Chapter 816: The Golden Immortal Who Protects His Pupils

You Yao’s original plan was simple.

Though she didn’t know how Shen Yi had manipulated the demons and monsters into serving him as living puppets, even preserving some degree of consciousness.

But those two deer demons, though seemingly matched in cultivation, were in fact vastly different—one was merely a wild demon from the Northern Zhou, the other had trained since childhood under his master’s tutelage, their temperaments and methods worlds apart.

As for the other side, it went without saying: based on Yun Miao’s previously displayed strength, no obscure demon could possibly stand against him.

In other words, she merely needed to stall briefly, as she had done earlier on Tian Ta Mountain, and the situation would revert to its original state.

Yet You Yao never imagined that, despite both being at the third-rank realm, the difference in tribulation energy could reach a full one hundred thousand tribulations.

Under such a vast gap in cultivation, all divine arts and magic treasures seemed meaningless.

“...”

She lifted her gaze again toward the young man across from her, and for the first time, fear flickered in her narrow eyes.

How could one person possess so many secrets? What had he endured in the Southern Zhou to accumulate such depth of cultivation?

And with such a person, coupled with meticulous cunning, even if she died, You Yao refused to believe anyone could drive him out of the Southern Zhou.

“Why did you come to the Northern Zhou?”

You Yao slowly gripped her own throat, forcing herself back into calmness.

Amid the violent turmoil of shock within her heart, a faint heat began to kindle.

Her earlier suspicions no longer seemed born of malice or slander.

You Yao strained to widen her eyes, as if seeing hope anew... Her act of vengeance, originally driven by personal grudge, now felt like her own sharp insight—uncovering a treacherous villain plotting evil within the Great Sect.

And the prerequisite for all this? To defeat this man!

A hundred thousand tribulations of cultivation difference—among most disciples of the Northern Zhou, this was an insurmountable abyss.

But You Yao was among the few who could cross it.

Not because of exceptional talent, but because not long ago, she had been the sole hope of Qingguang Cave; to protect this legacy, she naturally possessed what other disciples could not.

Fortunately, after her repeated mistakes, her master had not taken it back.

“Now it’s my turn... to step over you and reclaim my place.”

You Yao’s fingers slowly slid downward, then clenched tightly around the blood-red jade pendant hanging from her neck.

The red within the jade rippled like water, then slowly spilled forth, threading like silk over her entire body, leaving crimson patterns on her black robe resembling molten lava.

The destructive power of a five-refined magic treasure was too terrifying—even renowned Golden Immortals within the sect rarely entrusted such items to disciples, partly out of reluctance, for such treasures were their primary weapons, and partly out of fear of self-harm.

Thus, the Xuan Shang Yan Tao Robe was better suited for defense than offense.

But a foundation of five hundred thousand tribulations—even if You Yao could only unleash a fraction—was more than enough to reverse the battle.

Her black robe swayed, the crimson patterns on it flickering between light and dark; the woman slowly rose into the air, making the entire Grand Void Realm sear with unbearable heat.

“...”

Shen Yi sensed the changes around him, pondered for an instant, then sheathed the Wuwei Sword in his hand.

When his right hand lifted, a dark golden monk’s staff appeared in his palm.

Seeing this, You Yao—even after unleashing her five-refined magic treasure—felt her trembling heart suddenly steady.

She was genuinely afraid; after all, this boy always delivered “surprises.”

But now... he had drawn a Buddhist treasure, as if he had run out of options.

You Yao had been present at Tian Ta Mountain; she knew of this five-refined Buddhist treasure—but surely no one believed the tribulation energy within this staff could be activated by the Three Immortal Sect’s methods?

“Let me see—peel away these annoying shadows—and find out what you truly are!”

With renewed determination to reclaim the position of Lord of Heaven and Earth, You Yao swung her sleeve violently; the heat permeating the Grand Void Realm coalesced into near-solid waves of flame, raging like a hurricane, determined to melt everything before her.

The gray mist vanished instantly; even the colossal black cloud shadow behind Shen Yi was torn apart chaotically.

You Yao finally unveiled the shadow shrouding Shen Yi.

Within the black cloud stood a colossal golden body, silent and towering, four arms extending from its back, each holding a divine artifact, a vast luminous wheel suspended behind it.

The scattered black clouds reformed, surging like dark flames, swirling around it, darkening its features; the once majestic Bodhisattva countenance now bore the fierce aura of a Wrathful King.

