“Yes.”
Lu Changsheng knew that the old woman had profound cultivation and following her down the mountain, he should not fear those looking for trouble at the foot of the mountain.
In the village at the foot of the mountain, the Fourth Ancestor was still waiting like a hunter for his prey.
Suddenly, two more figures appeared in this small village. One was a black-haired man with an air of Immortal Dao and handsome features, and the other was an old woman with white hair, leaning on a walking stick.
“Good lad!”
The Fourth Ancestor, upon seeing the black-haired man’s face, was stunned, then became ecstatic.
He had waited at the foot of the mountain for so long, and finally, Lu Changsheng had appeared!
In order not to attract attention, he did not dare to cultivate here to avoid alarming the strong beings of Mount Taihua Sacred Land, constantly had to change his identity and integrate into the village so that the villagers wouldn’t know he possessed immortality.
Who knew what he had been through all these years.
And now, his waiting like a hunter had finally borne fruit!
As long as he could capture Lu Changsheng alive, with Lu Changsheng’s status in Mount Taihua Sacred Land, they would definitely trade Su Yun in exchange for him!
“No, this person is extremely terrifying…”
The Fourth Ancestor was about to make his move when he realized that the old woman by Lu Changsheng’s side was not to be trifled with.
This wasn’t him waiting for Lu Changsheng to come out, but Lu Changsheng willingly walking into the trap, surely prepared for it.
“To think who I am, it turns out to be the esteemed Helian Tuo. What brings you to dwell in seclusion here beneath our Mount Taihua?”
The old woman’s voice was calm and undisturbed, having already seen through the other’s identity.
Lu Changsheng felt a wave of relief.
Luckily, he and his disciples had not rashly descended the mountain during this time, otherwise, they would have been captured by this person.
Even the old woman referred to him as ‘senior’, which showed the depth of his seniority.
Unexpectedly, the Ancient Helian Clan had sent an Ancestor with even higher seniority than the old woman to deal with him.
“Who are you? How do you know me?”
Helian Tuo was extremely unsettled.
The old woman, like him, was a Great Expert with immortality, and in such a situation, knowing his origin while he didn’t know hers put him at a disadvantage.
“Wait, your features look familiar. Could you be…” Helian Tuo suddenly changed his expression, realizing the identity of the old woman, “To think that the little brat who used to sniffle behind the Mount Taihua Goddess has now cultivated to a level nearly matching mine. The bloodline of the Goddess of Mount Taihua truly is powerful.”
“Have you forgotten that you were once defeated by my sister’s sword?”
As soon as the old woman’s words fell, Helian Tuo’s face turned ashen, his expression very unsightly.
Lu Changsheng finally understood.
Helian Tuo, in Ancient Times, had crossed swords with the Mount Taihua Goddess but was defeated by her.
Now that the old woman mentioned the past, it was undoubtedly revealing Helian Tuo’s scar, strange would it be if he had a good expression.
Helian Tuo’s eyes became cold: “Back then I was inexperienced in my art, losing to the Mount Taihua Goddess was only a matter of the past. Times have changed, I have mastered unparalleled Divine Skills. If the Mount Taihua Goddess were still alive, she would be no match for me. Since you have discovered me, I will speak plainly. Just hand over that little wench Su Yun, and I will leave immediately.”
The old woman snorted coldly and planted her walking stick firmly: “If your Ancient Helian Clan’s progenitor were here, I might consider it, but you don’t qualify.”
“How dare you be so insolent!”
The Fourth Ancestor of the Ancient Helian Clan was about to use his Cultivation Technique to confront the old woman.
Suddenly, the old woman extended her left hand, revealing an Immortal Sword in its sheath that appeared in her grasp.
With the appearance of this Immortal Sword, the heavens and earth lost their color.
The expression of the Fourth Ancestor changed again.
He thought he might defeat the old woman, but now he realized the old woman was no longer the sniveling young girl of the past, and she possessed this Magical Treasure.
“This sword…”
Lu Changsheng had seen this sword in the murals of Goddess Daoxu.
This was one of the Magical Treasures used by the Mount Taihua Goddess in the past, its power astonishing.
It is very likely that before the Mount Taihua Goddess met her demise, she passed on some magical treasures and cultivation techniques to her younger sister.
The crone, being the only kin of the Mount Taihua Goddess and also tasked with guarding the Holy Land, if she were to take action, not even the Fourth Ancestor of the Ancient Helian Clan could be certain to be her match.
Lu Changsheng has met many Great Experts, who are also ranked by level.
Hallucinatory Dark Demon Venerable, Cold Bone Demon Venerable, Yang Qing, Master; these powerful figures should be considered the first tier among Great Experts.
Following them are the Qiongxiao Sword Maiden, the crone, the Fourth Ancestor of the Helian Family, and others, who would be regarded as the second tier.
