Chapter 666: Tearing Off the Mask

Daoist Master Qinghe held his fly-whisk, his Daoist robe swirling wildly. Terrifying lightning pulsed from his eyes. A sneer played on his lips: "I am injured, and quite severely at that. Deputy Master Yan, don't you have a good number of elixirs to give me?"

Yan Dao'an's expression was grim. Daoist Master Qinghe was a Nascent Soul expert from a reputable sect. In his peak condition, how could a rogue cultivator like Yan Dao'an possibly compare? He immediately soared into the sky and vanished into the clouds.

"Trying to escape?" Daoist Master Qinghe scoffed, then rode a bolt of purple lightning in pursuit.

Moments later, streaks of destructive light erupted in the high heavens. Wisps of terrifying Nascent Soul aura descended upon the sky. Jiang Fan was awe-struck. He whispered urgently, "Let's go!" He grabbed Consort Yunxia and fled into the distance.

A battle between experts of this caliber meant that even a mere ripple of their power could be deadly.

After fleeing ten thousand zhang away, Yan Dao'an's furious roar faintly echoed through the sky: "Daoist Master Qinghe! Jiangshan Yipin Tower will remember this!"

The sounds of battle quickly ceased. Jiang Fan couldn't help but curse under his breath, "Useless fellow! He just ran?" He had hoped Yan Dao'an and Daoist Master Qinghe would fight to the death. Is that all? What happened to all that bravado from earlier?

What truly sank his heart was this: a terrifying Nascent Soul aura enveloped them. With a tearing sound, Daoist Master Qinghe, riding the Purple Firmament Lightning, blocked their path. He reined in the lightning around him and stared at Jiang Fan with cold eyes.

Just being stared at by those eyes made Jiang Fan's whole body prickle with pain. Suppressing his wildly beating heart, he cupped his hands and said, "Senior, how may I help you?"

Daoist Master Qinghe shifted his gaze, silently watching the direction Yan Dao'an had fled. It was a long time later, when Yan Dao'an's aura had completely vanished, that Daoist Master Qinghe finally turned, looked at Jiang Fan, and his eyes revealed killing intent. "Did you just threaten this old man?"

Was this a reckoning? Jiang Fan's heart pounded like a drum. Just then, Consort Yunxia, who was in his arms, suddenly wrote the character for "hand" on Jiang Fan's back with the hand she had placed there. Jiang Fan was startled. He glanced at Daoist Master Qinghe's palm out of the corner of his eye. To his surprise, his hand was trembling.

Jiang Fan's eyes flickered, and he immediately said: "This junior wouldn't dare. This junior only wishes to preserve his life." Covertly, he activated the Mute Zen Bead and secretly transmitted a telepathic message to Consort Yunxia. "Daoist Master Qinghe isn't truly uninjured. He must have used some secret technique to forcefully experience a temporary surge of power. He's rapidly weakening now."

Consort Yunxia was already used to Jiang Fan's voice suddenly appearing in her mind. She agreed, "That must be it. If he were truly at his peak, why would he have been threatened by us just now? He could have easily killed us with a casual strike. If we just stall for a bit, he'll quickly weaken."

Jiang Fan said gravely, "There's no time. That Yan Dao'an fellow will soon realize. Someone as cautious as Daoist Master Qinghe wouldn't fail to consider this. He'll definitely kill us quickly, then hide elsewhere."

Sure enough! Just as Jiang Fan finished his transmission, a flash of killing intent appeared in Daoist Master Qinghe's eyes! Jiang Fan's heart leaped, and he quickly said, "Senior, wait! This junior knows of a very safe place. Yan Dao'an won't look there."

Daoist Master Qinghe scoffed coldly, "Why should I believe you?" Jiang Fan said, "Because our lives are in your hands, Senior. How dare we deceive you?"

Daoist Master Qinghe hesitated. He didn't fully trust them. "Senior, Deputy Master Yan will likely return soon. If you hesitate any longer, it'll be too late."

Daoist Master Qinghe's expression tightened, and he gritted his teeth slightly, saying, "Lead the way! If you dare to deceive me, I will make you wish you were dead!"

Jiang Fan nodded, "Five thousand zhang to the southeast!" Daoist Master Qinghe gripped a shoulder of each person with his hands. Immediately, he rode the purple lightning. After five consecutive flashes, they had just crossed five thousand zhang.

