Han the Divine Lord

Seriously? They consider this kind of stunner a junior sister? Just how terrifyingly beautiful must that fox be? Or is Brother Yan's eye slanted, and his aesthetic sense is quite different from universal standards?

"The Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, 'That's right! That bastard is practically blind! He's infuriating! Ugh, just thinking about it gives me angina...'"

Where did you get such a heart...? But who knows? Maybe the two of them have conflicting personalities and incompatible values? Or perhaps this Han the Divine Lord is solely focused on the Dao and looks down on the straight men of the Beichen Sword Sect? Oh, maybe their parents on the Emei side object?

Li Fan fully utilized his imagination from his past life's romance dramas and began gossiping.

"Profound Heaven Sword Intent said, 'You don't know this, but back then, that bastard didn't run away; he almost inherited my mantle! The marriage alliance between Nine Yin Mountain and Emei Mountain—who in the world dared to oppose it! If it weren't for that demon ruining things... Ouch, angina...'"

Li Fan, "..."

"So you are a fellow Daoist from Ink Bamboo Mountain. Guanzhu Feng truly lives up to his reputation as the foremost diviner in the Southern Country. The Lou Guan are indeed worthy of their reputation. This humble nun is filled with admiration."

"Han the Divine Lord, you flatter me. Our arrival was merely a matter of chance, while you, fellow Daoist, traveled a great distance to help us, turning the tide and saving the empire from collapse. You are truly the leader of our Xuanmen and a model of the righteous path. I, Yao, admire you greatly..."

"Yao the Supervisor is too kind. It is our duty to fight evil with our swords. Since we have met, why don't our two families join forces to eliminate the evil and restore peace to the South China Sea?"

"That is only right. Ink Bamboo Mountain is willing to lead the way and obey the divine lord's commands."

Han Xiangmo seemed to have long since let go of those past events. After exchanging pleasantries with Yao Xuanzhou, they united their positions and assigned command authority.

Han Xiangmo looked Li Fan over carefully again, then smiled and nodded at him. "You must be Qingyue. You are indeed a fine piece of jade, a hero emerging from among the young. Dao Seed is rare these days, reminding me of a senior brother."

Li Fan jolted awake, quickly clearing his mind of distractions. He bowed and said, "This humble one greets the Divine Lord. I wonder how Senior Sister Qin is doing? It has been many days since we last met, and I have missed her dearly. This time, I was quite fortunate and obtained a considerable amount of spiritual materials in Lei Marsh. I wonder if the Divine Lord could kindly pass some of them on to Senior Sister Qin?"

"Furthermore, I am acquainted with Senior Brother Chen Nanggu your sect. I wonder how his injuries are. I have some elixirs here that might be of use to him."

Yao Xuanzhou coughed twice, "Qingyue, there's no need to trouble the Divine Lord with such private matters."

Han Xiangmo smiled and said, "It's nothing, just a small favor. Nanxin has good taste; this marriage is truly excellent."

Before Li Fan could feel embarrassed, Han Xiangmo had already waved her hand to accept the Storage Jade that Li Fan had given her, and also sent a jade slip back to Li Fan's palm.

"I see some residual Taiyin Sword Light on your body, which means you have probably practiced the Taiyin style of swordsmanship. If these hidden injuries are not properly resolved, they may leave hidden dangers."

This "<North Star Taiyin Ice Wheel True Explanation>" is a genuine transmission of the Beichen Sword Sect. It allows one to cultivate the Taiyin Nascent Soul and neutralize the lingering effects of Sword Light. This method was bestowed upon me by a senior member of the Sword Sect, but unfortunately, due to certain reasons, I never actually cultivated it, thus failing to live up to his expectations...

However, entrusting such a talented individual as yourself to someone of the highest rank would not disgrace the Sword Sect. If you are destined to continue this legacy, I'm sure that senior would be comforted by your presence...

'Profound Heaven Sword Intent Dao, Little Han is truly a confidant~~~'

Li Fan: "... Thank you, Divine Lord."

Han Xiangmo nodded, no longer looking at him, and turned to Yao Xuanzhou, saying, "Let's leave the small talk here for now. Yao the Supervisor, my master has a feeling that a large group of demons will invade the South China Sea and wreak havoc on the Central Plains soon, so he sent me with some disciples to eliminate the threat."

But I searched the south for a while and only found some strange Devil Embryo here. They seemed to be born of heaven and earth and tainted by the False Moon. I didn't find many traces of demons. If it were just this, there would be no need to specifically instruct me to come in person. I wonder if Guanzhu Feng has given any instructions or hints."

Oh, no wonder the demon army is hiding here. It seems that even Emei can't predict everything precisely; they only have a general sense of the world's trends.

