When the white jade melted away and Huang Tian stepped out of it, the two men aboard the flying boat stiffened. A glimmer rose in the purple-robed Daoist's eyes as he tried to discern Huang Tian's cultivation.
But he could see nothing. Panic seized him at once. The gulf between them was so vast that his spirit-eye technique was useless. Was this man a mighty Golden Core cultivator? Or a Primordial Spirit powerhouse like their ancestor?!
His thoughts raced. He tucked both hands into his sleeves, each holding a precious Second Stage lightning talisman, and spoke in a grave voice. "May I ask where you come from, fellow Daoist? Which immortal clan are you from? Fourteenth Son and I belong to the Cangping Wu Clan. If you wish to protect this village, we'll leave at once and never come back to 'select' anyone. How does that sound?"
Fourteenth Son said nothing, his face taut. The short verse the man had recited upon appearing left him deeply uneasy. "Clad in finery, they claim the immortal path; on white bones, they build their lofty halls." It plainly condemned them as beasts in human clothing. And the line "The evil in human hearts surpasses that of demons" told him this was probably a cultivator who considered himself righteous.
In this age, demons ran rampant. To resist them, most cultivators eagerly sought ways to advance at breakneck speed, often straying down crooked paths in the end, such as consuming Human Pills or potent medicines made from blood essence.
Yet there were always exceptions. Some cultivators held themselves to the strictest principles. They took it upon themselves to sweep demons from the world and safeguard peace among humankind, fighting them to the bitter end.
But with the world so corrupt, bad coin drove out good