I Seriously Didn't Want to Be the Martial Alliance Leader

Chapter 53: Chapter 52: Real and Fake

The Three Extremes Venerable was half-man, half-demon, his appearance grotesque and unsettling.

But his words sent a wave of excitement through the entire crowd.

For Martial Artists, Cultivation and Martial Techniques were of the utmost importance. A single Profound Level Technique could give rise to a small sect or family.

In a few decades, they might become founding ancestors themselves. How could they not be thrilled?

"Venerable, once the Demon is eliminated, will you be able to escape as well?"

Someone suddenly asked.

The Three Extremes Venerable smiled, one half of his face benevolent, the other half grotesque.

"I have said it before. I am, in truth, already a dead man. I only continue to exist in this world because I have fused with the Demon.

When the Demon perishes, I will naturally die as well.

But it no longer matters. I have been entangled with this Demon for a millennium and have long since grown weary. By helping me eliminate the Demon, you young friends are also helping me find release."

As the saying goes, it is better to live a wretched life than to die a good death.

If it were them, even in a state like the Three Extremes Venerable’s, half-man and half-ghost, they couldn’t bear to simply die.

Everyone present was instantly filled with solemn respect.

This was a true grandmaster of the Martial World, a man of great virtue in the Jianghu!

Luo the Thirteenth Lang murmured with emotion, "My adoptive father once said that while this world is mostly filled with despicable scoundrels, there are still some who hold righteousness in their hearts, willing to give their lives for the common good."

Chen Yuan smiled, a faint, inscrutable expression on his face. "There are such people, but not many."

At that moment, Wei Guangming stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Venerable, if I may ask, what must we do to eliminate this Demon?"

He considered himself the representative of the Martial Artists present, and no one else said much.

Although there were other Sea of Reincarnation Realm Martial Artists present, their strength was inferior to Wei Guangming’s, and even Elder Qi’s Dao deferred to him.

Furthermore, he was the Sect Leader of the Iron Armor Sect, making his faction the most powerful.

With a wave of his hand, the Three Extremes Venerable parted the strange forest, revealing two paths. The ground was covered in array imprints that emitted a faint, hazy glow.

The end of the left path was shrouded in Demonic Qi, from which a heart-pounding rhythm emanated.

The end of the right path shone with a hazy glimmer, obscuring what lay within.

"At the end of the left path is where the Demon resides. For all these years, I have tried to obliterate it completely, but I have always been just one step short. Instead, it broke through the Array, causing the Demonic Qi to leak out.

Now, with your help, it will be simple. You need only enter the left path and sprinkle your blood essence upon the Array on the ground. This will enhance the Array Power and completely crush the Demon.

But rest assured, young friends, your numbers are great enough that a single bowl of blood essence from each person will be sufficient."

Everyone present hesitated instinctively.

Blood essence was not ordinary Qi Blood. Recovering from the loss of a bowl of it would require a full month of recuperation.

Moreover, only Martial Artists at the Blood Movement Realm could actively force out their own blood essence.

Those below the Blood Movement Realm had not refined their Qi Blood; their blood essence was impure and could not even truly be called blood essence.

However, the thought of the three Cultivation Techniques—the weakest of which was Earth Level—dispelled much of their hesitation.

Wei Guangming and Elder Qi’s Dao exchanged a look. The two of them took the lead, slowly walking toward the left path.

However, the two moved very slowly, surveying their surroundings as they walked. Seeing this, the crowd behind them hurriedly followed.

Luo the Thirteenth Lang didn’t follow immediately. Instead, he glanced at Chen Yuan and saw that he hadn’t moved.

Just as he was about to ask why, the Three Extremes Venerable’s expression suddenly contorted in fury. He roared, "Stop! That’s a trap!"

Wei Guangming and Elder Qi’s Dao’s expressions changed instantly. They stopped in their tracks, staring at the Three Extremes Venerable with shock and uncertainty.

At this moment, the Three Extremes Venerable’s face was constantly twisting.

The human half and the ghostly half were pulling against each other, as if trying to tear one another apart. It was an appalling sight.

"The one speaking to you just now was not me, but the suppressed Demon!

Do not, under any circumstances, go to the far left! That is where the Demon’s true body lies. The blood essence you release will not kill it, but serve as a blood sacrifice to help it revive!"

Everyone present gasped in shock.

Wei Guangming and Elder Qi’s Dao exchanged a look, both feeling a sense of lingering fear.

In truth, they had also sensed that something was amiss, which was why they had walked so slowly, carefully observing and probing.

But they couldn’t put their finger on what was wrong; their intuition simply told them that things had been progressing far too smoothly.

However, they didn’t dare to openly question the Three Extremes Venerable.

What if the offer was real, and their questioning angered this renowned Jianghu grandmaster from a millennium ago? What if he decided not to give them the Cultivation Techniques?

Now it seemed their caution had paid off. Otherwise, they would have fallen right into the Demon’s trap!

Luo the Thirteenth Lang looked at Chen Yuan with admiration.

’Brother Chen is so composed. There really was a trap!’

"Venerable, if we cannot go left, then how can we suppress and kill this Demon?"

Wei Guangming asked hurriedly.

