Chapter Seventy-Two: All Have Fallen

The burly man clad in blue-green scales wore a look of melancholy. With a long sigh, he spoke with some helplessness, "If our demon clan could enter the Azure Sea and Jade Heaven, would humans have the chance to reap all the benefits? What's worse is that with our cultivation, we can't even lay a hand on them. Otherwise, I'd slaughter all these damn humans and vent my hatred!"

"We have no choice. Long ago, a powerful being placed a restriction on this realm, directed specifically at our demon clan. If not for the overwhelming powers of that ancient one, our cultivation wouldn't have stagnated like this for so long." Crimson Flame's voice was tinged with fatigue, yet his fists were clenched tight, revealing the turmoil in his heart.

The two great demons lapsed into silence, neither speaking, simply gazing below at the trials faced by the few at the Demon God level.

Before long, dozens of human powerhouses flew in, riding beams of light. They gazed at the vast lotus pond before them and at the few Demon God-level figures desperately attacking and dodging, utterly baffled. Inwardly, they thought, "Have they all gone mad...?"

"Aren't those the Demon God-level figures? What on earth are they doing, making such a ruckus for no reason? Are they just bored out of their minds?" One elderly man in yellow robes, sporting a few wisps of goatee, jeered aloud.

"I doubt that's it. Don't you see how anxious they look? They're giving it their all, as if locked in a life-or-death battle," his companion offered a different perspective.

"Do they have a blood feud with the very air itself? Why else would they be frenziedly attacking empty space?" Another strongman, overhearing their exchange, voiced his own confusion.

Suddenly, a great bellow resounded. Everyone turned to see a Demon God-level expert gripping a pair of dark-gold hammers, smashing wildly at the empty air before him, shouting, "Let's see you act arrogant now! I'll smash you to death..."

The others were just as frenzied, attacking the void with bloodshot eyes, clearly fighting for their lives.

"Something's not right here!" Someone finally noticed the oddity. "They must be caught in some extremely powerful formation!"

At these words, the assembled experts seemed to realize something all at once. The air buzzed with alarm, and their faces grew grave.

"These brothers truly have refined tastes—practicing their supreme techniques in the scenic Azure Sea and Jade Heaven. How delightful, how delightful..." Yan Nanfly, dressed in green, fanned himself idly as he hovered in midair. His arrival sent a ripple of unease through the crowd, an invisible pressure settling over their hearts.

He merely smiled faintly at their reaction and, without pause, flew toward a towering pagoda. As he passed overhead, he cast a casual glance at the Demon God-level figures, focusing briefly on their leader, before transforming into a beam of light and heading straight for the nearest tower.

"How could this be? Is there really no formation at all? This makes no sense. Have those Demon God-level figures truly gone mad, or have they been drugged?" The goateed elder, watching Yan Nanfly easily reach the pagoda while the Demon Gods still raged, couldn't help but speculate mischievously.

"Oh, come off it! You think everyone gets drugged as easily as you?" his companion retorted with a disdainful roll of the eyes.

"You..." The old man seemed stabbed in a sore spot, his goatee bristling with anger. He was about to explode, but like a punctured ball, he quickly deflated, muttering resentfully, "Those times were all the old woman's doing. If it hadn't been for you, dear, I'd have been ruined for sure!"

At this, the crowd of strongmen nearly fainted, their stomachs churning, the sound of retching rising all around.

"There are so many people here! Don't say such things so openly, or I won't talk to you anymore!" The man at the elder's side suddenly complained in a syrupy, feminine tone.

"Damn..." A burly, bearded man could take no more. He turned away and began vomiting uncontrollably.

The group of martial artists scattered like startled rabbits, squatting down to retch—the scene truly spectacular.

The goateed elder, unfazed by the others' misery, cooed to his companion, "Come, my dear, let's fly over and find a Tower of Heaven. Once we enter the Azure Sea and Jade Heaven, I'll make sure you enjoy yourself!"

"Oh, you wicked man, always teasing me..." his companion replied with mock coyness.

Laughing heartily, the elder took his companion's hand, and the two soared away together in beams of light toward the pagoda!

"Good grief..." Judah, finally finished vomiting bile, patted his chest in lingering fear. "Thank heavens those two are gone!"

