The Celestial Master's Protection

The old man circulated the Star Domain Miniature, presenting the battle situation behind the Ancient Demon Tide horizontally.

Those present, including the elder, were all seasoned veterans. Even the King Zhao of Zhao, after a moment's careful observation, immediately discerned the danger and delicate balance of the entire battle.

Besides the battle zone where the Peacock Army is located, there are seven other battle zones, all of which could disrupt this delicate balance.

However, as the battle raged on and other areas fell into a stalemate, suddenly one man and two figures appeared from the Peacock Army's position.

The woman threw herself into the battlefield to aid the Peacock Army, unleashing tremendous combat power and severely injuring the Ancient Demon of the Dijiang Clan.

"What a powerful Immortal Lord Realm!"

"That woman's Immortal Method was quite rare; it seemed like some kind of lost ancient Immortal Arts!"

Star Sea Hall, everyone except the old man's eyes narrowed. They hadn't expected such a master to be hidden in this battle. The woman's combat strength was definitely comparable to, or even surpassed, that of a Grade A Peacock Army.

Just as the balance was about to be broken, an even more terrifying Ancient Demon figure suddenly rushed out from the Ancient Demon Tide, intending to suppress and kill the woman.

Seeing this, some people's expressions changed drastically. They had not been on the battlefield and had not expected that such a dangerous turn of events would occur.

The silver-haired, black-armored youth and the woman with Double Pupils had both been on the battlefield. When the Royal Ancient Demon appeared, they had keenly sensed a soaring demonic intent. They were not too surprised at the moment, but their expressions became more solemn.

Just as the woman was about to be killed, suddenly, she unleashed a terrifying demonic aura, and eight wings extended from her back.

This unexpected turn of events caused many people to suddenly stand up, speechless with shock.

"Ancient Demon? Imperial Clan Ancient Demon.!"

"How is that possible?"

"They're Slaughter?!"

Besides the old man, the two silver-haired, black-armored youths were also stunned, somewhat bewildered.

Immediately afterwards, the Ancient Demon Woman with eight wings engaged in Ancient Demon War of the Reincarnation Royal Clan, chasing and fleeing from one another.

Before leaving, the Ancient Demon Woman's palm surged with black energy, revealing something.

Upon seeing that thing, King Zhao, whose body was surrounded by black dragon energy, suddenly changed his expression. The dragon energy that had been drifting around him suddenly straightened like nine sharp spears, revealing a terrifying aura, as if it was about to explode at any moment.

Even when he saw the woman reveal her true form as Ancient Demon Imperial Clan, he was only surprised but did not lose his composure. However, he was now staring intently at the Star Domain Miniature.

The old man glanced at him without changing his expression, but did not Pause, letting the miniature figure fly by quickly. Once the Royal Ancient Demon disappeared after chasing the woman, his battle with the King Realm Ancient Demon the Dijiang Clan at the King Realm also ended quickly.

The battle ended with his victory, suppressing the Ancient Demon Tide and pursuing it with his entire army, almost wiping out the entire Ancient Demon Tide, with only a very small number escaping back to the Chaotic Stone Star Region.

The Star Domain Miniature slowly came to a stop, and the hall fell silent for a moment.

King Zhao snapped out of his daze, the shock on his face quickly fading, and the dragon aura around him continued to swirl. He glanced around, his gaze settling on the old man, and said:

"That young man is a disciple of which sect? He's at the True Immortal Realm Third Layer, yet he actually blocked a casual attack from an ancient Ancient Demon at the Ninth Level of Immortal Lord Realm. That's truly remarkable!"

His words broke the silence, and everyone came to their senses.

What's going on?

"That woman was actually Ancient Demon. Ancient Demon Slaughter each other?"

"I've heard that the three Imperial Clan and seven royal families of the Ancient Demon, while treating all races equally with Violence, also have their own grudges. As early as 90,000 years ago, two Ancient Demon Royal Clan Slaughter each other to seize the Immortal Emperor's Immortal Forbidden Emperor Artifact, causing countless Ancient Demons to perish and giving the Eastern Region some breathing room."

Compared to the boy's amazing talent, everyone was more concerned about the Ancient Demon Woman's condition.

Seeing the crowd arguing, King Zhao remained calm and silent, but he knew the answer in his heart.

The old man remained silent until everyone had stopped talking, at which point he spoke:

"The Ancient Demon Imperial Clan is too complex to discuss in detail here. We were able to win this battle thanks to that young man; otherwise, we would have suffered countless casualties before my battle with Di Qiu was over. Even if we had won in the end, it would have been a Pyrrhic victory!"

