Slag Shou Cultivating Manual - Chapter 56

The judgment came as swiftly as a tide. When Ao Li felt the sudden change in the atmosphere around him, he immediately followed He Lang and arrived at the central martial arts arena.

He Lang stood still, staring at the bloody scene before him. Overwhelmed by the sight of many familiar disciples lying on the ground, he was filled with a sense of disgust and sadness, almost feeling nauseous. He was deeply immersed in disbelief.

Ao Li approached from behind and positioned himself in front of He Lang, shielding him from the scene. His eyes were filled with anger as he gazed at the familiar faces in front of him.

The real traitor had become evident: it was the Left Protector who had been by his side.

Ao Li calmed himself, letting out a sigh. If it was him, then everything could be explained. When the Xuankong Sword Sect attacked earlier, it was the Left Protector who took the initiative to handle the situation. Given his high position, he could easily command the disciples.

However, Ao Li’s demonic power was unparalleled, and perhaps even the entire Xuankong Sword Sect could not match him. The Left Protector, being cautious, would not dare to act recklessly. Did he believe that they had enough strength to challenge Ao Li?

Realizing the Left Protector’s smug and sinister smile, He Lang’s heart sank, realizing that his scheme was far from over.

Indeed, as Ao Li tried to channel his energy, his face suddenly changed. He bent over slightly as his inner energy stagnated, unable to exert any of his power.

He Lang gritted his teeth, knowing the situation was dire. He quickly moved to support Ao Li and asked about his condition.

The Left Protector sneered, “Lord Sect Leader, you should save your strength. This power-sealing powder is worth its weight in gold. We’ve used it on you and several leaders in the sect. Within a day, you won’t be able to use your inner strength, drastically reducing your combat ability, and you’ll be at our mercy! As for you… Right Protector, your little skills are hardly worth noting.”

With Ao Li’s martial arts sealed, the Left Protector’s arrogance grew. He spoke with evident disdain.

“This sect does have many experts, but after being here for several years, I have planted many spies. With a single order, I can use various methods to spread the power-sealing powder. Without these experts, the remaining incompetent disciples will only make futile struggles.” The Left Protector slowly walked up to Ao Li, grinning with satisfaction. “The Ming Yuan Demon Sect will now be taken over by me.”

The Left Protector had served Ao Li for many years and was adept at administering poison. He could easily deploy such tactics. He Lang, being new and having only interacted with Ge Rulan and a few others, had not yet established any spies around him. Perhaps, in the Left Protector’s eyes, his martial skills were too trivial to consider, so he had not been targeted by the power-sealing powder.

The Left Protector had been handling the sect’s affairs for a long time and knew its internal situation well. Ao Li, mostly indifferent to the sect’s affairs and only inheriting his father’s position, had relied solely on his martial prowess to rise to this high rank, neglecting other matters. This made him vulnerable to such schemes.

Despite the humiliation from the Left Protector, Ao Li, though his proud martial prowess was completely sealed, still threw a punch at the Left Protector’s face using his physical strength alone.

The Left Protector staggered back a few steps, surprised that Ao Li dared to strike even without his powers, and that the punch still carried considerable force.

Fuming with anger and humiliation, the Left Protector spat and clapped, repeatedly saying “Good! Good!”

With a command, dozens of disciples in various disguises who had infiltrated the sect rushed out. Ren Bozhong, eager to capture Ao Li, waved his hand, and the disciples of the sword sect rushed in, surrounding them in layers.

Ren Bozhong arrived at the main hall, surveying the opulent surroundings with a mix of displeasure and greed, laughing aloud, “Demon Sect Leader! Now it’s your turn! I will take the treasures of Ming Yuan and your Ming Yuan Demon Body!”

The Left Protector, with a frown, warned him sternly, “Hey, Old Ren, we had an agreement. The Ming Yuan Demon Body belongs to you, but everything in the sect is mine!”

Seeing the two on the verge of a dispute, He Lang nervously clutched Ao Li’s waist, trying to use lightness skills to escape quickly.

But before they could get far, countless disciples armed with long swords surrounded them.

The Left Protector turned disdainfully, unwilling to concede to Ren Bozhong. “Hmph, they’re unlikely to escape. As for you, Old Ren, don’t break your promise! The treasures of the Ming Yuan Sect are not to be touched by you!”

Having been in the sect for decades, the Left Protector regarded it as his own. Although he had allied with Ren Bozhong in the judgment, he was still displeased at the thought of his possessions being coveted by others.

Ren Bozhong stroked his beard, evaluating the situation. The Xuankong Sword Sect had sent numerous disciples, surpassing the Left Protector’s forces, with greater combat strength… He calculated in his mind, making the Left Protector’s expression grow darker.