As for those Great Experts who have just broken through to the Longevity Immortal Realm, they would be the third tier.
For Great Experts of the same tier to determine a victor, it depends heavily on their Divine Skills, Cultivation Techniques, and Magical Treasures.
The crone possesses the magical treasures of the Mount Taihua Goddess; these are the same treasures that were used to defeat the Fourth Ancestor, directly invoking in him the fear of being dominated.
Another reason the Fourth Ancestor is so wary—that this is the foothill of Mount Taihua.
Once a confrontation begins, the Elders and Disciples of Mount Taihua Sacred Land would swarm out, forming a peerless Great Formation, and that would be enough trouble for him.
Even ants can overwhelm an elephant; some peerless formations allow Loose Immortals to possess the strength to kill Great Experts.
“You as well, come out.”
This time, the crone’s intent to deter was not only directed at Helian Tuo but also at two unwelcome guests.
Two middle-aged men walked out of a bamboo house, the pupils of their eyes faintly purple, and their bodies exuded a trace of Demonic Qi.
This Demonic Qi, however, was not unfamiliar to Lu Changsheng.
His eighth Disciple, Ning Qianqian, carried a similar aura; to be precise, this was the aura of the Dragon Clan.
Huo Wen, a Disciple from the outer sect and from the Candle Dragon kin, also had a similar Demonic Qi.
Could it be that these two powerful figures from the Dragon Clan appearing at the base of Mount Taihua indeed have some relation to him, Lu Changsheng?
“So it turns out to be the strong warriors of the Dragon Clan. Why don’t you remain peacefully in the Demon Realm instead of coming to Mount Taihua? Could it be that you of the Demon Race wish to challenge the might of our various Holy Lands?”
“We did not intend to engage in conflict with Mount Taihua Sacred Land; the Dragon Emperor has long been laid to rest, and our Dragon Clan is falling apart. Hence, we wish to bring back the Descendant of the Dragon Empress to inherit the title of the Dragon Emperor. The Descendant of the Dragon Empress is very likely to be in Mount Taihua Sacred Land.”
The two Dragon Clan experts explained their intentions, taking Helian Tuo by surprise.
How did Mount Taihua Sacred Land manage to shelter so many significant figures?
The Family Head of the Ancient Su Family, the Descendant of the Dragon Empress, are all in Mount Taihua Sacred Land!
Helian Tuo broke into a cold sweat.
Today, he might not even be the main character.
The crone looked towards Lu Changsheng.
She already knew that Ning Qianqian carried the Dragon Emperor Bloodline; the Dragon Clan’s sought-for Descendant of the Dragon Empress should be Ning Qianqian.
Ning Qianqian is Lu Changsheng’s Disciple, so the decision should be made by Lu Changsheng.
When Lu Changsheng heard the Dragon Clan wanted to welcome Ning Qianqian back to inherit the Dragon Emperor’s title, he was not excited.
It wasn’t as if it was time for the three-year period to end, and to welcome the Dragon King back to power.
The Dragon Clan has always been untamable and self-willed. In Ancient Times, dragon leaders like the Candle Dragon progenitor, the Eight Desolation Fire Dragon, the World-Ending Black Dragon, the Ancient Thunder Dragon, and other Dragon Kings were all rulers in their own right, and it was only after the Dragon Emperor subdued them that he could govern the various tribes of the Dragon Clan.
Now with the Dragon Emperor perished, the nation is in doubt without its ruler. With the untamable nature of the various Dragon Kings, they would not willingly submit to the commands of a Descendant of the Dragon Empress who is still in her ‘juvenile phase’.
According to the experience of ancestors, either as feudal lords or power ministers, the Dragon Kings of different tribes of the Dragon Clan will not be content. Given Ning Qianqian’s current cultivation level, returning to the Dragon Clan might turn her into a puppet, and she might even be used to control the Dragon Clan in the name of protecting the Dragon King.
In the three realms where the strong prey upon the weak, Lu Changsheng is no stranger and must be prepared.
“Now is not the time for her to return to the Dragon Clan, please go back.”
Lu Changsheng, taking into account that Ning Qianqian, in terms of power, seniority, and experience, is not sufficient to control the Dragon Clan, decides not to let Ning Qianqian follow these two Dragon Clan experts of unknown origin back to the Dragon Clan, as it would only harm her.
If the various Dragon Kings were genuinely loyal to the Descendant of the Dragon Empress, Ning Qianqian wouldn’t have been left wandering in the Immortal Realm, nor would she have been hunted down by Human Race cultivators.
The two Dragon Clan experts exchanged glances with bad intentions, yet they couldn’t afford to take action in Mount Taihua Sacred Land.
The depth of Mount Taihua Sacred Land’s heritage is unknown, and these two Dragon Clan experts might not be able to stand against the entirety of Mount Taihua Sacred Land.