C17 The Host Denounced the Offender

Lei Qi had never imagined that ants, which he could usually crush underfoot with ease, would now be the stuff of nightmares. Despite his formidable strength, capable of wiping out those wretched ants with a mere slap, they seemed to come in endless waves. No matter the cost, even if it meant sacrificing millions of their own, they were determined to sink their teeth into him.

The bite of the Mountain Moving Ant and the Flamemaw Ant was barely more than an itch to him, but the winged venomous ants were another story. Each bite delivered a drop of highly acidic venom, causing his body to quickly swell. Covered in a seething mass of ants, he unleashed his elementary force, flinging them off, only to have more swarm over him.

In that moment, the gruesome fate of Zong Ji flashed through his mind. Had he been devoured by these very ants? The thought of insects gnawing away at his bones sent a shiver down his spine.

Still, Lei Qi was a master of the Returning to Origin realm. His inner elementary force whirled wildly, and with a roar of fury, he unleashed its full power.

With a thunderous "Bam!" the air was filled with countless black specks scattering in all directions. The overwhelming energy swept through the vicinity, the Mountain Moving Ants' formidable grip no match for the force, killing them in droves. In an instant, a three-meter radius around Lei Qi was eerily quiet.

He gasped for air, his eyes wild with frenzy. A circular clearing formed around him as the venomous winged ants fell from the sky like raindrops.

Then, out of nowhere, a streak of cold light aimed straight for his throat. Lei Qi, drained from his exertion, couldn't muster a defense in time. In a frantic move, he shifted slightly, causing the cold light to bury itself in his shoulder instead. The sharp energy tore through him, severing an arm, which spun gracefully through the air.

Chu Haoyun watched, slightly disappointed by the outcome. He hadn't expected Lei Qi to react so swiftly. His blade, charged with 80% of his elementary force and tripled in explosive power, had been aimed at Lei Qi's throat, yet it had been narrowly avoided.

Following the blast, the ant horde had been decimated, with 80% either dead or wounded. Though they continued to converge on Lei Qi, they could no longer hinder his movements. Now, Lei Qi was a sight to behold, his body riddled with swollen boils oozing acidic fluid, making him appear even more bloated than before.

"That look really suits you!" Chu Haoyun quipped, masking the disappointment in his heart.

Lei Qi's mouth was swollen, and he bellowed indistinctly, "Damn kid, I'll flay you alive, piece by piece!"

Witnessing his frenzied state, a somber shadow passed over Chu Haoyun's pale visage. An adversary who had transcended boundaries was certainly not to be underestimated. With his current power, killing Lei Qi was out of the question. However, he was quite confident in his ability to escape, as the ants he commanded were attacking more than just Lei Qi.

As Lei Qi clapped his hands, scattering the remaining ants, a host of menacing figures surged from the rubble's edge.

"Green Demon Spiders? Bloodthirsty Demon Scorpions?" Lei Qi's gaze sharpened upon realizing the threat. Dozens of fierce Fellbeasts, also swarmed by ants, were hurtling towards him in a frenzy.

While the ants merely served as a temporary obstacle, these Fellbeasts posed a real challenge, particularly the Bloodthirsty Demon Scorpions with their gleaming, venomous tails. Though these creatures were only of the sixth level, their toxicity was among the deadliest.

"This kid can control Fellbeasts?" Lei Qi thought frantically. If he were to be tied down here, and Lin Beikong reported back to the masters of the Order of the Celestial Veil, escaping would become nearly impossible. Clutching his broken arm, Lei Qi gave Chu Haoyun a chilling look and said icily, "Kid, you better hope we don't cross paths again!"

With those words, Lei Qi made a swift exit, vanishing into the jumbled stones of Embercrest in a few bounds. Chu Haoyun directed the Fellbeasts in pursuit. Only when his figure had faded from view did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.

After regaining some strength, Chu Haoyun found Qin Bing still unconscious. Without hesitation, he popped the last of the Spirit Condensing Elixir into Qin Bing's mouth and hoisted him onto his shoulders, hurrying towards Cloud-Veiled Peak.

At the base of Cloud-Veiled Peak, Chu Haoyun's path was blocked once more.