Meanwhile, surrounded by countless swords, He Lang found himself helpless, struggling to move. He could only fight back with difficulty, barely managing to keep moving.

Ao Li, who had always been exceptionally talented and quick to master martial arts, had never experienced such a feeling of losing his inner power before. He was momentarily dazed and disoriented.

With so many annoying disciples, He Lang alone could not defend them fully. Several times, the sword tips had nearly pierced He Lang’s clothing, and any deeper would have penetrated his flesh, causing great concern.

This feeling of being a burden made Ao Li grit his teeth in frustration. He held He Lang tightly in his arms, protecting him, and used his bare fists to knock down anyone who came too close.

He Lang, wide-eyed, tried to break free from Ao Li’s embrace to help, but found himself held even tighter.

“Enough, Sect Leader. You have no inner strength now… you…”

At this moment, Ao Li’s expression was more serious than ever. Even without his internal power, he refused to surrender. He held He Lang close, shielding him and fending off countless attacks from all directions.

He Lang had to swallow his words, clinging tightly to Ao Li to avoid falling.

Pressing against Ao Li’s chest, He Lang could feel the slight tremors as Ao Li spoke softly, “You’re so weak; I don’t need your protection.”

He Lang was overwhelmed with mixed emotions of anger and gratitude but dared not move, fearing that any action might affect Ao Li’s movements.

Ao Li fought fiercely and swiftly, wrenching the weapons from his assailants’ hands or using his own hands as weapons, causing cries of pain around them.

Despite this, the dozens of sword-wielding attackers were not easily repelled, especially with a man in Ao Li’s arms. A moment’s lapse in vigilance could expose his back and weak points to attack.

Ao Li grunted as he felt a familiar sharp pain on his back. It turned out that while he was entangled with another attacker, others had slashed deep wounds across his back. In the chaos, blood splattered everywhere, and Ao Li, unable to tend to his injuries, kept He Lang’s eyes closed.

He didn’t want He Lang to see his current, disheveled, and injured state.

Despite his own numerous wounds, Ao Li managed to protect He Lang unharmed.

Perhaps he was driven by instinct. Even though He Lang had reached his side through the arena fights, Ao Li felt that he shouldn’t be exposed to such bloodshed. He couldn’t bear the thought of He Lang’s white clothes becoming tainted with blood.

Ao Li had also sustained several cuts on his shoulder, with blood dripping onto He Lang’s face. He Lang’s heart skipped a beat as he instinctively reached out, feeling the sticky and burning red liquid, almost scorching his skin.

Shaking violently, He Lang managed to stand upright despite the pain and scolded He Lang as a useless burden. However, his hands, pierced several times, continued to hold He Lang up, halting their movement.

The surrounding disciples, frightened by the bloodied figure, hesitated to approach, brandishing their swords but not daring to strike.

Ao Li’s injuries were extensive, but Ren Bozhong wanted him alive. Killing him by mistake would be a grave error.

He Lang was in a state of panic, unsure how to handle the situation. He heard Ao Li’s voice, which usually cold and domineering, now soft and weak, filled with regret and helplessness.

“You said you’d accompany me to the places on the painting… to see the myriad rivers and mountains, picturesque Jiangnan, northern snow scenes, and the desert sands… but it seems I won’t be able to keep that promise.”

He Lang furrowed his brow deeply, not relaxing even for a moment.

A hidden weapon suddenly flew towards Ao Li’s shoulder. Unable to hold back, He Lang turned and blocked it.

He gasped as he removed the blood-stained projectile and, with great effort, freed himself from Ao Li’s weakening embrace, holding him securely to prevent him from falling.

The disciples surrounded them menacingly, and with top experts among them, if this continued, their lives would be at risk.

He Lang took a deep breath, the pain in his shoulder making him sharply alert. Without hesitation, he struck out with several powerful blows at the attackers. As they recoiled, he quickly pulled Ao Li to him, leaped into the air, and ran with all his strength.

The disciples pursued them, and Ren Bozhong and the Left Protector broke away from their argument to chase after them.

He Lang had never realized how fast his lightness skills could be. In his extreme tension, he was drenched in sweat, his legs numb, and he could only focus on fleeing.

Knowing that his lightness skills alone could not match the experts behind him, he deliberately veered into a hidden bamboo grove, using the layers of bamboo leaves as cover. The grove rustled loudly with their pursuit.

Ahead, he saw a slope and a village in the distance. Seizing the moment when they were not looking, He Lang leaped down the slope with Ao Li in his arms. 

**Author’s Note:** It seems there was no update yesterday…orz

The Sect Leader’s protective instincts are at their peak ( ˙-˙ ) Even though he’s become powerless.