Chapter 546: The Great Demon of North Hong and the Dragon Maiden of East Hong (Chapter Setting the Map)

In the Hongze Water and Land, possessing a single treasure land that harmonizes with the Dao to protect a sect is actually a rare occurrence.

Otherwise, it would not have taken the name of the Immortal Sect, earning the reverence of countless cultivators.

The vast majority of powers are exposed, forced to hide themselves using various formations.

Once they encounter a true powerful enemy, they become like fish on a chopping block, at the mercy of others.

Therefore, they usually pledge allegiance to a superior sect, becoming its vassal, using the superior sect's reputation to intimidate demons and evil spirits.

The one Red Maple Valley pledged to was the only Immortal Sect in the surroundings, the Yunhe Sect.

Although the Yunhe Sect cannot compare to those top-tier powers transcending the West Hong, it has existed for tens of thousands of years; its founding ancestor still sits within the sect, his cultivation realm so profound it is immeasurable, absolutely not something new giants who have just harmonized with the Dao can be compared to.

At least before the Yunhe Shenxu Laozu ascends to immortality, any demon or evil spirit wishing to invade this place must carefully consider the consequences.

However, outside this tranquil place covered in red maples across the mountains, there now stands an iron spear, fully six zhang long and as thick as a calf, clearly a weapon used by demons and monsters.

It is planted straight at the valley entrance, with six blood-stained magical robes hanging from it, swaying in the wind like a great banner!

In front of this long spear, the entire magical array of Red Maple Valley was directly shattered.

"..."

An old man in a long robe stood with his hands hanging by his sides in the valley, his face full of haggardness, his eyes lifeless as he gazed at that banner.

No one could tell that such a person completely devoid of spirit and energy was actually the Lord of Red Maple Valley.

Red Maple Valley has a total of twelve elders, three of whom have already ascended to Bai Yujing; any one of them once made a considerable name for themselves wandering the West Hong, but now, these three Bai Yujing powerhouses are all hanging upon that iron spear.

As a powerful cultivator who opened three cities, the Lord of Red Maple Valley does not even know how his own elders perished.

Starting from the first elder's mysterious disappearance, every time he sent someone to report to the Yunhe Sect, the next day another magical robe would appear on that long spear; whether they traveled in pairs or alone while suppressing their aura, the outcome would not change in the slightest.

As for the corpses... they were likely eaten clean by demons and monsters.

It is impossible for such a powerful great demon to exist near the Yunhe Sect; otherwise, powers like theirs who have lived here for many years would not have a single clue.

If they were an external demon clan, how could they have evaded the Yunhe Sect's patrols?

Unless their realm is stronger than the elders of the Immortal Sect.

But if that were true, a demon clan of such cultivation should not do things like eating cultivator corpses; after all, as their realm rises, they pay a bit more attention to their demeanor, unless it is a war of sect destruction; under normal circumstances, these great demons still restrain themselves.

With their strength, they inevitably have dealings with sects; although human bodies are fragrant medicine, eating too much will make them a target; they are not small demons living from hand to mouth, eating one meal without knowing the next; it is more suitable to seek heavenly treasures from sects for a steady, long-term flow.

Moreover, if they truly wanted to devour cultivators, why eat them one by one? Would it not be better to simply storm the gates?

"What exactly do you want..."

The Lord of Red Maple Valley actually had a rough guess; after all, for their power, there truly wasn't much they could offer.

Only the Jade Maple Treasure Pill, used to pay tribute to the Yunhe Sect, was presentable enough.

So, do these demons want to intercept the Yunhe Sect's tribute and take the place of their superior sect? But while threatening, they did things so undignified, the whole situation revealing a greed and poverty inconsistent with their strength.

Eating the cultivators of Red Maple Valley on one hand, yet still wanting a steady, long-term flow on the other.

The Lord of Red Maple Valley does not know how others would think, but he certainly will not believe in such a new "superior sect."

"I wonder how Liu Heng is doing now."

The remaining six elders slowly approached, their eyes still filled with lingering terror.

Those with profound cultivation have an aura too intense to walk out; they could only use methods to send out a disciple at the Soul Transformation realm; even if the journey was a bit slow, there was still hope of delivering the message to the Yunhe Sect.

"Calculating the time, it is still early."

