C567 The Enmity

The formidable demon revealed itself, perching within a peach tree, its form shrouded in a dazzling orb of golden light.

In comparison to the gold-stripped beast, this demon's stature seemed insignificant.

Yet, the pulsating waves of Qi and blood it emitted caused the surrounding Spiritual Qi to surge like a torrential river.

Whoosh!

A massive whirlpool of Spiritual Qi blazed with demonic light, subtly encasing the peach tree.

Remarkably, the tree remained unscathed by the tempest of Spiritual Qi and the fierce demonic radiance.

Within the golden radiance, the demon's form became clear, transforming into a crimson bird.

Upon noticing Xu Zixi emerging from the Evil Cauldron, the avian demon let out a mocking laugh.

The bird, with its golden light retracting into its wings, nodded to Xu Zixi with its pointed beak and spoke in a melodious human tongue, "Greetings, Python Queen of the Demon Palace."

"Golden Raging Bird!" Yu Yuan gasped upon recognizing the creature.

An average "Golden Raging Bird" is merely a Third Level Demonic Beast.

These peculiar birds naturally refine gold, incorporating it into their demonic blood to bolster their cultivation.

The journey to advance as a "Golden Raging Bird" is notoriously arduous, with those reaching the Seventh Level having consumed vast quantities of gold metal veins.

This "Golden Raging Bird" was a Seventh Level demon, evidently coveting Yellow Mountain for itself.

Both the Seventh Level gold-stripped beast and the "Golden Raging Bird" sought to exploit Yellow Mountain's rich mineral veins to temper their demonic forms.

Yellow Mountain was poised to aid in their ascent to even greater power, hence their meddling.

The gold-stripped beast, having the best rapport with the Golden Raging Bird, conspired to seize control of Yellow Mountain.

"Yu Yuan!"

Old Cash, aboard the Jade Tower, called out jubilantly as he steered towards the Great Cauldron, his voice echoing across the Desolate Swamp.

The towering gold-stripped beast, wrapped in golden divine rainbows and a hundred feet tall, shot bolts of golden lightning from its eyes.

Boom!

Beams of golden light morphed into totem pillars of the Demon Race, erupting from beneath its feet.

Seven totem pillars, forged from a blend of pure gold and Qi and blood, rose majestically, their golden brilliance blinding, their demonic might overwhelming.

Its golden eyes burned with unbridled ferocity and cruelty as it beat its chest and let out a thunderous roar.

With a roar, seven gleaming golden totem pillars surged skyward, as if to cleave the heavens and shatter the cosmic barriers!

Crash! Crash! Crash!

The Jade Tower, painstakingly refined by Old Cash, crumbled instantly under the assault of the seven towering golden pillars.

Copper coins and jade tiles fragmented, scattering in disarray. Old Cash, wincing at the loss, swiftly reclaimed them into his sleeve with the sharpness of the Metal Spiritual Great Dao he had mastered.

The coins and tiles vanished like pebbles into thin air.

Beside the Evil Cauldron, Old Cash hovered, grief-stricken as if he had lost his parents, and cried out, "Yu, you must stand up for me!"

As the seven totem pillars prepared to continue their onslaught on Old Cash, Xu Zixi interjected with an icy tone, "That's enough!"

At her command, the gold-stripped beast, massive as a mountain, seemed to snap to awareness.

Under Yu Yuan's watchful eye, the totem pillars ceased their pursuit of Old Cash, retracting sharply into seven slender spikes.

Upon closer inspection, they were unmistakably seven slender golden bones.

These bones merged into the gold-stripped beast, vanishing into its formidable form.

"Totem pillars forged from my own demon bones, imbued with the innate powers of the gold-stripped beast, are truly remarkable," Old Cash mused, mopping his brow. "Yu, my dear Yu, you promised me Yellow Mountain, and now it's become a coveted prize, with everyone vying for it."

"Liang Jingyin is one thing, but to contend with two greater demons as well..."

