Xiaofan gulped down the Xuanwu Orb with a *gulp*, smacking his lips contentedly. "Tasty. Too bad I didn't really get to taste it."
——If he didn't get to taste it, how could it be tasty?
Mo Tiange rapped him on the head. "Go back to the spirit beast bracelet and savor it slowly," she said, hauling him back inside.
Mo Tiange turned and asked, "What about you, Feifei?"
Feifei chattered with Stone for a moment, then said, "We'll go in too."
Mo Tiange nodded. As they scampered over, she grabbed both of them and stuffed them into the spirit beast bracelet. The bracelet could hold up to ten spirit beasts. With Little Phoenix outside, and Little Fire, Xiaofan, Feifei, and Stone inside, that made only four.
Figures appeared once more at the end of the stone passage—a full seven or eight Nascent Soul cultivators. Mo Tiange spotted Demon Lord Yeshuang, Venerable Xuxiang, Juewu, and Han Shizhi.
Ling Yunhe, following Xiaofan's example, swallowed his half of the Xuanwu Orb in one gulp. With a flick of his sleeve, the radiance of moonlight shot forth.
Mo Tiange moved as well. A sweep of the Heaven and Earth Fan retracted the lightning net back into a ball of golden lightning, which flew back into the fan. Another sweep transformed it into a bolt of lightning, striking towards Old Donkey Ma.
Old Donkey Ma retreated abruptly. A massive Wind Flower suddenly bloomed, its petals twisting precisely around the golden lightning.
"Isn't this Fellow Daoist Mo?" Old Donkey Ma said with a beaming smile.
Mo Tiange glanced at the dreamily beautiful Wind Flowers surrounding her, then at Old Donkey Ma's wizened, chrysanthemum-like face, feeling a strange sense of dissonance. She said, "Senior Ma, it's been many years. I trust you've been well?"
"Heh heh," Old Donkey Ma's eyes narrowed to slits on his chrysanthemum face. "How could I compare to your spring breeze of success, Fellow Daoist? In just over fifty years, you advanced from Core Formation to the mid-stage of Nascent Soul. Truly unheard of."
As his words fell, a Wind Flower abruptly bloomed right where she was standing.
With a *crackle*, a lightning net descended. Mo Tiange's figure dissipated into nothingness, her true body appearing ten zhang away. Meanwhile, a lightning net enveloped the Wind Flower on the spot, completely annihilating it.
The smile vanished from Old Donkey Ma's face. It seemed effortless, but this Wind Flower was the foundation of his secret technique. He had secretly resolved to capture Mo Tiange in one move, firstly because half of the Xuanwu Orb had been swallowed by her spirit beast, and secondly because if she were seriously injured, Qin Xi would surely be thrown into disarray. He hadn't expected her to evade it so easily.
What kind of opportunity did this junior obtain in the Immortal Palace? It had only been a little over fifty years since she formed her Nascent Soul, yet she could already contend with an old Late-Nascent Soul cultivator like him.
Before he could ponder further, the sword array descended upon him once more. He flicked his whip, and as before, Wind Flowers bloomed one after another, forcing the sword array back. Unexpectedly, an inconspicuous sword light suddenly erupted, piercing through his Wind Flowers and shooting towards him with lightning speed.
A soft *shhh* sound. Old Donkey Ma looked down to see a bloody hole pierced through his chest and abdomen. The wound sizzled—it was Qin Xi's Three Yang True Fire Sword, which had found the perfect opportunity to strike, passing right through him. The Vermilion Bird's Flame took the chance to invade as well.
Old Donkey Ma threw his whip. This unremarkable, slender whip paused in mid-air, then began lashing on its own with sharp *cracks*. With each lash, the air grew sluggish. After three or four lashes, both Mo Tiange and Qin Xi felt the air turn viscous and obstructive. Neither the Heaven and Earth Fan nor the Three Yang True Fire Sword could move; they were stuck in place.
The gourd on Old Donkey Ma's back flew up and landed in his hand. He pulled the stopper and took a hearty *gulp*. Instantly, the wound on his body healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, disappearing completely.