The Lord of Red Maple Valley withdrew his gaze, somewhat afraid to look at the magical robes on that iron spear again.

Small powers are different from Immortal Sects; without the protection of a giant at the realm of harmonizing with the Dao, they rely on each other in the West Hong, and the human touch is stronger... those elders were no exaggeration to call his brothers who shared life and death with him.

Now they are gone like this, and he, let alone taking revenge, cannot even figure out the identity of the demon clan.

While the few were talking, they suddenly heard a loud shout.

"Lord, the disciple has returned with reinforcements!"

Outside the valley, Liu Heng was seen frantically riding a flying sword back, then stumbling off the flying sword and running towards the valley interior.

The Lord of Red Maple Valley and the several elders' expressions changed slightly; they did not sense the presence of any Yunhe Sect cultivators, and given Liu Heng's realm, he could not control even slightly precious transportation magical treasures; how could he have gone and returned so quickly?

Just as an elder was about to question aloud whether this young man had fled after a mere tour due to cowardice, his eyelid twitched, and he saw a purple figure falling closely behind Liu Heng.

The arriving person was tall and slender, with smooth hair, a dragon-scale sword hanging at her waist, wearing a plain white robe inside and a thin purple skirt outside; the only ornament on her entire body was a simple jade hairpin among her hair.

Truly possessing an elegant temperament, as warm and moist as spring water.

"This person... this person is..."

Liu Heng hurried over to the Lord's side, gasping for breath, wanting to introduce her.

The Lord of Red Maple Valley had already respectfully bowed and performed a salute.

As a cultivator of the West Hong, he had also been young, once one of the many cultivators who gathered by the lake to watch the white dragon bathe.

That generous and pretty face, anyone who saw it once would find it hard to forget.

The other several elders also became emotionally agitated.

They would not have dared to dream that at such a most critical moment, Red Maple Valley would be fortunate enough to encounter a purple-bearded white dragon!

"You have come; we finally have hope of salvation!"

A chubby elder suddenly exhaled a breath, and his entire tightly tense mind relaxed considerably.

You must know, up until now, all those who perished in Red Maple Valley were elders.

Who knows if the next one will be oneself; under such immense pressure, were it not for worrying that the disciples would be too terrified, this chubby elder's mind would have already collapsed.

Seeing that this group recognized her, the Purple Orchid Immortal nodded, but did not speak too definitively: "Let us see the situation first."

"We understand."

Only then did the Lord of Red Maple Valley raise his head; any creature familiar with the Eastern Long Gong would know that the Immortal's words did not mean she would abandon them if the matter was too serious; once a purple-bearded white dragon appears, they will surely do their utmost; the other party was only worried about lacking the ability to solve it.

But in this Hongze Water and Land, there has been only one thing in hundreds of thousands of years that left the Eastern Long Gong helpless.

Under the gaze of all.

The young lady in the purple skirt swept her gaze around the surroundings, then walked over to that iron spear, reached out to touch it slightly, and memorized the aura on the iron spear.

She gazed at those six blood-stained dharma robes, and displeasure surged in her eyes.

Immediately following, she waved her hand, took down all the dharma robes, and sent them to the Master of Red Maple Valley with her aura: "Bury these Daoist friends first."

"..." The Master of Red Maple Valley held the dharma robes, gritted his teeth hard: "Thank you, Baohua Xianzi."

This is the sorrow of small factions; before investigating the enemy's background, they do not even have the qualification to let their own elders rest in peace.

"I will stay here for a few days. Send someone to tell me the specific situation first. If they come, call me over; I will handle the explanation with them."

Baohua Xianzi did not say anything more, simply turned around and walked into Red Maple Valley.

Simple words, yet they instantly made everyone present feel incredibly reassured. With the promise of the Purple-Bearded White Dragon, at least until this matter was resolved, Red Maple Valley had latched onto one of the thickest giant trees in Hongze.

Just then, Baohua Xianzi suddenly turned back.

The Master of Red Maple Valley and the elders also suddenly looked towards the distance; only Liu Heng seemed to remember something, couldn't help but slap himself, and upon returning, his mind was unstable, forgetting to recite the breath-suppressing treasure mantra taught by the Valley Master.

In an instant, a surging black wind swept down from the horizon.

The target was extremely clear.

Whoever leaves the valley must die!

At nearly the same time, a crisp sound rang out in the sky.

