Chapter 1025: Transformation of Two Immortal Women

"In the presence of these monsters, fellow Daoists, you should prioritize fighting them. Acquiring treasures right now is just a pipe dream." The young man surnamed Xu, hearing Old Devil Qian and the other person's conversation, glanced coldly at the light barrier and expressed his dissatisfaction.

"Hehe! This must be Brother Xu from Tianlan, correct? I have no interest in battling something to mutual destruction before even laying eyes on the treasures. Moreover, even if everyone present were to join forces, I doubt we could overcome these three." Old Devil Qian sneered, then made a statement that greatly surprised everyone.

"What do you mean by that, Brother Qian?" Despite the longstanding amicable relations between Tianlan Grassland and the Yinluo Sect, the young man's expression soured upon hearing these words.

"Nothing much. These three have been lurking nearby without intervening, even when Fellow Daoist Ye and I were locked in fierce combat. They must have some other objective. Otherwise, if they truly meant us harm, the optimal moment to strike would have been earlier." A faint voice emanated from the enormous white shadow.

"It's good that you're aware of this. Even if you were to attack, do you truly believe you could defeat us? There's nothing to hide; the three of us are also here for certain items within Kunwu Hall. Before entering the hall, we, too, prefer not to engage in conflict." The Silver-Winged Yaksha's eyes gleamed green as he spoke impassively.

The unsightly woman and the Lion-Bird Beast stood silently beside him, seemingly deferring to his authority.

"The Saintess and I have no interest in the treasures inside the hall. However, the items carried by that young man named Han are something our Tianlan Sacred Hall is absolutely determined to obtain. Of course, if the Ghost-Luo Banner is found, I, Xu, will return it to your esteemed sect intact." The young man surnamed Xu, naturally unwilling to risk his life battling three formidable demonic creatures here, understood Old Devil Qian's implied meaning. After a brief pause, his expression relaxed as he spoke.

"Given the circumstances, there's no need for us to quarrel here. It would be far better to unite our efforts to dismantle the restriction and secure the treasures first. Otherwise, with all of us present, it would be an enormous joke if outsiders were to snatch the treasures away!" Ge Tianhao, sensing the shift, echoed the sentiment.

Both the cultivators and the demonic creatures here had lived for countless years; naturally, none would be so foolish as to allow others to reap the rewards. A temporary agreement was reached almost instantly.

While this agreement would undoubtedly shatter the moment they entered Kunwu Hall, it was still preferable to mutual annihilation before even glimpsing the treasures.

"Since none of you have any objections, let us all work together to break the restriction." Observing the situation, Old Devil Qian let out an eerie laugh. The massive white shadow then flicked its sleeves, conjuring two colossal white pythons that fiercely lunged at the light barrier overhead.

The square-faced cultivator nearby silently nodded, and the two flying swords hovering above his head instantly transformed into two astonishing rainbows that shot directly through the air.

Outside, the three demonic creatures, the young man surnamed Xu, and the others did not lower their mutual vigilance. However, seeing this unfolding, they, too, began to attack the restriction.

At once, a medley of colored lights and demonic auras erupted simultaneously, both inside and outside the light barrier. A continuous series of rumbling sounds filled the air.

"Tsk, tsk. I never imagined Old Devil Qian, with his fiery temper, could so quickly ally himself with creatures like the Silver-Winged Yaksha and the Lion-Bird Beast. In the future, one must be exceptionally cautious when dealing with him, lest he be deceived." In the stone forest below the slope, a slender emerald figure murmured softly from behind a thick stone pillar.

"Hmph. With your current cultivation, Old Devil Qian wouldn't need to scheme against you at all. If the Five-Son Concentric Devil were to launch an attack, you'd have no escape." Another green figure, standing close by, remarked bluntly.

These two were, astonishingly, Madam Mu of the Hua Xian Sect and the beautiful young woman.

"Sister, is there truly nothing I can do against Old Devil Qian?" The young woman sounded somewhat unconvinced.

"What can an early Nascent Soul cultivator possibly do against a late-stage one? Forget you, even if I were to face Old Devil Qian directly, I'd barely be able to defend myself. Our sect's cultivation methods are not inherently designed for direct combat. However, if I could obtain a drop of his essence blood and secretly cast a spell, I'd have a seventy to eighty percent chance of inflicting serious hidden damage upon him!" Madam Mu said with a cold laugh.

"Our Hua Xian Sect is a semi-reclusive sect. In terms of cultivation methods and secret arts alone, we are likely no weaker than the Ten Great Sects. If it weren't for the rules that successive generations must adhere to, we would probably have produced grand cultivators of the late stage long ago through full development, and there would be no need to fear Old Devil Qian and his ilk." The young woman expressed her frustration.

"Our sect's founding ancestor was originally a descendant of the Kunwu Three Elders. When the sect was established not far from the seal, and guarding regulations were set, it was precisely to oversee the Kunwu Mountain seal. However, tens of thousands of years have passed, and this matter has largely faded from memory over countless generations. Had we not recently received a message from Elder Xiang and subsequently re-examined our sect's founding scriptures, we would likely still be completely unaware of the seal. Otherwise, why would we have gone to such extraordinary lengths to enter this mountain?" Madam Mu sighed.

