67: The Nine Mountains Grand Competition, an invitation from the Red Lotus Heavenly Palace

Upon hearing this news, the Eighteenth Ancestor's face showed clear displeasure.

Being detained here for no reason, he, a peak Great Saint Realm expert, inevitably felt uncomfortable.

However, Xu Jinhuan had no objections.

"Eighteenth Grandfather, it's fine. I also wanted to take a look around Red Lotus Heavenly Palace anyway."

The reception Elder seemed to have found his cue and quickly chimed in.

"Young Master Xu indeed possesses extraordinary bearing! Coincidentally, our Red Lotus Heavenly Palace is currently holding its triennial Nine Mountains Grand Competition in the next few days. Disciples from various mountains will compete on stage for rankings and opportunities. If Young Master is interested, why not join me to observe the matches?"

The Red Lotus Heavenly Palace's Nine Mountains Grand Competition is a triennial grand event where disciples compete on stage, giving their all to contend for rankings and titles.

Xu Jinhuan hadn't expected to encounter it so coincidentally.

No wonder there were no Red Lotus Heavenly Palace disciples near the Azure Lotus Great Emperor's former residence.

It seems they were all preparing for the Nine Mountains Grand Competition.

"I couldn't ask for more. I'll trouble Elder."

He made the decision on the spot.

Seeing that he had already made up his mind, the Eighteenth Ancestor said nothing, merely following along.

Watching beautiful women is good; he also likes watching beautiful women.

Beautiful women make people happy.

Beautiful women fighting is even more enjoyable!

However, Liu Changxi, who was behind Xu Jinhuan, instantly changed her expression. Her pretty face was taut, and her beautiful eyes were filled with vigilance.

Young Master is so handsome. Staying among this group of women in Red Lotus Heavenly Palace, isn't it like a lamb entering a tiger's den?

Those female disciples, while fighting, wouldn't their clothes 'accidentally' get damaged, would they?

Liu Changxi felt that this possibility was not zero, and the probability of it happening was very high.

A strong sense of crisis arose in her heart.

The maid Qin Mengli stood silently to the side, not saying a word, looking at Xu Jinhuan with an 'as expected' expression in her eyes.

A lecherous thief is a lecherous thief; he can't walk straight when he sees women.

Having me isn't enough, is it?

Noticing the jealousy in her heart, Qin Mengli was also startled.

How could she care so much about Xu Jinhuan? Could it be that I... Thinking of this, she quickly shook her head, clearing her mind of distracting thoughts.

I can't possibly... Thinking of this, she quickly shook her head, clearing her mind of distracting thoughts.

"Ever pure, ever tranquil, ever pure, ever tranquil..."

"I would never fall for this bastard, absolutely not!"

"I'm just criticizing a scoundrelly lecherous thief, that's all. Yes, that's it!"

Xu Jinhuan, however, paid no attention to the emotional changes of the women beside him. He was pondering a more important question.

How should he sign in?

Staying here to watch the Nine Mountains Grand Competition, he certainly wasn't there to watch women fight.

Instead, he was observing if there were any suitable candidates for signing in.

After this period, Xu Jinhuan had already discovered that beauties recognized by the system mostly possessed special physiques and extraordinary talents, making them superior to ordinary female cultivators.

For such women, the Nine Mountains Grand Competition's arena was the best filter.

After a notification, the Guidance Elder led Xu Jinhuan and his group into an ancient palace, magnificent, beautiful, and exquisitely crafted.

Most importantly, this ancient palace also exuded a rich Emperor's might.

A quasi-emperor weapon!

Seeing such a display, the Eighteenth Ancestor's disdain instantly vanished.

"Red Lotus Heavenly Palace indeed has profound heritage, to actually use a quasi-emperor weapon directly as an arena."

A quasi-emperor weapon is a supreme treasure second only to an ultimate dao emperor weapon, capable of suppressing an immortal dao lineage. Yet, Red Lotus Heavenly Palace was using it so extravagantly.

This immortal dao lineage, even older than Taiyi Holy Land, truly possessed extraordinary heritage.

Xu Jinhuan also had a flicker of surprise in his eyes, astonished by this scene.

