Before Mount Ziyi

Mianning didn't reply to this, but first glanced at the Zhengji at Su Yao's waist, and then smiled:

"If you win, I will have Brother Jingxuan fetch the Autumn Steed Sword from the Yuanfu for you. After all, although the Zhengji is excellent, it belongs to the Ancestral Master and should be offered up before the Ancestral Master's statue."

Su Yao was taken aback upon hearing this, then cupped his hands and smiled wryly:

"What you say is true, young master. It was inappropriate for me to carry the relics of the patriarch down the mountain. I will return them to the patriarch's statue upon my return. As for Autumn Steed... if I have such good fortune, I will certainly not fail your kindness. I will erect a statue for you and burn incense and pray to you every day, wishing you a long life and eternal prosperity in your Daoist practice."

Mianning paused, glanced at him sideways, and her expression darkened slightly.

"Smooth-tongued and glib, aren't you afraid of your tongue slipping out in the wind?"

But the feigned anger in his eyes vanished before it even fully formed, and a slight smile appeared on his lips as he turned away.

Su Yao quickly suppressed his smile and bowed respectfully.

"I misspoke, please forgive me, young master. I was just so overjoyed to see you that I couldn't keep my mouth shut."

He straightened up as he spoke, his expression becoming serious, but a hint of amusement still lingered in his eyes.

At the same time, he secretly thought to himself:

It seems that all the assessments have been passed, and only the final hurdle remains.

However, he cannot fully unleash his power yet, as he still needs to focus on suppressing the demonic seed within his body. Last time he went to the White Sand Lu Household, he had prepared several Law Technique in advance for his Zhengji.

As for why these three young masters rushed up to deliver the gifts, Su Yao had a slight guess in his mind; there would be important matters for him to handle in the future.

But now it's not convenient to ask directly, and since he's already been given the money, what right does he have to refuse?

It's better to feign understanding, go with the flow, and seek the greatest benefit for yourself and the Qixia Temple behind you.

After all, "Autumn Steed" is a top-tier magic sword, something that someone like Su Yao, who is proficient in Law Technique, would dream of.

Qixia Temple has many magical swords, but Daozheng he might develop a dependency on them, it doesn't allow him to use most of them, only giving him an Ancient Law Artifact- level fighting sword called "Clear Breeze".

Looking back now, those three fortune sticks with the Xun hexagram were probably left by Daozheng, since Daozheng the Heavenly Immortal in charge of Master of Fate for the Wu Earth element.

As he pondered, Mianning's voice rang out:

"I will wait for you in the Great Void."

As soon as he finished speaking, Su Yao felt a force pushing him forward. The next moment, he found himself in a desolate mountain wilderness. He calmed himself down and quickly looked around. In the distance, he saw a towering mountain with purple qi mist and rolling red clouds.

Mount Ziyi is the home of the descendants of the Red Emperor, one of the Five Emperors.

It is located at the junction of Nanyue, Nanling, and Xiaoxiang.

This place is even farther from Nanzhao than Qixia Mountain. If he were to come by himself, it would take him several months to fly there.

Normally it takes three or four days to complete the Purple Mansion, but the young master only took a little over a day.

"Is it Brother Su Yao from Qixia Temple?"

A deep, resonant voice came from behind in the distance.

Su Yao turned around and saw a streak of purple light flying towards him at high speed.

Soon, he landed and transformed into a young man, no more than two years old.

Su Yao immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute and said:

"Su Yao of Qixia Temple greets fellow Daoist."

The young man returned the greeting with clasped hands:

"Penglai Ji Jie, greets Brother Su."

He paused:

"I have come here on the orders of the young master of the Biyou Palace to exchange skills with you, fellow Daoist."

Su Yao turned to the side and gestured:

"This place is high in the mountains and the air is fresh; it's perfect."

Ji Jie nod:

"Please."

As soon as he finished speaking, Su Yao's mind stirred, and the Immortal Foundation [Draped in Rosy Radiance] suddenly shone brightly. He then formed hand Hand Seals, and the sixth-grade Law Technique "Guarding Unity Rosy Cloud Robe" was born in response.

The originally scattered rosy light solidified inch by inch under the guidance of Law Technique, transforming into a flowing robe of light that completely covered the entire body.

