Chen Juyuan, the Seventh-generation Patriarch

Yang Xiao lay on his bed. He had opened a skylight in the roof of the Yellow Stone House, giving him a view of the stars filling the sky.

Starlight shone on his faintly melancholy face. If his guess was right, Lei Jiuchen would go back tonight.

Yang Xiao was deeply troubled. He had no idea how to explain things to Lei Miaoyan when she woke tomorrow. Lei Jiuchen had dumped an enormous mess in his lap, and he feared he could not keep it under control. Fortunately, Yang You'er, whom he had picked up for free, was quite strong. Hopefully she could step in at the crucial moment. Yes, she could secretly knock Senior Sister unconscious.

He went the entire night without sleep. Whenever he thought of what would happen in the morning, he simply could not fall asleep.

Yang Xiao stepped outside with two dark circles under his eyes. Unless cultivators went without sleep for a very long time, they would never develop such strange things as dark circles. His, however, had come from worry.

He went to Senior Brother Lei's room, opened the door, and entered. The room was empty. Sure enough, he had gone back.

As soon as Yang Xiao stepped out, he saw Yang You'er standing outside her door, stretching lazily and accentuating a figure that countless men could not resist looking at dozens more times—no, for an entire lifetime.

"Brother Xiao." Yang You'er smiled as she greeted him.

Looking at the carefree Yang You'er, Yang Xiao suddenly felt a little envious. Forgetting everything really did have its advantages.

"You'er, let's make breakfast," Yang Xiao replied. He began preparing breakfast with her. As for Senior Sister Lei, he would let her sleep a little longer and delay the coming storm.

Halfway through, Yang Xiao stopped and looked up at the sun. Senior Sister Lei would normally have been awake by now. She was not a little fairy who lazed in bed.

A sudden sense of foreboding rose in Yang Xiao's heart. He turned and said, "You'er, go call Sister Lei out for breakfast."

"But the food isn't ready yet." Yang You'er set down her kitchen knife. Despite her words, her body faithfully carried out his command.

She walked to Lei Miaoyan's room and knocked, then turned back. "Brother Xiao, no one's opening the door."

Yang Xiao came over and punched the Blue Stone House. A yellow light flashed around it, sending him flying back.

"Open the door," he said.

"Isn't that a little inappropriate?" Yang You'er asked quietly.

As her words fell, she turned and unleashed a streak of black light. The door of the Blue Stone House burst apart with a crash. She went inside, looked around, then came out. "Sister Lei isn't in there."

Yang Xiao's heart sank. Sure enough, not one of those three master and disciples was easy to fool. Senior Sister Lei must have noticed something amiss and slipped back to the Carefree Sect last night.

Anxiety seized him. The Carefree Sect was now a bomb that could explode at any moment, one capable of killing Immortals. Going back now was nothing short of offering up her head.

"Senior Brother Lei seems to be missing too," Yang You'er murmured, poking her head into Lei Jiuchen's room.

"We're going back," Yang Xiao said. He pushed Shrinking Earth to Inches to its limit and jogged toward the Carefree Sect.

Above him, Yang You'er caught up through the sky, her little hands clasped behind her back.

At the foot of Worry-Free Mountain, Yang Xiao breathed a sigh of relief. Everything on the mountain was peaceful. The storm had yet to arrive, and he still had a chance to get his senior brother and sister out.

Suddenly, the northern sky changed dramatically. A thousand-zhang giant of clouds and mist strode toward Worry-Free Mountain. "Heavenly Master Yun Tianji has come to wipe out your sect."

"Celestial Phenomenon Dharma Body." Yang Xiao sucked in a breath of cold air. This was a profound technique among Heavenly Masters, one that only Immortals could master.

It did not end there. Several great mountains rose into the southern sky, transforming into a stone giant carrying a mountain on his shoulder. "Earth Master Shi Yuanwu has come to wipe out your sect."