As he spoke, he raised his hand and rotated the Star Domain Miniature, using his Immortal Power to project it into the air, and then used the laws of Path of War Immortal Dao Laws to deduce its movements.

In the simulation, at the very end of the battle, the young man and the Ancient Demon Woman did not arrive. The Peacock Army was destroyed by the Ancient Demon of the Dijiang Clan, their Military Formation was broken, and nearly half of the tens of thousands of the Peacock Army were killed. Then, the Ancient Demon of the Dijiang Clan turned around and went to help another battle, breaking the balance.

This triggered a terrible reaction. Other battle zones received reinforcements from the Ancient Demon and overwhelmed the Human Race. Elders of various Immortal Sect fell one after another and were devoured by the Ancient Demon. The Tiger Lion Army was also slaughtered at will by the high-ranking Ancient Demon commanders who were free to attack. The battlefield was filled with wails and screams, and countless people died or were injured.

Seeing this scene, although everyone had their own deductions and expectations, they still couldn't help but slightly change their expressions.

Who could have imagined that breaking that delicate balance would cause such terrible casualties!

In this projection simulation, the Human Race suffered heavy casualties. Although the old man later defeated Di Qiu, when he personally cleared the battlefield, all that remained was a battlefield littered with corpses and devastation.

He died at the hands of the Ancient Demon, his Primordial Spirit extinguished, without even a chance to be reborn.

Among them, the silver-haired, black-armored youth was also severely injured by the Ancient Demon and was on the verge of death.

The woman with Double Pupils lost one eye in the battle and only managed to save her life by using her strongest trump card.

Seeing this result, the Star Sea Hall fell silent.

"I never imagined that we Human Race would one day be grateful to the Ancient Demon."

A general said in a low voice, his tone tinged with bitterness.

The old man looked at the other person, his eyes turning solemn and radiating a chilling light that pierced the heart, and said, "The Ancient Demon have devoured Myriad Races of the True World; the hatred between races surpasses everything. As General Yan-Chu, you must carefully consider your words!"

The general's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately felt cold sweat seeping from his back. Only then did he realize that the person standing in front of him was a Celestial Master from the Demon Subduing Division.

"This humble general misspoke; I hope the Celestial Master will forgive me."

He quickly cupped his hands in greeting and bowed his head sincerely.

The old man snorted coldly and ignored him, instead saying, "As soldiers going to war, besides slaying the Ancient Demon Ji Immortal Merit, those who make great contributions on the battlefield should be heavily rewarded. What do you all think is a suitable amount of Immortal Merit for this young man's actions?"

Hearing his words, the crowd exchanged glances, and someone whispered, "Master, that young man was hanging out with that Ancient Demon Woman. Putting aside the matter of rewarding him, shouldn't we summon him and interrogate him thoroughly?"

"That's right, they colluded with the Ancient Demon. If it weren't for the infighting among the Ancient Demon, they might have infiltrated the Frontier with them." Another general nodded in agreement.

Is this an examination of a meritorious official?

The woman with Double Pupils spoke up, her voice cold and sharp. "If that young man is a spy for the Ancient Demon, colluding with them, why bother taking action? We can simply wait for the battle to end, and then take advantage of the chaos to bring that Ancient Demon Woman back to the Frontier."

"That's right. In my opinion, the young man might not know the Ancient Demon Woman's identity. Perhaps he was being used by her. After all, the young man is only at the True Immortal Realm Third Layer, while the Ancient Demon Imperial Clan is at the Immortal Lord Realm. To deceive a mere True Immortal Realm youth..."

Too easy.

The silver-haired, black-armored youth nodded, knowing full well that the old celestial master before him held the boy in high regard, Time Reversal his wishes would be utterly foolish.

Moreover, according to the previous calculations, if it weren't for the boy transforming into a butterfly and flapping his wings, he would have been on the verge of death in this battle.

Having suffered severe injuries that would delay his cultivation for thousands of years, he felt a certain fondness for the young man.

"You two shouldn't jump to conclusions so hastily; a proper examination will suffice."

The middle-aged general who had spoken earlier shook his head. He was a burly man, enveloped in golden nitrogen and argon light, and his aura was no less imposing than the two women with heterochromatic Double Pupils and double pupils. Similarly, their military ranks were equal, hence his lack of politeness.

"Perhaps the young man did it on purpose, but he didn't expect that a member of the Reincarnation Royal Ancient Demon would emerge from among the Ancient Demon, forcing the woman to reveal her true form. The woman didn't reveal her true form when she helped the Peacock Army, which means she intentionally concealed it."