Hearing the Eighteenth Ancestor's praise, the Guidance Elder's face instantly showed a hint of pride:

"Senior flatters me. It's merely an unused quasi-emperor weapon. Using it to provide a safe combat environment for the disciples can be considered putting it to good use."

With that, he raised his hand and pressed it into the void. An ancient rune lit up, and the ground in the center of the palace slowly split open, revealing a staircase leading downwards. At the end of the staircase, faint spatial fluctuations lingered.

"Please follow me, everyone. The viewing area for the Nine Mountains Grand Competition is set in a separate space below, where there are sky screens projecting every detail of the arena clearly."

Everyone followed the Guidance Elder down the stairs, and with a flash of light and shadow before their eyes, they were already in another vast space.

This space was extremely peculiar. Countless crystalline stones floated around, forming a huge sky screen. On the sky screen, the scene of the arena was clearly projected.

Below, rows of exquisitely carved jade seats were arranged, clearly prepared for the observers.

Only Xu Jinhuan and his group were in the space, which should be their exclusive private room.

"Everyone may take a seat anywhere here. If you need to cultivate, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in this space is also extremely rich, and nourished by the power of a quasi-emperor weapon, it is greatly beneficial for cultivation."

After bowing, the Guidance Elder withdrew.

The Eighteenth Ancestor unceremoniously chose the foremost jade seat and sat down, his gaze instantly locking onto the arena on the sky screen. Seeing the graceful female disciples, his eyes immediately sparkled, and he stroked his beard, chuckling:

"Not bad, not bad. Beautiful women fighting, pleasing to the eye. This detention wasn't in vain."

Xu Jinhuan also found a jade seat near the sky screen and sat down. His gaze seemed to be on the arena, but in reality, he was activating his Dual Pupils, penetrating the walls of this independent space to look at the real battlefield outside.

He was searching for beauties certified by the system.

Golden light flowed through his Dual Pupils, and the essence of all things in heaven and earth could not escape his eyes. The cultivation, techniques, and even the physique fluctuations within the female disciples on the arena were clearly reflected in his mind.

However, after watching for a moment, Xu Jinhuan frowned slightly, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes.

Although the female disciples on the sky screen were all beautiful and their cultivation could be considered outstanding among their peers, the system showed no reaction.

"The sign-in targets recognized by the system mostly possess special physiques and extraordinary talents. These female disciples are still lacking a bit," Xu Jinhuan muttered, shaking his head to himself.

"The sign-in targets recognized by the system mostly possess special physiques and extraordinary talents. These female disciples are still lacking a bit."

"It seems I'll have to wait until later, when the Red Lotus Heavenly Palace's prodigy disciples enter the fray, to gain anything."

Since there were no suitable sign-in targets, he lost most of his interest in the matches on the arena. His expression became nonchalant, and his fingers gently tapped the jade seat, his thoughts drifting towards the mysterious cold jade coffin on the Immortal Platform.

Meanwhile, in another more hidden space, clouds swirled and immortal qi permeated the air.

A woman dressed in luxurious palace attire sat on a Nine Heavens Jade Throne. Her skin was as white as snow, her eyebrows like distant mountains with faint ink, and her eyes like autumn waters, brimming with charm. A faint Great Saint aura enveloped her, and she was none other than the Palace Master of Red Lotus Heavenly Palace.

The Red Lotus Palace Master's beauty was beyond compare, yet her demeanor was incomparably majestic, making it hard for anyone to look directly at her.

Below, a woman dressed in white with a cold and ethereal aura bowed respectfully.

Her name was Jiang Luoshen, the most popular disciple in Red Lotus Heavenly Palace and the strongest prodigy of this generation, the First Saintess.

Jiang Luoshen asked, puzzled:

"Palace Master, although Xu Jinhuan's talent is not bad, he is only in the Immortal Platform Realm. Why do you specifically pay attention to him? Even going so far as to suspend the teleportation array to keep them in the palace?"

The Red Lotus Palace Master smiled faintly, a hint of reminiscence and solemnity flashing in her eyes:

"Because, I sensed the aura of the Azure Lotus Great Emperor on that little fellow."