"Terrestrial Phenomenon Dharma Body." This Earth Master was no weaker than the giant to the north.

A Thunder Eagle flew in from the east, riding lightning. A middle-aged man with an eagle-like mouth stood upon its back. He was the Young Master, Luo Kedi's father.

Gales made the Young Master's robes flap loudly. But the next instant, he snorted coldly, and the winds abruptly stopped. Thousands of trees on Worry-Free Mountain were uprooted.

The Young Master flew above Worry-Free Mountain, his hands clasped behind his back. "Chen Wuyou, hand over Yang Xiao, and I can spare your life," he said coldly.

"Hahaha!"

Laughter echoed above Worry-Free Mountain. An old man with white hair, beard, and eyebrows rose from within it, a horsetail whisk resting over his arm. He was Chen Wuyou, sect master of the Carefree Sect on Worry-Free Mountain.

Chen Wuyou stood in the air and surveyed the enemies on three sides. "Hand over Yang Xiao, and you'll spare my Carefree Sect? Young Master, do you even believe that yourself?

"Luo Kedi alone isn't enough for your Luo Family to invite two great experts from the Heavenly Master Palace and the Earth Master Hall."

"You've come for the Carefree Scripture."

The Young Master's eyes narrowed, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. "You are a clever man. Hand over Yang Xiao and the Carefree Scripture, and the Carefree Sect can escape this calamity today."

Chen Wuyou curled his lip. "Who in all of Great Zhou doesn't know what sort of people the Luo Family are? Rather than count on your mercy, I'd sooner believe mortal sows could climb trees."

The Young Master's expression turned sinister. He sneered, "Chen Wuyou, I gave you a chance. You failed to seize it."

He turned to the giants. "Heavenly Master Yun, Earth Master Shi, please strike."

"Gladly." Shi Yuanwu grinned and hurled the mountain on his shoulder at Worry-Free Mountain.

"Do you think my Carefree Sect is so easily destroyed?" Chen Wuyou's eyes widened. He landed atop Worry-Free Mountain, drawing the entire mountain's earth vein qi into his body. Pointing one hand at the ground, he declared, "Earth's Right Hand!"

Earth Vein Qi surged forth, forming an enormous yellow hand that slapped toward the mountain.

The two collided in midair. The mountain shattered, while Chen Wuyou spat out blood and staggered back more than a dozen steps.

Yang Xiao watched the scene with despondent eyes. Chen Wuyou was only an Earth Master in the Living Spirit Realm, whereas the Young Master and the other two were all above that realm. Even if Chen Wuyou's Earth Master arts spanned ancient times and the present, he could not contend with them.

"A waste of time," the cloud giant said. An enormous hand struck toward Worry-Free Mountain, the surrounding clouds and mist churning as it descended with hundreds of bolts of lightning.

"You're courting death!" Chen Wuyou roared. He stamped his right foot, and Worry-Free Mountain split apart. A Divine Kun flew out from within—the very one Yang Xiao had seen in the Heavenly Master's Spirit Sea that day.

With immense strength, the Divine Kun smashed the cloud giant apart with its head. A white-robed old man was sent flying out, scattering a rain of blood across the sky.

The Young Master's face darkened at the sight of the Divine Kun. "If this Divine Kun is your Carefree Sect's trump card, then I will destroy your sect today," he sneered.

The white-robed old man returned and joined the Young Master and Shi Yuanwu in surrounding the Divine Kun. Icy killing intent filled heaven and earth.

While the Divine Kun held the Young Master and the others' attention, Yang Xiao ran up the mountain.

At the summit, he saw his senior brother and sister supporting Chen Wuyou. His master's face was pale, his magical power unstable. He no longer had the strength to fight.

"Master." Yang Xiao stepped forward to support him. "Let's go to the rear mountain and ask Old Man Chen for help."

Old Man Chen on the rear mountain was unfathomable. Yang Xiao did not know why he had yet to intervene, but seeking his help was their only path left.

