Chapter 46: Summon. Hunt. Devour.

Jiang Shaomu’s heart grieved.

He couldn’t understand what he had done wrong for the Sect Master to actually want to kill him.

He had clearly said nothing, so no one would have known about everything that happened between him and the divine dragon.

Was it wrong to choose loyalty to the sect?

Was this the outcome of choosing to trust the sect?

He raised his head to question Hong Qianfan, but the blue light pierced through his body without hesitation.

In an instant, Jiang Shaomu felt his Golden Core shatter. The blue light that pierced through his body erupted with an incomparably sharp aura, seeking to slash toward his consciousness in an instant.

Jiang Shaomu could only do his best to look at Miao Luohua, tears falling uncontrollably.

In this instant, an endless hatred welled up in Jiang Shaomu’s heart.

He didn’t care if he died, but he hated that his actions had implicated his master.

He truly hoped his master would be fine, and he desperately wished she could live on.

In that split second, time seemed to freeze, and Jiang Shaomu could even clearly perceive that in the next moment, he would be shredded by Hong Qianfan’s sword qi. Yet his consciousness became exceptionally intense at this moment, enough for him to let out a roar and a plea.

“O King of the White Dragons of the Dragon Realm, the Qingshui Dragon God, Your believer prays for Your protection; please descend in Your true body to save me!”

In the final moment of his life, Jiang Shaomu placed all his hope on the white dragon he couldn’t bring himself to trust with his whole heart. He didn’t know if it would work, but he had no other way, and this was his only hope.

Vroom—

In that very split second, an astounding transformation occurred within his body.

A surge of power within his body moved instantly, turning into a white dragon that slithered through his body, then pursued the blue sword light at an incredible speed and swallowed it in one bite.

Subsequently, it began to repair Jiang Shaomu’s already shattered body, holding onto his last breath.

“Junior Sister!”

Hua Yuanxian’s eyes nearly split as he witnessed everything. He hadn’t expected Miao Luohua to have mastered the Unity of Human and Sword, lunging in front of Jiang Shaomu at the critical moment.

And he could only watch everything happen helplessly, unable to do anything.

Hua Yuanxian sprinted toward Miao Luohua with all his might, but Hong Qianfan had already appeared before her. With a cold snort, Hong Qianfan grabbed Jiang Shaomu, ignoring Miao Luohua, and rapidly carried the boy—whose breath was nearly gone—toward Wuyou Peak.

“Junior Sister!”

Hua Yuanxian cradled Miao Luohua, his heart twisting like a knife at the sight of the grief and despair on her face.

Miao Luohua had given her all, yet she had failed to save Jiang Shaomu in the end.

This filled Hua Yuanxian’s heart with an unprecedented sense of tragedy. He could only pour his origin energy into Miao Luohua’s body with all his might, stuffing effective medicinal pills into her mouth.

Fortunately, Miao Luohua’s injuries were not lethal; Hong Qianfan’s sword qi had merely stripped her of mobility, but Hua Yuanxian felt his junior sister’s heart had died in this moment.

Hong Qianfan rushed all the way to Wuyou Peak, opening the passage leading to the core of the forbidden area.

Just then, he immediately detected that the aura in Jiang Shaomu’s body was beginning to turn abnormal. Without hesitation, Hong Qianfan threw Jiang Shaomu into the dark hole, then closed the restrictions layer by layer.

Subsequently, he stood at the entrance of the passage, his expression filled with coldness.

***

Xi Yu was preparing to sleep when he heard a call for help from his inner world.

He glanced at it, finding the person calling for help quite unexpected.

Without hesitation, he injected his consciousness over.

Then he discovered the condition of Jiang Shaomu’s body, as well as seeing him in a dark, deep environment, currently falling continuously into the dark world.

He had no time to check the situation, discovering Jiang Shaomu’s body was in extreme danger. Fortunately, the trace of dragon power he had injected earlier had preserved his life.

In an instant, he injected another surge of powerful dragon power into Jiang Shaomu’s body, repairing his form. It was fortunate that he used the [Believer] ability to convert the dragon power into strength Jiang Shaomu could absorb, otherwise he wouldn’t have known how to save him.

Soon, Jiang Shaomu’s physical condition stabilized, and the dragon power continued to repair his body.

At this moment, Xi Yu used Jiang Shaomu’s body to condense an avatar of the white dragon, arriving in this unknown dark passage.

Then, he grabbed Jiang Shaomu’s body, preventing him from falling further.

