"Do you truly wish to die?"
The ethereal voice seemed to drift from high above the clouds yet also echo from deep within the marsh, profound and inscrutable, its source impossible to pinpoint.
Yet the biting killing intent contained within it pierced straight to the bone.
In an instant, all seven Golden Core cultivators froze in place.
Even Huangfu Song, the highest-ranking among the seven, felt his eyelids twitching violently in the face of that overwhelming baleful aura.
"Rumor has it that this Qingyangzi is Demonic Lord Qingyang, who shone so brilliantly in the battle that sparked the Righteous-Demonic War. He possesses numerous hidden cards and acts with ruthless dominance, virtually peerless among those of the same realm. I thought the rumors were exaggerated before, but this..."
"I fear that even if we join forces, we may only repeat what happened to Lengguang back then."
"Fellow Daoist, do not inflate another's prestige while crushing your own morale! In the end, he is merely a solitary man, whereas we have seven full Golden Cores on our side!"
"Is that truly safe?"
As a faction of rogue cultivators, the Myriad Immortals Association cared little for the lives and deaths of rogue cultivators.
Even when conflicts erupted in the Dragon Taming Mountain Range, the Nascent Soul Perfected Persons above rarely bothered to intervene; in their eyes, these were nothing more than insignificant ants.
Who would care when ants fight?
Yet if things escalated too far and disturbed the already disorganized spiritual lands of the Myriad Immortals Association, then the matter would warrant discussion.
Even if the Nascent Soul Perfected Persons did not show themselves, the Demon Hunting Bureau would still hold them accountable.
Seeing the cultivators under his command getting cold feet one after another, Huangfu Song knew he would ultimately have to rely on himself.
*So be it. These people came purely for profit; a faction assembled like this naturally has no cohesion.*
*If I can boost their confidence a bit through this battle, it will be much easier to command them later.*
Huangfu Song took a deep breath and spoke, "Duke Gui, I trouble you."
This meant having the two veteran retainers who obeyed him unconditionally take the vanguard.
Duke Gui was not surprised and took a step forward.
Prompted by a gesture from his companion, Elder Ye, he flew toward a certain location.
That was precisely one of the formation nodes Elder Ye had deduced in that short time, and the owner of that voice was highly likely lurking there.
"Coward hiding your head and shrinking your tail, how dare you speak so big and threaten us!"
Duke Gui let out a shrill screech and struck out with a palm through the air.
Before the gale of the palm strike even hit, a sharp, piercing howl already rang out.
Ripples flickered in the void.
Suddenly, a wild gale surged forth.
*Boom!*
As the two forces collided, patches of white clouds shattered, rendering the sky fragmented and broken.
A striking, beautiful figure appeared before everyone's eyes, her brows sharp and fierce, her expression proud and unyielding.
With a sharp cry, a plantain fan appeared between her hands.
It grew from small to large until both hands gripped the handle, then swept forward with ferocious force.
A violent tempest surged once more, its momentum several times more terrifying than before.
"A high-grade magic treasure!"
With just a single glance, Duke Gui discerned the high grade of that plantain fan; it was far beyond ordinary magic treasures.
Without hesitation, he could no longer afford to hold back.
With a flick of his right wrist, countless beams of white light tore through the void and plunged into the howling wind, firmly anchoring him against the tempest.
After an instant of stalemate, the white light revealed its true form: crystal-white threads of silk.
And gathered together, they formed a horsetail whisk.
Seeing this, the woman knitted her brows and swung the plantain fan once more.
Several hurricanes swept out from all directions, converging to surround Duke Gui.
Furthermore, she transformed into a sharp arrow herself, closing in on him at blinding speed.
Faced with the woman's attack, Duke Gui smiled maliciously.
With a flick of his wrist, all the threads retracted back into the soft body of the whisk.
With a flick of the whisk, streams of white light intercepted the hurricanes, while the whisk in his hand stiffened like a straight sword as he charged toward her.
Not far away, Huangfu Song watched the clash, his brow furrowing before realization struck.
