The next day was the Qingming Festival.
On the Xiaoyao Peak, atop the Peach Mountain, Ye Kong stretched lazily and emerged from Lin Yaoyao's thatched cottage.
A night had passed without any assassins appearing again, suggesting that all was probably well.
Ye Kong glanced back at Lin Yaoyao, who was still meditating, and decided not to wake her.
He then left the Peach Mountain and sat by the Bitter Sea to fish.
Suddenly, the voice of the system echoed in his ears.
"Ding! Congratulations, Host. By breaking the tranquility, you have earned a special item fishing opportunity!"
Hardly had the system's voice faded when Ye Kong flicked his fishing rod, and a mirror appeared in his hand.
"Tianluo Mirror: Those who are illuminated by it will lose 90% of their cultivation!"
After listening to the system's explanation, Ye Kong shone the mirror on himself, admiring his handsome face through it and activating it with his spiritual energy.
Buzz!
Ye Kong immediately felt that his spiritual energy had been weakened by 90%, but it didn't affect him much.
Not bad!
Without activation, the mirror was just an ordinary one. Only when activated could it reduce cultivation.
Ye Kong flipped the mirror closed and stored it away, intending to use it when the opportunity arose.
Putting the mirror away, he continued fishing.
"I love fishing. Fishing is wonderful."
Ye Kong couldn't help but sing out loud.
After a quarter of an hour,
Lin Yaoyao quietly opened her eyes and relaxed when she saw that her master was gone.
Both of them had stayed awake last night.
Firstly, they were worried that demon cult members might come, and secondly, they feared that the other might do something untoward to them.
Lin Yaoyao gazed at the Purple Phoenix Spirit in her hand, her brows furrowed.
"I hope Master doesn't think too much. I'm just using this to cultivate."
Lin Yaoyao stepped out of the thatched cottage and spotted her master fishing by the Bitter Sea in the distance.
How could Master be so relaxed, fishing leisurely today, after being so scared last night?
Lin Yaoyao muttered to herself before sitting by the pond to cultivate.
...
In the Demon Music Palace,
The life tablets of the ten Shadows had all shattered, indicating their deaths.
"Palace Master, should we continue with the plan?" Black Cloud knelt below and asked.
"Hmm." Xu Bubai nodded slightly and said, "The spirit veins of Xiaoyao Peak have been disrupted. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Send orders to our spy within the Xinghe Sect to break the formation and release the Ancestor!"
"Our Demon Music Palace has waited for this opportunity for too long. We must not miss it again!"
"Yes!" Black Cloud replied and turned to leave.
Xu Bubai sat on the throne, tapping his fingers on the armrest.
It was time to mobilize the spies who had been buried for years.
...
That night,
The spy hidden within the Xinghe Sect descended from the Sky Sword Peak, concealed in the darkness, and quietly approached Xiaoyao Peak.
The formation imprisoning the Demon Cult Ancestor was deep within the spirit veins of Xiaoyao Peak, and few knew about it.
The spy crept along, sneaking up to the excavated spirit veins and gazing at the yet-to-recover veins. Without hesitation, he took out a black, long nail.
"Demon Cult Ancestor, come forth!"
The spy whispered and drove the black nail into the spirit veins.
Roar!
The Xinghe Sect trembled, and everyone was jolted awake from their sleep.
Inside the Xinghe Palace,
The starry river beneath Luo Yangtian's feet churned uneasily, and a powerful aura spread from beneath.
"Hehehehe, I, the Ancestor, am about to emerge!" The Demon Cult Ancestor chuckled darkly beneath Luo Yangtian's feet.
Luo Yangtian stood with his hands behind his back and said calmly, "You've been under my feet for so many years. Even if you escape, what difference does it make?"
Luo Yangtian's palms were damp with sweat despite his nonchalant posture.
The trembling of the starry river unnerved him. What if the Demon Cult Ancestor really emerged?
It shouldn't be possible. Unless the formation imprisoning him was broken.
But that formation was beneath the spirit veins of Xiaoyao Peak, and few knew about it. Who could have broken it?