At this time, Jiang Shaomu finally recovered his consciousness and opened his eyes.

“Lord Dragon?” Jiang Shaomu looked at the scene before him in dazed confusion. Once he saw the white dragon’s form clearly, his eyes snapped wide, and tears welled up uncontrollably.

“Your Highness, the Dragon God.”

He didn’t know what he was feeling—aggrieved, regretful, relieved, ashamed, grateful—he truly hadn’t expected the dragon to save him once again.

“What’s the situation right now?”

Xi Yu was quite puzzled, wondering if Jiang Shaomu had run into some plague god, given how he kept encountering trouble.

Jiang Shaomu suppressed the emotional turmoil in his heart, quickly stabilizing his mind, and rapidly explained the events, then pleaded, “Your Highness, the Dragon God, please save my master!”

Xi Yu nodded.

Jiang Shaomu was indeed a bit naive, but quite endearing; with someone like him, you didn’t have to worry about his loyalty.

However, his loyalty had clearly been misplaced.

He had trusted the wrong person.

Even if the Kuitian Sword Sect felt Jiang Shaomu was problematic, there were many ways to handle him. Yet they had chosen the coldest, most direct method, leaving even Xi Yu feeling a bit chilled upon learning of it.

But for his believers, as long as they didn’t betray him, he would save them to the very end. Furthermore, he quite admired Jiang Shaomu’s master—a woman of deep affection and righteousness. He hoped such a person could live on.

“I’ll see if I can break out of here first.” The white dragon flew upward, soon touching a layer of transparent restriction that blocked them.

Xi Yu sensed it, discovering the restriction had completely integrated with the surrounding terrain; breaking it would likely require destroying everything around them. After a simple attempt, Xi Yu realized that although he wasn’t sure how large this place was, breaking it completely through brute force wouldn’t be easy.

After some thought, he brought Jiang Shaomu and descended toward the bottom of the passage instead.

He planned to see if he could find an exit below; if that failed, he would see if he could bring Jiang Shaomu back to the white dragon’s inner world first, and then return.

With the enhancement of the [Believer] ability, he could directly pour dragon power into ordinary believers, but whether he could bring humans through the inner world like true believers was something he hadn’t tested yet. However, in his perception, he felt it shouldn’t be a problem, at least within the bowl world.

It was just that doing so would waste time, so he decided to search for other exits first.

Jiang Shaomu looked at the white dragon silently along the way, unable to describe the feeling in his heart at this moment.

The white dragon hadn’t proposed any conditions, nor had he said anything, yet he could see that the white dragon truly wanted to help him.

In this moment, he finally saw clearly.

The white dragon truly had no motives regarding him, because from the moment he was abandoned by the Kuitian Sword Sect, he no longer held any value to the dragon, yet the white dragon hadn’t abandoned him.

He truly couldn’t understand why such a great existence would be so good to him.

Jiang Shaomu took a deep breath, his heart filled with immense shame.

But he knew that from this moment on, he had truly become the white dragon’s most devout believer.

As he descended, he discovered that with every layer down, another restriction appeared, making returning to the surface even more difficult. But Xi Yu didn’t care; if he wanted to break the restrictions by force, he would have acted earlier.

However, the Kuitian Sword Sect’s actions made him realize their true intentions were elsewhere—could it be that they held designs on him?

Finally, the black passage reached its bottom.

The world before their eyes opened up, and a vast underground world appeared before them.

***

At the same moment.

In the room on Wuyou Peak where Dai Zhendao and Hong Qianfan had stayed previously, Hong Qianfan brought Hua Yuanxian and Miao Luohua over.

By now, Miao Luohua’s condition was much better.

Hong Qianfan couldn’t actually kill Miao Luohua, even though he had been caught off guard. As a Flying Immortal powerhouse, he was a major realm higher than Miao Luohua, and at the critical moment, he had avoided her vital points. If Miao Luohua had truly died, he would have been in major trouble.

“Senior Brother, come look quickly!” Seeing the three appear, Dai Zhendao showed no surprise, not even paying attention to Miao Luohua’s injuries. Pointing at a screen before him, he spoke with extreme solemnity.

Miao Luohua suppressed the sharp pain in her body and looked over, her expression shifting from joy to pale shock.

In the image, Jiang Shaomu was alive and well, completely intact, but beside him stood a human-tall white dragon.

Miao Luohua instinctively clenched her right hand.

