Yellow Court Daoist

Seven Treasures Mountain.

Lin Ye had cried enough and gradually calmed down. Wiping her moist cheeks, she slightly lifted her head and noticed a large wet patch on her teacher's robe, her face flushing with embarrassment.

With the appearance of a pear blossom bathed in rain, she looked somewhat delicate and silly, completely unlike her usual cold and proud immortal-like demeanor.

"First, go refine the Immortal Grape, and share a strand of Divine Thought with your master to speak," instructed Lu Qingfeng, seeing Lin Ye reveal a little daughter's demeanor and speaking to ease his disciple's embarrassment.

"Ye'er wouldn't dare," said Lin Ye as she stood up, not going to refine the Immortal Grape. Not only was it a rare opportunity to reunite with her master, but even speaking of propriety, it wouldn't be right to converse with her master through Divine Thought.

She composed herself, regained her proper appearance, paid respects to Lu Qingfeng once more, and turned to prepare a pot of Immortal Tea.

"That's fine too."

Lu Qingfeng didn't care much about these formalities, but seeing Lin Ye busy herself, he didn't insist. After all, it wouldn't delay much time, and there was still unfinished business outside Seven Treasures Mountain that would surely stir up some noise. Under these circumstances, even if Lin Ye refined the Immortal Grape, she wouldn't be able to focus.

Lin Ye and Lu Qingfeng settled down.

Lu Qingfeng remembered the two Taoists struggling in fierce flames, and said, "Those two Taoists harmed your cultivation, and it wouldn't have been too much to slay them on the spot. I intended to let them suffer first, to witness your ascension to Earth Immortal, first crushing their spirit, then taking their lives. Why did you ask me to spare their lives earlier?"

There's an end to the killing.

Those two Taoists, Yun Qing and Yun De, first interfered with Lin Ye's cultivation and then sought her life. Lu Qingfeng maintained a calm exterior, but anger lurked within. He intended to torture them before taking their lives, to appease his disciple's anger.

That's why he spared their lives for the time being.

But outside Seven Treasures Mountain, Lin Ye had secretly sent a message to him, specifically asking for mercy, seemingly with a different purpose, which puzzled Lu Qingfeng.

"Regarding this matter—"

Even if her master hadn't asked, Lin Ye would have brought it up first. Sitting upright with a serious expression, she said, "Master, those two originated from the Shenxiao Sect and are Sixth-rank Immortal Masters. They're among the elite in Shenxiao Sect. With their lives in our hands, we can negotiate with Shenxiao Sect for the return of our Third Junior Brother."

...

118,731 years ago.

That year.

Lu Qingfeng had just reincarnated in the Black Star Realm, beginning his fourteenth cycle of cultivation in the Primordial era. In this life, he took Lin Feng, Lin Ye, Wen Guang, and Zhang Yanng as disciples in succession on Garbage Star (Two Pole Star).

As for Mountain Wind, Skylark, and Six-Winged, they were from the subsequent Fourteenth Generation, after a change in their Root Bone.

Having spent two lifetimes in the Black Star Realm, Six-Winged—who wandered the starry sky with him for three thousand years, depending on each other for survival—had the closest and longest relationship with him. Besides Six-Winged, Lin Ye and the other five disciples were the ones he felt the deepest connection with.

'Overlord' Wen Guang, ranking third among the seven disciples.

Initially.

When Lu Qingfeng took Six-Winged far across the starry space, his third disciple, Wen Guang, and fourth disciple, Zhang Yanng, were both training outside Fengyue Star. They didn't even get a chance for a final farewell with their master.

But both Wen Guang and Zhang Yanng, like Lin Feng and Lin Ye, had been following Lu Qingfeng's cultivation since childhood.

Wen Guang was found by Lin Feng in the barren mountains and brought back to Lu Qingfeng. Among the several brothers, he was the most straightforward and pure-hearted.

Such a nature was perfectly complemented by the cultivation of the "Yellow Robe True Skill" which was expansive and flexible.

If he wandered alone in the perilous Cultivation World, every step would be a tribulation.

Therefore.

No matter whether it was in the Black Star Realm or after the four brothers arrived in the Nanhua Realm, they mostly acted together.

Even if Lin Feng and Zhang Yanng specifically instructed Wen Guang and Lin Ye not to separate again, in order to find their youngest brother Six-Winged more efficiently, it was to prevent Wen Guang from being targeted alone by villains.

Lin Ye was clever with the shallowest Dao ability.

Wen Guang was straightforward with the strongest combat power.

The two traveling together complemented each other perfectly.

Forty thousand years ago, the cunning Lin Feng, nicknamed 'Vulture,' fell into the Four Saints Immortal Realm and disappeared without a trace.

Three thousand years later, the crafty Zhang Yanng, known as 'Fisherman,' also vanished while searching for his elder and younger brothers.

However, Lin Ye and Wen Guang, despite numerous dangers, clumsily but stubbornly survived, never separating from one another.

Yet they also had to search for Lin Feng and Zhang Yanng, while taking care of their own cultivation, eventually attracting a formidable enemy—

The Shenxiao Sect!

