Danzhou, Qiyun Valley.

In the Hidden Cloud Courtyard, Pei Zhao was engrossed in studying a Pill Book.

Pei Yuwan hurriedly approached.

"Ah Die, something has happened!"

Pei Zhao remained calm and did not respond.

Ever since the Sect Leader Yun Zhongzi of Qiyun Valley expelled Shen Wen'an from the sect, he had come to terms with it.

He did not wish to concern himself with the affairs of Qiyun Valley, only wanting to watch over the disciples of the Hidden Cloud Courtyard, practice alchemy, and study formations in peace.

When Pei Yuwan returned some time ago, he even kept her from getting involved in sect matters.

After all, with Shen Wen'an having already broken through to the Fetal Breathing in Yangnao Land, there was no need to worry about his cultivation.

Whoever the sect wants to send to Yangnao Land, let them send them.

"Wen'an Junior Brother has clashed with a Fetal Breathing Realm cultivator from the Hundred Beasts Mountain!"

Pei Yuwan said urgently.

"What?!"

Pei Zhao was initially unconcerned, but hearing that Shen Wen'an clashed with a Fetal Breathing Realm expert from the Hundred Beasts Mountain, he immediately sat up straight.

"Where did you hear this news from?"

Putting down the Pill Book, Pei Zhao hurriedly asked.

"I overheard it in the Sect Leader's Courtyard from Junior Brother Liao."

"Junior Brother Liao said that the Senior Brother sent the news through a Communication Stone, that two days ago, the Western Wilderness Barbarian Race controlled by Hundred Beasts Mountain attacked the Shen Family."

"It seems the Shen Family lost some people, which is why Wen'an Junior Brother entered the plains with a sword and encountered a Fetal Breathing Realm expert from the Hundred Beasts Mountain."

"Ah Die, the Hundred Beasts Mountain once coveted the flood dragon in the Hidden Dragon Mountain and left several Fetal Breathing Realm cultivators in Yangnao Land."

"Though Wen'an Junior Brother has broken through to the Fetal Breathing Realm, he just entered it and cannot fight multiple enemies. What should we do now?"

Pei Zhao's expression was solemn. After contemplating briefly, he said, "Your Sect Leader should not know that I have already received the news."

"Girl, the Hidden Cloud Courtyard is temporarily in your hands."

"I will head to Yangnao Land!"

The moment Pei Zhao finished speaking, his figure spread like a roc's wings, flying towards the mountain gate.

At the gate of Qiyun Valley, the guards were speaking with a disciple from the Sect Leader's Courtyard when they suddenly saw Pei Zhao flying from a distance.

They all paused for a moment.

The disciple from the Sect Leader's Courtyard reacted quickly, his face immediately changing, "This is bad!"

"Master Pei must have received the news and is heading to Yangnao Land!"

"Quick, seal the mountain gate!"

As he instructed the guards to activate the grand array and seal the gate, he shouted towards Pei Zhao.

"Master Pei, the Sect Leader has ordered that you cannot leave the sect!"

"Out of my way!"

While in mid-air, Pei Zhao noticed the grand array rising from the sect and immediately waved his sleeve to fling the disciple and guards away.

He flew out just before the array closed completely.

Inside the gate, the men got up, their faces bitter.

The disciple from the Sect Leader's Courtyard stared at the direction Pei Zhao disappeared to and muttered, "What kind of people are in the Hidden Cloud Courtyard..."

"The disciple storms through the mountain gate, and so does the master..."

"I must report this to the Sect Leader quickly."

Leaving Qiyun Valley, Pei Zhao disregarded conserving his magical power, flying towards the barrier of Yangnao Land.

The forests and mountains below rapidly receded, while Pei Zhao's face was gloomy, continuously praying in his heart.

"Kid, you must hold on."

"If you can't beat them, run. When I arrive, we will teach those Hundred Beasts Mountain people a lesson together..."

The barrier leading from Danzhou to Yangnao Land slowly appeared in the distance.

Seeing it, Pei Zhao was about to fly directly over when he noticed a figure standing on a giant rock near the barrier.

When he approached the barrier, he realized that the figure was an old ape with graying fur and distinct old age.

"The little one from Qiyun Valley?"

The old ape lazily lay on the rock, barely raising its head to glance at Pei Zhao as he stopped.