Hong Qianfan let out a cold snort, saying nothing and merely watching the screen calmly, his focus placed entirely on the white dragon.

***

“This is…?”

Looking at the vast underground world, Jiang Shaomu’s heart shook. Beneath Wuyou Peak lay such a colossal underground space—could this be the true secret of the forbidden area?

The white dragon led Jiang Shaomu forward.

Soon, a colossal stone altar appeared before their eyes, and bound above it by chains was a red, colossal creature. Behind it, nine giant red tails swayed occasionally.

It was a Nine-Tailed Red Fox, though its size was immense.

Currently, it was bound tightly by dense chains that imprisoned it in the center of the stone altar.

The Nine-Tailed Red Fox looked in poor condition, its aura weak.

Even though its body was fiery red, red blood could still be seen seeping from the places bound by the chains, along with large patches of black scabs.

“A dragon?”

An enchanting voice of surprise echoed in the space.

The Nine-Tailed Red Fox raised its head limply, possessing a pair of beautiful eyes that were deep like stars; even though its body was bound, its eyes still radiated a lively glow.

“A Nine-Tailed Red Fox?”

Xi Yu was quite surprised in his heart; such a miraculous creature was imprisoned here.

The Nine-Tailed Fox held a place in Middle Continent mythology; although some legends were unfavorable, in many places it was viewed as a highly sacred creature.

“How did you end up here?” Xi Yu asked out of curiosity.

“The winner takes all, there’s nothing much to say,” the Nine-Tailed Red Fox swung its tails gently, its voice clear like spring water. “And what about you, mythical king of legends? Why have you appeared here? Or did you come for my life?”

“I temporarily have no thoughts regarding your life.” The white dragon flew in a circle around the Nine-Tailed Red Fox.

There were thirty-six chains on its body, densely covering its form, with a faint glow flowing over them—they were clearly not ordinary chains.

The Nine-Tailed Red Fox turned its head gently, its gaze following his body.

Xi Yu frowned slightly; the Nine-Tailed Red Fox was actually a Lord of the Beyond, yet it was imprisoned here. It seemed his plan to leave through this place wouldn’t work.

Now it seemed he either had to use force or attempt to leave through the inner world.

“You haven’t answered me: how did you come here?” the Nine-Tailed Red Fox asked, its tone carrying curiosity as it pursued the white dragon’s figure.

From start to finish, neither it nor the white dragon showed any intention of attacking.

“It’s a long story, but I must leave now. We’ll talk if an opportunity arises later,” Xi Yu replied simply.

“Leave? You’re saying you can leave this place? Can you help me leave as well?” The Nine-Tailed Red Fox stood up suddenly, speaking with excitement.

Clatter. The chains on its body shook violently, causing fresh blood to seep from the places bound by the chains once more.

“It should be possible,” the white dragon nodded. “But I must know whether I should rescue you. How about this: wait here for a bit, and I’ll come find you later.”

After some thought, Xi Yu felt he could try using the [Believer] ability to send his true body over first. That way, he could use his true body as a coordinate to return to this place; otherwise, once he left with Jiang Shaomu, he feared he wouldn’t be able to return.

Unless he intended to enter the Kuitian Sword Sect again.

However, all of this depended on whether he could successfully travel here through the inner world.

Xi Yu focused his mind, sending his true body into the inner world first.

Then, he began to perceive Jiang Shaomu’s position, attempting to send himself to this place using the [Believer] power. Suddenly, his figure vanished out of thin air from the inner world.

***

“Phew.”

Jiang Shaomu looked at the white dragon nervously, not daring to disturb him.

All his hopes currently rested on the white dragon.

Just then, he suddenly noticed a strange fluctuation before him, and then a figure appeared before his eyes out of thin air.

“This is…?” Jiang Shaomu looked at Xi Yu in shock.

Why had the divine dragon brought another person over?

Before he could think further, the white dragon looked at him. “Be prepared.”

The next moment, his vision blurred, and he vanished from the underground world. Before Jiang Shaomu could react, his vision shifted once more, and he appeared in another unfamiliar location.

Gasping for breath, Jiang Shaomu discovered he had arrived in an unfamiliar stone palace, and then he saw the white dragon appear beside him, looking at him.

“Your Highness, the Dragon God, have we escaped?” Jiang Shaomu asked in disbelief.

“Yes, this is my residence in your world,” the white dragon said. “In the future, you may come stay here whenever you like. Next, I will temporarily bestow a portion of power upon you, and as for your master’s affairs, you may handle them yourself.”