In Human Dao Law Domain, amidst countless kingdoms and myriad Daoist schools,

Nations rise and fall.

Daos emerge and perish.

Only about a dozen Daoist lineages have withstood the test of time, surviving the rise and fall of countless nations, managing to reemerge from temporary lows. Among these few, the Shenxiao Sect and Maoshan Dao stand out.

13,967 years ago.

Lin Ye was only at the Mahayana Tribulation Crossing Realm, about to endure her final tribulation. After this tribulation, she would be able to reach the Mahayana Third Realm True Miao.

The tribulation was perilous.

Even though Lin Ye possessed treasures, she still could not guarantee absolute safety.

So Wen Guang led her through mountains and rivers to find Spiritual Objects that could replenish Mana, stabilize the Divine Soul, and repair the immortal body, to reduce the uncertainty of the tribulation. After searching for hundreds of years, while they accumulated common Spiritual Medicines, in the grand scheme of the Heavenly Tribulation, it seemed rather insignificant.

As the Heavenly Tribulation approached, by a stroke of luck, they finally found a 'Returning Saint Grass' in the spirit cave of a deep mountain.

This was an extremely rare Immortal Herb, serving as a main ingredient for many Eighth Rank Spirit Pills and even unique Immortal Pills.

Even without refining it into pills, a single 'Returning Saint Grass' could instantly restore a drained Mahayana True Immortal to their peak state.

The value of such an Immortal Herb was simply immeasurable.

Even using it to cross the Ninth Layer tribulation would seem like an extravagant waste.

Overjoyed, the pair saw that the herb still needed some time to fully mature, so they set up layers of formations around the spirit cave and waited patiently for the 'Returning Saint Grass' to ripen.

Their preparations couldn't be said to be lacking.

But alas,

on the day when the Returning Saint Grass was to mature, who would have expected that two Daoists would barge in? Their eyes turned red at the sight of the grass.

A fierce battle erupted, with True Fire being exchanged.

These two Daoists were from Shenxiao Sect, both possessing the Yang Shen Four Realms' Dao ability "Transform Thunder into Water." Though they were inferior to the Immortal Dao Mahayana Four Realms with the Refining Dao Realm's cultivators, they were still much stronger than the Mahayana Third Realm True Marvel Realm.

Among Wen Guang and the others,

one was at the peak of the True Marvel Realm while the other was at the peak of the Tribulation Crossing Realm. Their Daoist capabilities and cultivation levels were more than just a notch below.

Fortunately, Wen Guang and Lin Ye's Magic Gates were not weak, and their Magic Artifacts were strong. Each had Divine Skills to rely on. Especially Wen Guang, who practiced the Yellow Robe True Skill, had an unimaginably strong Immortal body. Even when the Daoists of Shenxiao Sect summoned Thunder and Five Thunders bombardment, they could barely leave a mark on Wen Guang's body.

Lin Ye was somewhat inferior but still cultivated the Divine Skill "Cloud Summit Step," effortlessly dodging and weaving, able to entangle with Yang Shen Four Realms fighters.

However, the very site of their fierce combat was the Shenxiao Sect's home ground; Wen Guang and Lin Ye did not dare to linger in battle. Yet the Shenxiao Daoists, covetous of the Returning Saint Grass, persisted in their entanglement, frequently aiming to kill.

Wen Guang could not care for much else.

He suddenly unleashed the long-concealed Divine Skill "Great Sun Annihilation Divine Light" cultivated over a hundred thousand years. With the Divine Light emerging, it was unmatched; one Daoist was turned to ash instantly, while the other retreated in shock.

Wen Guang and Lin Ye seized the chance to flee.

Yet, how could they easily escape from the belly of the Shenxiao Sect?

The escaping Daoist called for his fellow sect members, blocking off the two.

Surrounded by as many as twenty-three Shenxiao Sect Heavenly Masters, Wen Guang exerted all his strength.

At the brink of doom,

Wen Guang self-destructed his Immortal body, sacrificing himself to kill nine Shenxiao Sect Heavenly Masters, while Lin Ye took the opportunity to unleash the Two Qi Rings, carving out a path to escape. After breaking free from the encirclement, Lin Ye activated the "Cloud Summit Step" and fled for her life.

The Cloud Summit Step was indeed exceptional.

Fully activating the skill, even Wen Guang, who was a whole realm higher, could not match Lin Ye's speed, let alone the average Yang Shen Second and Third Realm Shenxiao Sect Heavenly Masters.

Only two Yang Shen Four Realms Heavenly Masters were still trailing far behind, doggedly in pursuit.

On the brink of collapse, thankfully, Lin Ye plunged into the territory of the Maoshan Daoist School. With the help of the Maoshan Daoists, Lin Ye finally managed to shake off the pursuit of the Shenxiao Sect.

...

Listening to Lin Ye recount her story, full of hatred for the Shenxiao Sect, Lu Qingfeng frowned and said, "Wen Guang practiced the Yellow Robe True Skill, with the ability for Blood Rebirth. Since he self-destructed, how did he fall into the hands of the Shenxiao Sect again?"