"The Profound Heaven Sword Intent said, 'Having some awareness isn't enough. The Tianyi Divine Palace has also used some methods to conceal the will of Heaven. If they don't even care about the abilities of the strategists from the Three Great Sects, that would be strange.'"

That's true. There's no need to calculate too precisely; strategically, they've already gained the upper hand. Just look at the twenty-four people Emei has dispatched at this critical juncture. The leader, Han Xiangmo, is at the Transformation Stage, while the others are all True Cultivator Nascent Soul Stage at the level of Lou Guan. This single team is more than enough to sweep away the demons of the South Sea and annihilate the vanguard of the Tianyi Divine Palace. Add to that the fifty elites from Ink Bamboo Mountain (Li Fan calls himself an elite), and even if the Ling King didn't come personally, how could they possibly lose?

In this situation, Yao Xuanzhou certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to politely say, "No, we just couldn't catch any demons, and we happened to be passing by to pick up Qingyue. It was truly a chance encounter."

So he immediately explained the information he had obtained from Li Fan and Red Sheep in a very logical and detailed manner. He summarized and relayed the personnel arrangements, plans, and strategies of the Tianyi Divine Palace from top to bottom, leaving Han Xiangmo stunned and only able to sigh in admiration.

"The Abbot could actually foresee such a thing! Ink Bamboo Mountain truly produces many talented individuals; one should never underestimate the heroes of the world..."

Li Fan, "..."

Having learned the details of the Tianyi Divine Palace, and even the details of Divine Lord Mengzhang, Han Xiangmo had a better understanding of the situation. However, she seemed to have a different plan than to raid the warehouse first and then attack reinforcements.

"This underwater granary must be protected by array formations. If we alert the Demon Race and allow some of them to escape, it would be counterproductive. It would be better to attack from both sides simultaneously."

"Please have Yao the Supervisor lead the fellow Daoists of Ink Bamboo Mountain to eliminate the demons here. My Emei sect will first surround the Ling King's forces and cut off their escape route."

Yao Xuanzhou nodded, "Very well, the Devil Embryo of this coral is almost complete. If left unattended, it will cause trouble. We must eliminate it. Qingyue, you will lead the way for Fellow Daoist Emei to attack the demon army camp."

The people at the Ink Bamboo Mountain Discipline Institute specialize in exorcising demons using new methods, while Emei is more adept at exorcising demons using ancient methods. Everyone has their own expertise, so this arrangement is quite appropriate. Li Fan accepted the order, rode on Red Sheep to find his way, and led a group of Emei sword immortals to fly to the vicinity of the trench where the Ling King was hiding.

Han Xiangmo's pupils flashed with a sharp light as she glanced down into the sea. She nodded and ordered, "I need to prepare magical artifacts to exorcise the demons. You all protect me, and set up a Six Gates Formation down below to trap the demon soldiers."

"Follow the law."

The Emei disciples received the order and dispatched eighteen people to the sea, forming six teams of three, each taking up positions on the horizon. A thick fog then rose from the sea, dreamlike and illusory, obscuring the view of even the smallest specks of dust, making it impossible to discern the weather or the terrain.

The remaining five people simply used the Five Elements Formation to protect the core Divine Lord. Han Xiangmo also made hand seals and chanted incantations, probably preparing a powerful ultimate move against an army-level opponent.

Li Fan guessed that another nuclear explosion was imminent, so he quickly rode his Red Sheep into the sky and watched the show from a distance.

"The Profound Heaven Sword Intent said, 'This arrangement is called the Six Gates Formation of Life, Death, Illusion, Annihilation, Obscurity, and Light. This is an illusionary formation that traps people. It's a simplified version of the Two Elements Dust Formation used by Emei Mountain Guardians. Only the Gate of Life can lead to escape. It's not difficult to cast casually. Try to figure out which path leads to survival. If you can't figure it out before Xiao Han prepares his magic weapon, you're doomed if you encounter it.'"

Wow, they're even assigning homework just for watching the fun...

Li Fan had no choice but to start calculating with his fingers. He worked up a sweat, even secretly glancing at the Si Nan twice, before finally figuring it out.

This Six Gates formation was more complex than any other formation Li Fan had ever seen, because the entire formation was not static but dynamic. The eighteen Nascent Soul Stage were not simply maintaining and guarding the formation; they also constantly shifted their positions, rotating left and right. The energy of the entire formation was in a state of dynamic change and flow. You might figure out the way out in a moment, but if you were a step too slow, the path to life would change position, and you would have to start all over again, all for nothing. For example, right now, the path to life had shifted from the southwest to the southeast.

'The Profound Heaven Sword Intent Dao is well-calculated, but you are already dead.'

How could he die? At least the calculation was done!