Leng Tian, dressed in white, stood on the ground, brow furrowed. He watched the two elders fly away, his own stomach unsettled, but he held out, refusing to lose composure like the others, enduring to the last.

Wiping his mouth, Judah once again conjured an illusion to hide Leng Tian from view. They had been here for some time, but the saccharine exchange between the two elders had so shaken the usually unflappable Judah that he had to empty his stomach thoroughly.

"Boss, you really are something else! It's one thing to be tough, but this time I truly admire you from the bottom of my heart!" Judah declared, seeing that only Leng Tian remained steady.

But before the words had faded, Leng Tian bent over and vomited, retching uncontrollably. Judah rolled his eyes and fell silent.

After expelling all that remained, Leng Tian took a swig from his flask, rinsed his mouth, and finally breathed easy. Watching the others still heaving, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy.

By now, Yan Nanfly had reached the Tower of Heaven. The reason he was unaffected by the illusory trap and killing array formed by the Azure Sea's true energy was because he carried a unique treasure—a gift from his grandmaster when he left his sect for self-defense.

This treasure, the "Pearl of True Sight," could dispel all illusions and keep one's mind perfectly clear, immune to any delusion or inner turmoil.

Relying on this pearl, Yan Nanfly had safely and smoothly arrived at the tower. Up close, he could finally feel its overwhelming, towering majesty bearing down on his heart.

The tower was a hundred meters wide, rising straight into the clouds, piercing the heavens. At the base, next to the great door, stood a white jade stele inscribed with two lines of blue characters.

Yan Nanfly read aloud, "Step lightly into the Jade Heaven, gaze afar upon the Azure Sea, and cross together in the same boat."

"Interesting. Could it be that the so-called Azure Sea is truly an ocean? Otherwise, why would one need to cross by boat?" Muttering to himself, he strode into the tower and vanished.

"He made it inside!" Leng Tian watched Yan Nanfly slip into the tower, unable to hide his envy. "Don't worry, boss. Although there's a formation above the lotus pond, it's nothing to me! That pretty boy just now must've had a powerful treasure, so the array couldn't affect him," Judah sneered.

Leng Tian felt reassured. Though he disdained Judah's constant boasting, he trusted in his abilities. If Judah claimed the formation was nothing, he surely had reason for confidence.

Meanwhile, the group of strongmen had recovered from their nausea. Seeing the two elders gone, they all sighed with relief, but none hurried to move. Instead, they waited for the pair to get far away before daring to approach the tower, wary of any further mischief.

Yet the unexpected occurred. The two elders, having barely flown a distance, suddenly stopped, hovered in midair for a moment, and then began making obscene gestures.

Their bodies swayed, hands tugging at their clothes, and guttural moans escaped their lips, sickening all who heard.

The crowd, only just recovered, were so incensed by the spectacle they wished they could rush over and drown the two on the spot.

Somehow, the two had drawn close together, tearing at each other's garments until they ended up in a tangled embrace, kissing each other's exposed chests.

"My poor eyes!" Judah shuddered all over, retching again.

Leng Tian's expression remained calm, but inwardly he was baffled—two men finding pleasure together was beyond anything his two centuries of experience had prepared him for.

"Oh, darling, tonight I'll make sure you're satisfied!" The goateed elder, now clad only in shorts, continued to paw at his companion.

"Be gentle, you brute! You have no idea how to cherish beauty!" The other man, all the while, showered the elder with kisses.

"Heavens, strike them down!" One fair-faced man on the bank watched the scene in anguish, uttering a curse.

The others glanced over, surprised by his outburst. "You heartless flirt! The moment I'm gone, you start seducing others—I'm furious!" the man cried, stamping his feet.

Just then, the two elders, now fully entwined, tore away the last of their clothing. The companion flipped the elder over, gripped his "spear," and prepared to strike.

Upon seeing this, the fair-faced man wailed in misery, leapt into the air, and shrieked, "If you do him, I'll do you!"

With a series of thuds, the already overstimulated strongmen fainted on the spot. Even Leng Tian staggered and collapsed, struggling to calm his churning stomach.

Martial Dao Pinnacle, Chapter 72: All Fall Down—end of update.