He shook his head, his tunneling light turning as he prepared to head elsewhere.
At the southeastern corner, Wu Huanchen, under the Wudang Spirit Hall, was leading his disciples along with Zhao Zhengcheng, Wang Yingfang, and others in battle. The fight stirred up a vast sky of Evil Qi, with sparks flying and whirlpools surging violently; those with weaker cultivation could not even approach.
Over a hundred disciples from the Qingyu Sect, though under siege by many cultivators, relied on some unknown Dharma Treasure to form a Mysterious Array under the leadership of Guo Lie. Despite the chaos, they held their ground without cracks, unbreakable within a short period.
Meanwhile, many of the remaining palace structures had been seized by various Demon Kings. Those engaging them in combat were invariably Hua Dan cultivators under the Wudang Spirit Hall, and currently, both sides were locked in a fierce and bloody struggle.
Zeng Han scanned the battlefield, realizing that no matter where he turned, as a Xuan Guang Practitioner, he had no place to intervene. This left him muttering internally, "Just what makes this southeastern corner of the Immortal Mansion so extraordinary? Why must our elders insist on conquering all these palace structures here? Had it been anywhere else, we might have already seized several Immortal Mansions by now."
At that moment, he felt a sudden surge of irritation and nausea in his chest. However, being grounded in his cultivation, he quickly steadied his breath, and in the span of a moment, melted away the discomfort.
Qiu Ju, Chu Jiu, and others, on the other hand, turned pale. Their figures wavered, requiring several rounds of deep breathing before they could stabilize atop their tunneling light.
Suddenly sensing something, Zeng Han looked up toward the sky. A ripple coursed through the heavens, where a dense, yellow haze descended heavily, spreading over several dozen feet of the sea’s expanse. From within, two figures—one male and one female—eerily emerged.
Standing side by side, both exuded Hua Dan Cultivation.
The male cultivator appeared as an elder with sunken eye sockets, disheveled hair, and a beard-less face cloaked in a scarlet crane robe, emanating a chilling aura.
The woman, with willowy eyebrows and a slender waist, wore a Feather Robe and wielded a golden hoop with rainbow ribbons. Despite her delicate beauty, a palpable malevolence clouded her brow.
The elder’s gaze swept over every person present. All felt an uncontrollable chill creep into their hearts as his eyes landed upon them in turn. Finally, his piercing glare fixated on Zhang Yan. In an unnervingly hoarse voice, he said, "So, you are Zhang Yan?"
Under the eerie green glow of those gaze-searing eyes, Zhang Yan remained unflinching. With measured and composed dignity, he responded, "That would be me. Dare I ask, who might Your Excellency be?"
The elder let out a chilling sneer, replying, "I am Xu Gongyuan, a Qi Cultivator of Little Zhou Mountain. I’ve heard that it was you who captured my son, Xu Cuo, leading to his execution under Tao Zhenhong’s hand. Today, I shall deal with you first, then hunt down Tao’s disciples to make sacrifices for my poor child!"
Lu Mei Niang’s expression darkened as she stepped up beside Zhang Yan, whispering, "Daoist Zhang, though this man hails from the renowned Xu Family of Chongyue True Temple, he has long since sworn loyalty to the Nine Nether Sect, one of the Six Great Demon Sects. His cultivation undoubtedly surpasses mine, so tread carefully."
Xu Gongyuan’s gaze shifted toward Lu Mei Niang before his voice deepened. "Lu Mei Niang, you’re here too? Are you planning to obstruct my quest for vengeance?"
Lu Mei Niang offered him a formal salute before straightening her posture and declaring solemnly, "Daoist Xu, Daoist Zhang has shown me great kindness. Should you seek to trouble him, you will first need to get through me."
In Xu Gongyuan’s eyes, a vicious glint flickered repeatedly as he locked his gaze on her. "Lu Mei Niang, though you are one of the East Sea Eighteen Demon Kings, you are nothing in my eyes. If you’re determined to court death, I shall see it fulfilled."
The woman by Xu Gongyuan’s side screeched, "Old man, why waste time speaking? Whoever dares block our revenge for our child shall be slain without exception!"
Xu Gongyuan chuckled frostily. The green glow in his eyes pulsed as he coldly declared, "My lady speaks truly. Very well, let me first dispose of these meddlesome pests before dealing with that insolent brat."
Yet just as he finished speaking, his brows abruptly furrowed, and he barked, "Impudent!"
With a wave of his hand, a plume of yellow smoke billowed forth from his sleeve, forming a shield in front of the woman beside him. A beam of Clear Light shot toward her but dissolved into flickers, unable to pierce the smoke before dissipating entirely.
Lu Junbai, who had been holding an Ancient Mirror, sighed in silence at the missed opportunity as he withdrew his treasure.
The moment Xu Gongyuan appeared, Lu Junbai had sensed danger and quietly stepped aside, intending to use his "Mist in Barrier" Treasure Mirror to stealthily capture the woman. He had hoped to gain the advantage in the imminent fight. Yet, despite his meticulous concealment, the old man had still caught him in the act.
This move, however, only provoked Xu Gongyuan’s fury. Pointing a finger skyward, a Li Yuan Flying Saber suddenly materialized in midair and slashed down toward Lu Junbai’s neck.
Knowing that her comrade could not fend off this strike alone, Lu Mei Niang exhaled a plume of Qi of Elixir Evil. As it extended three feet out, it transformed into countless white feathers fluttering like blossoms. They swirled together densely, stalling the flying saber in midair.
Meanwhile, the woman beside Xu Gongyuan leaped into the air, transforming into a wisp of Clear Smoke that darted toward Zhang Yan.
However, before she could reach Zhang Yan, a long spear burst forth from the side, its sharp spear tip radiating energy that forced her to veer off course.
The wisp of Clear Smoke circled the battlefield once before re-forming into her human shape at another spot. She shrieked, "Jing Miaojun, are you getting involved in this mess too?!"
The Jun Yue Demon King coolly replied, "Chen Litong, there’s no need for words. With me here, I won’t let you lay a finger on Daoist Zhang."
Chen Litong shrieked in fury, "Fine! Then let’s see how long you can block me!"
The Jun Yue Demon King remained silent, merely brandishing her spear, which emitted a piercing, sky-shattering whistle as it thrust toward Chen Litong’s face.
Chen Litong hastily raised her rainbow ribbon to defend herself. Yet the relentless spear attacks soon drove her to exhaustion. Within moments, she was forced to retreat over a hundred meters before barely managing to hold her ground.
Zeng Han watched the five combatants embroiled in battle, his heart surging with excitement.
The Immortal Mansion beneath Zhang Yan had originally been guarded by three Hua Dan Cultivators, making it second only to the Qingyu Sect in difficulty. But now, with Xu Gongyuan launching his assault, he had drawn all three into a chaotic confrontation.
In Zeng Han’s eyes, Zhang Yan now stood isolated and vulnerable—a ripe target to seize the Immortal Palace Token!
A heaven-sent opportunity —to strike while the iron was hot and crush the weakest link—couldn’t be passed up.
Immediately, he raised the Xuanji Yin Mang Flying Needle and, without uttering a word, sent it hurtling toward Zhang Yan.
...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with recommendations or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)