Chapter 170: Shangguan Yu

"Hey, so this is the high-ranking Immortal Cult member you caught."

A voice suddenly appeared behind Lu Yang, startling him. He turned to see the young woman Shangguan Yu.

Shangguan Yu shook her head, savoring the taste of roasted skewers, and felt a pang of pity for these people. "Why would he abandon a perfectly good barbecue restaurant to join a demonic cult?"

"In any case, you Asked-Tao Sect members did well. You caught a big one. It's been years since someone of this stature was captured. I hope you can extract some useful information."

Shangguan Yu smiled and patted Lu Yang's shoulder. "I see you're naturally suited for the Asked-Tao Sect. Work hard, I have high hopes for you. Maybe someday you'll even surpass Daoist Bu Yu!"

Yun Zhi, standing nearby, said, "Of course he can surpass Master."

Shangguan Yu scratched her head. She had actually meant that Lu Yang's unconventional thinking could surpass Daoist Bu Yu's. Had little Yun misunderstood something? Never mind, it's too much trouble to explain.

Just as Lu Yang was about to speak, Shangguan Yu vanished into thin air, by means unknown.

In the stands, the Grand Elder calmed the crowd. "Don't be nervous, everyone. It's just a few demonic cultists at the Unity stage ambushing us with immortal treasures. It's nothing major."

The Grand Elder wore an expression that seemed to say, "This is commonplace in our Asked-Tao Sect," "I suppose you Five Elements Sect people haven't seen this before," and "Such individuals can't even cause a ripple here."

Qiu Jin'an could swear that this old man was showing off to him.

Demonic cultists at the Unity stage ambushing with immortal treasures—if this happened at the Five Elements Sect, they'd declare a Level One alert. Unlike the Asked-Tao Sect, which still had the leisure to tease others. "You people certainly have big hearts," he thought.

"Immortal Cult?" Qiu Jin'an recalled that Yun Zhi knew some secrets about the Immortal Cult, so she must have had some leads.

"Unity stage... that must be a Vice-Cult Master level figure in the Immortal Cult. The Asked-Tao Sect has really reeled in a big one this time."

Qiu Jin'an eyed them enviously. If they delved deeper into this 'big fish,' they would surely uncover many valuable things.

"Why does the Asked-Tao Sect always get all the good fortune!"

"Indeed," the Grand Elder replied in a formal, scholarly tone.

Qiu Jin'an suppressed the urge to beat up the Grand Elder and proposed, "The five great immortal sects share a common enemy. If you extract any intelligence, please let us know."

The Grand Elder, looking perfectly composed, replied, "That's easy. As long as you proactively admit that your Five Elements Sect is inferior to our Asked-Tao Sect and become our younger brother, we, as your elder brothers, will certainly tell you any information we obtain."

"Qin Jiunian, don't push your luck! Among your Asked-Tao Sect's Nine Sons, Daoist Bu Yu is the only one I can't defeat!"

Qiu Jin'an slammed the table, stretching his body, his joints creaking.

The Grand Elder sneered and snapped his fingers. Elders Two through Eight instantly appeared behind him, fanning out like a peacock displaying its tail.

Qiu Jin'an felt a suffocating aura of terror—Elder Six was here.

The Grand Elder wore a triumphant smile. Just as he was about to speak, he found himself unable to utter a single word.

Helplessly, he transmitted a message to Elder Six: "Junior Sister Six, when will you be able to control your immortal body properly?"

Elder Six rolled her eyes. "Be content. Among all the Immaculate Immortal Bodies in history, mine is the best controlled. The last recorded Immaculate Immortal Body was named Chi Qianqian. After she reached the Unity stage, she automatically repelled surrounding spiritual energy, forcing her to abandon cultivation entirely."

Clearly, immortal bodies had their drawbacks.

With Elder Six's interference, the Grand Elder lost all inclination to mock Qiu Jin'an.

Elder Six wisely departed. The closing ceremony hadn't even ended yet, and if she stayed there, the Grand Elder and Qiu Jin'an wouldn't even be able to recite their closing speeches.

