338: Chapter 338 Your precious disciple has already been turned by Young Master Cao!

Hearing the question, Murong Xue's delicate body stiffened slightly.

She did not reply immediately, but quietly raised her eyes to look at her Revered Master, whom she usually revered like a god.

On Supreme Elder Zhan Hong's transcendent, sage-like face, although he tried his best to muster a benevolent smile...

...the wolf-like greed and anxiety deep in his eyes could not be hidden at all.

He did not say a word about whether the two women had encountered danger or been injured in the Lower Realm.

The very first words out of his mouth were actually only about that broken sword!

At this moment, the words Cao Kun had spoken to her via Divine Sense transmission before parting flashed through Murong Xue's mind.

Cao Kun accused Supreme Elder Zhan Hong of being the thief who crossed Realms to snatch the treasure, and accused him of distorting the truth to cover it up.

At that time, Murong Xue still had a sliver of hesitation in her heart.

But now, she was completely awake.

Cao Kun was right. Her Revered Master was not acting on behalf of heaven at all, let alone for the common people of the world.

He was doing it solely to snatch that mysterious broken sword.

A shameless old thief who would even use his own Personal Disciple as cannon fodder!

Murong Xue lowered her eyes, concealing the disappointment and vigilance deep within them.

Stepping forward, she cupped her hands, her tone carrying a perfectly measured trace of panic.

“Reporting to Revered Master, this disciple is incompetent.”

“That Devil Head is extremely powerful. This disciple failed to slay him, and... did not bring back Revered Master's treasured sword. Please punish me, Revered Master.”

As soon as these words were spoken...

The benevolent smile on Supreme Elder Zhan Hong's face vanished, and his transcendent, sage-like image was utterly gone.

“What?!”

He subconsciously raised his voice, which boomed throughout the grand hall.

The terrifying pressure belonging to a mighty figure of the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, accompanied by uncontrollable hostility, swept out in an instant.

“The two of you are in the Mahayana Stage! Sent to deal with an ant from the Lower Realm, yet you return empty-handed?!”

That undisguised killing intent and hostility...

...caused both Murong Xue and Guan Linger to groan simultaneously, forced back several steps by the blast of air.

Feeling Supreme Elder Zhan Hong's gaze, which seemed as if it wanted to devour her, Murong Xue felt a chill run through her entire body.

In the thousands of years since she had joined Supreme Elder Zhan Hong's sect...

...this was the first time she had seen her Revered Master show such a ferocious face.

This pure killing intent and greed perfectly matched the old dog who crossed Realms to rob, as described by Cao Kun.

Her Revered Master's usual refinement and aloofness were indeed all an act.

Murong Xue knelt on one knee, forcing herself to withstand the pressure of the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, her tone calm.

“Revered Master, please appease your anger.”

“That Devil Head is no ordinary Cultivator; he is the Son of the Plane certified by the Lower Realm's Heavenly Dao. He can freely manipulate the natural forces of the Lower Realm.”

“Linger and I were suppressed by the Lower Realm's Laws, and we simply could not exert the full strength of the Mahayana Stage.”

“If we had forced our hand, we would not only have drawn the Nine Heavens Lightning Punishment, but we might have even perished in the Lower Realm. Thus, we could only return without success.”

Standing to the side, Guan Linger frowned deeply as she watched Supreme Elder Zhan Hong lose his composure.

After experiencing Xiao Chen's betrayal and Cao Kun's training, Guan Linger's mind had matured a great deal.

She was no longer that naive goddess who blindly worshiped Seniors of the Spirit Realm.

Looking at Supreme Elder Zhan Hong, she felt it wasn't even as pleasant as massaging Cao Kun's legs in the Lower Realm.

Guan Linger looked coldly at Supreme Elder Zhan Hong, her tone cold and aloof:

“Grandpa Zhan, Sister Xue is right.”

“That Cao Kun is simply a monster. We were restricted at every turn in the Lower Realm and couldn't defeat him at all.”

“We are already extremely fortunate to have returned alive.”

She paused, her tone becoming even colder:

“Furthermore, that despicable, shameless hypocrite Xiao Chen is dead.”

“I was blind in the past, deceived by him. I am extremely grateful to Grandpa Zhan for going to the trouble of opening the boundary wall for this journey to the Lower Realm. The Guan Family will certainly offer a heavy reward in the future.”

Supreme Elder Zhan Hong grew even more irritated upon hearing Xiao Chen's name.

He didn't care at all whether Xiao Chen lived or died. A useless person whose True Dragon Bone had been extracted—if he was dead, he was dead.

