"If the Daoist continues to speak such nonsense, then I, Chen, will have no choice but to leave."

Chen Yuan's expression was calm, seemingly somewhat angered, but in reality, his heart sank. He had no idea how Lingxu Daoist had deduced his true identity.

Besides him, how many others knew?

This was definitely a crisis for him.

It could even ruin his chance to infiltrate the Demon Subduing Tower as the Qilin Demon True Lord of the Dao God Palace to seize an opportunity. He hadn't expected that his first meeting with Lingxu True Lord would lead to these revelations.

It directly disrupted his previous plans.

Lingxu Daoist remained unhurried:

"Even if Marquis were to leave in anger, this humble Daoist must still speak."

"Oh?"

"Because... you are the one who made this humble Daoist speak." Lingxu True Lord smiled as he looked at him.

Chen Yuan: "....."

Did he not know all this if he hadn't said it?

Lingxu Daoist sighed softly, and said:

"If you don't want something known, you shouldn't do it. The more you show yourself, the more flaws you reveal. Marquis, you are a rare genius, unmatched in the world, but to ascend directly from the first realm to the fifth in just a few years is impossible by yourself!

Behind you must be a vast force supporting your cultivation. Furthermore, since you entered the Jianghu, Marquis, you have provoked countless enemies, yet you always manage to escape danger.

Whether ordinary martial artists, top True Lords, or even sixth-realm Barbarian Gods, none can do anything to you. How could there be so many coincidences in the world?"

Chen Yuan remained silent, his face clouded with uncertainty.

"And such a force cannot be ordinary mortals, but must be at the level of the Ten Great Immortal Sects. In the present age, none are more capable of rivaling the Immortal Sects than the mysterious Dao God Palace. The battles in the Divine Capital and Liangshan shook the entire world, and perhaps Chen's annexation of the Shu West and his ambition for the Shu region rely on the Dao God Palace as well."

Chen Yuan paused for a moment, then looked up at Lingxu Daoist and asked in a deep voice:

"Is that why you deduced that I am the Qilin Demon True Lord of the Dao God Palace?"

"No."

Lingxu Daoist slowly shook his head.

Chen Yuan: "???"

Then why did you say so much?

"The reason this humble Daoist deduced it is actually because of another Dao Lord in your Dao God Palace." Lingxu Daoist smiled faintly.

"Who?"

Chen Yuan already had a faint guess in his heart, his eyes fixed on Lingxu Daoist.

"Heavenly Sword Dao Lord... Jiang He."

"As expected!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan immediately thought to himself, "As expected." When Lingxu Daoist said that he had deduced his true identity based on another Dao Lord, the name Jiang He had instinctively flashed through his mind.

Now, it was indeed so!

As for the reason, Chen Yuan had almost guessed it.

"When Jiang He was young, he came to Mount Shu to seek sword skills, possessing such terrifying sword intent with the cultivation of the lower three realms. This humble Daoist has never seen the like in his life. At the time, I wanted to make an exception and accept him into Mount Shu, but unfortunately, he refused, and in the end, we could only forge a bond of goodwill.

His talent is so terrifying that even looking back over the past five hundred years, it can be considered exceptionally rare. How could he have been stuck in the Dan realm for more than a decade? If this humble Daoist is not mistaken, Jiang He should have been nurturing his sword and biding his time.

This humble Daoist does not know the truth of the battle in the Imperial City, dare not make a conclusion, but the battle in Liangshan has left an image. This humble Daoist observed it for three days, and finally determined that Heavenly Sword True Lord is Jiang He!

This also explains why he would have lingered in the Dan realm for many years, not only to nurture his sword and bide his time, but also to conceal his identity as a Dao Lord of the Dao God Palace, to prevent people from associating him with an imperial official."

Lingxu stated the truth in one sentence, and Chen Yuan finally understood where the loophole was.

He had made the same mistake as Chen, failing to destroy the image, thus leaving a loophole. It wasn't that he hadn't thought of it, but rather that while the Image Stone was a treasure, it wasn't that clear. For someone to determine his identity based on that, Lingxu's insight was truly terrifying.

"Jiang He's sword intent is sharp and exposed, many times stronger than before, already almost comparable to this humble Daoist. Seven or eight out of ten sword cultivators in the world have come to Mount Shu, and as long as this humble Daoist has seen them, he can recognize them at a glance."

Chen Yuan closed his eyes, neither admitting nor denying it.

