The Marvelous Immortal stared at Zhongshan, his eyes filled with uncertainty and suspicion. Having practiced the Red Phoenix Technique, he naturally knew its capabilities. As the technique progressed, its power became more extreme. Although it was an auxiliary technique, its capabilities were extraordinary. The Marvelous Immortal had served the Red Phoenix Old Demon for some time and had stolen the Red Phoenix Technique from him.
He had stolen a copy of the technique from the Red Phoenix Old Demon, but he had always felt that it was incomplete. Later, he realized that there were additional stages beyond what he had learned, which the Red Phoenix Old Demon had not recorded. He didn't know that Zhongshan possessed the complete Red Phoenix Technique. Was it fate that brought Zhongshan to him?
Thinking this, the Marvelous Immortal licked his lips, his eyes shining as he gazed at Zhongshan.
Zhongshan's previous words were just a test. Regardless of the Marvelous Immortal's reaction, Zhongshan had prepared follow-up remarks, even if he had to make them up.
However, the test succeeded. Although Zhongshan wasn't sure of the specifics, he could guess the Marvelous Immortal's thoughts from his general expression.
Zhongshan was shrewd, perhaps even more so than the Marvelous Immortal. Over eighty years, Zhongshan had experienced the ups and downs of life in the mortal world, encountering all sorts of people and delving into their minds. In other words, Zhongshan was already a master of psychology, whereas the Marvelous Immortal, despite being older, had spent most of his time in solitary cultivation and hadn't delved deeply into human emotions.
"So, you're the new disciple Master recently took in. It's truly unexpected to encounter you here. What a coincidence," the Marvelous Immortal pretended to be delighted.
However, Zhongshan could still see a hidden killing intent in his eyes.
So what if he knew the Red Phoenix Technique? Would he torture him for information? Zhongshan wouldn't gamble his safety on someone else's whim, especially considering the Marvelous Immortal's previous behavior.
Thinking this, Zhongshan suddenly burst into laughter. "Haha, indeed, what a coincidence! It's great to meet you, senior brother. When Master taught me the technique, he left without explaining many things. Now that I've met senior brother, I hope you'll enlighten me on the parts I don't understand."
Zhongshan pretended to be naive, hoping to win over the Marvelous Immortal.
Sure enough, the Marvelous Immortal was delighted. "Of course, of course, junior brother. But these two beauties by your side..."
Seeing the Marvelous Immortal's interest, Zhongshan's pupils contracted. He immediately said, "Oh, I almost forgot to introduce them to you. This is Tianling'er, the daughter of the head of the Kaiyang Sect and my newlywed Dao companion."
"Oh? The daughter of Tianxingzi?" The Marvelous Immortal was surprised, his eyes lighting up with excitement. Perhaps this lofty status would pique the Marvelous Immortal's interest even more.
"And this is my granddaughter. I hope senior brother will take care of her," Zhongshan said.
The Marvelous Immortal glanced at the two women, then at Zhongshan, narrowing his eyes. "Take care? Of course, I will take care."
"Senior brother, I heard there's something big happening at Eight Gates Mountain. We're heading there to take a look. Would you like to come along?" Zhongshan interjected immediately. After all, going to Eight Gates Mountain might lead them to members of the Kaiyang Sect.
"Eight Gates Mountain? What's there? It's rare for us brothers to meet. Come, my Immortal Pavilion is just ahead. Let's go to my place and catch up. Besides, with your pace, it'll only take two days to the east. There's no rush," the Marvelous Immortal objected immediately, his eyes glancing at the three of them, a green light flickering in them.
Tianling'er frowned. She was actually very disgusted, and if it weren't for Zhongshan's restraint, she would have taken some other action. As for Yinglan, she had been standing by Zhongshan's side, allowing him to handle the situation.
Zhongshan looked at the Marvelous Immortal. He sensed a hint of caution from the Marvelous Immortal's opposition. At this moment, he had to try to go along with it as much as possible.
"Sure, let's see what your Immortal Pavilion looks like, senior brother," Zhongshan smiled.
Seeing Zhongshan's response, the Marvelous Immortal's eyes flashed with satisfaction, but there was also a hint of disdain. Now that they were calling each other brothers, once he obtained the complete Red Phoenix Technique, it would be Zhongshan's death sentence. His Dao companion and granddaughter would both be his.
In his satisfaction, the Marvelous Immortal glanced at the two women again, a hint of a silver smile appearing in his eyes.
Zhongshan could see the Marvelous Immortal's expression throughout. Although he seemed polite on the surface and appeared somewhat naive, he was brewing something in his heart all along.
Sure enough, after crossing a hill, they arrived at a beautifully built house beside a waterfall. It wasn't surprising that the Marvelous Immortal had spotted him earlier.