Stay calm, don't panic!
"Huh, if it weren't for your围攻 (surround and attack), I wouldn't have been captured. Ridiculous!" The Demon Cult Ancestor sneered.
"That's not my concern. You've been under my feet for many years," Luo Yangtian replied calmly.
"Don't waste your energy. Even if you escape, I'll crush you in an instant!"
As the starry river churned, a wisp of black mist emerged, condensing into a human figure.
"Luo Yangtian, guess when I'll emerge?" The Demon Cult Ancestor sneered.
Luo Yangtian faced away from the Demon Cult Ancestor, his heart pounding.
Surely not, surely not. The black mist is leaking. It can't be escaping, can it?
If the Demon Cult Ancestor breaks free, I can't defeat him.
What emerged now was just a mere avatar of the Demon Cult Ancestor.
"Elder, quickly investigate. Check if there's a problem with the spirit veins of Xiaoyao Peak," Luo Yangtian hastily instructed.
"Master, should we seek assistance against the Demon Cult Ancestor?" The Elder asked.
Luo Yangtian feigned disdain and said, "A mere Demon Cult Ancestor? I can suppress him with a flick of my hand!"
If the Demon Cult Ancestor escaped, no one could help.
Luo Yangtian was already preparing to flee at any moment.
The Elder gazed at Luo Yangtian's back, filled with admiration.
Truly a master! Calm even in the face of danger.
After bowing and paying his respects, the Elder hurried away.
"Just an avatar. I can destroy it with a flick of my hand!" Luo Yangtian raised his right hand and swatted the avatar away.
Just as he did, the starry river churned again.
Black mist filled the air, sweeping through the entire palace, and the Demon Cult Ancestor appeared behind him.
Enveloped in black mist, he exuded an overwhelming aura that made one's heart skip a beat.
"Come, try swatting me again!" The Demon Cult Ancestor sneered.
He had escaped!
Luo Yangtian's heart sank, facing away from the Demon Cult Ancestor, unable to turn around.
Dammit, he really escaped!
Who the hell broke the spirit veins of Xiaoyao Peak?
This is bad. I need to flee.
Luo Yangtian appeared calm on the surface but was panicking inside.
Facing the Demon Cult Ancestor was like facing pure terror!
Even the previous sect master couldn't defeat him, let alone me.
The Demon Cult Ancestor's black mist swelled, blotting out the sky above the Xinghe Sect.
The entire Xinghe Sect seemed to have plunged into absolute darkness, devoid of any light.
Within the Demon Cult Ancestor's domain, he could absorb everyone's spiritual energy for his own use.
"Hehehehe... Your Xinghe Sect will become my nourishment!" The Demon Cult Ancestor chuckled, absorbing the spiritual energy of the disciples.
Luo Yangtian, with his hands behind his back, was about to flee when he heard the disciples below.
"The Demon Cult Ancestor has escaped! Run!"
"Run! We'll all die if we don't!"
"What are you afraid of? Don't you see the Sect Master still standing tall above the starry river, facing away from the Demon Cult Ancestor?"
"Yes, as long as the Sect Master is here, he can surely suppress the Demon Cult Ancestor. We must have faith in him!"
The disciples chorused, gazing at the Sect Master's back and feeling less afraid.
Who the hell is flattering me?
Am I facing away? I'm just too scared to turn around, okay?
Looking at the newly emerged Demon Cult Ancestor through his divine sense, Luo Yangtian gritted his teeth and said,
"Even if you've escaped, I, the Sect Master, can still destroy you!"
"See? The Sect Master said he can crush the Demon Cult Ancestor with a slap. Don't panic!" The Second Elder tried to steady the disciples' nerves.
The Demon Cult Ancestor gazed at Luo Yangtian's back and sneered, "You?"
Having finished speaking, the black mist enveloped Luo Yangtian.
"Hmph, mere trickery and deceit," Luo Yangtian snorted, having already identified the optimal escape route.
No matter, I'll just strike and flee.
I can't possibly win!
Luo Yangtian was well aware of his limitations. He knew he wasn't on the same level as the Demon Sect Patriarch, and a confrontation would be futile.
