Good Morning, Everyone

"Exactly, I didn't expect the Mysterious Robe Hermit to be in this mountain temple. Perhaps Liu Suiyun arranged to meet him here. However, with our Gang Leader and the Saint Empress present, it's not guaranteed we can't keep the Mysterious Robe Hermit here," the man from the northwest said with pride.

Shi Xuan didn't know who the Gang Leader was at first, but he could guess now. To be so confident in front of Qi Taichong, one of the Five Great Grandmasters, and to believe they could join forces with the Demon Empress to keep him here, meant they were also a Grandmaster-level expert. And among the experts of this level, the only one referred to as Gang Leader could only be the Power Money Gang's leader, Iron Fist Li Shenfan.

Why did Shi Xuan dare to get involved in the affairs of the Demonic Sect? Wasn't he afraid of the Immortal Sect backing the Demonic Sect? It was because Old Daoist Xu, when he was searching for the Daoist lineage, had secretly and openly visited the Carefree Sect, which was on par with the righteous sects and the Demonic Sect. Unfortunately, there was still no news of the Daoist lineage. He had also wanted to investigate the Demonic Sect, but their movements were too secretive, and he couldn't find them. Therefore, Shi Xuan's initial targets were only Tongxuan Mountain, Mang Mountain, and Luojing.

Based on this deduction, the possibility of the Immortal Sect backing the Demonic Sect, while not entirely impossible, was very, very small. And if he wanted to find the Daoist lineage without taking any risks, how could that be possible!

"May I know your esteemed name, my friend? Could you lead this poor Daoist and Wan'er to the Saint Empress?" Shi Xuan was worried about wasting time by taking the wrong path, so he directly asked the man from the northwest to lead the way.

"I am Dong Liang from Ganzhou. Please follow me, Daoist Priest and Saintess. May I ask your name, Daoist Priest?" Dong Liang was naturally willing to lead the way for the Daoist Priest. After all, regarding the summoning of subordinates, the Gang Leader had not sent only him as a precaution.

"This poor Daoist's secular surname is Shi." Shi Xuan thought that since he was going to disrupt things, he didn't need to give his full name. He pulled Wan'er along and followed Dong Liang towards Little Absolute Ridge.

Dong Liang wanted to invite Chu Wan'er to ride his horse, but Chu Wan'er didn't appreciate it at all. She tightly held Shi Xuan's hand, refusing to let go. Dong Liang had no choice but to lead the horse, walking ahead.

Shi Xuan started walking with Chu Wan'er, and it was fine at first. But the further they walked, the tighter Chu Wan'er pulled. He found it strange and looked sideways, unable to help but laugh out loud. The girl had a pained expression, her steps getting smaller and smaller, and the distance between them increasing. No wonder she felt like she was pulling tighter and tighter. Looking at her, she seemed like she would turn and run away at any moment.

Hearing Shi Xuan's laughter, Chu Wan'er pouted at her master and said with a worried face, "Master, how will Mother punish Wan'er?"

"Hmm, she might give Wan'er a spanking, and then lock you up for a few days without food. Or she might make Wan'er walk on cinders barefoot..." As Shi Xuan spoke, Chu Wan'er's eyes turned redder, and her steps became like she was shuffling. "But, with Master here, I will naturally support Wan'er and won't let your mother punish you!"

"Really! Master, you're too kind!" Chu Wan'er didn't react at first. Upon hearing that Shi Xuan would support her, she immediately cheered and said excitedly, "Exactly, exactly! Master, you're so amazing, you must help Wan'er get revenge! Mother always bullies Wan'er."

Dong Liang, who was in front, heard Chu Wan'er's words and was shocked. Could this young Daoist priest really be a hidden elder expert of the Demonic Sect who had maintained his youth? Otherwise, why would this little demon girl say he was more powerful than the Demon Empress? No, shouldn't the little demon girl be learning the Heavenly Demon Skill from the Demon Empress according to the rules of the Demonic Sect?

