Inside Firecloud Cave, Ancestor Hong Yun paced back and forth, his brows furrowed. His usually ruddy complexion had turned somewhat pale.
Ever since Heaven's Dao had sent that message, he had felt uneasy, as if an invisible sword hung over his head, ready to fall at any moment.
"Strange. I've done nothing to harm Heaven or reason, and I've made no enemies. Why do I feel such a strong sense of dread?"
He made a divination, but the secrets of Heaven were a complete muddle. He couldn't see anything.
The fear of the unknown was the most tormenting of all.
Just then.
A spatial ripple arose without warning over the cushion behind him. It hadn't disturbed any of the protective formations, nor stirred even the slightest ripple of spiritual energy.
"Who?!"
Hong Yun was startled. He spun around, instantly summoning the Nine-Nine Soul Scattering Gourd in his hand. Red sand filled the sky as he prepared to fight for his life.
"Don't panic. It's me."
A familiar, languid voice came from behind him.
Hong Yun looked closely and saw Taiyuan sitting cross-legged on his cushion, holding a cup of hot tea he'd just brought from Mount Sumeru and leisurely blowing on it. Jieyin and Zhunti stood behind him like two guardian warriors—one with a face full of suffering, the other wearing a mischievous grin.
"Daoist Taiyuan?!"
Hong Yun was both surprised and delighted. His taut nerves relaxed at once. He put away the gourd and hurried forward. "What brings you here? You didn't even give me a heads-up. You scared me half to death!"
He truly regarded Taiyuan as a close friend. At that Hotpot Feast in Purple Heavens Palace, Taiyuan's carefree, easygoing nature had suited him perfectly. And that was without even mentioning how Taiyuan had repeatedly warned him in secret to watch out for Kunpeng.
"If I'd given you a heads-up, how would the show go on?"
Taiyuan set down his teacup and pointed outside, his expression suddenly turning serious.
"Big Brother Hong Yun, you're in big trouble."
"Big trouble?" Hong Yun stared at him, bewildered. "What trouble could I possibly be in? I've been cultivating in seclusion lately. I haven't even left my home."
Taiyuan sighed, looking at the Primordial World's biggest softhearted fool as if he were beyond help.
"You haven't left home, but someone wants to make sure you do."
He swept his hand, and a huge Prehistoric Power Distribution Map appeared out of thin air. Centered on Firecloud Cave, countless red dots converged from every direction. Each one represented a force powerful enough to threaten a Grand Luo Golden Immortal.
The two enormous, blood-red skull markers to the north and near the Blood Sea were closing in at astonishing speed. Even through the map, their overwhelming baleful aura was enough to make one's heart pound.
Hong Yun watched the scene, his pupils shrinking sharply as cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
"This... Is that Kunpeng and Ming He? What are they here for?"
"What else? To kill you and steal your treasure, of course."
Zhunti chimed in, carrying the Sky-Turning Shovel over his shoulder as he gave a chuckle. "All across the Primordial World, people are saying that you, Hong Yun, have the Primordial Violet Qi—the key to becoming a sage. These people are so desperate to become sages that they see you as a juicy prize."
"The Primordial Violet Qi?!"
Hong Yun cried out in alarm, so wronged he nearly jumped. "I don't have any such thing! I've never even seen it! Which bastard started that rumor?!"
"Hongjun."
Taiyuan calmly uttered the name, and Hong Yun fell silent at once.
"Why would the Dao Ancestor harm me?" Hong Yun asked bitterly, unable to understand.
"Because you're a variable, and also a chess piece." Taiyuan rose and patted Hong Yun on the shoulder. "Some things are hard to explain right now. You just need to know that if we don't do something today, this Firecloud Cave of yours will become your tomb."
Hong Yun gazed into Taiyuan's eyes, which seemed to see through everything. The fear in his heart gradually faded, replaced by profound gratitude.
At a time like this, everyone else was keeping their distance—or even hoping to grab a share of the spoils. Only Taiyuan had come all this way with his two junior brothers to warn him and save his life.
That friendship was higher than mountains and deeper than the sea.
"Daoist Taiyuan..." Hong Yun's eyes reddened, and his voice choked with emotion. "Though you come from the Western Lands, you feel closer than my Eastern Lands neighbor! For your kindness today, Hong Yun—"
"Hold it. No need to get emotional."
Taiyuan hurriedly waved a hand, cutting off Hong Yun's heartfelt speech. "Saving your life comes with a fee. But since we're friends, I'll give you a twenty-percent discount this time."
Hong Yun laughed through his tears and nodded repeatedly. "Fine! Whatever you want, I'll give it to you!"
"Don't rush to pay me. Let's get through this first."
Taiyuan's expression turned serious, and he began giving orders. "First, call that good friend of yours, Zhen Yuanzi. He has the Earth Book, the greatest defensive treasure in the Primordial World. We'll need to make doubly sure we're protected."
Without hesitation, Hong Yun summoned a flying sword bearing a message and sent it straight to Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain.
"Second, we set up a formation."
Taiyuan pulled a large pile of formation flags from his sleeve. They were an upgraded version of the Innate Five Elements Inverting Heaven and Earth Formation, a reward from the system.
