Chapter 121: Sharp-Tongued

"Styx, you are a disgrace to your lineage. You are a pinnacle Quasi-Saint and the Lord of the Netherworld Sea, yet you are so despicable! I merely stumbled upon your secret by chance and promised not to reveal it to anyone, yet you pursue me relentlessly. This is nothing but bullying!"

These words successfully piqued the curiosity of the many powerful beings present. Patriarch Styx was a renowned Quasi-Saint of the Primordial World; what on earth could have driven him to abandon all dignity and attempt to silence a mere early-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal? This massive intrigue immediately gripped the attention of over twenty Quasi-Saints.

Seeing Styx disregard his status to assault Qingxu, no one doubted the latter’s words any longer. A secret capable of compelling a dignified Quasi-Saint to act so brazenly must be significant indeed. Though they were unsure of the details, some felt compelled to intervene.

"Hahaha! Fellow Daoist Styx, why bother with a mere junior?" Kunpeng’s eyes rolled as he sensed a secret worth investigating. He instantly transformed into his true form, the Golden-Winged Peng, and with a flap of his wings, arrived before Qingxu in a flash, shielding him from Styx.

Kunpeng was a unique anomaly of heaven and earth. He could soar into the blue heavens as a Golden Peng or plunge into the depths as a giant Kun; he roamed the skies and seas at will with boundless, extraordinary powers. Later records would state that Kunpeng helped the Heavenly Emperor restore order to the universe, was bestowed the title of Nine-Heaven Kunpeng, served as the mentor of the Demon Race, and created the ancient demonic script, accumulating immense merit. Putting all that aside, his speed was legendary—it was said he could ascend ninety thousand miles in a single leap. At that time, in the entire Primordial World, the only ones who could rival Kunpeng in speed were the Three-Legged Golden Crow and the Ancestral Witch Dijiang.

In terms of raw cultivation, Styx and Kunpeng were on par, but the disparity in their speed was vast. Thus, despite reacting only after the fact, Kunpeng still arrived first.

"Fellow Daoist Kunpeng, this junior has offended me. I hope you will not interfere; consider it a favor to me."

If he had said nothing, it might have been fine, but his words only deepened the curiosity of everyone present, Kunpeng included. If Styx were this desperate, the matter was far from simple.

"Heh heh heh, Styx, don't keep things hidden. Lay the secret out in the open. If you still intend to cover it up now, that is absolutely impossible." In the past, Kunpeng might not have risked offending Styx so recklessly, but things were different now. Being forced to pledge loyalty to the Demon Court was unpleasant, but it provided him with a powerful backer. Coupled with his own strength, there was truly no one in the Primordial World he needed to fear, save for the Hunyuan Sages. Moreover, since he wasn't certain Styx could defeat him, he felt even less need for restraint.

"Fellow Daoist Kunpeng is right, Styx. Stop hiding it and just tell us!"

"There is no need to conceal any secrets anymore."

...

Listening to the chorus of agreement, Styx cursed internally. He wanted to reveal Qingxu’s peculiar nature, but he knew no one would believe him; they would only suspect he was trying to divert attention. For a moment, he was unable to clear his name.

"Fellow Daoist, you mentioned earlier that you stumbled upon Styx's secret and called him despicable. Could you clarify? Rest assured, with me here, I will guarantee your safety. Speak freely." Seeing Styx’s troubled expression, Kunpeng’s suspicions grew. He turned to Qingxu and spoke with feigned kindness.

Perhaps because this avatar of Qingxu possessed such a wretched appearance, Kunpeng actually felt a sense of affinity. A flicker of goodwill appeared on his own treacherous and thin-lipped face; indeed, birds of a feather flock together.

Sensing Kunpeng’s goodwill, Qingxu chuckled inwardly. He was certain that if his cultivation were not so lacking, he could easily become "fast friends" with Kunpeng, though he kept this thought to himself.

He feigned hesitation, and only after Kunpeng promised his protection multiple times did he slowly begin to speak. Styx, who had initially been listening only out of curiosity, nearly coughed up blood. He knew Qingxu would slander him, but he never expected such viciousness.

"Fellow Daoists, since Fellow Daoist Kunpeng has given his word, I have nothing to fear. Styx has bullied me too much and is bent on my destruction. There is no need to hide anything now; I shall tell you everything regarding his secret."

"Speak freely, fellow daoist. With so many powerful figures present, you need not worry about Styx." Kunpeng was the first to offer his support, giving him the confidence to continue.

"Indeed, speak without fear!"

"If anything happens, I will take responsibility."

...

With Kunpeng taking the lead, many other powerful figures echoed the sentiment.

Ignoring Styx's icy glare, Qingxu, who deeply resented the shameless attack that had cost him two low-grade Mysterious Ice Spikes and half his Blood-Dissolving power, decided to drive Styx to ruin. Though his own cultivation was insufficient for personal revenge, he did not mind framing his enemy and using others' strength to strike back.