Xi Yu felt it was best for Jiang Shaomu to handle his own affairs regarding the Kuitian Sword Sect.

“Thank you, Your Highness, the Dragon God.” Jiang Shaomu knelt respectfully with red eyes, kowtowing firmly to the white dragon. He no longer knew how to express his gratitude, knowing that from this day forward, he would dedicate his entire life to the white dragon.

The white dragon nodded.

This time, he also wanted to test how much power he could bestow upon a believer.

His current body was an avatar condensed through [Believer] power, while his true body was currently in the underground world where the Nine-Tailed Fox was, but this actually allowed him to directly pour power into Jiang Shaomu.

Without delaying further, a burst of dragon power went directly to Jiang Shaomu.

Originally, after Jiang Shaomu’s Golden Core was shattered by Hong Qianfan’s sword qi, he had been near death. Fortunately, the dragon power had saved him and repaired his body bit by bit.

However, his original strength was completely gone, leaving only the dragon power to sustain his life. But now, as the white dragon’s power was injected into his body, his aura rose visibly bit by bit.

Soon, his aura rapidly climbed back to the Golden Core stage, and before long, it broke through to the Nascent Soul stage, though at this point, his body could no longer withstand such powerful force.

Although such strength was decent, it was still a bit short for rescuing someone in the Kuitian Sword Sect.

Xi Yu didn’t give up, trying to manifest the dragon power directly outside Jiang Shaomu’s body. Immediately, the dragon power around Jiang Shaomu dissipated, then condensed into a dragon scale on his body.

It actually worked! Xi Yu was delighted, quickly continuing his attempts.

Scale after scale appeared on Jiang Shaomu’s body.

In the end, except for his head, Jiang Shaomu’s body was completely covered in dragon scales.

And the aura on his body grew increasingly powerful, crossing the Flying Immortal stage in one go, followed by another breakthrough.

Finally, his aura successfully reached the level of a Lord of the Beyond in this world.

Xi Yu poured one-third of the white dragon’s power into Jiang Shaomu in one breath.

However, at this moment, Jiang Shaomu himself was completely unaware of how powerful he currently was.

He could only feel that the white dragon seemed very excited and satisfied, but what made his heart ache was that the white dragon’s own aura had dropped significantly, which moved Jiang Shaomu beyond measure.

“Your Highness, the Dragon God, are you alright?” Jiang Shaomu asked with concern.

“I’m fine. Go quickly,” the white dragon urged.

He didn’t want Jiang Shaomu’s master to perish like that, hoping it wasn’t too late.

“Yes, thank you, Your Highness. I will return as quickly as possible.” Jiang Shaomu bowed deeply to Xi Yu, then checked his direction, soaring into the sky and flying toward the Kuitian Sword Sect.

In the sky, Jiang Shaomu was stunned, finding his speed at this moment was unbelievably fast—his past speed of flying on a sword couldn’t be compared to now.

Currently, he didn’t even know how fast he was flying, only feeling as if he were powerful enough to tear the entire world apart.

In no time, the Kuitian Sword Sect appeared before his eyes, and Jiang Shaomu was ecstatic.

“Master!” Jiang Shaomu roared.

***

Watching Jiang Shaomu fly away, the white dragon was actually very excited right now.

Having lost so much power at once, he waited for a moment and found that the draconic instincts on his main body hadn’t affected him at all.

He had just ascended to A-class, so the draconic instincts were nothing to him right now.

Xi Yu was truly excited.

He had actually elevated Jiang Shaomu’s strength to the level of a Lord of the Beyond in this world in one go. Although Jiang Shaomu lacked sufficient strength of his own, making this power dependent on his maintenance, he had seen the feasibility of this method.

Just one Lord of the Beyond could inherit a large portion of his power.

Then as long as his believers grew stronger, he could continuously increase their strength without limits. One day, as long as the white dragon’s own power was sufficient, he could nurture thousands of Lords of the Beyond.

He finally understood why some Calamity Lords could suppress even Food Sequence Lords. If he had thousands of Lords of the Beyond by his side, he would dare charge forward to surround and kill a Food Sequence Lord even without a power boost.

This matter held massive significance for Xi Yu; he had finally seen the hope of increasing the white dragon’s power without reservations.

Previously, when bestowing dragon power upon Qing Qishan and the others, he hadn’t felt anything because those powers were far too weak to him, not even counting as a drop in the bucket.

