Around Shuling’s form, graceful and pure radiance flowed. Combined with Jiajin’s connections in the heavenly palace, everyone assumed Shuling was a transcendent immortal of great power. All along the way, those they encountered stepped aside respectfully and bowed in greeting.
Jiajin, now in possession of a large sum of money, indeed proved very accommodating, guiding Shuling all the way to a colorful immortal mountain shrouded in radiant mist.
“Madam,” Jiajin said, “this is Tiannü Mountain. My powers are limited, so I won’t burden you further.”
Shuling transformed into a streak of red light and flew into the immortal island, while Jiajin lay beneath the shade of a tree for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Soon, he heard thunderous sounds of battle from the mountain. Only then did he fly toward the Queen Mother’s palace.
Having received his payment, he had fulfilled his duty. Now it was time to display his “loyalty” to the Queen Mother.
“Your Majesty, disaster strikes! I was coerced by a demoness and forced to bring her into Heaven. Now I don’t know where she has gone. Please forgive this servant’s transgression!”
As Jiajin wept bitterly, he subtly exchanged a glance with the Star Lord Tai Bai. Recently promoted, Tai Bai had originally no intention of speaking up, but recalling the many favors he had received from Jiajin, he quickly declared with a sense of righteousness, “Your Majesty, although Jiajin erred, his actions were understandable. Our priority now is to capture the demoness first. As for Jiajin’s punishment, it can wait until later!”
Upon hearing this, Jiajin’s face showed gratitude, but inside he was seething. “Hmph! Tai Bai is clearly asking for more money! Next time we play Mahjong, I’ll make sure to win every last coin from him, with no mercy!”
“Your Majesty, I beg you, allow me to redeem myself!”
The Queen Mother had no time to deal with Jiajin. With a single command, Heaven’s palace was placed on full alert. Soon after, the Wind-Ear Herald loudly reported, “Your Majesty, sounds of battle are coming from the Jade Pond Immortal Maidens!”
Golden light flashed from the Thousand-Mile Eye, followed by a startled cry. “Your Majesty, it’s the demoness Shuling! She’s attacking the Five Elements Immortal Maiden! Oh no—the Formation Spirit has been ambushed!”
Amidst the radiant glow of the Five Elements, a pure and ethereal essence gracefully arose. Having survived the eighth tribulation of the Ten-Yang Body, Shuling’s powers had reached a new peak. Within the Five Elements Formation, she moved freely, even more at ease than Qiao San himself.
The sudden ambush caught the Jade Pond maidens completely off guard. Just as they summoned the Formation Spirit to counterattack, they realized too late that the demoness was more cunning—and far crueler than Qiao San. With no regard for blood ties, she struck without hesitation.
“Boom!”
In a flash, the fiery-red Formation Spirit was sent flying backward with a scream. Before the child-sized body even touched the ground, Shuling pursued relentlessly. Her graceful figure danced, sleeves fluttering like flowing water, as she struck the Formation Spirit more than ten times in succession. Then, with a light tap of her feet, her slender form drifted effortlessly outward.
“Boom—”
Almost at the same moment Shuling burst through the wall, a group of celestial immortals crashed through the door. The Queen Mother glanced at the severely wounded Formation Spirit and immediately flew into a rage. “Worthless! Follow me! Whoever brings me the demoness’s head will receive a magical treasure and be promoted three ranks!”
With a gust of wind, all the immortals rushed out, none sparing a glance for the battered Formation Spirit lying unconscious in the corner.
To the Queen Mother, the child was merely a pawn used to counter Qiao San. Now that he was no longer useful, she had no intention of wasting even a single pill on him. Forgotten and unnoticed, the child’s blood-red glow slowly began to fade—not gone, but no longer as intense.
As the wind stilled, a figure appeared—Shuling stood outside Laozi’s pill chamber. No matter where Qiao San was, the unique connection between him and Shuling could never be severed.
Her usual elegance had long been replaced by desperation. With a flick of her form, she rushed toward the pill chamber.
“Haha! Demoness, where do you think you’re going?”
Laughter filled with triumph and fury echoed as the Queen Mother, accompanied by the Ten Star Commanders of Heaven, suddenly appeared out of thin air. The previous pursuit across Heaven had all been a ruse—she had already anticipated the demoness’s intentions.
Without further words, the battle began. The Ten Star Commanders summoned streaks of starlight, their magical treasures flying wildly. Though surrounded, Shuling had no intention of fleeing.
“Boom!” A magical weapon struck Shuling, her face paling as she advanced another ten feet.
“Pfft!” A beam of starlight pierced through her body, splattering blood, yet she drifted forward another ten feet.
The lingering afterimage of her robes still flickered in place as her wounds miraculously healed halfway. She possessed a miraculous constitution similar to Qiao San’s, a fact that made the Queen Mother gnash her teeth in hatred.
Feeling the Queen Mother’s fury, the Ten Star Commanders unleashed their full power, their weapons howling through the air. Yet their movements slowed slightly. Amidst the gaps in their attacks, the Ghost Sutra Spirit darted through, paying a heavy price but miraculously breaking through the formation set by the Ten Supreme Immortals.
Breaking free of the encirclement, Shuling showed no sign of trying to escape. Instead, her graceful figure moved even faster, like flowing light and shifting shadows, instantly reaching the chamber door.
Before Shuling could break through, the two doors suddenly swung open on their own, and a halo of light shot forth from within. In an instant, turbulent waves shattered the space, and the halo retracted, revealing Laozi’s protective magical treasure—the Diamond Hoop—striking Shuling with full force.
The moment Shuling was ambushed by the old Taoist priest, the Queen Mother’s deadly palm struck, shattering the Ghost Sutra’s glow and slamming directly into the demoness’s back.
The entire Taoist palace was filled with the stench of blood. Shuling was first sent flying by the Queen Mother’s strike, then blasted through the door by a second blow. A third, even more vicious strike sent her crashing into the Yin-Yang Eight Trigrams Cauldron. The flames engulfed her, and in an instant, she turned to ashes, vanishing into nothingness!
“Hmph! Foolish to the end!” With a single sweep of her sleeve, the Queen Mother displayed her supreme majesty as the Mother of Heaven.
The demoness crisis was perfectly quelled, but within the magical treasure space, another storm quietly began to stir.
“Ah, Mother!”
At the very moment the Ten-Yang light was about to extinguish, an equally weak figure suddenly appeared. Overjoyed and shocked, Qiao San, whose life hung by a thread, rushed through the flames.
Though gravely weakened, Shuling had not truly vanished. Using the unique bond between her and Qiao San, she had pierced through the Yin-Yang Eight Trigrams Cauldron in an instant, breaking the seal that Laozi had specially set for Qiao San.
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