Yellow Court Daoist

Legend tells of an ancient time when the Great Witch Wu was tasked with managing eight hundred volcanoes. By accident, he became contaminated with a strange insect dwelling in the magma deep within the volcanoes. This insect fed on the Great Witch's flesh, bones, and even his soul. It consumed little yet was lively by nature, constantly squirming inside Wu's body.

The pain it caused was indescribable—like drilling into the heart, crunching the bones, and shattering the soul.

The insect had two sharp pincers, against which even the Great Witch's body could not stand. It could also phase between tangible and intangible states, immune to restraints.

Nearly impossible to suppress, it proved exceedingly difficult to eliminate.

Though not powerful and limited in its capacity to reproduce, hence its numbers were exceedingly rare, the marrow, flesh, and even soul it consumed could not keep up with the rapid growth and strengthening of the Great Witch's body.

Therefore, it was not lethal.

But there was one aspect—

Pain!

An indescribable pain!

Wu screamed in agony for forty-nine days and nights, relentless, until he could no longer bear it. The prestigious Great Witch chose to self-destruct in search of release.

This shocked the ancient world.

The insect, tiny as an ant and the size of a grain of rice, earned its name—not only for the faint sound of tiger's roars emitted while nibbling and moving but also because it indirectly claimed the life of the Great Witch Wu. Hence, people called it—

The Yan Xiao Shiwu Ant!

With Wu's self-destruction and demise, the ancient odd insects exploded into dust, leaving only a strand of bloodline that evolved into today's Yan Xiao Shiwu Ant.

No longer as powerful as in ancient times, they still retain a fraction of their former might—a bite so painful that even longevity immortals dread the mere thought, unbearable for ordinary cultivators.

The so-called Yan Xiao Punishment, deriving from the Yan Xiao Shiwu Ant's biting, is one of the most ruthless punishments known to both immortal and mortal paths.

The Thunder General of the Heavenly Court Thunder Department once compiled the Strange Insect Heart Scripture, listing 7,482 strange insects and ranking the 365 most powerful and bizarre ones to establish the Strange Insect List.

The Six-winged Golden Silkworm ranked ninth.

The Yan Xiao Shiwu Ant was right behind it, in tenth place!

...

"The Shenxiao Sect used twenty-five heavenly horses to tie down my third junior brother's head and limbs, five horses pulling together in each direction, five separate forces jointly tearing his torso, limbs, and head apart to suppress them under six dragon veins."

"They then placed young Yan Xiao Shiwu Ants in each part of his body, and as the larvae continued to grow by gnawing at the bones and sucking the marrow, the pain intensified exponentially."

"Now, beneath Da Meng Black Bell Mountain, faint cries of ferocious beasts can be heard as if the eighteen layers of hell lurk beneath—the exact location of my third junior brother's head!"

Lin Ye's fists clenched tightly, her lips turned pale, and her eyes were full of immense pain and towering hatred.

Over these years,

Every time Lin Ye thought of Wen Guang, she felt as if thousands of insects were gnawing at her body. She dared not imagine such torture, focusing all her energy on cultivation, hoping to one day rescue him.

It was for this reason that although she was only at the peak of tribulation crossing ten thousand years ago, her cultivation had skyrocketed in recent millennia, reaching the peak of Mahayana.

"Shenxiao Sect."

Lu Qingfeng's eyes were calm and profound like an abyss.

As he looked up towards the north and opened his palm, a miniature Divine Blade emitting a faint, blood-red radiance peacefully rested in his hand.

"This blade—"

Lin Ye glanced at it, and in an instant, her vision was filled with blood-red. She was overwhelmed with boundless malevolence, as if she was ready to battle the heavens, the earth, and bring destruction to the mortal world. Faced with such a ferocious weapon, Lin Ye dared not look any longer and quickly averted her gaze.

"Huff huff huff!"

"What a sinister blade!"

