Chapter Thirty-Nine: Meeting Without Recognition

When the Heaven-Covering Talisman entered the spirit coffin, Tu Shan immediately sensed it.

“So it has begun?” He turned his head toward the direction of the Demon-Suppressing Tower. The once clear, sunlit sky was now shrouded in black clouds and fierce winds. Thunder flashed relentlessly within the oppressive darkness.

Without a word, Tu Shan knocked out several prisoners before him. He and Ji Feichen’s target was among them. Casually, he stuffed the group into a golden vase, then, feigning panic, rushed toward the Demon-Suppressing Tower alongside the others.

The Demon-Suppressing Tower rumbled ominously. The treasured tower, renowned as Tai Xiao Palace’s key artifact for subduing demons, collapsed with a deafening crash. From its ruins, a crimson light slowly rose.

A radiant Earth Immortal maiden rode the clouds, obscuring the sun, holding a disciple of Tai Xiao Palace in her hand. Behind her stood a demon cloaked in a shroud of dark aura.

The maiden tossed “Chen Luo” into the jade coffin, and the demon willingly entered the coffin as well.

Tu Shan grew anxious. “Demoness, release my senior brother at once!” Apparently unable to gauge the maiden’s strength, he stepped forward to rescue Chen Luo, only for the maiden to hurl the coffin again, capturing Tu Shan along with Guo Shaoyang and the others.

Tu Shan purposely let himself be captured, intending to use it as an opportunity to escape, and also to serve as a hostage, forcing Tai Xiao Palace to act with caution.

The maiden hovered above the Demon-Suppressing Tower, absorbing earthfire rising from deep within the land to restore her depleted spiritual energy.

“I was sealed for three thousand years—my powers have been greatly diminished. If I fight now, I fear I am no match for Tai Xiao Palace. Yet why have they not appeared?”

Her gaze swept across the scene, landing on the Demon-Refining Tower, causing her to pause, then she laughed and addressed the Immortal Lock Tower, “Danyang, why are you the only one left among the Three Mountain Towers?”

The Earth Immortal who guarded the Demon-Refining Tower was also absent. Even after the incident at the Demon-Suppressing Tower, those from the Demon-Refining Tower were solely concerned with subduing the monsters within, none venturing outside.

Atop the Immortal Lock Tower, a dazzling white radiance sealed each layer of the tower and its underground palace. An old immortal, white-bearded and white-haired, stood at the very top, clad in a robe adorned with the eight trigrams and wielding a Water-Moon Fan, his bearing serene and dignified.

With a solemn expression, the old immortal bowed from afar to the maiden, “Lady Chen, Danyang pays his respects.”

He had sensed the drought demon’s escape the moment it happened, but his first priority was to suppress the Immortal Lock Tower, preventing a larger-scale prison break. Only then did he appear outside, confronting the drought demon. Unexpectedly, in that brief interval, someone from their tower had already been captured.

“Lady, as an accomplished immortal, you would not bully the young by attacking our juniors of Tai Xiao Palace, would you?”

“Accomplished immortal?” The drought demon maiden sneered. “If I were truly deemed an immortal, why was I imprisoned in the Demon-Suppressing Tower?”

Danyang frowned. He had attained immortality barely a thousand years ago; how could he know what those elders of old were thinking?

“Since you treat me as a demonic aberration, why shouldn’t I retaliate and turn your Three Mountain Towers to ashes?”

Danyang’s beard trembled; now, he dared not press the maiden too hard, fearful she might start a fierce battle here. Moreover, Tai Xiao Palace prided itself on being righteous—they could not disregard their disciples’ lives as the demonic sects might.

Even though Danyang did not personally know Guo Shaoyang or any of the junior disciples, he could not show indifference before them. These low-level disciples form the foundation of a sect; if the elders do not cherish their own, the sect’s cohesion would collapse instantly.

Furthermore, should two Earth Immortals battle here—especially the drought demon, with her “Scorched Heaven, Parched Earth” powers—it would be disastrous. If she unleashed her abilities, would the Three Mountain Towers survive?

Danyang remained silent, using his primordial spirit to lock onto the drought demon, neither attacking nor arguing, striving to delay until his Tai Xiao Palace companions arrived.

