Chapter 675: The Tide Turns

Xuan Yuezi did not strike again after slaying four great demons; in her view, the earth demons and sky demons on the battlefield were not worth her effort—her sole task was to ensure Taiyi's safety.

As for other matters, she would not interfere.

At this moment.

Li Yi, seeing the crisis resolved, stepped out of Taiyi Palace; his body was drenched in blood, his condition far from good—though he had swallowed a Three Treasures Pill gifted by Liu Guzi, he had still borne a blow from a great demon, and surviving at all was already remarkable.

"Thank you, Immortal Dame, for your aid; without you, today would have been fatal." He bowed in gratitude.

Seeing Li Yi unharmed, Xuan Yuezi's frosty face softened into a faint smile: "As long as you're safe, Taiyi, that's all that matters. These great demons of the Demon God Realm are truly shameless—banding together to assassinate a mere Five Qi cultivator. But now it's over; I've slain them all. Even the last great demon cannot stir up trouble."

As she spoke, she stepped upon auspicious clouds and drew near Li Yi, studying him once more.

"Though your wounds are severe, they haven't shaken your foundation. It seems the Daoist's artifact truly holds value—and how did your realm advance so swiftly? In just a few months, you've reached Five Qi Level Four."

Then Xuan Yuezi expressed further astonishment at Li Yi's cultivation level.

Of course, she was not the only one to feel this way.

Li Yi said: "This is a long story. Mainly, during my last cross-realm journey, I entered a special world where cultivation accelerates."

As he spoke, he released a faint thread of incense power.

Xuan Yuezi immediately seized the incense power to examine it, then let out a soft murmur: "Strange power—can belief alone manifest like this?"

"This is incense belief power. When mortals die, if they receive incense offerings, they instantly become gods; as long as incense endures, they achieve immortality. Incense power also accelerates cultivation and nurtures the soul. It was precisely because of this that Xiang Xiangzi awakened early—I left her in that world to gather incense, using the false to cultivate the true, restoring her cultivation. Next time she crosses over, she'll be like you, Immortal Dame, with the Three Flowers atop her head."

"Incense to become a god? Using the false to cultivate the true? This incense power caused Xiang Xiangzi's Primordial Spirit seed to bloom prematurely?" Xuan Yuezi's expression shifted slightly; she grew curious about this incense-god world.

If one could truly obtain vast quantities of incense, incense cultivation would undoubtedly be a shortcut.

Only Taiyi had such fortune to discover both worlds and fuse their cultivation methods, drawing strengths from each.

Li Yi added: "Xiang Xiangzi said the Heaven's Seal contains three deceased Immortal Dame's Primordial Spirit imprints. If nourished with incense in the incense world, perhaps the other three Immortal Dames could be revived."

"Hm?" At these words, the usually cold Xuan Yuezi could no longer remain composed; she seized Li Yi's hand and asked: "Did Xiang Xiangzi truly say this?"

When the Bald Daoist had re-forged the Xuan Huang Seal, he had discovered the Primordial Spirit imprints of three fallen Immortal Dames; since then, Xuan Yuezi had sought ways to revive them.

Yet even as a Three Flowers cultivator, she could not accomplish it.

But Li Yi's incense-god world made Xuan Yuezi realize this might be her chance.

"Xiang Xiangzi said success is highly likely, which is why she specifically asked me to inform you," Li Yi said. "Though speaking now on the battlefield is untimely, this matter is too vital—I felt I must tell you immediately, lest delay cause disaster."

"Taiyi, you did right. This matters greatly to me. Of the Seven Immortal Dames of our line, three perished in the End Dharma Era—all sacrificing their lives to preserve the Xuan Huang Seal. The other two were persecuted by the Tianyi Sect."

"If we can revive these three Immortal Dames, it would be a great blessing."

Here, Xuan Yuezi continued: "After this is settled, I wish to cross realms and meet Xiang Xiangzi face to face."

"Naturally," Li Yi nodded.

If the other three Immortal Dames could be revived, it would greatly strengthen their side.

As they chatted,

at another battlefield,

Wu Laodao and the Bald Daoist joined forces, and the great demon Lei Jiao finally met his end. His famed speed failed to save him, for the Bald Daoist had activated the Dao Artifact Yin-Yang Creation Cauldron—a top-tier artifact that survived the End Dharma Era unscathed; now wielded by a Three Flowers master, its power was boundless.

A single wisp of primordial qi escaped and sealed the heavens and earth, leaving Lei Jiao with no escape.

Combined with their coordinated assault,

in mere moments, Lei Jiao was riddled with wounds, blood gushing.

"Damn it!"

Lei Jiao roared in fury—he finally understood what it meant to be hunted by a mob.

It was maddening.