"East Long Gong, Qingyue Daozi."

In the instant the black wind was about to engulf Liu Heng, the purple figure had already stood steadily in front of the young disciple, her expression unchanged as she stared directly at the black wind right before her eyes.

She had no intention of hiding her identity; the East Long Gong intervened only to resolve the matter, so naturally, she would do whatever was most effective.

Moreover, the strength of this demon... exceeded her expectations somewhat.

Even though she had not truly stepped into that realm, she was at most only a hair's breadth away.

"Heh!"

The black wind suddenly condensed in the air, revealing a ferocious bear face.

It stared fixedly at the woman before it, opened its mouth slightly to exhale, revealing sharp fangs.

Seeing the face of this demon for the first time and feeling that terrifying aura, the eyes of the cultivators from Red Maple Valley filled with intense fear, and the Valley Master's heart sank heavily in his chest.

The thing he feared most had happened; the one targeting Red Maple Valley was indeed a terrifying great demon that vaguely transcended Bai Yujing. As for whether it could compare to He Dao, his vision could no longer discern it.

After all, without Baohua Xianzi's help, relying solely on Red Maple Valley would make no difference; they were all completely unable to resist.

But now, even though Baohua Xianzi was still at the Bai Yu Jing realm, after the words "East Long Gong" were spoken, even if this demon truly was a being comparable to the He Dao realm, it would absolutely not dare to be presumptuous.

Sure enough, the bear demon, whose body was hidden in the black wind with only its face exposed, stared at the trembling Liu Heng on the ground for a long time, then coldly glanced at Baohua Xianzi, and finally returned to the black wind.

Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief, they saw that iron spear, which had been stuck straight in the ground, suddenly shoot up, land in the bear demon's palm, and then be thrown out with terrifying momentum, the spear tip pointing directly at that chubby elder.

The seemingly ordinary long spear, after leaving his hand, suddenly transformed into a surging long thunder that seemed capable of piercing the clouds; the solidified demon energy completely enveloped the already red and vibrant Maple Valley in blood color!

The Master of Red Maple Valley had long been prepared to summon his Dao soldier, but at this moment, facing this incoming long spear, he did not even have half a chance to react.

The gap in realm between the two had become so vast that it could not be bridged no matter what.

Even he, a cultivator of the Three Cities, was like this; that chubby elder who was merely at the twelfth layer of Fan Xu would likely remain unable to regain his senses until pierced by the long spear.

Roar—

A dragon's cry suddenly rang out in the arena.

A long and massive snow-white dragon body coiled upwards, its sharp claws fiercely grasping that long spear; amidst the flying purple beard, coldness raged in the eyes on the dragon's head.

Before that tiny long spear, the dragon claw covered in scales instantly cracked, blood pouring like a stream; the dragon body was pushed sideways, rolling out continuously, smashing several cliff faces in a row, crushing dense red maple trees, and leaving a terrifying chasm on the ground.

At the Bai Yu Jing realm, she forcibly blocked a spear strike comparable to He Dao!

This Purple-Bearded White Dragon finally stabilized its form, holding that long spear in its mouth, and spat it onto the ground along with blood foam: "Pah."

The next moment, she transformed back into human form, wiped her scarlet lips with the back of her hand, and stared silently at the distance: "..."

Baohua Xianzi had no intention of uttering any more threats; the situation had now exceeded her control, and any action that might anger this great demon would only cause more unnecessary casualties.

Just as she blocked that spear, the black wind had already reached the chubby elder's front, grabbed his neck, and then, under everyone's gaze, opened its mouth and swallowed him alive.

After chewing loudly for a moment, it spat out a tattered, blood-stained dharma robe.

The black bear raised its head, casually slapped that dharma robe soaked in saliva onto the Master of Red Maple Valley's face, and said indifferently: "Jade Maple Precious Pill, the tribute you gave to Yunhe Sect, I want a thousand years' worth. Do not make me wait too long... Also, whoever goes out dies; remember this well."

Having said this, it was too lazy to even look at the Purple-Bearded White Dragon again, turned around, transformed into black wind, and swept back into the sky, disappearing quickly.

"Cough, cough."

Baohua Xianzi stood up unsteadily, covered her mouth, and coughed up another mouthful of her innate vital blood.