But now, directly boosting power to the level of a Lord of the Beyond yielded immediate results.

When the time came, he wouldn’t need many—having three to five Lords of the Beyond by his side would mean the white dragon’s power growth held no hidden dangers for him.

At that point, he would no longer need to suppress the white dragon’s power, transforming into the white dragon for as long as he wished.

Xi Yu’s blood boiled.

He couldn’t wait, so in the future, not only should he grow stronger, but his believers’ strength should also grow, as that would yield the most powerful effect for him.

Xi Yu pondered for a moment.

However, he couldn’t increase a believer’s strength at will, as that might not be a good thing.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up; he had a very bold idea.

Of course, he wouldn’t think about that for now.

He would deal with the Nine-Tailed Fox’s matter first.

Instantly, Xi Yu’s consciousness completely returned to his main body.

***

In the underground world where the Nine-Tailed Fox was, Xi Yu looked at the Nine-Tailed Red Fox before him.

The Nine-Tailed Red Fox was also staring at him.

Neither spoke, and since Xi Yu saw the Nine-Tailed Red Fox had no intention of speaking, he was content with that. Most of his consciousness was currently with the white dragon avatar, saving him from multitasking.

However, he was very curious about the Nine-Tailed Fox, though he figured only the Kuitian Sword Master could have captured it here.

It was just that many things had occurred in the Kuitian Sword Sect, yet the Kuitian Sword Master still hadn’t appeared, suggesting his secluded cultivation was truly at a critical moment.

He wondered if the Sword Master would still refuse to show his face after Jiang Shaomu arrived in a bit.

After a moment, sensing Jiang Shaomu drawing near, the remaining consciousness of the white dragon returned to his main body.

At that moment, the Nine-Tailed Red Fox saw the white dragon’s figure appear before it once more.

This was the first time the avatar and the main body appeared together, and Xi Yu felt a strange sensation observing his body from two angles.

However, he didn’t delay, sending his main body back into the inner world first, which brought him peace of mind. After all, the Kuitian Sword Sect possessed an existence even more powerful than the Black Demon Lord, so being careful was better.

The Nine-Tailed Red Fox’s eyes were full of doubt, but through the white dragon’s series of actions, it had gradually grown completely in awe of him.

In truth, merely seeing the white dragon appear and disappear at will was enough to shake its soul.

The white dragon’s abilities were more mysterious and powerful than it had imagined.

Currently, it knew that its hope of leaving truly rested on the white dragon.

“Alright, tell me your story,” the white dragon avatar checked his surroundings before speaking calmly.

“Yes,” the Nine-Tailed Red Fox responded quickly.

***

And just as Xi Yu and the Nine-Tailed Fox began their conversation, on the other side, Kuitian Sword Sect Master Hong Qianfan and the others wore dark expressions.

The white dragon’s gaze earlier had seemed to detect their spying.

This made their hearts skip a beat.

Especially Hong Qianfan, whose face was dark.

His heart sank.

Perhaps Dai Zhendao was acting truly for the sect, but he knew his own motives were far from pure.

In truth, after Jiang Shaomu shared the matter of the white dragon, he had essentially judged that the white dragon harbored no ill intent toward the Kuitian Sword Sect.

Just as Jiang Shaomu could choose to hide things from the sect, the white dragon could choose to hide things from Jiang Shaomu.

Yet neither had chosen to hide.

In truth, he could understand Jiang Shaomu’s actions, but he truly didn’t understand the white dragon’s actions, though he could sense the white dragon seemed to value Jiang Shaomu quite a bit.

Thus, the white dragon naturally became a threat to the Kuitian Sword Sect, making the imprisonment of Jiang Shaomu equally natural.

The white dragon was indeed a threat; having such a powerful existence nearby naturally left one unable to sleep or eat in peace. But the best approach would have been to remain composed, and if truly uneasy, send Jiang Shaomu elsewhere.

However, Hong Qianfan saw an opportunity—an opportunity to ascend to a Lord of the Beyond.

Thus, even knowing the Kuitian Sword Master had encountered an accident during his secluded cultivation, he decided to try once. This was his best chance, because if the Sword Master hadn’t encountered an accident, he would never have had this opportunity.

Now, as long as the white dragon and the Lord of the Beyond in their sect fought to a mutual destruction, he might be able to reap the benefits as the bystander and become a Lord of the Beyond.

Although it would be best if the Ancestor remained safe, what could compare to becoming a Lord of the Beyond himself?