The Three Extremes Venerable’s features twisted and contorted, pulling against each other. Finally, the human side of his face stabilized, and he said with great difficulty, "Go right! There is an Array at the end. As long as you step into the Array and channel your Internal Strength into it to enhance its power, you can completely suppress and kill the Demon!"

Before the crowd could react, the Three Extremes Venerable let out another roar, and his two faces began fighting for control of his voice again.

"Don’t listen to it! It is the one transformed by the Demon! It’s afraid you will inject your blood essence into the Array, so it’s trying to stop and bewitch you! Continue to the left!"

Those who had been about to move just a moment ago hesitated once more.

At the same time, the Three Extremes Venerable’s two faces began to argue again, each insisting on their own version of the truth.

Everyone turned their gaze to Elder Qi’s Dao and Wei Guangming, wondering which path they would choose.

Wei Guangming pondered for a moment, then said decisively, "We choose the right path!"

Elder Qi’s Dao also said in a grim voice, "We should choose the right."

"Sect Leader Wei, if we choose wrong and release that Demon, we’ll die horrible deaths!" someone said worriedly.

Wei Guangming said solemnly, "Don’t worry, this can’t be wrong. From the moment the fake Three Extremes Venerable first appeared, I sensed something was off.

It was too smooth, too coincidental, as if he had been waiting specifically for us.

Also, while I’m no expert on Arrays, what kind of Array requires blood essence to enhance its power?

It was only just now that I realized—if the first Three Extremes Venerable was the real one, why didn’t he mention from the start that he couldn’t control his own body and was fighting the Demon for it?

The only explanation is that he himself was the fake one, which is why he deliberately omitted that detail to trick us into sacrificing our blood essence!"

Elder Qi’s Dao nodded. "Exactly. If the real Venerable hadn’t suddenly intervened, we never would have thought of this. We almost fell for his trick!"

At this moment, the Three Extremes Venerable, struggling and panting, spoke with great difficulty, "Young friends, act quickly! Five hundred years ago, I could still suppress this Demon, but since then, it has been the one suppressing my will.

Go now and activate the Array. I will use the last shred of my will to control the Array Power and kill it for good.

The Demon was right about one thing—I have indeed left behind my Cultivation Techniques. Not just the techniques, but also my lifetime of Martial Dao comprehension.

Originally, these were to be left for the descendants of my three disciples, but now, I entrust them all to you, young friends!

I have integrated the techniques and my comprehension into the Array. As long as you channel your Internal Strength into it, the techniques and comprehension will automatically enter your sea of consciousness.

Do not delay, young friends. Success or failure all depends on this!"

Hearing this, Wei Guangming and the others no longer hesitated and immediately sprinted toward the right path.

Seeing that Chen Yuan hadn’t moved, Wei Guangming and the others all shot him a look of derision.

’This Loose Cultivator from You Province might be strong, but he’s timid and cowardly, utterly lacking in vision.’

Luo the Thirteenth Lang looked at Chen Yuan. "Brother Chen, aren’t we going?"

Chen Yuan shook his head.

"Is the Three Extremes Venerable who told us to go right the fake one?"

Chen Yuan gave him a strange smile. "Not fake. He’s real."

"Then why aren’t we going? Three Cultivation Techniques, and the weakest is Earth Level!"

Although Luo the Thirteenth Lang had Zhi Shilang, the Alliance Leader of the Sun-Swapping Alliance, as his adoptive father, Earth Level Cultivation Techniques were still incredibly tempting.

Even if the techniques didn’t match his Attribute and he couldn’t use them himself, he could take them back to the Sun-Swapping Alliance for his brothers to practice.

"What if I told you... that the first Three Extremes Venerable was also real?"

No matter how simple-minded Luo the Thirteenth Lang was, he instantly understood, and a chill rose from the bottom of his heart.

"This whole thing is a scam?"

Chen Yuan nodded.

Luo the Thirteenth Lang said anxiously, "Then we have to stop them! What if they release the Demon?"

"Kind words can’t stop a man bent on his own doom. After all this drama, they’re convinced the right path is the correct one. With the lure of the Cultivation Techniques, do you think they’ll listen to my word alone?"

Chen Yuan said indifferently, "Believe it or not, if I dared to stop them, Wei Guangming and Elder Qi’s Dao would immediately incite the crowd to kill me, and then they’d continue down the right path.

And you don’t have to worry about some Demon being unleashed. As I said, both the first and second Three Extremes Venerable were real.

Since both versions of the Three Extremes Venerable are real, then where is the Demon?

This scheme is far older than you imagine. A millennium ago, this was already a deception!"

At that moment, hundreds of Martial Artists, from the Blood Movement to the Sea of Reincarnation Realms, rushed toward the right path and began pouring their True Qi into the Array.

The Three Extremes Venerable, whose two faces had just been warring with each other, suddenly grew calm. He looked at Chen Yuan and Luo the Thirteenth Lang, who stood out conspicuously by remaining where they were.

His gaze sent a chill down Luo the Thirteenth Lang’s spine.

Though he was a man who feared nothing, who would even dare to lead Death Warriors in a vanguard charge, he couldn’t help but feel a deep-seated dread.

"You two. Why did you not go?"