Had it been one-on-one, he would never have lost. But now, two against one? Not so certain. And this newcomer carried a wealth of treasures—though his strength wasn't exceptional, combined with those artifacts, he was a nightmare.

Unable to fight back and unable to flee, his annihilation by the two was merely a matter of time.

"Wind Summoning!"

At this moment, the Bald Daoist seized the opening and unleashed his long-practiced Dao technique.

Already wounded, Lei Jiao could only unleash his demonic power to resist the raging winds—but barely had he withstood them when a sharp spear, riding the gale, struck instantly.

It was a Dao Artifact weapon, effortlessly piercing Lei Jiao's demonic defenses and driving straight through his skull.

This blow ended the great demon of the Lei Peng clan.

As his massive demonic body materialized, the Bald Daoist rode the wind forward and sealed the corpse within a storage artifact, to be refined into a Dao Artifact later.

"Wu Laodao, are there any other great demons left? Is this the only one?" The Bald Daoist sounded unsatisfied.

He wished to slay more great demons while Immortal Dame Xuan Yuezi was present.

After all, such an opportunity might never come again.

"There are many more great demons on the Demon God Realm side—if you want them, go," Wu Laodao snapped. "Do you really think great demons are soft targets? Each equals a Three Flowers cultivator. Today, only because we teamed up did we kill one. Alone, who knows who'd kill whom?"

"The Demon God Realm still has demon kings—likely at peak or full Three Flowers. The demon king hasn't shown yet; otherwise, old man, you'd be dead today."

The Bald Daoist said: "That's because you're useless. You've cultivated your whole life and only opened one flower. If you'd achieved Three Flowers in full, those great demons wouldn't stand a chance. You should reflect on yourself—you nearly failed to protect Taiyi."

"Indeed, cultivators from small sects are just inadequate. Look at Immortal Dame—she strikes and four great demons fall. Don't tell me it's about realm; you're far older than Xuan Yuezi."

"You bald monk dare scold me? You've been absent for a long time," Wu Laodao growled.

"I've been traveling Earth, forging Dao Artifacts. Look at your Five-Colored Divine Bell—where did it come from? Without me, a senior of the Dao Artifact Sect, you'd be fighting great demons with a submachine gun."

Wu Laodao fell silent—he had no retort; the Dao Artifact in his hand was indeed forged by the Bald Daoist.

At this moment, Feiyunzi, wounded, flew over and said: "Gentlemen, no more bickering now. Though the immediate threat is gone, the Demon God Realm won't let this pass."

"They've lost several great demons today—I fear the Tian Yue Demon King will appear next. That's when real trouble begins."

"When the demon king appears, we're no match. Even if Taiyi objects, I'll take him and flee immediately," Wu Laodao said. "Old man doesn't want to fight these things again."

"Wu Laodao, you're scared," the Bald Daoist laughed.

Wu Laodao snapped: "Try being surrounded by several great demons. And for us to oppose the entire Demon God Realm? Pure fantasy."

"Cultivators fight—it's normal. Wu Laodao, after enduring the End Dharma Era, your courage has faded," the Bald Daoist shook his head. "Great demons? So what? If they come, fight back. I don't know how you even reached Three Flowers—did you just stay in your sect, meditating in isolation?"

"I refuse to believe you never faced strong foes in your youth. Now, on Earth, Taiyi has restored our cultivation path—we must reclaim our youthful spirit, keep striving, not cower. To me, Three Flowers is only the beginning—I aim to become a Dao Ancestor."

"What are a few great demons? When I fully open my Three Flowers, I'll confront the demon king myself."

The Bald Daoist spoke with fiery resolve.

Wu Laodao's lips moved, wanting to retort, yet found no strength.

Yes.

When had he become so timid?

Was it because surviving the End Dharma Era made him value his life too much—or because, having regained his Three Flowers realm on Earth, he now lacked the courage to face losing it again?

But as a cultivator, Wu Laodao knew clearly: if he lost this drive, his life was over.

"Bald one, you're right. Old man is old—he can't match his younger self. Facing even a few great demons has already sapped my courage. In this state, I'll achieve nothing."

Wu Laodao sighed.

He thought of Xuan Yuezi—when she came to Earth, she had only two flowers open; now, after several great battles, she had achieved Three Flowers in full.

True, her talent surpassed his—but the greater gap lay in their spirit.

"Wu Laodao, if you don't wish to stay and fight great demons, you may leave. I'm sure Taiyi won't stop you. But I'll remain—after all, Taiyi can still cross realms and bring back more Three Flowers masters without difficulty."

The Bald Daoist spoke with serious intent.

Though Wu Laodao had fought hard and contributed greatly, he despised his retreatist attitude.

He had survived the End Dharma Era—how could a few great demons break his spirit? This wasn't the way of a cultivator.