Chapter 69

—

Early the next morning, the demons were all set and ready to head towards Yunzhong City. The demons were even wealthier than the Five Sects, as evident from their display. They nearly had a sedan chair, making an entrance like a grand show.

“We also have demonic beasts, all tamed.”

“If the Saintess is not satisfied, there are flying boats available.”

Ye Qiao naturally chose to ride in a flying boat.

With Ye Qinghan and Song Hansheng providing cover, Ye Qiao finally had the chance to contact Ming Xuan and the others. At this point, her jade slip was overflowing with messages.

All of them were concerned about her well-being.

Ye Qiao was somewhat touched. She was indeed fine, but soon her senior brothers would likely be the ones in trouble.

Ming Xuan asked: 【How’s the situation over there? Are you alright?】

Ye Qiao: “Pretty good.”

In fact, it was more than good; she was currently leading the demon army, preparing to flatten the Five Sects.

“Are you able to come back?” Ming Xuan was still worried. “Should I send the senior brother to find you?”

Ye Qiao: “No need.”

She was afraid that Zhou Xingyun would be captured before even getting close.

There were simply too many Golden Core cultivators here. Ye Qiao hadn’t informed Ming Xuan that she had become a Saintess. After all, these people were quite awkward in their acting; if they didn’t hold it together and made a slip-up, it would be a disaster.

She could only remind them: “There are about twenty Golden Core cultivators among the demons. I’m not sure about the situation in Yunshui City, so you should prepare in advance.”

Twenty Golden Core cultivators?

Ming Xuan suddenly stood up and hurried outside to call a meeting with a few direct disciples.

He didn’t even ask how Ye Qiao knew this; given his little sister’s social and learning abilities, he didn’t need to worry too much. What Ming Xuan needed to be most concerned about now was their own situation.

“Little sister says there are about twenty Golden Core cultivators among the demons.”

“Shouldn’t we run quickly?” Mu Chongxi wailed.

After all, they might not even get the Chaos Pearl. Why risk it?

They were no longer the brave group they once were. Now, facing an unbeatable situation, the members of Changming Sect just wanted to escape.

“Wait a bit longer.” Xue Yu said calmly, “Since the Elder is confident that we can handle it, they will ensure our safety.”

But they would still have to endure hardships; after all, being in the hands of the demons would be far from pleasant.

In the end, Ming Xuan and Duan Hengdao discussed briefly and decided to send their senior brothers to investigate the demons’ situation.

“I have some concealment pills. You can use them to scout their strength from a distance.”

Ye Qinghan had been out of contact for so long, it was highly likely he was dead.

Given this, they needed to be even more cautious.

Zhou Xingyun and Qin Huai were forced to cooperate to spy on the enemy. For Zhou Xingyun, this was quite thrilling. After taking the concealment pill, he and Qin Huai observed the approaching demons from the front and back.

With just one glance, Zhou Xingyun sensed the presence of a dozen Golden Core cultivators and two in the late Golden Core stage.

As for the one he couldn’t sense…

Zhou Xingyun squinted, his gaze thoughtfully fixed on a mysteriously dressed young woman.

Nascent Soul stage?

It was said that the demon Saintess was at the Nascent Soul stage, but he didn’t expect the demons to invest so heavily just to capture them?

Because the demon clan arrived unexpectedly, everyone was caught off guard and unprepared. Zhou Xingyun quietly formed a sword gesture, intending to test the strength of the Saintess with a strike.

Ye Qiao felt a chill for some reason.

She didn’t realize that this was the eagerness of the Senior Brother.

Fortunately, Qin Huai, who still had some sense, stopped him. “If the Five Sects’ information is correct, that Saintess has already reached the Nascent Soul stage. Don’t get yourself killed.”

Zhou Xingyun, thwarted, cast a regretful glance at Ye Qiao’s direction, unwillingly sheathed his sword, and had no choice but to retreat and report the news to his junior brothers.

Mu Chongxi was extremely envious. “Is the Nascent Soul stage really that great? She even has two male companions!”

He emphasized the number two.

Xue Yu spoke up quietly, “Those two males are both in the late Golden Core stage, one on each side. They must be her male lovers.”

Is the demon clan’s power really that frightening? Even their male lovers are in the late Golden Core stage.

Currently, all they could fight were Qin Huai and Zhou Xingyun.

This isn’t just a trial; it’s a matter of life and death.

“We can’t win.” Si Miaoyan held his forehead. “If Song Hansheng were here, we wouldn’t be this passive.”

“But he and Ye Qinghan have both disappeared.”

Then there was no way around it; they had to rely on themselves.

The disappearance of the two had left their direct disciples scattered, making their mission seem hopeless.

Unless there was a miracle.

“How about this,” Xue Yu pondered for a moment, “I’ll go and test the Saintess’s strength.”

He shook the scroll in his hand. “I have the River and Mountain Map.”

Seeing this, Zhou Xingyun did not stop him.

The River and Mountain Map, ranked third on the spiritual artifact list, was not just for show. As long as the user stayed within a specific safe range, they could trap anyone they wished in an illusion.

Whether to exhaust the enemy or test their strength, it was a useful tool.

Zhou Xingyun felt that the Saintess’s appearance was somewhat familiar, which was why he was eager to test her with a sword. If not for Qin Huai stopping him, he might have already seen her true form.

Since Xue Yu wanted to test her, he should go ahead. Zhou Xingyun was also curious about the strength of the Nascent Soul stage.

The youth unrolled the scroll, and a surge of spiritual power was released. The scene before him unfolded like a painting, gradually becoming more vivid.

…What a familiar scene.

Ye Qiao took a deep breath upon seeing the familiar setting.

Her face fell. “Here we go again.”

Feel sorry for the working people.

She really had no fond memories of the modern world. It was indeed quite difficult for the Third Senior Brother to test her with the River and Mountain Map.

In the illusion, Ye Qiao clapped her hands, kicked the supervisor who criticized her painting as ugly and ordered him to repaint, took over the place, and started dancing on the chair where the client was sitting, happily partying.

Until the River and Mountain Map could no longer bear the humiliation and actively dispelled the illusion.

Wow, this is so demoralizing!

Xue Yu was stunned. “……” Another failure.

Ming Xuan looked at the River and Mountain Map, which fell in less than a minute, and poked him incredulously. “How bad is the spiritual artifact you brought back?”

Is this really the River and Mountain Map?

Xue Yu somewhat recognized this scene. He bit his cheek and retorted, “Why don’t you say the Saintess is too strong? The River and Mountain Map couldn’t hold up for even one move in her hands?”

Back then, when the Little sister emerged from the illusion in a second, it had a deep impact on him. Later, Xue Yu had tried it with others, but none of them exited the illusion as quickly as Ye Qiao did.

Mu Chongxi commented, “If that’s the case, she must be beyond the early Nascent Soul stage, right?”

The speed at which she exited the illusion was simply overwhelming.

The group was startled by their own assumptions and gasped.

In just one brief encounter, the direct disciples had already felt the powerful, mysterious, and deeply malicious presence from the demon clan.

Hiss.

So terrifying!

“No,” Zhou Xingyun looked at his frightened junior brothers who were scared by their own imaginations. “Don’t you think something is off?”