The Primordial Spirit of the Demon Sect suddenly made a move, but the Immortal Sect was not to be underestimated.
They were always on guard against the Demon Sect cultivators, and their mana surged, clashing with the White Bone Dharma Aspect in mid-air.
Even the sword light that had been scattered by the Dragon Lord earlier reassembled, transforming into a brilliant spiritual light, overwhelmingly powerful, and slashed down towards the Dharma Aspect.
The Dragon Lord watched the battle in the sky, sneering without any intention of intervening.
It wasn’t until she saw the shadows of the North Sea group that a mysterious aura rose around her, bringing back the disciples, while the new disciples climbed the bright ladder into the Chaos Shadow Realm.
Ji Yutang landed, first bowing to the Dragon Lord, then his gaze fell on the powerful auras crisscrossing in the sky.
After pondering for a moment, he frowned and said, “Does the Demon Sect have no scruples at all?” In terms of the power of the upper-level cultivators, the Demon Sect was slightly weaker than the Immortal Sect.
What gave them the confidence to act so boldly? The Dragon Lord replied indifferently, “Perhaps it’s the return of the Demon Ancestor that gives them courage.” Seeing Ji Yutang suddenly turn his gaze to her, she didn’t explain further, only saying, “In these nine years, your power has gradually accumulated to a peak.
It seems you can retreat and break through to the Primordial Spirit realm.”
Ji Yutang steadied himself, and the turmoil in his heart caused by the words “Demon Ancestor” quickly calmed down.
With Li Jingyu’s calculations, it was impossible for the Demon Ancestor to seize her true consciousness.
The important thing now was indeed to enhance his own cultivation, especially with the Demon Sect causing chaos on the Jiuzhou continent, and the Immortal Sect watching like a tiger eyeing its prey.
For him, it was truly a situation surrounded by wolves.
“I’ll go into seclusion as soon as I return,” Ji Yutang said.
The Dragon Lord gazed at him, smiling slightly, her brilliant golden eyes instantly becoming deep and profound.
On the Demon Sect’s side, the White Bone Dharma Aspect, seeing it couldn’t gain any advantage from the Immortal Sect cultivators, withdrew its divine powers and instead brought back the Demon Sect disciples.
The Immortal Sect cultivators also had other matters to attend to and, like the demon cultivators, ceased their actions.
The turbulent mana in the sky gradually calmed down, and the rift in the sky slowly healed, returning to normal after the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
Southern Border Huoxin Palace.
Usually, when Demon Sect disciples returned, they would first go to White Bone Mountain to pay respects, but this time only the disciples of Huoxin Palace could remain.
After Li Jingyu and her group returned, the Tianhai Demon Sect, Qingtian Sect, and Wangqing Sect quickly sent people to inquire.
In the past, there had always been disputes between the Demon Sect and the Immortal Sect, but a situation where the entire army was wiped out was almost impossible.
The Demon Sect cultivators were already suspicious, and now they couldn’t help but suspect the female cultivators of Huoxin Palace.
They were all disciples of the Demon Sect, so why were only the people of Huoxin Palace able to return? They didn’t think there was any connection between Huoxin Palace and the Immortal Sect cultivators, but they secretly speculated about the intentions of these female cultivators.
After all, the current demon seed was a disciple of Huoxin Palace, and the palace master of Huoxin Palace had successfully advanced to the Heaven and Human realm.
Could it be that they intended to seize power from the Tianhai Demon Sect?
In the Law Hall, Li Jingyu sat at the head, with the cold-faced Shi Qingchen standing to the side.
Li Jingyu glanced slightly at the visitors from the three sects below, recognizing a familiar face from the Wangqing Sect.
This lineage had almost no master-disciple relationship, and the connections between disciples were not deep, so only the Golden Core realm Yun Chixin came, probably just as a symbolic gesture.
The other two sects were different, with the real bodies of Primordial Spirit true people coming, eager to release their powerful aura.
“Our Demon Sect’s stronghold was attacked by the Three Supreme Veins, and those people were not as skilled and died in defeat.
What more explanation do you need?” Li Jingyu said slowly.
“Then why were only your Huoxin Palace disciples unharmed?” the Qingtian Sect true person asked angrily.
Li Jingyu raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Naturally, because I protected them.” Her answer lacked sincerity, clearly not even bothering with superficial efforts.
