Their gazes met, and there was no time to flee. “Hunshi Golden Immortal” Qin Yue did not dare to slacken. He raised a seven-colored immortal sword before him, summoning the “Hunshi Immortal Body” with auspicious light and clouds hovering above his head.
Although the opponent belonged to the third tier of strength, not an unbeatable existence like Hunyuan Fairy, he was still a mysterious and powerful figure, likely possessing the combat capability of an Earth Immortal and clearly superior to Qin Yue. He must not relax or grow careless, nor assume he could easily resist or find an opportunity to escape.
Meng Qi saw Qin Yue’s defensive posture, shook his head, twisted his cloud somersault, bypassed him, and flew toward the distant Primordial Chaos, clearly having no intention of fighting.
Meng Qi was not the kind of person who would kill the innocent or join Golden Turtle Island in oppression and slaughter just for the sake of five inexplicable spots. He would only act in self-defense, adhering to the principle: if others do not attack him, he would not attack them.
Watching the green-robed man with slightly graying temples retreat into the distance, recalling that gaze devoid of hostility, Qin Yue hesitated for a moment, then suddenly sighed.
Those who cannot be bent by might are rare in the world. Many can proclaim, “The hardest thing throughout history is to die,” but few can truly act upon it when the moment comes. That man was likely one of them.
Such a person always deserves respect. Even if he had attacked, Qin Yue believed he would have had a great chance to briefly resist and then escape.
As these thoughts flickered through his mind, another figure suddenly appeared within Qin Yue’s vision—Xu Bei, the “Yin Ancestor.”
There was no need to confront him head-on yet, to avoid unnecessary depletion of strength. It was better to leave this place first and seek allies… Qin Yue made the decision instantly.
Just then, a flicker of light appeared in Qin Yue’s eyes. He saw the green-robed man, who had already retreated to the horizon, suddenly return at an incredible speed, instantly appearing before Xu Bei, the “Yin Ancestor.”
With a single flick of his sleeve, a violent gale erupted, as if blowing in from another realm. The sky turned pitch black.
When the darkness vanished, Qin Yue just caught sight of Xu Bei, the “Yin Ancestor,” bewildered as he was drawn into the green-robed man’s sleeve. Then the man turned and fled, disappearing completely in the blink of an eye.
This… Qin Yue was stunned, as if still in a dream.
Had the “Yin Ancestor” Xu Bei been captured without even managing a single exchange?
Xu Bei was at least as strong as himself, perhaps even stronger. If their positions were reversed, could he have resisted?
Earlier, he had thought himself capable of briefly resisting an enemy of the third tier and then escaping. Now, that belief seemed utterly laughable.
This mysterious expert must be no less formidable than the “Hunyuan Fairy.” Where had they both come from?
In less than a breath’s time, he felt his entire worldview shatter.
…
Tai Li’s hair shimmered with five colors, exuding an air of pride and indolence. Her beauty was uniquely captivating. At this moment, her gaze was heavy with concern as she faced Gao Lan. The Demon Saint Spear in her hand was wrapped in invisible, colorless flames, quietly burning, sending chills through the heart, as if witnessing the end of all things reduced to ashes.
“Trapped within Golden Turtle Island, facing the threat of numerous Heaven Immortals, you still insist on fighting first and stirring up internal strife. Do you truly believe in that nonsense about the five slots?” Suddenly, Tai Li, the “Peacock Demon King,” spoke calmly, clearly indicating no intention to settle the ancient grudge here and now.
Gao Lan maintained his cold demeanor, speaking indifferently, “Not a single word from Su Daji is worthy of my belief.”
After learning that Gao Lan wielded the Human Emperor Sword, Tai Li had spent considerable effort gathering information about him. He knew of Gao Lan’s occasional wild and erratic behavior, or his cold and ruthless side, but had never heard of him being so sarcastic while in such a cold state. After a brief pause, Tai Li finally replied, “Heaven Immortals can generate their own realms, becoming lords of their own worlds, impossibly powerful. Facing at least four Heaven Immortals, temporarily setting aside old grudges to unite against a greater enemy is the only rational choice for anyone with a complete mind and clear reasoning.”
“My mind has never been complete. I have always been erratic and unreasonable,” Gao Lan replied coldly.
His words were so confidently spoken that for a moment, Tai Li was at a loss for words, unable to form a rebuttal.
Having lived for so long, he had never encountered such a bizarre Dharmakaya!
“Are you afraid of the four Heaven Immortals, planning to submit and be controlled by the ‘Nine-Transformation Li-Xuan Pill’? Or do you believe you alone can escape Golden Turtle Island?” Tai Li, regaining his composure, fired off a series of questions.