That has nothing to do with that boy.

"If this matter has nothing to do with that young man, then the Immortal Merit can't possibly be attributed to him, since it wasn't him who helped the Peacock Army repel the Ancient Demon."

"Could it be that you intend to bestow your Immortal Merit upon that Ancient Demon Woman?" the silver-haired, black-armored youth asked coldly.

The middle-aged general said indifferently, "This is a matter of fate. It can only be said that this expedition was ordained by Heaven and blessed by the Heavenly Dao. It is the destiny of our Human Race."

"I think the inspection is justified and certainly a safe approach." Another general beside him nodded.

The woman with Double Pupils turned cold and said, "That young man has such Heavenly Talent; if we were to examine him, do you know how much damage it would cause to his cultivation?"

The Border Immortal Army's interrogation, especially the interrogation of those suspected of being traitors colluding with Ancient Demon, is so cruel and harsh that it can have a great impact on cultivation, even causing one's Dao Heart to decline.

"The Frontier is of utmost importance. Although that young man possesses extraordinary talent, our Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty controls thirteen states, each with three thousand counties, and each county spans hundreds of millions of miles. Why should we worry about a lack of geniuses? We can still find a number of Prodigy who surpass that young man."

Another long-bearded old general spoke. He had a long face and high cheekbones, and looked stern and extremely solemn. Several generals nodded slightly upon hearing the old general's words.

"That's right. To be on the safe side, it's best to conduct an examination. Perhaps that boy's actions are meant to make us avoid the examination, or perhaps that boy is even Ancient Demon!" a general said.

"Don't forget the lesson of the Li Bei Immortal Dynasty. The Ancient Demon were cunning and treacherous, using a self-inflicted injury ruse to infiltrate the Li Bei Immortal Dynasty and nearly wiped out the Imperial Clan in the end," another general reminded.

As more and more people in the room agreed, the woman with Double Pupils and double pupils looked rather grim.

At the same time, she also had some doubts. Although the boy was Heavenly Talent Prodigy, the Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty had even produced Prodigy with the Nine Flowers Immortal Seal, let alone that boy.

"The number of Ancient Demon that young man has slain, at a rough estimate, could accumulate to a hundredfold Immortal Merit. Even during the interrogation, we must be lenient and not let it affect him."

The silver-haired, black-armored youth, with a composed expression, chose to back down and spoke.

Upon hearing his words, the long-bearded old man nodded slightly, then stroked his beard and said, "Considering his Immortal Merit, we shouldn't make things too difficult for him, but we should observe him more closely afterward."

"Gentlemen, there's no need to argue."

At this moment, the old man suddenly spoke, interrupting everyone's conversation.

He glanced around, surveying the crowd's gazes, his expression calm, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said:

"That young man is one of my Demon Subduing Division; he would never collude with the Ancient Demon. Judging solely from the Star Domain Miniature..."

There are two possibilities. One is that he didn't know the woman was Ancient Demon, but still brought her to help. This determination is commendable, and it also led him to achieve great merit by chance.

"The second possibility is that he knew the woman was Ancient Demon and deliberately made her act, wanting to use the Ancient Demon Ancient Demon Woman to Slaughter."

He glanced around, saw the stunned expressions on everyone's faces, and smiled as he continued, "Regardless of the type, it deserves praise. Attributing this Immortal Merit to him seems to be the only choice."

Everyone was stunned.

The woman with Double Pupils eyes and the silver-haired, black-armored youth exchanged a glance, both realizing the meaning in each other's eyes.

No wonder this Daoist master had such high hopes for the young man; he was paving the way for him.

The others looked at each other, speechless.

If you were one of theirs, you should have said so earlier. Making us argue is clearly an attempt to make a fool of us. "So you're Heavenly Prodigy from the Demon Subduing Division. No wonder you're so powerful."

"True Immortal Realm Third Layer cultivator can withstand a casual strike from the Ninth Level of Immortal Lord Realm cultivator. Such Prodigy... I wonder if his Soul Lifespan is Three Thousand Years. If not, perhaps he can still hope to participate in the Southern Region Assembly Battle and bring glory to the Immortal Dynasty!"

"Could this person be a disciple of the Celestial Master?"

The generals chimed in, their words filling the tense atmosphere that had just been building.

King Zhao glanced at the Daoist priest, his eyes flickering slightly, but he remained silent.

The old man smiled calmly and said, "Let's settle all the Immortal Merit in this battle one by one first. Don't be too lenient with this boy just because he's from my Demon Subduing Division. After all, His Majesty will have to review this list of Immortal Merit in the end."