"Master, you must punish Mother and make her walk barefoot! Uh, Mother never seems to wear shoes..." Chu Wan'er thought of a brilliant idea, only to be crushed by the cruel reality.

Along the way, Chu Wan'er pondered deeply. She would basically come up with an idea only to dismiss it immediately, or she would think of an even better one right away. In the end, she couldn't come up with a brilliant way to punish her mother.

Dong Liang handed the horse over to the gang members guarding at the foot of the mountain. At the same time, he instructed another subordinate to gather their men. He then led Shi Xuan and Chu Wan'er up the small mountain path.

Little Absolute Ridge had steep terrain with cliffs everywhere. The mountain temple was built against the cliff and faced the precipice, a strategically advantageous location that was easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Perhaps something had happened. The Power Money Gang members, dressed in crimson bronze robes, had already begun attacking the mountain temple. However, because the path was too narrow, besides those on the rooftops, there were only seven or eight experts at the entrance.

Dong Liang stepped forward and grabbed a gang member at the end, asking anxiously, "Why did you start attacking? We haven't even gathered all our men yet. Have the Saint Sect's people arrived?"

"No, no. The Saint Sect still has the same experts as before. Hall Master Dong, you don't know, the Mysterious Robe Hermit saw several of our experts going down the mountain and wanted to break out with those people. Unfortunately, he didn't know the Saint Empress was here and revealed a weakness. He was repelled by the combined efforts of the Gang Leader and the Saint Empress, and they even pushed their way in. The two Heavenly Kings and a Demonic Sect expert have also entered." Seeing that it was one of their own, this gang member immediately explained the detailed situation.

Hearing the urgent situation inside, Shi Xuan no longer concealed himself. He pulled Chu Wan'er with his left hand, casting the Golden Dragon Armor Charm on her and himself. Then, he raised the Soul-Bewildering Banner with his right hand and waved it repeatedly. The Power Money Gang members in front were caught off guard and were all dazed by the black light. Even the gang member who was speaking with Dong Liang was not spared.

When Dong Liang saw Shi Xuan make a move, he was stunned. He wondered what kind of Demonic Skill this was, to be able to condense black light. He truly was a peerless expert of the Demonic Sect. Wait, why was he attacking his own people?

Before Dong Liang could process this, he was swept down by Shi Xuan and fainted. Shi Xuan couldn't bother to take their lives. They would be dazed for a while anyway. He pulled Chu Wan'er and headed towards the mountain temple. If any Power Money Gang members rushed at them on the way, a black light would sweep them to the ground.

Inside the mountain temple, the Demon Empress Chu Yuyan, dressed in white and with bare snow-white feet, her face covered by a thin veil, attacked Qi Taichong, who wore a mysterious robe and a high crown, with the wondrous steps of the Heavenly Demon Dance. She moved around him, sometimes near, sometimes far. The white veil streamers drew beautiful arcs in the air, forming small Heavenly Demon Fields that significantly affected Qi Taichong's footwork and moves. He had to exert more effort to avoid being thrown off course by these Heavenly Demon Fields.

Opposite Qi Taichong stood a green-robed man with a delicate appearance, a hint of weariness and faint loneliness on his face, but with a pair of firm fists. He didn't use any fancy moves, just a simple punch that seemed to shake the heavens and earth. This forced Qi Taichong to change his ancient and profound loose-hand techniques to block.

However, Qi Taichong had been famous for decades and was not known for nothing. Under the combined assault of Li Shenfan and Chu Yuyan, he still used his most familiar loose-hand techniques to construct an impenetrable defensive circle.

Li Shenfan and Chu Yuyan were not in a hurry to attack. With such a favorable situation, the best course of action was to wear Qi Taichong down. Therefore, they only used five or six parts of their strength to attack, while the rest of their energy was focused on guarding their positions and preventing Qi Taichong from escaping.