He wasn't afraid of battle, but rather it was due to his background: his previous opponents were far inferior to him, so he didn't need such protection; but the one before him was of similar background, and if he were to rely solely on his Immortal Foundation to withstand the attack, and if he were to fail, his Immortal Foundation would be damaged, and half of his Great Dao would be severed.

When scions of prestigious families clash, they traditionally rely on their Immortal Foundation to enhance their power, unleashing the myriad wonders of their Immortal Foundation through Law Technique, since their Immortal Foundation are the very basis of their cultivation.

Very few people would place their foundation directly under the threat of war!

Only those Rogue Cultivator, demons, and other strange beings lack the necessary Law Technique and time to cultivate, but he and Ji Jie both knew them and had plenty of time.

As he was pondering this, the opposite Ji Jie had already taken to the air, a purple token in his hand crackling with lightning.

"Imperial Edict!"

As the imperial edict was issued, a bolt of purple lightning struck down with a deafening roar.

Su Yao neither dodged nor yielded, his Guarding Unity Rosy Cloud Robe curtain of clouds stretching across the sky.

The purple lightning struck the rosy curtain, the deafening roar echoing, yet it failed to break through even an inch.

Ji Jie's first attack failed, but he remained calm and flipped the token again.

The second time, he was no longer alone. Instead, three bolts of lightning transformed into three streaks of purple light, forming a triangular formation that surrounded Su Yao and blocked his escape routes to the left and right.

Su Yao's lips curled up slightly:

"Good timing."

With a flick of the Zhengji Sword, the Guarding Unity Rosy Cloud Robe shifted and changed with the sword's movement, like a rainbow or a ribbon, before swirling against the lightning.

Three bolts of Heavenly Thunder struck the rosy light, hissing and crackling like fire immersing in water, causing large swaths of white mist to rise.

The lightning bolt was deflected by the rosy light and fell diagonally between the mountain peaks behind Su Yao, instantly blasting away half of the peak.

Ji Jie's gaze sharpened slightly, and she smiled:

"Truly worthy of being called the Rainbow Clouds Path, untouched by anything."

Upon hearing this, Su Yao smiled but did not answer. He Zhengji his sword, Zhengji, horizontally, and a sword Sword Qi formed from rosy light burst forth, tracing a scorching arc as it slashed straight at Ji Jie's waist—this was the "Glow Ashes" combined with the Sword Qi aura.

Wherever the Sword Qi passed, the air rippled with distorted, iridescent trails.

The Ji Jie did not retreat but advanced; his feathered robe shimmered with a blue light, and a phantom of a verdant forest appeared out of thin air around him, effectively blocking and weakening the sharp Sword Qi energy.

Immediately afterwards, he grasped the token in his left hand and a long sword appeared in his right hand. The long sword soared into the air, and crimson-gold light surged from Ji Jie's body, flooding into the sword like a tide. The sword light suddenly exploded, transforming into more than ten crimson-gold lightning dragons.

Each thunder dragon was surrounded by intricate crimson-gold runes, surging and swirling, creating an astonishing spectacle.

Su Yao felt a slight chill.

The opponent's move was clearly Heavenly Thunder Daoist Immortal Foundation [Rebuke the Disloyal], wielding a sword to cast a spell, using the Immortal Foundation as a guide and the Law Technique as its foundation.

This method is specifically designed to counter things that have no substance. Although the radiant light is not afraid of thunder, this thunder dragon, under the blessing of [Rebuke the Disloyal], possesses the power to suppress all spirits. A direct confrontation is by no means the best strategy.

A glint of light flashed between his brows, and suddenly transformed into a beam of light that shot out directly at the group of thunder dragons.

At the same instant, the Li Fire poured out from between his brows, transforming into dozens of Fire Sparrow that screeched as they swooped down toward the thunder dragon formation.

Su Yao's heart sank inwardly.

While the Rainbow Clouds Path is indeed immune to all things, it has never been good at causing harm.

Compared to the sharpness of the opponent's Heavenly Thunder Path, it ultimately lacked three-tenths of its edge.

The previous opponents had only cultivated the highest-ranking Cultivation Method, but this Ji Jie was at least at the seventh rank.

Between the two, the thunder dragon surged, the crimson gold runes vanished, and the beams of light, the Li Fire Sparrow intertwined and tore at each other, creating an incessant roar.