Taiyi's Interrogation, Xuan's Secret Rescue

Eastern Emperor Taiyi's pressure was palpable, carrying the scorching heat of the True Sun Fire and the dominance of a Heavenly Emperor, locking onto Li Wuyang. The surrounding air seemed to freeze, and the temperature surged. Some powerful beings who hadn't yet left stopped to watch, their gazes filled with scrutiny and curiosity.

Li Wuyang felt like a lone boat in a storm, liable to be crushed at any moment. He cried out in his heart, Taiyi is truly as overbearing and powerful as the legends say!

"Senior... Senior, please see clearly! This junior has absolutely no connection with the Demon Ancestor!" Li Wuyang desperately circulated the Huang Ting Jing and the Great Dao Imprint, barely managing to resist the pressure. His face pale, he explained, "This junior merely stumbled into Zixiao Palace by chance. If I have offended Senior in any way, I hope you will forgive me!"

"Stumbled by chance?" Taiyi's gaze was piercing, as if trying to see through him. "Zixiao Palace is the sacred realm of the Dao Ancestor, not a place one enters by ordinary chance! Your very existence is a variable! My elder brother has always been tranquil and inactive; for him to personally bestow a pill today, there must be something strange about you! If you don't confess truthfully, don't blame this Emperor for apprehending you and interrogating you thoroughly!"

As he spoke, the True Sun Fire around him flickered, clearly indicating his limited patience.

Li Wuyang broke out in a cold sweat, his mind racing. He definitely couldn't withstand this head-on, and lying probably wouldn't fool such a powerful being. Did he really have to reveal his identity as the Primordial Dao Child? But revealing that identity would likely cause even more trouble!

At this critical moment, a clear, ethereal female voice, as if from an extremely cold ice field, suddenly rang out in the area. The voice wasn't loud but reached everyone's ears clearly:

"Your Majesty Eastern Emperor, since when do you engage in interrogating juniors?"

Everyone looked towards the source of the voice. At the edge of the sea of clouds not far away, a figure had appeared at some point. It was a woman dressed in a black gown, her figure graceful, her face stunningly beautiful yet as cold as frost. Her dark blue hair moved without wind, and her mismatched eyes (left purple, right silver) looked indifferently in their direction. Her aura was faint, as if she had merged with the surrounding void, making it difficult to discern her depth.

It was Xuan!

Upon seeing her, Li Wuyang was first stunned, then a sense of inexplicable relief washed over him. She came to Zixiao Palace too? And appeared at this moment!

Eastern Emperor Taiyi frowned, looking at Xuan. A trace of solemnity and apprehension flashed in his eyes. "It's you? 'Myriad Manifestations Demon Lord'... Are you also interested in this brat?"

Xuan walked over slowly, her steps light. Wherever she passed, even the surging clouds seemed to still. She didn't answer Taiyi's question but said lightly, "Zixiao Palace is a place of purity. His Majesty the Eastern Emperor is here threatening a junior right after the Dao Ancestor finished his sermon. If word gets out, it might damage the prestige of the Heavenly Court."

Her words, devoid of any fiery emotion, were like a basin of ice water poured onto Taiyi's rising anger.

Taiyi's expression darkened slightly. He did indeed care about appearances, especially in front of Zixiao Palace, under the eyes of so many. Moreover, this "Myriad Manifestations Demon Lord" had a mysterious origin, her strength unfathomable. She had fought the Demon Master Kunpeng without being at a disadvantage, and he didn't want to clash with her easily.

"This Emperor was merely making a routine inquiry," Taiyi retracted his pressure. His tone remained forceful, but the intent to act was gone. "Since the Demon Lord has intervened, this Emperor will give you face. Brat, you'd best watch yourself!"

With that, he gave Li Wuyang and Xuan a deep look, transformed into a golden light, and shot towards the sky. After meeting Di Jun and the others who were waiting for him, he left Buzhou Mountain.

Seeing that the show was over, the surrounding powerful beings also transformed into streams of light and departed. However, before leaving, they couldn't resist glancing at Li Wuyang and Xuan a few more times, etching their faces into their memories. After today, the name "Li Wuyang" would likely spread among the upper echelons of the Primordial World.

With the crisis averted, Li Wuyang let out a long sigh of relief and quickly cupped his hands towards Xuan, "Thank you, Miss Xuan, for helping me out of this predicament!"

Xuan walked up to him, her mismatched eyes calmly looking at him, her tone still indifferent. "I wasn't helping you. I just dislike noisy scenes and bullying."

Li Wuyang was long accustomed to her saying one thing and meaning another. He smiled, "Regardless, thank you! Did you come to listen to the sermon too? How come I didn't see you?"

Xuan said lightly, "I was in the row behind you." She seemed unwilling to talk more about the sermon and instead asked, "What are your plans now?"

Li Wuyang looked at the gradually emptying plaza and the still magnificent Zixiao Palace, scratching his head. "I listened to the sermon for three thousand years; I don't know what the outside world is like now. I need to go down the mountain first, gather some news, and then... continue traveling. What about you?"

Xuan was silent for a moment, looking towards the vast sea of clouds, a hint of imperceptible confusion flashing in her eyes. "I don't know. Perhaps... I'll follow you and see."

Li Wuyang was stunned, then overjoyed. "Really? That's great! With us together, we can look out for each other!" With Xuan, a super-powered fighter and knowledge base, by his side, his sense of security was off the charts!

Xuan gave a noncommittal sound, only saying, "Let's go down the mountain first."

They walked side-by-side towards the path leading down the mountain. Li Wuyang's heart was filled with anticipation for the future, and a trace of doubt: why did Xuan proactively suggest following him? Could it really be just because... it was "interesting"?