Streaks of fleeing light flickered as two stunning silhouettes arrived side by side.
Cheng Yulan, clad in an ice-blue dress and with a celestial beauty, wore a cold expression as she stepped forward to shield her Junior Brother behind her. Her icy gaze fell upon Miao Xin:
"After today's events involving the Buddha, once the assembly of immortals concludes, I will report the truth to my master. Since your sect insists on reneging on the million-year-old alliance with Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, we won't force the issue. Just be prepared to face all the consequences that this will bring."
Miao Xin slightly lifted her chin, her eyes shimmering as she replied, "While I'm not entirely clear about Qing Muling's origins, I do understand one thing: with the current strength of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, you simply cannot protect him. Instead of helplessly watching him be taken by other forces in the future, it would be better to hand him over to us now. The Great Brahma Monastery will certainly remember your sect's favor and offer a suitable reward."
She indeed had the confidence to say this. The Great Brahma Monastery was at its zenith, with a peak Quasi Holy Emperor presiding over it. Not only did it surpass the Calamity Fate Palace in strength and status as an ancient Supreme Dao Lineage, but it also held the lofty position of leader among the Buddhist forces, wielding undeniable influence over the other four Supreme Buddhist Dao Lineages, millions of smaller Buddhist sects, and scattered cultivator families.
In the vastness of The Great Void, only the Dao Court could firmly suppress the Great Brahma Monastery. The ancient tribes with terrifying heritage and the numerous demonic and heretical forces could not contend with it alone.
"Whether we can protect him is not your concern!"
Cheng Yulan turned to embrace Qing Muling, her voice cold as she said, "If there's nothing else, we'll take our leave!"
Miao Xin watched her leisurely, her enchanting and radiant face still smiling, "Even if I can only use the power of the Feather Transformation Realm, the three of you combined might not be my match. Are you sure you want to try?"
Yu Binghua, elegant yet bold, stepped forward and spoke softly, "Even if we're not your match, leaving shouldn't be a problem. At least for now, you haven't reached the level of a Quasi Holy Emperor, and you're not truly a Buddha. In this world with its distinct laws of the Dao, we have no reason to fear you."
Now that Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace was not lacking in resources and was financially robust, the sisters all carried life-saving jade talismans, naturally brimming with confidence. Even if they were slain by Miao Xin, they could be resurrected unharmed at the entrance to the secret realm.
Outside, several elders of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace stood guard, and elders from the Dao Court were there to ensure fairness. No matter how lawless Miao Xin was, she couldn't cause trouble outside the secret realm.
Qing Muling felt that the incident just now was unlikely to be the intention of the higher-ups of the Great Brahma Monastery. It was probably just Miao Xin acting on a whim upon seeing him. Even if she got her way and took him back, she would have to go to great lengths to explain to the senior monks.
After a moment of contemplation, Miao Xin finally nodded and said, "Let's put today's matter to rest. However, my previous offer still stands. If Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace cannot withstand the pressure from all sides in the future, you can bring Qing Muling to our Main Altar for help."
With that, she gracefully stood up, and with a slight lift of her hand, three fist-sized, softly glowing white relics flew towards Qing Muling, "These relics, left behind by ancient Bodhisattvas, can enhance your mana by ten thousand years once refined, enough for you to reach the Ascending to Immortality realm. Take them, my young lord, for the Great Brahma Monastery will surely have a revered place for you!"
Yu Binghua quickly intercepted the relics. Who knew if Miao Xin had tampered with them? Moreover, given the Junior Brother's identity, they certainly couldn't risk letting him use these to advance his cultivation.
Miao Xin took no offense and drifted away on the wind, soon disappearing from sight.
"Sister, did you encounter any trouble on your way here?"
As she vanished into the horizon, Qing Muling turned to ask.
Cheng Yulan's expression softened as she hugged her Junior Brother affectionately, "It was fine. We encountered some native spiritual beasts blocking the way, but they were easily dealt with. What about you? Did anyone bully you?"
"When I first entered, I encountered a group from the Shadow Assassination Hall, but I took care of them."
