his turn to save all living beings.
The reason Ma Guanshan thought of this story was because he was a bit similar to that old man. The difference was that he had been given a chance to change the weather – he had chosen to warm the weather so that people who were poorer than him wouldn't freeze to death. His original intention was to let his thoughts wander, but the results were unsatisfactory. This caused him to recall his own foolish actions.
"Do you think that by ripping off the Lightning Guiding Talisman, you can stop Xiuda City from falling?"
Young Master Wuchang sat in front of the altar, holding a blood-colored crystal and eating it while laughing wantonly.
Ma Guanshan suddenly felt that Young Master Impermanence was doing this on purpose. It was as if the Fallen Star Plan was meant to trap him. He felt that his feelings were absurd and very narcissistic. "You seem to have expected this."
"Regardless of the outcome," Young Master Impermanence said with a smile, "it will be good for me and the Infernal Inferno. This is the core meaning of 'Falling Star'. You're just a chess piece. I'm betting on Lu Yunyin's conscience. "
In the end, Ma Guanshan was enlightened. Quite self-aware, he shut his mouth. Looking back on half of his sloppy life, the only thing that could be considered meaningful was following Ji Zhiyuan to fight the Desolate race. Back then, he truly felt the fact that he was still alive. But this time, it had nothing to do with justice or anything else. It was just death.
As the metal pillar heated up, he imagined the feeling of Ji Zhiyuan enduring the Mourning Soul Spike. Compared to the pain brought about by the Mourning Soul Spike, the burning sensation paled in comparison. He did not endure it for long before he was saved from the metal pillar. The person who came was Lu Yunyin.
"Teacher?"
Lu Yunyin put Ma Guanshan down and used her eyes to ask if he could stand firm. The latter used his actions to prove himself. Then, he turned to Young Master Impermanence and said coldly, "Why implicate the innocent?"
"I was just wondering when you would appear." Young Master Impermanence let out a ghostly laugh. "You know that this chess piece's life is of no importance. Since I can kill him, I can naturally spare him. It's all up to you, my Deputy Sect Master."
"Let him go. You can do whatever you want to me." Lu Yunyin said indifferently.
"Teacher!" Ma Guanshan's heart palpitated as he said loudly, "This student's life is of no importance. Furthermore, this student has no sense of righteousness. It will be difficult for me to shoulder such a heavy responsibility!"
"It has nothing to do with whether or not you can shoulder such a heavy responsibility. I was the one who asked you to go. I have to take responsibility." Lu Yunyin was still indifferent.
"Hahaha, good. That's satisfying enough. It was not in vain that I yearned for your body day and night for hundreds of years." Young Master Impermanence's eyes glowed with green light. Accompanied by an earth-shaking laughter, human heads grew out of the entire underground palace. Before Ma Guanshan could feel fear, those human heads flew over with strange laughter and bit towards Lu Yunyin.
Lu Yunyin was surrounded by a sea of human heads. The human heads bit off her flesh bit by bit and chewed it into their stomachs. In the last moments of his life, his eyes transmitted a heavy message that shook Ma Guanshan's soul. However, he did not know that Ma Guanshan's soul and body were separated.
"Teacher, you are really wrong …"
Tears flowed down silently. Ma Guanshan knelt down and kowtowed. "This student has eaten human flesh. The human heart is long gone …"
[
…]
Yan Li followed Jiang Musheng's last words and did not bring his corpse to Gu Caiwei. Instead, he brought it back to Jianzhou and found a beautiful place outside White Water City to bury it. He buried the latter's life's achievements in the soil.
A ghost-like shadow suddenly appeared behind Yan Li. It knelt on one knee and cupped its fists. "Reporting to Young Master, there is an urgent report from the human world."
"Speak." Yan Li said without turning his head.
The shadow said, "On the tenth of the fifth month, the Dragon Emperor's army launched a surprise attack on the Wind Cave Residence. Lianhai Villa sent a hundred thousand guards down the mountain, but they only lasted for two days before they were defeated. Commander Lianhai Tingyu died in battle and Deputy Commander Lianhai Changjin went missing. Now that Long Qing's guards have surrounded Green Wind Mountain, Lianhai Villa is still resisting tenaciously, swearing not to surrender. "
Yan Li's face darkened. "Lianhai Villa has already joined Wei Qi's alliance. Why hasn't the alliance sent troops?"
The shadow said, "Because everyone is busy with their own affairs. White Tiger Territory sent troops to attack Long Ling City. Wei Wang Territory was suppressed by the Dragon Emperor. If Giant Deer Territory did not send reinforcements, Long Qing's guards would have already attacked Luojing. Also, Southern Phoenix Territory … "
"How is Southern Phoenix Territory?" Yan Li asked.
The shadow said with difficulty, "On the twelfth of the fifth month, there was a rebellion in Phoenix Hall. Hall Master Gu Yuehuang was poisoned and died. More than thirty percent of the core forces died in battle. Young Hall Master Gu Qingyou's whereabouts are unknown … Southern Phoenix Territory has now fallen into the hands of the Dragon Emperor."
He did not expect the situation in the human world to deteriorate to this extent in the blink of an eye.
Yan Li sorted out his messy thoughts and said, "Pass my order. Let Yan Shiyi go to Phoenix Hall immediately and send people to investigate Gu Qingyou's whereabouts. I will go to Eastern Sky Territory!" After saying that, he flew into the sky.
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