Chapter 642: Your Immortal Official? Mine!

"Go first."

The black-bearded man narrowed his eyes slightly, finally shifting his gaze away from Shen Yi to glance at the puddle of flesh outside.

Though killing without questioning was rare among demon-slayers.

After all, no matter how one put it, they still worked for the imperial court and had to observe some protocol.

But necessity overrode convention; if this young disciple really started shouting and alerted the entire White Cloud Grotto, today's matter would only grow more troublesome.

This young man could be considered decisive, only his methods were a bit ruthless—no wonder he could temporarily take Meng Xiuwen's place.

"Withdraw."

Mei Jiyao also casually formed a hand seal.

With the cultivation of their group of demon-slayers, escaping this place was no difficult feat.

Naturally, it was best not to cause a great commotion.

Under the orders of the two demon-slaying officials, the group once again employed their methods and swiftly swept toward the outside of the tree palace.

However, just at this moment.

The colossal ancient tree that occupied the entire abyss suddenly began to tremble violently!

The tree trunk, deeply embedded in the cliff face, suddenly pulled free, like a monstrous hand with countless claws, rapidly closing together to cover the entire abyss above.

On the winding, outstretched vines, at some unknown point, many figures had already appeared standing.

All wore White Cloud Grotto ritual robes, faces still and silent, looking down with indifference.

A chill-laden voice echoed through the abyss.

"Entering without permission."

"Makes you a thief."

Neither the several demon-slaying officials, nor even the youngest Ye Jing, showed much panic in the face of this scene.

The gap in realm between the two sides was simply too vast.

Even with the Jin Yu ancient tree backing them, it would be very difficult for White Cloud Grotto to hold these people here.

To put it bluntly, if not for the presence of a righteous god, and the worry that matters concerning the imperial court would be exposed to the Immortal Court, any one of the demon-slaying officials making a move could make this so-called immortal sect that reaches the heavens' ears unable to swallow the consequences.

Unfortunately, there is no 'if.'

The righteous god of the Immortal Court was right outside White Cloud Grotto, the focus of ten thousand gazes; once any disturbance arose, out of deference to the colleague that was White Cloud Grotto's patriarch, and since it happened right under his nose, the other party would certainly not mind investigating on White Cloud Grotto's behalf.

If anything were to be uncovered, this would not be something that could be solved by merely dismissing an official.

"You lot go first."

The black-bearded man calmly faced them; the immediate priority now was ensuring everyone could withdraw without leaving any loose ends.

Naturally, they, the demon-slaying officials, had to stay behind to cover the retreat.

Before the words had fallen, a flash of spiritual light suddenly arose, transforming into a great hand that seized the Jin Yu vines, tearing through them with irresistible force to rip open a path.

The Jin Yu ancient tree, a sect-protecting treasure, put up not the slightest resistance before this spiritual light!

"Hiss!"

The bodies of the many White Cloud Grotto cultivators swayed violently, their expressions instantly growing far more solemn.

From this single casual strike alone, one could tell that the group below was by no means some petty thieves, but must certainly be prominent seniors of great stature.

For such beings to have silently appeared in the tree palace—it was obvious they had come for this very matter!

Though fully aware of the vast disparity in strength, not a single person present retreated.

The righteous god was right outside, holding the jade edict the Immortal Court had bestowed upon White Cloud Grotto; if they still felt fear in such a situation, wouldn't their coming as immortal officials have been for nothing?!

Outside White Cloud Grotto.

The old sect master was still watching the towering figure in the heavens with utmost reverence.

Only the excited flush on his face had gradually faded considerably.

There was nothing unusual in his expression; he quietly waited for the immortal official to finish reading the jade edict, then dropped to both knees to receive the streak of Jin Guang that swept down from the horizon, observing every courtesy with meticulous care, not daring to show the slightest negligence.

Only after the entire ceremony was completed did he say in a loud voice, "The immortal official has endured a long journey, personally descending to the mortal world; we hope you might rest for a few days at our humble sect, and take in this splendid mortal realm."

At these words, the surrounding beings all revealed looks of envy.

With an immortal official entering the sect, this White Cloud Abbey would surely have to offer up quite a bit of tribute, and had latched onto a thick branch once more.