"Looking at Jiang He's actions in recent years, many of them are related to you. Some time ago, when this humble Daoist heard about this, I felt puzzled. Although Jiang He is sharp and exposed, he is by no means a reckless or arrogant person, and rarely forms grudges with others. But he has made enemies with the Azure Cloud Sword Sect and the Yun family for your sake, presumably because you are both from the Dao God Palace.

Deducing from this, the force behind you is almost clear. You destroyed the Dharma body of Manjusri Monk of Mount Ling, overturned the Bright Temple in Qingzhou, killed Qin Zhan of Ten Thousand Sword Mountain, Dong Lifang of the Three Absolutes Sect, and Guan Hai, the Demon Blade of Liangshan, proving that you possess strength comparable to the peak of Refining Spirit. Although I don't know where you obtained the whereabouts of the strange beast Fire Qilin,

with your strength, as long as you transform into the Qilin Demon, you will have the power to fight beyond your realm, comparable to a True Lord...." Lingxu Daoist recounted the loopholes one by one.

Chen Yuan understood that from the moment Jiang He's identity was exposed until he revealed his own strength and ambitions, a logical loop had formed in Lingxu Daoist's eyes.

By analogy, he could determine his identity with eighty or ninety percent certainty!

He couldn't blame Jiang He for misunderstanding him. After all, he had invited Jiang He to help. Without him, he really couldn't have killed Song Lun.

However, Lingxu Daoist's purpose was still up for debate. Knowing that he was likely the Qilin Demon True Lord of the Dao God Palace, he had still taken the initiative to reveal this secret, so he must have a motive!

Seeing Chen Yuan's gaze flickering, Lingxu True Lord smiled faintly:

"Marquis Wu'an doesn't need to be nervous. This humble Daoist has no ill feelings towards the Dao God Palace, and has no intention of revealing this secret."

"Then what do you seek, Daoist?"

Chen Yuan asked, gazing calmly at Lingxu Daoist.

"Nothing more than seeking assistance."

Lingxu Daoist sighed softly.

"Seeking assistance?" Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow, a look of surprise on his face. Mount Shu was a top Immortal Sect in the world, a sacred land of swordsmanship, yet it was actually seeking his help, which was extremely strange.

"Is the Daoist joking?"

"Does Daoist Qilin think this humble Daoist would take you as a joke for no reason?" Lingxu Daoist directly changed his address, calling Chen Yuan Qilin True Lord, which could be considered an indirect confirmation of his identity.

"Then Daoist, don't beat around the bush. Just say what you have to say." Chen Yuan didn't have time to play riddles with Lingxu Daoist here.

These old men all liked this, which was really uncomfortable.

Lingxu Daoist took a deep breath and said in a deep voice:

"Mount Shu will have a calamity soon. The current Mount Shu is not enough to resist it. Therefore... this humble Daoist hopes that some Daoists from the Dao God Palace can lend a hand."

"So, Daoist, are you threatening me that if I don't agree, you will directly reveal my identity to the Jianghu?" Chen Yuan's lips curled into a smile, not taking it to heart.

As one of the Ten Great Immortal Sects and a sacred land of sword cultivation, Mount Shu's strength was definitely not weak. There were at least two True Lords on the surface, and there must be hidden strength in the dark.

If even Mount Shu felt it was tricky, how could it be easy to deal with?

Chen Yuan didn't want the Dao God Palace to suffer any losses. This was his strongest team. As for revealing his identity... then so be it. Things were different now than before. With the strength of a True Lord and the support of the entire Dao God Palace, even if Chen Yuan revealed his cards, there probably wouldn't be any major problems, other than losing his initiative.

But even so, he wouldn't be threatened by this person, unless... Mount Shu could come up with sincerity that satisfied him. In simple terms, it was... "It's gonna cost ya!"

"Naturally not. How could this humble Daoist do such a thing?" Lingxu Daoist shook his head.

"The human heart is unpredictable. Who can know? However, this Marquis can also tell Daoist that with my current preparations, even if the news is leaked, it won't be a big deal, except that it will cause Mount Shu to form a grudge with the Dao God Palace, without any benefit."

"Is that so? If that's really the case, why would Daoist Qilin hide his identity?" Lingxu countered.

"Then Daoist might as well try it and see if Chen is afraid!"

Chen Yuan smiled confidently.

"Just kidding..." Lingxu Daoist continued:

"This time, Daoist Qilin has come to Mount Shu, and this humble Daoist guesses that you must have some plan. As long as the request is not too excessive, this humble Daoist can agree to let you take a treasure from Mount Shu as the price for asking the Dao God Palace to take action. How about it?"

"Is that true?"

