Li Wei watched the scene unfold.
On his screen, at the foot of Azure Cloud Mountain, the blood energy mingled with the dark resentment of the dead. Within minutes, the distant sky above Azure Cloud Mountain was filled with dark red clouds formed from this resentment and blood energy.
At the foot of the mountain, a Tower constructed from human heads!
Even for Li Wei, watching from his screen, the sight was horrifying. The Tower, built from countless heads, was dozens of meters tall, each head frozen with a look of terror.
But for the disciples gathered at the Azure Cloud Pavilion in the game, this sight would likely become a deep-seated trauma, a tower that would haunt them for years to come!
They saw it.
Outside this massive "Tower," the wind blew, and the hair on those heads fluttered in the breeze. Most of the heads' hair remained motionless, dripping with blood. All the skulls' eyes were frozen in expressions of terror from their final moments, mixed with bewilderment and confusion, as if they couldn't understand why such a calamity had befallen them.
And because of this, the heads on the Tower gazed in all directions, seemingly emanating an endless stream of resentment.
Blood, not yet fully drained, slowly trickled down through the gaps between the heads at the bottom, flowing towards the gates of Azure Cloud Mountain.
Some cultivators used their techniques, and they saw an even more horrifying sight!
Outside the gates, a few scattered souls were already appearing, drawn to the Tower. They wandered stiffly, each one headless, searching for the missing part of their bodies so they could move on to the cycle of reincarnation.
Fear spread through the Azure Cloud Pavilion. The disciples didn't know what had happened or who would use such cruel methods to erect this gruesome Tower outside their sect, but it didn't stop them from trembling in terror.
The stench of blood carried by the wind was so overpowering that it caused several faint-hearted disciples to lose consciousness. It was a deathly aura capable of shattering a cultivator's spirit!
Close behind followed were many elders of the Azure Cloud Pavilion.
Among them was a stunningly beautiful woman in a red dress. She landed before the Tower, numb with shock, her body frozen in place.
But at this moment, no one paid attention to Xiao Huang'er's state of shock.
They frowned and looked towards the sky above the Tower. A head at the very top of the gruesome structure held a spirit stone in its mouth. As the Azure Cloud Pavilion disciples gathered, the spirit stone emitted a bright light, and an image materialized before their eyes.
In the image, they saw the Demon King gently playing with the children in the valley. Those adorable children innocently called the Demon King "Old Pig" and "Great-Grandpa."
Even though they couldn't understand how a Demon King could be so harmonious with the children, they could still feel the warmth of the scene.
Then...
The scene changed. In the valley, the Demon King's tomb appeared, along with the children's weeping.
As the image shifted again, Elder Qiuye of the Skyveil Sect and Elder Xiao Huang'er of the Divine Phoenix Hall of the Azure Cloud Pavilion were seen chasing a Demon King.
They were like a cat toying with a mouse, pursuing the Demon King relentlessly.
Xiao Huang'er slashed at the Demon King with her blade again and again.
It was a long and arduous journey, a brutal display devoid of humanity.
Yu Xian, the elderly Pavilion Master of the Azure Cloud Pavilion, with his crane-like white hair and youthful face, stroked his beard and sighed.
He gazed at the scene, then looked down at Xiao Huang'er, who stood frozen like a statue.
He understood everything now.
He seemed to comprehend why he had foreseen a great calamity when he performed the divination earlier.
"Pavilion Master, this..." An elder, who had also witnessed the entire scene, frowned and said, "Such an inhumane act! To erect such a Tower at our Azure Cloud Pavilion for the sake of a mere Demon King... This is the way of the demonic path!"
"No matter what the current state of the Azure Cloud Pavilion may be, it is still a major power with a legacy of tens of thousands of years. For anyone to act so provocatively before our gates, they clearly don't take the Azure Cloud Pavilion seriously."
"Perhaps... this matter between mortals should be resolved through negotiation. I don't want to get involved."
