660: Chapter 660 Taking it Slow

The tranquility at the Peak of Zizhu Peak did not last long.

While Yue Liuli's remnant soul was questioning her existence toward the Void Realm and Gu Changge was playing with the egg, a familiar streak of light arrived from the horizon and landed outside Zizhu Peak.

Xuan Yangzi wore a cyan Daoist robe, his aura harmonious and restrained, appearing even more profound than before the great battle.

A hint of relieved ease and a faint smile played on his face.

However, as soon as he stepped into the territory of Zizhu Peak and his gaze swept around randomly, his steps abruptly halted, and the smile on his face instantly froze.

It then transformed into an extremely complex expression, a mix of shock, realization, mischief, and even a sense of being "deeply gratified."

At that familiar blue stone table, Gu Changge was sitting peacefully.

And not far from his side, an exquisite woman was actually sitting cross-legged, eyes closed in Cultivation.

In a moon-white palace dress, cold as a Fairy, with an ethereal temperament—who else could it be but the Yaochi Holy Master, Ji Qingyi?

What made Xuan Yangzi's gaze narrow even more was that in the shadows of the bamboo forest a bit further away, there was actually another slightly illusory remnant soul of a woman with an extremely ancient and mysterious aura.

She floated quietly in the air; although her full appearance was unclear, her vague silhouette and the wisps of Dao Rhyme she emanated were certainly not mundane.

In a flash, countless thoughts flashed through Xuan Yangzi's mind:

"Is this the Yaochi Holy Master? Why is she at Zizhu Peak? And even Cultivating here?"

"And there's such an extraordinary female remnant soul? This aura actually makes even me feel a bit of palpitations?"

"Wait! Back then, I intended to set them up, but this kid Changge was completely unmoved. Has he finally seen the light now?"

"No, blooming one flower would be one thing, but how is there another one? Looking at the form of this remnant soul, could she be an ancient Fairy?"

"Hiss—is my Junior Brother the type who either doesn't move at all, or once he does, he even takes down an ancient Fairy??"

"A good thing! A great thing! If Brother Zizhu knew, he would surely be relieved! It's better than him spending all day accompanied only by the clear breeze and the bright moon!"

The expression on Xuan Yangzi's face went from shock to realization, then to an uncontrollable sense of gratification and a subtle "I understand" smile, finally turning into a peculiar sense of pride, as if his own pig had finally learned to dig up cabbages.

He gave a light cough and adjusted his expression, but the smile at the corners of his eyes and brows could not be hidden as he walked over.

Gu Changge had already noticed when Xuan Yangzi's footsteps faltered and his aura changed slightly.

Sensing the other's complex and churning thoughts with his Divine Sense, even with his clear Dao Heart, his brow couldn't help but twitch slightly, and several invisible black lines seemed to hang down.

"Senior Brother."

Gu Changge put down his teacup and looked up at Xuan Yangzi, whose smile was a bit too bright. His voice was flat but carried a hint of obvious helplessness.

"The Yaochi Holy Master has some temporary business and needed to borrow the quiet of Zizhu Peak for a secluded meditation. She'll be staying for a few days."

"As for that remnant soul, she is a Fellow Daoist from ancient times whose lingering obsession is attached here. There's no need to pay her any mind."

An explanation—he had to explain, even though he knew it might only make things worse.

Sure enough, as soon as Xuan Yangzi heard this, his face was immediately covered with a smile that said, "Junior Brother, you don't need to say more, your Senior Brother understands everything."

He looked at Gu Changge, then glanced at Ji Qingyi, who was in seclusion over there, his smile deepening:

"I understand, I understand!"

Gu Changge took a deep breath and decided not to waste any more words on this boring topic.

He shifted the subject directly, his gaze narrowing slightly:

"Speak, my Sect Master. Instead of presiding over the main hall, why have you come to my Zizhu Peak?"

At the mention of serious business, the playful look on Xuan Yangzi's face instantly vanished, replaced by a touch of killing intent and solemnity.

He took a step forward and said in a low voice, "Junior Brother, the captives from the Hundred Immortals Alliance invasion have all been tallied."