Her chest heaving, she took big breaths of air and finally managed to calm down. Not daring to look at the blade again, Lin Ye looked up at her teacher and saw his youthful face tinged with a blush, now reflectively casting a faint glow of blood light, adding a trace of demonic charm to it.

Seeing her teacher gazing outward, Lin Ye's heart stirred, and she could not help but gaze into the north sky.

...

In the northern firmament,

Zhengqing, the Immortal Master, wielded a sharp sword, astride a Golden Tiger with wind and thunder beneath its feet that continued racing forward, emitting a terrifying aura.

Huffing and puffing.

Scattering white clouds across ten thousand miles.

Below the clouds.

Daoist Jiyuan, with his hands clasped behind his back and long hair gracefully fluttering, appeared like an Immortal. Beneath his feet, the immortal crane chirped softly, flapping its wings and speeding along, not at all inferior to the Golden Tiger above.

Side by side, the two Sect Leaders pressed forward, heading straight south.

The former had a frosty demeanor, exuding an intimidating chill.

The latter was leisurely and at ease, without a hint of the mundane world's concerns.

Daoist Jiyuan's robe unfurled as he looked towards the Southern Border, "Yun Qing and Yun De of those lesser Daoist paths cannot compete in the limelight, but the Demon Daoists, Chi Yin and Hei Xia of the Barbaric lands, are not shallow in their Dao ability. Even I, once out of Da Hao, cannot hope to capture them alive."

"That Daoist—"

In his mind, he recalled the scene outside Seven Treasures Mountain, described by Daoist Nun Cheng Jin—

With a casual flair, the Daoist had subdued four Sixth-Rank Great Powers in succession, each with just a single move.

"At least the realm of Flying Heaven!"

The four realms of an Earth Immortal: Dust-clearing, Immortal Fate, Establishing Dao, Flying Heaven.

A longevity Earth Immortal is untouched by calamity, undying and unkillable. Cultivation for them is measured in units of ten thousand, even a hundred thousand years. Thus, even among Earth Immortals of the same realm, there could be a world of difference in combat power.

Considering the differences in Cultivation Techniques, Immortal Artifacts, and Divine Skills, the gap between the strongest and the weakest could be boundless.

Even so.

Setting aside Yun Qing and Yun De.

Chi Yin and Hei Xia were still authentic Six-Rank Demons of the Dust-clearing Realm. Even if Daoist Jiyuan rashly intruded into Da Hao, relying on the lay of the land, he wouldn't dare to boast about capturing them.

Once out of Da Hao, it was even less worth mentioning.

"Capture them single-handedly?"

Daoist Jiyuan shook his head upon seeing Immortal Master Zhengqing in the sky, "I fear this journey will be in vain."

As he thought about it, he also pondered how to handle that Daoist later on.

The journey went on without words.

Swift as the wind, quick as lightning.

In no time, Seven Treasures Mountain was within sight.

"We've arrived."

Through the clouds, Daoist Jiyuan could only see a Zhu Rong, the Flame Demon God, hovering over Seven Treasures Mountain. In front of the Demon God, a cauldron circled, with banging sounds emanating from within. With each bang, waves of heat billowed forth, accompanied by wretched screams spreading out along with them.

"To refine Immortals with fierce fire."

"What a formidable dragon crossing the river!"

Witnessing this scene, Daoist Jiyuan's eyes lit up with interest. He did not hurry to land upon his crane but took a brief rest up in the Cloud Sky as if waiting for something.

In the next moment.

Daoist Jiyuan let out a faint chuckle.

"How audacious!"

Above, Immortal Master Zhengqing atop the Golden Tiger, upon seeing the scene below, immediately burst into rage. His eyes bulged, his hair whipped wildly. Without hesitation or a signal, he aggressively spurred the Golden Tiger, resembling a fierce tiger descending the mountain, and charged straight for Seven Treasures Mountain.

In the blink of an eye, he spanned hundreds of miles.

