Chapter 660

Mu Yang Daoren stood frozen in place, and after a moment, his meticulously groomed long beard began to tremble violently.

He felt a foul rage slam into his chest, his mouth dry and tongue parched: "Such insolence and arrogance! Disrespectful to elders! Since leaving Shenxu Mountain, she has no regard for us, her uncle and aunt masters!"

"Where is the demeanor of a junior disciple!" he snarled, sweeping his sleeve aside and glaring at the others.

Yet none of the peak masters responded; most wore complex expressions, still lost in the echoes of Ye Lan's earlier questions.

Indeed, after that incident occurred, they had only thought of how to conceal it, neglecting the feelings of the sole remaining junior of Dan Peak, and failing to notice what Mu Yang had been doing during this opportunity.

Once the matter was buried, Dan Peak had resumed operations; fearing unnecessary trouble, the peak masters, aside from offering Ye Lan two words of comfort about the greater good, had silently accepted it.

When she left the mountain, everyone assumed she simply couldn't bear the loss of her master and fellow disciples, and had gone out to clear her mind—never imagining that this junior had seen through everything clearly, storing every detail deep in her heart.

"Enough. You've reaped the benefits—can't others complain a little?"

Master Master Qianfeng Daoren slowly rose, casting a glance at Mu Yang. These matters had nothing to do with the other six peaks, yet they were forced to endure the junior's contemptuous glances—naturally, he felt some irritation.

"Reaped benefits?" Mu Yang reacted as if stepped on a tail, his expression shifting instantly: "I've labored tirelessly managing two peaks—even if I take a little more, it all goes to Dan Peak, never into my own pocket. Only these past years, Rui Feng has improved enough to ease my burdens. Brother Master Master Qianfeng, your words are utterly unreasonable!"

"Goes to Dan Peak? It goes to your son…" Master Master Qianfeng Daoren sneered.

With so many resources, if the gates had been opened widely to recruit talent, Dan Peak wouldn't be reduced to having only one person capable of refining the Tribulation Pill.

To pour the strength of an entire peak into cultivating a single individual.

Isn't this just fear that Liu Ruifeng's future position as peak master will be contested? Why cloak it in such lofty righteousness?

"Enough!" The half-dead elder slammed his fist on the table, instantly silencing the seven below—clearly, the scene of Ye Lan ignoring him had stirred some anger in the elder brother of the eight peaks.

He leaned back in his chair, his eyes swirling with Lei Guang: "I'll say only two things. First: whatever happened in the past is buried. Anyone who dares mention it again will answer to me, acting on the Master's behalf."

"Second."

The half-dead elder closed his eyes: "Shenxu Mountain's foundation is our Master. All our cultivation stems from him. These three hundred peaks must place him above all else—everything else is trivial."

"As long as Dan Peak regularly delivers the Tribulation Pill, anyone can be peak master—even if they lack a realm."

At these words, every peak master except Mu Yang's expression changed slightly; even Master Master Qianfeng Daoren fell silent for a moment before sitting back down.

When the Master wanders the Great Void, the elder brother has always borne half his authority.

His words, though seemingly impartial, had clearly revealed his stance.

"Not judging by realm…"—wasn't that tailor-made for Liu Ruifeng? That boy has consumed countless celestial treasures yet still cannot harvest the Dao Fruit, stuck at the sixth rank for how many years?

"Elder Brother is right."

At that moment, a young man stepped respectfully into the hall—it was Liu Ruifeng, who had been waiting outside.

His face showed no excitement, only deep concern.

He walked to the center of the hall, knelt with meticulous propriety, then bowed his hands: "Only with our Ancestor's eternal existence does Shenxu Mountain endure. Rui Feng understands this deeply, which is why I have labored tirelessly for years, never daring to slacken."

"Now, I have finally made progress, barely able to refine the Seven-Catastrophe Treasure Pill—hoping one day to refine the Ten-Catastrophe Perfect Pill, offering even a sliver of strength to our Ancestor's Dao."

"As for the position of peak master, compared to our Ancestor, what is it? As long as he lives, Shenxu Mountain will grow stronger—wouldn't even twenty or thirty peaks be enough to support him?"

As he spoke, Liu Ruifeng's face was filled with reverent longing.

"..."

Hearing these sincere, earnest words, the others wore varied expressions; whether they believed them or not, this was the proper attitude a third-generation disciple should show toward elders.

The half-dead elder silently watched the young man below.

So young, yet already slick and cunning, thinking he can read the elders' minds—his thoughts are so impure, no wonder his cultivation has stalled.

Still, recognizing the primacy of our Ancestor is enough.

Born in Shenxu, raised in Shenxu, all his Dao attained from Shenxu—if so, then as long as the Master needs it, even a disciple's life is not beyond taking.

Compared to this one, who still harbors resentment after all these years, how could he ever qualify as a peak master?

"Breach of the peak master assembly is a grave offense. But since this is your first offense, and your heart holds reverence for our Ancestor, I'll let it pass this time."

"Go. Focus on your Pill Dao. Don't let other matters distract you—we old folks aren't dead yet."