"Go back."

"On account of Qiyun Valley gifting this old ape a gourd of Celestial Essence Pills back in the day, I won't trouble you today."

Pei Zhao frowned deeply upon hearing this.

Qiyun Valley gifting this old ape a gourd of Celestial Essence Pills... how could that be possible?

The Celestial Essence Pill is something even Golden Core Realm cultivators greatly covet; giving one away is a tremendous favor.

Yet a gourd... wait a moment!

Like realizing something suddenly, Pei Zhao looked at the old ape with a serious expression.

"Senior, are you that one from Hundred Beasts Mountain?"

The old ape seemed interested when it heard this and immediately sat upright, scrutinizing Pei Zhao and said, "You know of old ape?"

Noting his acknowledgment, Pei Zhao's heart sank.

There were rumors that Hundred Beasts Mountain had an ancient pseudo-pill realm monstrosity.

But in the entire Qishan Range, very few have actually seen Hundred Beasts Mountain's pseudo-pill realm adept.

The reason he was able to guess was due to the old ape mentioning the "gourd of Celestial Essence Pills."

This was back when he first entered Qiyun Valley, a well-renowned pill and array sect in Danzhou; the ancestors left numerous treasures for the sect.

The Celestial Essence Pills, the kind even Golden Core Realm cultivators yearn for, numbered in the dozens, all contained in a middle-grade magical artifact level pill gourd.

However, this information somehow leaked, attracting this old ape from the Hundred Beasts Mountain.

That entire gourd of Celestial Essence Pills wasn't gifted by Qiyun Valley; the old ape somehow stole it.

When the truth was revealed, the Sect Leader of Qiyun Valley, filled with indignation, led sect experts to the Hundred Beasts Mountain.

But they were vanquished and injured by the old ape, and since then, Qiyun Valley fell from being a top-tier sect to merely a middle-upper immortal sect influence in the Qishan.

"Knowing my identity, you should understand that with me guarding here, no one can pass."

Just as the old ape finished speaking, two more figures flew over from afar.

In the forest below the two figures, another figure was moving at an extremely fast speed, sprinting wildly.

The three approached and seeing Pei Zhao, they all stopped in their tracks.

"Dean Pei."

"Old Pei."

The newcomers were two Fetal Breathing Realm experts from Luoxia Mountain and a Fourth Realm Body Cultivator from Vajra Sect.

"Eh?"

"Where did this old ape come from?"

The elder from the Vajra Sect, with graying hair but a body exuding fiery Qi and blood, was curiously observing the old ape on the boulder.

"Brother Qu, mind your words!"

Pei Zhao hurriedly reminded, "This is the elder from Hundred Beasts Mountain."

Qu Heng was startled upon hearing this.

"The one from Hundred Beasts Mountain..."

He only completed half his sentence before abruptly pausing, looking at the old ape with some astonishment.

Meanwhile, the two middle-aged women from Luoxia Mountain were also looking gravely at the old ape on the boulder.

"Hehe..."

"Vajra Sect, Luoxia Mountain..."

"That young fellow has quite the connections to have you three Immortal Sects willing to oppose my Hundred Beasts Mountain for him..."

The four exchanged glances upon hearing this.

At this moment, Qu Heng from Vajra Sect and the two middle-aged women from Luoxia Mountain were already contemplating withdrawal.

They had come merely to assist in mediating and appeasing the situation at Yangnao Land, trying to minimize serious matters to trivial ones.

In this way, they wouldn't need to take action and could gain a huge favor, befriending a fellow Sword Dao practitioner of the same realm.

But now, with the elder of the Fake Pill Realm from Hundred Beasts Mountain personally appearing, blocking the barrier entrance from Danzhou to Yangnao Land, it signified that Hundred Beasts Mountain had indeed resolved to kill.

Thus, it seemed both sects had no further reason to be involved.

"Old Pei, let's retreat..."

After pondering for a moment, Qu Heng said, "With this elder present, the four of us together are no match for him."

"Dean Pei, this matter... has no room for reconciliation anymore."

One of the middle-aged women from Luoxia Mountain also spoke with a sigh.

Pei Zhao, upon hearing this, remained silent.