Just as the Qingtian Sect true person was about to get angry, the elder of the Tianhai Demon Sect coldly laughed, staring at Li Jingyu with a hoarse voice, “Does this have nothing to do with Ji Yue?”
Li Jingyu stood up, smiling brightly, “It’s not entirely unrelated.” A strange light flashed in her eyes, and her voice turned sinister, “The way of all people comes from me and returns to me, is that wrong?” Behind her, several intersecting lights and shadows suddenly appeared, revealing the Demon God Dharma Aspect from the Ancestral Source Demon Sea in the past.
The elder of the Tianhai Demon Sect felt his scalp tingle, then a look of joy appeared on his face.
A Golden Core stage demon seed could not yet borrow the aura of the Demon Ancestor, but when she entered the Primordial Spirit realm, the dormant true consciousness of the Demon Ancestor would gradually awaken! Her devouring of Demon Sect cultivators in the Chaos Shadow Realm was a sign of the Demon Ancestor’s return! With this thought, the elder no longer cared about the lives of those demon cultivator disciples.
He stroked his beard, forcing a smile, and said, “Ji Yue’s aura is full, it’s time for advancement.”
Li Jingyu nodded nonchalantly.
The elder didn’t mind her rudeness and continued, “The Ancestral Source Demon Sea in the Demon God Hall is the place with the densest turbid evil aura.
Ji Yue can go there to retreat.” Although Ji Yue had promised to break through to the Primordial Spirit realm after returning, in their eyes, this “after” would take at least three to five years.
They didn’t expect her talent to be so formidable, already exceeding their expectations.
The Ancestral Source Demon Sea, huh? They were waiting for the Demon Ancestor to awaken! Li Jingyu’s eyes turned cold and deep, and she nodded in agreement to the Tianhai Demon Sect elder’s request.
Compared to the grand plan of the Demon Sect, those disciples could be completely abandoned.
Even if they got the answer that their demonic skills were devoured by Li Jingyu, they didn’t want to pursue it.
After staying in the Huoxin Palace Law Hall for a while, they found an excuse to leave.
Once their figures completely disappeared, Li Jingyu sneered, mocking, “Demon Ancestor’s true body.”
Shi Qingchen looked at Li Jingyu and said gently, “Did the matter of the Chaos Shadow Realm succeed?”
“Sort of,” Li Jingyu lifted her eyelids and continued, “If I enter the Primordial Spirit realm, the Immortal Sect might come to stop the Demon Ancestor from emerging.
Is it a good time to overturn this new heaven?”
Shi Qingchen frowned and shook her head, “They might not come to stop.”
Li Jingyu’s eyes narrowed, “What do you mean?”
“You should know that the Taiyuan Palace urgently needs the return of the Dao Ancestor,” Shi Qingchen said with a mocking smile, “The Demon Sect wants you to be the demon seed, while the Immortal Sect hopes you become the Dao Mother.
The one from the Wangqing Sect suddenly stood up and made a deal with the Immortal Sect, exchanging a secret method for their inaction.”
Li Jingyu’s eyes showed a hint of contemplation, and she raised an eyebrow, “What secret method?”
Shi Qingchen said word by word, “Tai Shang Primordial Embryo.” Seeing Li Jingyu’s surprise, she whispered, “The Wangqing Sect cultivators all fell from the Immortal Sect, and that one was originally a Heaven and Human realm from the Taishi Palace.” That one usually cultivated in seclusion in the Dao Palace, rarely seen even by the palace, only known by the Dao name “Cangzhen.”
Li Jingyu understood, pondering, “Then no one will trouble Ji Yutang?”
The transaction of Heaven and Human realm cultivators is made with the Dao as a contract, through the collision of Dao laws, and there is no room for deception.
The “Tai Shang Primordial Embryo Secret Method” they provided must be genuine.
“Perhaps,” Shi Qingchen gave an ambiguous answer, looking at Li Jingyu, “You should focus on your own Dao path now, and don’t worry about other matters.”
“I understand,” Li Jingyu nodded solemnly, a hint of joy and excitement in her eyes.
When she emerged from the Ancestral Source Demon Sea, what expressions would the Tianhai Demon Sect and Qingtian Sect have? Demon Ancestor, ha, did they really think that after an era had passed, there was still a true body of the Demon Ancestor? To take the Demon Ancestor as the Dao, the Demon Ancestor is everywhere; to take the Demon Ancestor as a person, it’s just the demons born from their obsession and delusion!
