Yellow Court Daoist

"I will handle it myself."

Lu Qingfeng waved his hand, and suddenly a Demon God with the head of a beast and the body of a human, clad in red scales, fire snakes hanging from his ears, and feet perched atop a Fire Dragon sprang forth.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

With the emergence of the Demon God, heat waves surged, as if heaven and earth themselves were about to boil.

With Lu Qingfeng's current Dao ability and mana, the summoning of a single Demon God was beyond the imagination of ordinary True Immortals. Even an Earth Immortal, upon witnessing such a sight, would tremble with fear and dare not initiate conflict.

A solitary Zhu Rong Demon God could easily suppress Yun Qing and the others, who were devoid of any resistance.

"This is—"

The cultivators' faces were flushed with the intense heat as they stared at the Demon God, their hearts filled with terror.

Just as they were speculating about the Demon God's origin and pondering the intentions behind the young Daoist's actions, they witnessed the Demon God's massive hand wave, gathering infinite flames from the heavens and earth to form a celestial furnace.

Then, flames swept up Yun Qing, Yun De, Chi Yin, and Hei Xia, who had all senses sealed, and cast them into the furnace.

"Clang!"

As the lid of the furnace closed, it wasn't long before bursts of banging echoed from inside.

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

Moments later, screams continued unabated, eerily piercing and sending a chill down the spine of the listeners.

Lin Ye, however, watched with bright eyes, her last bit of frustration dissipating completely as she chuckled and crisply thanked her teacher, "Thank you, Teacher."

She then secretly messaged Lu Qingfeng, "Please spare the lives of two Taoists for now."

"Mm."

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Lu Qingfeng didn't ask further and simply nodded slightly.

...

Lu Qingfeng and Lin Ye did not linger outside the mountain.

They returned to Two Qi Peak.

The Zhu Rong Demon God, refining four Sixth-rank Great Powers outside Seven Treasures Mountain, covered the sky with flames, tinting the heavens red, and also enveloped the entirety of Two Qi Peak, keeping prying eyes at bay.

Outside Seven Treasures Mountain.

"Phew!"

Finally, the cultivators who had been silent and afraid to speak could breathe a sigh of relief, their strained nerves relaxing. What had just transpired still left them stirred and excited, gathering in small groups to discuss incessantly with excitement, shock, and confusion.

"Buzz buzz buzz."

The conversation heated up in an instant.

"This—"

"Ancestor Master?"

Qi Zhou, Cui Fengnian, and Zhong Lihu looked at the red glow atop Two Qi Peak with exchanged glances. Despite being True Immortals themselves, the trio was thrown off balance by the sudden turn of events.

For a moment, they were unable to sort through their thoughts.

Lin Ye, reunited with her teacher and overjoyed, didn't spare these three favored disciples a thought.

In fact, not only these three but even the two Immortal Masters from Maoshan Dao had slipped Lin Ye's mind.

With a dazed sense of survival after a calamity, Qi Zhou and the others collected their thoughts in silence. Suddenly, they saw two figures approach. They hurriedly regained their composure, and upon recognizing the newcomers, they formally greeted, "We pay respects to both Immortal Masters."

The figures were none other than Daoist Nun Cheng Jin and Yuan Shan Daoist.

Like everyone else, these two Immortal Masters of Maoshan Dao were in total disarray upon seeing that Zhu Rong Demon God soaring above Seven Treasures Mountain.

Lu Qingfeng hadn't called for them, and "Seven Treasures Immortal" had forgotten them in her joy, leaving the two wondering what to do next.

To leave or stay?

It was truly awkward.

However, Yuan Shan Daoist had a flash of insight and decided to inquire about the situation from Qi Zhou and the others.

"Eh—"

Many people outside Seven Treasures Mountain had also thought of the True Immortal Disciples of Seven Treasures Immortal but Yuan Shan Daoist beat them to it. Not daring to interrupt, they lowered their voices, all ears to eavesdrop.

"Fellow Daoist pays respect."

Though Qi Zhou and his companions were only at the Mahayana Sensing Realm, Yuan Shan Daoist did not dare look down on them and returned the greeting. He skipped over the pleasantries and eagerly asked, "Fellow Daoists, may I ask for the venerable name of your Ancestor Master. We from Maoshan Dao are considered hosts in this Da Hao region and wouldn't want to neglect proper courtesies."

Yuan Shan Daoist's question was cautious, but in reality, his heartstrings were tight throughout the conversation.

Having cultivated for many years, he thought he had some understanding of major powers across nations. After becoming a Pure Yang Immortal Master, he had come into contact with even higher levels, and had also heard whispers of many reclusive Great Powers.

However, the Daoist in question was someone whose face and Divine Skills had never been heard of before.

A complete unknown.