"Speaking of Old Devil Qian, I'm more concerned about the young man who wields the Evil-Dispelling Divine Thunder. The feather fan in his hand is so immensely powerful that even late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators would keep their distance. If used in a confined space, its power doubles. It's said to be a replica of the renowned Seven-Flame Fan from ancient times." The beautiful young woman, Han Li, added.

"It is indeed a replica of a Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasure, but whether it's the Seven-Flame Fan is debatable. This person's appearance is very unfamiliar, and his other divine abilities are considerable. The silver wings on his back allow him to perform the rare Thunder Escape Technique, so he is certainly no ordinary cultivator. However, he doesn't appear to be a cultivator from our Great Jin, nor does he seem affiliated with the Ye family. Still, no matter how formidable he is, we needn't concern ourselves with him too much. Speaking of which, Elder Xiang should have entered this mountain much earlier. Why hasn't he intervened to stop these cultivators? With his formidable divine powers, a mere flick of his wrist would prevent Old Devil Qian and the others from acting so brazenly." Madam Mu voiced her confusion.

"Perhaps Senior Xiang has other pressing matters, or he went directly to the Demon Suppression Pagoda, as that location is, after all, the highest priority." The young woman offered hesitantly.

"Impossible. While the Demon Suppression Pagoda is indeed the true core controlling the entire Kunwu Mountain seal, reinforcing the seal absolutely requires the Dragon Transformation Seal from Kunwu Hall. Senior Xiang understands the critical nature of this; why would he not prioritize retrieving that treasure from Kunwu Hall?" Madam Mu shook her head, her face clouded with concern.

"Sister, are you suggesting Senior Xiang met with some mishap? How could that be? With Senior Xiang's cultivation level, who in this world could possibly overcome him? Could *that person* have already escaped?" As she uttered the last sentence, the beautiful young woman's face instantly blanched.

"His escape is unlikely. The restrictions were only just broken. If that person had truly broken free, all the restrictions would have been shattered long ago. Why would he wait until now? Perhaps Senior Xiang was genuinely delayed by something and hasn't yet entered this mountain." Madam Mu's expression shifted, then she forced a smile as she spoke.

"I hope that's the case. Regardless, we still need to follow these individuals and see if we can acquire the Dragon Transformation Seal before them. But besides this Dragon Transformation Seal, wasn't there also a Celestial Crystal Stele that could reinforce the seal back then? Why wasn't the location of that treasure directly passed down to us descendants? Otherwise, why would we need to risk following these people?" The beautiful young woman began to grumble again upon hearing this.

"You wouldn't know about that. The Celestial Crystal Stele was merely a backup item. Its location is held by another lineage of the Kunwu Three Elders' descendants. This was a safeguard in case either of our two branches encountered an unforeseen event, ensuring there would still be an item to control the mountain's seal. I've heard this treasure is concealed in an unexpected place, and apart from that long-lost lineage, no one else knows its precise location within Kunwu Mountain. With these two preparations, one overt and one covert, it's evident how much foresight and effort the ancient cultivators involved in the sealing put in."

"I also wonder what the Kunwu Three Elders were thinking back then, to leave us with such a massive latent threat. Wouldn't it have been simpler to just kill that person with a single sword? Why seal him, and in doing so, needlessly waste such a spiritual mountain of the Human Realm?" The beautiful young woman spoke, her delicate brows slightly furrowed.

"On that particular point, the ancient texts did offer some insight. It seems the sealed individual's identity is exceptionally unique, with their very life and death entwined with matters of the Upper Realm. Consequently, the ancient cultivators of the Human Realm back then dared not act impetuously and could only seal him within the mountain." Madam Mu hesitated before revealing some of what she knew.

"So that's the explanation; no wonder the people back then were so cautious. But how high is this person's cultivation level, really? Even Elder Xiang appears somewhat agitated whenever this individual is mentioned. We've known Senior Xiang for quite some time, yet we've never witnessed these 'old monsters' so disquieted." The beautiful young woman asked with renewed curiosity.

"No matter how high that person's cultivation is, they could certainly crush us with a mere flick of a finger. What's the point of speculating?" Madam Mu glanced sideways and replied curtly.

"That's true enough!" The beautiful young woman conceded with a helpless expression.

"By the way, you brought the Four Symbols Ruler, didn't you? We'll be entirely reliant on that treasure to seize the Dragon Transformation Seal later." Madam Mu shifted the topic, bringing up another matter.

"Sister has repeatedly reminded me several times. How could I possibly not bring this sect-stabilizing treasure? It's quite a shame, though, that if your cultivation method's attributes weren't incompatible with the Four Symbols Ruler, you would be the most suitable person to wield it. Sister mentioned that among the two Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasures used to suppress that individual, one was the Eight Spirit Ruler—isn't this Four Symbols Ruler a replica of that? I truly wish to see its appearance with my own eyes." The beautiful young woman's bright eyes twinkled as she spoke with a charming smile.

"The Eight Spirit Ruler and the Black Wind Banner were only briefly mentioned in the ancient texts. As for whether we'll actually see them, I... Oh! Old Devil Qian and the others have already broken the restriction! Let's quickly follow them." Madam Mu was about to elaborate to her junior sister when her gaze shifted, and she suddenly noticed the light barrier on the platform splintering under the barrage of attacks. Her expression instantly sharpened as she urged.

The beautiful young woman's heart skipped a beat, and she too looked up. She saw Old Devil Qian and the others passing through the dissipating light barrier, hastening towards the mountain gate.