Chapter 902: Ten Passes (1)

To be honest, Li Xiaofei was actually a little surprised. He could tell that the immortal sects in this world held an extremely poor attitude toward ordinary mortals. People like An Wanshan had long grown accustomed to looking down from above. They found it difficult to accept common opinions or suggestions and were used to making decisions about others’ fates with a single word.

To them, taking a life was merely a passing thought. In a certain sense, they could hardly be called good people. These so-called immortal sects frankly weren’t all that normal either.

Yet ironically, it was precisely these abnormal sects who had raised cultivators like An Wanshan and Xue Qing. Despite their origins, these people still knew gratitude and reciprocation. Li Xiaofei saw the sense of duty befitting true human powerhouses within them.

It was a strange thing indeed. Perhaps it could only be explained through human nature? The seeds of kindness within human nature could be awakened among the people of the universe at any time. Even so-called immortals with twisted values could still rekindle the better parts of being human.

The first appearances of An Wanshan, Lu Jiansheng, Xue Qing, and several other disciples were completely at odds with how they were now behaving. Li Xiaofei also felt relieved that he hadn’t gone on a killing spree from the beginning. Had he done so, none of what was happening now might have ever come to pass.

In fact, this was part of Li Xiaofei’s broader reflection on his own words and actions ever since his rise from Earth. He had killed quite a number of people back in Liuhe Base City.

Whether it was in Xiajing, in Haijing City, or within the nation of Jiepeng, he had slain many. Even after arriving in Chongque City, with his deep hatred for evil, he had never once shown mercy to his enemies.

Back then, his philosophy had been one of absolute eradication of evil. It was like treating a wound. Only by cutting away all the rotten flesh and clearing it completely, could new, healthy flesh grow in its place and allow the wound to heal.

But ever since arriving at the Star Battlefield, witnessing the savagery of the Mother of All Beasts within Heaven, the brutality of the Ruos, and hearing the stories of the past, Li Xiaofei’s mindset had begun to shift quietly, almost without him realizing.

Killing a person was easy. Changing a person was hard. The universe’s human race was already struggling and its population had already become so scarce. If the answer was always just to kill and kill again, then one day, when he drew his sword once more, would he look around in confusion and discover that all his kind had been wiped out?

So, his sword began to find mercy. It was precisely this compassion and forbearance that had brought about tremendous changes in people like An Wanshan, Lu Jiansheng, and Xue Qing.

Li Xiaofei rode on the old long-haired horse, deep in thought. At that moment, the crisp clanging of metal chains rang out. A massive chain bridge stretched for several thousand meters behind Nine-Tendon Peak, extending from the cliff’s edge deep into the distant mist.

Thick iron cables, each as wide as an adult’s waist, were lined with wooden planks that swayed constantly in the howling mountain winds. Below was an abyss so deep it had no visible bottom. It looked incredibly dangerous. One careless misstep could send someone plummeting from the bridge.

This was the Iron Chain Immortal Bridge. The old long-haired horse continued forward without hesitation, its hooves clopping steadily as it walked as if on level ground. Zhao Kuangren, the old monster, Li Yiyun, and the others followed in line behind.

For most people, a bridge like this might have been perilous beyond belief, but for cultivators, it truly felt like walking on solid ground. There were a few in the group whose cultivation wasn’t high, yet they were courageous enough.

They had made it all the way here without a single person falling behind. In the blink of an eye, the fog ahead began to thin and a new mountain peak emerged before their eyes.

When they descended from the Iron Chain Immortal Bridge, they arrived at the base of a majestic mountain. The bridge was anchored securely into the rocky cliff, ending at a narrow gravel path.

Groves of ancient pines and cypresses, each several centuries old and growing in strange and twisted forms lined both sides of the path. The cries of fierce birds could be faintly heard from within, yet their forms remained unseen.

"It's kind of eerie here." Li Yiyun glanced around and couldn't help but complain, "This doesn’t look like an immortal sect, it’s more like the underworld..."

Kou Zhengyang and the others nodded in agreement. The old monster sniffed the air, his nose twitching as he examined the surroundings. Finally, he said, "Be careful. This is one of the tricks used by the Blood Mist Sect, one of the Sixteen Great Immortal Sects. Look closely at the mist between the trees. Do you see the faint reddish hue?"

Everyone turned their eyes toward the forest. Sure enough, there was a subtle, eerie red tint within the mist that drifted among the ancient pines and cypresses. It was as though countless corpses had been heaped behind the fog, staining it with blood.

"Old man, what’s so dangerous about this formation?" Li Yiyun asked curiously.

The old monster replied, "It causes hallucinations... turning people against one another in a frenzy until only death remains."

Li Yiyun was startled.

Zhao Kuangren asked, "Then have we already entered the formation? Is there a way to break it?"

The old monster frowned and muttered, "I’ve only heard of this method. I’ve never actually seen it with my own eyes."

