## Red Heart Patrols Heaven Chapter 101: The Bitter Sea Hears the Tide of Evil

The vast and boundless Sea of Ten Thousand Gods was a cage that ensnared Jiang Wang, binding his every movement. Only the fragmented Winged Hand of his consort, arranged upon this ancient Imperial City’s Platform of Divinity Conferment, served as a meager defense, a king worm’s self-spun protective armor against the encroaching tide.

Lu Qilang, having gathered his strength to its zenith, had nonetheless lost his quarry. Now, his body plunged through the sea of clouds like a returning swallow, giving chase with the overwhelming force of a rushing flood! His voice, sharp as a sword, cut through the air: “I deemed you a hero of this world, yet you dare not face my long blade? Come to the Demon Realm as a representative of your Human Race, and if you fall into cowardice, why not simply die with bombast!”

These words, of course, were merely a verbal assault, a weaponized provocation. A hero, even one who does not fear death, is often reluctant to sacrifice their honor. Perhaps a well-aimed jab could yield unforeseen results… after all, opening one’s mouth cost nothing. Lu Qilang’s words were sharp and satisfying, yet in his heart, he held a strange admiration.

True strength lay not in recklessness, but in unwavering will. The broader his vision, the more he could discern Jiang Wang’s desperate plight. In such an absolute situation, drawing a sword and embracing death was simple – a mere clench of the teeth, a hardening of the heart, and a charge forward. Yet this person, in the face of it all, had repeatedly carved out opportunities for battle, slaying Yang Yu, dismantling the Sky Demon Altar, and killing Shu Jia Lan. Had it not been for his timely intervention, Ling Xi Hua would surely have perished!

Now, the Platform of Divinity Conferment called, Sky Demons descended, and this person still fought on. Regardless of other factors, this unwavering will, this hundred-fold refusal to yield, in whom would it not find success? It was simply ill fortune that brought him to the Demon Realm… a matter of timing and fate.

But putting aside Lu Qilang’s musings, the sword light was like a torrent, and the insults echoed like drums. Jiang Wang plummeted, his ears deaf to the clamor. World hero, bombastic death – push back a few years, to his time in Maple Forest City, and perhaps he would have taken such words to heart, the insult fueling a surge of anger. But now, Jiang Jue Ye’s body was hardened by a hundred battles, inured to schemes and stratagems. What formations, what words, what techniques had he not witnessed? You might as well have thrown a few yuan stones! This Marquis might still have paused to pick them up.

As he once again reached the edge of the cloud sea, Jiang Wang did not rush out immediately. Instead, he unleashed the power of the Sword Immortal, conjuring a roaring city of flames to forge a path forward! If anyone dared to consider themselves a worthy obstacle, a taste of the Flaming Blossom Burning City would be their welcome.

Spider Lan Ruo was absent. She was neither blocking his path nor within his line of sight. While the movements of such an opponent demanded attention, Jiang Wang only swept his gaze across the landscape, finding nothing before moving on. At this moment, he could not afford to be drawn into any opponent’s rhythm; even a slight delay here was unacceptable, for the two True Demons summoned by the Platform of Divinity Conferment were manifesting, on the verge of descending!

So he took a step forward. Before, he had sent the Flaming Blossom Burning City hurtling forth; now, his body entered the heart of the fiery city! Since Spider Lan Ruo’s whereabouts were unknown, he used the Flaming City as cover, ensuring that even in the open, his presence was veiled, retaining an element of concealed maneuverability. And the Flaming City itself was an advancing force, a fusion of offense and defense.

Behold—sword threads like endlessly falling snow, a green-robed figure stepping into the heart of the Flaming City, frosted sleeves billowing. At this moment, Jiang Wang was truly like a divine king descending upon the world, his foot upon the Flaming City, declaring boundless grandeur. Both snow-white and crimson hues were his to command, staining half the sky, as he charged directly towards Ling Xi Hua, who still lingered upon the mountain path!

Ling Xi Hua: You won’t turn back to fight Lu Qilang to the death, you won’t stay to guard Spider Lan Ruo, you won’t seize the precious time to escape, and yet you’ve come to find me again? Are we familiar, or do you think my Spirit Race is so easily bullied!

