"Rest assured, I won’t kill you. After all, there are too few people as sensible as you in the Heavenly Court."

The red-robed man bent down, patted the face of the elderly host, and chuckled softly, "Get up, I’m taking the incense fire with me."

With a thought.

A dark green incense stick flew to the statue of Great Emperor Qingfeng. Its flame wasn’t lit, nor did any smoke swirl.

Instead, the power of incense fire from within the statue was attracted by the dark green incense stick, forming a thin line that slowly drifted into it.

"This is the incense that believers offer day and night. How mesmerizing it is."

The red-robed man’s eyes were greedy and intoxicated as he took a deep breath.

But he dared not absorb even a bit of it, allowing the incense stick to draw away most of the power of the incense fire from the statue.

The elderly host looked around cautiously and said, "Senior, you could actually absorb it all, there’s no one checking here."

"All of it? No wonder you’ve only managed to become a Nascent Soul cultivator in this life."

The red-robed man said calmly, "If I were as greedy as you, I would have died a hundred times over by now."

"Senior’s correction is apt." The elderly host responded promptly.

Soon enough.

About seventy percent of the incense fire’s power within the statue was absorbed.

As the red-robed man prepared to leave, he casually asked, "The Immortal Domain has been unsettled lately, everything alright here?"

"Everything’s as it was."

"Hmm."

The red-robed man nodded, feeling he had been unnecessarily talkative.

No matter how chaotic the Immortal Domain was recently, no matter how many Holy Lands were laid to waste, what relation did it have to this place?

Including the tens of billions of stars within which Tian Shui Star resides, located at the very center of the Immortal Domain.

It is the wealthiest area in terms of resources, directly governed by the Heavenly Court, even the Domain Masters of the Four Immortal Domains have no right to interfere.

Unless that person with the surname Xu dies, this place will always fly the flag of the Heavenly Court, and no one will dare to cause trouble.

Ordinary people without spiritual roots live in peace.

Cultivators who choose the path of cultivation don’t need to worry about being killed for treasures. As long as they’re registered, they can dwell long-term in this star domain rich in spiritual energy.

In this place.

Since the one from the Heavenly Court achieved emperorship, there have been rare instances of war.

"Though, today there was an ignorant young man who claimed Great Emperor Qingfeng was nothing but a mere mortal, not worthy of reverence."

The temple elder said offhandedly.

The red-robed man halted his steps, his expression deeply serious: "What else did he say!"

"He didn’t say anything else."

The elderly host hesitated: "He just sat here for a while, used his foot to align the prayer mat, and because of his disrespect, I had him driven away with some men."

A strong sense of foreboding arose in the red-robed man’s heart. Those who dare show disrespect to The Supreme Emperor within the Heavenly Court’s jurisdiction can be counted on one’s fingers...

Fool?

No, that’s impossible.

Such simpletons perished long ago in the Immortal Domain.

The more the red-robed man thought, the more alarmed he became, and with a halted breath, he said: "Stop operations for the time being, we might be under surveillance."

"Yes."

The elderly host felt anxious, hurriedly bowing.

At this moment.

The red-robed man squinted, raising a hand to strike the elderly host’s head.

Facing a Nascent Soul cultivator, a strong being in the Half-Step Celestial Venerable Realm chose to ambush him.

By the time the elderly host sensed the gust, it was too late. From the corner of his eye, he saw that terror-inducing palm about to descend, and shouted in fear:

"Senior, what do you mean by this!!!"

"Murder, silencing."

The red-robed man’s expression was calm, as if discussing something insignificant.

"Bang"

The elderly host’s body exploded on the spot.

An invisible white mist darted into the ground, the red-robed man sneered: "Soul trying to escape? Ridiculous."

He stomped his foot.

The white mist returned above ground, reforming into the elderly host’s appearance, hurriedly beseeching:

"Senior, this junior absolutely won’t divulge anything about the incense, please spare me."

"Only the dead truly keep silent, you only have yourself to blame for knowing too much." The red-robed man smiled.

The elderly host’s soul showed hopelessness, he had already given up resisting.

The soul of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

How could it escape a Half-Step Celestial Venerable Realm’s hunt?

A difference of almost four great levels, not even an Emperor Realm rebirth could escape.

"Tsk, indeed there’s something fishy."

A tender voice echoed.

"Who!"

The red-robed man spun fiercely, his expression drastically changed.

He saw a little boy in a red bellyband leaning against a pillar outside the hall, rubbing his chin and gazing this way.

And beside the child stood a young man in snow-white clothes.

"It’s you."

The temple host was stunned, suddenly realizing something, he shouted urgently: "Senior, senior save me! I work for the Heavenly Court, if you save me, the Heavenly Court is sure to reward you!"

The red-robed man felt a rush of anxiety.

The ability to quietly step into a formation he laid, these two’s boundary might not be beneath his.

He spoke in a deep voice at once: "Please, fellow Daoists, do not meddle in private affairs of mine."

"Hmm."

The young man nodded: "Indeed a private matter."

The red-robed man let out a sigh of relief, slightly clasping his hands in respect, was about to leave with the elderly soul when he heard a peculiar inquiry:

"Who allowed you to leave?"

"Pu!"

A divine sense swept over, forcing the red-robed man to his hands and knees on the ground, his thirty-thousand-year cultivation level crumbled spectacularly, his heart’s essence blood gushed like it cost nothing.

The red-robed man roared: "Why do you go back on your word, if it’s a private matter, don’t interfere, don’t think I fear you!"

The soul of the Qingfeng Temple host was exceedingly excited.

To break the foundation of a Half-Step Celestial Venerable in a single thought, what level of cultivation must that be?

Immortal Venerable?

Immortal Venerable Summit?

Or Quasi-Emperor?

Perhaps I can be saved!

As the temple host was overwhelmed by a desire for survival, Sikong Jiu snorted:

"From the moment you stole The Supreme Emperor’s incense fire, it ceased to be a mere personal affair between you and that elder, it became The Supreme Emperor’s private affair. Right, The Supreme Emperor?"

"..."

The Qingfeng Temple fell into prolonged silence.

The excitement on the temple host’s face gradually morphed into disbelief, his body trembled violently.

As for the red-robed man, he fixed a dead stare on Xu Lai, then turned back to the statue in the hall, muttering in bewilderment:

"Rumor has it that beneath Great Emperor Qingfeng’s feet, there is always a wisp of breeze, even on the statue. Why don’t you?"

"You know it’s a rumor, after all."

Xu Lai nodded: "Speak, who stands behind you. Is it Great Emperor Shifeng of the thirty-eighth era, or Great Emperor Wangmu of the ninety-second era."

The red-robed man took a deep breath, surprisingly calming down, with a tone tinged with a hint of pride, he said:

"My master is Great Emperor Jin Shi."

"Jin Shi?"

Sikong Jiu raised an eyebrow.

He truly hadn’t anticipated that the one surviving by stealing the incense fire energy of The Supreme Emperor would turn out to be Jin Shi.

This ’little fellow’ who became emperor by incense fire in the ninety-eighth era, also needs to survive by secretly taking incense fire?

"Do you know him well?" Xu Lai asked.

"Mm, fairly weak."

Sikong Jiu contemplated for a moment and said, "Probably ranks around seventieth or eightieth."

"That indeed is quite weak."

"..."