Don't feel sorry for them—many people would want to offer such tribute but can't even find the way in.

"My lord, they are all colleagues from the Immortal Court; it would be proper to give their patriarch some face."

Behind the curtain of clouds, beneath the shroud of Jin Guang, the several accompanying immortal officials all looked toward the towering figure ahead.

It was his first time descending to the mortal world carrying an immortal commission; perhaps he was still not quite accustomed.

In truth, the Immortal Court did not enforce this strictly; having finally descended to the mortal world, one should take what one could take, enjoy what one could enjoy—no one would gossip.

The Golden Body dharma aspect stared quietly at White Cloud Grotto; after a moment, he finally left an instruction: "Wait for me here."

In an instant, beneath the shroud of pure qi from the Bai Xi seal, he stepped out of the clouds and truly descended into the mortal world.

Seeing this, the old White Cloud Grotto sect master revealed a faint, barely perceptible smile.

He bowed low and welcomed this righteous god into White Cloud Grotto; only then did the surrounding beings reluctantly withdraw their gazes, though they still could not bear to disperse—even without the blessed fortune White Cloud Grotto enjoyed, catching a bit more of the immortal aura was still a good thing.

The onlookers, however, failed to notice.

That on the faces of this group of White Cloud Grotto's strongest cultivators, the very instant the righteous god entered the grotto, a chill had risen.

"At least leave one behind."

The old sect master's body slowly sank into the formation.

He knew this matter could not be concealed forever; whether the other sects green with envy, or the occasional meddlesome earth gods, all had their eyes on White Cloud Grotto, whose situation looked ever so bright, hoping nothing more than for something to happen to people like them.

The world never lacked beasts who could not bear to see others prosper.

But—

Doing something shady right under the Immortal Court's nose — do they really think they have no one watching them up above?

Grab one first, then interrogate slowly.

Best to let their own Ancestor know exactly whose belly is full of bad water.

The instant this sentence was spoken.

Within the formation, it was as if the entire world turned its gaze toward the bottom of the abyss.

The Jin Yu ancient tree, as if blessed, had its massive trunk—parted by the spiritual light—close back together once more.

"……"

The black-bearded man's expression shifted slightly. Such a change could only mean the matter outside had already concluded.

Even he, if he wanted to carve open a path again, would have to bring out some real skill—but that would mean his aura would leak out, making it very hard to conceal any longer.

White Cloud Cave's heaven and earth watched the few people below.

In the span of a few breaths, it converged upon that serene Miss.

Since only one was being left behind, naturally one would pick the softest persimmon to squeeze.

In an instant, a wisp of invisible suppressive force slammed down, heading straight for that serene woman!

"He struck first."

Meng Xiuwen nearly laughed from sheer exasperation. He was just about to form a hand seal when he saw the invisible force bearing down—frozen inexplicably in midair.

He glanced sideways at Shen Yi with a touch of surprise.

White Cloud Cave was such a massive power; even if its Shen Zongzhu fell short of their Ancestor, he was still a dragon among men, having reached the Taiyi Zhenxian realm. Add to that his position within a treasured ground and the blessing of the Jin Yu ancient tree—

Yet the opponent's all-but-certain strike had been deflected so effortlessly.

It showed the gap between their realms was still considerable.

Wasn't he a loose immortal who primarily cultivated the Dao…? Meng Xiuwen raised a brow. Last time he hadn't been present; it seemed Ye Jing's description hadn't been quite complete.

"Many thanks."

That serene Miss nodded toward Shen Yi, knowing full well she had become the target, and without hesitation transformed into a streak of light, fleeing toward the outside of the abyss.

The rest scattered in all directions, no longer lingering.

"Jianyang Prefecture really does produce talent in abundance." Mei Jiyao sighed softly. Judging by the performance of that ink-robed lad just now, calling him a Demon-Slaying Official might be a stretch, but a Demon-Slayer would be more than enough—seemed she had misjudged him earlier.

Meng Xiuwen chuckled, about to offer a couple of modest words, when his entire form suddenly froze midair.

He whipped his head back to look, pupils contracting.

The very person Mei Jiyao had just been praising hadn't moved at all—still standing quietly with hands at his sides in the same spot.