But at this moment, he had to admit that in his current state, he was indeed the most pliable and easily manipulated. Burying his deep resentment, Ling Xi Hua said not a word. His body, like a startled bolt of lightning, shifted, fleeing rapidly into the distance. You think this is the path forward? Then let you pass. True Demons are about to descend; how far can you truly escape? As for himself, he would of course endure this blow to his pride, preserving the green mountain so he would not lack firewood.

But what almost broke Ling Xi Hua was this… that fiery, masculine city actually turned with him, still giving chase! He truly could not comprehend. This bald thief! He gave you a clear path, and you refuse to take it! Do you have to pull someone down with you before you die?! Why me?!

His heart had already cursed Sumeru Mountain and all its generations a hundred times over, yet he could only grit his teeth and continue his frantic descent.

Jiang Wang, of course, did not harbor such intense hatred for Ling Xi Hua, nor was it a matter of necessity. It was the ever-present threat of Spider Lan Ruo that he had to address. If Ling Xi Hua could calm his startled soul and seriously assess the situation, he would realize that Spider Lan Ruo’s choice to conceal herself was an act of supreme strategic brilliance, endlessly wondrous and far more unsettling than any visible attack or obstruction.

The world was vast, the path ahead unobstructed, yet which direction dared Jiang Wang escape towards? As long as he could not discern Spider Lan Ruo’s hidden whereabouts, he dared not flee recklessly. But with Lu Qilang in hot pursuit, and two True Demons on the verge of descending, he didn’t even have time for a moment of hesitation. This kind of situation made mistakes all too easy, and any single misstep would be infinitely magnified by an opponent like Spider Lan Ruo, ultimately proving fatal. Spider Lan Ruo needed to do nothing but hide, and the pressure she exerted upon Jiang Wang would be immense!

Understanding Spider Lan Ruo’s strategic brilliance allowed him to understand Jiang Wang’s choice. Compared to Ling Xi Hua, who remained on the mountain path, having witnessed Spider Lan Ruo’s concealment yet still oblivious to the unfolding war, Jiang Wang, in that fleeting instant of passing out of the cloud sea and the Flaming Blossom Burning City’s emptiness, clearly perceived the situation and reacted immediately.

Yes, he did have to face the pressure from Spider Lan Ruo, and yes, he could not see where she was hiding. But one thing was certain: Spider Lan Ruo would absolutely not hide beside Ling Xi Hua. Putting aside other considerations, Ling Xi Hua himself, heavily wounded, would not agree. How could he dare to hang his neck on Spider Lan Ruo’s string knife? Therefore, Ling Xi Hua’s escape route was the safe path along the mountainside. Only on this path did Jiang Wang not need to worry about Spider Lan Ruo’s ambush. Thus, he relentlessly pursued the hapless Ling Xi Hua. He didn’t truly need to chase and kill the now-fearful Ling Xi Hua; he merely wanted Ling Xi Hua to open the path for him!

And so, the scene before their eyes unfolded. On the winding mountain path, the heavily wounded Ling Xi Hua, at the forefront, ran for his life in a desperate frenzy, the burning Flaming City followed closely behind, and behind it all was the vertical figure of Lu Qilang, his sword held aloft. Ling Xi Hua was not without the desire to escape in another direction, but that damned Human Race sword intent had locked down the surrounding area, leaving him only this one choice!

Jiang Wang, his foot upon the Flaming City, was like a divine being stepping onto a speeding, luxurious war chariot, imposing and majestic. Ling Xi Hua was like a dog pulling the chariot, clearing the path. And the jade-faced, brocade-clothed Lu Qilang, remarkably, was trailing the horse’s tail. One truly did not know who was the one fleeing for their life!

As this procession approached the base of the divine mountain, beyond this mountain lay a long river, a vast heaven and earth. How this Human Race prodigy would escape from this predicament remained unknown…

Suddenly, a crimson mark appeared on Ling Xi Hua’s neck.

“Foolish wretch!”

The concealed Spider Lan Ruo could no longer endure it. She materialized on the mountain path, blocking Ling Xi Hua’s front, and also blocking the front of the roaring Flaming City. All this, in the midst of their wind-and-lightning descent.