The White-Clad Young Master Liu Suiyun had been injured quite seriously during the chase. Now, he could only barely hold on under the Sword King Qu Hanshui's sword. However, unexpectedly, he still possessed a hidden skill with throwing weapons, which always managed to salvage the situation at critical moments. For the time being, his life was not in danger.

Qu Hanshui's treasured sword had already broken into two pieces and lay on the ground. He was now holding a crude iron sword. His moves, unlike his previous exquisite style, were broad and powerful, yet still retained a sense of precision. He was gradually gaining complete control of the situation with his sword, performing even better than when he used his treasured sword earlier.

Blade King Zhao Mingxi was a middle-aged scholar. He appeared relaxed, and with a flash of his saber, he forced Du Yuhan, who was opposite him, to take a step back. He even had the mood to tease, "Young Hero Du, I didn't expect your martial arts to improve so rapidly in such a short time. You've actually achieved the Major Heavenly Cycle. If your realm weren't still unstable, you wouldn't be in such a predicament now. I misjudged your strength earlier, which allowed you to break through to this point."

Du Yuhan wielded his thin sword with all his might, his sword light like a shuttle, each strike faster than the last. It also posed a significant threat to the Blade King, which was why the Blade King hadn't quickly defeated Du Yuhan. After all, when holding the advantage, risking serious injury to quickly defeat an enemy was not something a smart person like the Blade King would do.

Meng Yuqiong and two Xu Family experts were fighting against a Demonic Sect expert. This expert was still a woman, her graceful figure wrapped in a white veil. Her face was uncovered, revealing a charming expression that was both happy and angry. Her every move was like a beautiful dance, bringing with it a profound killing intent. Although Meng Yuqiong's cultivation was not as high as this Demonic Sect expert, it was not far off. The techniques passed down from the Yuhua Sect were all imbued with profound trajectories. Coupled with the life-risking fighting style of the two Xu Family experts, the two sides were in a stalemate.

The few experts who had followed them were fighting on the beams and rooftops against the experts on the roof, preventing them from breaking through from above.

Xu Jinyi and Xu Tianqi, along with several other young heroes and heroines, were blocking the entrance, fighting fiercely against the attacking Power Money Gang members. Although their martial arts were extraordinary, the attackers were not ordinary gang members; there were quite a few famous figures from the Jianghu among them. Since they engaged, Xu Tianqi and the others, relying on the terrain, had killed several people before being forced to retreat steadily. If there hadn't been nowhere else to retreat, some might have already fled.

Seeing the situation gradually worsening, Liu Suiyun gritted his teeth and made a decision, using his trump card. The Qu Hanshui opposite him saw a blur before his eyes, his iron sword felt heavy, his hand began to tingle, and then he lost all sensation.

An iron flower was nailed to the wall behind Qu Hanshui. Ants, insects, and cockroaches within a three-meter radius of the flower fell from the wall, landing on the ground motionless. Although Qu Hanshui reacted extremely quickly and blocked the iron flower with his iron sword, his sword-wielding hand began to swell and turn black. Fortunately, his internal energy spontaneously protected his heart, and he only fainted. However, if he had delayed any longer, he would not have survived.

Liu Suiyun couldn't afford to press his advantage. Seeing that the Power Money Gang members at the entrance were gradually pushing into the mountain temple, and the gate behind him was now empty, he had no time to think and sped towards the mountain gate.

Xu Tianqi and Xu Jinyi had already been pushed away from the mountain temple gate. However, neither they nor the attacking Power Money Gang members noticed that no one was following them from behind.

Knock, knock, knock! Knock, knock, knock! Knock, knock, knock!

Loud knocking sounds echoed within the mountain temple. The martial arts experts who were in the midst of a fierce battle couldn't help but divert some of their attention to look.

Standing at the main entrance was a young Daoist priest in a plain Daoist robe, holding an eerie black banner in his right hand, which he used to knock on the temple door. In his left hand, he held a lovely, ice-like little girl in white. Seeing that everyone was looking his way, the young Daoist priest smiled and said, "Good morning, everyone. Good morning."