"According to preliminary statistics, there are over 1,500 True Immortal Realm Cultivators captured, over 200 in the Earth Immortal Realm, and 50 in the Heavenly Immortal Realm."

"In addition, there are four in the Early Stage of the Immortal Lord realm, as well as that Mo Chen, who is in the Early Stage of the Immortal King realm."

Gu Changge's expression remained unchanged as he asked flatly, "How does Senior Brother plan to deal with them?"

A flash of ruthlessness appeared in Xuan Yangzi's eyes, which then turned into indifference:

"Those captives have all been placed under Restrictions and handed over to the Elders and several Peak Masters to be used as practice for the Disciples. In the future, they can also serve as vanguard cannon fodder for the conquest of the Immortal Domain."

Gu Changge nodded slightly. "Make the best use of everything."

Xuan Yangzi nodded, but his tone then sank slightly, and his expression became increasingly serious:

"However, Junior Brother, the real problem doesn't lie with these captives, but with the intelligence extracted from the interrogations..."

Xuan Yangzi lowered his voice, a hint of undetectable gravity in his tone:

"According to the accounts of Mo Chen and those few Immortal Lords, within their alliance, there is still one at the Immortal King Peak, five in the Immortal King realm, and over thirty in the Immortal Lord realm, holding over a hundred small Immortal Domain fragments!"

"And..." Xuan Yangzi lowered his voice further, his eyes solemn, "Behind the Hundred Immortals Alliance, there seems to be involvement from forces deeper within the Immortal Domain."

Gu Changge's expression remained flat, as if he had already expected this.

"So?"

At this point, a sharp glint flashed in Xuan Yangzi's eyes, his tone steady and grim:

"So, after much consideration, your Senior Brother believes we should not attack head-on but should instead proceed gradually."

Gu Changge looked up. "What does Senior Brother plan to do?"

Xuan Yangzi's voice was slightly cold, carrying the calculations of a Sect Master:

"I plan to send several Peak Masters and Elders, leading a portion of the elite, to infiltrate the Immortal Domain aboard the qing ming boat. We won't engage in a direct decisive battle, only harassment."

"We fight if we can win, and leave if we can't. With the speed of the qing ming boat, no one in the world can catch us."

"First, it will tie down their energy and keep them exhausted. Second, it will help us scout their true strength and layout. Third, it will buy us time."

He paused, his eyes radiating strong confidence:

"In just half a year, within half a year, the Old Ancestors and I will surely Breakthrough and step into the Immortal King realm."

"At that time, with Immortal Kings standing tall in our Azure Profound Sect, we will march out and flatten the Hundred Immortals Alliance in a single battle, ending the trouble forever!"

Hearing this, Gu Changge's fingers tapping the stone table paused slightly. He looked up at Xuan Yangzi and, after a moment, said slowly, "This plan is sound. It is acceptable."

Xuan Yangzi understood, and he stood up to take his leave.

Before leaving, he couldn't help but glance at Ji Qingyi, who was as serene as water, and the phantom of Yue Liuli in the distance.

He turned and gave Gu Changge an incredibly bright smile, full of encouragement and "keep it up" vibes.

Gu Changge: "..."

Just as he was about to pick up his teacup again, a rustling sound came from the direction of the spirit fields.

Old Huang waddled out with his massive body, his horns stained with mud, clearly having just finished his work.

He caught a glimpse of the "lewd" smile on Xuan Yangzi's face as he left, and then saw his master's face full of "speechless frustration."

The ox's mouth split into a grin, revealing a human-like, honest yet mischievous "Hehe, I saw that" smirk.

Gu Changge looked up just in time to meet Old Huang's ill-intentioned gaze.

Old Huang's smile instantly froze, his ox eyes widened, his muscles tensed, and his four hooves subconsciously moved back toward the spirit fields.

"I think your skin is itching again," Gu Changge said flatly. With a casual wave of his hand—

Slash!

An invisible surge of Qi swept past, and a piece of Immortal Venerable-level beef from Old Huang's rump, shimmering with precious light, entwined with Dao Rhyme, and emitting startling blood energy, flew into the air. The cut was as smooth as a mirror, and the bleeding stopped instantly.

"Just right, let's see if the taste of your Immortal Venerable-level meat has improved."