Only by becoming a Lord of the Beyond could he better protect the Kuitian Sword Sect.

And with two Lords of the Beyond in the Kuitian Sword Sect, it would surely become the premier sect in the Celestial Palace Realm.

As for failure, Hong Qianfan wasn’t particularly worried.

Only a few of them knew about the Kuitian Sword Master’s accident, and the white dragon couldn’t possibly know. With the Sword Master present, the white dragon wouldn’t dare launch an unbridled retaliation.

Worst-case scenario, what if he found out?

Compared to the hope of becoming a Lord of the Beyond, all risks were worth taking.

Everything was proceeding as he expected, and even his deeply affectionate junior sister had tried to disrupt his plans as anticipated. But so what? She couldn’t escape his palm in the end.

And then the white dragon had actually hidden a surge of power within Jiang Shaomu’s body.

In that moment, he couldn’t restrain the excitement in his heart; the premise of his entire plan was that the white dragon had to value Jiang Shaomu enough, and he had guessed correctly.

Next, he just needed to wait.

The Nine-Tailed Fox wanted to break free, so it would surely want to devour the white dragon, who only possessed a portion of his power.

And the white dragon was, after all, a Lord of the Beyond in full power; even if the power hidden in Jiang Shaomu wasn’t much and couldn’t escape the array, it could surely heavily injure the Nine-Tailed Fox.

At that point, he could take the opportunity to completely slay the Nine-Tailed Fox with the power of the array. As long as he devoured the Nine-Tailed Fox, he could surely become a Lord of the Beyond.

As for the white dragon seeking revenge later, he naturally wouldn’t worry.

It would be best if the white dragon and the Ancestor perished together.

However, he never imagined the white dragon’s supernatural techniques would be so bizarre.

In this moment, furious and resentful thoughts nearly consumed Hong Qianfan completely.

The white dragon could travel freely through the array—how had he achieved this?!

He had even rescued Jiang Shaomu!

Even the Ancestor couldn’t achieve this!

However, his unwilling rage was useless in the end; Hong Qianfan knew his plan had completely failed.

And now, he truly had to face the consequences.

This made him feel a wave of panic.

The consequences he could endure were under the premise of his success, not facing the white dragon’s retaliation now.

He only hoped the Ancestor could show himself now and block the white dragon.

And beside him, Miao Luohua’s heart had gradually settled, a faint smile on her lips.

She understood completely now: if the white dragon merely wanted to use Jiang Shaomu, he wouldn’t have gone to rescue him at a time like this. Yet He had not only saved his life, but intentionally sent him away safely.

If he were merely a chess piece, would He bother going to such lengths?

This proved her initial judgment had been correct: the white dragon truly harbored no ill intent toward Jiang Shaomu.

“Hong Qianfan, get out here and face me!”

Just then, an ear-splitting voice echoed across the entire Kuitian Sword Sect.

“This is…?” Dai Zhendao and the others looked at each other.

“It’s Shaomu,” Miao Luohua said with pleasant surprise.

“Vile creature,” Hong Qianfan gritted his teeth. “How dare he be so disrespectful to his elders!”

“That depends on what kind of elder is worthy of his respect,” Miao Luohua sneered.

“Senior Brother, Junior Sister, do not argue; let’s go out and see what the situation is first,” Dai Zhendao said quickly, a bad premonition rising in his heart.

“Hmph,” Miao Luohua sneered.

Then Hua Yuanxian quickly led her out, with Dai Zhendao following close behind.

Only Hong Qianfan remained, watching them leave expressionlessly, though his face carried shock, as he had already sensed that Jiang Shaomu’s shout carried the majestic power of a Lord of the Beyond.

***

Jiang Shaomu’s figure appearing outside the Kuitian Sword Sect immediately drew the gazes of all the disciples in the sect.

Seeing his figure, everyone was dumbfounded.

In this moment, Jiang Shaomu’s image appeared extremely unfamiliar in their eyes, and the immense power on his person shocked everyone.

Especially those junior brothers and sisters who had been his peers; in this moment, they were in disbelief.

Jiang Shaomu came from Qinglei Peak, but he had great relationships with his peers, to the point where a large portion of those his age across all peaks looked up to him.

Yet no one expected things to reach this point today.

Jiang Shaomu had saved several outstanding disciples of their generation, yet he had been imprisoned in the forbidden area.

They had thought that was hard enough to swallow, but today, Miao Luohua, the peak master of Qinglei Peak, had fought a massive battle with the Sect Master.

