Episode 8

The courtesans immediately screamed hysterically. The demonic claw was enormous and large enough to crush all the courtesans surrounding Xuan Ji.

"So, you're also a follower of the Demonic Cult, you stinking old hag!" Xuan Ji sneered.

He grabbed a jug of thousand-flower wine from a courtesan and hurled it towards the demonic claw.

The jug shattered upon impact, the wine transforming into a wall of flowers of various types and colors.

"Hmm?" The madam of the brothel was taken aback. "You're actually a martial artist with Heavenly talent. I initially thought you were just a hound from the Martial Alliance. It seems devouring you won't be easy."

The madam instantly merged with her martial art avatar. A demonic, frog-like female avatar with two clawed hands materialized, instantly destroying the brothel.

Everyone inside the brothel survived its collapse, as Xuan Ji had pulled them out.

"Oh, no! The city will be destroyed if two Eternity Realm experts fight using their martial art avatars!" exclaimed the martial artist who served the city lord.

Xuan Ji didn't want that either, as thousands of innocent people would suffer the consequences. The bright smile of the child he had gifted earlier still lingered in his mind.

A golden Asura avatar abruptly appeared and kicked the demonic frog avatar, sending it flying into the clouds.

The Asura avatar pressed its foot down, bowed slightly, then leaped and soared into the sky.

The area surrounding the brothel was completely destroyed as the Asura avatar leaped, the courtesans and their patrons sent tumbling.

"Ah, what do we do now, Gao'er? The madam turned out to be a Demonic Cult follower," a courtesan asked Gao'er.

The other courtesans turned to her. It seemed she had been indirectly appointed as their leader.

Gao'er shook her head and said, "We're free now. Let's return to our families, we're rich now. In each of our dimensional rings, there are many gold coins and..."

She stopped speaking, remembering the Heavenly Emperor Realm monster cores they now possessed from the sale of Xuan Ji's thousand-flower wine.

Several martial artists immediately eyed them with wide grins.

"What are you doing? Do you want to rob them?"

A handsome young man suddenly appeared alongside a dozen Heavenly Emperor Realm martial artists. The young man himself was of the Eternity Realm.

"Second Young Master," the martial artist serving the city lord greeted.

"Tell me what happened here and what those immoral people want," the handsome young man commanded.

He was the city lord's second son and renowned for upholding justice. He had long wished to shut down the brothels in the city. However, the city lord opposed the idea, as their finances were currently dwindling, and tributes couldn't be collected from the residents due to the lack of economic activity in the city.

"What happened is..." The martial artist serving the city lord recounted everything, including the mysterious Eternity Realm expert who had instantly killed the Demonic Cult follower with a single sword strike.

"Although I'm also of the Eternity Realm, it's impossible to kill another Eternity Realm expert in a single attack. Could he be an Elder from the Martial Alliance, wandering around hunting Demonic Cult followers?" the handsome young man murmured.

Only Eternity Realm experts like Sect Elders or Martial Alliance Elders dared to travel alone in this chaotic era, as Demonic Cult followers always moved in groups and would ambush lone martial artists.

"What should we do with them, Young Master?" an elderly Heavenly Emperor Realm martial artist whispered to the handsome young man, referring to the courtesans and the martial artists who wanted to rob them.

"Throw those immoral men in prison. As for the women, buy their monster cores at market price and escort them back to their families!" the young man declared, gazing up at the sky.

The demonic frog avatar had fallen tens of thousands of steps outside the city, the golden Asura avatar in pursuit.

"The Xuan Dynasty's martial art avatar?" the handsome young man mumbled. "Uncle Song, does any Xuan branch clan possess a golden avatar?" he inquired curiously.

The old man, addressed as Uncle Song, shook his head. "I've never heard of such an avatar manifestation in the Xuan Dynasty. Perhaps it belongs to a commoner with Heavenly talent, hence the unfamiliar color."

The handsome young man agreed with his bodyguard's assessment. A small fraction of cultivators from common backgrounds were blessed with Heavenly talent and could reach the Eternity Realm.

"I'll leave these matters to you, Uncle Song. I'll go to the outskirts of the city to ensure their fight doesn't reach here!" The handsome young man declared and vanished from everyone's sight.

Uncle Song turned his gaze to Gao'er and her fellow courtesans. "Follow me to the White Crane Pavilion to receive payment for your monster cores."

Gao'er cupped her fist and said, "Excuse me, sir, but I won't be selling my monster core. May I return home directly?"

Uncle Song nodded in agreement, not questioning her reason for not selling it.

"Then we'll part ways here, be careful on your way, Gao'er," one of the courtesans said with a warm smile.

They knew she was a former cultivator and suspected Gao'er might absorb the monster core to heal her damaged Dantian.

Gao'er smiled warmly and replied, "You too, be careful. Until next time, friends."

Gao'er left immediately, waving goodbye, without an escort from the city lord's men. She didn't want them knowing where she lived, afraid they might monitor her and learn about the pill Xuan Ji gave her. The city lord could be interested in the pill and use it on his family or subordinates with damaged Dantians.

Gao'er's house, located on the outskirts of the city, was overgrown with bushes, having been unoccupied for a long time.

She didn't clean it, as its current state made for a perfect hiding place, ensuring no one would know she was cultivating there.

Meanwhile, not far from the city, Elder Tianzun and several Elders from various sects lost track of the Jade Heaven Sect's Elder.

All Jade Heaven Sect disciples suspected of being Demonic Cult followers had been eliminated by Su Yang and the other disciples. Unfortunately, the Jade Heaven Sect Elder had used a short-range teleportation talisman to escape their encirclement.

"He might be hiding in the nearest city, we should search for him there," one Elder suggested, and everyone agreed.

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