Ling Xi Hua, his hands clutching his neck, fell in despair. He was the first to be eliminated from this chase. Only the slender figure of Spider Lan Ruo remained, a horizontal silhouette before the magnificent Flaming City. A single sprig of _Youlan_ cut through the flames of the Flaming City, like a slender mantis arm attempting to stop a chariot. Yet, within the Flaming City, Jiang Wang’s alertness surged!

Ling Xi Hua, lying on the mountain path, his hands covering his neck, stared with wide eyes, a mix of shock, anger, and fear. He let out a dying gasp. He had exhausted all his strength in escaping Jiang Wang’s pursuit, never imagining that Spider Lan Ruo would suddenly strike at him! True Demons were about to descend, the Platform of Divinity Conferment had issued a glorious mission, Ling Father was watching from this place, how could Spider Lan Ruo dare?!

But the reality had already unfolded, and no amount of shock or anger could help. He could only be trapped in the fear of an endlessly falling abyss. In his regret, he awaited the descent of eternal darkness.

But his hands remained clamped to his neck for a long time. Though stained with fresh blood, the wound on his neck was not as deep as he had imagined… his head had not been severed! He lay on the ground, turning back with difficulty. He saw only, within the luxurious Flaming City, that young bald head from Sumeru Mountain, a long string of blood beads flying from his neck, the wound rapidly expanding!

Although Spider Lan Ruo was annoyed by Ling Xi Hua’s incompetence, she had no intention of killing him in front of others, especially at this crucial moment of chasing the Human Race prodigy. Attacking a fellow member of her race would be particularly difficult to explain. So, while her attack was directed at Ling Xi Hua, her intent was still to kill Jiang Wang.

The second method of grafting cause and effect was no longer “grafting another’s silken fruit, connecting one’s own orchid cause,” but rather “that orchid cause, that silken fruit, all on this very branch.” Simply put, the harm that should have been borne by Ling Xi Hua was now to be borne by Jiang Wang. This was a divine ability!

Under the “nurturing” of the Three Evil Calamity Monarch, Ling Xi Hua’s power grew, his combat skills improved, but his innate character, and even his strategic vision—things that could not be cultivated externally—were still far from those of a true prodigy. He could not endure pain, let alone possess a top-tier will. To say he was ruthless enough towards himself to be considered a strong person’s character was a stretch. Spider Lan Ruo’s broken strings all landed on his neck, and he still took a moment to realize he wasn’t dead.

Jiang Wang, who was driving the Flaming City in pursuit, felt an immediate surge of alertness the moment Spider Lan Ruo appeared. In this difficult battle, Jiang Wang had reason to celebrate countless times that, before the fight, he had observed for a long time, plundering vast amounts of information and supplementing his knowledge. Otherwise, if he had collided with this group of Sky Demon seeds without understanding the situation, he feared he would not have lasted a single exchange.

He had sat in the Mirror World, meticulously observing and analyzing Spider Lan Ruo’s two uses of the Orchid Cause Silken Fruit. He had countless times mentally rehearsed his responses. He fully admitted that the Orchid Cause Silken Fruit was one of the most terrifying divine abilities he had ever seen. But there was no invincible divine ability, only invincible people. He had witnessed Reversed Travel, he had witnessed Closed Heaven, and he had overcome them both. Spider Lan Ruo’s two applications of her divine ability, he had seen them all, remembered them all, verified a vast number of assumptions with the dream-like order, and designed many different response methods—as for their efficacy, that would be known only after the true confrontation.

Precisely because he had meticulously researched Spider Lan Ruo, deeply understanding this woman’s terror, he had placed her at the top of his kill list… he just hadn’t been able to achieve it. Spider Lan Ruo’s strategic brilliance was further demonstrated in her clear recognition that “knowing oneself and knowing one’s enemy” greatly aided Jiang Wang in battle. Seeing that Jiang Wang was on the verge of escaping with Ling Xi Hua’s assistance, and forced to intercept, she chose to reveal the third application of the Orchid Cause Silken Fruit. Since she had not used it in the God Xiao World, Jiang Wang would be completely ignorant, making it the most likely topic for success.