"Revenge is common, but this family has gone too far."
The elders voiced their opinions, each with their own views.
Yu Xian remained deep in thought. He glanced at Elder Qiuye of the Skyveil Sect, who was avoiding his gaze, and said in a low voice, "Elder Qiuye, do you have an explanation for this?"
"Pavilion Master."
Elder Qiuye was also troubled. He had originally planned to kill the Pig Demon King and provoke the Li family into a frenzy. He had even stayed in Tailin Town with Xiao Huang'er for those few days, waiting for the Li family to attack him, so he could then escape with her companion.
Then, the news of Xiao Huaner's getting attacked would spread, and then the entire Azure Cloud region would retaliate against the Li family. He wouldn't even need to lift a finger!
The final outcome would be Li Yunlin suffering damage to his soul during his breakthrough, allowing him to settle both new and old grudges.
But he hadn't expected this.
The Li family didn't react at all. In a short period, they abandoned their residence and disappeared completely!
He had no idea what the Li family was doing during this past year.
He had laid a trap, but the Li family didn't fall for it. Instead, they... completely overturned his game!
Now, he glanced at the Tower made of human heads and the stunned Xiao Huang'er. Even his heart trembled. He hadn't expected the Li family's ruthlessness, nor their decisiveness. Such an act of extermination was beyond the capabilities of ordinary forces!
He suddenly understood. Even though he had sent people to investigate Li Yunlin and the Li family for many years, he had still greatly underestimated their power and influence.
They were not simply a newly risen Golden Core clan!
"I am asking you a question." Yu Xian, a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, looked at the distracted Qiuye. His tone was calm, seemingly not putting this peak Golden Core cultivator in his eyes at all. "For the past two hundred years, you, as an elder of the Skyveil Sect, have repeatedly used Huang'er and exploited the reputation of my Azure Cloud Pavilion for your own purposes."
With that, he sighed deeply. "It's also my fault. Considering your status in the Skyveil Sect and the special nature of your relationship as cultivation partners, I've always refrained from interfering."
"But now, you, with your supposed clever schemes, have brought such a disaster upon my Azure Cloud Pavilion elder."
Hearing this, Elder Qiuye's expression changed. "Pavilion Master, what do you mean by this?"
"You reap what you sow."
Yu Xian let out a long breath. "Arrest him."
"Yes!"
As soon as Yu Xian finished speaking, four or five elders of the Azure Cloud Pavilion sprang into action. A golden alms bowl from the Azure Cloud Pavilion floated into the air; it was a low-grade magical treasure. It easily captured Elder Qiuye, who was trying to flee.
Elder Qiuye's expression changed drastically. "Pavilion Master, I am an elder of the Skyveil Sect! This matter has nothing to do with me. Besides, it was Huang'er who killed that Demon King, not me! Arresting me is simply unreasonable!"
"Don't try to use the Skyveil Sect to pressure me. You are nothing."
Yu Xian shook his head and waved his hand. "Arrest Xiao Huang'er as well. This woman has cultivated for over three hundred years, yet she hasn't severed her worldly attachments, and her heart is not pure. Today, I will imprison her with Qiuye. After I discuss with the Li family, we will decide what to do next."
"Yes!"
The elders frowned, puzzled. Although the Li family was quite powerful and capable of exterminating the Xiao family overnight, it wasn't enough to make the Azure Cloud Pavilion bow down to them. It seemed unreasonable to arrest Xiao Huang'er and Elder Qiuye, even risking offending the Skyveil Sect in the process.
Yu Xian watched as the two were taken away, then shook his head and turned to walk towards the center of the Azure Cloud Pavilion, his right hand calculating.
Just as he reached the bottom of Li Tianming's cage and levitated to look at Li Tianming's confused gaze, Yu Xian heard a heart-wrenching scream from behind him.
"Ah!!!"
It was Xiao Huang'er's desperate cry.
Yu Xian shook his head. "What a scourge."