Outside Seven Treasures Mountain, even Daoist Nun Cheng Jin and Yuan Shan Daoist had not yet reacted when they saw the Outer Heaven Daoist ride upon the Golden Tiger, wielding a sharp sword, an attack incoming—

Clang!

The sword light thrust straight at Taurus, threatening to shatter Seven Treasures Mountain.

"Shenxiao Sect Leader!"

Cheng Jin and Yuan Shan, recognizing the formidable power, their expressions changed, and their figures flickered hastily to dodge the sharp edge.

Within and around Seven Treasures Mountain, monks and Daoists whose abilities were far less than the two from Maoshan only reacted when the sword light was almost upon them. In that moment, they were thoroughly frightened, stirring up their tunneling light, stirring the wind and fog as they each fled for their lives.

From an aerial perspective, the scene unfolded.

The Demon God shone like the mighty sun as a sword from the west sought to extinguish the Golden Crow. Figures shot out from within the firelight, scattering like nymphs spreading flowers in the heavens.

Such chaos captured in a single word.

Fortunately, most cultivators had anticipated that Seven Treasures Mountain would not remain peaceful and had already retreated a good distance. Only some cultivators associated with Seven Treasures Mountain and a few others who held a slight relationship with the mountain stayed to lend their support.

Their intentions were clear without them having to express it.

When imminent danger emerged, those cultivators who harbored opportunistic motives scattered like startled birds and monkeys, their spirits deeply shaken, and they fled for their lives without a second thought!

"Huff!"

Cheng Jin and Yuan Shan Daoist, possessing the highest cultivation among them, reacted the quickest. They were not the targets of Zhengqing Immortal Master, thus uncontested and able to keep their distance. When they turned to look back, they witnessed this very scene.

"Fence-sitters," Cheng Jin, the Daoist nun, scoffed disdainfully in her heart.

Yuan Shan Daoist, on the other hand, was enthralled by the elegance of that sword strike.

The sword's light shone bright and swift, bursting forth to strike down the Demon God. However, just as it came within a hair's breadth of Zhu Rong Demon God's head, a swath of Blood Radiance shot out from Seven Treasures Mountain, stealing the show, leisurely blossoming.

Half the sky was tainted blood red.

Boom!

It was as if the heavens and the earth were splitting apart with that explosion.

Cheng Jin and Yuan Shan watched as the sword light shattered, and the Blood Radiance intensely pursued the trajectory of the sword's descent—

Golden light flickered chaotically.

Zhengqing Immortal Master was struck hard, hurtling back hundreds of miles.

"Pfft!"

Pain in his chest forced blood to spurt from his mouth, spraying across the sky. His Divine Sword bore the brunt and 'clang clang clang' several notches appeared.

The Divine Sword of the Sect Leader, once masterful, now looked miserably damaged.

Below him, the Golden Tiger, engulfed by the erupting Blood Radiance in an instant, turned into a beam of golden light protecting Zhengqing Immortal Master, only to fracture and disperse into the heavens and earth as primordial energy.

"Could it be—"

Cheng Jin and Yuan Shan's throats tightened, their mouths going dry.

Others might not realize, but how could these Immortal Masters be unaware? The Shenxiao Sect's Golden Tigers were nurtured through Secret Techniques and fed with the dynastic luck of kingdoms. Powerful dynasties like Da Meng and Da Hao might last a few thousand to over ten thousand years, but they were bound to go through cycles of rise and fall.

To create a Golden Tiger like this might take several turnovers of dynasties and tens of thousands of years of secret enshrining to achieve such an aura.

Once accomplished—

Enshrouded in human mortal luck, a Golden Tiger's might was boundless.

Suitable for both offense and defense, capable of warding off all demons and evils.

Even Cheng Jin and Yuan Shan dared not confront it and would flee at the mere presence.

Yet now it was dispersed in a single strike!

"This—"

Both were startled.

