Chapter 187: Arriving at the Vermilion Bird Clan Territory
Meanwhile, inside the Ancient Wood Sect.
After Gu Qingyuan broke through to the Immortal Monarch Realm, he too received from Lu Qingyun a cultivation art far more powerful and better suited to the Myriad Wood Saint Body than the Myriad Wood Scripture.
The Evergreen Myriad Wood Scripture.
After a similar exchange of promises, Lu Qingyun settled into the Holy Maiden Peak.
Both Sect Masters, having obtained their new arts, threw themselves into cultivation without a moment's delay.
Everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion.
Before long, news of the Qingfeng Sect's destruction and the Bone Demon Immortal Monarch's death reached the two sects.
"I can't believe the Qingfeng Sect and the Bone Demon Immortal Monarch were both wiped out."
"It was probably Senior Lu's doing."
"Indeed. Both of them had grudges with Senior Lu. It's only natural he'd eliminate them."
The powerhouses of both sects attributed the events to Lu Xunxian. After all, who else would bother destroying them?
Elsewhere.
Lu Xunxian set off on a leisurely tour of the Immortal Realm with Lu Lin and the others.
The powerhouses they passed along the way, upon seeing Lu Xunxian riding a Qilin as a mount, couldn't help but shoot pitying looks his way.
Using a Qilin as a mount? Might as well start digging your own grave.
Lu Xunxian paid them no mind. He continued sightseeing through the Immortal Realm while gradually making his way toward the Thirty-Three Heavens.
At last, two and a half years later, they arrived before the Vermilion Bird Race's Clan Territory.
The instant they drew near, a wave of scorching heat rolled over them — lethal to anyone below the Immortal stage.
Lu Xunxian raised a hand and placed a barrier on each member of his party, shielding them from the blistering heat.
Looking toward the Vermilion Bird Clan Territory, it was much like the Qilin Race's — a self-contained Small World.
The entire territory was blanketed in a sky-blotting crimson, radiating an almost unbearable heat just from looking at it.
In the near distance stood a colossal mountain of fiery red.
"Is that... an entire mountain of Sun Stone? No wonder your Vermilion Bird Race runs this hot."
"You jest, Fellow Daoist Profound Immortal. We Vermilion Birds are born from the sun itself — we don't fear heat. If anything, temperatures like these feel perfectly comfortable to us."
Zhu Qingyan replied with a smile.
Lu Xunxian shook his head and let the matter drop.
Just then, two figures came hurrying toward them.
"Clan Chief, you've returned."
The two were Immortal Emperor powerhouses — Patriarchs of the Vermilion Bird Race.
Having sensed Zhu Qingyan's aura, they had rushed over at once.
Hearing the urgency in their voices, Zhu Qingyan's brow creased.
"How's the situation with that thing?"
The two Patriarchs didn't answer immediately. Instead, their gazes shifted to Lu Xunxian and the others, hesitant to speak freely.
"You can speak openly. This senior is reinforcement that I personally brought back."
With Zhu Qingyan's assurance, one of the Patriarchs spoke hurriedly.
"The situation isn't good. The formation Senior Ouyang set up is on the verge of being completely corroded. If it breaks, the Clan Territory will be fully consumed within three days."
"Senior Ouyang is currently working with the other five Patriarchs to stabilize the formation. They've been waiting for your return, Clan Chief."
"Understood. Senior Profound Immortal, if you would..."
Zhu Qingyan nodded, then turned to Lu Xunxian with a hint of hesitation in her voice.
After all, Lu Xunxian had only just arrived. Asking him to rush over immediately felt somewhat inconsiderate.
But Lu Xunxian didn't mind in the least.
"Let's go."
From the moment he entered the Vermilion Bird Clan Territory, he had already sensed the anomaly within.
He took a single step and vanished.
Luo Qianxue and the others were left behind.
Seeing this, Zhu Qingyan summoned one of her clansmen and addressed him gravely.
"These people are my honored guests. See to it they're well taken care of. If anything goes wrong, I'll hold you personally accountable."
"Yes, Clan Chief."
The True Immortal acknowledged the order at once.
Zhu Qingyan was about to leave but paused, remembering something. She turned to Luo Qianxue with a hint of provocation in her tone.
"I'll be heading off with your master to take care of things now. You just sit tight and watch."
Without giving Luo Qianxue a chance to react, Zhu Qingyan vanished as well.
By the time Luo Qianxue processed what had happened, she was grinding her teeth.
"Damn it — I'm still too weak. If I were stronger, I could have gone with Master."
"Just you wait. The one standing by Master's side in the end will be me!"
Over the three and a half years of traveling the Immortal Realm together, Zhu Qingyan had gradually pieced together Lu Xunxian's circumstances.
Divorced. One son, one daughter. Confirmed pursuers: Luo Qianxue. Zhao Xiaoyi's intentions: unclear.
So toward Luo Qianxue — her rival — Zhu Qingyan was naturally brimming with hostility.
But she was equally brimming with confidence. The one who would ultimately become Profound Immortal's Dao Companion would absolutely be her.
After all, she had the looks, the figure, and the cultivation. She outclassed Luo Qianxue in every category. Aside from the fact that Luo Qianxue had gotten there first, Zhu Qingyan truly couldn't think of a single reason she might lose.
"Hey — hurry up and take us to our quarters! I need to cultivate!"
Luo Qianxue snapped at the Vermilion Bird clansman through clenched teeth.
Given Zhu Qingyan's instructions, the clansman didn't dare dawdle. He quickly led Luo Qianxue and the others to the Cave Dwelling the Vermilion Bird Race reserved for honored guests.
The moment she entered the Cave Dwelling, Luo Qianxue threw herself into cultivation without another word.
Only by reaching the Immortal Emperor Realm as soon as possible could she defeat that shameless vixen Zhu Qingyan and take her rightful place at Master's side.
She was genuinely worried that Zhu Qingyan would overtake her. Over these three and a half years, she had caught Zhu Qingyan trying to seduce her master on multiple occasions. Fortunately, her master had remained unmoved every time.
Surely that meant he still cared about her... right?
Clinging to that thought, Luo Qianxue dove wholeheartedly into her cultivation.
On the other side, Lu Xunxian had already arrived atop the Sun Stone.
Only standing upon it did he truly grasp the Sun Stone's enormity. Atop it, he felt as insignificant as a mote of dust.
Calling it Sun Mountain would not have been an exaggeration.
Looking toward the mountain's summit, what should have been a blindingly radiant Sun Stone was shrouded in a patch of pitch darkness — an eerie and unsettling sight.
Fortunately, the darkness was contained by a formation and had not spread.
But standing at the formation's edge, Lu Xunxian could sense with perfect clarity that the formation was being corroded. Despite the efforts of several Immortal Emperors maintaining it nearby, it wouldn't hold much longer — perhaps two and a half more years before it shattered entirely.