"Profound Heaven Sword Intent said, what's the use of just calculating? You still have to pass three trials and fight your way out from under the hands of the Emei True Person. Can you kill three instantly? Look, the magic treasures over there are already prepared. There's no time!"

Li Fan turned his head and saw from afar that Han the Divine Lord was holding a white-glazed bowl with a lotus scroll pattern and a copper clasp. This treasure gradually flew up from her fair hand, shimmering and growing larger in mid-air, from a normal cup shape to the size of a conical hat or stove.

The bowl has a rim inlaid with red copper, a slanted body, and a small foot. The glaze is white with a yellowish tinge, the body is fine and dense, and the walls are slightly translucent. The center of the bowl is molded with a cloud and phoenix pattern, the inner rim is decorated with a meander pattern, and the walls are decorated with a lotus scroll pattern. The overall shape is regular and the workmanship is exquisite. The glaze is lustrous and rich, like piled-up fat, and the decoration is clear, intricate yet not fussy. It is truly a rare and excellent work of art.

So it must be very valuable, right?

"The Profound Heaven Sword Intent said, 'This fellow Daoist is at the second rank of the Divine Transformation stage, a priceless treasure. You must at least reach the same realm as it before you might have the chance to get acquainted with it. Such an opportunity cannot be sought; just seeing it is enough.'"

Things...

Suddenly, Li Fan heard a roaring sound like a waterfall, and in the distance, it seemed as if mist was rising. So he rode the Red Sheep high into the air and saw that a round bowl suddenly appeared on the sea below. The water walls below seemed to be cut open by the invisible bowl wall, as if the ocean currents below were all contained in the bowl.

Only then, amidst the earth-shattering, turbulent chaos, did the Demon Race below realize something was wrong. Hundreds of demon soldiers and generals then emerged, trying to find out what had gone wrong.

Of course, even when they did emerge, they were obscured by the heavy fog cast by the Six Gates Formation, making it impossible to see the truth outside. However, Li Fan could clearly see from the sky that the white-glazed conical bowl also contained a bowl of seawater, indicating that some kind of extraordinary supernatural power had been used to trap the 100,000 demon soldiers below.

Then Han Xiangmo pointed her finger, her lips parted slightly, and said, "Water, fire, wind, and thunder, without form or attachment; all heavenly dragons, without delusion or demonic influence, silently proving the void, the mind unmoved, enduring all suffering, heaven and man in harmony, the three gods returning to one, the body itself becoming Bodhi, the nine heavenly treasures, the South Bright Li Fire."

Then a tiny blue flame, the size of a lamp wick, flew from her fingertip and landed in the bowl.

Like a spark falling into lamp oil, the blue seawater in the bowl turned into blue flames, and the entire sea below was also transformed into a fiery hell. In the blink of an eye, all the water vapor was evaporated into nothingness by the icy blue flames, revealing a deep sea valley that resembled an abyss of hell.

Countless Demon Race hidden beneath the sea were burned to ashes in this area without even being able to utter a cry. Even those Nascent Soul Stage demons who had learned the Immortal Palace's inheritance and refined their foundations and built their bodies could not survive this Dao Fire. They were instantly annihilated, leaving behind a large pile of enormous demon corpses that had been roasted and steamed to death.

Only the Divine Transformation -Transforming ribbonfish struggled to rise into the air, revealing its massive original form nearly two hundred feet tall. It flew out into the sky, its mouth full of fangs, its voice shaking the five oceans, its domineering aura unmatched. However, at this moment, its entire body was enveloped in icy blue flames, and its silvery demonic body was being burned by the Dao fire, emitting a fragrance that made people's mouths water.

Unfortunately, even the Divine Transformation King who had reached the Nascent Soul stage couldn't hold out for long. He struggled and circled around in the sky a dozen times, but he couldn't find a way out and couldn't escape from the Six Gates Formation of Life, Death, Illusion, Obscurity, and Light. In the end, he couldn't withstand the burning flames that clung to his bones and devoured his soul, and he fell into the sea and died with a miserable howl.

Thus, the 100,000 demon soldiers were all wiped out in one fell swoop, leaving only a bowl of fish offal and seafood...

Li Fan watched helplessly, a layer of cold sweat beading on his forehead and back. The Red Sheep beneath him trembled like a sieve, almost falling off.

Holy crap... what is that move? It's so brutal...

' The Profound Heaven Sword Intent says, oh, the South Bright Li Fire? This is a Dao technique of the Emei Divine Transformation Realm. My Beichen Sword Sect's Nascent Divine Transformation Realm Sword Light is not inferior either. What's impressive is that bowl. Of course, Little Han is also a highly skilled cultivator with profound blessings; he seems to be on the threshold of enlightenment.'