His gaze shifted to the subdued gold-stripped beast and the Gold Blaze Bird perched motionless on a peach branch. He lamented, "Life has become unbearable. My troubles are too great!"

"Silence!" Xu Zixi snapped.

Old Cash managed a bitter smile and a perfunctory bow in greeting, though his face betrayed no real deference.

All were peers in the realm of Soul Wandering. Xu Zixi was merely fortunate to have been taken in by the Demon Palace, cultivating the Demon Spell as a human, and walking a different path.

Without the Demon Palace's backing, would you dare to rebuke me in other mysterious lands?

Old Cash harbored a deep-seated defiance.

Atop Yellow Mountain's summit, the solitary cultivator Liang Jingyin was intently maneuvering a five-tiered golden pagoda.

The pagoda, perched above his head, towered as high as another Yellow Mountain when expanded. Its blinding golden radiance, sharp as a sword, kept both the Yellow Old Devil and Zhu Peining from Babel Chamber of Commerce at bay, outside the golden glow.

Beneath the pagoda, Liang Jingyin stood immovable, like a boulder weathered through millennia.

Despite the Yellow Old Devil's onslaught with his yellow gourd or Zhu Peining's barrage of spear flags, Liang Jingyin remained indifferent.

He even spared a glance at the Seventh Level "Blazing Gold Bird," wary of a potential ambush.

"Old Cash probably won't be able to reclaim this Yellow Mountain," Xu Zixi observed, noting that the golden pagoda could fend off the assaults of both Yellow Old Devil and Zhu Peining. After a moment's thought, she added, "This rogue cultivator is a tough nut to crack. It seems the Chamber is at a loss with him. The pagoda has fused the ore veins beneath Yellow Mountain into one, essentially making the mountain an extension of Liang Jingyin himself."

Old Cash's face darkened at her words.

"Did you bury something underneath Yellow Mountain?" Yu Yuan inquired with curiosity.

With a moment's hesitation, Old Cash nodded and sighed, "Before my departure from the Absence Relic, I left many treasures beneath Yellow Mountain and had a grand formation engraved to harness the force of gold metal. Thanks to the formation's enhancement, the mountain's Spirit Qi could swiftly amass this power post-revival, leading to the creation of gold metal veins."

"That explains why, aside from Liang Jingyin, it has drawn the attention of two formidable demons," Yu Yuan realized the cause.

"You've inadvertently tailored a wedding dress for someone else," Xu Zixi mocked. "Forget it, it's too late now. It seems Liang Jingyin intends to use Yellow Mountain as a springboard for his breakthrough to the Yang God Stage."

She paused, then added in a hushed tone, "And undoubtedly, another master must be protecting him from the shadows."

"What's the meaning of this?" Old Cash's realization dawned on him.

Yu Yuan furrowed his brow in confusion.

Zhu Peining from the Babel Chamber of Commerce, having failed to make headway after a prolonged assault, decided to cease her efforts. She clutched a banner, its tip fashioned like a spear, and gracefully drifted toward the Evil Cauldron. "Liang Jingyin has caught the eye of the Spirit Void Sect. Once he successfully refines the Yang God at Yellow Mountain, the sect will formally welcome him and bestow upon him the status of a guest elder."

"So that's the situation!" Old Cash exclaimed. "It all makes sense now. How else could Liang Jingyin have so swiftly unearthed the secrets of Yellow Mountain and claimed it for himself? The Spirit Void Sect has been cultivating the Absence Relic for years, with Taoist Chongxiao presiding over it. He must have recognized my handiwork on Yellow Mountain!"

"Liang Jingyin's return to seize Yellow Mountain could very well be a scheme orchestrated by the Spirit Void Sect!"

"Spirit Void Sect! Coveting my land and using my possessions as bargaining chips—I will not stand for this!"

Old Cash was livid, gesticulating wildly toward Spider City as he hurled his curses.