In the competition between the Five Elements Sect and the Asked-Tao Sect, the Five Elements Sect suffered a terrible defeat, winning almost no matches.

The disciples of the Five Elements Sect were not hothouse flowers; they had performed numerous demon-slaying missions and had mingled in urban markets to complete tasks, thus possessing rich combat experience and worldly wisdom.

However, they had truly never encountered the Asked-Tao Sect's fighting style. It was so unexpected that all their experience proved useless.

The few matches the Asked-Tao Sect lost were also due to their disciples' occasional eccentricities.

For instance, in a Golden Core stage match, an Asked-Tao Sect disciple started fiercely, completely unlike his usual demeanor. Just as the Five Elements Sect disciple was about to be overwhelmed, the Asked-Tao Sect disciple suddenly collapsed from exhaustion.

In his dying moments, he gasped to the referee, "This was a do-or-die battle... Before the match, I took a poison pill... it takes effect in five minutes... I'll only take the antidote after I'm off stage... If I can't defeat my opponent within five minutes... I'm doomed... I... I'm fading... I wanted to win so badly..."

Seeing the person on the verge of death and not having the antidote on hand, the referee quickly pulled out two identical poison pills to extend his life by ten minutes. He then went outside the arena to find the antidote and saved him.

After the two finished their insincere closing remarks, they bid each other a reluctant farewell. It was clear that the five great immortal sects had deep bonds, completely contrary to the popular rumor that the Asked-Tao Sect isolated the other four.

"Haha, Sect Master Qiu, do visit our Asked-Tao Sect often in the future!"

"Certainly, certainly. I'll definitely come back to the Asked-Tao Sect to broaden my horizons if the opportunity arises."

In their hearts, both simultaneously cursed: "Finally, I don't have to see this old geezer again."

Elder Two spoke with genuine sincerity to Shangguan Yu: "If you're ever bullied in the Five Elements Sect, come find me. I watched Qiu Jin'an grow up from a young age; he looks proper, but he's actually sly and rotten. Don't let him deceive you!"

Shangguan Yu chuckled, saying that Qiu Jin'an wouldn't dare to deceive her.

Elder Two felt a pang of heartache, saying she was too naive, which was why Qiu Jin'an could deceive her.

Qiu Jin'an stepped between them, his face so dark it looked like water might drip from it. "Old Man Ba, I told you to stay away from her!"

Elder Two looked nonchalant. "Don't try to scare me. The outside world says Shangguan Yu is your half-sister, but I've investigated thoroughly. Your father only had one son – you. You don't have any sisters at all. We've all known each other since childhood, so who doesn't know who? You don't have a fiancée either, so Shangguan Yu has no relation to you. What right do you have to stop me?"

Qiu Jin'an erupted in fury: "She's my mother!"

Elder Two jutted out his neck. "Even if she's your mother... wait, what did you say?" Elder Two instinctively retorted Qiu Jin'an, but halfway through his shout, he realized something was wrong.

How did a discussion about a girlfriend turn into a mother?

The Grand Elder and the others quietly retreated a few steps. Perhaps having been beaten too many times as children, they felt an instinctive awe and an urge to distance themselves from the previous generation.

The disciples of the Five Elements Sect reacted even more strongly than those of the Asked-Tao Sect. One of the Five Great Mysteries of the Five Elements Sect was finally solved.

"No wonder the cultivation world says you can't judge age by appearance—it's true!"

"I remember someone came to propose marriage, and the Sect Master kicked them out with a dark expression. Back then, I thought he was just an overprotective brother. Who knew the reason was *this*?"

Qiu Jin'an turned to Shangguan Yu, who was enjoying the show, and spoke with desperate resignation: "Mom, you too. You can't just hide your identity on purpose just to seem younger. Do you know how many misunderstandings you've caused?"

Shangguan Yu thought her son was very unfilial. "What do you mean 'acting young'? Am I not only eighteen? Besides, what's wrong with me pretending to be your sister? Your dad even agreed!"

"The grass on my dad's grave is taller than I am! Did he send you a dream?"