As they approached, the sound of a woman's cries echoed from inside the house. Hearing this, Tianling'er looked puzzled, while Yinglan's eyes narrowed. She knew what this sound was—it was the muffled moaning of a woman who had taken aphrodisiacs and couldn't find relief.
Throughout, Zhongshan remained unchanged.
As they reached the door, it opened, and Zhongshan finally saw what was inside. Two women, their necks shackled with chains, their eyes lifeless and their skin flushed, were tied together by chains around their necks, preventing them from getting close to each other. They were constantly seeking comfort as if they had taken aphrodisiacs but couldn't find relief, only able to emit a sobbing cry.
Seeing this scene, Yinglan tightened her grip on Zhongshan's sleeve, while Tianling'er leaned closer to Zhongshan, her face filled with fear. The Marvelous Immortal seemed satisfied, but there was also a sneer in his eyes. Now that they were calling each other brothers, once he obtained the complete Red Phoenix Technique, it would be Zhongshan's death sentence. His Dao companion and granddaughter would both be his.
In his satisfaction, the Marvelous Immortal glanced at the two women again, a hint of a silver smile appearing in his eyes.
Throughout, Zhongshan could see the Marvelous Immortal's expression. Although he seemed polite on the surface and appeared somewhat naive, he was brewing something in his heart all along.
Sure enough, after crossing a hill, they arrived at a beautifully built house beside a waterfall. It wasn't surprising that the Marvelous Immortal had spotted him earlier.
As they approached, the sound of a woman's cries echoed from inside the house. Hearing this, Tianling'er looked puzzled, while Yinglan's eyes narrowed. She knew what this sound was—it was the muffled moaning of a woman who had taken aphrodisiacs and couldn't find relief.
Throughout, Zhongshan remained unchanged.
As they reached the door, it opened, and Zhongshan finally saw what was inside. Two women, their necks shackled with chains, their eyes lifeless and their skin flushed, were tied together by chains around their necks, preventing them from getting close to each other. They were constantly seeking comfort as if they had taken aphrodisiacs but couldn't find relief, only able to emit a sobbing cry.
Sensing someone entering, the two women, in a daze, quickly crawled toward the Marvelous Immortal. The first woman grabbed him and tried to tear his clothes, wanting to mate with him.
Zhongshan walked behind without saying a word, while the Marvelous Immortal, with a flick of his wrist, conjured two sword qi from his fingers and directly slashed the throats of the two women, killing them in front of him. Blood splattered everywhere.
"Ah..."
Tianling'er watched in horror, as if encountering such a malicious person like the Marvelous Immortal for the first time.
"Are you afraid, little sister? I'll throw them out," the Marvelous Immortal said with a strange smile.
With a wave of his hand, the iron chains loosened, and then with a sweep of his sleeve, the bodies of the two women were thrown towards a deep pool not far from the waterfall.
"Splash..."
As the two women fell into the waterfall, a large number of strange fish immediately appeared, opening their mouths to bite at the bodies. Blood quickly dyed the deep pool red, and within moments, the two bodies turned into piles of bones.
"Ah..."
Tianling'er screamed in terror.
"Hahaha, little sister, don't be afraid. They were already dead. It's better to feed the fish than to let them rot," the Marvelous Immortal laughed with an evil smile, his eyes constantly scanning Tianling'er.
"Why did you kill them?" Tianling'er finally couldn't help but ask.
In Tianling'er's eyes, enemies could be killed, but these women weren't enemies. Why did he have to kill them? Tianling'er couldn't understand, and at the same time, she felt extremely frightened. This person was too terrifying.
At this moment, Zhongshan also furrowed his brows in cooperation. Since he had to play the role of an innocent, he naturally couldn't "bear" this change.
"Senior brother, who are they?" Zhongshan deliberately asked with a puzzled expression.
As if "seeing through" Zhongshan's "naivety," the Marvelous Immortal chuckled, "Just a few playthings. When I get tired of them, I naturally discard them."
As the Marvelous Immortal spoke, his eyes were fixed on the two women, clearly indicating that he had something better in mind, and the previous ones could be discarded.
Seeing Zhongshan pretending to be naive, Yinglan also cooperated by showing a fearful expression, as if she dared not look at the Marvelous Immortal. This frightened deer-like expression made the Marvelous Immortal extremely pleased.
"Oh, this, my senior brother's granddaughter, is also my granddaughter. Don't be afraid. It seems like you haven't reached the innate realm yet?" The Marvelous Immortal looked at Yinglan and smiled.
"Yes, my senior brother, when our master left in a hurry, I forgot to ask him for a few spiritual pearls. If senior brother has any extras, why not give two to Yinglan?" Zhongshan immediately interjected.
Seeing Zhongshan, the Marvelous Immortal narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression changing slightly, but immediately returned to a hearty smile. "Good idea. I happen to have a spare spiritual pearl here."
With that, the Marvelous Immortal took out a spiritual pearl and handed it to Yinglan, his eyes staring at her as if he wanted to devour her.