After the disciples of various sects returned from the Chaos Shadow Realm, they needed to digest their thoughts and gains from the past nine years, and they fell silent.
The entire Jiuzhou continent was calm and peaceful.
But beneath this calm, it seemed to be brewing a strong storm, as the calamity of the world’s operation was about to descend.
In the Star Sea, brilliant light gathered into intersecting bright rivers, with the figure of a white-clothed female Daoist faintly visible.
Moments later, an aura descended into this Star Sea, gradually outlining another completely different figure.
“Since I have promised, I will assist you at the appropriate time,” a clear voice like ice striking a jade bowl said.
“That’s good,” Huai Wanxiu nodded, gazing at the back of the figure, suddenly asking, “When will this Heaven and Earth Chessboard disappear?”
The white-clothed female cultivator said, “Naturally, when someone breaks free from it.”
This answer was no different from before, and Huai Wanxiu was not too disappointed.
She stared at the figure that never turned around for a moment, then directly dispersed the figure.
The points of light, like the glow of fireflies, quickly dissolved into the vast, endless sea of stars.
The female cultivator, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly stood up, flipped her wrist, and a chessboard appeared in her palm.
The intersecting lines were filled with chess pieces, and with each move, the heavenly mechanism was disrupted, making it impossible for others to calculate.
A month later, Li Jingyu went to the Demon God Hall Ancestral Source Demon Sea.
At the same time, news of the Demon Ancestor’s imminent arrival spread throughout Jiuzhou.
The scattered cultivators were in a panic, not knowing how to handle it, while the Eight Great Immortal Sects showed no signs of action, not even mentioning the words “Demon Ancestor.” This obvious anomaly stirred the minds of the disciples, and after hesitating for a moment, people like Lin Heng and Qin Ruoshui went to ask their teachers, only to receive the answer of welcoming the return of Tai Shang.
According to their meaning, the return of the Demon Ancestor was not to be concerned with, as the Supreme Dao Ancestor would handle it.
But where would this Supreme Dao Ancestor come from? Were they not planning to make Li Jingyu and Ji Yutang the Tai Shang Dao Mother?
In the Spring and Autumn Heaven Palace, an invitation with a famous seal was turned into dust by mana, scattering with the wind.
A middle-aged male cultivator wearing a black xiezhi crown held a long whip in his hand, his stern face showing no extra emotion.
He looked at Yan Shouxia kneeling on the ground and said, “You vouched for Shen Zao on the invitation, and this person has already defected from our righteous path.
You must take responsibility.
Do you admit it or not?”
Yan Shouxia said calmly, “I admit it.” The invitation was written by her own hand, and the person was deliberately let go by her.
Due to her Dao law, she couldn’t leave the Spring and Autumn Heaven Palace, but she wanted to see another possibility in Shen Zao, different from Yun Chixin.
This was a good thing, so why wouldn’t she admit it?
The middle-aged male cultivator nodded woodenly, and the whip in his hand was surrounded by spiritual light.
The whip was a magical tool that could break through protective mana shields.
One lash would cause spiritual power to surge, not only breaking the skin but even the Golden Core would be whipped.
Yan Shouxia’s punishment was twenty lashes, but just five lashes made her face pale, and cold sweat dripped from her forehead.
This punishment was not a private one; it was administered in front of the academy’s disciples.
Many disciples who were on good terms with Yan Shouxia were worried, but due to the academy’s rules, they didn’t dare to step forward to stop it.
“Senior Sister Yan!”
Yan Shouxia bit her lip hard, swallowing the strong taste of blood.
Her gaze passed over the palace master administering the punishment and fell into the distance.
Her eyes were calm, even though her face was twisted with extreme pain, her eyes still held a hint of relief and hope.
She couldn’t abandon years of kindness for a different thought, she couldn’t lose her own Dao, but she also couldn’t betray the Spring and Autumn Heaven Palace.
Since Shen Zao’s Dao law allowed her to break free, she should stride forward.
The wine flag fluttered in the wind.
Shen Zao had one foot on a bench, holding a large bowl in her hand, and drank the wine in it in one gulp.
In the nine years in the Chaos Shadow Realm, she hunted chaotic monsters alone, narrowly escaping death, moving further and further away from the Spring and Autumn Heaven Palace.
When the rotation period came, how could she follow the Confucian Sect disciples back? But after abandoning the Spring and Autumn Heaven Palace, where would her end be? Thinking of this, Shen Zao’s eyes showed a hint of confusion.
