Before he could even finish his thought, the situation on the field took another sudden turn!

Qin Xuan seemed to be running out of True Essence. A gap appeared in his Sword Net, and the solidified claw of a Demon Soul shot viciously toward his back.

The very instant the claw was about to strike, Qin Xuan spun around, a brilliant golden light flaring in his eyes. "I’ve been waiting for you."

"Flame Demon Transformation Seal!"

With a ferocious roar, Qin Xuan revealed that his left hand had already formed a Mysterious Dharma Seal. A speck of pure golden flame suddenly erupted from his fingertip.

The flame was of the Supreme Yang. The instant it appeared, the pervasive, baleful yin energy melted away like snow under the scorching Sun.

"This kid has a Supreme True Flame?" the linen-robed old man exclaimed, shooting to his feet in shock.

All the spectating Purple Mansion Cultivators turned pale with horror.

"No, that’s impossible. We must have misjudged the Attributes of the Flame Demon’s Position."

The white-robed scholar looked at the black-robed female cultivator. "Master Xiao, does the Flame Demon from your Vast Qi Tower also have the ability to suppress baleful yin energy?"

The black-robed female cultivator frowned, lost in thought.

HISS—!

The golden flame surged up the Demon Soul’s claw, engulfing it in an instant.

The Demon Soul was pierced through the chest. The True Sun Fire erupted from within, blasting it into a cloud of scattered ash.

The wind swept over the scorched Spiritual Field, leaving only a few golden sparks flickering in the gloom.

Qin Xuan leaned on his sword for support. His clothes were in tatters and his aura was faint, but his back remained ramrod straight.

A dead silence fell upon the cliff.

The faces of those who had been jeering earlier were now masks of shock.

Jiaang Xiaofeng shot to his feet. "A Foundation Establishment Cultivator defied the Purple Mansion... and killed a True Mansion Realm Great Demon! This boy must not be allowed to live!"

A ghastly green miasma billowed out.

A putrid, fishy stench filled the air. The aura’s oppressive might threatened to instantly blanket the entirety of Heart Rot Valley.

"The Rotting Body Miasma..."

Qin Xuan looked down in horror. Before the toxic mist had even reached him, his skin was already bubbling with pustules, rotting away at a speed visible to the naked eye.

He realized at once.

’The one trying to kill me is Jiaang Xiaofeng!’

The stench of death closed in.

An icy chill shot through Qin Xuan, as if he were trapped in ancient, primordial ice.

Jiaang Xiaofeng wouldn’t act rashly, but when he did, he unleashed a Positional Divine Technique!

It wasn’t just Jiaang Xiaofeng; Ruan Fusheng beside him was also preparing to strike.

’Am I... going to die?’ Qin Xuan’s face turned ashen.

Just as all hope seemed lost, a tall, sturdy Foundation Establishment Cultivator with a belly like a drum slowly emerged on the cliff.

"Master Jiaang, Altar Master Ruan, you’ve both gone too far."

Pang Tunyun said, his face grave.

’A Foundation Establishment Cultivator?’

’When did he get here? How did I not notice him?’

Jiaang Xiaofeng’s heart jumped in surprise.

Pang Tunyun spoke with calm dignity. "Master Qin is under the personal protection of the Master Blood Tyrant Demon Child. Your unauthorized mobilization of the Yin Soul Great Demon has already violated the laws of the Holy Sect. I hope you two Altar Masters will see reason."

"Otherwise, don’t blame the Law Enforcement Hall when they come to arrest you."

"How dare you! A mere Foundation Establishment Incense Master dares to question me?"

Ruan Fusheng roared, raising a palm to strike Pang Tunyun dead.

But Pang Tunyun suddenly brandished a Purple Gold Token that crackled with arcs of thunder. Inscribed upon it was a single name: Dugu.

RUMBLE!

It was as if thunder cracked across the heavens as a majestic, formidable aura enveloped the area.

"A Vice Sect Leader’s Order?!"

Ruan Fusheng’s pupils contracted violently. Arcs of thunder passed through his body, making him feel as if he’d been plunged into a sea of lightning, and he staggered back in retreat.

"ARGH!" Jiaang Xiaofeng let out a bloodcurdling scream, coughing up mouthfuls of blood. In that instant, the sky cleared. The Position of his Rotting Body Miasma shattered, a wound that would take decades to fully heal.