"Zhunti, take the eastern Kun position. Jieyin, take the western Qian position. This time, we're preparing a grand gift for these invaders."
Jieyin and Zhunti accepted their orders and swiftly set about arranging the formation.
Taiyuan personally took up position at its core, blending a trace of the Chaos Green Lotus's aura into the formation. In an instant, it completely concealed the presence of all Firecloud Cave, and even created the illusion that the cave was deserted inside and its defenses lax.
"The third step, and the most important one."
Taiyuan looked at Hong Yun, a mischievous grin appearing on his face. "We act."
"Act?" Hong Yun was confused again.
"Right. Pretend you've gone into qi deviation and your aura is in disarray." Taiyuan patiently explained. "Only then will those rats hiding in the shadows be unable to resist jumping out. We're not just defending ourselves—we're going to beat them until they're scared, so that from now on, they'll tremble whenever they hear the name 'Hong Yun.'"
Hong Yun might have been honest, but he was still a Grand Luo Golden Immortal. He understood at once.
He took a deep breath and began adjusting the flow of his qi, deliberately making it chaotic. He even forced up a mouthful of blood and held it in his mouth, ready to spit it out at any moment.
Just then.
The Earth Book's distinctive, heavy ocher light cut through the sky. Zhen Yuanzi had arrived.
The Ancestor of Earth Immortals looked deeply worried. As soon as he landed, he saw Hong Yun rehearsing his blood-spitting act as if nothing were wrong, with Taiyuan and the others standing nearby.
"What... is this all about?" Zhen Yuanzi swept his sleeve, bringing the Earth Book up in front of himself as he watched them warily.
Taiyuan smiled and explained what had happened.
After hearing the whole story, Zhen Yuanzi's gaze toward Taiyuan changed. His initial wariness gave way to deep gratitude.
"Daoist Taiyuan, your plans are flawless. I'm impressed!"
Zhen Yuanzi bowed to Taiyuan. "In that case, I'll use the Earth Book to protect this place. I won't let those miscreants harm Hong Yun in the slightest!"
"Good! Everything is ready. All we need now is the final touch."
Taiyuan snapped his fingers, then led everyone into concealment, hiding in a folded space within the formation.
Before long.
The sky outside Firecloud Cave suddenly darkened.
The peaceful clouds were torn apart in an instant, and a foul, pungent stench of blood mixed with a cold demonic wind as it swept in.
Black clouds pressed down on the city; the Blood Sea churned.
Two figures like fiendish gods emerged amid the surging baleful aura.
On the left was Kunpeng, in human form, his wings spread behind him and blotting out the sky. His eyes were as sinister as a venomous snake's.
On the right was Ming He, standing atop the Twelve-Grade Red Lotus of Karma Fire, holding the Yuantu Abi Twin Swords, with layers of bloody phantoms surrounding him.
They exchanged glances, and each saw the greed and murderous intent in the other's eyes.
They might not have liked each other, but when it came to their interests, they made the perfect allies.
"Hong Yun!"
Kunpeng stepped forward. His voice, like the screech of a night owl, was piercing and unpleasant, echoing over all of Firecloud Cave.
"I know you're in there! Stop hiding!"
"Hand over the Primordial Violet Qi, and I'll spare your life! Otherwise, I'll flatten this Firecloud Cave today and wipe you out, body and soul!"
Ming He cackled as well, lightly tapping his twin swords together. They gave off a grating metallic scrape.
"I, your Ancestor, love refining the souls of Grand Luo Golden Immortals. Hong Yun, if you don't know what's good for you, I'll refine you into this Blood River Formation and make sure you never reincarnate!"
Hidden in the folded space, Taiyuan held a handful of freshly roasted Five-Needle Pine Nuts and passed them to Zhunti and Jieyin.
As he cracked the nuts, he pointed at the two arrogant villains outside, curled his lip, and said with disdain:
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Listen to that."
"Such clichéd lines. Not an ounce of originality."
"Watch and learn, second brother, third brother. Our people in the Western Sect are absolutely forbidden from using such brainless villain openings. They're so tacky."
Zhunti took a pine nut and cracked it open with a crunch. He nodded in deep agreement. "Elder Brother is right. If we're going to rob someone, we should do it politely. We ought to reason with them first, confuse them with our arguments, and only then make our move. That's the refined approach."
Jieyin silently turned his Prayer Beads beside them. He didn't say anything, but his eyes also showed that he agreed with the sentiment: Elder Brother really was cultured.
Meanwhile, Hong Yun, pretending to be dead in the center of the formation, heard the shouting outside and suddenly let out a heartrending cry, just as they'd rehearsed:
"Ah! I can't hold on!"
His voice was full and strong, yet tinged with weakness. His acting was truly explosive.
Kunpeng and Ming He heard him and immediately beamed with delight.
"Hahaha! The old softhearted fool really has gone into qi deviation! Heaven is on our side!"
"Attack!"
The two no longer held back. They transformed into two streaks of light and slammed into Firecloud Cave's Mountain Protection Array.
A carefully planned sting operation had officially begun.
Before you continue