There stood Xiaomu, donned in a deacon's robe, with Xiaoqiong, the young lady, Lin Beikong, and an unfamiliar young man behind him. Lin Beikong's eyes betrayed a flicker of surprise upon seeing Chu Haoyun.

"Stop right there!" Xiaomu commanded upon seeing Chu Haoyun's disheveled state.

Chu Haoyun had no fondness for Xiaomu; his overbearing manner upon Chu Haoyun's arrival at the Order of the Celestial Veil had made a lasting impression. Worried for Qin Bing, Chu Haoyun's brow furrowed slightly. Respecting the other's position, he reluctantly bowed and said, "Deacon Xiaomu, what is the reason for this interruption? I have urgent business to attend to. Please, I ask that you let me pass."

"Let you pass?" A chill flashed in Xiaomu's eyes as he exhaled sharply, the sound striking Chu Haoyun like thunder and causing his weakened body to tremble and expel a mouthful of blood. Chu Haoyun's eyes iced over as he demanded, "What do you mean by this, sir?"

"Humph!" Xiaomu's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing as he replied coldly, "You've killed an elite disciple from our Outer Sect and robbed other disciples of their Demon Cores. Now you're accused of conspiring with outsiders to harm our sect's disciples. When, then, should I let you pass?"

Chu Haoyun's pupils constricted as he glanced at the girl and Lin Beikong. He was unconcerned by Xiaomu's initial accusations; the Forbidden Woods and Sunset Ridge allowed for such confrontations. However, the last accusation implied a grave charge of betrayal against the sect—a crime no sect in the world would overlook.

Chu Haoyun took a deep breath and retorted with disdain, "Why, sir, do you insist on framing me for conspiring with outsiders against the sect?"

"Still trying to argue your way out?" Xiaomu waved his hand, sending a burst of energy that made Chu Haoyun stumble. He sneered at Lin Beikong, "At Embercrest, you murdered Hee Zhanpeng, an Outer Sect prodigy, and plotted with outsiders against Lin Beikong. He was lucky to escape. Otherwise, I would never have suspected that you—a mere eighth-level Body Forger—could evade a master of the Returning to Origin."

Chu Haoyun felt a heavy weight in his heart. Certainly, an eighth-level Body Forger wouldn't normally stand a chance against a Returning to Origin. Xiaomu's attitude only fueled Chu Haoyun's inner fury, his countenance growing cold. He responded impassively, "Then, sir, shouldn't you inquire why I went to Embercrest? What explanation do you have for Hee Zhanpeng and Lin Beikong leaving Qin Bing in such a state?"

Feeling Chu Haoyun's gaze, Lin Beikong grew uneasy. He had no intention of alerting the deacon, but he had promised Xiaoqiong that he would incapacitate Chu Haoyun and deliver him to her. Upon his return, under Xiaoqiong's persistent questioning, Lin Beikong recounted the events at Embercrest. Unexpectedly, Xiaoqiong accused Chu Haoyun of the grave crime of betraying the sect and informed her father, Deacon Xiaomu.

Xiaomu, upon learning that his daughter had been taken by a rogue in the Forbidden Woods and corroborated by Lin Beikong's testimony, was enraged. He arrived, ready to seek justice based on Xiaoqiong's conclusion. With such an accusation, not even Lan Canghai could justify intervening.

"How dare you! It is I, the deacon, who is holding you accountable!" Xiaomu bellowed, his formidable presence erupting and overwhelming the area, forcing Chu Haoyun to stagger back several steps, coughing up blood. He cast a scornful look at Qin Bing on Chu Haoyun's back and sneered, "He's nothing but trash. How could he ever compare to the geniuses of our sect? We are never short of such characters."

Unable to contain his fury, Chu Haoyun retorted icily, "The 'genius' you speak of is no more. Don't you see him as nothing but a vile man who stops at nothing to achieve his ends? Such a man is nothing but a parasite to the sect. How could he ever deserve the title of genius?"

"You deserve death!" Before Xiaomu could respond, a young man clad in Inner Sect disciple attire, his expression steely, erupted in anger. His fists charged with swirling elementary force, he launched a ferocious assault on Chu Haoyun.