A cold light flashed in Zhongshan's eyes. He had thought that using the Red Phoenix Technique would be enough to stabilize the Marvelous Immortal, but now he realized that the Marvelous Immortal's influence was too great. They couldn't wait any longer, or they would be playing with fire sooner or later.
Zhongshan took the spiritual pearl from the Marvelous Immortal and handed it to Yinglan.
"Aren't you going to thank grandpa?" Zhongshan said.
Between Zhongshan and the Marvelous Immortal, it was like a mutual act, each with their own ulterior motives.
"Thank you, grandpa," Yinglan also smiled brightly at the opportune moment and accepted the spiritual pearl.
Immediately, as Zhongshan had previously mentioned, he turned it into the appearance of a black bracelet.
"Grandpa, do you have any Wishful Stones?" Yinglan looked up at the Marvelous Immortal.
"Oh, sure, I'll give you some Wishful Stones." The Marvelous Immortal narrowed his eyes, his silver gaze becoming even more sinister.
"Thank you, grandpa," Yinglan smiled immediately, then took a Wishful Stone from the Marvelous Immortal, forming it into a shiny black storage bracelet, as Zhongshan had taught her last time.
Seeing the Wishful Stone, Zhongshan could also guess how large the internal space was. A gleam flashed in his eyes as he looked at the Marvelous Immortal, who was now looking evilly at the frightened Tianling'er.
Seeing this scene, a chill ran down Zhongshan's spine.
"By the way, senior brother, I happened to see a treasure near here just a few hours ago," Zhongshan immediately said.
"A treasure?" The Marvelous Immortal looked puzzled.
"Yes, guarded by a few zombies. Our strength is not enough to take it," Zhongshan replied.
The Marvelous Immortal stared at Zhongshan as if trying to determine if what he said was true.
"Is that so?" the Marvelous Immortal asked.
"Yes, not far from here in that valley. Actually, that thing might be taken by someone else soon. If we don't take it now, we might not have another chance. Senior brother, shall we go get it?" Zhongshan suggested.
The Marvelous Immortal stared at Zhongshan as if trying to determine if what he said was true. After a while, he suddenly said, "Alright, since junior brother says so, I want to see what treasures I haven't discovered around here."
"Good, in that case, senior brother, let's go. Ling'er and Yinglan, stay here," Zhongshan said, his eyes brightening.
The Marvelous Immortal glanced at the two girls with a sinister look and said, "We're in the depths of the Forest of Dark Mountains. It wouldn't be good if you encountered danger here. I'll leave two Soul Tracers on you. In case of any mishaps, I can quickly find you."
Without waiting for Zhongshan to say anything, he conjured two red smoke-like substances, which reached the girls and disappeared in an instant.
Seeing this scene, Zhongshan furrowed his brows slightly. Although he didn't know what Soul Tracers were, he could guess that they were something used for tracking, probably to prevent the girls from escaping.
While Zhongshan remained composed on the surface, his mind was brewing with even more sinister thoughts.
Under Zhongshan's suppression, the two girls didn't say much.
"Let's go," the Marvelous Immortal said as he walked out of the gate. With a flick of his hand, a flying sword appeared, apparently meant to carry Zhongshan along.
Zhongshan glanced at the two girls, then finally looked at Yinglan. He leaned his storage bracelet towards hers, and Yinglan understood, flashing a glance and seemingly transferring something into her storage bracelet. She then returned a knowing look to Zhongshan.
"Let's go, senior brother," Zhongshan said, turning to the Marvelous Immortal.
The Marvelous Immortal glanced at Yinglan, noticing Zhongshan's subtle movements just now, and furrowed his brows slightly.
"Grandpa, come back soon," Yinglan immediately said.
Hearing Yinglan's words, the Marvelous Immortal twitched his mouth, his eyes gleaming, and softly said, "Of course, I can't bear to leave you."
Zhongshan boarded the flying sword, leading the way ahead, and the Marvelous Immortal, feeling somewhat reluctant, glanced back at the two girls before flying off with Zhongshan towards the distant valley where the zombies were.
As soon as the Marvelous Immortal left, the smile on Yinglan's face suddenly changed, and a hint of fierceness flashed in her eyes.
"Yinglan, did Zhongshan take that scoundrel to the zombie valley?" Tianling'er immediately asked.
"Yes, Miss, he's leading the wolf into the tiger's den," Yinglan said in a low voice.
"Leading the wolf into the tiger's den?" Tianling'er frowned.
"Yes, let's go. We need to leave this place quickly and find a safe place to wait for Miss. We'll also wait for the wolf to return, wounded and defeated," Yinglan said coldly.
"You mean, that scoundrel and the zombies from before? Will they fight?" Tianling'er frowned.
"They may not necessarily fight, but with Miss around, they definitely will," Yinglan said confidently.