What the hell did that have to do with him?!

His mind was currently filled only with that broken sword.

But Supreme Elder Zhan Hong was, after all, an old fox who had lived for tens of thousands of years.

Hearing the words 'Guan Family', he was suddenly jolted awake.

His attitude just now had been too fierce, exposing his true emotions.

Murong Xue was, after all, his Personal Disciple.

And Guan Linger was the goddess of the Guan Family, a top-tier cultivation clan in the Spirit Realm.

Now was not the time to fall out with them.

Supreme Elder Zhan Hong took a deep breath, suppressing the anger and hostility in his heart.

He quickly stepped forward, gesturing with his hands to raise Murong Xue, who was kneeling on the ground.

“Xue'er, rise quickly.”

Supreme Elder Zhan Hong sighed hypocritically, his tone softening.

“It is your Revered Master's fault. I was blinded by anger toward that Devil Head from the Lower Realm.”

“That Devil Head stole my treasured sword, and I was merely worried that he would use that malevolent weapon to bring disaster upon the common people of the Lower Realm.”

“We can talk about the sword later. As long as the two of you have returned safely, your Revered Master is at ease.”

This emotionally moving performance by Supreme Elder Zhan Hong...

...if it had been in the past, Murong Xue would have definitely been moved to tears and filled with self-reproach.

But now, she only replied calmly:

“Thank you for your understanding, Revered Master.”

Seeing that the two did not seem to suspect anything, Supreme Elder Zhan Hong began to probe indirectly again.

“Xue'er, since you have clashed with that Devil Head, did you manage to see his true cultivation Realm?”

“Since he can manipulate the Heavenly Dao, he must not be far from ascending to the Spirit Realm, right?”

Supreme Elder Zhan Hong had not given up.

Since he couldn't get it in the Lower Realm, he would just wait for Cao Kun to ascend!

Once in the Spirit Realm, without the protection of the Lower Realm's Heavenly Dao Laws...

...for him, an Immortal Venerable of the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, wouldn't crushing a newly ascended rookie to death be as simple as crushing an ant?

Murong Xue sneered in her heart.

She knew her Revered Master was still clinging to his wicked designs and wanted to probe Cao Kun's background to plan for the future.

After a brief hesitation, Murong Xue decided to reveal some half-true information to stabilize Supreme Elder Zhan Hong.

“Replying to Revered Master.”

“This disciple investigated that Devil Head's own cultivation, and it is roughly around the Body Integration Stage.”

“However, he possesses an extremely bizarre Cultivation Technique, and the combat power he unleashes far exceeds his Realm.”

“Coupled with the protection of the Heavenly Dao, there is likely no one in the Lower Realm who can kill him. As for when he will ascend, this disciple dares not make a wild guess.”

“Body Integration Stage...” Supreme Elder Zhan Hong squinted his eyes and repeated in a low voice.

“Only at the Mid-stage Integration Stage, there was still a very long way to go before reaching Mahayana Stage Perfection to trigger the Ascension Lightning Tribulation.”

The anxiety in Supreme Elder Zhan Hong's heart surged once more, but he did not show it.

“Very well, your Revered Master understands.”

He turned around and waved his hand at the two of them.

“You have suffered and labored in the Lower Realm, and your mental energy has been greatly depleted.”

“Go back to your respective Immortal Caves to enter closed-door cultivation and recuperate.”

Murong Xue and Guan Linger exchanged a glance.

They cupped their hands in unison: “This disciple (Linger) takes her leave.”

With that, the two turned and left the immortal palace's grand hall.

Watching the backs of the two women disappear from his sight...

...the benevolence and gentleness on Supreme Elder Zhan Hong's face vanished without a trace.

With a wave of his sleeve, violent spiritual energy blasted a jade pillar in the grand hall into powder.

“Useless! All of them are useless!”

“Two in the Mahayana Stage couldn't even handle a native in the Body Integration Stage.”

Supreme Elder Zhan Hong growled through gritted teeth.

The charred wound on his right hand, slashed by the Chaos Sword Qi, seemed to start throbbing with pain again.

“It seems there is no hope in relying on these two little girls.”

“With the Heavenly Dao protecting you in the Lower Realm, this deity indeed cannot do anything to you.”

“But as long as you dare to ascend to the Spirit Realm...”

Supreme Elder Zhan Hong sneered, his voice echoing in the grand hall, carrying a chilling killing intent.

“Outside the Ascension Pool, this deity will lay an inescapable dragnet, waiting for you to deliver yourself to my doorstep!”

Yan Feiyue