"It is that woman named Tianxuan, who has been running errands everywhere on Qingyangzi's behalf all these years. I assumed she was merely an ordinary maidservant, never expecting her to possess such cultivation."
"Do not panic, Master. Though Duke Gui's magic treasure is inferior to hers, his own cultivation is firmly at the mid Golden Core stage, giving him the upper hand over this woman. While he may be momentarily disadvantaged, he will take control of the battle after a hundred exchanges," Elder Ye said.
Huangfu Song nodded and shifted his gaze away from the duel.
"This Qingyangzi hides his head and shows his tail. The longer this drags on, the more it erodes our morale, and onlookers will hardly think well of us. Elder Ye, I fear you will have to step in and force him out."
Elder Ye understood.
"Very well. In that case, behold my methods!"
The black-robed elder stepped out from the crowd.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, he rode the wind through the void, treading the steps of the Eight Trigrams as he strode hundreds of paces through the sky.
Moreover, with an astrolabe supported in one hand and hand seals pinched with the other, he scattered specks of starlight, seemingly paving a silvery-gray path.
The path grew brighter and brighter, faintly pointing toward a specific spot.
Elder Ye halted his steps and turned back toward Huangfu Song.
"Master, found him!"
To break the formation in such a short time was beyond him. But when it came to locating an enemy concealing himself via a formation, he possessed a fair measure of skill.
Yet before Huangfu Song could answer, Elder Ye caught the look of astonishment in his eyes.
*Not good!*
Elder Ye's heart lurched. Without even turning around, he slapped the astrolabe in his hand.
Instantly, layers of silvery radiance erupted, completely enveloping him.
In the next breath, an enormous single-horned dragon head suddenly materialized.
Under the eyes of the crowd, its ferocious jaws gaped open.
A bloody maw, a foul wind assaulting the senses, and a terrifying swallowing power abruptly expanded in all directions.
Countless specks of silver radiance surged into its mouth under that engulfing force.
The scene was like a vicious dragon whale-swallowing the Milky Way.
***
On Cailian Island.
The little girl, who had just climbed down from Zhang Jiadi, suddenly raised her hand and pointed toward the sky.
"Father, look! I told you there was a dragon in the lake, I didn't lie to you!"
Zhang Jiadi stared at the scene in a daze. He had known long ago that his daughter was not lying to him.
Yet who could have imagined that the black flood dragon would be so formidable, rendering a mid Golden Core cultivator utterly helpless by its own might alone?
Judging from the battle, the black-robed elder was struggling to hold on and could not spare any strength to strike back.
However, now was not the time to dwell on this. He called a servant to carry his daughter away, then issued an order.
"Everyone, mobilize with me!"
The others were utterly bewildered. In a battle of this scale, was there any place for them to intervene?
Yet under Zhang Jiadi's forceful command, the Zhang Clan cultivators had no choice but to follow their clan head onto a large vessel and sail toward the depths of Penghu Lake.
***
The battle over Penghu Lake grew increasingly fierce.
The violent fluctuations of Dharmic powers made it impossible for Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment cultivators to see the clash clearly.
Yet several Golden Core cultivators employed their respective methods to take in the fight as best they could.
And high in the nine heavens, two figures sat upon the clouds.
One had grizzled hair and beard, holding a gourd and sipping lazily, his eyes gleaming with playful amusement as though watching a good show.
The other possessed an exquisite, voluptuous figure draped in purple Daoist robes that enveloped her graceful curves. Her charming, still-alluring face bore a hint of helplessness.
"Old Angler, if you had not taken it upon yourself back then to lease Penghu Lake to Demonic Lord Qingyang, where would this trouble have come from?"
Old Angler chuckled slyly. "What do you mean, 'taken it upon myself'? These spiritual vein cave dwellings are not our personal estate. As long as someone can afford the rent, they can naturally lease them."
Empress Zi shook her head. "You know that is not what I mean."
There were certain tacit understandings that should have existed between them.
