136: Gong Niang

Xu Sanyan had discovered them long ago, but since they were all competitors, he hadn't thought about greeting them. He hadn't expected the other party to speak up first.

Xu Sanyan pursed his lips to signal him. Chi Yu leaned over to take a look and said in a low voice, "It's a demoness from Hehe Mountain. It's not Dream Butterfly, so it should be Palace Madam's faction. Their raw strength isn't as good as ours; she is ranked seventh among the 'Ten Heroes'. It is said that she and Dream Butterfly don't get along very well."

Before entering the mountain, Chi Yu had conducted a detailed investigation into the 'Ten Heroes', and he had a rough assessment of the strength of each faction in his mind.

This was Chi Yu's skill—he knew a little bit about everything. When you asked him, he could give you a relatively objective judgment so you wouldn't be completely in the dark. It was no wonder he was deeply trusted by Luo Yu.

As the Heart Demon deepened day by day, Chi Yu's attitude toward him gradually shifted from familiarity to respect. The thoughts contained within the Heart Demon were not immutable; they would change according to the status of both parties.

If Xu Sanyan were to sit on the Sect Master's throne, this respect would become even deeper. But if Xu Sanyan's cultivation were completely destroyed and he fell to being a Mortal, Chi Yu's attitude toward him would likely be no different from anyone else.

Once he achieved a Breakthrough to the Mi Dao Realm and thoroughly widened the gap in cultivation, the Heart Demon would be able to better manifest its power.

While thinking, Xu Sanyan had already put on a smiling face and asked, feigning ignorance, "May I ask which Senior Sister from Hehe Mountain this is?"

A group of men and women walked out from the forest. The person in the lead wore a white dress and had a gauze veil covering her face, revealing only a pair of tranquil eyes.

"I am Palace Madam. Hmm... who is this Junior Brother?" Palace Madam looked at Xu Sanyan with puzzled eyes, searching her mind for information about this person.

"I am Xu Sanyan. I just joined the Saint Sect not long ago, so Senior Sister may not have heard my name." Xu Sanyan cupped his hands in a salute, and both sides stopped at a relatively safe distance.

"So it is Junior Brother Xu. Where is Senior Brother Luo?"

Palace Madam's eyes flickered. She recognized Chi Yu, and seeing him now following behind Xu Sanyan, she immediately had some conjectures in her heart.

Xu Sanyan smiled without answering, instead asking in return, "Is Senior Sister also planning to go to those ruins?"

Palace Madam guessed that the Chixin Lineage might have experienced some changes, but she was not in a hurry to probe. Smiling, she said, "Oh, what a coincidence. Is Junior Brother Xu also planning to go? In that case, both our sides could join forces and act together."

"That sounds good. I ask for your guidance, Senior Sister." The smile on Xu Sanyan's face grew even richer.

Since both parties' goal was those ruins, avoiding each other was impossible. It would be better to turn a hidden threat into an overt one.

The two groups were clearly separated by a distance of about seven or eight steps. Palace Madam's side consisted mostly of women, and the few men there were also thin and had an effeminate demeanor, which fit Xu Sanyan's stereotypical impression of the Union of Joy lineage.

"I had previously made an agreement with Senior Brother Luo to form an alliance once we entered this mountain. Is it possible that Senior Brother Luo had something come up and couldn't make it?" Palace Madam raised her beautiful eyes and looked at Xu Sanyan as she spoke.

"Hehe, he came, and then he left," Xu Sanyan said, implying something.

"Oh..."

Palace Madam felt a chill in her heart, but her expression did not change at all. How could she not understand Xu Sanyan's meaning? Luo Yu must certainly be dead.

Luo Yu's cultivation was not below hers, and he was even ranked above her among the 'Ten Heroes', while Palace Madam only had a seventh-place ranking. Seen in this light, this person's strength was also quite extraordinary.

"Under which Senior does Junior Brother Xu cultivate?" Palace Madam probed.

"I was fortunate enough to receive guidance from the Hall Master." Xu Sanyan smiled slightly, beginning to wave the banner of the Mad Daoist.

"Ah, the Mad Daoist has actually taken a Disciple?" Palace Madam was startled, her face full of astonishment.