Physical wounds weren't that serious for Nascent Soul cultivators. However, the fact that he could expel the Vermilion Bird's Flame so easily was no simple feat. Who knew what kind of spiritual medicine was in that gourd, capable of even forcing out the Vermilion Bird's Flame?
After five lashes, the slender whip stopped, and Old Donkey Ma's injuries were fully healed.
Qin Xi shot a glance. Mo Tiange gave a slight nod. With a sweep of the Heaven and Earth Fan, an Azure Dragon soared up. With a mighty *roar*, it opened its maw and spewed a ball of golden lightning. The golden lightning rapidly spread out, forming a net to envelop Old Donkey Ma. Immediately after, Wind Flowers bloomed, but the Azure Dragon did not vanish. Instead, it coiled towards Old Donkey Ma.
Old Donkey Ma was greatly alarmed. When he saw the Azure Dragon, he had assumed it was merely an illusory image of a secret technique and hadn't paid it much mind. He hadn't expected that after the astonishingly powerful golden lightning, a torrential flood of Azure Dragon's Breath would come crashing down. Only then did he realize this was far more than just a simple secret technique.
This Azure Dragon's Breath was vast and sacred, seemingly containing boundless vitality and immense power. Its overwhelming force nearly overwhelmed him, a Late-Nascent Soul cultivator.
Old Donkey Ma gritted his teeth inwardly. These two juniors must have guessed that a treasure capable of freezing space couldn't be used frequently. That's why they launched their attack immediately after he used the Space-Freezing Whip. And damn it all, they guessed right. The Space-Freezing Whip required several months of rest after each use. Having been caught off guard earlier, he had been forced to use it prematurely, leaving him so passive now.
His thoughts raced. Old Donkey Ma produced a golden, shimmering spirit talisman. Using two fingers, he traced a few strokes in the air before lightly tapping the talisman. The talisman instantly erupted with a blinding golden light, transforming into a series of profoundly mysterious runes.
Seeing this, Mo Tiange's figure flashed as she performed Instant Movement. Meanwhile, the Jade Bone Puppet stepped forward, the Fusheng Sword gleaming with lightning as it slashed down with an unstoppable momentum. Ling Yunhe, who had been providing support from the sidelines, seized this precise moment to activate the God-Restricting Bead—
At that moment, another powerful aura emerged, brimming with destruction and fervor. Old Donkey Ma's gaze shifted. Seeing Qin Xi draw a simple, ancient longbow blazing with flames, he was instantly horrified.
As a rogue cultivator by origin, he was most cunning in combat. When Mo Tiange kept attacking, he knew she was deliberately tying him up to free Qin Xi's hands. He had secretly prepared a countermeasure, planning to turn the tables and strike back. But the moment the Vermilion Bird's Bow appeared, he knew his countermeasure couldn't withstand it.
He made a snap decision. With a sharp whistle, the black-clad boy who had been locked in combat with Nie Wushang rolled on the spot, reverting to his true form. He carried Old Donkey Ma on his back and fled.
Speaking of which, this donkey was truly marvelous. Its four hooves seemed capable of distorting space. It was precisely because of this ability that Nie Wushang, despite completely suppressing it, had been unable to capture it for so long.
Now, with Old Donkey Ma riding the donkey, they once again used the donkey's hooves to break through Jing Xingzhi's barrier of sword light, dashed out of the stone passage, and vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Old Donkey Ma!" Demon Lord Yueying cursed bitterly. He knew it! That old codger was unreliable, always the first to flee at the slightest danger. Now he was left alone here. Did they expect him to take another arrow?
Glaring fiercely at Nie Wushang, Demon Lord Yueying flung off his cloak. The cloak detached from his body, transforming into a sky-blotting swarm of crows that surged towards Jing Xingzhi and Yang Chengji. Seizing this opportunity, he himself fled with his corpse puppets.
"That's it?" Jing Xingzhi muttered.
Qin Xi put away the Vermilion Bird's Bow. "What else did you expect?"
Seeing more people approaching, he had gambled that Old Donkey Ma wasn't one to take risks lightly. Deliberately using the Vermilion Bird's Bow to scare him had worked—the old man had indeed run. With Demon Lord Yueying left alone and unable to defeat them, he had no choice but to flee as well.