"Master Xiao, save me!"

A wisp of black candle smoke drifted past.

The two whipped their heads around, only to find that Xiao Yan’Er, the Tower Master of the Vast Qi Tower who had been standing beside them, had already vanished. Then,

a grand and indifferent voice echoed.

"Purple Mansion Altar Masters Jiaang Xiaofeng and Ruan Fusheng, for publicly attempting to harm a Holy Sect Incense Master, you are hereby sentenced to three years in the Demon Abyss as a warning to others!"

BOOM!

A torrent of purple and cyan lightning descended.

The faces of Ruan Fusheng and Jiaang Xiaofeng turned ashen.

...

「Heart Rot Valley」

Qin Xuan’s face was filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Senior Brother Pang, for saving my life!"

"If you hadn’t been here today, Senior Brother Pang, I would have surely died at the hands of that treacherous Jiaang Xiaofeng."

Qin Xuan had seen everything clearly.

The situation had been critical, but Pang Tunyun had stood firm against the pressure from the Purple Mansion cultivators and forced the Altar Masters to retreat.

Pang Tunyun smiled and waved his hand dismissively. "It was all on Master Demon Child’s orders. I’m just a lowly Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Without the Sect Leader’s Golden Order that he gave me, how could I have possibly intimidated a mighty Purple Mansion True Demon? If you’re going to thank someone, you should thank Master Demon Child."

"Furthermore, I came here today on Master Demon Child’s orders to lend you a hand, Junior Brother Qin, in Guiding your Life Star!"

Hearing this, Qin Xuan was overjoyed.

’My choice to save Chen Xuanba back then was definitely the right one.’

’Now that I’ve offended three Purple Mansion Altar Masters, my only hope for survival is to align myself with Chen Xuanba.’

However, Pang Tunyun’s next sentence was like a bucket of cold water dumped on his head.

"Junior Brother Qin, don’t celebrate just yet. Master Demon Child said that today’s events have settled the karmic debt between you. Once you advance to the Purple Mansion realm, you and he will be even."

"The road ahead is one you must walk alone."

At these words, Qin Xuan’s heart seemed to skip a beat.

’I’ve been in the Holy Sect for so long... it would be a lie to say I’ve never used Chen Xuanba’s name to my advantage.’

’Everyone knows I’m the one who saved the Blood Tyrant Demon Child.’

’Anyone who thought about moving against me had to weigh whether they were willing to incur Chen Xuanba’s wrath.’

’Wei Qingyi is the perfect example.’

’So to suddenly hear from Pang Tunyun that the protection from Chen Xuanba’s banner is about to end... how could I not be terrified?’

But Qin Xuan did not remain dejected for long. He quickly composed himself.

’Chen Xuanba is right.’

’In the end, you can’t rely on anyone but yourself.’

’For now, the most important thing is to open my Star Mansion and Guide my Life Star!’

"Senior Brother Pang, did Master Demon Child have any other instructions for you?"

"Of course."

Pang Tunyun took two items from within his robes.

One was a blood-stained Beast Tooth Token, and the other was a simple, ancient-looking Spiritual Sense Jade Tube.

"To open a Star Mansion and Guide a Life Star, you must prepare at least three key items: the Crystal Condensation Opening Pill, used to refine and stabilize one’s Divine Sense; the Thousand-Year Soul Nourishing Wood, which can protect the Divine Soul; and the Starlight Jade Liquid, for purifying Demonic Essence."

Pang Tunyun continued, "Master Demon Child knows that you possess the Yin Yang Demon Refining Furnace, Junior Brother Qin. He presumes you can refine the Crystal Condensation Opening Pill and the Starlight Jade Liquid on your own."

"Or, at the very least, find someone to help you."

"Only the Thousand-Year Soul Nourishing Wood will be difficult to acquire. That is why he specifically ordered me to deliver this token to you."

"In one month, there will be a small exchange meet in the Black Water Abyss, within the Holy Sect’s territory of Mo Xuan Country. You may take this token to attend. As for whether you can actually trade for the Soul Nourishing Wood, that will depend on your own abilities."

"My thanks to Master Demon Child, and my thanks to you, Senior Brother Pang."

Qin Xuan clasped his hands in a formal gesture, his gaze sincere. "If Master Demon Child ever has need of me in the future, I swear I will do whatever is asked of me without hesitation."