Hearing about Wen Guang's self-explosion, Lu Qingfeng understood the thoughts of his third disciple.

The Yellow Robe True Skill primarily cultivated the physical body, and even a single drop of blood could lead to rebirth; it was one of the top life-preserving and escape Divine Skills in the world. Lu Qingfeng himself had once practiced the Yellow Robe True Skill and knew it all too well.

In theory,

at the end of his tether, Wen Guang should not have fallen into the hands of the Shenxiao Sect again after employing this tactic.

Lu Qingfeng looked at Lin Ye, who had a troubled expression and gritted teeth, as she said, "It was the sect leader of the Shenxiao Sect, Zhengqing, who personally took action, divining the location of my third elder brother and capturing him. While I hid within the Maoshan Daoist terrains, Shenxiao Sect Immortal Masters dared not act rashly, allowing me to escape disaster."

The Shenxiao Sect and the Maoshan Daoist School were like fire and water.

Within the territory belonging to the Maoshan Daoist Sect, not to mention Heavenly Masters and Immortal Masters, even the common Mages and True Men of the Shenxiao Sect could not set foot in it.

Lin Ye chose wisely by hiding in the territory of the Maoshan Daoist School.

But how could Wen Guang have foreseen this turn of events? He had placed his essence blood on the fringes of a small country in the Human Dao Law Domain. After rebirth, before his cultivation had fully recovered, he was tracked down by the secret techniques of the Shenxiao Sect's sect leader, who disregarded status and directly captured him.

In that battle,

the Shenxiao Sect lost ten Heavenly Masters, losing all face and credibility, and sect leader Zhengqing, as an Immortal Master, no longer cared about dignity. Even over the years, he never ceased his pursuit of Lin Ye such that she could only seek refuge under the Maoshan Dao, grateful to serve as their sword.

For one, to repay the shelter and protection given.

Secondly, for her own safety.

Moreover, with Wen Guang in the hands of the Shenxiao Sect, Lin Ye alone couldn't possibly rescue him. She could only join the forces of the Maoshan Dao, waiting for the day they could vanquish the Shenxiao Sect so she could seize the opportunity to save Wen Guang. All the while, she continued her arduous cultivation, hoping to become an Earth Immortal and infiltrate the Shenxiao Sect.

However,

over the years, Lin Ye had come to realize: the Maoshan Dao and the Shenxiao Sect had been at odds for countless years, with neither able to overpower the other. Hoping for a conclusive victory seemed like a forlorn hope for life.

Even more despair-inducing was—

"Da Meng is at the height of its national power; even if I attained Earth Immortal status, I could not dream of saving my third brother within Da Meng's borders. Zhengqing's strength alone is already terrifying, and yet the Shenxiao Sect is the national religion of Da Meng. Shenxiao sect's Yuanlao Daoist is ennobled as the State Preceptor; as long as they remain within Da Meng, his battle power surpasses even that of Maoshan Daoist School Master Jiyuan," Lin Ye said heavily.

It was as much a revelation of her findings over the years as it was a sideways caution to her master: not to be reckless and underestimate the enemy.

"National power."

Lu Qingfeng listened and thought about the things he had seen along the way from east to west, nodding his head. The national destiny within the Human Dao Law Domain was indeed not to be underestimated. A moment of carelessness could lead even him to suffer a setback.

Seeing her teacher heed the advice, Lin Ye's heart eased, and the solemnity on her face dissipated somewhat, smiling at her teacher, "Now there's no need to go to Da Meng anymore. With two Immortal Masters as bargaining chips, we will surely be able to exchange for my third elder brother. Seven Treasures Mountain is far from Da Meng and beyond the border of Da Hao, where neither the Shenxiao Sect nor the Maoshan Dao could easily wield a country's destiny."

"With teacher's Divine Skills, it should be within our capabilities."

Seven Treasures Mountain, which could serve as a gateway to retreat into the Barbaric wilderness or find refuge in Da Hao, was a location Lin Ye had carefully selected after much thought. Gui De County, adjacent to Seven Treasures Mountain, was territory she had carved out inch by inch, using her sword to forcefully expand the Maoshan Dao's dominion southwards by two thousand miles.

"This place is indeed good."

Lu Qingfeng also knew the advantages of this location. After he praised it, he asked Lin Ye, "How has Wen Guang been faring these years since he fell into the hands of the Shenxiao Sect?"

Wen Guang had slaughtered ten Yang Shen Heavenly Masters of the Shenxiao Sect.

They would surely not treat him kindly after capturing him alive. Only through harsh punishment could they admonish other cultivators.

Lu Qingfeng was well aware of this.

Lin Ye said much but never mentioned this, making it clear to Lu Qingfeng that the methods employed by the Shenxiao Sect were likely unusual.

Sure enough.

Hearing the inquiry, Lin Ye abruptly froze, looking up at Lu Qingfeng. Seeing her teacher's eyes calm yet with the depths resembling that of a volcano gearing up to erupt, Lin Ye clenched her jaws tightly, her voice trembling as she said:

"Dismemberment by Five Horses."

"Subjected... to the Yan Xiao Punishment!"