Old Angler curled his lip. "I have no idea what you're pining for either. Back then, though you were the Empress of Great Zhou, you were clearly nothing more than a figurehead puppet. Now that Great Zhou is gone, you've gained your freedom instead. Why bother entangling yourself in this mess just to prop up this kid Huangfu Song?"
In his words, Huangfu Song—a fellow late Golden Core cultivator—seemed hardly worth mentioning.
Empress Zi sighed. "Though Song'er lacks a sound temperament, his talent is exceptional. Given the ties between us, I ought to lend him a hand when possible."
"Regardless of what you think, since you and I have become two of the three directors of the Demon Hunting Bureau, we are no longer simple rogue cultivators. You had best not interfere in the squabbles of those below."
Old Angler turned solemn as he spoke these words.
Empress Zi scoffed coldly. "Do you truly think Demonic Lord Qingyang can withstand Song'er and his group?"
"Since he bears the title of 'Demonic Lord,' no matter how exaggerated the rumors may be, he surely has some real weight to him." Old Angler recalled the few brief encounters he had shared with Luo Chen, feeling confident inside.
Finally, he added with a faint sneer, "Aside from those two veteran retainers under him, the other Golden Core cultivators Huangfu Song recruited amount to nothing in my view."
Just as Empress Zi was about to refute him, her expression shifted slightly.
An earth-shattering dragon's roar rang out.
She and Old Angler focused their gaze and immediately saw a colossal black body, half of it reared above the lake's surface.
"A black-scaled giant python?"
"No, it has transformed into a flood dragon." Old Angler blurted out, only to notice something amiss.
Upon the exposed belly of that black-scaled flood dragon were concentric rings of mysterious patterns, resembling vines or silk ribbons.
Such patterns seemed to have appeared only upon the legendary desolate beast, the Cliff Snake.
Regardless, the appearance of this flood dragon thoroughly upended everyone's calculations.
A look of awe flashed across Old Angler's eyes. "How is this Qingyangzi some solitary rogue! He has a Golden Core maidservant attending him, plus a demon king spirit pet comparable to the sixth level of Golden Core. With such an array, even true disciples of superior sects fall far short. Perhaps only those Golden Core true disciples traveling from the holy lands could boast such an entourage!"
Empress Zi's expression grew strained.
True disciples of holy lands?
She had interacted with such figures before.
Without relying on the backing of a holy land's name, one might recruit a band of vassals through personal charisma. But forcing Golden Core cultivators into servitude as slaves and maids was still extraordinarily difficult.
Only those whose strength stood out even among true disciples would receive enough resources from their elders. From magic treasures and elixir pills to carriages and mounts, down to spirit pets and retainers, they far surpassed ordinary Golden Core cultivators in every respect.
At this moment, Demonic Lord Qingyang seemed virtually indistinguishable from those Grand True Disciples of the holy lands.
She could not help but ask, "Old Angler, are you certain nothing was missed during his vetting when he joined the association? Is he truly not a remnant of the Yuan Demon Sect?"
Old Angler rolled his eyes at her.
"Do you really think the identifying magic treasure bestowed by the Three Great Loose Cultivators is just for show?"
The implication was clear: this man was genuinely not a cultivator of the Yuan Demon Sect.
Yet for someone who was not a holy land's true disciple to subdue a demon king of a higher cultivation realm than himself was quite sensational if word got out.
Especially when he was a rogue cultivator!
***
If even two Eight-Star Demon Hunters were this shocked, what more of Huangfu Song, who was right in the middle of it?
Seeing Elder Ye struggling more and more desperately under that terrifying swallowing power, he hurriedly shouted to the four cultivators behind him:
"Why aren't you helping?!"
The four hesitated.
Just then, a streak of escape light descended onto the battlefield.
"Gentlemen, ganging up on fewer foes—isn't that rather unchivalrous?"
Seeing the newcomer, Huangfu Song frowned. "Who are you?"
"I am Duan Li, a good friend of Qingyangzi."
Duan Li looked somewhat nervous, yet his words and demeanor remained refined and composed.
Back then, Luo Chen had advised him and helped him choose a fine cave dwelling. In the spirit of returning a favor, he naturally felt obliged to step forward and speak up for justice.