With her cultivation, blocking that spear strike far exceeding the Bai Yu Jing strength required a heavy price.

This young lady in the purple skirt quickly adjusted her breathing, then slowly walked over to the trembling Master of Red Maple Valley, paused for a moment, and said in a hoarse voice: "I apologize; my cultivation is too low."

The other elders stared at the pool of blood on the ground with complex expressions, unable to speak for a moment.

Even the East Long Gong was not afraid at all; this matter could not truly be blamed on Baohua Xianzi. Even if cultivators from Yunhe Sect had come, the outcome would not have been any better.

Moreover, it was so sudden; this Xianzi did not even know the specific details of the matter before suffering heavy injuries.

But now, trapped in such a desperate situation, where did they have the mood to comfort and thank the other party?

"Do you know it?"

Baohua Xianzi looked towards the direction where the black wind had swept. Although she showed no anger, everyone heard that she intended to continue intervening.

"No... No, we don't know." The elders quickly responded.

One of them seemed to remember something: "That's wrong! An unknown He Dao realm powerhouse, acting in such a manner, not even putting the East Long Gong in their eyes... have you thought of..."

Prompted by him, the other elders also raised their heads one after another.

Immediately, someone began to describe in detail to Baohua Xianzi the recent rumors in West Hong, as well as the fall of Pan Boyang from the Liangdaohuang Sect.

"I understand."

The young lady in the purple skirt nodded slightly, then took out the conch shell again: "Come over first; I need help. And... convey a message to my aunt for me."

Having spoken, she set down the conch, reached out to remove the tattered magical robe from the face of the Red Maple Valley Master, and gazing at that pale, lifeless visage, she pressed her lips together: "Since it refuses to speak here, I shall go seek it. Do not despair just yet; let us try again."

This great demon possesses such strength, yet I have not the slightest impression of it.

This is an extremely strange matter.

The logic is simple: a powerful being could not have grown by drinking the northwest wind, especially a demon. To sustain a great demon comparable to the Dao-Integration realm, one would need to occupy an enormous territory and command countless demons beneath them to accumulate heavenly treasures.

How could such an existence leave not a single whisper of news?

Moreover, judging by what the Elder of Red Maple Valley just said, there is more than one such powerful being.

If another faction cultivated them independently... at least within the waters and lands of West Hong, only the West Long Gong should possess such a foundation.

More accurately, it is either Second Uncle Qi or Father-in-law.

Whoever it is, Zilan is very eager to know what purpose they have in fostering such a mysterious faction, and whether it has any connection to Aunt...

"Hoo."

Baohua Xianzi sent the several cultivators of Red Maple Valley to return first, then sat cross-legged and began to nurture her innate vital blood.

A few days passed in the snap of a finger.

Suddenly, a black cloud appeared again in the sky, and compared to the black wind from before, the aura of this newcomer was actually subtly on par!

"Who injured you?" Before the person arrived, a slightly anxious voice had already swept over.

"Troubling you again." Baohua Xianzi opened her eyes and shook her head with a hint of apology: "I originally came to accompany you to find your elder brother..."

"Tsk, no need for such polite words. Besides, my elder brother has suffered these past years; since he has finally come out once, I shall simply close one eye and open the other, allowing him to relax his mind, lest he be provoked again by that Xue Yan upon his return."

The black cloud withdrew, revealing a youth with horns on his forehead, wearing a dark green long robe. Faint scales adorned his face, yet they were clearly finer and denser than dragon scales.

He raised his eyebrows slightly: "Let us attend to the matter at hand. I would like to see who is so blind."

Zilan shook her head once more and extended her fingertip. This was a unique talent of the Purple-Bearded White Dragon clan; their sensitivity to auras was beyond what others could imagine.

"Do not be careless. The enemy may have an existence comparable to the Dao-Integration realm. Just use your black cloud to go and investigate. Since they have attacked Red Maple Valley, they surely will not spare the other minor factions. I fear the casualties will be too heavy. Once the information is confirmed, please ask Aunt to intervene."

"I will follow your lead entirely." The youth in the dark green long robe gazed far into the distance, his eyes becoming much sharper.

In an instant, he released the black cloud again, drawing Baohua Xianzi into it as well.

Following the aura from the other's fingertip, they headed straight toward the cave dwelling where the demons were hiding.

(End of this chapter)