Following Zhu Peining's departure, the Yellow Old Devil, mounted on his yellow gourd, glided in.

A year prior, he had returned alongside Old Cash and Chi Hongyi, eyeing the Asura Skull in the Dark Domain. Upon encountering Yu Yuan, his demeanor was remarkably deferential, "My respects to you, Young Master Yu!"

Zhu Peining watched, inwardly astonished.

The Yellow Old Devil, an exotic practitioner recruited by the Babel Chamber of Commerce, was on par with her in terms of cultivation. His mastery of Soul Arts was so formidable that even she regarded him with a degree of wariness.

Had Liang Jingyin not assimilated the mineral veins beneath Yellow Mountain, bolstering his combat prowess, and without the tower in his possession, she doubted he could rival the Yellow Old Devil.

Similarly, she suspected that neither Old Cash nor the Python Queen might measure up to the Yellow Old Devil.

Yet this formidable old devil, an independent cultivator deemed promising by the Babel Chamber of Commerce, exhibited not just respect but a tinge of trepidation in Yu Yuan's presence.

The old devil had never shown such deference to the Yang Gods of the Chamber!

Why was he so intimidated by Yu Yuan?

Zhu Peining couldn't fathom the reason, and she wasn't alone in her confusion.

Everyone there, Old Cash, the Python Queen, and even Yu Yuan himself, were at a loss for an explanation.

Only the Yellow Old Devil himself was privy to...

Within the microcosm of the Dark Domain Asura's gaze, the Yellow Old Devil, having entered with his soul spirit, witnessed many wonders. He saw, with his own eyes, a colossal Void Soul emerge from Yu Yuan's body, turning the tide and altering the course of events!

Without the emergence of that massive Void Soul, the realm of the Absence Relic would undoubtedly be different from what it is now.

Whenever the Yellow Old Devil reflected on that apparition, his soul would quiver, and a profound terror would seep into his very bones.

This was why, among the three formidable Evil Devils, the Yellow Old Devil was the most deferential in Yu Yuan's presence.

"It's been a while, you've joined the Babel Chamber of Commerce?" Yu Yuan noted his unease and chuckled, "Relax, there's no need for formality. The affairs of the relic are long resolved. You remain my elder in the days to come."

"I dare not presume!" Riding atop his yellow gourd, the Yellow Old Devil hastily bowed deeply, his demeanor a mix of flattery and anxiety, "The Chamber's gracious invitation was too tempting to refuse, and I was weary. I sought refuge, a place to shield me from the storm. With the Chamber's supply of spiritual materials, I can dedicate myself to my practice and aspire to greater heights."

"Yu Yuan, will the Yellow Old Devil continue to dwell within the relic?" inquired Zhu Peining.

Yu Yuan laughed heartily and glanced at the Python Queen and Xu Zixi.

"In this world, what Miss Yu Zhu says goes. The Demon Palace will not intervene," Xu Zixi stated earnestly.

"Then there should be no issue," Yu Yuan concluded.

Both the Yellow Old Devil and Zhu Peining expressed their gratitude, and Zhu Peining added, "Should the Yu family's herbs lack a buyer, I am prepared to make a purchase on behalf of the Chamber. The price will certainly match or exceed the market rate."

Yu Yuan nodded in acknowledgment, then turned his attention to Yellow Mountain and Liang Jingyin.

Rising to his feet with a composed smile, Liang Jingyin offered a respectful bow, "I am Liang Jingyin, an independent cultivator. I've long admired the reputation of the Yu family's young master. I look forward to your guidance!"

"Of course. Yu Zhu will see to your needs upon her return," Yu Yuan replied with a light chuckle. "It would be in your best interest to achieve the Yang God Stage before she comes back. Otherwise, any advantage you hold in Yellow Mountain may vanish with her return to the relic."

Liang Jingyin's face darkened abruptly, his demeanor turning icy, "I'll remember this."

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