Looking at her flushed face and recalling what had happened when she was poisoned, Xu Wendong couldn’t help but feel parched.
Reflecting carefully, he realized he hadn’t handled any matters for a day. He felt somewhat unaccustomed, but his desire hadn’t overcome his reason. This woman couldn’t be taken down yet.
Moreover, he could also sense that her emotional poison hadn’t been completely resolved. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have said such explicit words.
The two walked intermittently along the food street, eventually arriving on foot at No. 16 Taiping Street before dawn. This place was a large estate spanning dozens of acres.
It was said to have belonged to a wealthy family in ancient times, designed in the architectural style of the Tang dynasty, looking grand and magnificent.
The night was deep, yet the mansion was brightly lit, gathering many disciples of the Life-Seeking Sect.
At the moment Xu Wendong appeared, Mo Yuan immediately led the crowd to greet him, all of them performing a kneeling ceremony.
This was the rule of the Life-Seeking Sect. For those who firmly believed that Elder Qin was still alive, rules were above all else.
At the same time, Han Li, too, led a group of Life-Seeking Sect disciples upon hearing the news and also knelt before Xu Wendong, proclaiming their greetings to the Sect Leader.
Their numbers were many, totaling over three hundred people, whereas Mo Yuan’s faction only had around fifty or sixty. The strength of the two factions was clear at a glance.
"Elder Han, I’ve long admired you!" Xu Wendong spoke with an unlit cigarette in his mouth. Truth be told, he hadn’t expected Han Li to boldly appear with his men in broad daylight.
Hearing Xu Wendong’s words, Han Li couldn’t help but shudder, a reluctant smile appearing on his face: "I too have long admired the Acting Sect Leader. To see you today, truly you are a talented youth."
He wasn’t afraid that Xu Wendong would cause trouble for him. After all, their side’s strength was evident. If Xu Wendong really tore up their relationship, the losing side would surely be them, and they could seize the chaos to kill Xu Wendong and reclaim the Obsidian Ring in his hands.
At this time, an elder over fifty, dressed in a black robe, loudly declared, "Sect Leader, I wish to report Han Li. He openly violated the rules of the Life-Seeking Sect when we were leaderless, taking on many tasks that violated the ’Three No-Kills’ principle."
"Furthermore, he took liberties by relocating the Life-Seeking Sect’s headquarters to Jingdu, actions defying sect rules and deserving severe punishment!"
His name was Qin Feng, son of Elder Qin.
Before Xu Wendong could speak, Han Li coldly snorted: "Qin Feng, don’t falsely accuse this old man. It is true I took on many tasks and moved the headquarters to Jingdu."
"But everything I did was for the future of the Life-Seeking Sect."
"You must understand, this city’s fortunes have run out. If we don’t relocate, our sect would truly vanish in the river of history."
"As for violating the Three No-Kills..."
"I needed money to expand the sect, needed money to train disciples."
"In special times, special measures are needed. What’s wrong with that?"
Speaking of this, he became increasingly angry: "Do you think I want to do this? Do you think I want to live carefreely, waiting to die?"
"I had no choice. If I didn’t act, the Life-Seeking Sect would be finished."
"Rather than waiting for an unknown Sect Leader to lead the sect to revival."
"Waiting for a hope that cannot be seen, am I, Han Li, afraid to violate sect rules?"
The scene fell silent.
Many knew, during the fifty years of Qin Luochuan’s disappearance, it was the darkest period in the history of the Life-Seeking Sect.
The Sect Leader’s life or death was uncertain, making people’s hearts scatter with no hope in sight.
Han Li’s gaze was firm: "I am guilty!" "But I have no shame towards the Life-Seeking Sect!" "No shame towards the ancestors of the Life-Seeking Sect!"
"If the Acting Sect Leader wishes to punish me, I have no objection!"
"However, as of now, you need to complete the Sect Leader’s trial!"
"At that time, my fate, life or death, will be in your hands!"
Xu Wendong spoke lightly: "Then prepare for the trial!"
When he first arrived, he had heard from Elder Qin that to become the true Sect Leader of the Life-Seeking Sect, one must climb the mountain of knives and walk through the sea of fire.
Only by doing so could one truly control the sect.
"Prepare the sea of fire!"
With Han Li’s command, twenty members of the Life-Seeking Sect each carrying large iron barrels came forward, and the scorching aura spread out.
Mo Yuan raised his voice: "Han Li, the trial content is to first climb the mountain of knives, then walk through the sea of fire. How can you reverse the order?"
Though it was of the same nature, descending through the sea of fire first would hurt the soles of the feet. If it led to the second challenge, the difficulty of the trial would surely increase.
Han Li responded indifferently, "Mister Xu is the youngest Sect Leader in the history of the Life-Seeking Sect, naturally requiring a more challenging trial. This does not count as a violation."
"Then let’s do sea of fire first, then mountain of knives," Xu Wendong said casually. To him, no matter how, it wouldn’t change the final result.
At Han Li’s command, ten groups of Life-Seeking Sect members poured the burning charcoal from the iron barrels onto the ground, forming a hundred-meter-long fire path!
The crowd’s pupils dilated rapidly.
Qin Feng roared loudly: "Han Li, reversing the trial order is one thing. Now you have paved the path with coal. What are you intending?"
"Indeed, the burning temperatures of charcoal and coal are completely different. The sect has always used charcoal. Now you use coal. Are you trying to burn the Sect Leader to death?"
Roars of protests filled the scene.
As everyone knew, charcoal burned at only seven hundred to one thousand degrees Celsius.
However, coal’s temperature could reach one thousand seven hundred to one thousand nine hundred degrees Celsius, more than doubling that of charcoal.
Walking barefoot on charcoal was already a perilous challenge, let alone Han Li’s preparation with coal. It was as if he planned to cook Xu Wendong alive!
Even though Xu Wendong was fast, covering a hundred meters in at most three seconds, walking through the sea of fire was not about speed but perseverance.
He needed to pass through this path within fifteen minutes.
Such a challenge was exceedingly arduous, even for Xu Wendong, who had stepped into the Qi Refinement Realm!
Ren Fujian smiled lightly: "Time was tight, so we couldn’t prepare charcoal, hence opting for some coal, with no intent to cause difficulty."
"Though the challenge has increased, Mister Xu, being talented and the youngest acting Sect Leader in the history of the Life-Seeking Sect, will surely cross the sea of fire!"
"Of course, if Mister Xu lacks the courage to traverse the sea of fire, then the succession ceremony can be postponed for a few days until we prepare charcoal for the legitimate trial. We can afford to wait!"
A flash of coldness appeared in Xu Wendong’s eyes. Was this forcing him onto a path of no return?