Furthermore, as Luo Chen demonstrated increasingly formidable power, Duan Li's confidence swelled.
He might not be able to offer charcoal in a blizzard, but he could certainly add flowers to a brocade.
Upon Duan Li's appearance, the four Golden Core cultivators recognized him as well.
"It's that fellow from the Duan Clan of Huanrui Island!"
"Rumor has it he possesses a potent flower basket magic treasure that ordinary weapons cannot match."
"If he employs that treasure, those of us at the early Golden Core stage won't easily take him down anytime soon."
Listening to the murmurs of the cultivators behind him, Huangfu Song grew increasingly irritated.
*A pack of fence-sitters!*
Never mind, he could no longer afford to guard against the Qingyangzi lurking in the shadows.
He had to rescue Elder Ye first!
Elder Ye's ability in impromptu combat was not impressive; as a formation master, he excelled in battles for which he had prepared. Such talent was coveted by any major faction—how could Huangfu Song bear to let him perish in head-on combat?
A ruthless glint flashed across Huangfu Song's face.
"Get out of the way!"
Simultaneous with his words, he pinched his fingers like a sword and unleashed a purple sword qi.
This sword qi came so swiftly that it was nearly impossible to react.
Over the years, Duan Li's condition had never fully recovered to its peak, and his Dharmic power mobilization was somewhat sluggish.
Amidst the terror in his eyes, a sliver of regret surfaced.
The other party had not even invited him; had he acted too rashly by coming forward unbidden to help?
If he died here, how would he ever avenge his family's blood feud?
In mere fractions of an instant, the purple sword qi was about to strike within three zhang of Duan Li.
Yet in that split second, rings of fire abruptly manifested in the void.
The sword qi tore through the rings of fire like ripping silk, driving straight inward.
Yet its speed ultimately slowed.
Duan Li finally found the time to react, hurriedly activating his protective measures and barely deflecting the weakened sword qi by a hair's breadth.
"To treat my friend in such a manner... It is ill manners not to reciprocate. Take a strike from me as well!"
In the void, a gigantic azure palm abruptly materialized.
Blotting out the sky, it crashed down with overwhelming fury.
Everywhere it passed, azure flames swirled, and space itself seemed to warp.
Huangfu Song was terror-stricken. He cast defensive spell after defensive spell in rapid succession, yet all disintegrated under that single palm strike.
In the end, a brilliant light flashed from his person, dissipating the attack entirely.
Qingyang Great Handprint!
The signature offensive technique of Demonic Lord Qingyang according to legend!
Under this move, those of lower cultivation were either killed or maimed.
Even peers of the same realm found it hard to resist.
As powerful as the late Golden Core Huangfu Song was, he had nearly failed to withstand it.
Evidently, that final flash of purple light was not his own power, but rather a protective measure bestowed upon a junior by an elder.
"Stand down, all of you!"
A calm voice spread out.
Instantly, the tempest subsided, and the suction ceased.
The black flood dragon dove back into the marsh, and Tianxuan descended beside Duan Li in a streak of flight.
And before them, a red-robed Daoist stood tall and straight, his eyes narrowed slightly as he gazed at the figures ahead.
Huangfu Song's face turned dark and uncertain as he glanced across the people behind him:
The exasperated Duke Gui, Elder Ye who had just survived by the skin of his teeth, and the vassal Golden Core cultivators who had merely gone through the motions without exerting themselves.
Finally, adjusting his mindset, he looked at the red-robed Daoist.
"Demonic Lord Qingyang, I believe we can talk."
Luo Chen's expression remained cold. "Now you know to talk?"
"It was you who gave me no chance. I sent a calling card."
"Not replying to your calling card meant that I had no desire to talk."
"You!" Huangfu Song was incandescent with rage, raising a finger to point at Luo Chen.
Luo Chen's eyes narrowed slightly as the spiritual pressure around him surged outward like waves, growing ever more formidable.
"What about me?
"Could it be that you truly wish to trade blows with me?
"Then have you prepared yourself for a battle to the death?"
Chapter 607