My Secret Cultivator Spouse Is the Demon Lord - Chapter 13

When Song Erjiao led her group over, Xu Xianqing saw her window of opportunity and prepared to slot the final Nine-Heaven Thunder Talisman into the formation.

Once the formation eye was set, the array would be complete.

Although it would only last for a single moment, that brief instant would be enough to wipe out the gathering forces of the He Family all at once.

The only reason she hadn’t acted sooner was that her formation covered too small an area. The He Family had set up camp at the foot of the mountain, scattered thinly…especially several He Family leaders in the late stage of Golden Core, who were stationed quite far apart.

She couldn’t target them effectively all at once, nor could she take them down one by one. She had only one shot.

So she had laid low and waited for Song Erjiao to bring her people down. Only when both sides met face-to-face would everyone from the He Family concentrate in one spot, giving her the chance to deliver a single, lethal blow to the entire clan.

It was a solid plan. But just as Xu Xianqing was about to place the formation eye, someone suddenly grabbed her from behind.

She whipped her head around and saw the very bandits who had escorted her down the mountain earlier.

Several men pinned her firmly in place. To make matters worse, one of them clamped a hand over her mouth.

“Mmph…” Xu Xianqing struggled against their grip.

They held on even tighter. One of them grunted, “knew you wouldn’t stay put. The Chief sent us to sweep the area for ambushes, and instead of spotting the He Family, we caught a stupid fool like you. Are you just too stubborn to die, or are you tired of living?”

The burly man slammed his palm against the top of Xu Xianqing’s head, leaving her vision spinning and her ears ringing.

“Mmph!” Xu Xianqing gestured wildly for them to let her go.

The men exchanged a look before ordering one of their own to drag her away.

“Take her to the Chief. We just checked the path down, and the He Family has already cut off the escape route with their demon beasts. Damn it, this woman is begging for death. I’d love to just toss her right to the He Family.”

The bandit was furious. If the Chief hadn’t given explicit orders, he wouldn’t be wasting his patience on a woman with a death wish.

Xu Xianqing’s cultivation level was only at 5. Meanwhile, the strongest among these men was the burly brute who had just struck her…known as the Earth Rat, a second-tier Golden Core with a cultivation value of 2,687.

Even the weakest among them…the young man currently pinning her arms and dragging her along…was an eighth-tier Foundation Establishment cultivator with a value of 861.

Against him, she didn’t stand a chance of breaking free.

Brought before Song Erjiao, the bandit chief looked at Xu Xianqing’s return and let out a cold, incredulous laugh.

She gestured for her men to unbind her.

Once freed, Song Erjiao stepped right up to Xu Xianqing. “I say, Xu. Are you genuinely fearless, or just plain stupid? What the hell did you come back for? To be buried with me?”

Xu Xianqing quickly tried to explain her plan.

Song Erjiao stared at her in silence for a moment before bursting into a belly laugh. “Have you lost your mind?”

“You? A pseudo-spiritual-root useless trash who can’t even reach the Qi Refining stage…and you want to wipe out the entire He Family? Wake up!” As Song Erjiao’s words fell, the bandits behind her erupted into laughter as well.

“I know you don’t believe me, and I’m not asking you to,” Xu Xianqing said, skipping any further explanation. “I just need you to stop keeping me restrained.”

Down below, the He Family had already begun their standoff with the forces of Baian Mountain.

He Wensheng, a He Family manager, used spiritual transmission to project his voice so that everyone on Baian Mountain could hear him clearly:

“Chief Song! Every debt has its debtor. Our He Family has no desire to make an enemy of Baian Mountain. Hand over Xu Xianqing…the murderer who killed our Young Master…and we can settle this. Drag this out any longer, and I’m afraid it will sour the peace between us!”

Song Erjiao spat in disdain. She turned to Xu Xianqing and growled, “I’d love nothing more than to hand you right over!”

Still, she ordered her men to keep a close eye on Xu Xianqing so she wouldn’t cause any more trouble.

Turning back toward the valley, Song Erjiao shouted, “He Renyuan! Your precious son dies, and you demand a life from me? You damn well murdered my sister! That debt can never be settled! The peace between Baian Mountain and your He Family was broken long ago. Enough talk…if you want to fight, let’s fight!”

Song Erjiao wasn’t acting recklessly. She was buying time with her posturing, waiting for the scouts she’d sent out to return.

Once she received their report confirming that no other forces were hiding around the base of the mountain, she knew this battle was winnable.

Down below, the He Family was somewhat bewildered. When had they ever killed anyone from Baian Mountain before this? Let alone the Chief’s sister?

He Renyuan frowned. “I’ve never heard of Song Erjiao having a sister.”

“Could she be bluffing?” He Wensheng warned. “Can you really trust a bandit’s word? Xu Xianqing is definitely hiding up on that mountain. If we don’t kill the murderer, the Young Master’s soul will never rest in peace.”