The black flames rose, casting the luminous wheel in dark gold.

At the same moment, Shen Yi hurled the monk’s staff; the staff, originally less than a zhang long, instantly expanded to match the height of the golden body, then settled firmly into its empty hands.

DONG—

The instant the golden body gripped the staff, its expression turned coldly toward You Yao.

Within its golden-flowing eyes, a flash of killing intent erupted!

“...”

You Yao’s pupils shrank sharply; she had never imagined she would see a Bodhisattva.

Instinctively, she stepped back half a pace, but despairingly realized—in this Grand Void Realm—facing such a divine form, she had no room to maneuver.

In an instant, the monk’s staff descended like a pillar supporting heaven, engulfing her entire body in shadow; the rings on the staff clanged, emitting the Buddha’s voice that suppressed all arts.

“Get back!”

You Yao thrust both palms forward; the lava-like patterns on her body erupted into a skyward blaze of crimson light, coalescing into a monstrous beast that roared toward the descending staff.

The Xuan Shang Yan Tao Robe was clearly a magic treasure no weaker than the staff.

But the disparity in their masters’ strength was laid bare in this moment.

The crimson beast had barely leapt when it was shattered by a single blow of the staff.

Beneath the staff’s tip.

You Yao knelt on the ground, tendons bulging in her palms, fingers straining desperately to hold up the staff; the sheer size difference made her seem like an ant trying to lift a mountain.

She had finally confirmed her suspicions—but now had no chance to carry this secret away.

“You will die!”

“The elders of the sect will not let you go unpunished!”

Her shrill voice echoed around her; the red jade on her neck had dimmed to its darkest point.

Her eyes glazed over, her strength fully spent; just as she believed she would be crushed into dust, her palms suddenly met empty air, and she tumbled forward, sprawling on the ground.

At some point, the colossal golden body had been rewrapped in black clouds.

In You Yao’s blurred vision, a pair of slow-stopping long boots appeared; with her last strength, she lifted her head and saw Shen Yi casually holding his long sword, calmly watching her.

“We’ll deal with what comes later.”

The clear voice echoed beside You Yao; this thief did not refute her words—he seemed to have already prepared for death, and thus appeared strangely composed.

PUCHI!

She watched helplessly as the Wuwei Sword pierced her chest; boundless tribulation energy erupted instantly, destroying the painstakingly forged Dao-body she had built.

You Yao could not understand why such a being would risk so greatly by infiltrating the Northern Zhou.

With such power, he could have had a real chance at the throne of Heaven and Earth—but here in the Northern Zhou, he was constantly at risk of being discovered and slain by the Three Immortal Sect’s elders.

Yet her already blurred vision was gradually swallowed by darkness.

And that slender figure, after casually plucking the jade pendant from her neck, had already turned and left—no one remained to answer her questions.

“...”

Contrary to You Yao’s expectations, the battle between the two deer demons favored the outsider from the Three Immortal Sect.

As the fight deepened, Lu Tong increasingly sensed her brother was still alive; she desperately tried to learn why, her movements constrained, while her brother only wished to hurry her into the Master’s service, sparing her further torment.

Nan Huang’s strength was far inferior to Yun Miao’s, yet in his bold, fearless, relentless attacks, Yun Miao—the senior disciple of Lingxu Cave—though always dominant, had yet to fully subdue him.

This Yun Miao’s killing intent seemed to exist only when outnumbering the enemy; whenever circumstances shifted, his instinct for self-preservation reasserted itself.

This stalemate, once Shen Yi freed himself, inevitably turned into a one-sided massacre.

CHI CHI!

The Pure Realm descended; the Wuwei Sword became white light darting in all directions.

One moment Yun Miao was swinging his jade fan; the next, he stared dumbfounded as the fan—and his own hand—fell into nothingness.

Before he could scream, his face went numb; he whirled around in panic.

Though his vision was blocked by gray mist, if the Wuwei Sword had appeared, then You Yao had already fallen.

How could it be so fast!

That damned woman, always acting haughty and superior—yet when real combat came, she was slaughtered like a chicken.

I was blind to think she could be a reliable ally.

“Younger brother, wait! I—I have something to say!”

Yun Miao desperately dodged the white flashes, shouting to plead his case—but no matter how he looked, the surroundings remained empty.

The opponent refused even to appear; his only reply was the next wave of white light.

Only when facing this younger brother alone did Yun Miao finally understand his strength—no matter what technique he used, he could not evade the relentless sword flashes.

