At the summit of the cliff, as Xu Zhen's inner energy gradually calmed down, his eyes, which had been closed for a long time, finally opened slowly. A faint, dark light flashed in the depths of his pupils, and a trace of malevolence vanished in the blink of an eye. Feeling the powerful force surging through his limbs and bones, Xu Zhen couldn't help but smile. With a slight tremor, he appeared high in the sky. He slowly clenched his right fist and shook it forcefully. Instantly, crackling sounds of bones colliding echoed throughout his body.
"Call..."
After doing all this, Xu Zhen finally let out a long sigh of relief and couldn't help but laugh out loud twice.
" Nine-Star Origin Emperor, just one star away from my goal, my cultivation will be enough to enter the Yuan Zong. At that time, he will be the only one in the Tribulation Crossing Sect who can threaten me!"
"Hehe, no rush, there's still plenty of time. I believe the people over there have already noticed Tang Long's death and will arrive here soon. Once we kill Xiao Yan and seize his Heavenly Flames, those two Woeful Poison Body will naturally become unimportant."
The void beside him slowly distorted, and Yu Du's illusory figure appeared. Seeing his disciple like this, he felt no worry at all, and even seemed somewhat frantic.
To gain sufficient power requires paying a great price, which can be anything—time, energy, wealth, or even... life itself.
For some madmen, as long as they possess enough power, they don't care how long they live. Xu Zhen is precisely this kind of person, and such people are destined to go mad.
"Teacher, do you think that little girl is really that so-called saint?"
When Xiao Yan and his group were mentioned, Xu Zhen felt not only murderous intent but also curiosity about Lian'er. He looked at Yu Du with great interest, finding it hard to believe that a saintess who had disappeared for so many years would actually return to their sight. It seemed rather unrealistic.
"Hmph, none of that matters. Whether she is the Holy Maiden or not, as long as that girl possesses the Woeful Poison Body, it's enough to make the higher-ups of the Tribulation Crossing Sect take action. Once we obtain that Woeful Poison Body, no one should stand in the way of your marriage to that girl from the Tribulation Crossing Sect. From then on, the Tribulation Crossing Sect will be ours!"
Upon hearing this, Yu Du sneered disdainfully. He didn't care about his past identities; what mattered now was how to obtain the Woeful Poison Body, not getting hung up on the authenticity of Lian'er's identity.
"Hmm? They're here. Now it's your turn."
Suddenly, Yu Du frowned, then quickly turned and disappeared into Xu Zhen's body. The latter nodded heavily, quickly lowered his body, and deliberately slapped his chest hard. As the Origin Qi in his body dissipated, his face turned pale. If those guys found out that Tang Long was dead, but his disciple was unharmed, they would inevitably be suspected.
A moment later, when the three figures arrived, they saw Xu Zhen, his face pale, sitting cross-legged on the mountain peak, recovering from his injuries. Sensing their arrival, Xu Zhen opened his eyes warily. After confirming their identities, respect and regret appeared on his pale face. He then quickly stood up and bowed to the three of them.
"Disciple greets the three elders!"
"Tell me, what's going on with Tang Long?"
Ignoring Xu Zhen's respectful attitude, the leader of the three fixed his slightly gloomy gaze on Xu Zhen and said in a low voice.
"The Third Elder... did it to save his disciple..."
Get to the point! I'm not in the mood to listen to your complaints!
Before Xu Zhen could finish speaking, the former spoke again in a deep voice, causing the latter's expression to change rapidly. He bent over forcefully and continued:
"The Third Elder and his juniors stumbled upon the sect's long-lost Holy Maiden..."
"What did you say?! The Holy Maiden? You've found the Holy Maiden? Where is she?!"
Before Xu Zhen could finish speaking, the expressions on the faces of the three old men changed simultaneously, and a look of shock appeared in their eyes. If this news were to reach the sect, even the sect leader would probably be alarmed!
"That's true, but when we went to retrieve him, we were stopped by a young man named Xiao Yan. In the end... the Third Elder was killed by Xiao Yan. I barely escaped with my life, but the Third Elder..."
As she finished speaking, tears welled up in Xu Zhen's eyes, causing the three people in front of her to secretly sneer. However, the news of the Holy Maiden was indeed shocking enough.
"The Xiao Yan you mentioned, what is his strength, and which faction does he belong to? Could he be from the Xiao Clan of the Central Region?"
Upon hearing Xiao Yan's name, the three of them paused in surprise. In their memory, there was no Yuan Zong expert in the Central Region named Xiao Yan. Even if there were, they would probably be members of the Xiao Clan. But if that were the case, it would be troublesome. The Xiao Clan was one of the top forces in the Central Region. Although their Tribulation Crossing Sect had an extraordinary status, it was undoubtedly much weaker than the Xiao Clan.
"Please rest assured, Elders, this Xiao Yan is not from the Central Region, but rather from the border of the continent."
Xu Zhen nodded slightly and explained.
"Oh? From the border of the mainland? If so, that's fine. Tell me, what level Yuan Zong are you? To be able to kill Tang Long, you're no ordinary person!"
Upon hearing this, the elder in the lead nodded slightly, his mind becoming much more at ease. Since he was not from the Central Region, his life or death was naturally of no concern.
However, upon hearing the old man's words, Xu Zhen's expression unconsciously changed, his face becoming somewhat strange. Only after a long while, under the impatient gazes of the three people before him, did he hesitantly and slowly say:
"Three elders, that Xiao Yan... is not a powerhouse from the Yuan Zong..."
"Hiss!"
Upon hearing this, the three raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised. The person who could kill Tang Long, and who wasn't even Yuan Zong expert, could it be...?
"Could it be a powerhouse at the Yuan Zun level?"
" Yuan Zun?! Would a powerhouse of that level really set aside his status to kill a Yuan Zong?"
"Hmph, Xu Zhen, you tell me, who exactly is that person?"
While the others were filled with doubt, the elder in charge turned his gaze back to Xu Zhen, raised his chin, and scoffed.
Seeing the three men's gazes directed at him, Xu Zhen opened his mouth slightly, feeling a pang of fear, before finally saying:
"Reporting to the three elders, that Xiao Yan... is merely an Early-Stage Origin Emperor..."