Truth be told, their success in driving off two Late-Nascent Soul cultivators this smoothly was largely due to the advantage of terrain. With Yang Chengji and Jing Xingzhi blocking the entrance, Demon Lord Yueying couldn't get inside. The two Late-Nascent Soul cultivators couldn't join forces, making it impossible for them to defeat the group one by one. Even now, Mo Tiange felt it was a close call. If Old Donkey Ma hadn't been such a coward and had fought to the death with the two Late-Nascent Soul cultivators, the outcome would have been hard to predict.
However, with Demon Lord Yueying and Old Donkey Ma gone, others had arrived.
Mo Tiange sighed inwardly. With so many people, how many fights would they have to endure? She immediately took a handful of Spirit-Restoring Pills and stuffed them into her mouth, then casually replaced the spirit jades on her puppet.
Just as she finished, the newcomers arrived.
As these Nascent Soul cultivators approached, they saw Demon Lord Yueying and Old Donkey Ma had been locked in combat with the group. They were each contemplating their next move—whether to intervene and assist one side or simply watch from the sidelines. But after taking only a few steps, they witnessed Old Donkey Ma and the others being scared off. Instantly, their thoughts shifted again.
Even Demon Lord Yueying and Old Donkey Ma join forces couldn't take them down? Were these people really that strong? Who should they team up with then? Or perhaps they should just give up?
As they pondered, Old Donkey Ma suddenly turned his head and shouted back, "Everyone, the Xuanwu's legacy has already been taken by them. Do as you see fit!" Having said that, he rode off on his donkey and vanished once more.
With that shout from Old Donkey Ma, the eyes of all the Nascent Soul cultivators lit up.
Mo Tiange smiled bitterly. That old codger, Old Donkey Ma. Even after being driven off, he had to stir up trouble for them.
"Esteemed fellow daoists," Qin Xi stepped forward, his gaze heavy as he looked at them. "To be frank, the Xuanwu has already acknowledged a master. You are too late."
With Old Donkey Ma having laid down the challenge, denying it was useless. Therefore, Qin Xi chose to speak the truth. Their strength had just been demonstrated. Even two join forces Late-Nascent Soul cultivators had been unable to do anything to them. How could this scattered group of cultivators possibly seize the Xuanwu from their hands? It was better to issue a deterrent warning.
The cultivators indeed hesitated. After a long moment, Nan Guitian suddenly smiled and asked, "Might I ask, who has been acknowledged as master by the Xuanwu's legacy?"
Under their intense gazes, Ling Yunhe curled his lips into a smile, stepped forward a few paces, and clasped his hands. "Greetings, fellow daoists. I, Ling, am the one whom the Xuanwu has acknowledged."
The moment he spoke, all eyes turned to him. Nan Guitian narrowed his eyes. "So it's... Fellow Daoist Ling."
Mo Tiange was taken aback. Ling Yunhe had actually taken all the responsibility upon himself, not dragging her into it. He could have easily said the other half was with her spirit beast, Xiaofan. Given the Jiuyan Sect's deep roots in Yunzhong, these cultivators would surely focus their attention on her, allowing him to slip away smoothly...
But now, by claiming the Xuanwu had acknowledged him, these cultivators, wary of the Jiuyan Sect, would inevitably be hesitant. To seize or not to seize? If they seized it, they would offend the Jiuyan Sect. Moreover, with this group being so strong, could they even succeed? If they didn't seize it, were they just going to watch a treasure fly away before their eyes? That wasn't the attitude of a cultivator.
As everyone struggled internally, a light laugh suddenly sounded. They turned to look—it was Han Shizhi.
After forming his Nascent Soul, Han Shizhi's appearance hadn't changed much. The gloom that had perpetually clouded his eyes in the past was gone, replaced by an even more humble and refined demeanor. Yet, in reality, everyone in Yunzhong knew that arrogance was Han Shizhi's true nature.
Now, they heard Han Shizhi say in a leisurely tone, "When a treasure is before you, it's every man for himself based on his own abilities. Isn't that the consistent rule of the cultivation world? Since when have you all become so... courteous?"