Li Qingyun took a deep breath, suppressed the fear in his heart, and put his hands together in a salute. His hands were shaking, but his voice remained calm.
“I, Elder Li Qingyun of the Guiyuan Sect, greet Venerable Tianji. The Sect Master is not in the sect; he is away on business. May I ask what brings you here, Your Majesty?”
“Want to go out on business?” Venerable Tianji sneered, a mocking smile on his lips. “What business?”
Li Qingyun hesitated for a moment, his mind racing.
He knew that if he didn’t tell the truth, the Heavenly Venerate would definitely investigate his sect.
Rather than letting him find out on his own, it was better to tell him voluntarily; at least it would make the Guiyuan Sect appear open and honest.
Moreover, the sect leader was indeed not there, and they had indeed gone to the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge. This was a fact, and even if Venerable Tianji investigated, he would not find any fault in it.
“The sect leader went to the Ten Thousand Demons Hill to request an audience with the Qingqiu Demon Emperor. As to what the purpose of the audience was, this junior does not know.”
“Ten Thousand Demon Peak?”
The Heavenly Venerate’s eyes narrowed slightly, a cold glint flashing within them. His voice suddenly thickened, “What is Guiyuanzi doing on the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge? Does he want to face the Qingqiu Demon Emperor?”
Li Qingyun shook his head: “This junior doesn’t know.”
The Heavenly Venerate looked at him, silent for a moment.
His gaze was like that of an eagle, sharp and piercing, sweeping back and forth towards Li Qingyun.
Li Qingyun felt his mind shaking, as if his every thought was being read.
But he gritted his teeth, determined not to show any weakness.
Then Venerable Tianji smiled. That smile was so cold that it lowered the surrounding temperature, like a piercing December wind, penetrating to the bones.
“You don’t know? Well, let me ask, a few days ago, didn’t Guiyuanzi bring back a streak of purple divine soul?”
Li Qingyun’s heart suddenly felt crushed, as if it was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand.
His expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.
He was silent for a moment, his mind racing as he weighed the pros and cons.
He knew he couldn’t hide it any longer.
Since Venerable Tianji was able to find the Guiyuan Sect, it meant that he already had concrete clues.
If he denied it, Venerable Tianji would definitely investigate his lineage.
Finding the Soul Refreshing Jade Bottle in the secret room would actually be more troublesome.
He gritted his teeth and spoke slowly, his voice low and respectful: “Your Majesty, this is indeed true. But that soul was discovered by our sect leader during an inspection visit. At that time, the soul was on the verge of death, and the sect leader only brought it back to the Yuan Sect for recuperation out of kindness.”
We didn’t know that the divine soul was the target of the Heavenly Palace’s pursuit. If we had known, we definitely wouldn’t have…
“Enough of this nonsense.” Venerable Tianji interrupted, his tone full of impatience. “Where is that wisp of divine soul now?”
Li Qingyun lowered his head, not daring to look the Heavenly Venerate in the eye, his voice contained a hint of helpless sigh: “That wisp of divine soul was brought to the Thousand Demon Ridge by the Sect Master.”
Heavenly Venerable frowned, a glimmer of doubt and worry flashed in his eyes: “Brought to the Thousand Demon Ridge? For what?”
“The sect leader said that the soul needed Immortal Spirit Wood to reshape its physical body, so he brought it to the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge to obtain Immortal Spirit Wood.”
The Heavenly Venerate fell silent for a moment, a glimmer of worry flashing through his eyes.
Wan Yao Ling was Demon Emperor Qing Qiu’s territory.
Although Qingqiu’s cultivation level was also at the third rank of Golden Immortal, the difference between him and Guiyuanzi was insignificant.
Moreover, the demon race had operated on the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge for tens of thousands of years, with many restrictions and dense formations, making it extremely dangerous for outsiders to barge in.
Moreover, Qingqiu had always been xenophobic and did not like to associate with gods.
If he rashly led a group of people to Wan Yao Ridge to claim the person, it might trigger a backlash from the demon race.
At that time, not only would they fail to obtain the divine soul, but they would also offend the demon race and get into a lot of trouble.
However, he actually didn’t want to cancel his plan.
The treasure was right in front of him; he couldn’t just watch it disappear like that.
Gui Yuanzi brought his divine soul to the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge to search for the Immortal Spirit Wood. If Gui Yuanzi succeeded, that supreme treasure would fall into his hands.
He wouldn’t let that happen.
“Let’s go to the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge.”
The Heavenly Venerate turned around, jumped into the air, and turned into a golden beam of light, flying towards the direction of the Thousand Demon Ridge.
Its speed was so great that it only left behind a faint golden afterimage.
He had to take back David’s soul before Gui Yuanzi got the Immortal Spirit Wood.
The four elders exchanged glances and quickly followed.
Five beams of golden light streaked across the sky and disappeared into the distance.
In front of the mountain gate, only Li Qingyun and a group of Guiyuan Sect disciples were left, standing alone.
Li Qingyun stood in front of the mountain gate, watching the five golden lights slowly dissipate, his heart filled with worry.
His brows were furrowed, and his fingers gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.
The young master is preparing for his exam at the Ten Thousand Demon Hill. If Venerable Tianji led his men to cause trouble at this time, Ten Thousand Demon Hill would definitely be thrown into chaos, and the young master might even die there.
He had to immediately inform the sect leader.
He turned around and stepped into the sect, took out a communication jade scroll, channeled his divine consciousness into it, and wrote a line of text on the jade scroll.
His fingers trembled slightly, but his handwriting was clear and firm.
“Sect Leader, Venerable Tianji has led his men to the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge, their target is young master. Please make preparations immediately.”
He held the jade scroll in his palm, activated his spiritual power, and the jade scroll turned into a stream of light, flying into the distance.
The light flickered and disappeared into the sky.
Li Qingyun stood at the entrance of the main hall, staring at the place where the streak of light had disappeared, and remained silent for a long time.
The disciples behind him were still discussing among themselves; some were scared, some were angry, and some were confused.
Li Qingyun did not speak. He turned and walked into the main hall, knelt before the statue of the patriarch, closed his eyes, and prayed silently.
“Grand Master, please bless young master and Guiyuan Sect with peace.”
Outside the palace, the wind had stopped and the clouds had disappeared.
Three blazing suns hung high in the sky, emitting golden, silver, and crimson rays that dyed the earth a dark golden color.
FAQ Novel
Q: What major challenge is the Guiyuan Sect currently encountering?
A: The Guiyuan Sect is facing an unexpected and imminent threat that disrupts its usual tranquility.
Q: What is causing the internal anxieties among the sect elders?
A: The sect elders are experiencing significant internal anxieties due to a crucial trial that is rapidly approaching.
Dive into the chapter to unravel the full extent of the unfolding peril and share your thoughts on the Guiyuan Sect’s courageous response!