After Transmigrating Into The Body Of The Chief Disciple, The Villain Was Reborn. - Chapter 19

Lu Shi’an rubbed the strange substance between his fingers, feeling as though he had seen it somewhere before. Before he could place the memory, the sound of combat interrupted his thoughts. He turned to see that a fight had broken out. He considered killing the two reckless fools on the spot but realized they could serve as a good sparring partner for Yuzhao, so he held his ground. He also noticed that while Xiao Heng was participating, he was clearly holding back, moving only to intervene when Ning Yuzhao was at risk of injury.

Lu Shi’an had no desire to deal with this so-called protagonist any further. The two were riddled with suspicious traits, and it was better to be rid of them sooner rather than later. Besides, now that the fake Crimson Feather was shattered, he found their presence irritating.

The moment the black sword broke, Ji Yu and Lin Tian reached the height of their fury. Watching the divine sword, which they considered their prize, severed by Ning Yuzhao’s blade caused them to lose all reason. They launched a frenzied attack on Ning Yuzhao. They avoided attacking Lu Shi’an and Xiao Heng only because a sliver of sanity remained, warning them that those two were beyond their strength.

Unfortunately for them, they had forgotten one thing: Lu Shi’an and Xiao Heng shared a common trait, which was that they were both ferociously protective of their own. Even though Xiao Heng had not known Ning Yuzhao for long, he had already mentally included him in his circle in order to build a bond with Lu Shi’an.

As Lin Tian saw that he and Ji Yu were losing, even with Xiao Heng’s interference, the destruction of the black sword pushed him over the edge. He risked exposure to kill the three people before him. He retreated, leaving Ji Yu to engage them while he sat cross-legged, chanting incantations and forming seals as dark energy began to coalesce around him.

Lu Shi’an and Xiao Heng reacted instantly, launching a lethal strike that disrupted Lin Tian’s incantation. Lin Tian collapsed, coughing up blood. Fearing a follow-up attack, he used a life-saving item, crushing a bead that caused him and Ji Yu to vanish from the cave. Ji Yu, having sensed Lin Tian’s intent to escape, had rushed to his side and clung to him the moment the bead was crushed. He had seen the murderous intent in Lu Shi’an’s eyes and knew that if he did not escape with Lin Tian, these people would show him no mercy.

As Lu Shi’an watched the two disappear without a trace, his face turned ash-gray. Xiao Heng walked toward him, his usual casual demeanor replaced by a heavy, somber gravity. “Lin Tian is not normal. He was clearly attempting to use forbidden sorcery. Given the vast gap in our strength, for him to take such a risk, there is only one possibility: that sorcery is potent enough to help a mere early-stage Golden Core cultivator kill two peak-stage Golden Core powerhouses like us.”

Lu Shi’an nodded in agreement. “I suspect the same. His cultivation level may have been acquired through this forbidden art. Do you remember when we first met? I noticed then that his actual power did not match the level he displayed; despite being at the Golden Core stage, he had almost no reaction to my attack.” The two locked eyes. “We must report this to the sect immediately. I suspect his sorcery allows him to steal the cultivation of others.” They swiftly retrieved their transmission talismans to alert their respective Sect Leaders.

“Senior Brother, I cannot hold it back anymore!” Lu Shi’an turned to see Ning Yuzhao struggling, his spiritual energy fluctuating as he fought to suppress a breakthrough. Lu Shi’an and Xiao Heng hurried him out of the cave and deployed a defensive array with incredible speed. Just as the heavenly tribulation began to descend, Lu Shi’an guided Ning Yuzhao to the center of the array, while he and Xiao Heng stood guard.

The tribulation had arrived so abruptly that it caught them off guard. Lu Shi’an watched with deep concern; Golden Core lightning tribulations were far more dangerous than those of the Foundation Establishment stage, especially with such little time to prepare. Lightning bolt after lightning bolt struck down, and Ning Yuzhao began to falter. Lu Shi’an was on the verge of entering the array to help him shoulder the burden. He had not done so earlier because the tribulation was a vital opportunity for tempering the body, and he wanted Ning Yuzhao to experience it himself.

Before he could move, however, he sensed a disturbance in the divine beast egg he had stored in his internal space. He pulled it out, only to watch it roll directly into the heart of the lightning storm. Ning Yuzhao tried to scold it to move away, only to watch in amazement as the egg met the lightning head-on.

The first bolt cracked the shell; the second shattered it completely. A small, fluffy chick crawled out, flapping weak wings against the final lightning strike. As the last bolt fell, the tiny creature instantly doubled in size, revealing wings of brilliant, fiery red. As the tribulation ended, a rejuvenating rain fell from the sky, repairing Ning Yuzhao’s battered body.

Seeing that Ning Yuzhao and the creature were safe, Lu Shi’an and Xiao Heng breathed a sigh of relief. They rushed over to examine the chick, which was busy pecking at its shell. Ning Yuzhao tried to stop it, but Lu Shi’an shook his head. “The shell is beneficial; eating it will accelerate its growth.”

“Oh, I see!” Ning Yuzhao nodded, still watching the creature with wide, curious eyes.

“A phoenix?” Xiao Heng stared at the chick in utter disbelief. He could not help but envy Ning Yuzhao’s fortune; first the divine sword, now a phoenix.

Lu Shi’an, however, remained stunned. In the book, the phoenix was the companion of the Demon Lord Suyu, a god-tier beast that helped the Demon Lord commit all manner of atrocities. Yet here it was, contracted to Yuzhao, and the Demon Lord had never even appeared. He turned to Xiao Heng. “Brother Xiao, do you know who the current Demon Lord is?”

“Demon Lord? There is no Demon Lord in the Demon Realm anymore. After the last one fell, the twelve great Demon Envoys fought each other for the throne. Currently, the twelve factions are in a stalemate; no one has been elected.”

Hearing this, Lu Shi’an wondered if the main trajectory of the book remained the same, with the differences arising only due to his presence. If so, where was the Demon Lord from the book? And were there other variables aside from himself? He looked at Ning Yuzhao, who was playing joyfully with the phoenix. The creature seemed to delight in his touch, letting out happy chirps.

“Haha, it is so cute!” Ning Yuzhao laughed. “I will call you Fengyu.” The phoenix seemed to understand, flapping its wings and chirping in approval. Lu Shi’an watched the intimate interaction between them, a soft smile finally tugging at the corners of his mouth.