"By chance, I discovered a monumental secret of Styx. This man is filled with wild ambition; he schemes to refine the Netherworld Sea into his own avatar, seeking immortality. He is obsessed with cultivating four hundred and eighty million Blood God Clones. This time, he took advantage of the emergence of the God-Slaying Spear, firstly to seize the supreme treasure, and secondly to sow discord and provoke a brutal war among you all, so he could collect the massive amount of blood for his own use. Fellow Daoists, just imagine: if he succeeds in refining the Netherworld Sea, who among us would have anything to fear from the Hunyuan Sages? And if, by some accident, he were to obtain the God-Slaying Spear, the disaster would be infinite. It would be no surprise if he brought a bloodbath upon the Primordial World. For the sake of all living beings, we must eliminate this evil!" Qingxu laid out Styx’s secret, exaggerating the severity of his words.

Sure enough, upon hearing Qingxu’s claims, everyone present—from the lowest Profound Immortals to the highest Quasi-Saints, and even the Ice Patriarch within the Heart of Frozen Souls—underwent a drastic change in expression. They stared at Styx in disbelief, never imagining his ambitions were so grand.

Refining the Netherworld Sea into an avatar?

This idea was nothing short of insane, but the benefits, if successful, were self-evident. As long as the sea did not dry up, Styx would not perish—and under the Heavenly Dao, how could the sea ever dry up?

Only Styx possessed such innate conditions. Other beings lacked this opportunity. Did the others not see that Dijun and Taiyi had not refined the Sun Star, and Kunpeng had not refined the Northern Sea? It was not because these powerful beings lacked the imagination or the strength; the conditions were simply too harsh. To force it would be to incur the wrath of the Heavenly Dao—it was a path to self-destruction.

"Absurd! This is absolute nonsense!" Styx roared in a fury, his face turning a dark, sickly green. He cursed himself for not silencing Qingxu sooner. He had never imagined Qingxu would reveal this. The refinement of the Netherworld Sea had been a secret process, and now that it was exposed, the consequences were unimaginable.

In reality, even for Styx, the Lord of the Blood Sea, refining the sea into an avatar required perfect timing, geography, and harmony. Any mistake would lead to complete failure. He now regretted coming to join the fray. He had gained nothing, suffered the loss of his companion treasures Yuantu and Abi—which would take over a century to repair—and had his greatest secret exposed. Continuing his plans would be extremely difficult, especially now that the other Quasi-Saints were on guard. Even if the God-Slaying Spear emerged, they would never allow him to seize it.

"Fellow Daoist Styx, is what this fellow said true?" Dijun’s expression was grave. Always ambitious himself, he had never imagined that the quiet Styx harbored such grand designs. He could not fathom the state of the world should Styx succeed.

An obstacle! An absolute obstacle!

Styx must not be allowed to refine the Netherworld Sea!

This thought crossed not only Dijun’s mind but those of many other powerful beings. This matter had exceeded their tolerance; they would stop at nothing to crush Styx’s ambitions.

"Of course it is false! How could such words be true? This fellow used his powers despite his early-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal cultivation, and I was merely curious to investigate the cause. I was careless and let him escape here. Now, he is simply slandering me to avenge his previous grievances." Styx could not fathom how his secret had been discovered, but he could not admit to it now, or the consequences would be endless.

Styx’s words convinced half the crowd that Qingxu was indeed slandering him, but they still did not believe that someone at the early stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal could manifest such powers within the Ice Patriarch’s barrier, which even Quasi-Saints struggled to bypass. They simply assumed there was some unspeakable grudge between the two.

Qingxu noticed their expressions and remained calm. He sneered, "Since Fellow Daoist Styx is so adamant, I shall waste no more breath. If you have the courage, swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao. I will accept whatever fate you decide for me."

Checkmate! He had struck the vital point.

Styx was forced into a corner with no escape. For a cultivator, an oath was not like the casual promises of mortals; the Heavenly Dao would record it. If he broke it, the consequences would be his alone to bear.

"This...!" Styx was speechless. He had reached a dead end. There was no third option: he must either swear the oath to prove his innocence or refuse, thereby confirming the truth of Qingxu's words.

"Hmph! Trying to play games with me? I'll play you until you're finished," Qingxu thought, mocking Styx with a derisive gaze.

Seeing Styx speechless, the crowd knew that what Qingxu said was true. The atmosphere became volatile. They glared at Styx with deep wariness, admiration, awe, and cautious hostility.

The gazes felt like blades and swords. Styx felt as if he were standing on a mountain of knives and a sea of blades. He was utterly miserable, and knowing that his plight was entirely due to Qingxu, he seethed with hatred, wishing he could tear the man’s flesh and drink his blood.

"Styx? I have never been one to admire others, but today, I must say I am impressed!" the Ice Patriarch sighed sincerely. Even he was awed by the ambition and audacity of Patriarch Styx. However, admiration aside, he knew Styx was in deep trouble. He cared little for that—he was struggling to survive himself—and felt a strange sense of gratitude that Styx was now drawing the attention away from him.