He Renyuan stopped overthinking it. Raising his weapon, he personally led the charge toward the forces of Baian Mountain.

This was the first time Xu Xianqing had ever witnessed a battle between true cultivators on such a scale.

It was a massive group clash. Instantly, thunderous booms roared in her ears as if their small corner of the world had been dragged into a bloody domain. The intent to kill in the air grew stiflingly thick.

He Renyuan seemed to have locked onto her location, charging directly toward Xu Xianqing with reckless abandon.

The bandits of Baian Mountain clashed fiercely with the He Family’s guards and disciples, while Song Erjiao personally stepped in to shield Xu Xianqing.

Xu Xianqing focused on Song Erjiao’s cultivation panel:

Song Erjiao … Golden Core, 8th Tier | Cultivation Value: 8,103

Meanwhile, He Renyuan’s cultivation value was 8,796. Although both were at the 8th tier of the Golden Core stage, Song Erjiao had likely only recently broken through, whereas He Renyuan had remained at this level for much longer, accumulating far more spiritual energy and combat experience.

Furthermore, He Renyuan wielded a pair of Sky-Rending Hammers. A single strike from them felt powerful enough to crack the heavens and split the earth. Song Erjiao, on the other hand, used a vine whip, and their elemental roots were mismatched.

He Renyuan possessed Metal, Earth, and Fire roots, specializing in Metal. His attacks were brutal, domineering, and dripping with lethal intent.

Song Erjiao possessed Water, Wood, and Earth roots, dual-cultivating Water and Wood. In terms of root quality, she was already at a disadvantage.

Her movements were nimble, her vine whip darting through the air like a dragon in water. But she wasn’t built for a prolonged, head-on brawl. Her strength lay in ambushes and swift strikes. As the fight wore on, her physical stamina drained, and her spiritual energy began to run dry.

Seeing her falter, He Renyuan struck with lethal intent. He hurled one of his Sky-Rending Hammers straight at her back.

The heavy impact sent Song Erjiao plummeting from the sky. She crashed onto the ground, coughing up a mouthful of fresh blood.

The bandits of Baian Mountain gasped, their hearts sinking.

Xu Xianqing struggled violently. Muted and pinned hand and foot, she couldn’t utter a sound or move a muscle.

She could only watch helplessly, her heart burning with a rage that drowned out all physical pain.

He Renyuan paused his assault, recalling his hammer as he stepped toward the fallen bandit chief.

“Chief Song! I have no desire to wipe out Baian Mountain. Hand over the girl, and this ends now. Otherwise, every last soul on this mountain will burn as a sacrifice for my son!”

“Old bastard… you sure talk big!” Song Erjiao suddenly burst into laughter. Far from looking defeated, her smile grew increasingly wild and unhinged.

Before he could react, the air shifted. He Renyuan felt a sudden, violent surge in the surrounding spiritual energy.

Anxious to finish her off, He Renyuan raised his hammer once more…only to find it frozen in midair, refusing to budge.

A colossal python materialized out of thin air, its massive tail coiled tightly around the hammer as its razor-sharp fangs glistened.

“Demons?!” He Renyuan blurted out, forced to abandon his weapon. Song Erjiao had assumed her true demon form, her movements instantly becoming lightning-fast and her aura swelling with power.

With their leader revealing her true form, the other bandits of Baian Mountain followed suit, transforming one after another.

The bandits of Baian Mountain were all demon cultivators!

He Renyuan looked at the gathering beasts in utter shock. How could so many demons assemble on Baian Mountain without anyone ever knowing?

Not a single rumor about demon cultivators on Baian Mountain had ever leaked out; the world had assumed they were merely a lawless band of rogue human cultivators.

Rogue cultivators were easy to deal with, but demons were notoriously tricky. No one ever knew what secret heritages or taboo arts they possessed…or if they would drag you down to hell with them when cornered.

A seed of retreat planted itself in He Renyuan’s mind. But then his eyes fell on Xu Xianqing, who was being protected behind Song Erjiao.

Hatred surged within him once more. He had only ever had one precious son. Children were a rare blessing for high-level cultivators, and this boy was likely the only child he would ever have in this lifetime. To have him murdered… if he didn’t avenge his bloodline today, he was unworthy of being a father!

“Kill them all! Leave none alive!” He Renyuan roared, purging all thought of retreat. “Exterminating demons is our righteous duty! Kill them! KILL THEM ALL!”

He pulled out a handful of high-grade pills and swallowed them without hesitation.

Xu Xianqing watched in horror as his cultivation value rocketed, surging from the 8th tier of the Golden Core stage straight into the Nascent Soul stage.

The Nascent Soul stage had no micro-tiers, only Early, Mid, and Late phases.

He Renyuan hadn’t truly achieved a real breakthrough…he had merely forced himself into a pseudo Nascent Soul state using medicinal force. Yet, even if he technically remained a Golden Core cultivator at his core, his raw combat power had instantly skyrocketed to terrifying heights.

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