What shocked them most was that the Sect Master actually wanted to kill Jiang Shaomu.

They couldn’t comprehend why, when Jiang Shaomu had saved them, the Sect Master wanted to kill him instead?

Many had witnessed that scene.

Ultimately, Miao Luohua was heavily injured, and they had watched helplessly as Jiang Shaomu was killed by the Sect Master.

This left many in the sect bewildered, especially the disciples of Qinglei Peak, who wept in an instant, though they could do nothing.

Yet now, Jiang Shaomu had actually appeared in the sect alive and well, and his aura made them unable to believe their eyes.

In just a short while, how could such an earth-shattering change occur in Jiang Shaomu?

“Senior Brother!”

Without thinking further, the disciples of Qinglei Peak excitedly chased after Jiang Shaomu.

Even many other disciples of the Kuitian Sword Sect followed.

Everything before them was far too terrifying.

Jiang Shaomu had not only returned from the dead, but had grown so powerful.

It was too unbelievable.

***

Jiang Shaomu appeared directly before Wuyou Peak, an unmatched, vast power erupting from his body. This power didn’t belong to him, so he couldn’t control it completely, allowing it to vent within the Kuitian Sword Sect.

And the shock this brought to the disciples of the Kuitian Sword Sect was beyond imagination; this aura was even stronger than when they had seen Hong Qianfan unleash his full power previously.

If Jiang Shaomu’s strength had merely increased to the Nascent Soul stage, it would have been one thing.

But the aura currently erupting from him was something they had only felt from the Kuitian Sword Master himself, which stripped them of any conflicting thoughts in an instant.

“Master, please be okay,” Jiang Shaomu searched Wuyou Peak anxiously.

Suddenly, his eyes widened.

“Master!” Jiang Shaomu was ecstatic, flying forward immediately.

However, Hua Yuanxian, who was flying over carrying Miao Luohua, retreated several steps abruptly.

“Nephew, the aura on your body is too powerful! Control it a bit!” Hua Yuanxian shouted.

“Master, are you alright?” Jiang Shaomu paused, looking at Miao Luohua with concern. He wanted to control his power, but found himself completely unable to, forced to look at Miao Luohua from a distance.

Regardless, seeing Miao Luohua still alive filled him with an unprecedented joy.

“I’m fine, just flesh wounds,” Miao Luohua’s face was still pale, but a smile covered her face.

Led by Hua Yuanxian, she flew closer to Jiang Shaomu bit by bit, wanting to reach out and stroke his cheek, but found herself completely unable to draw near.

“Shaomu, what is this…?” Miao Luohua couldn’t help but ask.

“The Lord Dragon saved me, and this power on my person was lent to me by Him,” Jiang Shaomu said quickly.

“Lord Dragon…” Miao Luohua murmured, and then couldn’t help but laugh loudly.

“Master.”

“Junior Sister.”

Hua Yuanxian and Jiang Shaomu looked at her with concern.

“It’s simply too laughable,” Miao Luohua laughed until tears welled in her eyes. “Did you all see? The white dragon’s power is so formidable that merely lending power can create a Lord of the Beyond. If an existence like that truly coveted our Kuitian Sword Sect, do you think we could withstand him? Even the Sword Master couldn’t do it, right? Would He use such underhanded tactics?”

Hua Yuanxian and Dai Zhendao, who had been shocked by Jiang Shaomu’s strength, remained silent.

“Shaomu, leave the Kuitian Sword Sect. Follow the white dragon from now on,” Miao Luohua stopped laughing, looking at Jiang Shaomu with a solemn expression.

“Master, why don’t you leave with me?” Jiang Shaomu knew it was impossible for him to stay in the Kuitian Sword Sect any longer.

Miao Luohua shook her head. “Regardless, the Sword Sect is the place that raised me; this is my home, and I cannot leave.”

“Master, but this was once my home too,” Jiang Shaomu’s voice trembled slightly.

Hua Yuanxian and Dai Zhendao felt a pang in their hearts upon hearing this, and Miao Luohua felt a surge of sorrow, nearly shedding tears. She suppressed her emotions and said, “My mind is made up; say no more.”

“I understand. I’ll listen to you, Master,” Jiang Shaomu said with red eyes after a pause.

Miao Luohua smiled at Jiang Shaomu. “Good child, you’ve grown up long ago, and it’s time for you to venture out on your own. When you become a Lord of the Beyond through your own strength, come back to see me.”

