"Zi Qiong, have you gone mad? I’m Yao Qi!"

The Qi Emperor roared as he struggled out of the hole.

The Qi Emperor was completely bewildered. He had just returned to his chambers to sleep when he heard the earth-shaking sounds of a battle outside. He had hurriedly thrown on his clothes and rushed out to see what was happening. Before he could even figure it out, the Zi Qiong Emperor had attacked him like a madman. ’What in the world is going on? This is too bizarre!’

"Yao Qi? It’s best that you *are* Yao Qi. If you weren’t, I wouldn’t be bothering to beat you!"

Hearing his opponent’s "confession," the Zi Qiong Emperor grew even more furious and threw another punch.

"You..."

Seeing his opponent attacking like a madman, unleashing his immense power without reservation, the Qi Emperor knew that if he continued to hold back, he would surely be killed. He reached a hand toward the sky, and a snow-white Talisman appeared in his palm.

Ultimate Venerables could refine Ultimate Venerable Talismans, and Secret Realm Powerhouses were even more capable. The moment this Talisman appeared, it resonated with the heavens and the earth, pulsing with Mana. One didn’t need to look twice to know it was a Secret Realm Talisman!

A Secret Realm Talisman was equivalent to an attack from a Secret Realm Powerhouse, its power immense. As an undying old monster on the verge of breaking through to the Secret Realm, the Qi Emperor had a few of these rare treasures, even if they were scarce!

The Zi Qiong Emperor was acting like a lunatic, and any explanation would fall on deaf ears. If the Qi Emperor held back now, death was his only option. With a flick of his palm, the snow-white Talisman immediately burst into flames and collided with the Zi Qiong Emperor’s attack!

BOOM!

The Talisman activated, filling the sky with snowflakes. Within a three-hundred-zhang radius of the Talisman, all buildings and people—even those at the Ultimate Venerable Peak—were instantly turned to ash, utterly annihilated.

Secret Realm Powerhouses were simply too terrifying. Although the Qi Emperor had not reached the Secret Realm, he possessed Secret Realm Talismans and many life-saving techniques. His true combat strength was not the least bit inferior to a Secret Realm expert. From the very beginning, their battle had reached a fever pitch.

Nie Yun, the architect of this chaos, had likely never expected the two of them to fight so fiercely. They had completely skipped any attempt at explanation and attacked without restraint the moment they clashed.

After all, he had spent ages orchestrating the conflict between the Seventh Prince and Qi Yang, and even they hadn’t fought so brutally. The Zi Qiong Emperor and the Qi Emperor were old monsters who had been famous for ages; they shouldn’t have made such a low-level mistake!

In truth, Nie Yun didn’t know that the Qi Emperor and the Zi Qiong Emperor had long-standing grievances over the distribution of power. Compounding this, the Zi Qiong Emperor’s Treasure Vault had been completely emptied, which felt like having a lifetime of hard-earned wealth stolen away. His mind had long since lost its calm. How could he possibly listen to the Qi Emperor’s explanations? The moment they met, they began fighting to the death.

While the two great experts were locked in a life-or-death battle, the instigator, Nie Yun, had already left the Zi Qiong Mountain Range and found Baihua Xiu and the others.

"Let’s go, quickly! The Zi Qiong Mountain Range is in chaos right now. This is the perfect time for us to pass through!"

Seeing the group, Nie Yun knew there was no time for explanations. He led them across the Zi Qiong Mountain Range, flying rapidly toward Guangming City.

With the two Demon Emperors of the Zi Qiong Mountain Range at war, the entire mountain range’s defenses would certainly be weakened. Now was the time to cross. Once the two of them came to their senses, escaping would become much more difficult!

’Even though I have the Demon Saint Ancient Corpse and Xiaofong, two Secret Realm-level assets, and my own strength is comparable to an old monster from the Celestial List, if the Zi Qiong Emperor and the Qi Emperor were to truly join forces, I would still be no match for them!’

’After all, Xiaofong has only just advanced to the Secret Realm, and the Demon Saint Ancient Corpse can’t unleash its full combat power. On their side, one is an old monster who entered the Secret Realm many years ago, and the other is an Undead with countless tricks up his sleeve. Add to that the Zi Qiong Mountain Range’s Grand Array and its countless Little Demons... it’s better to run for now!’

