Chapter 510: Big Trouble

Lu Sangjiu and Yan Xue had offended Fan Lin inside the Secret Realm and failed to kill him, so the two had long since decided to bolt the moment they got out. They absolutely could not remain with the Fan Family.

But… Lu Sangjiu never, ever expected that another crisis would be waiting for them outside.

To their dismay, they had just exited the Secret Realm when they discovered the Fan Family’s Clan Protection Array had been activated. What the hell—no one could get out!

Once a Clan Protection Array of this magnitude was active, any backup plans they had were useless. Only someone at the Immortal King Level could possibly force their way out.

In an instant, Lu Sangjiu and Yan Xue glanced at each other, their faces drained of color. They both immediately understood that neither of their escape plans would work.

Of course, they weren’t the only two frustrated by the situation. The expressions of the other visiting Cultivators changed as well.

The more impatient ones started shouting, “What does the Fan Family think they’re doing? Are you going back on your word and trapping everyone here?”

“Hah! It’s not like we don’t have powerful backers. If the Fan Family really dares to pull something like this, they’d better be ready for retaliation!”

Amidst the clamor of voices, a single voice suddenly cut through the noise, ringing out over the Fan Family’s estate.

“Everyone, do not panic. We have taken this measure for a simple reason… a spy from the Beidie Palace has infiltrated our ranks.”

The speaker had yet to reveal himself, but his words stunned everyone present.

“What? How is that possible? How could someone from the Beidie Palace enter our Demon Cultivation Secret Realm?”

Though some were skeptical, most believed it wasn’t a baseless rumor, simply because the speaker was the Fan Family’s own Asura, Fan Yunfeng!

Of everyone there, Lu Sangjiu had the strongest reaction. Her expression darkened instantly. With no room for wishful thinking, she knew with certainty that she was the one Fan Yunfeng was talking about.

‘I’ve been discovered!’

However, Lu Sangjiu didn’t think she herself had been exposed. After all, everything was fine before she entered the Secret Realm, making it even less likely she’d slipped up later.

‘It’s more likely that Lie Rufeng and his companion were exposed, implicating me in the process.’

‘But if that were the case, Lie Rufeng and his companion are from the South Immortal Palace. Fan Yunfeng shouldn’t be calling me a spy from the Beidie Palace.’

‘The only person I have any connection to from the Beidie Palace… is Ji Li!’

Lu Sangjiu’s mind instantly flashed to the Ten Thousand Fusion Stones she had acquired at the auction.

‘It seems the only reason nothing happened then was because the Li Huo Sword Venerable’s status intimidated them. But in reality, they secretly followed the trail right to me!’

‘But maybe because I’m in the Demon Realm now, Ji Li is being cautious. So he decided to just use this Asura from the Fan Family to get rid of me!’

In the blink of an eye, Lu Sangjiu had figured out most of the truth.

The only part she hadn’t guessed was that the Fan Family’s Asura had agreed to act because Ji Li had bribed him.

Ji Li had planned to hire an assassin, and after mulling it over, the Fan Family’s Asura was without a doubt the most suitable choice.

He had even concocted the perfect pretext for the man to act, saving him from any reservations about his reputation.

And so, the scene unfolding today came to be.

She clenched her fists. ‘Tsk, looks like today’s battle is unavoidable.’

‘I’m just a Heavenly Immortal. Can I really fight two Realms above my own and defeat an Asura? This is going to kill me!’

But no matter how impossible it seemed, she would never just sit back and wait for death.

So, before her opponent could finish his grandstanding, Lu Sangjiu erupted from the crowd and shot directly toward the nearby Head of the Fan Family!

‘To hell with it! I’ll try to take a hostage and see what happens!’

Everyone was still reeling from Fan Yunfeng’s words. Lu Sangjiu’s attack was so sudden that many failed to react.

But the Head of the Fan Family was, after all, at the Rakshasa Level—a full major Realm above Lu Sangjiu. Even from that distance and with his attention divided, he had more than enough time to react.

With a loud bang, Lu Sangjiu’s saber was stopped by the protective shield her opponent had manifested.

But since Lu Sangjiu had put her full power into the strike, a CRACK followed as his protective shield unexpectedly shattered!

“What?!”

The Head of the Fan Family was astonished, but the others were even more so.

In the crowd, Yan Xue’s jaw nearly hit the floor.

‘…Damn, she’s a total badass!’

‘Fighting a Rakshasa in front of so many people, punching up a whole Realm, and not even losing… this Fellow Daoist Lu is a true powerhouse!’

But no matter how formidable she was, the fact remained that her attempt had failed. By now, everyone had reacted and certainly wouldn’t give Lu Sangjiu another chance.

The Head of the Fan Family flew into a rage. “So, the spy is you! You’ve exposed yourself!”

“Quick, everyone, get her! The Fan Family will reward you handsomely!”

At the mention of a handsome reward, everyone—whether they were from the Fan Family or not—turned on Lu Sangjiu.

Since they had all just exited the Secret Realm, far too many people were gathered in one place, and the scene descended into unbelievable chaos.

Although fighting so many people at once was a death sentence, it did have one advantage: it made it difficult for the Asura to intervene.

For one, it would be beneath his station. For another, he might accidentally injure his own side.

Even facing so many opponents alone, Lu Sangjiu showed no fear. She weaved nimbly through the crowd, dodging attacks while seizing every opportunity to counter.

Yan Xue didn’t move to help. After all, she was just a Heavenly Demon. No matter how many tricks or trump cards she possessed, she had no confidence she could take down so many Cultivators plus an Asura.

‘Besides, I went through so much trouble to find what I was looking for. If I die here before I can even get it home… how utterly infuriating would that be?’

‘Although Lu Sangjiu and I get along well, our interactions have been brief. We’re not close enough for me to risk my life for her.’

So from the start, Yan Xue had no intention of intervening. She even considered using the chaos as a chance to slip away.

But after a moment, Yan Xue’s expression underwent a subtle change.

She realized that despite the overwhelming odds, Lu Sangjiu had never once called out to her for help. In fact, her escape path seemed to be deliberately avoiding her…

‘That can’t be a coincidence. Just now, I clearly saw her ignore a better escape route. She made a sharp turn just to avoid my position and was nearly hit by a Spell.’

Lu Sangjiu’s actions left a sour taste in Yan Xue’s mouth. Suddenly, she felt… ‘Am I being a terrible friend?’

Surrounded and attacked by the crowd, Lu Sangjiu had already held her own for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Not only was she uninjured, but she had managed to wound several of her attackers.

All the while, her eyes blazed with fighting spirit, showing not a hint of cowardice.

Seeing this, Yan Xue drew a sharp breath. ‘Whew, it’s been a long time since I met someone this interesting. It really would be a shame if she died here.’

‘Oh, what the hell… you have to be reckless a few times in life. Besides, not everyone gets to have an experience like this.’

‘If Lu Sangjiu and I actually manage to escape this, I’ll have a story to brag about for the rest of my life, won’t I?’

And so, in the next instant, two people in the mob chasing Lu Sangjiu were suddenly sent flying. A chorus of startled cries made Lu Sangjiu instinctively look back.

There, she saw Yan Xue in the crowd, who was also looking right at her.

Her beautiful eyes curved into a smile. “I didn’t exactly pull my weight in the Secret Realm. This time… let’s call it me repaying the favor!”