294: Greetings, Master

Inside the grotto, even the deadlocked battle on Li Pingan's side came to a sudden halt; both parties looked sideways at the same time, their gazes fixed on the sudden change in the scene.

A moment later, the phenomena circling in the sky quietly dissipated. The demon transformation pill, glowing with an eerie red light, fell back into the grotto like a tired bird returning to its nest, hovering above the collapsed and shattered bronze elixir furnace. Its aura flowed, emitting heart-palpitating energy fluctuations.

Yun Xuanxuan suddenly snapped back to her senses, a flash of determination in her eyes!

Even if this pill had already been successfully refined, she would destroy it today! Without any hesitation, she moved like an arrow, rushing toward the demon transformation pill.

In an instant!

Li Pingan felt a bone-chilling cold surge from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. His keen intuition, forged from years of Body Refining, gave him a perception of crisis far beyond that of ordinary people.

"Run!"

He could only shout out a warning.

The next moment, an elderly figure appeared out of thin air in the center of the grotto.

The old man's hair was as white as snow, scattered loosely over his luxurious silk robes. His vitality was so faint it was almost non-existent, and his frail appearance made it seem as if a gust of wind could knock him over. Yet, the pressure Li Pingan felt from him was even more unfathomable than that of the Tianque Sect Peak Revered Master, Chu Haotian.

Hearing Li Pingan's angry shout, Ye Hao instinctively flickered and instantly blocked the path in front of Yun Xuanxuan. The trust between the two had long been ingrained in their bones, forming a tacit understanding that required no words.

He spread his palm, and a Talisman shimmering with green light appeared. Senior Brother Li was always steady; for him to shout "Run" without hesitation, the identity of the newcomer was already obvious.

The Chusheng Sect Ancestor, that peerless powerhouse who had once gone into seclusion to break through to the Integration Realm!

"Miss Yun, go!"

Ye Hao said in a deep voice.

Yun Xuanxuan looked at the demon transformation pill within reach, her eyes full of unwillingness, but she also immediately took out an escape talisman.

Spiritual Qi surged from her fingertips, and the cinnabar runes on the Talisman lit up. However, the spiritual light that should have torn through space and carried them away merely flickered with a "sizzle" before dimming, turning into golden specks that scattered in the air.

Ye Hao's face darkened instantly. It seemed that old beast had already noticed their movements.

True Person Tianxuan slowly turned around, his gaze falling on the collapsed bronze elixir furnace, then sweeping over the corpse of the Daoist Nun lying on the ground. He pinched his fingers slightly, the wrinkles on his brow gradually smoothing out, and then let out a cold snort. The sound wasn't loud, but it struck everyone's heart like a heavy hammer.

"So that's how it is."

He spoke slowly, with a hint of irritation, "A group of overconfident ants almost ruined my great plan."

The Soul Emergence Stage Elder, who had been pursued and pummeled by Li Pingan for a long time, still had lingering panic on his face, but his eyes were now filled with wild joy. He stepped forward, bowed, and said loudly, "Greetings, Old Ancestor! Fortunately, you returned to the Sect in time, otherwise, I'm afraid I would have perished here today!"

True Person Tianxuan turned his head, his cold gaze sweeping over him.

"Old Ancestor may not know, but these thieves actually dared to trespass into our Chusheng Sect territory and even killed Senior Daoist Nun! Senior Daoist Nun fought them to protect the Pill Furnace. Seeing this, I couldn't bear it and immediately stepped in to help. However, the opponents were powerful and possessed two heaven-rank magic treasures. Even with my desperate resistance, it was difficult to gain the upper hand."

At this point, his tone shifted: "What's even more infuriating is that the Mountain Protecting Elder and his group were clearly nearby and had noticed the commotion here long ago. Yet, they chose to turn a blind eye, watching as Senior Daoist Nun fell into danger until she died without ever appearing to help! I sent several messages for help, but they all went unanswered. If not for your timely arrival, Old Ancestor, I'm afraid I would have followed in Senior Daoist Nun's footsteps today!"

True Person Tianxuan stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze as cold as ice. After hearing the accusation, he remained silent for a moment before saying deeply, "Note down the Mountain Protecting Elder and his group. Once I've dealt with the matter at hand, I'll settle the accounts one by one. People who act out of personal bias, avoid battle, and disregard the interests of the Sect are useless to keep."

"Yes! I shall obey your orders, Old Ancestor!" The Elder was overjoyed, bowing even lower.

He naturally didn't dare to hope for a heaven-rank magic treasure, but if he could take the Opportunity to replace the Mountain Protecting Elder, it would be a huge Opportunity.

Ye Hao's heart sank, knowing there was no room for maneuver today. He immediately stepped forward and said loudly, "Senior, wait. We are from the Tianque Sect, Chu Peak..."

Before he could finish, he was calmly interrupted by True Person Tianxuan: "If those old fogies from the Tianque Sect were here, they might have been able to save you. But... you dared to ruin my good work."

Suddenly, a pressure as vast as the mountains and seas crashed toward Ye Hao and the other. The air seemed to solidify into iron, and the invisible wave of Qi made their robes flutter loudly. Sharp pains radiated from their internal organs, and even breathing became incredibly difficult.

Yun Xuanxuan's face turned pale. Aside from the regret of failing to destroy the demon transformation pill, all that remained was guilt toward Young Master Ye and Young Master Li. She closed her eyes, unable to bear watching the impending tragedy.

At this critical moment, a faint, clear chime of a bell seemed to ring through the world. The pressure, which was enough to crush any Cultivator below the Void Refining Realm, receded like a tide, vanishing without a trace.

When Yun Xuanxuan opened her eyes again, she saw a figure appear before her—

The person wore a moon-white long robe, his figure tall and slender. His sleeves moved without wind, yet no Spiritual Qi leaked out. He seemed not to belong to this mortal world but rather to have stepped from the moon beyond the Nine Heavens.

Around him seemed to be an invisible barrier, isolating the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. Though he stood right there, he gave off an ethereal and elusive feeling, as if he would turn into a stream of light and dissipate at any moment.

True Person Tianxuan's originally cold expression suddenly changed, his pupils constricted slightly, and a flash of surprise crossed his face.

With his cultivation at the ninth level of the Void Refining Realm, he hadn't sensed the other's arrival at all, nor had he captured even a hint of Spiritual Qi fluctuation. Such concealment techniques were beyond his understanding.

What shocked him even more was that when he circulated his full Spiritual Qi and focused his mind to probe the other's cultivation, he felt as if the person were a bottomless abyss. No matter how he pried, he received no response.

But... this person was so young; it was impossible for him to already be a legendary powerhouse of the Integration Realm, right?

True Person Tianxuan felt the thought was too absurd, yet he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.

"Who are you?"

Ye Hao and Li Pingan had been so suppressed by the pressure they could hardly breathe. Now that the pressure had vanished and they saw the familiar figure before them, their faces lit up with wild joy. Their voices trembled with excitement as they both bowed respectfully to Chen Xuan and said loudly:

"Greetings, Revered Master!"