Gao Lan, with the “Human Emperor Sword” in his right hand, pointed it diagonally. His towering figure stood like an unyielding pillar of heaven:
“I simply do not trust you, just as I do not trust Su Daji.”
“Why?” Tai Li furrowed his brow. Was his image really that bad?
Gao Lan continued, “You know Su Daji’s background, and so do I. She comes from Qingqiu, a nine-tailed fox spirit, once guarding the ancient tomb of the Yellow Emperor. As fellow demon kin, you naturally share a closeness. What reason do I have to trust you? Even the entire situation on Golden Turtle Island might be a scheme of your demon race.”
Tai Li, the Peacock, remained silent for a few seconds, then let out a bitter laugh: “I once thought the same. Unfortunately, the Island Master’s intentions are unfathomable. He seems to wish to restore the glory of the Yin-Shang Dynasty, ruling over humans, demons, gods, monsters, Buddhas, and beasts without bias or distinction. We arrived earlier than you at Biyou Palace because Bai Ze, the Demon King, once tried to approach him and failed miserably.”
“From what you’re saying, the Island Master is of demon origin?” Gao Lan quickly caught the key point.
Tai Li did not hide it: “There are some records in the Demon Emperor Hall. Golden Turtle Island was once the abode of the Celestial Venerable Lingbao. As a symbol of all things, he embodied ‘Existence’ itself, treating humans, ghosts, demons, and beasts equally, teaching the Dao to all without discrimination. We demons have always revered him. After his mysterious disappearance, a Great Sage of our demon race brought Su Daji and the descendants of the Yin-Shang Dynasty to this island. He must be the Island Master Su Daji spoke of, and he is certainly still in slumber, waiting for the great tribulation to deepen and the right moment to arrive. However, this does not prevent him from making prior arrangements to restore the Yin-Shang Dynasty and strive for favorable karmic fortune.”
A demon Great Sage would at least be a legendary being.
“The Island Master is a Great Sage…” Gao Lan repeated, as if pondering the figure’s background, “Which one?”
He raised his left hand and made a distinctive hand gesture.
“Exactly,” Tai Li’s expression involuntarily turned solemn, revealing clear reverence.
Gao Lan did not dwell on the matter. He slightly retracted the Human Emperor Sword he had been pointing sideways: “Inside Biyou Palace, why didn’t you rise up and resist?”
Tai Li let out a snort: “I know you and others like Lu Da and Su Wuming are strong enough to withstand two or three Heaven Immortals. At that time, an unexpected attack would have presented a good opportunity. However, even though Biyou Palace was fake, it was still the core of Golden Turtle Island’s plans over tens of thousands of years. Just seeing how Su Daji could instantly transport us into fragments of the Primordial Chaos without any other actions made it clear that if we failed to achieve a decisive strike, she could surely escape. Even if we trapped her with formations, we might not be able to contain her for long. Then, should the Island Master be awakened or not?”
“Regardless of how rare legends may be, Heaven Immortals are already scarce. Even a Great Sage would not have many capable subordinates. If pushed to the brink, he might indeed return prematurely. After all, within Biyou Palace, isolated from the outside world, he could simply resume his slumber afterward—though at a considerable cost. But once inside the fragments of Primordial Chaos, confronted with the breakout attempts of a few Dharma Bodies and minor losses, his willingness to awaken early would be minimal.”
At this point, Tai Li rarely expressed regret: “If I had known it would come to this, I might as well not have come to the banquet. At that time, I thought we could avoid a direct confrontation, just feign submission and pretend to go along with them. Who knew they would go this far.”
“If you hadn’t come, how would you know Golden Turtle Island was all show?” Gao Lan mocked coldly, then said, “I’m not comfortable teaming up with you, but we can at least avoid fighting.”
Tai Li did not expect Gao Lan, who had other allies, to form an alliance with him. Avoiding conflict and conserving strength was already the best possible outcome. He nodded slightly and said, “Each of us will go our separate ways and see who has the strength to break free from the fragments of the Primordial Chaos.”
With that, both, filled with caution, rose into the sky, heading east and west respectively.
…
As Gao Lan’s light of escape began to shine, he suddenly felt a stirring in his heart. He turned and saw a quietly burning spear tip suddenly appear behind him.
…
Five radiant beams of crimson, azure, yellow, white, and black shot up from behind Tai Li, piercing the clouds. At that moment, his hairs stood on end as he sensed a golden sword, exuding an aura of majestic kingship, suddenly descending from above without the slightest warning!
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