Meanwhile, the drought demon maiden continued to absorb earthfire, recovering seventy percent of her magic. “Old man, I won’t waste words with you. Today I break free because fate so decrees—my calamity ends here. Someday, when my wounds heal, I’ll settle that old debt from three thousand years ago with you all.”

Knowing this place was unsafe, the maiden transformed into a crimson light and flew away from the Three Mountain Towers.

The old immortal did not pursue her; with a wave of his sleeve, a vast white mist appeared amid the ruins, restoring the Demon-Suppressing Tower.

Zhen Guang hurried forward. “Uncle, will you just let her go like that?”

“An Earth Immortal, after all—she cannot escape the pursuit of Tai Xiao Palace. For now, let her enjoy some freedom.”

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“What about Guo Shaoyang, Chen Luo, and the others?”

“If that maiden is wise, she will not harm our people. If she spares them, they will be imprisoned again beneath the Demon-Suppressing Tower; if she kills them, then she will face justice on the Execution Platform.”

The old immortal addressed the others, “Return to your posts. There’s no need to ask further.”

Danyang stood atop the Immortal Lock Tower, gazing out at the direction where the drought demon had escaped.

As the demon had barely moved away, suddenly the sky erupted with azure thunder. A jade tree soared into the heavens, a net of lightning veiled the earth, encircling the drought demon maiden.

“Wei Feng, you court death!” the maiden exclaimed angrily, unleashing venomous crimson clouds and fire around the jade tree and lightning net.

Danyang murmured, “Uncle Wei returned so quickly?” Wei Feng, the Earth Immortal of the Demon-Suppressing Tower, had just left at midnight to cultivate in the Azure Skies, but with the drought demon’s escape, he abandoned his own pursuits and rushed back to save the situation.

The jade tree was his primordial spirit manifestation—a divine tree embodying the essence of thunder. Blue thunder gathered upon the tree, forming myriad azure lightning, shining with a bright, overwhelming aura.

Tai Xiao Palace was home to many Earth Immortals; Wei Feng and the drought demon were of the same generation, seniors to Danyang. Wei Feng was also the younger brother of the current Palace Master.

“Uncle’s thunder fruits now number eighty thousand? It seems he is not far from ascension.” Danyang observed the distant clash between the jade tree and crimson clouds. If Wei Feng refined a full ‘yuan’ of thunder arts, he could immediately ascend to the Nine Heavens.

Now, the drought demon maiden, newly freed, was no match for Wei Feng. The flames struggled to endure in the boundless sea of lightning.

“Lady Chen, return voluntarily to the Demon-Suppressing Tower, and I will spare your life,” a cold, aged voice resounded from the thunderclouds.

The drought demon wiped blood from her lips, stared defiantly at the lightning, and retorted, “Return? Be imprisoned for another three thousand years? At worst, I’ll fight to the death—I’ll drag you down with me, and you’ll never attain the immortal path!”

If an Earth Immortal self-destructed, turning a thousand miles into a wasteland, the resulting karmic backlash would doom Wei Feng as well.

Taking a deep breath, the drought demon spat a beam of white light, revealing a talisman-like artifact within the radiance.

She bit her tongue, using her own blood to activate its power. Instantly, the world shook as wind and fire surged forth. The wind cut like blades, fire blazed like the sun, forging a new domain within the sea of thunder.

“The Wind-Returning, Fire-Reversing Token?” Danyang frowned, hastily shielding the Three Mountain Towers with his defenses.

This token was of extraordinary origin; altogether thirty-six existed, with three in Tai Xiao Palace, held by the three Grand Elders.

“Was Uncle’s reason for imprisoning Lady Chen all for this token?”

Crimson and azure brilliance exploded in the sky; wind and fire stirred the heavens, causing the sea of thunder to waver precariously.

Yet as another thunderclap resounded, all was abruptly silenced. A man in black robes stood atop the clouds, holding the jade tree, its brilliance intense, bearing countless azure divine thunders.

“Continue. It seems Lady Chen has deepened her understanding of the Celestial Gang Token within the Demon-Suppressing Tower, surpassing her mastery from years past.”

Wind fueled fire, fire aided wind, but all was ultimately devoured by the thunder surrounding Wei Feng.