Jiang Luoshen's pupils constricted, her face filled with shock:

"Azure Lotus Great Emperor? That's an Emperor from tens of thousands of years ago. How could his aura appear on an Immortal Platform Realm cultivator?"

"That's what I need to figure out."

The Red Lotus Palace Master nodded slightly, and Xu Jinhuan's figure appeared in the void before her.

"Luoshen, after the Grand Competition, go and test him."

"Yes."

...Just as Xu Jinhuan was observing the Nine Mountains Grand Competition.

In three other Dao Provinces, three terrifying waves of wrath swept across the heavens and earth.

Deep within the Renyu Manor, in a palace filled with decadent evil qi, blood-colored runes suddenly burst, and the ancestral tablets enshrined in the hall shattered with a rumble. Wisps of black smoke rose, transforming into mournful wails.

"Ah!!!"

At the same time, an old man in a blood-colored Daoist robe suddenly spat out a mouthful of essence blood. His aged face twisted and deformed, his eyes filled with monstrous hatred and incredulous fury:

"My son! My son actually perished! And my Manor's Great Saint, his soul utterly extinguished, not even a trace of a remnant thought left!"

He was the current Manor Lord of the Renyu Manor, and also a Great Saint Realm expert.

He sensed the aura of the Dao Protector Great Saint and the core prodigy, Hong Yuzhi, vanish simultaneously, instantly losing control. Evil qi surged around him, tearing the entire palace to pieces.

"Taiyi Holy Land! Xu Jinhuan!"

The Manor Lord gritted his teeth, enunciating each word, his eyeballs nearly bursting from their sockets.

"This old man is irreconcilable with your Taiyi Holy Land! This hatred is irreconcilable; I will make you all pay a blood debt!"

The high-ranking officials of the Renyu Manor in the hall were silent, trembling with fear, no one daring to provoke his wrath.

After he calmed down slightly, an elder said tremblingly:

"Manor Lord, Dao Child Yuzhi's talent was extraordinary, and he had a Great Saint protecting him. How could he... Could that Xu Jinhuan really be so terrifying? Capable of fighting a Divine Spirit Realm Seventh Layer while only in the Immortal Platform Realm?"

"Hmph! It must be his Dao Protector who acted, bullying the small with the great!"

The Manor Lord's eyes flashed with fierce light.

"Give the order, gather all elders, prepare the ultimate dao emperor weapon. This old man will personally pay a visit to demand an explanation!"

At the same time, in the ancestral land of the Golden Nine-Headed Lion clan, a lion's roar that shook the heavens and earth pierced through the sky. Nine golden pillars of light shot up, containing world-destroying power.

The Lion Clan Patriarch, a burly man transformed into human form with golden fur, held a shattered soul pearl, his muscles bulging.

The soul pearl transmitted back the last scenes the Golden Lion saw before its death, and its tragic state after being cooked.

Looking at the Golden Lion meat soup and braised Golden Lion head in the images,

The Lion Clan Patriarch's eyes were splitting with rage, blood and tears streaming down his face:

"My son, who awakened the Nine-Headed Divine Ability and was a rare monstrous prodigy, was actually cooked and eaten as ingredients?! Xu Jinhuan! Taiyi Holy Land! You've gone too far in bullying my Golden Lion clan!"

His blood and qi surged, almost transforming into his true form. Behind him, a group of Lion Clan experts glared with wide, angry eyes, exuding a murderous aura.

One of the experts hesitated.

"Patriarch, that Xu Jinhuan is only in the Immortal Platform Realm, yet he could kill our clan's prodigy. Such talent is simply unheard of, too bizarre!"

"Moreover, the Taiyi Eighteenth Ancestor fought one against three, not only killing the Renyu Manor's Great Saint but also severely injuring our clan's Great Saint. His strength is probably close to the peak of the Great Saint Realm, not to be trifled with..."

Before he could finish, he was refuted by the Patriarch.

"Are we to let my son die in vain?!"

"No matter what fortuitous encounter he had, or how monstrous his talent, killing my Lion Clan's prodigy means he must pay the price! Immediately contact the Zhou Family and go to Taiyi Holy Land together. If they don't give us an explanation, then we will flatten their Taiyi Holy Land!"