The Mad Daoist had held the position of Hall Master for hundreds of years without ever taking a Disciple. It was said that he found teaching Disciples troublesome, but the specific reason was unknown.

Xu Sanyan smiled without speaking. In such matters, the more one said, the more mistakes one made. He only needed to be ambiguous to give everyone room for imagination.

Chi Yu lowered his head slightly, making it impossible for others to see his face.

The Jin Family Brothers looked at each other and then revealed expressions of envy. Although they were not sure if Xu Sanyan had truly been accepted as a Disciple by the Mad Daoist, since he dared to say such things, there must be some connection. Otherwise, if he angered the Mad Daoist, ten heads would not be enough to lose.

As the saying goes, it is good to lean against a big tree for shade, and the Mad Daoist was undoubtedly a big tree.

As a dignified Void Amalgamation Realm great Cultivator, even looking at the entire Central Plains cultivation world, he belonged to that small group of people at the pinnacle of the pyramid whom no one dared to provoke. If one could climb onto this big tree, they would be truly blessed.

Palace Madam held a measure of doubt in her heart, but she did not voice any questioning. Both sides walked side by side, wary of each other.

Xu Sanyan was not afraid of the Mad Daoist settling scores afterward; he hadn't said he was accepted as a Disciple by the Mad Daoist, only that he was fortunate enough to receive guidance from him.

The Mad Daoist had indeed guided him before, but the guidance was not about cultivation; it was about some situations within the Tongxin Demon Sect.

The day passed quickly, and night fell. Everyone took a short rest, sitting cross-legged to recover their mana.

In Wanmo Mountain, one never knew when danger would be encountered, so one had to ensure their mana was always sufficient.

Chi Yu held a simple map and leaned in, saying, "Senior Brother Xu, at our current speed, we will be able to reach the ruins tomorrow morning."

Xu Sanyan nodded, his gaze inadvertently glancing toward Palace Madam. Just then, she also looked over, and the two smiled at each other before averting their gazes.

Chi Yu whispered in a very low voice, "This woman has a vicious and ruthless heart. Senior Brother should treat her with caution."

Xu Sanyan nodded slightly, having his own calculations in mind.

There were no good people in the Demon Sect. If it weren't for the sect rules, they probably wouldn't need the Righteous Path to exterminate them; they would have finished themselves off already.

"Besides those ruins, where else could the saint child token be hidden?" Xu Sanyan asked in a low voice.

Chi Yu counted on his fingers, "Hundred Beast Peak, Lishen Tree, Jingxin Pool, Wutong Forest, and Xifeng Mountain—all these places are possible."

"So many places?" Xu Sanyan was slightly surprised.

"Yes, Wanmo Mountain is extremely vast. Where our Saint Sect is located belongs to the edge of Wanmo Mountain. It is said that in the depths, there are even eighth-tier or even ninth-tier great Yao Beasts, and to this day, no one has been able to explore its full extent."

Xu Sanyan nodded gently, "Where is the place closest to the ruins?"

Chi Yu took out the simple map and pointed to a spot, saying, "Here are the ruins, and here is Xifeng Mountain. It is rumored that a Phoenix once landed here, hence the name Xifeng Mountain. There are many bird-type Yao Beasts on the mountain, making it extremely difficult to explore."

"To the south of Xifeng Mountain is Jingxin Pool. That is a pool of terrestrial live water, drawn from underground currents."

Xu Sanyan took the map, and Chi Yu explained it in detail from the side.

The map only marked some more recognizable locations and only covered a radius of a thousand miles; beyond that, there was nothing.

"Where do you think Qi Liang and his group will go?" Xu Sanyan stared at the map, pondering.

Chi Yu shook his head, "I cannot guess."

There were too many explorable locations; no one knew where they would encounter them.

At this moment, Palace Madam chimed in, "Senior Brother Qi went to Jingxin Pool."

Xu Sanyan looked up, "How does Senior Sister know?"

Palace Madam giggled, "What a coincidence. I happened to run into Senior Brother Qi not long ago, and judging by their direction, it was indeed Jingxin Pool."