The group raced onward. Just as expected, the battle between the two Demon Emperors had significantly lowered the defenses of the entire Zi Qiong Mountain Range. They encountered almost no trouble along the way. Any foolish Demon who did get in their way was promptly slapped to death by Baihua Xiu, who was leading the group.

After flying at top speed for four or five days, they had finally left the Zi Qiong Mountain Range far behind. Only then did Nie Yun find a secluded valley and lead everyone down to land.

"Let’s rest here for the night and continue on tomorrow. If there are no surprises, we should be able to reach Guangming City by tomorrow!"

The valley was hidden in the middle of a sprawling mountain range and rarely saw visitors. After the group landed, Nie Yun had Zi Tong casually carve out a cave in a rock face, and they all went inside.

They had been rushing ever since leaving the Zi Qiong Mountain Range without a proper rest. Entering Guangming City in such a state would surely lead to big trouble. It was better to rest here for a night; they might even be able to use the time to improve everyone’s strength.

"Xiaofong, Hei Yan, you two go get some firewood and meat. We’re going to have a good meal tonight!"

Nie Yun ordered casually.

"Yes!"

The two Demon Pets acknowledged the order and went out.

With one Demon Pet at the Secret Realm and the other on the Celestial List, gathering some food was as easy as flipping a hand. Hearing this arrangement, no one said anything unnecessary.

"Qingcheng, come here. You must have consolidated your strength at the Peak of Qi Sect over the past few days. Take this and see if you can break through to the Ultimate Venerable Realm in one go!"

Calling Luoqing City to his side, Nie Yun casually tossed her a jade bottle.

This was the very same jade bottle of Primordial Essence Spirit Liquid that had been presented at the Demon’s annual tribute conference. He himself had successfully broken through using this item. As long as she used it properly, Luoqing City could advance smoothly as well!

"Let me help. Qingcheng cultivates our Baihua Sect’s techniques. I know how to break through to the Ultimate Venerable Realm, so if I assist, the success rate will be higher!"

Baihua Xiu smiled and walked over.

"Alright!"

Nie Yun nodded.

’Although I’ve lived two lives and know everything about cultivation advancements, Luoqing City is a girl, after all. It would be mortifying if that awkward naked encounter from last time happened again. It’s better to let her master handle it; they understand each other, so it’s safer.’

"The Primordial Essence Spirit Liquid is incredibly rich in Spiritual Qi. Your body can’t possibly withstand the power of a single drop. I will now divide one drop of the Spiritual Liquid into countless fine particles and infuse them into the seven hundred twenty-three acupoints of your body to help you increase your strength!"

Taking a deep breath, Nie Yun explained his plan. "Baihua Xiu, place your palm firmly against Qingcheng and use your True Qi to sense the condition of her body. If any danger arises, notify me immediately!"

"Alright!"

Baihua Xiu also knew the dangers of helping someone break through to the Ultimate Venerable Realm and nodded solemnly.

"Break!"

Opening the jade bottle, Nie Yun flicked his finger. A drop of Primordial Essence Spirit Liquid immediately flew into the air. Under the control of his powerful soul, it instantly split into seven hundred twenty-three fine particles.

He had been able to withstand a full drop of Primordial Essence Spirit Liquid back then because, one, he had cultivated the Spirit Rhinoceros Body Refining Technique, making his body powerful, and two, the Nine-Turn Nirvana Skill was a special Cultivation Technique. Luoqing City was different. If he gave her a whole drop directly, forget advancing—she would probably explode and die on the spot!

Using one’s soul to divide a single drop of Primordial Essence Spirit Liquid into over seven hundred particles required the immense control that only came from having Soul Power at the level of Qi Sea Great Perfection. Anyone else, even if they had the idea, would likely find it impossible to perform!

"In!"

Once the Primordial Essence Spirit Liquid had become over seven hundred particles, Nie Yun flipped his palm, and they all rushed into Luoqing City’s body like a shower of sweet rain!

PS: Ten bonus Chapters for the Soy Sauce Alliance... (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)