The elder waved his hand, dismissing Liu Ruifeng from the hall.

Though called dismissal, the spiritual wind was gentle—Mu Yang Daoren's heart leapt with joy; with the elder brother's backing, which of his fellow masters would dare accuse him now?

…

On the path up Dan Peak.

Ye Lan walked slowly; though her eyes gazed at Qingshan, her thoughts were far away.

As she neared Cheng Xiaoyuan, she suddenly stopped, rubbing her face hard, trying to erase the faint, barely visible redness around her eyes.

As a fifth-rank Taiyi Immortal, she was a name recognized both in the mortal realm and the Celestial Court.

She was no longer the little girl protected by her sect—she could no longer afford childish behavior.

When she left Shenxu Mountain to join Zhan Yao Si, she had already made her decision—but now, returning to Shenxu Mountain and seeing these elders' silence over Dan Peak's great disaster, she still felt a chill in her heart.

Wrong is wrong. Right is right.

In this immortal sect, why is it so hard to seek justice?

She had long understood this—but the sting of that chill had, for once, caused her to lose composure.

"Huh."

Ye Lan closed her eyes; her momentary impulse might bring trouble to others.

She couldn't fathom how she had said, "It's not a rumor."

It was the exact opposite of her original purpose in returning.

And whether in strength or Pill Dao cultivation, she had no grounds to compete with the Sixth Peak.

At this thought, Ye Lan's mind surfaced the handsome face of the ink-robed youth.

He had casually taken the Pill Manual, leaving only one phrase… So what if you're afraid?

It was that moment, perhaps, that had given Ye Lan a sliver of confidence.

But now, calm again, she sensed something off—he had made no promise, and perhaps she had simply imagined too much.

If that were truly the case, then today's events would be utterly meaningless, utterly absurd.

Even taking a step back, even if Shen Yi truly had such thoughts, as a lone cultivator, he simply did not understand the depth of the Divine Void Mountain.

Could a single seventh-grade pill, and the revealed talent in the Dao of Alchemy, possibly shake the years of accumulation of the Sixth Peak?

"I have truly gone mad."

Ye Lan withdrew her palms; Shen Yi was young and inexperienced, so not knowing how dangerous this was was understandable, but she was not such a naive cultivator, yet she not only failed to dissuade him but even fanned the flames.

If she truly caused harm to the other party, what would she use to face that group from Hongze who held such high expectations for him?

Enough; tomorrow, I will leave.

Thinking this, Ye Lan decisively quickened her pace, returning to the courtyard atop the mountain.

"Sister, you are back."

Ye Jing had been waiting anxiously at the courtyard entrance; only upon seeing her sister return did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Knowing her sister as she did, compared to her sword skills, the other party's verbal skills were utterly terrible.

At the Eighth Peak's council, she must have suffered many grievances; returning now with such apparent calm, no one knew how much pain she felt inside.

"Let us eat first."

Back in this Cheng Xiaoyuan, her sister was even more accustomed to mortal life; though her body was unstained by dust and she had successfully achieved the Art of Abstinence, washing, sleeping, and eating were all traditions of the Alchemy Peak distinct from other peaks.

"Good."

Ye Lan forced a smile and followed her younger sister into the room.

The candlelight was dim, yet it revealed a strange warmth; beside the table, the shadows made Shen Yi's profile appear even more handsome; he held a piece of food in one hand, and the other...

Ye Lan stared at the alchemy book in his hand and instinctively pressed her lips together.

But in an instant, she averted her gaze as if she had seen nothing.

With Shen Yi studying so diligently, the scene in the Alchemy Workshop earlier no longer seemed like a misunderstanding.

As the Peak Lord of the Alchemy Peak, swept up by personal bias, she naturally felt joy, for after all, she had nothing more to lose.

But besides this identity, she was also the General Yan Lan of the Divine Dynasty; Shen Yi was the Demon-Slaying Official under her command, and she must bear full responsibility for his safety.

This must be a misunderstanding!

Ye Lan quietly walked to the table, sat down, picked up her bowl and chopsticks, and prepared to finish her meal quickly to rest.

"Tomorrow we set off..." She picked up a chopstickful of green vegetables, making a casual reminder, but before her words ended, the youth nearby, close at hand, had already put down the alchemy book and turned his gaze toward her.

At such a close distance, she could even smell the fresh scent on him; months of travel had made that faint trace of bloodiness in the scent vanish completely.

"What is a Tribulation Pill?" Shen Yi's voice carried a hint of curiosity.

"You have already read this far?" Ye Lan's action of picking up food instinctively froze; the next moment, she suddenly realized: "No, I meant to say, we set off back tomorrow."

"..."

Hearing this, Shen Yi fell silent.

After a long while, he slowly sighed.

Ye Jing sat dumbly beside them, suddenly feeling the atmosphere become strange; for a moment, she didn't even dare to breathe loudly.

The next moment, she saw Brother Shen turn his body slightly, his pair of black, clear eyes staring directly at her sister.