They flew toward the rear mountain and spotted Old Man Chen's thatched hut at its foot.

Yang Xiao let out a deep breath of relief. He had always had a feeling that Old Man Chen was strong—at least stronger than Butcher.

The battle in the sky raged on. Fighting three opponents alone was a struggle for the Divine Kun. The Young Master's spear left wound after wound across its body, and its blood rained down on Worry-Free Mountain.

Chen Wuyou pushed away the Lei siblings and approached the thatched hut. Falling to his knees, he said, "Patriarch, the destruction of the Carefree Sect is upon us. Please intervene and quell this great calamity."

"Ah!"

A sigh came from the thatched hut, and Old Man Chen emerged with a hoe over his shoulder.

Old Man Chen swung his hoe toward the sky. It shed its mundane form in midair, becoming a golden magical treasure. The earth and the surrounding space shook, and pitch-black rifts opened all around.

Horror filled the faces of the Young Master and his two companions. They hurriedly cast defensive spells, but the hoe smashed straight through their defenses and pinned all three to the ground.

The terror had yet to leave the Young Master's face when he saw Old Man Chen. It deepened further. "Chen Juyuan, the Carefree Sect's seventh-generation patriarch from six thousand years ago!"

Yun Tianji's expression changed drastically. "He's Chen Juyuan, the man called the strongest beneath the gods six thousand years ago? Didn't he die after failing to become a god back then? How could he have survived to this age?"

After defeating the three, Chen Juyuan gazed at the sky with a grave expression.

Yang Xiao asked, "Old Man Chen, Patriarch, what's wrong? Are there more enemies?"

He was not the only one. Chen Wuyou and the others also wanted to know, and they looked at Chen Juyuan in confusion.

Chen Juyuan sighed. "If my guess is correct, you are the Luo Family's ancestor, the current Grand Preceptor."

Chen Juyuan's voice echoed through the surroundings and traveled up into the sky.

At those words, Chen Wuyou's expression changed drastically, and he looked skyward in horror.

Although Yang Xiao did not know whom they were talking about, he knew another immensely powerful enemy was here—one so strong that even the Carefree Sect's seventh-generation patriarch might not be able to handle him.

"Chen Juyuan, you were something of a figure back then. Hand over my grandson's murderer and the Carefree Scripture today, and I shall spare your life." A voice echoed all around, but no matter how Yang Xiao searched, he could not find its source.

"I'd like to see just how strong the current Grand Preceptor truly is," Chen Juyuan said, shaking his head and refusing the demand.

"You have no idea how close you are to death," the hidden man said.

A dark red Spear appeared out of the void, pointing straight at Chen Juyuan.

"Patriarch, be careful!" Chen Wuyou cried.

Cold sweat poured down Yang Xiao's back. Although the dark red Spear had no earth-shattering aura, a single glance at it made him feel as though he stood at the gates of the underworld.

"The current Grand Preceptor amounts to no more than this. You actually rely on a junior's divine weapon. Truly, each generation of the Luo Family is worse than the last," Chen Juyuan mocked. He pointed, and boundless Earth Vein Qi surged in from every direction, forming a yellow finger aimed at the spear's tip.

The finger shattered layer by layer in midair, and the spear pierced Chen Juyuan's right arm. At that very moment, Chen Juyuan pointed into the void with his left hand, sending a black-clad man flying out.

The black-clad man stared coldly at Chen Juyuan. "You're ruthless enough. I lost this time. We're leaving."

The black-clad man lifted the Young Master and his two companions into the air, but once airborne, he abruptly turned and thrust his spear at the Divine Kun.

The Divine Kun let out a miserable cry and fell from the sky. The black-clad man did not escape unscathed either, spitting a jet of blood into the air.

The black-clad man sneered for a moment, then departed with the three. This time, he truly left.

"Divine Kun!" Chen Wuyou cried in anguish.