Chapter 37: The Elder in the Hemp Robe

"Who are you?"
Liu Yang's expression was ice-cold.

As a cultivator of the Divine Demon Realm, he had nearly been ambushed and trampled upon. Naturally, he showed no courtesy.

"Sent by another, merely here to save someone," replied a figure, slowly materializing—an elderly man in coarse robes. It was the same old man from the Li family whom Li Zhenyu and Li Qiaochan had once encountered.

"A powerhouse at the Divine Demon Realm—have you come to act on someone's behalf as well?" Liu Yang's pupils contracted. He suspected this was all because of Jiang Ning.

"Could it be that boy has survived again and again because of this man's protection?" According to the original plan, Jiang Ning should have died countless times within the first three days, especially when he was soaked in the monster beast's blood. Instead, he not only survived but somehow triggered the powers of heaven and earth, unleashing two bolts of thunder that destroyed the Spirit-Transforming Corpse Pill.

"Damn it..." He had never expected so many unpredictable changes; this caught him completely off guard. And now the people from the Six Paths Sect had arrived—why? They demanded Jiang Ning; was this also the work of the old man in coarse robes before him?

"You are indeed a master schemer," Liu Yang said coldly.

The old man gave no reply. He was not here for conversation. Without hesitation, he struck again!

Boom!

Once more, his unique technique manifested—his foot transformed by spiritual energy, crashing down with unstoppable force.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The entire palace trembled without pause.

"Let alone that your own strength has only reached the third layer of the Divine Demon Realm, your body, half-possessed by deathly aura, is no match for me!" The old man had been hiding in the shadows. With strength equal to the master of the Six Paths Sect, at the seventh layer of the Divine Demon Realm, he had easily discerned the truth. He had watched the battle between Yang Zhengfeng and the Six Paths Sect master from the dark. Only when Liu Yang entered did he follow.

After all, the palace had been refined by Yang Zhengfeng. Without guidance, it was nearly impossible to discover Jiang Ning's whereabouts within its depths.

"Ah!" Liu Yang felt utterly humiliated.

A cultivator of his stature, insulted in such a manner! His hair flew wildly as he plunged into madness.

Though dominated by Yang Zhengfeng, Liu Yang retained his own consciousness, just as Yang Xiangtian once had. Now, he unleashed his full power, beginning to gather his ultimate technique.

"It's the Azure Spirit Seal!" Jiang Ning recognized it instantly; Yang Xiangtian had used it against him before.

He had coveted this technique for a long time. The inherited secret arts he currently possessed were defensive in nature: Er Huang's spatial-shifting ability for speed, passive healing factors in his bloodline, and his own Immortal Spirit Body's power of devouring. None were true offensive arts.

He longed for one.

Now, he stared intently at the Azure Spirit Seal Liu Yang conjured. Clearly, it was many times more substantial than when Yang Xiangtian had wielded it. The difference between a Divine Demon Realm expert and a mere tenth-layer Opened Meridian cultivator was too great.

"Hahaha, your Idle Cloud Sect has only this one technique worth showing. For cultivators who can't even create their own technique, the Divine Demon Realm title is a joke!" The old man in coarse robes attacked as well, uttering a soft command.

In the air, the character for "Seal" appeared out of nowhere, a manifestation of the grand path within him.

With a gentle motion, he pressed it toward Liu Yang!

"That's a true technique!" Even though Jiang Ning's cultivation was insufficient, he could still sense which art was superior.

"But why is this old man saving me?" He trusted no one now, remaining extremely cautious.

He was not capable of hiring such a formidable figure; someone must've entrusted this task to the old man.

"I need to escape at once!" Anxiety gripped his heart. Just then, with a thunderous roar, the palace quaked violently. The secret chamber lost its formations and restrictions; the ground split apart!

"Go! There's no staying here!" He had to find Er Huang and flee this place of chaos.

"Inherited technique—Shift!"

His speed was astonishing. Letting his aura flow, he dashed toward the energy explosion. Realizing he couldn't make it through, he immediately used his inherited secret art.

At this moment, he realized the advantage of breaking into the Body Tempering Realm with a perfected Opened Meridian Realm foundation.

His aura was restrained; even others in the Body Tempering Realm couldn't discern his true strength. With all ten meridians connected, he could communicate with the great path of heaven and earth, endlessly absorbing spiritual energy to replenish himself. Combined with the natural resilience and devouring power of the Immortal Spirit Body, he never worried about spiritual depletion in combat. His evolved bloodline and body made him far stronger than ordinary cultivators of his realm, enabling him to challenge those above his level.

Boom!

A massive vortex of energy—Jiang Ning nearly failed to cross through. Stumbling, he tumbled out, cursing under his breath.

"Damn it..."

Just as something good was happening, it all turned to chaos. He hadn't even figured out how to escape Idle Cloud Sect; for now, he could only sense Er Huang's aura and find him first.

"Where has Yang Zhengfeng gone..." Within the palace, a world unto itself, Jiang Ning had no idea what was happening outside.

At that moment, Yang Zhengfeng had no time to worry about the inner chambers either. Liu Yang was essentially his avatar; Yang himself was outside, battling the master of the Six Paths Sect. If he didn't give his all, he could perish on the spot.

Jiang Ning raced forward without looking back.

Bang!

The old man in coarse robes emerged, flashing from the heart of the energy explosion, dragging the faintly-breathing Liu Yang in his hand.

A single blow!

The gap between them was too great. Liu Yang's technique was inferior; now he was like a dead dog, barely clinging to life.

"This boy is slippery..." The old man's eyes pierced through all illusions, catching sight of Jiang Ning's escape. He couldn't help but chuckle.

"There must be a great secret on him; otherwise, the young miss wouldn't have ordered me to preserve his life on a mere hunch..."

He turned his attention to the nearly lifeless Liu Yang in his grip.

"Let us see what other secrets Idle Cloud Sect has yet to reveal!" His spiritual sense was overwhelmingly strong; the dying Liu Yang could offer no resistance.

Boom!

In an instant, the old man absorbed all the information.

"What..."

His eyes flew open in shock!

...

"Yang Zhengfeng, Idle Cloud Sect is finished today!" The master of the Six Paths Sect laughed wildly at the sky, showing no mercy as he attacked. Harnessing the momentum, he summoned a massive stone statue that suppressed everything in its path, impossible to withstand.

The disciples of Idle Cloud Sect were shaken to their cores; most had lost the will to fight. But on the battlefield, if you show mercy, your enemy will not. The disciples of the Six Paths Sect slaughtered their foes, their might unrivaled.

Just then, another sudden change erupted!

From the palace, endless silver threads exploded out; under this overwhelming force, Yang Zhengfeng suddenly froze.

Boom!

A world-shaking tremor!

Yang Zhengfeng's aura withered at once. The deathly energy that he had barely managed to suppress surged skyward, unstoppable.