Jiang Shaomu was dumbfounded, his grief halting abruptly. “Master, becoming a Lord of the Beyond is far too difficult…”

“You’re by the white dragon’s side; do you lack the confidence to become a Lord of the Beyond?” Miao Luohua didn’t give Jiang Shaomu a chance to speak. “When your junior brothers and sisters travel outside in the future, if you run into them, take care of them, do you hear? Otherwise, even if you become a Lord of the Beyond one day, I’ll still beat you as I should.”

“Understood, Master,” Jiang Shaomu didn’t dare say anything.

Watching from the side, Hua Yuanxian and Dai Zhendao felt a sense of relief for some reason.

“Good,” Miao Luohua smiled with satisfaction. “Before you leave, help me do one thing.”

“Master, please command me,” Jiang Shaomu said obediently.

“Junior Brother Dai, please invite Senior Brother Sect Master out,” Miao Luohua looked at Dai Zhendao.

“Master, let me do it,” Jiang Shaomu’s eyes filled with ferocity.

Without waiting for Miao Luohua to speak, he reached out with a massive hand toward Wuyou Peak. He had already discovered Hong Qianfan hiding inside, and he harbored a deep hatred for Hong Qianfan; he didn’t care about himself, but Hong Qianfan had harmed his master, which was unforgivable.

BOOM!

A loud rumble echoed, and the next moment, in the unnatural gazes of Hua Yuanxian and the others, Hong Qianfan—who was already in the Flying Immortal realm—was caught in the hand condensed from energy by Jiang Shaomu.

Hong Qianfan struggled a few times without breaking free, his face turning red.

Only now did he realize the gap between a Lord of the Beyond and the Flying Immortal realm was like night and day; Jiang Shaomu had no control over the power of a Lord of the Beyond, yet he couldn’t resist, and he had actually harbored designs against such power.

Miao Luohua let out a soft sigh. “Shaomu, let him go.”

Jiang Shaomu held back for a moment before releasing his grip; he ultimately couldn’t kill Hong Qianfan before everyone, as that would make things difficult for his master within the Kuitian Sword Sect.

“Hong Qianfan, I’ve never done anything to betray the sect, yet you wanted to kill me. Today, for my master’s sake, I won’t kill you, but though you escape the death penalty, you cannot escape punishment,” Jiang Shaomu said coldly.

“Shaomu, stop!” Miao Luohua’s expression shifted drastically.

The next moment, Jiang Shaomu flicked his hand, and Hong Qianfan let out a miserable cry, coughing up blood as he flew backward.

“You ruined my cultivation?!” Hong Qianfan coughed blood, his eyes nearly splitting.

“Sect Master, I’ve grown up too,” Jiang Shaomu’s heart was remarkably calm in this moment.

He knew crippling Hong Qianfan’s cultivation would cause a massive storm.

But if Hong Qianfan’s cultivation wasn’t ruined, he and Miao Luohua might eventually be targeted by Hong Qianfan again; he merely wanted to live.

The faces of Hua Yuanxian and Dai Zhendao shifted, but ultimately, they made no other reaction.

“Junior Brother Dai, please invite the other peak masters over as well,” Miao Luohua sighed and spoke again.

“Alright,” Dai Zhendao nodded.

Before long, beneath Wuyou Peak, nine people gathered as they had yesterday, including Jiang Shaomu.

However, aside from Miao Luohua’s group, the expressions of the other peak masters were unnatural.

Hong Qianfan, in particular, looked as if he had gone mad.

“Senior brothers, I’ll speak plainly,” Miao Luohua ignored the expressions on their faces. “In the matter regarding my disciple Shaomu, the Sect Master’s handling was clearly improper, leading to today’s crisis within the sect. Now that his cultivation is ruined, he is no longer suitable to lead the sect, so I propose removing Senior Brother Hong Qianfan from his position as Sect Master.”

A silence fell over the group, and Hong Qianfan looked at everyone with an iron-grey face.

Miao Luohua ignored him and continued.

“Currently, the Ancestor has likely encountered a major issue, otherwise he wouldn’t have failed to appear after such a major event today. And my disciple is currently a Lord of the Beyond; I won’t say much else, but I want to become the Sect Master of the Kuitian Sword Sect now. Who agrees, and who objects?”

In the underground world below, the Nine-Tailed Red Fox, bound by stone altar chains, was currently speaking to the white dragon, revealing astounding secrets concerning the Celestial Palace Realm.

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