“It’s over?”
Fei Hua looked confused.
Everything that had just happened was too sudden for him.
He still hadn't figured out what had happened.
Zhan Fei saw everything and was increasingly amazed by Xu Yi's methods.
It turned out that Xu Yi had long anticipated that the demon race would abandon their physical bodies and flee at a crucial moment, so he had a backup plan all along, waiting until he forced them out and walked into a trap.
That seemingly ordinary stone could actually capture souls, a rare treasure.
While happy, Zhan Fei also felt a sense of loss.
After all, he hadn't helped at all, watching the entire time from the sidelines, and felt quite ashamed thinking about it now.
“Sect Master!”
The three elders of Ming Yue Pavilion recovered and rushed to check on Sect Master Jing Qiu.
After the demon possessing Sect Master Jing Qiu left, Sect Master Jing Qiu's expression became peaceful, and the eerie aura was gone.
Long Hua Zhenren held Sect Master Jing Qiu, tears streaming down her face.
Even though she knew Sect Master Jing Qiu was dead and that someone else had controlled her body, she couldn't help but fantasize.
What if, what if Sect Master Jing Qiu wasn't really dead, but had gone into qi deviation and been exploited?
But now the cold corpse told her that it was all just a fantasy.
Xu Yi glanced towards Ming Yue Pavilion, then at Wen Yi, who was holding back her grief but dared not approach, and made up her mind.
“Long Hua Zhenren.”
“Ancestor Xu.”
Long Hua Zhenren wiped away her tears, pulled herself together, and looked at Xu Yi.
“The cause of Sect Master Jing Qiu’s death has been determined. I will visit other sects next. Regarding the demon race, I hope you will not disclose anything and await the opportune moment.”
“This old one understands. Please rest assured, Ancestor Xu. All of Ming Yue Pavilion will heed your instructions.” Long Hua Zhenren's tone was firm.
Long Hua Zhenren's cooperation made Xu Yi's expression slightly soften.
It was still not the best time to announce the invasion of the demon race.
Xu Yi nodded, wanting to say more, but looking at Sect Master Jing Qiu's corpse, she found it difficult to speak.
Sect Master Jing Qiu had not died by her hand, but she had died because of her.
This made her unsure of how to face it.
Fortunately, Long Hua Zhenren, being wise with age, saw Xu Yi's awkwardness and took the initiative to ease the situation.
“Ancestor Xu, this old one knows you have other important matters. I will not invite you to stay at Ming Yue Pavilion again. I only hope that after the demon race is annihilated, I will have the chance to see you again.”
“If the demon race is annihilated, I will definitely visit Ming Yue Pavilion and share drinks with you.” Xu Yi solemnly promised.
Long Hua Zhenren and Xu Yi exchanged a glance, and the past grievances seemed to dissipate in that moment.
After a few more courtesies, Xu Yi, urged by Long Hua Zhenren, set off again with Zhan Fei and the others.
Watching their figures gradually recede, Long Hua Zhenren finally let go of her guard, and the wrinkles on her face were further etched with the harshness of time.
Ming Yue Pavilion had overcome a major hurdle.
Long Hua Zhenren looked at Sect Master Jing Qiu and sighed softly, “Jing Qiu, oh Jing Qiu, you almost brought a grave disaster upon the sect.”
“Why do you say that, Eldest Elder?” The two elders beside her looked puzzled.
Long Hua Zhenren shook her head, unwilling to say more.
When a person dies, their life is extinguished like a lamp. Jing Qiu’s conflict with Xu Yi had been completely resolved with Jing Qiu's death, so it was best to let the matter vanish in the wind and never be mentioned again.
On the other side.
“Fellow Daoist Xu, which sect shall we go to next?” Zhan Fei asked.
“Not yet. I want to try and get some information from this demon.”
Xu Yi raised the Pixiu stone and gently shook it.
Now that the cause of Sect Master Jing Qiu's death was known, Xu Yi guessed that the situations in other sects should be similar, so continuing to search for clues in the sects was not the best option.
Zhan Fei suddenly realized and suggested, “When we were coming, I noticed a waterfall that would be suitable for resting. Shall we go there now?”
“Alright.”
After a brief discussion, they decided to settle down by the waterfall.
Not far from the waterfall Zhan Fei mentioned was a flat grassland.
Upon arriving at the grassland, Xu Yi intended to use the wooden boat they traveled in as a dwelling, but Zhan Fei stopped her.
“Fellow Daoist Xu, I have a more suitable magical treasure.”
Zhan Fei smiled slightly and took out a palm-sized miniature palace from his storage bag.
He then threw the palace into the distance.
Boom! Boom!
After a few muffled thuds, a small palace capable of housing over a dozen people appeared before Xu Yi and the others.
Xu Yi praised, “What an exquisite magical treasure.”
Fei Hua also nodded vigorously. He had never seen such a magical treasure within the Beast Taming Sect.
Disciples of the Beast Taming Sect often lived with their spirit beasts, so they paid less attention to their dwellings, focusing more on how to cultivate默契 (mòqì - tacit understanding, rapport) with their spirit beasts.
“This treasure was a gift from an old friend of the ancestor of the Fire Talisman Sect, named the Wishful Palace.” Zhan Fei said slowly.
This magical treasure was something he had specifically taken from the sect’s treasure vault, hoping to display the strength of the Fire Talisman Sect in front of Xu Yi.
However, he later learned of Xu Yi's identity and knew his plan was bound to fail. As an ancestor of a sect, what good things had Xu Yi not seen?
Their Fire Talisman Sect's meager collection was probably not enough for Xu Yi alone.
Just the stone Xu Yi had taken out earlier was something the Fire Talisman Sect could not even dream of.
Zhan Fei's guess was correct. Although Xu Yi expressed her admiration, it was only that.
The treasure vault of the Xuan Ji Gate also contained quite a few similar magical treasures, but Xu Yi felt it would be more convenient to act outside, so she had not brought any such treasures with her.
When traveling, if she wanted to stop and rest, she would simply find a desolate mountain, dig a cave, and spend the night.
However, with Wen Yi and the others accompanying her now, improving the accommodation conditions was not a bad idea.
Xu Yi chose a room, informed everyone not to disturb her, and then locked herself in the room. She took out the Pixiu stone again and levitated it in front of her with her spiritual energy.
“Do you have anything to say to me now?”
As soon as Xu Yi spoke, the black shadow that was colliding within the Pixiu stone stopped.
“Playing dead?” Xu Yi chuckled, “You said I should guess, so I’ll try.
Since you can reveal your identity, you must have seen me before. As for where I saw you, I think it must have been in Zhuzhou, right?”
Xu Yi had caused a commotion in Zhuzhou with Ji Buwang and others back then and was even chased by the Demon Lord. Many demons had seen her appearance.
“And you are no ordinary nameless sect, but at least one of the eighteen Demon Lords. Did I guess correctly, Lord Demon?”
Xu Yi pronounced the last few words very softly, but to the black shadow within the Pixiu stone, they were like a clap of thunder.
His identity had been guessed…
At this moment, without his main body, he could still feel an endless chill circulating within him.
Where had he made a mistake?
How could he have been discovered by Xu Yi so easily?
“Hmm, the Demon Lord, who holds a high position among the demon race, has infiltrated the Nine Provinces Continent. What is your purpose in killing the sect leaders and elders of the major sects?”