He hailed from the Breaking Realm Immortal Gate. Though he had lived long and seen much, he had always been cautious to the point of cowardice. He avoided danger whenever possible, so while he had broad knowledge, he often understood things only on the surface.

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"Master, should we stop for a moment?" Kou Zhengyang stepped forward. "Please allow us disciples to go ahead and clear the path for you."

He was offering to enter the formation first. By doing so, even if he fell into danger, perhaps his master would be able to see through the enemy’s techniques and find a way to break the illusion.

But Li Xiaofei, still mounted on the old long-haired horse, laughed and said, "Are you sure the me you’re seeing right now isn’t a hallucination? That I’m the real me?"

His words sent a chill down Kou Zhengyang and the others’ spines. Li Xiaofei burst out in hearty laughter.

“Relax,” he said. Still astride his mount, Li Xiaofei waved his hand casually. “Such petty tricks, and you dare to show them off before me?”

A ripple of invisible force surged forward, sweeping through the air. In an instant, the eerie, blood-tinged fog that had lingered among the ancient pine and cypress forest vanished without a trace like a gust of wind clearing morning mist.

Everyone immediately felt a wave of relief and ease wash over them. The oppressive and sinister atmosphere from before was completely swept away. The old long-haired horse clopped forward, the bell around its neck chiming in a clear, pleasant rhythm.

“Incredible technique,” the old monster exclaimed repeatedly in admiration.

Beyond the ancient forest lay a rocky cultivation field that spanned several dozen acres. At its center stood a solitary figure clad entirely in blood-red robes.

“So, you're the long-damned sinner of the immortal sects, Li Xiaofei?” The figure said, turning around.

He wore red robes and a ghostly mask. His face was covered with so many tattoos that his facial features had become obscured, making him look like a malevolent ghost that had crawled out from the deepest layers of the netherworld.

“Who are you?” Li Xiaofei asked calmly.

The red-robed man replied, “I am Du Hengjiu, Grand Elder of the Blood Mist Sect. Li Xiaofei, you will not pass this trial today. You’d do better to dismount, kneel, and pledge yourself as my blood slave. Perhaps then, the other immortal sects might spare you.”

Li Xiaofei shook his head.

“You reek of blood,” he said. “Your aura is thick with murderous karma. You've slain many, and not just killed but tortured. The sins you bear are monstrous. Do you admit your guilt?”

“Admit guilt?” Du Hengjiu laughed, as if he'd just heard the most absurd joke in the world.

His eyes gleaming with madness, he sneered, “I am an immortal, chosen by the heavens from among millions! Slaughter is my divine right, a power granted by the gods! Ha! Li Xiaofei, don’t think that breaking my Mist Illusion Formation means you can defeat me. Today, I will turn you and your followers into my 110,001st blood corpse puppets!”

A horrifying wave of bloodlust and killing intent erupted. Blood-red mist surged once more into the air, thick and suffocating. Du Hengjiu seemed like a monstrous grim reaper risen from the depths of hell.

A flicker of killing intent flashed through Li Xiaofei’s eyes.

“Since I descended into this world, I haven’t truly taken a life with my own hands. You’ll be the first.” A streak of sword light tore through the air before his words had even finished.

Whoosh!

Du Hengjiu’s head exploded. His now-headless corpse remained stiff and upright where it stood. For Li Xiaofei, killing a small figure like this was nothing more than a passing thought. But to the old monster watching nearby, the sight was utterly stupefying.

The Blood Demon, Du Hengjiu, Grand Elder of the Blood Mist Sect, was said to be among the top three most powerful figures in the entire sect, and no weaker than the current sect leader himself.

Two hundred years ago, Du Hengjiu had bathed the mortal realm in blood. He had single-handedly annihilated the Ning Dynasty, a kingdom that no longer even existed.

That battle had supposedly ended with the massacre of three thousand members of the royal family. Their skin had been peeled from their bodies and hung from the palace gates as grotesque trophies. Over twenty thousand generals and soldiers had perished in their efforts to protect the crown.

To this day, the ruins of Ning’s capital remained shrouded in a perpetual blood mist and feared as one of the most terrifying death zones in the land. It was said that the anguished wails of the dead could still be heard echoing day and night, and no one who entered had ever come back alive.

It was that very massacre that had turned Du Hengjiu into a legendary figure. And yet, such a fearsome demon, who had once razed a nation, hadn’t lasted even a single move before Li Xiaofei.

At first, the old monster suspected it might be one of Du Hengjiu’s deceptive techniques to fake death. After all, the Blood Mist Sect’s immortal arts were infamous for their strangeness. Cultivators of their style could transform into blood mist, making them exceptionally difficult to kill.

But upon closer inspection, it became clear that Du Hengjiu was truly and completely dead. His life force had vanished without a trace, and his corpse showed no signs of vitality. Their master had finally killed someone.

Li Yiyun and the other followers felt a jolt of shock in their hearts as they witnessed the scene. But following closely behind that shock... was a strange, indescribable thrill.