Yet, this Daoist's cultivation and Divine Skills were shockingly powerful. Casually, he had subdued four Sixth-rank Great Powers, and now they were being tortured and refined in a furnace. Their pitiful screams and futile struggles even sent shivers down the spine of a Sixth-rank Immortal Master like him.

Such a figure was like a formidable dragon crossing the river.

Maoshan Dao had profound depths, and it may not necessarily fear him. But to unknowingly provoke such trouble without knowing the background would be a hassle.

Especially since Lin Ye and his Disciple seemed to intentionally or unintentionally leave both of them—two Immortal Masters—outside of Seven Treasures Mountain, which made Yuan Shan Daoist even more cautious.

Yuan Shan Daoist felt uneasy, quietly pondering while watching Qi Zhou and the other two, waiting for their response.

...

Yet he saw that all three of them looked just as baffled.

With a wry smile, Qi Zhou apologized to Yuan Shan Daoist, "Senior, please forgive me. I have followed my master and cultivated for over thirteen thousand years and never heard any messages from my sect. Today is also the first time I have... seen the Ancestor Master."

As he spoke, Qi Zhou managed to clear his thoughts a bit, feeling waves of surprise and joy in his heart.

Unlike what Yuan Shan Daoist and Cheng Jin Daoist Nun thought.

He didn't care where this invincible Ancestor Master came from or what his origins were; simply by seeing his master's tears of joy, he knew the close relationship between this Ancestor Master and his master.

With such an Ancestor Master taking seat, Seven Treasures Mountain, which was awkwardly positioned and even faced with peril, would from now on surely be as stable as Mount Tai.

"It's only a pity for the teacher—"

Thinking of this, Qi Zhou's joy slightly diminished, replaced with grief. Since childhood, he had been orphaned and begged in a border city, suffering from bullies even at a young age. Fortunately, his master took him in, and his luck turned for the better. Not only was he no longer worries about food and clothing, but he also received the teachings of the Immortal Dao's True Skill.

From a once small beggar to now a True Immortal of Seven Treasures Mountain, Qi Zhou was most grateful to his master.

Now that the Ancestor Master had arrived, while he felt joy, he also couldn't help feeling regret for his master, "If only the Ancestor Master had come just half a day earlier—"

Not just Qi Zhou.

Cui Fengnian and Zhong Lihu alongside him felt the same way.

If only the Ancestor Master had come a moment earlier, everything would have been different.

What a pity...

What a pity!

The three of them looked at Zhu Rong Demon God, hearing the pitiful howls of Yun Qing, Yun De, Chi Yin, and Hei Xia inside the furnace, momentarily becoming lost in their thoughts. At times they felt a sense of satisfaction, and at times, their hearts were filled with regret and frustration.

Complex emotions that were hard to communicate to others.

Yuan Shan Daoist and Cheng Jin Daoist Nun saw the same cluelessness in Qi Zhou and the others, realizing they weren't feigning ignorance after an exchange of looks, silently walked away to stand to one side.

Separated from probing, Yuan Shan Daoist furrowed his brows and spoke first, "Uncle Master, even the disciples of Seven Treasures Immortal don't know the origin of this Daoist. I fear it will be difficult to ascertain any time soon. However, considering how dominant this Daoist is, whether a friend or foe, we of the Maoshan Dao must prepare early."

"Hmm."

"In that case, I will immediately send a message to the ancestor masters of the sect."

Cheng Jin Daoist Nun, understanding the severity, did not delay and immediately took out a paper crane from her sleeve. With a gentle breath, the paper crane transformed into an immortal crane and swiftly flew towards the north, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Having done all this.

Whether it was Cheng Jin Daoist Nun or Yuan Shan Daoist, they suddenly felt somewhat idle.

They wanted to leave, but as their gaze fell upon Seven Treasures Mountain, they found it hard to part.

"Two old demons, old monsters."

"And two Immortal Masters from Shenxiao Dao."

"Excellent technique! Excellent technique indeed!"

Cheng Jin Daoist Nun couldn't help but exclaimed. As if her feet had grown roots upon this land, extinguishing the thought of departure. She wanted to see the ultimate fate of Yun Qing, Yun De, Chi Yin, and Hei Xia, and also what response Shenxiao Sect would ultimately have.

And Yuan Shan Daoist didn't move either.

He also harbored the same thoughts as his uncle master. He watched Zhu Rong Demon God and the furnace in front of the demon for a while, then drifted his gaze unconsciously towards Two Qi Peak with an indescribable expression on his face. It so happened that Cheng Jin Daoist Nun looked over, her gaze equally complex.

Yuan Shan Daoist smacked his lips, and without coordination but in unison with Qi Zhou and others, he echoed the same sentiment, "If only this Daoist had come just half a day earlier—"

...