She reached out and weighed the empty wine jar, chuckled, hiding her worry, and shouted loudly, “More wine.” Where could it be? Perhaps in the land of drunkenness.
The long wind swept across the fields, the grass and trees rustling.
Shen Zao waited for a moment, seeing no action from the waiter.
She squinted her drunken eyes forward, suddenly seeing a green snake hissing and flicking its tongue in front of her.
She slammed the wine jar, and the bench under her feet, wrapped in mana, smashed towards the green snake, while her body leaped several feet away in an instant.
“Ah Zao, long time no see.” The red figure that landed on the green snake was as graceful as a startled swan, with a cold voice seemingly hiding a smile, just like before.
“Yun—” The words “Senior Sister” reached her lips but were swallowed back, and Shen Zao wiped the wine stains from her lips, squeezing out the words “Yun Chixin.”
Yun Chixin patted the snake’s head, gazing at Shen Zao, “Don’t want to see me?”
Shen Zao chuckled lightly, “You want to kill me to fulfill your Dao.”
Yun Chixin clapped her hands and laughed, “Junior Sister, smart.” She paused, then sighed, “Why did you leave the Spring and Autumn Heaven Palace?”
Shen Zao didn’t answer, her fingers brushing over the wine gourd, her eyes showing a hint of vigilance and killing intent.
Yun Chixin raised an eyebrow, driving the twin snakes under her feet to attack, a sword light accompanying her, occasionally flying forward, playfully circling, then slowly retracting.
She didn’t care about Shen Zao’s cold face, only intentionally or unintentionally mentioning old stories from the academy, finally changing the subject, “Junior Sister Yan vouched for you, bringing you out of the prison.
Now that you’ve defected from the Confucian Sect, she probably has to endure the whip punishment, right? Her Dao law first asks the heavens, then the heart, but how can the heart be so easily questioned? After doubts arise in her heart, the deep-seated hesitation will be unspeakable, and her Dao foundation will likely collapse layer by layer.”
“I chose a clear path for you two, why didn’t you follow?”
“A clear path means killing people?” Shen Zao stared at Yun Chixin, “Aren’t you ashamed of the fellow disciples who died unjustly at your hands?”
Yun Chixin said indifferently, “They were outside my Dao, so they naturally deserved to die.” She paused, then smiled, “Since you have a rift with Junior Sister Yan because of me, now that you’ve defected from the Spring and Autumn Heaven Palace, why not join my Dao?”
“It’s not because of you!” Shen Zao retorted fiercely, her chest heaving, almost overwhelmed by intense emotions.
She was just angry at Yan Shouxia’s coldness and ruthlessness, just angry at her distance—
“In that case, Junior Sister, you can meet those fellow disciples in the underworld.” Yun Chixin sighed with regret, and the sword light suddenly became sharp.
The cold and fierce sword light was relentless, drawing a red glow in the sky, like a magnificent red cloud.
Shen Zao entered the Dao later than Yun Chixin, and although their talents were similar, she was always held back by emotional ties, making her cultivation progress less than Yun Chixin’s.
When the other decided to strike hard, her body was instantly covered with intersecting blood marks.
In the academy.
Yan Shouxia sat on a meditation mat, swallowing several healing pills, circulating her mana to disperse the medicinal properties throughout her body.
The twenty lashes left scars on her back, with spiritual power constantly surging, preventing her from fully healing.
But the most troublesome issue now was the Golden Core affected by the whip marks.
Suddenly, her eyelids twitched violently, and a sense of panic arose from deep within her heart.
She stood up abruptly, her blood and energy reversing, and spat out a mouthful of blood.
She didn’t care about the wounds, casually wiping the blood from her lips, and hurriedly ran outside.
The unease and anxiety in her heart grew stronger, and the only one who could trigger such emotions was Shen Zao.
She took out a talisman from her sleeve, casting spells on it, and seeing a stream of light heading east, she took a deep breath and immediately transformed into a light, flying in that direction.
After she left, two figures appeared where she last stood, exchanged a glance, and followed Yan Shouxia.
After Shen Zao defected from the Spring and Autumn Heaven Palace, she erased her literary seal, making it impossible to track her whereabouts by ordinary means.
Although Yan Shouxia wouldn’t speak, they were certain she had a connection with Shen Zao.