He quietly observed the old ape on the boulder, then suddenly smiled and said, "As a not very talented young one, I wish to ask for some guidance from the elder."

As the words were spoken, spiritual power surged crazily within him, and strange array patterns appeared behind him.

At the same time, a series of small array banners shot out from his storage bag, swirling around his body as he made a hand seal.

"To my three fellow Daoists, if I manage to hold him off for a few breaths, please rush to Yangnao Land to protect the life of my disciple!"

As Pei Zhao shouted, his body was already enveloped in numerous array patterns.

In the distance, the old ape on the boulder witnessed this, its aged face showing a mocking humanlike sneer.

"Using your body as the array?"

"Back then, the little old man from your Qiyun Valley used this trick."

"It's a pity; if you had his level of cultivation, you could indeed hold me off for a few breaths of time."

The old ape shook its head, suddenly opened its huge mouth, and roared at Pei Zhao!

In an instant, countless dark golden fine sands flew out from its mouth, temporarily darkening the sky and earth!

Those dark golden sands, like sharp little knives, forced Qu Heng and the two middle-aged women to retreat while continuously eroding the array patterns and banners on Pei Zhao's body.

After just a few breaths, within the whirlwind of sand, Pei Zhao's face turned red, blood oozed from the corner of his mouth, and he was thrown back hundreds of meters!

"Young fellow, the old ape said that in consideration of that gourd of Celestial Essence Pills, I won't make things difficult for you."

"But now, the favor of that gourd of Celestial Essence Pills has already ended."

"If you remain obstinate, the old ape will have no choice but to send you into the cycle of reincarnation..."

Before the words were finished, a slight majesty emanated from the old ape, indicating its murderous intent.

Pei Zhao flew back from a distance.

Seeing this, Qu Heng and the other two hurriedly stopped him, saying: "Old Pei, don't be impulsive!"

"Even if you sacrificed all your cultivation, it would be to no avail against him."

Pei Zhao wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his gaze fixed on the old ape for a moment before suddenly laughing.

"The elder indeed deserves the esteem of being a Golden Core Realm master."

"I, a junior, know I am no match for you, but doesn't the elder have someone to be wary of?"

Upon hearing his words, the old ape's brows furrowed slightly before it smiled and said:

"Young fellow, the old ape has lived for so many years, do you think a few words from you can scare me away?"

"Such a trick is quite laughable."

Pei Zhao smiled faintly, "It's not that I wish to frighten you, doesn't the elder know there's a Sword Immortal behind my disciple?"

Sword Immortal?

Upon hearing this, the old ape's face showed an unusual seriousness.

Though it was a cultivator of the Fake Pill Realm, praised by future generations as a "Golden Core elder," in reality, there was a considerable gap between it and true Golden Core cultivators, let alone a Sword Immortal, who is stronger than an ordinary Golden Core cultivator.

Hundred Beasts Mountain naturally knew of the Sword Immortal backing Shen Wen'an.

But in recent years, neither Cyan Ruo Sword House nor that Lingshan Sword Immortal had shown any indication of continuing to support Shen Wen'an, not even after Qiyun Valley expelled him from their sect, did Cyan Ruo Sword House show any intention of taking him in.

"Kid, there's no need to use the Sword Immortal to scare the old ape."

"Before coming here, the old ape had already investigated thoroughly; that Lingshan Sword Immortal hasn't taken any action since the Qishan Market affair regarding that young fellow in years."

The old ape sneered.

With its many years of Dao practice, it wouldn't be scared away by a few simple words.

Pei Zhao, upon hearing this, still maintained a confident smile and said, "The Lingshan Sword Immortal hasn't concerned himself with my disciple these past years, but that doesn't mean if he were killed, the Sword Immortal wouldn't intervene."

"Since Hundred Beasts Mountain is determined to kill him, given the inadequacy of my own strength to save him, it's his destined calamity."

"However, I must remind the elder, is it truly worth betting your many years of Dao practice and Hundred Beasts Mountain's countless generations of inheritance on the chance that the Lingshan Sword Immortal will not act?"

"Should you lose this bet..." Pei Zhao shook his head with a smile, "The terror of a Sword Immortal is something a Golden Core expert like yourself should need no further explanation from me."

Upon hearing this, the old ape on the boulder showed a changed expression and fell into contemplation.

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