“After all these years of suppression, the gap between us has only grown.” Once, the maiden’s innate talent allowed her to outmatch Wei Feng, but now…

Helpless, the maiden secured the coffin, unleashing her fire aura. Boundless venomous drought fire formed seven dark-red flames about her—each flame a condensation of her own essence. If she forged nine, she would rival Wei Feng.

Just as she resolved to risk everything, suddenly a flaw appeared in the lightning net—a streak of ‘Bing Fire’ thunder flashed below. Though it was thunder, it shared origins with Tai Xiao Palace’s arts, but at that moment it drew a thread of fire, creating a fleeting gap in Wei Feng’s seal.

“A perfect chance!” Without hesitation, the drought demon seized the opening and escaped.

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Wei Feng was momentarily stunned, not pursuing the drought demon, but instead turned his gaze to the source of the Bing Fire thunder.

“Sun Yu? Why is he here?” Danyang was also surprised. Sun Yu was his junior, skilled in Bing Fire divine thunder, and should have been cultivating within Tai Xiao Palace.

Wei Feng squinted at the man below. “So that’s it. No wonder Senior Brother visited my Demon-Suppressing Tower a century ago—it was to orchestrate this demon’s escape!”

“Oh, Senior Brother, your schemes are truly far-reaching. Even your fellow disciples, even the rules of Tai Xiao Palace, mean nothing to you!”

Wei Feng ignored the drought demon, instead wielding his jade tree and struck at Sun Yu below.

The drought demon, now safely away, saw the young man standing at the foot of the mountain.

With a jade crown and crimson robes, fair face and rosy lips, elegant brows, he exuded a scholarly air. He held a Jade Phoenix Lamp, and after unleashing a Bing Fire thunder, turned to leave.

Seeing him, the drought demon was stunned, as if he overlapped with someone from her past. “Sun Yan?”

“Senior, you must go!” Tu Shan and Ji Feichen urged her together. The drought demon snapped out of her reverie and hurried away, but soon saw Wei Feng attacking the young man, nearly rushing back to save him. Ji Feichen leapt from the coffin, masking himself in dark aura, and pulled the maiden away.

Fortunately, Danyang used his magic to dispel the azure thunder, and both Earth Immortals’ attention was diverted from him. “Uncle, please calm your anger. Junior Sun meant no harm.”

At this moment, a talisman on Sun Yu’s body activated, transporting him automatically back to Tai Xiao Palace.

“No harm? Well, well… I’ll return to Tai Xiao Palace myself and ask Senior Brother what his intentions are, sending his disciple to meddle!”

As Sun Yu departed, Wei Feng followed, inadvertently giving the drought demon and her companions the chance to leave the Three Mountain Towers and flee a thousand miles away.

On the road, the maiden regained her composure, suppressing her complicated emotions. “That’s enough, I’ll take the lead.” She quickened her pace, using fire travel to reach a secluded mountain.

Pale-faced and bloodstained, the maiden was clearly weakened from years of imprisonment and her battle with Wei Feng. Her cultivation was severely impaired, her realm unstable. Without proper healing, she risked losing her level.

She released Tu Shan from the jade coffin and spoke softly, “You two saved me; now we part ways. Go your own paths.”

Ji Feichen, holding his objective, prepared to depart, but Tu Shan stopped him. “You plan to switch to the path of the Qi Cultivator—how can you manage without someone to guard you?”

Then Tu Shan addressed the maiden, “Senior, your wounds have not yet healed. Why not let us both serve at your side?”

“No need,” the maiden replied gently. “I’m wanted by Tai Xiao Palace; there will surely be pursuers. If you stay with me, you’ll only invite deadly trouble.”

“I know of a place where none from the Daoist sects would dare enter,” Tu Shan said, producing his family heirloom. It was a fragment of a proclamation, golden and shining, inscribed with layers of mysterious talismans.

“What is this?” The drought demon seemed to understand, realizing Tu Shan’s destination.

The Sacred Land of the Demon Clan!

Beyond the four great sacred lands, the demon clan once had its own sacred sanctuary. But it had been destroyed ages ago, scattering their arts and making it impossible to form a unified system. If they escaped to the ancestral sanctuary of the demon clan, the Daoist sects would never find them.

After some hesitation, the drought demon nodded. “I’ll accompany you two for a while longer.”

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