Whether or not she had fallen into demonic ways, such a traitor should first be brought back to the academy.
Although Yan Shouxia was anxious, she still noticed the two palace masters following her.
If she followed the light to find Shen Zao, she might be taken back to the academy.
But if she didn’t go, she wouldn’t know what kind of danger Shen Zao was in.
After thinking for a moment, a fierce look flashed in Yan Shouxia’s eyes.
She turned her steps and led the people in another direction.
In the countryside, Yun Chixin held a talisman in her hand, and a light screen appeared in mid-air, showing Yan Shouxia’s figure.
She looked at Shen Zao, who was pierced by a long sword, and said with a faint smile, “Sister Yan still cares about you as always.
Look, she came out with injuries.”
Shen Zao lay on the ground, her magic power sealed.
After the initial anger, her gaze gradually calmed down.
She turned her head to glance at Yun Chixin, her once gentle eyes now icy cold, emotions rising and fading in an instant.
Yun Chixin watched Yan Shouxia with interest, seeing her lead the people into the dark forest and suddenly subdue them.
“Sister Yan still remembers they are fellow disciples and won’t kill them, so I’ll take care of it as her senior sister.” A sly smile reflected in Yun Chixin’s eyes.
She took out a communication talisman from her sleeve and said a few words to a Demon Sect rogue cultivator, who eagerly rushed to where the two Confucian Sect palace masters were imprisoned.
At this moment, Yan Shouxia had already left.
If these two palace masters couldn’t save themselves, they would become prey for the demon cultivator.
The activated literary seal would bring this matter back, and even if Yan Shouxia didn’t want to betray the Confucian Sect, she would be expelled by the Spring and Autumn Heaven Palace! Shen Zao suddenly understood Yun Chixin’s plan.
She glared, angrily saying, “You, you—” She struggled to move her body, trying to pull herself off the long sword.
Blood flowed from the wound, staining the soil beneath her red.
Yun Chixin walked towards Shen Zao, arms crossed, looking down at her junior sister, and said lightly, “Isn’t it good that I help you with what you don’t want to do? The Confucian Sect has lost its righteousness, Tai Shang is in control, the heavenly mechanism is obscured, and the great path is difficult to follow.”
“Is the path you’re on the right one?” Shen Zao rasped.
Yun Chixin quietly watched Shen Zao without speaking.
Her gaze fell on the light screen, and only after seeing the two palace masters killed by the demon cultivator did she put away her divine power, waiting for Yan Shouxia’s arrival.
A quarter of an hour later, a stream of light fell, and Yan Shouxia staggered down from the clouds.
She glanced at Shen Zao, her eyes filled with intense anger.
Yun Chixin raised an eyebrow, “Here to seek revenge on me?” She reached out to retrieve her magic sword, gazing at the sweat-drenched Yan Shouxia for a moment, then let out a mocking laugh and turned to leave.
Yan Shouxia trembled with anger, but she couldn’t ignore Shen Zao on the ground, so she had to let Yun Chixin walk away.
Shen Zao’s injury was at the wound pierced by the long sword.
Although it looked serious, once the magic sword dissipated, the wound healed quickly under the nourishment of spiritual power.
She pushed Yan Shouxia away, gritting her teeth as she looked at her, “Why did you come?”
Yan Shouxia didn’t speak.
The wound on her back tore open, blood trickling down her lips.
She just quietly looked at Shen Zao.
“You, you—” Shen Zao pointed at her for a long time, finally unable to resist reaching out to support Yan Shouxia’s shaky figure, gritting her teeth, “We can’t go back!”
Yan Shouxia shook her head, calmly looking back, “Let’s not return to the Confucian Sect for now.”
Two snakes slithered through the woods, leaving deep tracks.
Yun Chixin crossed her arms, looking at the suddenly appearing person with a cold eyebrow raise.
“Why is Fellow Daoist Xie here? Afraid I’ll kill for the sake of the path?” Xie Juanyun glanced at Yun Chixin, speaking slowly, “Aren’t your methods too harsh?”
“As long as the goal is achieved, isn’t that enough? Isn’t Ji Yue also looking for a result?” Yun Chixin said indifferently, “My sister Yan’s path can’t leave the Confucian Sect.
She needs to be forced into a corner.
But on a dead end, she must have ties, not sacrifice herself.
Shen Zao is just the anchor.
Now, I only hope they know to head to the North Sea.”
