Chapter 131: The Collapsing Sect Leaders

This was a name Qingxi had conjured up on a whim. Although he had no mastery of such a peerless technique—nor did he even know if such a thing existed in the cultivation world—he felt that in this situation, regardless of whether he could actually perform it, he had to project an aura of absolute authority.

Before the words "Immobilization Technique" had even left his lips, the spatial interference zone had already shifted its form. Like a massive, invisible blade as thin as a cicada’s wing, it lay across the Frost Demon’s path, positioned perfectly at the height of its neck.

The next moment, before the stunned eyes of all present, the once ferocious Frost Demon saw its head soar high into the air. Its body continued to surge forward for a few paces due to momentum before crashing to the ground, its powerful aura dissipating like a receding tide.

The dozens of prodigies following behind stood frozen, their faces etched with disbelief. The Frost Demon, which had been so terrifyingly powerful just a moment ago, seemed to have died just like that.

Was this a dream? Everyone felt as if their brains had short-circuited.

Zhou Shitong stood rooted to the spot as well, with only one thought racing through his mind: "Am I seeing things?" He stared until he was certain that the Frost Demon’s head and body were indeed severed and that it was dead beyond any doubt, at which point he drew in a sharp, cold breath.

How did it die?

Not only he, but Qiu Yingying and the others also turned their gaze toward Qingxi. Recalling his actions just moments before, they were certain this must have something to do with him.

However, Qingxi put on an expression even more shocked than theirs. Trembling all over and pale-faced, he stammered, "I... I was only trying to scare it. How did it end up dead?"

Qingxi displayed emperor-tier acting skills. His lips quivered, his teeth chattered, and his eyes were filled with sheer terror. Even his legs shook uncontrollably—a performance so convincing that even he couldn't stop it.

The others were speechless at his display. But upon reflection, they reasoned that it couldn't possibly have been Qingxi’s doing. If he possessed the strength to slay the Frost Demon in a single strike, would he have been chased so miserably earlier? If he truly had such power, he would be a monster of a genius, even more terrifying than Zhou Shitong. As fellow prodigies, they knew that most geniuses were incredibly prideful; they would be desperate to prove their strength to the world rather than act cowardly or fearful. Geniuses who enjoyed playing the pig to eat the tiger were, after all, rare.

Thus, almost everyone believed Qingxi. Yet, they remained puzzled: how had the perfectly healthy Frost Demon come to be decapitated?

Everyone gathered around the Frost Demon to inspect it closely.

"Hiss!"

"What a clean cut!"

Someone noticed that the wound was as smooth as a mirror, as if it had been severed by the sharpest blade in the world. The thought of such a sharp edge striking them made everyone feel a chill run down their spines, and they instinctively pulled their heads back.

"Junior Brother, what happened just now? Did you see anything?" Qiu Yingying could not calm her pounding heart. A demon at the peak of the Yuan Gang realm had died just like that; even as bold as she was, she felt an inexplicable sense of dread.

"I... I don't know what happened either. I just wanted to turn around and startle the Frost Demon, and then it suddenly died. The scene... I’m still terrified just thinking about it!" Qingxi trembled, his face filled with genuine fear.

His flawless performance completely dispelled any remaining suspicions, and the crowd shifted their attention elsewhere.

Zhou Shitong frowned and said, "Perhaps it hit a spatial rift!"

Qingxi remained composed on the surface, but his heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself that Zhou Shitong was truly talented to have guessed the truth. However, after a careful and cautious inspection, Zhou Shitong found no sign of a spatial rift. His eyes flickered as he added, "Perhaps even the Heavens could no longer bear to watch, and so They intervened to take it away."

Most people rolled their eyes at this excuse, thinking Zhou Shitong was being utterly ridiculous. But upon second thought, everyone present was a prodigy on the New Star Ranking, each possessing a trace of destiny—they were, in a sense, favored by the Heavens. Although each individual's portion was small, the gathering of all the young prodigies of the entire Yunchuan Prefecture meant their combined destiny was not insignificant.

"I know! It must be because the Frost Demon stood against us, the favored of the Heavens, and met with such misfortune that even Heaven couldn't stand it and exerted its power to strike it down," one person speculated wildly.

Most scoffed at this theory, but some felt it made sense. How else could one explain this?

Qingxi, meanwhile, felt a secret sense of disdain. *You lot are 'favored by the Heavens'?* he thought. *In the entire Yunchuan Prefecture, only Lin Feng is worthy of such a title.*

Still, since he had successfully fooled them, he breathed a sigh of relief. Since they couldn't find the cause of the Frost Demon's demise, they began to bicker over the spoils.

"I struck it a full eighteen times just now; my contribution is definitely in the top twenty!"

"Bullshit! I risked injury to land thirty-seven palm strikes; my contribution is no less than yours!"

"My junior brother died trying to hold the demon back; his share... I shall hold onto it for now."

"Shut up, all of you! I’m taking the lion's share!"

Zhou Shitong, already harboring grievances, let out a roar that silenced the group. However, the others, relying on their numbers, quickly suppressed his momentum.

The young monks from the Ku Chan Temple tried to mediate: "Amitabha, benefactors, why not listen to me..."

"Shut up and go back to your silent meditation!"

The crowd argued until their faces were red, none willing to concede. But just then, a muffled "boom" echoed, drawing everyone's attention.

They saw the four sect masters and Mo Kongxiao sprinting toward them in a disheveled state, completely ignoring their dignity. Behind them, ten sect-master-level demons were in hot pursuit! Among them were one Yuan Gang realm demon and nine Ling Gang realm demons.

Qiu Mingzi and the others were no match for them and were fleeing in a sorry state. At that moment, both the pursuers and the pursued came to a sudden halt, staring intently at the headless corpse of the Frost Demon on the ground. Then, seeing the prodigies arguing over the spoils with murderous intent, both groups immediately jumped to the conclusion that the Frost Demon had been mobbed by the group, eventually succumbing to their combined strength.

At this thought, the ten demons felt a chill run through their bodies. The sect masters, however, were moved to tears. *These prodigies are so powerful—they could even slay a peak Yuan Gang realm Frost Demon! But for heaven's sake, come and help us! Can't you see how miserably we’re being chased?*

However, as sect masters, they were extremely vain. If they begged their juniors for help, they would be ridiculed by every other sect master in existence. Thus, the sect masters kept shooting glances at Mo Kongxiao, practically screaming at him with their eyes to ask for help.

Mo Kongxiao, naturally, understood their intentions. Awkwardly, yet desperate to slay the demons, he shouted, "Prodigies, please, strike and slay these demons! Don't let them escape!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the ten demons' faces changed drastically, and they turned to flee immediately. In their eyes, this group of prodigies capable of slaying a Frost Demon was nothing short of demonic—a thousand times more terrifying than any so-called sect-master-level expert.