“Younger brother—”

In his final desperation, Yun Miao shouted the most sincere “younger brother” of his life—but before the words faded, the Wuwei Sword cleanly severed his head.

Kaiyuan Prefecture, Tian Ta Mountain.

Aside from the initial disciples, within a short time, the sect’s members who had heard the news now filled the skies.

Among them, Li Shan and Qi Xian stood out the most.

The disciples’ furious curses had already laid out the full story.

Under Qi Xian’s calm exterior, his heart was bursting with joy.

He had once persuaded this man on this mountain to join his faction, warning him of death if he refused; now, though delayed, the retribution had finally fallen upon him.

Hmph, and he even took You Yao with him—her death was almost worthwhile.

After this matter is settled, that woman will likely be suppressed until the great calamity ends, and Beizhou will shift from a tripartite standoff to a duel between two sides.

Thinking of this, Qixian quietly glanced at the man in black robes across from him; seeing the other’s face filled with sorrow, he silently sneered—admittedly, he was putting on a good act.

At that moment, the surroundings suddenly fell utterly silent.

Everyone looked up in unison, fixing their gaze on the slender figure standing atop the clouds.

Immediately, a chorus of furious accusations shattered the silence: “Master Qingguang, your disciple Youyao not only shows no remorse, but has grown even more violent and tyrannical—right before our eyes, she openly murdered a fellow sect member. We beg you to intervene and uphold justice!”

“…”

Qingguangzi acted as if he heard nothing, his gaze instead fixed elsewhere.

Following his line of sight, another streak of light swiftly approached.

“Brother, why aren’t you acting? Just standing there watching?”

Lingxuzi arrived in a hurry; before so many sect members, he dared not speak too harshly, settling instead for a mild rebuke.

Though he had no master-disciple bond with Shen Yi, he could not find another suitable, reliable person so quickly; now that he knew the man was in peril, he was naturally frantic.

Moreover… this peril also involved his eldest disciple.

If Shen Yi truly died, Lingxu Cave would become a laughingstock across all of Beizhou.

With that, Lingxuzi no longer hesitated; he flicked his dust whisk, intending to forcibly tear open the Grand Void Realm with the sheer force of his realm.

Qingguangzi watched silently, calculating the time in his mind, showing no intention to intervene.

It was about time to end this.

He walked slowly down from the clouds: “My disciple is violent by nature, violating our sect’s rules. I shall take her back and punish her properly, giving you, younger brother, a proper accounting.”

Upon hearing this, the crowd all wore expressions of shock, then erupted in collective outrage.

After going this far, this old reprobate Qingguang still dares to protect that madwoman, offering such hollow words to deceive us—it’s an outrageous insult!

Yet Lingxu Master also heard these words, and pretended not to have heard them at all; even the other disciples, though furious, could only swallow their anger.

No wonder Yunmiao looks so grotesque—she managed to find a master after all.

“Sigh.”

Lingxuzi silently tore at the Grand Void Realm, sighing inwardly.

If Shen Yi still lived, he could have secured some compensation for him; but if the man was already dead, angering Master Qingguang over this matter would be a poor trade.

Finally, he sharply flicked his dust whisk.

A desolate, gray-hazed wasteland suddenly appeared before everyone’s eyes.

At the same time, the crowd, who had moments ago been filled with fury, now all slightly widened their eyes.

Inside the gray mist,

a handsome young man hovered in midair, his white robe scorched and blackened, his pale skin likewise marked with charred patches.

His gaze brimmed with murderous intent, even tinged with cruelty—completely devoid of the earlier calm detachment.

But what truly stunned them was not his current state of ruin.

Everyone stared at his hand: his bony fingers tightly gripped the slender neck of the woman in black robes, as if ready to crush it at any moment.

Beneath their feet lay the shattered remains of the deer demon and Yunmiao.

“Stop this at once, old man!”

A voice heavy with fury echoed across the mountains and rivers, jolting everyone awake.

The previously serene Master Qingguang now wore a dark, furious expression; he suddenly swept his sleeve, unleashing the aura of a Golden Immortal.

Lingxuzi quickly used his dust whisk to shield Shen Yi from grave injury, but made no move to stop Youyao from being taken by his brother.

Even if this had been a life-or-death battle moments before, now that it was exposed before the crowd, it could only be seen as a youthful rivalry—no lives could be allowed to be lost.

(End of Chapter)