Chapter 0 The Ancient Dao Master
For the past few days on the road to Sheng Hui Valley, Qin Gou had a very pleasant time.
It wasn’t because of the excellent treatment in terms of clothing, food, housing, and transportation; he was a man who had seen and experienced much.
Rather, Qin Gou was almost unable to extricate himself from the respectful shouts of “Celestial Master,” and as a great hero who had always been unjustly slandered, he finally felt a sense of vindication.
By the time the disciples of the three sects arrived at Sheng Hui Valley, many forces that had heard the news had already set up camp, waiting for the Egu Secret Realm to officially appear.
Strange.
Looking around, Qin Gou and Zheng Xiangbai shared the same question.
This place was a mixed bag of large and small forces, yet there was not a trace of the true local power, the Mystic Maiden Raksha Palace. It was a major event happening within their own territory, yet the Mystic Maiden Palace and Ye Qishuang seemed completely unaware and inactive.
One day later.
Several disciples from Linjiang Immortal Nunnery, covered in wounds and looking like battered rolling gourds, fled back to the disciples’ camp of the three sects.
Their wails and roars attracted much attention, including Qin Gou’s.
“What happened?” Zheng Xiangbai’s eyes blazed with anger as he questioned, unable to bear seeing his disciples suffer such humiliation in front of the other two sects.
“Elder Zheng, you must seek justice for us.”
“We were ordered to drive away those presumptuous minor powers, but who would have thought that after hearing the name of our Linjiang Immortal Nunnery, those scoundrels would dare to resist, and even gravely injure us with wicked and sinister arts!”
“Such a thing has happened?” Zheng Xiangbai’s tiger-like eyes flashed with a blade-sharp cold light, and he sternly said, “From which foolish evil cultivators did this come, to not even give face to our Linjiang Immortal Nunnery? They are truly digging their own graves.”
Qin Gou finally understood that Zheng Xiangbai intended to use his influence to clear out all the small and medium-sized forces before the entrance to the Egu Secret Realm appeared.
Heavenly treasures belonged to the virtuous, and everything would be decided by strength after entering the secret realm. This was a gray rule of the Cultivation World, although not everyone adhered to it, but Linjiang Immortal Nunnery, as one of the Ten Great Sects… The Etiquette, righteousness, integrity, and honor that had endured for so many years seemed to have changed with the times in this generation.
“Daoist Friend Zheng, this action of yours is a bit unrighteous, isn’t it?” Qin Gou couldn’t help but feel indignant; if you swept away all the other forces, leaving only the disciples of the three sects in the secret realm, how could a great hero like himself take advantage of the chaos? This was a truly bastardly move.
Zheng Xiangbai glanced faintly at Qin Gou and said, “Xuan Master is joking. Am I not doing this for the common interests of the three sects? Besides, as Xuan Master has also seen, these heretics have sinister and tricky methods that are hard to guard against. Even these few proud disciples of my sect were accidentally injured like this. How can we associate with such petty people?”
After speaking, Zheng Xiangbai’s gaze turned sharp as he looked at the few Linjiang Immortal Nunnery disciples, “Tell me, which despicable individuals dared to be so presumptuous?”
“Those guys came in groups, wearing black and white robes, with no sect insignia on them, but they called themselves ‘Unliving’ and served the ‘Ancient Dao Master’,” said a disciple covered in blood, gritting his teeth.
Unliving? Ancient Dao Master?
These two names were unheard of by everyone present. Logically, a force that could gravely injure the disciples of Linjiang Immortal Nunnery should have some reputation.
Zheng Xiangbai’s face turned ashen, and he said coldly, “How did you few get injured by such an unknown minor power? Were you ambushed? Didn’t I tell you that you could simply attack any uncivilized evildoer?”
“We…”
A disciple hesitated, his face filled with fear, “Reporting to Elder Zheng, we did indeed make the first move, but, but the evil arts of those Unliving were too bizarre! Despite the difference in cultivation realms, we killed them all in just one encounter. But in the blink of an eye, those guys stood up unharmed and attacked us desperately, tireless and without pain, fighting to the death!”
