Ying Bing's small boat circled back once more. Standing on the skiff, her gaze lingered distantly on the mountain cliffs.
Not far from her, a few remaining disciples of the Summoning Demonic Sect, left behind to provide support, trembled in fear, secretly regretting their decision.
Could it be that this immortal sect's holy maiden found them an eyesore, hence her furrowed brows?
If she decided to cut them down, where would they go to plead their case?
Alas, they had no idea what was truly on the mind of this "Myriad Phenomena Holy Maiden."
"He should be fine..."
Ying Bing frowned.
The weakest among these Summoning Demonic Sect disciples were at least at the Internal Scenery Realm, while the stronger ones had reached the Fifth Realm of External Scenery—comparable to the sect leaders of regional factions. Moreover, they hailed from the ancient demonic sect, their methods unpredictable and sinister.
In any place, they were figures capable of inciting chaos, even drawing the attention of the Sky Patrol Guards as wanted criminals.
And yet, he was only at the Observation Divine Realm.
This was akin to dancing on the edge of a blade, making a pact with a tiger—a single misstep could lead to unimaginable consequences.
And yet...
He had left her the prayer beads that could take her to the Hanging Temple at any moment...
"He said he could stand on his own."
"Right now, what I must do is trust him... and ensure he has no worries weighing on him."
Ying Bing pressed her lips together, one hand absently kneading the large-headed doll at her waist while the other unconsciously twisted the prayer beads.
But if something truly went wrong...
A flicker of coldness passed through her serene eyes, a fleeting glint of killing intent.
"!"
The nearby Summoning Demonic Sect priests recoiled as if struck, their hair standing on end as though a blade hung over their heads.
Why was she twisting those prayer beads?
Was someone about to be... sent to the afterlife?
This Myriad Phenomena Immortal had just radiated killing intent, hadn't she? There was no mistaking it—that aura made them feel as though exterminating heretics was as effortless as crushing an ant...
---
Within the pocket realm.
"Might I ask for your esteemed name?"
"This humble one is called Heitu."
"?"
"The first form-based martial art I mastered was that of the Bai Ze. Thus, my master named me 'Heitu'—a counterpart to the Bai Ze."
"I see."
This was a setting meticulously crafted by a certain young genius, Li Mo, drawing upon every ounce of imagination he had accumulated from reading novels. It resembled a celestial palace above the clouds, a realm so divine that the word "immortal" hardly did it justice.
Li Mo walked leisurely ahead, hands clasped behind his back.
Behind him, Luo Yexian and the other Summoning Demonic Sect priests followed cautiously, their wide-eyed gazes darting around like country bumpkins entering a grand estate.
They had been thoroughly awestruck by the sheer grandeur of this "immortal" display.
"If this Myriad Phenomena Immortal Sect truly exists, why have we never heard of it?"
Luo Yexian was equally stunned, but his cautious nature kept a sliver of doubt alive.
Later, he would need to probe subtly—but he mustn’t overstep and offend their host...
Ahead of them, the fur at Li Mo’s neck swayed faintly.
Hmm...
These demonic sect followers were indeed cautious.
But fortunately, young genius Li Mo had prepared far more than just this!
As they walked, a figure appeared ahead within a jade-hued pavilion, his aura blazing like the morning sun, casting everything around him in radiant light.
The demonic sect cultivators, trained in the dark arts, immediately felt as though ice had met scorching flames in his presence.
"Who is this...?"
"This is Senior Brother Golden Crow."
Li Mo introduced them with a smile.
"!!!"
Luo Yexian and the others were thunderstruck.
Golden Crow!
It was actually a Golden Crow!
They knew that the late Han Zhen had often lamented his failure to reclaim the ancestral spirit of the Golden Crow in his lifetime!
Among the Great Shang lineage, the Golden Crow had been the most dazzling divine intent upon the Bronze Divine Tree!
It was also the mightiest of them all—the pure-blooded Golden Crow of legend, who wielded the Dao of the Sun, capable of merging with the great sun itself, its gaze encompassing all under heaven!
And now...
The long-lost Golden Crow had appeared here?!
"I have always admired the Golden Crow lineage. Might I..."
