Looking every bit the part of an aged monster, he now exuded an imposing, mighty demon Qi that seemed to envelop the entire forest.
"Hand over my child!" the old man shouted loudly.
The immortal woman frowned and replied, "I've told you many times, your child isn't here. Why must you be so relentless? If the Lady of Mount Li hadn't gone to Mount Ling to discuss the Dao with several Bodhisattvas, she would never allow you to act wildly here."
"Nonsense, my child disappeared right here. How could you not know his whereabouts? If you return my child today, well and good. Otherwise, don't blame me for disturbing your peace." Although the old demon appeared aged, his attitude was even more fiery than Lin Fang, a young man.
"I've said he's not here, and he's not; as a follower of the Lady of Mount Li, why would I deceive an old demon like you? Do not throw a tantrum, or I won't be polite." This was an unprecedented threat to the immortal woman, who immediately retaliated.
The two weren't in agreement, so naturally, they resolved to a direct confrontation; one wielding a wooden staff and the other commanding a treasured sword, they began to fight in the sky, leaving Lin Fang and his companion dumbfounded.
"Wow, is this old man really that brave?" Lin Fang marveled inwardly. He dared to be so arrogant in front of the Lady of Mount Li's domain, squandering his seemingly dignified appearance.
Watching the ongoing battle erupt in the sky, Lin Fang quickly pulled the Little Fox back, deciding it better not to get involved in this matter, as both individuals seemed formidable.
In the sky, the old demon was still fighting the immortal woman. He waved his wooden staff, releasing a burst of verdant light, and suddenly countless vines wrapped around the immortal woman.
The vines glowed with light, clearly imbued with mana. The immortal woman, however, scoffed coldly, releasing endless sword Qi which instantly shattered the ensnaring vines.
Her sword light sliced through the sky, fiercely striking the old demon. Yet it failed to harm him in the least, for an armor-like thick bark had grown over his body, absorbing the sharp sword Qi and causing it to fall away.
Yet, the wooden staff of the old demon aimed once again at the head of the immortal woman, who did not dodge or avoid, instead raising her treasured sword to lightly block it, trapping both in a deadlock.
The immortal woman felt stifled; her spells were too disruptive, and using them here might damage the cave mansion. Fearing blame from the old mother, she fought with her hands tied, while the old demon grew increasingly fierce, his wooden staff evoking the sensation of an army of a thousand charging forward.
"If that is the case, then don't blame me for being impolite," the immortal woman bit her silver teeth and said harshly.
At her thought, a glazed hairpin emitting a flowing light, and seemingly engraved with mysterious runes, emerged from the Blessed Land.
Holding the hairpin, she gently thrust it forward, and a beam of light streaked across the sky at lightning speed toward the old demon, who couldn't avoid it in time and was struck by the light, plummeting from the sky, his life or death unknown.
Seeing this, the immortal woman hummed lightly and didn't bother to pursue the old demon, since the Array of the Blessed Land still needed repairing and her time was pressing.
The mist spread, and the large mountain that had been visible to Lin Fang and his companion vanished into thin air, indicating that the formation had been completely repaired.
"How powerful! When will I ever be that strong?" the Little Fox exclaimed wistfully, reminiscing over the battle.
"Really? I feel like those two were more impressive, especially the fairy sister. Her magic seemed truly majestic," the Little Fox disagreed, considering the techniques of the Great Sage of the Yellow Wind and Sha Wujing somewhat ordinary in comparison.
"What do you know? That's called defeating ten with one blow. If those two were to make a move, just with their strong mana they could instantly crush these two. Don't be fooled by their seemingly mysterious techniques, they're all show and no substance," Lin Fang explained.
Having witnessed the whole process of their fight, Lin Fang had his judgment. Overall, though both displayed impressive magic, they lacked proper control over their own mana, leading to its dispersion during attacks and failing to form a definitive strike.
The last move with the magical treasure by the immortal woman was truly formidable; the power was concealed but potent, able to take a life in one blow.
He reckoned that if he let himself loose and fought them, winning against these two would not be a problem.
However, at this moment, he did not wish to show off, realizing that only by keeping a low profile could one survive long in this dangerous Journey to the West world.
Surely, that arrogant Old Demon had already suffered a great loss and it was uncertain whether he could survive, considering the power of the Magical Treasure, Lin Fang thought it was quite mysterious.
"Ah, what a pity, I haven't had a good look at what an Immortal's Blessed Land truly looks like. I heard there are many natural and precious treasures inside that could enhance one's mana when consumed," Little Fox said with a face full of regret.
He had never entered an Immortal's Blessed Land in all his years.
"You better stop dreaming. Today was lucky, this Immortal Woman is obviously kind-hearted. If it were someone else and they saw you, a Little Monster, they wouldn't hesitate to skin you. A Little Monster like you should stay away from an Immortal's Cave Mansion," Lin Fang hurriedly admonished Little Fox, lest his lack of worldly experience attract lethal trouble in the future.
Upon hearing this, Little Fox's ears drooped. He knew that what Lin Fang said was indeed the reality; most Immortals in this world did not have a favorable attitude towards monsters.
"Cheer up, there's no need to be depressed. If there's a chance, why not create your own Blessed Land? Isn't that better than envying others?" Lin Fang consoled the disheartened Little Fox.
"That's easier said than done. Even the Demon King cannot create a Blessed Land; only those powerful Immortals possess the ability,"
As they walked and talked, they reached a small creek where they saw a green figure floating above the water; it was the Old Demon who had earlier battled with the Immortal Woman.
Lin Fang rushed to his side and found a large hole torn open in his body, yet no blood flowed out. Roots of gray at the water's edge were continuously absorbing water, preserving his life.
"Turns out it's a tree demon that had good fortune to have fallen onto a creek; otherwise, it would have been long dead," Lin Fang said with a chuckle after a careful look.
"Is there any saving him?" Little Fox asked, looking at the big hole in the Old Demon, not very hopeful.
"It must be that his fate hasn't run out yet that he encountered me. Since we are fated, I shall kindly save him,"
While saying this, Lin Fang took out his Jade Pendant and blew a breath on it. Instantly, a green light flashed from the pendant, which was the unique vitality of the Willow Leaf, powerful enough to revive the dead and mend bones.
The vitality fell on the Old Demon, immediately sealing the big hole. Soon the Old Demon opened his aged eyes and saw Lin Fang and Little Fox beside him.
"Who are you?" the Old Demon asked warily, but his tense expression relaxed upon seeing the fluffy ears on top of Little Fox's head.
"I'm Su Yun, and this is Brother Lin Fang; he's the one who saved your life," Little Fox said with a smile.
The Old Demon quickly struggled to his feet and thanked Lin Fang: "Thank you, Immortal Elder, for saving me. I am deeply grateful."
"We are all part of the Demon Clan; it's only right to help each other. Please, no need for formalities, sir,"
"What, you are a monster?" The Old Demon was immediately stunned. He scrutinized Lin Fang, unable to associate him with the term monster.
Lin Fang merely smiled slightly. He had always been in the Leakless Realm, where even Immortals could not detect his Demon Qi, let alone this Old Demon.
Thus, he purposely released a trace of Demon Qi, causing the eyes of the Old Demon to suddenly brighten. He looked at Lin Fang in shock and said, "You really are a monster, but your Demon Qi is so warm, it makes people want to draw near unconsciously."