Jiang Fan understood. Daoist Master Qinghe had also cultivated the second layer of "Heavenly Thunder Six Sections: Cloud Shadow," reaching the distance of a thousand zhang with a single thought. However, his lightning power was much denser than Jiang Fan's; carrying two people did not affect his speed or distance in the slightest.

"Where is it?" Daoist Master Qinghe looked around. Jiang Fan pointed to a pile of rubble and said, "This is the entrance to a secret realm. It requires a special demonic clan method to open, but for you, Senior, it shouldn't be difficult."

Daoist Master Qinghe took a look. His eyes narrowed, he instantly saw the way, and with a single touch, forcibly opened the passage entrance. His eyes brightened slightly. "There's such a place here? Let's go!" He decisively grabbed both of them and plunged inside.

Not long after, they appeared at the bottom of the secret realm. Seeing the corpses of Jiangshan Yipin Tower personnel scattered across the ground, Daoist Master Qinghe looked at Jiang Fan suspiciously: "Could it be that all the people Yan Dao'an was looking for were killed by you here?"

Jiang Fan changed the subject, "Senior, is this place considered safe?"

Daoist Master Qinghe gave Jiang Fan a stare. He didn't bother to care whether these people were killed by Jiang Fan. He looked around. When he noticed a split crack above their heads, he immediately exerted his power, summoning large rocks to block the opening. With that, the secret realm was completely concealed. Even if Yan Dao'an dug three feet deep, he wouldn't find this deeply hidden underground secret realm. He showed a satisfied expression. "It's safe now."

His aura had significantly dropped compared to before. "What kind of place is this?" He observed his surroundings, naturally noticing the ancient formation encircling them. A hint of surprise appeared on his face.

Consort Yunxia replied, "To answer Senior, it is a secret realm of my clan." Daoist Master Qinghe's eyes showed astonishment. "This formation has been operating for at least a millennium. Is there any special significance to this place?" Looking at the empty chamber, he looked puzzled. Such a powerful grand formation couldn't have been built without reason.

Consort Yunxia genuinely didn't know, saying, "This junior also doesn't know. The formation here generates demonic energy periodically, and it is a secret realm where our clan's elites cultivate in seclusion."

Daoist Master Qinghe shook his head slightly. "No. There must be another mystery here. It's not as simple as just generating a bit of demonic energy." He grew somewhat curious and wanted to investigate this secret realm. However, considering that investigating might cause a commotion and be discovered by Yan Dao'an, he temporarily suppressed his urge. He slowly turned to look at Jiang Fan and Consort Yunxia.

Both of them immediately tensed up. Consort Yunxia said gravely in Jiang Fan's mind, "He's going to make a move!" Jiang Fan's eyes showed a cold glint: "Hide behind me."

Consort Yunxia was stunned for a moment. It was the first time in her life a man had said such a thing to her. Looking at Jiang Fan's serious profile, she suddenly felt that Jiang Fan wasn't so hateful after all. On the contrary, as an ally, he was actually very reliable. "Will hiding help?" she asked. "Prepare to fight to the death. If he kills us, he'll have to be prepared to lose a chunk of his own flesh!" Consort Yunxia responded calmly.

Jiang Fan nodded. He took a deep breath, preparing for a desperate fight.

Daoist Master Qinghe's eyes narrowed. As if recalling something, the surging killing intent was temporarily suppressed, and he said: "Let me see that five-colored small mountain of yours."

The Five-Magnet Primordial Mountain? Consort Yunxia immediately warned, "Don't fall for it. He has no intention of letting us go. He just wants to trick you into giving up your magic treasure first, to reduce the threat, and then easily kill us!"

Jiang Fan naturally saw through Daoist Master Qinghe's intentions. When his peripheral vision caught sight of the purple formation core, his heart stirred. Simultaneously, he took out the Five-Magnet Primordial Mountain and the broken hair ornament. "Senior, you can have these items. I only ask that you spare our lives. I can transmit the methods for using both items to you without reservation."

Daoist Master Qinghe immediately noticed the hair ornament. His eyes instantly gleamed. He first took the hair ornament into his hand. After examining it carefully, he showed a look of surprise: "Where did this come from?"