Before they could process their shock, the Blood Radiance continued without pause, flashing six times in the blink of an eye.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

With each flash traversing hundreds of miles, Zhengqing Immortal Master was hammered away, flung helplessly like a punching bag, offering no resistance.

His vestment robe emitted wails and roars, steeped in sorrow.

"The Hundred-Patched Demon-Suppressing Robe!"

Cheng Jin and Yuan Shan watched intently, not missing a beat.

Even Fifth-Order True Immortals would only witness the interplay of Blood Radiance and Golden Light over thousands of miles but could not discern the details within.

However, Cheng Jin and the other were barely able to trace a few outlines:

A young Daoist clad in green robe, with a green bamboo segment binding his hair, one hand behind his back and the other wielding a blade nonchalantly, emitting Blood Radiance with his strikes.

His movements seemed disorderly, yet clearly were anything but.

Although Cheng Jin and Yuan Shan lacked the ability to see the whole picture, the pitiable state of Zhengqing Immortal Master struggling defensively spoke volumes of the young Daoist's ferociousness.

After seven bouts and collisions, Zhengqing Immortal Master first saw his Golden Tiger dismantled and dispersed, then his Magic Sword become ragged and tattered.

Then, golden tigers and dragons burst forth from his robe repeatedly to counter the terrifying assault.

Six strikes.

Shattering three Golden Tigers, three Golden Dragons.

With that last blow.

The Shenxiao Sect's foundation built over two to three hundred thousand years dissipated like smoke.

And there was more!

Zhengqing Immortal Master's Magic Sword, which was comparable to an Immortal Artifact, had already been shattered in the second round. He then successively brought out a curse date, an iron can, and a palm fan.

Following each collision—

The curse date was pulverized to dust.

The iron can was flung beyond reach.

Three more supreme treasures.

Unlike the Golden Tigers and Dragons, as long as the Shenxiao Sect's destiny was not exhausted, they could eventually be replenished.

But the destruction of these three supreme treasures meant that without tremendous fortune and opportunity, the Shenxiao Sect might suffer a permanent loss of three major treasures.

Their destiny and heritage were severed by a staggering one-third.

A blow that cut to the bone!

"Excellent!"

Cheng Jin and Yuan Shan Daoist were fascinated, overjoyed inside.

Upon closer inspection.

They saw that the field of Blood Radiance retreated, revealing a disheveled and blood-soaked Daoist finally managing to steady himself.

Donning the Hundred-Patched Demon-Suppressing Robe and wielding the Five Bright Demon-suppressing Fan!

He appeared both frenzied and utterly tragic.

It was indeed Zhengqing Immortal Master!

In contrast, the young Daoist was pristine—his long hair in place, his robes neat and tidy. He withdrew the sword's Blood Radiance and with a flicker of Green Light, he produced a green bamboo staff in hand.

Stepping forward—

Thud, thud, thud!

This sight clearly frightened Zhengqing Immortal Master, his complexion drastically changing as he repeatedly stumbled backward.

"Shenxiao Sword."

"Curse Dates."

"Iron Can."

"The Shenxiao Sect suffered consecutively the loss of three treasures, besides the seven Golden Tigers and Dragons being cut down, such a ruthless Daoist!"

Yuan Shan Daoist could only watch with glistening eyes and thrilling satisfaction. The mighty Shenxiao Sect Leader, a preeminent figure across the entire realm of Human Dao, to experience such a wretched moment, was indeed gratifying.

Cheng Jin watched Zhengqing Immortal Master stagger like a bird startled by the twang of a bow, and could not help but click her tongue in amazement. Upon careful observation, she noted that the 'Hundred-Patched Demon-Suppressing Robe,' which had been passed down for untold ages, had seven large holes torn in it, and the 'Five Bright Demon-suppressing Fan' held in hand was scorched black.

If the battle were to continue for a few more rounds, it was conceivable that even the Shenxiao Sect's last two treasured artifacts tucked away deep in their reserves might follow the fate of the Shenxiao Sword and the others.