"Meng, what does he mean by this?"

The black-bearded man had also noticed the anomaly and instinctively barked a low warning.

As a Demon-Slayer, the greatest taboo was to rely on one's strength and recklessly do something foolish.

They were the blade the imperial court kept hidden, to be used only at the most critical moments.

Every thrust must carry value.

Clearly, risking exposure to a righteous god just to vent a moment's temper did not fall into that category at all.

Meng Xiuwen had just been stripped of his post over this very matter—surely this kid wasn't unaware of how he'd gotten his position in the first place?

"How the hell should I know."

Meng Xiuwen cursed back, his face sullen, yet he stopped his steps without the slightest hesitation: "He's the Demon-Slaying Official. Daoist here has to listen to him. You ask me, who do I ask?"

"The righteous god has already entered the Ru Sect!"

Mei Jiyao caught a familiar scent, and her face instantly darkened. Seeing Ye Jing silently draw her longsword, her temple throbbed several times.

What on earth were these people from Jianyang Prefecture trying to do?!

What, planning to slaughter the righteous god along with the rest, and then wait for his true spirit to return to heaven so the immortal soldiers and generals could descend and wipe out the three prefectures?

Just then, amid the crowd's escort, two figures had already slowly walked to the cliff's edge.

"My apologies, something came up within the sect and we disturbed the immortal official."

The old Shen Zongzhu showed no panic, only a hint of helplessness: "I offered this Jin Yu ancient tree to the Immortal Court, which drew the displeasure of thieves who wished to destroy our sect's treasure."

"This junior will now capture these criminals who offended the heavenly court's dignity and hand them over to the immortal official for judgment."

"I hope the immortal official will not take offense."

In just a few words, this White Cloud Cave Shen Zongzhu had already labeled the lot of them.

"No offense taken."

The Golden Body Dharma Aspect also gazed downward and gently shook his head.

At these words, nearly every Demon-Slayer's expression darkened. The immortal official had already accepted White Cloud Cave's version of events—arguing was pointless now. The only option was to find a way to withdraw entirely.

"Were those hands of yours grown for nothing? Take him and go!" Mei Jiyao glared at Meng Xiuwen.

"……"

Meng Xiuwen clenched his teeth. He'd always thought Ye Lan's arrangement was a bit of a joke, but even he had never imagined Shen Yi would have such nerve.

"Lord Shen—" He was about to offer an apology and forcibly take the man away, to explain properly once they got back.

Before the words were finished, the force of heaven and earth that had just been suspended in midair suddenly released its shackles and crashed down in an instant.

This was a technique meant to deal with Taiyi Zhenxian—yet now it struck indiscriminately at the vines!

How could these ordinary cultivators have anticipated such a turn? Before they could even let out a wail, they were crushed on the spot by the vast, overwhelming force of heaven and earth!

"……"

What had happened before their eyes came too fast, too sudden—so much so that every Demon-Slayer's expression had fallen into blank stupor.

Meng Xiuwen gaped, looked at the empty abyss below, then at the towering ten-zhang Golden Body by the cliff, feeling his mind go dizzy.

To unleash such slaughter right in front of a righteous god.

Now the reputation of that demon could truly never be cleared, even by washing it with the waters of the Four Seas.

Among them, the one most stunned was none other than the Old Sect Master of Bai Yun Cave, who stared blankly at the ink-robed figure below, his beard trembling slightly.

He racked his brains but could not fathom why anyone would fear the Immortal Court not at all, daring to resist under such circumstances!

"This old man will immediately capture you, that demon, for the Immortal Court, and send you to the Demon-Slaying Platform to have your head chopped off!"

The Old Sect Master let out a long howl; wind and clouds gathered into a dragon, containing the heavenly and earthly spiritual qi of a full four tribulations, covering the entire bottom of the abyss with an unstoppable, fierce momentum.

At the same time, the youth at the bottom of the abyss finally raised his eyes slightly; those eyes resembled an ancient well, the only ripple within them being the hearing of the words "demon," as if finding it quite laughable.

A method exactly the same.

The wind-and-cloud great dragon, imbued with the power of four tribulations, hung strangely in the high sky.

