286: Tianque Sect Affairs

Taking advantage of this momentary respite, the Daoist Nun flicked her sleeve, and a mother-of-pearl inlaid rhombus flower mirror appeared in her hand.

Spiritual Qi was rapidly poured in through her fingertips, and the rhombus flower mirror immediately buzzed and vibrated. A beam of hazy green light suddenly shot out from the mirror's surface, heading straight for Yun Xuanxuan's face as fast as lightning.

Yun Xuanxuan's pupils shrank, and she flapped her wings urgently to dodge. Unexpectedly, the light beam could lock onto her trajectory, pursuing her relentlessly like a shadow.

At the critical moment, she could only protect herself with her wings, enduring the blow head-on. With a muffled "thud," her light green feathers were scorched through by the beam, leaving several charred marks. A piercing pain instantly swept through her entire body.

"Miss Yun?!"

Ye Hao's cry of alarm exploded along with the wind of his sword. His longsword had just cleaved through the fierce offensive of that Nascent Soul Sixth Layer Cultivator. The shockwaves of the Sword Qi sent the surrounding rubble tumbling down, but his gaze was locked onto Yun Xuanxuan's direction.

But before he could take a step, he saw Yun Xuanxuan suddenly straighten her back and force herself to swallow the metallic sweetness rising in her throat.

Yun Xuanxuan said in a deep voice, "I am fine, no need to worry!"

The moment her words fell, she flapped her wings violently, stirring up a gust of wind. Her figure swept toward the ten-foot-tall bronze elixir furnace not far away like a kite with a broken string.

Seeing that she could still hold on, the Daoist Nun's Spiritual Qi surged once again.

The mother-of-pearl inlaid rhombus flower mirror buzzed even more intensely, with green light swirling on its surface. A beam of light, more concentrated than before, suddenly shot out, aiming straight for the back of Yun Xuanxuan's heart at an incredible speed.

Yun Xuanxuan was already on guard. Hearing the wind tighten behind her, she flapped her wings and suddenly dipped her body, barely avoiding the sharp edge of the beam as it grazed past her scalp. Immediately after, she tapped her toe on the copper ring at the edge of the Pill Furnace, using the momentum to spin and place the heavy bronze elixir furnace between herself and the Daoist Nun.

The tracking beam tried to hit her several times but was blocked by the hard walls of the Pill Furnace. The green light struck the bronze furnace, emitting bursts of "sizzling" sounds and leaving charred dents, yet it could never harm Yun Xuanxuan hiding behind it.

Seeing this, the Daoist Nun's face turned ashen with rage. The rhombus flower mirror in her hand vibrated repeatedly, but she did not dare to rashly activate a powerful beam again.

This bronze elixir furnace was related to the success or failure of the demon transformation pill. If it were even slightly damaged, she would certainly have no way out but death!

She could only control the beam to carefully bypass the Pill Furnace, trying to find a gap to shoot through. However, Yun Xuanxuan's figure was far too agile; she could always anticipate the attacks and use the Pill Furnace as cover to perfectly evade them.

The Daoist Nun was hesitant to act for fear of damaging the furnace, making her attacks clumsy. Although Yun Xuanxuan was injured, she used her agile movement techniques to hold her ground and confront the Daoist Nun.

One was anxious to break the deadlock, while the other held her defense; both were caught in a dilemma.

Yun Xuanxuan also knew this was just a stalling tactic; she still had to find a way to break the situation.

Meanwhile, the dozens of Chusheng Sect Disciples who had come to help earlier, seeing they could not withstand Ye Hao and the other Half-Demons, had to send someone back to the Sect to summon more experts.

After all, this was their own Sect's back mountain territory. Could they really let outsiders walk all over them?

...Inside the Chusheng Sect!

The previous Mountain Protecting Elder had long since defected. The current new Elder had only taken up this heavy responsibility two days ago.

Coincidentally, the Sect Master and several core Elders had gone to reinforce Yaoshi City, leaving all Sect matters, large and small, under his temporary control. Looking at the state of the Sect—people in panic and their Origin Qi greatly diminished—the Mountain Protecting Elder could only sigh repeatedly, his brow filled with worry.

Anyone in the Sect with any insight knew perfectly well that the Old Ancestor's secret business of refining demon transformation pills did not take the Sect's interests into account at all. It was purely for his own Dao that he was willing to take such risks.