Chen Yuan's eyes lit up. If he could get it so easily, there would be no need to become enemies with Mount Shu. Of course, the calamity facing Mount Shu had to be within his range of response.

If it was an immortal or a being at the level of Xiang Qianqiu, Chen Yuan would not agree because it could cost him his life.

Seeing Chen Yuan seem a little excited, Lingxu Daoist suddenly lost his confidence and said:

"This humble Daoist said that the request cannot be too excessive and must be within the range that Mount Shu can bear. Otherwise, even if this humble Daoist is the leader of Mount Shu, I have no right to make the decision. Does Daoist Qilin understand?"

"That's natural. Chen has never been a greedy person. However... Chen needs to know what the calamity of Mount Shu is first. If it's a death sentence, even if Chen really wants something, he can't agree."

Chen Yuan put forward his condition.

"Okay, then Daoist Qilin should first talk about what you want from Mount Shu."

"No, Chen wants to hear what the calamity of Mount Shu is first." If it was a calamity that was difficult to match, he naturally couldn't reveal his purpose completely.

"This humble Daoist asked first, so logically..."

Chen Yuan raised his hand to stop him and said:

"The initiative is in Chen's hands, does Daoist understand?"

"Fine..." Seeing Chen Yuan insist, Lingxu Daoist could only sigh softly and say:

"Does Daoist Qilin know about the Southern Border Monster Race?"

"Naturally. Could this calamity be caused by them?"

"That's right..." Lingxu Daoist nodded slightly and said solemnly:

"Five hundred years ago, in the battle to subdue the demons, Mount Shu built the Demon Subduing Tower to suppress and obliterate the strongmen of the Southern Border Monster Race. It has been five hundred years. After five hundred years of recuperation, the Monster Race has recovered its vitality.

And the strongmen of the Monster Race that Mount Shu suppressed that year belonged to the four great monster clans, and there are many direct descendants of the Monster Race and various treasures of the Monster Race inside. The Monster Race will definitely come to attack Mount Shu in the near future to seize these things and take revenge for the grievances of those years!"

"Although Mount Shu is prepared, it is also powerless to resist the alliance of the four great monster clans. That's why it wants to ask the Dao God Palace for help, hoping to lend a hand."

"Why doesn't Mount Shu take these treasures itself?"

Chen Yuan actually had a question all along. Since they could suppress them, why didn't they kill those monsters and instead use the Demon Subduing Tower to suppress them? This was obviously problematic.

Lingxu Daoist frowned, not wanting to say it, but looking at Chen Yuan's inquiring eyes, he had to say:

"The monsters in the Demon Subduing Tower are actually treasures themselves. The Xiang Family Immortal and the predecessors of Mount Shu joined hands to suppress them in order to have a treasure trove that would continue to provide resources.

The blood of the strongmen of the Monster Race was used to refine various magical weapons and strange treasures of Mount Shu, and to extract spiritual liquid that could wash away the roots and bones. Although it is monster blood, it is actually very useful.

It's just a pity that more than two hundred years ago, the Great Chu Dynasty was overthrown, and the predecessors of Mount Shu fell into the world, so they were unable to suppress the Demon Subduing Tower and make those monsters submit. This also became a hidden danger.

This humble Daoist is incompetent and cannot break the mysteries of the sixth realm. I can only lead the fellow disciples to barely support it, but after all, there is a limit. This humble Daoist estimates that in at most seven days, the monster energy in the Demon Subduing Tower will break through the shackles. If someone cooperates from the inside and outside... Mount Shu will definitely be severely damaged, or even directly destroyed!"

"Then why not make it public and invite the strongmen of the world to help?"

Since ancient times, humans and demons have been incompatible. The two races have a blood feud that has lasted for thousands of years, the kind that will never end. If Mount Shu spreads the news, someone will definitely come to help.

Lingxu Daoist continued to shake his head:

"The present is not the former Great Chu. The Sima family is unfaithful and untrustworthy, and the Battle of Liangshan has completely given the ambitious people in the world other ideas. I'm afraid they can't wait for Mount Shu to be severely damaged and the Monster Race to wreak havoc in the South."

"It's not just that, is it?"

Chen Yuan looked at Lingxu Daoist with a smile that was not a smile.

Perhaps there were many such people, but in the face of national righteousness, he believed that someone would definitely come to help. Not to mention others, Mount Wudang would definitely come.

Jiang He had once received benefits from Mount Shu, and he would probably come as well.

And he....

Although he was selfish, he would also come to help after weighing the pros and cons. His foundation was in the South, so how could he sit back and watch the Monster Race invade? Although he had selfish interests, he also had great righteousness.