After Shen Yi attained the realm of Taiyi Zhenxian perfection, he could already barely activate that treasure mountain; with the treasure mountain's support, the effect of Divine Peak Suppressing the Blue Sky had reached an extremely terrifying degree.

"Heh!"

The Old Sect Master of Bai Yun Cave showed surprise, realizing something was amiss, yet without the slightest hesitation, he formed the hand seals again with both hands.

With his cultivation, he activated that ancient Jin Yu tree.

The moment that great tree rose, the world finally knew its enormity; like a fearsome beast blocking the sun and sky, countless Jin Yu vines gathered into a fist, smashing straight down toward that slender figure!

As if dark clouds obscured the firmament, a terrifying shadow swept down to envelop everything.

In that pitch blackness, a point of Jin Guang suddenly appeared.

From being imperceptible at the very beginning, to illuminating this entire world in a single breath.

The upright Jin Yu tree, just like the wind-and-cloud great dragon in the sky, fell into stagnation.

At the fist formed by its gathered vines, a tiny palm covered in Jin Guang calmly rested upon it, so it could advance not a single inch further.

The next moment, those long five fingers pushed lightly.

That immense object, whose size was beyond description, was sent flying back with a boom, causing this boundless abyss to collapse instantly, burying most of its body.

Amidst the roaring of falling stones.

The Old Sect Master's face had already changed drastically; his realm was suppressed, and his treasure was easily blasted away.

In just two brief exchanges, the difference in strength could not have been more obvious.

Such a young cultivator, yet already a giant that he could not shake.

The soft Jin Guang beneath that ink robe announced his identity to everyone without needing a single word.

The only thing the Old Sect Master could not understand was why the Tangtangsan Sect disciples, so dignified, would target Bai Yun Cave; these people had already enjoyed the richest fortune in the world, did they not wish to yield even a tiny bit to us, a group of small cultivators?!

Of course, he knew even more clearly that saving his life was the priority now.

Thinking of this, the Sect Master of Bai Yun Cave ran without hesitation toward that towering Golden Body, intending to hide behind the other: "Evil cannot be fought by force, Immortal Official, save me!"

However, even the crowd of the Zhan Yao Si now noticed something was amiss.

That Immortal Official said he did not mind... it seemed he truly did not mind.

Whether it was Shen Yi previously dealing a killing blow, or his current clash with the Sect Master of Bai Yun Cave, neither could move him in the slightest.

The Immortal Official seemed like an outsider, indifferent to everything in this world.

This matter simply exceeded ordinary understanding.

Even that black-bearded man hung in the air, somewhat unable to see the situation before him clearly.

But what frightened them most was.

Shen Yi seemed to have not placed the Immortal Court in his eyes at all; his figure appeared in mid-air, and a floating treasure mountain appeared in his palm.

Then, with a calm expression, he waved his hand, taking both the Immortal Official and the Ancestor of Bai Yun Cave as targets, and hurled that treasure mountain out.

Under the horrified gazes of the crowd.

That Immortal Official finally moved; he casually grabbed the Old Sect Master behind him, and under the suppression of the Bai Xi Seal, threw out this old man whose face was full of disbelief!

The figure struggling madly collided with the treasure mountain in mid-air.

Though the two exchanged not a single word, it was as if they were the most perfect partners in the world.

Both stood silently in place, watching as the Sect Master of Bai Yun Cave was easily blasted into powder by the treasure mountain.

The next moment, the wind-and-cloud great dragon in the sky suddenly dispersed, raging and sweeping outward in all directions; after the air waves imbued with the power of four tribulations slowly dissipated.

Between the entire cliff face, except for the Immortal Official, there was not a single living creature left.

Only many members of the Zhan Yao Si were left, their eyelids twitching violently, staring fixedly at the two figures in the arena.

The next moment, their pupils shrank slightly again.

They saw that the towering Immortal Official actually used the Bai Xi Immortal Seal to calm the changes within Bai Yun Cave, then subconsciously raised a hand toward Shen Yi, suddenly realizing something was amiss, changed it to a nod, and silently turned to leave.

He not only pretended to see nothing, but even helped clean up the scene!

What did that final movement mean? Was he planning to bow again?

(End of this chapter)