"Can you stop doing this? It is really annoying." Shen Yi put down the alchemy book and chopsticks in his hand.

"I... what did I do?" Ye Lan was equally stunned; she hadn't even reacted, for as a subordinate of the other party, how could he have the qualification to speak to her like this?

"Obstructing my cultivation."

Shen Yi stared into Ye Lan's eyes, his tone suddenly becoming serious: "You know, I want the Profound Heaven Dao Fruit."

Inside the Secret Scripture Pavilion, he had spent six tribulation lifespans in a single day, and all of it was obscure and unspeakable; his spirit was exhausted to the extreme; what he did was not to play house with the woman before him.

"You want it, I want it, so can you just stop hesitating?"

"Going around in circles like this is really meaningless."

Hearing the tiger-and-wolf words ringing in her ears, Ye Jing's already dumb expression completely froze.

And upon seeing her sister instinctively avoid Brother Shen's gaze, the chopsticks in her hand clattered onto the table.

What the hell; she had grown up with her sister since childhood; when had she ever seen the other party show weakness?

"But... but it is really dangerous!"

Ye Lan stared at the ground, also realizing her loss of composure; she had never faced such unmasked and aggressive gaze, to the point where it made her feel the youth before her had suddenly become a different person.

"Things like the Dao Fruit, I can introduce you to... other seniors, perhaps not so good, but..."

"I want the best."

Shen Yi directly cut off Ye Lan's words, speaking decisively: "Will you be in danger?"

"No, after all, I am the nominal Peak Lord of the Alchemy Peak." Ye Lan shook her head.

"Then that's enough; whether I am in danger or not has nothing to do with you." Shen Yi finally withdrew his gaze.

The matter of the Master Master Qibao Bodhisattva expounding the Dharma, during those days when he had let his guard down, had taught him another lesson.

It was very normal for Ye Lan not to understand him; after all, this woman was born on the Divine Void Mountain, and throughout her life, no matter what happened, she had many different choices.

But he was different.

Not at any time would others leave you enough time and room for choice.

Just like Princess Ziling's sudden descent to the mortal world.

If that day the Master Master Qibao Bodhisattva had not expounded the Golden Lotus Dharma, or if under the pressure of the Divine Dynasty had not finished expounding it, then the entire matter would have gone directly in the direction Shen Yi could least accept.

A close friend died miserably, Hongze was swept away, all traces he left after crossing over were erased, and he would still be hunted by the Immortal Court, with no peace for the rest of his life.

Therefore, he must do the best he can within his capabilities.

Even if in the end the matter still cannot be accomplished, at least there will be no regrets.

Shen Yi could certainly seek a Dao Fruit that was easier to obtain, but if when the time came for a magical battle, the outcome hinged on that tiny margin, he dared not imagine how desperate he would be.

"What is a Tribulation Pill?"

Shen Yi picked up that pill manual again, his expression returning to calm.

Ye Lan silently gazed at the young man's profile, and only now did she finally understand why Jing'er had recommended this person to her as a demon-slaying officer back then.

Even though the other's strength was not all that great, that backbone-like bearing of his was certainly not something that could be cultivated overnight.

It was a composure that could only settle down after having gone through many similar matters.

"You're right. I want to take back everything my Master should have enjoyed, so I will do everything in my power to keep you safe."

"Through life and death, I will not abandon you."

The words spoken back then when she had taken on a disciple on her Master's behalf now repeated themselves from Ye Lan's lips once more, yet the weight contained within was utterly different from that time.

"Tribulation Pill, Tribulation Pill…"

Shen Yi finally could not hold back, casually rolling up the pill manual — if he could actually beat her, he would have cracked open her skull on the spot to see what was inside.

So much dawdling, really. If it weren't for the Grand Void Dao Fruit, every extra word he spoke to this woman would count as him being so bored his balls ached.

"Sorry about that."

A trace of awkwardness rose on Ye Lan's pretty face, and her voice softened considerably: "Actually, 'Tribulation Pill' is a general term. There are many spiritual medicines between heaven and earth that can bear tribulations just like cultivators do; any pill refined from them can be called a Tribulation Pill."

"And at Shenxu Mountain, when they speak of a Tribulation Pill, in most cases they are referring to the Void Origin Treasure Pill."

"For cultivators seeking to pluck the Grand Void Dao Fruit, this thing's function is no different from the imperial aura of the mortal realm — it's just that the materials are too hard to gather, and it needs to be offered to Shenxu Laozu first…"

Just then, a tongue-clicking sound came from outside the door.

"Tsk, Jiang Shijie Ye, no matter how esteemed you are as a Peak Lord, you're still a third-generation disciple after all. Calling our Master's-Grand-Uncle's dao name so directly — isn't that a bit too disrespectful?"

Along with the words, accompanied by two elders, Liu Ruifeng walked over slowly, stood at the doorway, and wore an amused smile:

"Besides, since this Yan Shidi here is interested in the Dao of Pills, why doesn't Jiang Shijie call out to me? Could it be that she's afraid Yan Shidi here wouldn't be willing to teach?"

(End of this chapter)