"The Golden Crow lineage? No, this one is not merely of the Golden Crow bloodline—he is the Primordial Golden Crow, the very first of his kind to emerge from the fabric of the cosmos."
"..."
Luo Yexian’s mind went blank.
Heitu’s words implied...
The figure before them was the original incarnation of that legendary being who had once transformed into the sun itself—a figure lost to the annals of time?!
"Senior Brother Golden Crow, this mortal visitor seeks your guidance."
Before Luo Yexian could speak, Li Mo interjected smoothly.
The golden-eyed youth turned, his gaze burning like the sun itself.
The solar halo behind him radiated sacred, scorching light.
"Challenger, step forward!"
"!!"
Li Mo watched with amusement from the side.
An Observation Divine Realm cultivator defeating a Golden Crow projection?
Unless it was that ice block Ying Bing, no chance...
Moments later.
The Summoning Demonic Sect disciples cast sympathetic glances at Luo Yexian, who now resembled a lump of charcoal freshly dug out of a coal pit.
Too brutal.
A battle?
No, this wasn’t a battle—it was a one-sided annihilation.
Had the Golden Crow not held back, Luo Yexian wouldn’t be pondering how to win, but how many times he could die in a minute.
"It’s true... It truly is the Primordial Golden Crow..."
Even as he was being utterly crushed, Luo Yexian’s mind buzzed with realization.
Han Zhen had once told him!
Only one who had mastered the Dao of the Sun could merge with the great sun itself!
The opponent hadn’t even used his full Seventh Realm power, yet he could still wield the sun’s authority effortlessly—there was no other explanation.
"Senior Brother, they are our guests. Please hold back."
Li Mo’s timely intervention earned him a grateful look from Luo Yexian.
Next, he led them deeper, allowing the demonic sect disciples to further experience the wonders of the "Myriad Phenomena Immortal Sect."
By the end of the tour, every one of them was left reeling.
Beyond the known, there lay greater unknowns.
Their so-called strength was nothing but a frog at the bottom of a well.
As they reached the main peak, Li Mo suddenly looked up and murmured:
"Master has returned."
"The Heavenly Venerable?!"
Luo Yexian followed his gaze—and was rendered speechless.
A majestic palace floated in the sky, but what truly stunned him was not the palace itself, but what pulled it.
Dragons.
Nine dragons drew the palace through the heavens!
Their own sect’s young master had spent his life pursuing the dragon form, seeking to attain the body of a true dragon. Yet here, even true dragons were mere steeds—just one of many.
Such was the grandeur of the Heavenly Venerable.
How could one not be awed?
Such was the Myriad Phenomena Immortal Sect.
No wonder they dared to include the word "Immortal" in their name.
No wonder the Heavenly Venerable styled himself as the "Heavenly Sovereign."
"Everyone, snap out of it. Master has just returned from traversing the void between realms and cannot receive guests at the moment."
"Of course, of course..."
"I know what you’re thinking—that the Summoning Demonic Sect has an extraordinary background because there are greater powers above you, correct?"
Li Mo asked casually.
Luo Yexian answered with reverence: "There are indeed... certain higher existences."
The sect's propaganda existed, but the only divine manifestation he had ever witnessed was the Blood God summoned by Han Zhen.
As for the others, they were merely hearsay—never seen with his own eyes.
"But above our revered master... there is no one else."
Li Mo wore a faint, enigmatic smile as he caressed the Void Myriad Colors Tower tucked in his robe.
It felt slightly warm.
A sign that it was absorbing the power of the masses.
But whose power was it drawing from?
"No one else... Hiss..."
That statement felt deeply unsettling!
Luo Yexian muttered to himself, "But why would the Heavenly Venerable take an interest in the meager power of the masses from this insignificant Southern Border..."
Li Mo stepped closer, gently patting Luo Yexian's shoulder with a narrowed-eyed grin:
"Hall Master Luo, do you... wish to advance?"
Outside, a certain ice block of a woman was still fretting.
But for now, she remained blissfully unaware.
These demonic sect members had already been thoroughly fooled by the Best Actor of the Golden Statue Awards.
.........
Seeking support for recharge, mwah! 030