But he was not as decisive as the Third Elder, who dared to resolutely sever ties with the Sect and defect. Yet, he was also truly unwilling to become a Rogue Cultivator with no background, bullied by others in the future.

After much thought, this Mountain Protecting Elder could only secretly hope to weather this storm. Once the Tianque Sect and Five Elders Gate stopped being so aggressive, the Chusheng Sect might still have a chance to slowly recover its Origin Qi.

By then, his position as the Mountain Protecting Elder would naturally still carry significant weight.

While his thoughts were in turmoil, a Disciple rushed over and reported loudly with a face full of panic:

"Elder, Elder! Something is wrong!"

The Mountain Protecting Elder's brow furrowed, his expression instantly becoming serious as he said in a deep voice, "What is the matter that you are so panicked? Where are your manners!"

"Reporting to the Elder, some outsiders have brought several Half-Demons and trespassed into the Sect's back mountain Secret Realm. They have already killed several of our fellow Disciples!" the Disciple panted.

"What?"

The Mountain Protecting Elder slammed his hand onto the Purple Sandalwood desk in front of him, causing the purple clay teacup on the table to jump.

His face turned ashen. "It's one thing to gossip and point fingers outside, but now they dare to break into our Sect's back mountain Secret Realm and harm my Disciples? Do they think there is no one left in my Chusheng Sect?"

"Immediately summon the other Elders in the Sect to gather at the mountain gate! Everyone, bring your life-bound Magical Artifacts and follow me to reinforce the back mountain!"

He shouted sternly, "Today, I must show those arrogant fools some color!"

"Yes, Elder!" After receiving the order, the Disciple did not dare to delay for a moment and turned to run away.

Before long, figures streaked across the sky of the Chusheng Sect as seven or eight Inner Sect Elders of the Soul Emergence Stage all gathered at the mountain gate. Everyone's expressions were solemn as they rushed to the Sect's back mountain Secret Realm along with the Mountain Protecting Elder.

The moment they stepped into the Secret Realm, the corpses scattered all over the grotto caused the Elders' faces to change instantly, their hearts trembling.

As far as the eye could see, there were corpses of Half-Demons and the Yao Race.

Next, they saw Ye Hao and several other Half-Demons fighting with the remaining Cultivators of their own Sect. Not far away, that ten-foot-tall bronze elixir furnace stood quietly, with a raging fire burning beneath it.

Could this be the place where the Old Ancestor secretly refines the demon transformation pills?

Right at that moment, a powerful surge of Demonic Qi suddenly erupted from the bronze elixir furnace, causing the Mountain Protecting Elder and the others to stiffen.

He was now certain that this Secret Realm was indeed the Forbidden Ground where the Old Ancestor refined the demon transformation pills! And that Daoist Nun holding the rhombus flower mirror and contending with the Half-Demons must be the Cultivator assisting the Old Ancestor in refining the pills.

Seeing the Elders of the Chusheng Sect coming to the rescue, a smug smile appeared on the Daoist Nun's face, and she laughed loudly, "You little brats, I'd like to see what other tricks you have up your sleeves now!"

With those words, the Daoist Nun turned to the Mountain Protecting Elder and the others and ordered, "All of you, act quickly! Capture all these madmen who trespassed into the Secret Realm, leave none alive!"

Ye Hao had just blocked a blow from the Nascent Soul Cultivator beside him; seeing this, his expression immediately turned grave.

The other Half-Demons saw this and their faces turned ashen as well.

The Mountain Protecting Elder's gaze swept over the middle-aged Daoist Nun and then at Ye Hao and the other Half-Demons, his heart filled with mixed emotions. Although he was unwilling to risk his life for the Old Ancestor's selfishness, in his position, he could not sit idly by when the Sect's Secret Realm was trespassed and Disciples were killed.

Immediately, the Spiritual Qi around him surged, and the pressure of the Soul Emergence Stage enveloped them like a mountain, pressing down on Ye Hao and the others.

"Stop!"

Ye Hao shouted in a deep, forceful voice, "The Tianque Sect is under orders to suppress the culprits behind the demon transformation pills. This matter concerns the lives of thousands of people! Whoever dares to interfere is an enemy of my Tianque Sect and an enemy of all Cultivators in the world!"

"Tianque Sect?"

These three words exploded in the Elders' ears like a clap of thunder.