Qing Muling briefly recounted his experience. The Shadow Assassination Hall had sent over ten thousand elite disciples into the secret realm this time, including many elders who had sealed their cultivation. It seemed there would be more to deal with in the future.
"Don't worry, we don't have to fear them. If we encounter their people again, we'll just take them down."
Cheng Yulan said with a smile, considering the previous encounter a fluke. With the Junior Brother's fortune, she believed there wouldn't be any more dangers they couldn't handle, or at worst, they would be able to retreat unscathed.
Qing Muling nodded and looked back at the grill, where plenty of fresh meat remained. He called out, "This tastes pretty good. Shall we have some together? And wait for the eldest sister."
"Alright."
Yu Binghua nodded in agreement, and she and the second sister sat down beside Qing Muling to continue feasting.
"Hmm, the taste is alright, but it's still missing something."
After a few bites of the roasted meat, Yu Binghua expressed her satisfaction, casting a meaningful glance at the Junior Brother, her cheeks tinged with a hint of blush.
Cheng Yulan understood her meaning. No matter how good the taste of the meat was, it couldn't compare to a certain someone. What she really wanted to eat was probably the Junior Brother, right?
Moments later, the large boar-like spiritual beast was devoured clean by the three of them. Qing Muling suggested finding a few more to keep in reserve, as such spiritual beasts that significantly increased cultivation without side effects were rare.
"That's fine, but we've been rushing to meet up with you, Junior Brother, and have expended a lot of mana. We need to rest and recover for a while. Why not do it together?"
Cheng Yulan spoke with a smile, and Yu Binghua had already silently summoned a cave dwelling treasure. Inside was a courtyard of over ten acres, complete with bedrooms, a study, a bath, and a practice room.
With the eldest sister not yet arrived, it was just her and Yu Binghua with the Junior Brother. It was the perfect opportunity to entangle him in play, to draw more of the innate Harmony spiritual root's essence and Dao Rhyme, and to solidify their foundations for the breakthrough to the True Immortal realm.
Yu Binghua was even pondering using her trump card, hoping to lead the Junior Brother to lose control and break through that final barrier with her. After all, she was still far from reaching the Elemental Immortal realm and wanted to catch up with the sisters' progress as soon as possible, which meant she had to work hard with the Junior Brother.
Qing Muling was somewhat speechless as they ushered him into the cave dwelling. The ensuing romantic interlude was not for outsiders to know…
***
Armillary Sphere Immortal Domain.
As the Magic Clan calamity continued to rage, countless fragments of void land in the void were scenes of cultivators bloodily battling these alien beings.
The Magic Clan descendants were overwhelming in number and included many formidable characters. As a result, the cultivators tasked with extermination suffered heavy casualties. Along with the innocent mortal realms affected, countless lives turned to dust every moment.
The Sect Master of Armillary Sphere Star Palace, Yan Qinyang, had ordered a full mobilization early on. Not only did he deploy a large number of elite disciples, but he also conscripted all cultivators from vassal territories and even the lowest tier of scattered cultivators. Any cultivator with a modicum of cultivation, even those in the Qi Refining Realm, had to accept the Star Palace's orders.
Refuse? The Star Palace's enforcement team was no joke and would surely capture your entire family to be enslaved for life.
However, given the vast territory of Armillary Sphere Star Palace and the many regions and frontlines to care for, even their abundant manpower and resources were insufficient.
In less than half a year, the losses of Armillary Sphere Star Palace were staggering. Vassal territories were almost entirely lost, and even the important lands of the direct sect had fallen. The billions of mortals living on the prosperous floating lands were almost entirely exterminated by the Magic Clan descendants, with only a few lucky survivors escaping.
This dire situation left Sect Master Yan Qinyang quite frustrated and angry, but he had no solution at hand. This calamity, affecting nearly the entire Great Void, was not something any single Dao Lineage could contend with, other than enduring it.
If they could endure, the future was bright, and any losses could be recovered afterward. As long as the Main Altar and the Dao Lineage's inheritance remained, there was hope for a resurgence to former glory.
If they could not endure, then it was dust to dust, earth to earth, and all past glory would dissipate like smoke.