Hearing his words, everyone's expressions softened, realizing that the other party meant His Majesty meant to handle matters officially, which made things less difficult for them.

"Then we'll follow the rules, determine the battle losses, and award battle merits based on those losses."

A general said.

"Good."

The others nodded slightly; there wasn't much controversy surrounding the matter.

The old man nodded slightly, settled accounts with them, and finally received a sum of money.

Immortal Merit 1.92 million!

"Guards, summon him to my Water Moon Hall to wait."

The old man transmitted his instructions telepathically.

Outside the hall, the Demon Subduing Guard received their orders and quickly departed.

The old man rotated the Star Domain Miniature in his palm, and then began to settle accounts with the Immortal Merit of other Immortal Lord and Immortal Sect.

Water Moon Hall is located in the city, a hundred miles to the left of the Commander-in-Chief Hall.

Demon Subduing Guard were hidden around the main hall, patrolling the surroundings. Two teams of Demon Subduing Guard also guarded the main hall. Compared to the Commander-in-Chief Hall and other generals' Palace Hall, this place was not heavily guarded and instead appeared very spacious and quiet.

However, the surrounding urban streets were deserted, with no one daring to approach them.

Li Hao followed the two Demon Subduing Guards to the Water Moon Hall. The Demon Subduing Guard brought him there and then left, only telling him that the Celestial Master would return soon.

Li Hao waited in the courtyard outside the palace for quite some time. With nothing to do, he wandered around the courtyard.

This courtyard is extremely large, and the Immortal Dao Laws operate within it, making it resemble a small Secret Realm. Although it appears to be a courtyard, it is in fact a blessed land for cultivation.

Li Hao wandered around aimlessly, and when he passed a Stream arched bridge over a stream, he suddenly heard the sound of wind whistling through the air.

With his keen senses and Dao Realm, he immediately discerned that the sound of the wind was the wind of swords, indicating that someone was practicing swordsmanship.

The sound of a sword cutting through the wind is quite different from the sound of a saber cutting through the wind. Li Hao could tell from the slight whooshing sound of the wind...

I can almost picture the swordsman's sword-wielding posture and even his body movements in my mind.

Curious, he stepped off the arched bridge, walked around a grove of trees, and saw a young girl of about fourteen or sixteen years old, dressed in a pale yellow dress, gracefully practicing her swordplay outside a pavilion at the end of a gravel path.

However, the opponent's face looked youthful, but his swordsmanship was extremely mature.

"Um?"

Li Hao watched the girl's sword posture. She was practicing the same Sword Move repeatedly, as if someone was teaching her step by step. As she practiced, the Sword Move slowly revealed a very faint charm.

Li Hao found the rhythm and style extremely familiar. He quickly recognized the Swordsmanship the girl was practicing as "Blue Heaven," one of the Ten Immortal Arts!

Li Hao was somewhat surprised, never expecting that Ten Immortal Arts, once extremely rare in the True Realm, would be casually practiced by a young girl here.

However, the opponent's sword technique seemed to have deviated somewhat, and only a trace of its Dao Resonance could be barely grasped. If he continued to cultivate like this, it would probably take an extremely long time before he could gradually comprehend the true meaning of this Immortal Arts.

"Who?"

As Li Hao observed quietly, the girl seemed to sense something. Suddenly, her eyes narrowed, and her originally soft, watery eyes turned sharp. She casually slashed out with her sword, the Sword Qi like a rainbow, slashing down towards where Li Hao was.

This Sword Qi showed no mercy; having one's swordsmanship stolen is a major taboo in the Sect.

But just as this sharp, Azure Sky Sword Qi reached Li Hao raised his hand and extended two fingers.

With a gentle pinch, he captured the invisible yet divinely inspired Sword Qi.

Then, with a gentle press of his fingers, the Sword Qi energy shattered.

"Who are you, daring to steal my swordsmanship skills!"

The young girl took a step forward, catching up and appearing ten feet away from Li Hao. She saw that her Sword Qi had been broken.

Her delicate face showed a hint of anger, but no fear.

"Stealing knowledge?"

Li Hao was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. His fingers, which had just shattered the Sword Qi, slightly came together to form a sword finger. Then, as if lifting a Yun Yue, he gently flicked his finger out.

In an instant, a Sword Qi shot forth from his fingertips, swiftly slicing through space, like Ancestral Dragon emerging from the abyss, soaring through the heavens.

In an instant, it swept past the girl's flowing hair, like a dragon's roar, soaring straight up to the sky above the courtyard, leaving a crack in its wake!