Judge people by their actions, not their intentions, and there is no saint.

Chen Yuan did have his own plans, and even wanted to gain some fame to pave the way for the future. But all of this was at the risk of his life. Could he be said to be just selfish?

Putting himself in others' shoes, Chen Yuan believed that there would definitely be strongmen in the world who would come to help Mount Shu, but Lingxu Daoist did not invite them, so there must be other problems.

"This humble Daoist does have some thoughts, but they cannot be said." Lingxu Daoist was silent for a moment, not saying the deeper meaning.

"Fine, since Daoist is unwilling to say more, Chen will naturally not force it. I just want to ask one more question, what is the expected degree of tragedy in this battle?"

The Monster Race was attacking, so their strength must not be underestimated. He had to be cautious. Even if he wanted to help, he had to be steady to avoid being tricked by this old cow-nosed Lingxu.

"The Monster Race is not a fool either. It's obvious that the Central Plains Human Race is about to be in chaos at this time, so how could they arouse the Human Race's desire to resist wholeheartedly? Moreover, five hundred years is a long time to say it is long, but it is actually short to say it is short. Even if there are still Monster Gods within the four great monster clans, they are very likely to still have injuries.

They basically won't show up at this time. In fact, the Monster Race has already tested Mount Shu's strength and is probably considering it, so they won't come too strong."

Lingxu said after careful consideration.

But Chen Yuan laughed:

"In the final analysis, these are all Daoist's guesses and deductions. But what if a Monster God really comes in person? You can't ask us to die, can you?"

Lingxu Daoist took a deep breath and said solemnly:

"Daoist Qilin can rest assured about this. My Mount Shu has been passed down for thousands of years. Even if there are no immortals guarding it, there is still a part of its foundation. If a Monster God really comes to attack, this humble Daoist will naturally open Mount Shu's true foundation.

It's just that if no Monster God comes, opening the foundation would be a loss that outweighs the gain. The loss would be too great!"

Chen Yuan understood that this old cow-nosed Lingxu was still unwilling to use the true immortal foundation. But that was indeed the case. Using Mount Shu's foundation to deal with some monster saints whose strength was still unknown would definitely be a great loss.

A loss that Mount Shu could not afford!

If the Monster Race made a comeback, or if other forces in the world coveted Mount Shu's resources and attacked it together, how could they protect themselves without a powerful weapon in hand?

"Chen understands..."

"This humble Daoist has said what should be said, and Daoist Qilin knows what should be known. Now it's time to talk about what treasure you want from Mount Shu, right?"

Lingxu Daoist asked, looking directly at Chen Yuan.

"Chen doesn't ask for much. I just want to go to the Demon Subduing Tower to find a treasure." Chen Yuan also stated his purpose. He wanted to go in early to get the bargaining chip!

"What treasure?"

"A flower..." Chen Yuan hesitated for a moment and said.

Lingxu Daoist's pupils shrank, and he blurted out:

"Monster God Flower?"

Although Chen Yuan had never heard of the Monster God Flower, seeing the person's great change in attitude, he was almost certain that the "Eternal Universe One Flower" he was looking for was probably this Monster God Flower. Then he nodded.

"How did you know about the Monster God Flower?" Lingxu Daoist was shocked. This was definitely a secret of Mount Shu. Apart from the five elders, no other Mount Shu disciple knew about it.

And the five elders of Mount Shu could not possibly leak it!

"If you don't want something known, you shouldn't do it. Doesn't Daoist Lingxu also know that Chen is actually the Qilin Demon True Lord of the Dao God Palace?" Looking at Lingxu Daoist's shocked and surprised eyes.

Chen Yuan felt relieved all over. He had finally gotten his revenge....

"Could it be that the Dao God Palace has already begun to infiltrate Mount Shu?" Lingxu Daoist frowned and asked subconsciously.

"No comment!"

Chen Yuan smiled faintly.

After a long silence, Lingxu Daoist let out a long breath and said in a low voice:

"The Monster God Flower is a treasure that Mount Shu has long wanted to obtain. It is useful to this humble Daoist. Can Daoist Qilin exchange it for another condition? Even if it means paying some price."

"Apart from the Monster God Flower, Chen doesn't want anything else and doesn't need anything else. This thing is useful to Daoist, but it is even more useful to Chen. Otherwise, why does Daoist think Chen came to Mount Shu from thousands of miles away?"

"Can't you really exchange it?"

"No! Unless..."

"Unless what?" Lingxu Daoist's eyes lit up.

"Give me the Immortal Slaughtering Sword!"

"Impossible!"