Chao Tianjiao had her reasons. Since she joined the army, she had been through thousands of battles. She had claimed the lives of far more than two or three hundred thousand demonfolk with her own hands. She only laughed at how Li Qingshan had not experienced this before, which was why he was so cautious.

  After all, even during the most intense times, Cold Blood pass would only be stationed with three or five Demon Sovereigns, and they would still be unable to take down Black Cloud city. If they received any more Demon Sovereigns, it would be useless and affect the other battlefields instead.

  And right now, she had Li Qingshan’s Yin Soul wrapped around her, fending off the laws of the Demon domain and dealing with her greatest problem. She had snuck her way over here secretly too, so even if there were a couple of Demon Sovereigns, she was confident enough about slipping away.

  Chao Tianjiao scaled the gates silently and gazed out. It was still in ruins, identical to the scene that Li Qingshan had produced in his illusion the other day.

  Li Qingshan only became even more suspicious. He added, “You said you wanted to take a look. You’ve taken one now, so let’s go back!”
“Be quiet.” Chao Tianjiao drifted down like a feather.

  Li Qingshan choked up his words and fumed inside. Since he could not change her mind, then he would simply let her go, just in case he made a fool of himself.

  Fucking hell, you just can’t change the minds of people asking to die!

  As soon as Chao Tianjiao landed on the ground, she stepped on a red line that had appeared out of nowhere.

  The red line was crimson like blood and was not actually tangible. It began to shake gently.

  Immediately, thousands of red lines appeared in the air, criss-crossing together and triggering the entire fortress.

  Rumble. The ruins shook and twelve stone pillars rose up from the ground. Each stone pillar was inscribed with the totem of a Demon God.

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  Atop the twelve pillars stood twelve Demon Sovereigns, either sneering away viciously or standing impassively, gazing down on Chao Tianjiao in the formation.

  Demon qi surged, filling the surroundings and welling up in the fortress.

  Li Qingshan had seen these red lines recently. They were the threads that composed the formation. He had actually seen this formation before as well. “The Twelve Citadel Demon Formation of the Ominous!”
Chao Tianjiao ground her teeth and cursed furiously inside. “And you still say you’re not a spy, Li Qingshan!”
“Spy your fucking head!” Li Qingshan became livid as well. “I advised you again and again. You didn’t listen, and now, you blame me. Come, come, come! Show me how you’re supposed to survive now!”
Caught in an ambush, she had powerful enemies around her and doubts inside her. The situation was extremely dangerous.

  With a clang, Chao Tianjiao drew her blade. In an instant, she had already recovered her cool. She recalled Li Qingshan’s various actions. Since when was there a spy as cocky and arrogant as him? She said calmly, “I’ve accused you wrongly. If you’re not a spy, then get ready to fight to the death with me!”
Seeing how forgiving she was, Li Qingshan was left temporarily speechless. It was not like he could say, “Even if you die, I won’t!”
Finally, he let out a sigh. “Sigh, why did you bother with this at all?”
Chao Tianjiao said, “I am tasked with a heavy responsibility, so I have to come. Though, I did end up dragging you down with me. The twelve Demon Sovereigns definitely have not just gathered here to ambush me. They’ve definitely come for Black Cloud city as well. When my life lamp goes out, at least it’ll be a warning to the sect.”
“Bitch, do you still recognise me?” Tu Wancheng sneered in absolute delight.

  “Tu Wancheng, you actually survived my strike! Are you bold enough to face me in battle again?”
Chao Tianjiao pointed her blade at Tu Wancheng. Caught in the Twelve Citadel Demon Formation of the Ominous, she was already in dire straits. If she could kill a Demon Sovereign, then perhaps she still had a slim chance at surviving. At the very least, she would have taken one down with her.

  She directed her blade towards him and radiated with murderousness. Tu Wancheng’s face twisted. That blade truly caused him fear.

  The other Demon Sovereigns seemed to be enjoying this. They were not in a hurry to strike.

  Tu Wancheng obviously would not fall for that. He was about to insult Chao Tianjiao with some foul, dirty language.

  A Demon Sovereign that resembled an old man waved his hand, and Tu Wancheng immediately shut his mouth.