“Nonsense!” Zheng Xiangbai rebuked angrily, “Even the Taiyi Crossing Calamity Pill does not have such strong healing power.”
“It is absolutely true, how dare we deceive Elder Zheng?!”
“Junior Brother Xun even turned the head of one of the female cultivators into dust, but with a flash of dark light, the woman was back on her feet with a hateful expression in less than three breaths!”
“If it weren’t for those wicked arts wreaking havoc, how could our Immortal Nunnery disciples have lost so miserably after striking first!”
For a moment, the disciples of the three sects present exchanged glances. A resurrection technique? And so swiftly? It was truly like Arabian Nights.
“Utterly foolish!” Zheng Xiangbai roared, his anger mixed with disappointment. “You clearly fell for their Illusory Arts, don’t you understand such a simple principle? Those who can still breathe, lead the way for me immediately. Today, I, Zheng Xiangbai, will personally witness what kind of illusion master dares to disrespect my Linjiang Immortal Nunnery so much!”
With that said, a murderous aura emanated from Zheng Xiangbai as he stepped into the air.
Qin Gou, Tang Simin, Shen Zhen, and others quickly followed.
A moment later, more than ten men and women gathered outside a cave dwelling, dressed in black and white robes, appeared in their sight.
No one could have expected that Zheng Xiangbai, who was like a god of slaughter, would not say a word and directly summon a man in black to him. In an instant, he struck the man with a palm, driving him into the ground.
“Pfft”
The man in black’s chest caved in, blood sprayed from his mouth, and his head lolled to the side, his life or death unknown.
“Jia Qi!” The men and women were shocked and enraged.
Zheng Xiangbai laughed sternly, “Die and come back to life? Bring another one back to life for me to see, and let’s see if your Ancient Dao Master’s illusions can affect this Seat!”
“This person’s cultivation…”
“What happened?”
Gu Feiyan and Qin Yuan immediately emerged from the cave dwelling.
Qin Gou, standing in the crowd, his expression startled, Ancient Dao Master… No wonder.
Zheng Xiangbai’s gaze swept over the two of them, and he sneered, “I wonder, which of you is surnamed Gu?”
Seeing that they were not friendly, Qin Yuan stepped forward without hesitation, “I am.”
“A’yuan…” Gu Feiyan shook her head, placed a hand on Qin Yuan’s shoulder, and her eyes, as clear as ice, fixed on Zheng Xiangbai. “My name is Gu Feiyan.”
“Never mind,” Zheng Xiangbai scoffed, “I am Zheng Xiangbai of Linjiang Immortal Nunnery. I heard that the disciples of the Ancient Dao Master severely injured my sect’s disciples, so I have come to seek justice.”
“It’s not like that, Mother!”
“Don’t listen to his nonsense, it was clearly the disciples of Linjiang Immortal Nunnery who tried to take our lives without reason!”
Mother?!
Qin Gou’s expression was bizarre. He quickly and carefully counted the number of people present, and couldn’t help but gasp. He remembered back then, between him and Xiao Yan, how many times had it been?
Upon hearing this, Gu Feiyan’s eyes sharpened, but she didn’t say much. How could she not know that since the other party had come menacingly to their door, they wouldn’t be reasonable?
“You refuse to admit it?” Zheng Xiangbai chuckled.
Qin Yuan said, “What kind of justice do you seek, Your Excellency?”
“It’s very simple, naturally… a blood debt is paid with blood.” As he spoke, Zheng Xiangbai slowly drew the treasure sword at his waist with a playful air.
But the sword had only been half-drawn when another hand forcefully gripped Zheng Xiangbai’s wrist.
“What does Xuan Master mean by this?” Zheng Xiangbai frowned tightly, and coldly looked at Qin Gou beside him.