She seemed to be timing her attempt to kill Jiang Wang perfectly! That arc of blood flying from his neck within the Flaming City had a cruel, romantic quality. And amidst the flying blood and the flames, Spider Lan Ruo once again captured Jiang Wang’s gaze, those red-gold eyes that seemed eternally unwavering. Within them was no pain, no shock, only the same steadfast determination, moving ever forward.

She sensed crisis! Jiang Wang had never relaxed his vigilance towards Spider Lan Ruo. In this confrontation, when Ling Xi Hua was being driven like a dog at the front to clear the path, he had an inevitable and correct prediction—Spider Lan Ruo would surely appear to block him, and it would be on this very mountain descent route. Therefore, he was fully prepared for Spider Lan Ruo’s move.

Why would Spider Lan Ruo kill Ling Xi Hua? There was no such necessity. From any angle, Spider Lan Ruo killing Ling Xi Hua was an unwise move. But Spider Lan Ruo was an extremely intelligent, extremely talented combatant! Thus, Jiang Wang immediately realized that this string-kill attack was aimed at him! The so-called “that orchid cause, that silken fruit, all on this very branch.” Ling Xi Hua’s inability to bear those cause and effect did not mean Jiang Wang could not bear them. The saying “the hemp rope always breaks at the thinnest point, misfortune always finds the bitterest person” is merely fate’s pity on those struggling in the same bitter sea, but whose small boat cannot withstand the wind and waves.

In other words, Jiang Wang originally had the opportunity to block this strike. But why didn’t he? Because time was urgent, he had no time to waste on empty maneuvers with Spider Lan Ruo. Because this was also his opportunity! Spider Lan Ruo had cut an opening on his neck, and he had seized Spider Lan Ruo’s line of sight. I will bear its silken fruit, and I will also receive its orchid cause. Ling Xi Hua’s silken fruit was on my neck. Where lay Ling Xi Hua’s orchid cause?

Black spirit flames instantly erupted around Spider Lan Ruo! The intense pain of simultaneously burning both body and soul caused Spider Lan Ruo’s delicate brows to twitch like taut strings. She truly had not imagined that Jiang Wang could grasp her divine ability so clearly, could judge her combat intent with such precision. Even less did she imagine that at this life-and-death moment, all of Jiang Wang’s thoughts were not of self-preservation, but of killing the enemy!

So the Six Desires Bodhisattva opened the heavenly gate, and from its palm blasted forth the Cave Gold Drum! So the Flaming Blossom Burning City rumbled forward, crashing directly upon her, rolling over her body! Jiang Wang’s neck wound immediately ceased bleeding. The effect of the Orchid Cause Silken Fruit divine ability was forcibly severed!

This was a mythical divine ability; how could it be so easily broken? How could Spider Lan Ruo, who possessed this divine ability, be so easily suppressed? In the midst of spitting blood, she unleashed her divine ability once more. That orchid cause, that silken fruit, is tied to this very branch! Between you and I, we exchange cause and effect!

So Jiang Wang’s body was invaded by black spirit flames, his soul world was suppressed by the heavenly gate, disturbed by the Six Desires Bodhisattva, and attacked by the Cave Gold Drum, and his body was also being rolled over by the Flaming Blossom Burning City! But Jiang Wang had already experienced the wheel of cause and effect once; how could he not be prepared? All his attacks were deliberately chosen. In the Sea of Five Mansions, the Sword Immortal figure hovered, the red heart shone brightly. He was undisturbed by the heavenly gate suppressing the world, and unmoved by the Six Desires Bodhisattva’s disturbance. With one palm, he seized the Cave Gold Drum! The black spirit flames that invaded his body were instantly incinerated by a single rotation of the Three Flavors True Fire. As for the rolling Flaming Blossom Burning City, he let it roll over him; what harm could red fire do to him?

At this moment, he was grand like a celestial deity, directly emerging from the Flaming City. He left this masculine city to block Lu Qilang behind him. And he, his frosted sleeves fluttering in the long sky, welcomed Spider Lan Ruo, who had also been severed by the cause and effect and whose neck had been cut open, with another horizontal sword sweep!