  The old man said earnestly, “Fellow Chao, if you are willing to join the Demon domain, you’ll be able to get out of here alive. Not only will you become a Demon Sovereign, standing on equal footing with us, but you’ll make a great contribution if you help us take down Black Cloud city too. Not only will you be blessed by the will of the heavens, but you will be rewarded by the gods as well. Perhaps you might break through the sixth heavenly tribulation and become a half-god.”
The old man’s voice was deep and hoarse, yet it possessed a strange charm, able to resonate in the depths of their hearts. He basically seemed even more friendly and amicable than the Upraised Light abbot, which made him seem extremely convincing.

  Li Qingshan and Chao Tianjiao immediately understood. So they were actually after that!

  Even if the twelve Demon Sovereigns worked together, they would struggle to breach the Formation of Black Clouds and Roaring Thunder, let alone the fact that the teleportation formation was connected to the Myriad sect, so they could summon over ten direct disciples at any moment for assistance.

  If they could make the first senior sister operate from the inside, then destroying the two formations would instead be a piece of cake. If the twelve Demon Sovereigns then struck after that, the million-strong army would be completely up to their whim.

  Li Qingshan sneered. “This is what you call karma! Retribution is a bitch! You said I’m a spy of the Demon domain, and now, it’s your turn.” Meanwhile, he tried his best to block out the voice.

  Chao Tianjiao’s mind cleared up. She was not annoyed by him. Instead, she became puzzled. Even at a time like this, he’s still in the mood to joke. What a bold spirit.

  She was not determined to die here in battle either. She acted like she considered their suggestion and said to the old man, “I’m very familiar with the nature of demonfolk. Even if there are no benefits, you’ll still stab each other in the back. How can I trust you?”
The old man laughed. “Fellow, do you think I’m trash like them? If you don’t believe me, I can swear a Blood Oath of the Nether River.”
Chao Tianjiao faked a sigh. “I am greatly indebted to my sect, so how can I turn against them?”
Li Qingshan thought, At least this woman is not a bonehead. She still knows how to buy time. It’s just a pity that her acting is far too exaggerated.

  With the path they walked, if they just charged over and threw their lives at any danger they encountered without any regard, then even a hundred of them would not be enough for them to reach where they currently were.

  The old man did not seem to notice Chao Tianjiao’s attempt at buying time. He shook his head with a smile. “Fellow, you’ve been blinded by the mere appearance of things!”
Li Qingshan was stunned. Is this old guy really not a monk in disguise?

  TL: The phrase that the old man said here, “blinded by the mere appearance of things”, is a buddhist term in the Chinese raws.

  “Then may I ask how I’ve been blinded by the mere appearance of things?” Chao Tianjiao sheathed her blade and listened quietly.

  “The likes of us have long departed from our ties to people and objects. We are only in pursuit of greater enlightenment. You are indebted to your sect, but your sect is also indebted to you, so you don’t owe each other anything. And compared to the great path of cultivation, why must you care about these trifles?”
“You raise a good point, fellow. Allow me to consider it.”
Chao Tianjiao lowered her head and said to Li Qingshan, “Kid, stay quiet. I know you have plenty of horrible plans, so think of something!”
“What can I think of? Why don’t we just surrender instead?”
“If you surrender, I’ll kill you first!” Chao Tianjiao’s expression changed as if she was deeply conflicted. Her acting became much more realistic.

  At the same time, the Demon Sovereigns communicated between themselves too.

  “Sir Ying Zhe, will this woman really pledge allegiance to the Demon domain?”
“Of course not,” the old man replied indifferently.

  Tu Wancheng was impatient. “Then why waste words on her? Why don’t we…”
“If she dies, her life lamp will be extinguished, and the Myriad sect will be on guard. Will you take responsibility?”
Tu Wancheng was shut up immediately. The old man said patiently, “As a result, leave her with a chance at survival. Don’t let her develop the determination to throw her life away. She might not join us now, but that doesn’t mean she won’t in the future, hehe.”
The Demon Sovereigns were all unruly and defiant figures. They were no weaker than the old man either, yet they actually could not find any reason to defy him.

  “Truly a member of Demon God Hundun’s lineage!”