Han Xiangmo, expressionless, deftly withdrew the bamboo hat-shaped bowl from her grasp. She circled the rim of the bowl with her right middle finger before the icy flames of the South Bright Li Fire were absorbed. Suddenly, starlight blazed in her eyes as she spoke to the horrific pile of corpses below.

"Stop hiding. You may have some quick wit, but do you think you can fool me? If we're going to fight, let's fight. My Emei sect won't bully you just because we outnumber you. Show yourself."

Li Fan also turned his head to look, and saw that from the belly of the ribbonfish, a bald, dark-skinned, burly man with a thick waist and a potbelly crawled out. His face was charred black. He threw down the black iron rod in his hand, knelt down and bowed his head in worship.

"Panqiao would never dare to be an enemy of the Lord. He sincerely surrenders and begs the Divine Lord to have pity on our thousand years of cultivation and spare our lowly life to be our slave."

Han Xiangmo, her eyes half-closed, looked at it and said, "Are you Pan Qiao, the demon general under the Ling King?"

"The small animal is indeed..."

Before it could finish speaking, Han the Divine Lord unleashed a palm strike, a terrifying and domineering palm force that instantly turned the refined demon god into a bloody pulp. Then, a fish-like shadow, like black smoke, was caught by Han the Divine Lord's palm and caught in his hand, letting out a sharp and shrill scream like a whale's cry.

"Panqiao Dao, Divine Lord, spare my life! Divine Lord, spare my life!"

But Han Xiangmo annihilated its primordial spirit in one swift motion, causing its soul to dissipate. Then, she transmitted her voice to the group of True Immortals, saying, "Disperse them out. If any escape, kill them without mercy."

"As you command!" The group of Emei sword immortals then transformed into a shower of stars and scattered in all directions.

Li Fan swallowed hard, and could hear the Red Sheep sitting down whimpering with relief.

"It's a pity that the demonic dragon Meng Guang escaped. We'll probably have to make another trip here later. Alright, let's go back and see how Yao the Supervisor is doing."

Han Xiangmo instantly landed beside Li Fan, glanced at the trembling dragon beneath her feet, and advised Li Fan, "Young friend, don't blame me for being ruthless, but those who are not of my kind are bound to have different hearts. Your demon has also developed intelligence; if it were to cultivate into human form, it would sooner or later develop human-like thoughts and covet things that don't belong to it. Rather than being harmed by them in the future, it's better to eliminate it now for peace of mind."

Red Sheep was so scared he almost passed out.

Li Fan broke out in a cold sweat. "Thank you for the reminder, Divine Lord. This disciple is a servant boy who Mu Long in the mountains. This one is raised to produce medicinal materials. It's not considered domesticated, so I can't just dispose of it casually."

Han Xiangmo was somewhat surprised to hear this. "Mu Long? I heard that the Dragon Repository of Sanyuan was wiped out long ago. So there's still a lineage? Ink Bamboo Mountain really does produce many talented people who keep their abilities hidden..."

Li Fan's heart skipped a beat, but he smiled and said, "You jest, Divine Lord. How can we, the people of the mountains, compare with the orthodox sects of the Central Plains? We merely collect claws and scales; it hardly qualifies as a true lineage."

As they were talking, Red Sheep quickly carried the two killing gods back to the coral.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out that Han the Divine Lord's side had already finished their battle, while Master Yao's side had only just begun.

The cultivators from Ink Bamboo Mountain formed a circle of seven, and the forty-nine of them circled the coral sea seven times, chanting incantations as they formed an array, seemingly performing a ritual.

Although the effect of this formation was not as fierce and terrifying as that of Emei, one could still feel a massive amount of Dao power descending from the sky, scattered like piles of gold foil or like goose feather snow falling from the starry sky. Those golden foils, neither snow nor dust, nor even light and shadow, landed on the coral's tentacles, causing them to evaporate a large amount of malevolent energy and slowly shrink and wither. The malevolent energy that evaporated was then collected by the Golden Core cultivator using Jade Pure Bottle.

Rather than exorcising demons, these Daoist priests were more like archaeologists collecting evil energy, not only gathering it but also cutting out samples to preserve.

Han Xiangmo looked around from outside and smiled at Li Fan.

"Although I knew that Lou Guan was skilled in observing the stars and the qi, his most famous skill was only used to find auspicious burial sites, conduct geomancy for marriage and burial, and say auspicious words about marriage and fortune to people. I never thought that he could even borrow the power of the stars in such a favorable time! It is truly impressive!"

In comparison, the Daoist methods of our Xuanmen sect, no matter how much we learn them, are mostly used to kill people. Your wondrous methods, on the other hand, seem far more magical and mysterious."

Li Fan was sweating bullets; he still thought the kind of killing bad guys was more impressive.