Yan Qinyang could only hope for aid from the Dao Court. Originally, if his disciples had performed well enough at the assembly of immortals, they would have had a good chance when making requests. Unfortunately, Yan Lingji and the others had not lived up to expectations, whereas Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace had been stunning, stealing all the limelight.
Every time he thought of this, Sect Master Yan Qinyang couldn't help but seethe with rage. Why was it always the women of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace who thwarted him?
If not for the Dao Court's ceasefire order and his current lack of power, he would have considered waging a full-scale war against Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, to crush their arrogance and make them realize who truly held power in this starry sky.
"Sect Master, the defense line at Tongtian River Star Domain is critical. The high-level Magic Clan descendants attacking are too numerous!"
Outside the council hall, an elder in charge hurried in and reported after bowing.
Yan Qinyang's face flushed with anger, and it took him a while to suppress the fury in his chest. There had been too many such bad news recently.
"Immediately dispatch the sect's reserve forces to reinforce, and have the elder West Gate Celestial Lord lead the team."
After weighing his options, Yan Qinyang ordered through gritted teeth. The defense line at Tongtian River Star Domain not only produced various extremely important cultivation resources but also affected the safety of dozens of surrounding large star domains. It could not be easily abandoned.
The elder in charge agreed and hurried to relay the orders.
***
Tongtian River Star Domain.
This place had turned into a bloody battlefield, with swarms of Magic Clan descendants pouring out of the void, furiously besieging several giant floating lands at the star domain's center. The Armillary Sphere Star Palace's cultivator army was fighting back desperately with the help of a massive army of Dao soldiers, puppets, and millions of lower-tier scattered cultivators.
The situation was barely at a stalemate. Without reinforcements, the fall of this place was only a matter of time.
In a hidden space, hundreds of towering, intimidating figures wrapped in thick black robes stood silently, watching the tragic scene of blood-drenched stars and the slaughter of living beings.
Their powerful divine senses communicated silently:
"…Is this the Dao Lineage?"
"Yes, after careful sensing with secret techniques, many of the high-ranking cultivators on the defending side have issues. The lines of cause and effect on them are quite obvious, indicating they caused significant harm during the calamity that befell Origin Star Palace. A few despicable ones even carry treasures plundered from deep within the Star Palace!"
"Then, they all deserve to die! The Saint has decreed that anyone who harms a brick or blade of grass of the Origin Star Palace must be utterly annihilated!"
"In that case, let's prepare to act. With the Magic Clan army leading the charge, we just need to choose the right moment to give them a push from the shadows, ensuring none of these culprits survive!"
"Very well, let's do it."
***
So, just as the reinforcements from Armillary Sphere Star Palace arrived, paying a heavy price to finally repel the Magic Clan army, the leading elders had no time to catch their breath when unexpected and powerful enemies descended.
The defense line was at its weakest, unable to withstand the assault of these beings, all of whom possessed at least True Immortal cultivation. After a not-so-fierce battle, the leading high-ranking cultivators all fell, their souls extracted and subjected to various secret tortures.
This led to the complete collapse of the defense line at Tongtian River Star Domain. Within a few days, a vast army of Magic Clan descendants swarmed in, wreaking havoc in the core territories of Armillary Sphere Star Palace.
Upon receiving the news, Yan Qinyang was both shocked and furious. He ordered the sect's supreme elders to rush to the rescue, determined to drive these aliens out. Otherwise, the consequences of a large-scale fall of core territories were something Armillary Sphere Star Palace simply could not bear.
If that happened, his position as the Supreme Sect Master would be at its end. Other factions would inevitably take the opportunity to challenge his capabilities, and he would have no choice but to relinquish his authority and retire in obscurity.
However, even the costly reinforcements failed to achieve the desired effect. Days later, the supreme elder group sent back a message saying that unidentified powerful enemies had joined the attack on the sect's core territories, causing heavy casualties among the supreme elders, the backbone of the sect. Many well-known former powerhouses were severely injured or killed, and even their souls could not be retrieved.
"Immortal Wood Strange Encounter"
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan