696: Subduing the Blood-Eyed Hou

"Revered Master... Revered Master!!"

The Sky-Rending Demon King's voice trembled with agitation, his massive body prostrating deeply once more, even more devout than before!

He felt the threat of the icy sword formation within his Sea of Consciousness, but beyond this threat, it actually contained a monumental gift!

"This servant... this servant will dash his brains out on the ground, and will definitely not fail Revered Master's high expectations! I will definitely serve Revered Master with my life!"

At this moment, a seed named "loyalty" was forcibly planted by Yao Delong in the soil of fear and greed.

With a thought from Yao Delong, the "Lesser Immortal Slaying Sword Formation" shrouding the area instantly dissipated, and the nine sword shadows turned into streams of light and vanished into his sleeves.

"Take your subordinates and roll back to your lair in the Demon Domain." Yao Delong's voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable command.

"In the future, restrain your minions well. I will temporarily ignore matters in the Demon Domain. But if any Yao Beast dares to cross the boundary and step even half a step into the Eastern Domain..."

He cast a cold glance at the Sky-Rending Demon King, "I will settle the score with you first!"

The pressure vanished suddenly, but the Sky-Rending Demon King dared not relax in the slightest. He straightened his back abruptly, like a soldier accepting a military order, and roared, shaking the heavens:

"Revered Master, rest assured! From now on, the three hundred miles surrounding Mount Huayao shall be a Forbidden Ground for the Human Race!

Let alone Yao Beasts, I will not even let a single furry mouse from the Demon Domain slip over to disturb Revered Master's peace!"

His tone was resolute and decisive as he patted his chest in assurance.

"Go." Yao Delong waved his hand.

"Thank you for your grace, Revered Master! This servant takes his leave!"

The Sky-Rending Demon King felt as if he had been granted an amnesty. He bowed deeply to Yao Delong and Li Cen once more, then let out a low roar to the remaining dozen or so trusted Demon Marshal subordinates:

"What are you all standing there for? Get lost!"

With that said, he stirred up a demonic wind, swept up his battered troops, and fled in a sorry state toward the depths of the Demon Domain without looking back, moving so fast as if he were afraid Yao Delong would change his mind.

"Senior Martial Uncle, the matter here is settled, let us go meet Senior Sister Liu." Yao Delong looked at Li Cen.

Li Cen nodded, his eyes filled with extreme satisfaction toward this Martial Nephew. He waved his large sleeve: "Everyone, board the ship!"

The Yin Yang Sect warship turned into a stream of light, covering a hundred miles in an instant, and arrived shortly after above the secret valley guarded by Elder Zhao and the others.

The warship hovered, and Yao Delong and Li Cen drifted down.

"Peak Master Li! Martial Nephew Yao!"

Elder Zhao, who had been on high alert, saw the two of them along with the massive Yin Yang Sect warship behind them. His tense heartstrings finally relaxed, and he let out a long sigh of relief. Han Yun and the other Disciples also showed expressions of joy.

"Elder Zhao, you have worked hard." Li Cen nodded, his gaze cast urgently toward the depths of the valley, "How is Martial Nephew Ruyan?"

"Reporting to Peak Revered Master, Senior Sister Liu is still fully refining the Dao Artifact. Her aura is stable, but that creation dao artifact possesses vast power, and the process of claiming it as her own is quite long."

Elder Zhao replied respectfully, a trace of amazement in his eyes.

Everyone walked into the depths of the cave and saw Liu Ruyan sitting cross-legged on a bluestone.

Her eyes were tightly closed, and her body was shrouded in a layer of cyan light that was soft yet contained immense power.

On her forehead, the Blue Phoenix mark seemed to come alive, shimmering with light and emitting an extremely profound dao rhyme.

An indescribable vitality and power of creation circulated around her. Although her aura was calm, it faintly possessed an air of changing the world, clearly indicating that the claiming process had reached its final critical juncture and must not be disturbed.

"A creation dao artifact, truly extraordinary!" Li Cen's eyes sparkled, and his heart was stirred with excitement.

Yao Delong observed for a moment and spoke:

"Senior Martial Uncle, this place is too close to the boundary between the two domains. Although Sky-Rending has retreated, there is no guarantee that other accidents won't occur. It would be safer to bring Senior Sister Liu back to the Sect first and let the Sect's great formation protect her."

He pointed at Liu Ruyan, "Senior Sister is in a deep state of refinement and should not be forcefully interrupted, but we can use a spatial Magic Treasure to transport her."

Li Cen deeply agreed: "That is very true!" He flipped his palm, and a small, exquisite jade shuttle appeared, emitting spatial fluctuations.

This was the Yin Yang Sect's unique "Void Realm Jade Shuttle," which contained stable space and was often used to transport or protect important individuals.

The jade shuttle flashed with light, and a gentle spatial force enveloped the sitting Liu Ruyan along with the cyan light of dao rhyme flowing around her, slowly drawing her inside. After ensuring everything was foolproof, Li Cen put away the jade shuttle.

"Board the ship, return to the Sect!"

Everyone quickly returned to the warship. With Li Cen's order, the massive Yin Yang Sect warship roared and tore through the sea of clouds, turning into a stream of light that streaked across the sky, speeding toward the direction of the Yin Yang Sect.

The warship flew steadily above the clouds, and the atmosphere relaxed accordingly.

Li Cen walked to the side of Yao Delong, who was standing on the bow deck looking out at the distant sea of clouds, his eyes filled with inquiry and a trace of imperceptible excitement:

"Delong, you brat, can you finally level with your Senior Martial Uncle now?" He stared intently at Yao Delong,

"That day, the heaven and earth anomaly over the Eastern Domain of 'Haoyang Soaring in the Sky, Nine Stars Circling the Sun'... the 'Nine Transformations of the Vast Sun' that Senior Martial Uncle passed on to you... have you already cultivated the ninth transformation, 'Radiance Together · Nine Suns Descend,' to... Perfection?"

Yao Delong heard this, turned around, and a knowing smile appeared on his face.

He knew he could not hide it from this Senior Martial Uncle who had profound cultivation and also cultivated this technique. He nodded frankly:

"Senior Martial Uncle has Wisdom Eye. That day, this Disciple had an insight, chanced upon a heavenly opportunity, and fortunately mastered this final transformation."

Boom!

Although he had long suspected it, hearing Yao Delong confirm it himself still caused a monstrous wave to rise in Li Cen's heart!

He took a deep breath, trying hard to calm his agitated emotions, and looked at the Martial Nephew before him whose experiences could be called legendary. His gaze was extremely complex, eventually turning into thick admiration and a trace of... feeling inferior:

"Good! Good! Truly, the student surpasses the Revered Master! Your Comprehension Ability, you brat... truly deserves the words 'Heaven-Defying'!"

"I have immersed myself in this path for hundreds of years, and to this day, I have barely touched the surface of this ninth transformation, barely entering the door... How long have you been cultivating? You have actually already... Sigh, comparing people to people, it's enough to make one die of frustration!"

He shook his head, his tone filled with emotion and heartfelt admiration, without a shred of jealousy, only the gratification that the Sect had successors.

Yao Delong looked at his sighing Senior Martial Uncle, and his heart was also slightly touched.

He clearly remembered that when he first entered the Yin Yang Sect as a piece of trash with "2 points of Spiritual Power Affinity," how little this Senior Martial Uncle Li thought of him.

When his Revered Master, Leng Yuekui, defied public opinion to secure his status as an Outer Sect Disciple, Senior Martial Uncle Li was one of the few high-ranking officials who explicitly opposed it.

At that time, his gaze only held considerations for the Sect's resources and rules; it was cold and realistic.

However, after he displayed his "Heaven-Defying Comprehension Ability" during the inner Sect assessment, this Senior Martial Uncle's attitude changed.

The secret Legacy of the "Nine Transformations of the Vast Sun" was something he had proactively bestowed, and his eyes already carried a sense of cherishing talent. Yao Delong kept this change in his heart.

Yao Delong was not a person who would hold a grudge for every slight; he knew how to repay kindness.

Although Senior Martial Uncle Li had not thought well of him before, he had not suppressed him later, but instead gave him opportunities. He kept this grace of the Legacy in his heart.

Watching the unmasked admiration in Li Cen's eyes and a trace of desolation caused by being trapped at a Bottleneck, Yao Delong's heart stirred.