Escape was the only option, biding his time for a chance to strike back.
"Starfall!" Luo Yangtian roared, unleashing a palm strike.
Stars flickered and shone, becoming the sole beacon amidst the endless darkness.
Taking advantage of the momentary lapse before the attack landed, Luo Yangtian's figure flashed and vanished amidst the starry expanse.
No matter what, escape was paramount to survival!
As Luo Yangtian's figure disappeared, it was witnessed by all.
"Why is the Sect Master fleeing?" The crowd was perplexed.
Meanwhile, on Xiaoyao Peak.
Ye Kong gazed into the distance, sensing the presence of the Demon Sect Patriarch.
"How could he be released?"
Ye Kong shook his head and sighed, reaching out to retrieve the Heavenly Net Mirror.
Activating it with his spiritual power, he directed its gaze upon the Demon Sect Patriarch.
The Patriarch's form appeared within the mirror, shrouded in ominous black mist.
"Who dares to spy on the Great Patriarch?" The Demon Sect Patriarch sensed the intrusion.
As the stars descended, the Patriarch smiled, mobilizing his internal energy to withstand the attack.
"I had no idea that the head of Xinghe Sect possessed such limited abilities. With just three tenths of my strength, I could suppress him!"
However...
Upon mobilization, his expression changed drastically.
Where is my internal energy?
He realized that his strength had been diminished by nine tenths!
Furthermore, he was unable to absorb the energy of others!
What was happening?
Amidst the Demon Sect Patriarch's confusion, the stars pierced through the darkness.
The black mist surrounding the Patriarch was shattered by the stars.
Despite his efforts to resist, the Demon Sect Patriarch found himself unable to muster the necessary internal energy to fend off Luo Yangtian's attack.
Boom!
With a deafening sound, the Demon Sect Patriarch was slammed back into his seal.
"Ah, I refuse to accept this fate!" The Demon Sect Patriarch roared in fury.
The demonic aura dissipated, and the starry expanse gradually returned to calm.
The crowd stared in awe at the descending stars.
"The Sect Master…sealed the Demon Sect Patriarch with a single palm strike! What incredible strength!"
"It turns out the Sect Master wasn't fleeing, but rather suppressed the Demon Sect Patriarch with ease, leaving the cleanup to others."
"Long live the Sect Master! Hail the Sect Master!" The crowd exclaimed in unison.
Just then, Luo Yangtian arrived at the foot of the mountain, standing beside a beggar's den.
Inside, a small beggar, around seven or eight years old, stared at Luo Yangtian with puzzled eyes.
Luo Yangtian glanced back, shaking his head and sighing.
"Alas, it's not that I didn't want to help, but I simply couldn't. Xinghe Sect, flee while you still can." Luo Yangtian sighed once more.
As he was about to leave, he noticed that the black mist surrounding Xinghe Sect had dissipated.
Extending his divine sense, he discovered that the Demon Sect Patriarch was gone too…
What just happened?
Did I really suppress him with a single palm strike?
Am I really that powerful?
No, it must be that the Demon Sect Patriarch had been confined for too long, and his strength hadn't fully recovered.
Upon this realization, Luo Yangtian's figure flashed, reappearing above the starry expanse.
With his hands behind his back, facing away from Xinghe Sect, his hair flowing in the wind, the crowd could only see a powerful white-clothed figure.
"To bear the burden of sentient beings and save the multitudes from suffering is the duty of us cultivators!" Luo Yangtian said softly, his voice echoing throughout Xinghe Sect.
"Long live the Sect Master!" The entire sect echoed in unison.
A figure hid in the shadows, silently observing Luo Yangtian.
"Impossible, Luo Yangtian couldn't be this strong!" The hidden guard refused to believe that Luo Yangtian had sealed the Demon Sect Patriarch with a single strike.
The Elder Martial Brother appeared beside Luo Yangtian, holding a black spike.
"Sect Master, this is the magical artifact that destroyed the spiritual veins of Xiaoyao Peak."
Luo Yangtian calmly took the artifact, nodding slightly.