Elder Yan's scalp nearly exploded as he shouted in disbelief,
"How can you be so ruthless?! Aren't you afraid of the Feathered Immortal Sect's wrath?!"
Suddenly, realization struck him.
"Wait… I understand now! Elder Mu of the outer sect—he died by your hand!"
"That's right," Ye Junlin laughed heartily.
"Since I've already offended them, why not kill a few more for fun?"
Boom!
The pagoda, already riddled with cracks, trembled violently, on the verge of collapse.
Elder Yan's aura weakened further. Panic filled his eyes as he roared toward the golden flying boat,
"Why aren't you taking the Saint and leaving?! Hurry up!!"
"Elder Yan!"
On the flying boat, Chen Xiao's face turned deathly pale, his heart shaking violently.
He hadn't expected the murderer of his father to be this terrifying.
How could such a monstrous cultivator come from a place like Wasteland Province?!
It was simply outrageous!
"Quickly—take the Saint away!"
The Feathered Immortal Sect cultivators panicked and began to fully activate the flying treasure.
"Trying to escape?"
"All of you—die for this Master!"
Hong Qianye sneered and immediately charged forward. Flames roared around his palm, transforming into a phoenix-shaped attack that slammed straight toward the flying boat.
"This master and disciple pair… they're insane…"
Many cultivators broke out in cold sweat, their hearts pounding wildly.
They had slaughtered Feathered Immortal Sect elders—and now they wanted to annihilate the Saint as well?!
The Eastern Region was truly about to turn upside down.
"Amitabha~"
A Buddhist chant resounded.
Hong Qianye's attack was blocked by a palm of pure Buddhist light.
An old monk clad in kasaya stepped forward, prayer beads twirling in his hand.
Hanging Temple—Zen Master Jing.
Because of this brief obstruction, the golden flying boat activated instantly, tearing through the void and fleeing in panic.
Watching his prey escape, Hong Qianye's expression turned cold.
"Old Bald Donkey, aren't you meddling a little too much?"
Zen Master Jing put his palms together, his face calm and compassionate.
"Madam Benefactor, when will vengeance ever end? Why must you wipe them out completely?"
"Madam Benefactor."
A cold glint flashed through Hong Qianye's eyes.
He sneered mockingly.
"Old Bald Donkey, don't think this Master can't see through your tricks. You just want the Feathered Immortal Sect to owe you a favor."
"Such hypocrisy truly disgusts this Master."
As a demonic cultivator, he despised Buddhist monks the most—those who acted entirely for profit yet insisted on standing atop moral high ground.
"Madam Benefactor," Zen Master Jing said calmly,
"your prejudice against Buddhism is too deep. You show signs of falling into the Demonic Path. This old monk advises restraint."
"Giving you face?" Hong Qianye sneered.
"Do you need to lecture this Master?!"
"Stubborn."
A trace of anger flashed through Zen Master Jing's eyes.
"If that's the case, then allow this old monk to enlighten you!"
Boom!
A terrifying oppressive aura descended.
Hong Qianye's expression changed sharply.
This old bald donkey was at the Body Integration Realm!
"Ah—!"
A shrill scream rang out.
Elder Yan's already shattered spiritual weapon collapsed completely. His body was crushed midair by a massive invisible hand, his Divine Soul annihilated without a trace.
"You want to bully my disciple?"
Ye Junlin appeared in front of Hong Qianye in an instant, his gaze unfriendly as he looked at Zen Master Jing.
Seeing Ye Junlin, Zen Master Jing immediately restrained his aura and forced a benevolent smile.
"Ye Master, this is all a misunderstanding. I merely wished to give this junior some guidance."
"Guidance?" Ye Junlin scoffed.
"Are you worthy?"
A True Immortal re-cultivating—did he need guidance from a bald donkey?
Hong Qianye cupped his hands.
"Master, I intended to intercept the flying boat, but this bald donkey interfered, allowing it to escape."
"Amitabha," Zen Master Jing said calmly.
"This old monk merely felt matters were going too far and intervened for your sake."
"If Your Excellency insists on blaming me, then I have nothing more to say. Farewell."
He turned to leave.
"Damn it."
"You show off and think you can just run?"
"Stop right there!"
Ye Junlin roared.
Zen Master Jing narrowed his eyes.
"Ye Master, what does this mean?"
"Heh," Ye Junlin sneered.
"You bald donkeys really are good at calculations. You play the good guy while I take the blame."
"Since you like calculating so much—why don't you calculate when you're going to die?"
Zen Master Jing's face darkened.
"Ye Master, you've crossed the line!"
He represented Hanging Temple, a top Buddhist force of the Eastern Region.
Ye Junlin had already offended the Feathered Immortal Sect—surely he wouldn't dare offend Hanging Temple as well.
Boom!
A terrifying fist print slammed down.
"You!"
Zen Master Jing was shocked and furious, hurriedly forming seals.
A golden bell manifested, Buddhist chants echoing.
Bang!
The bell shattered.
Zen Master Jing was blasted backward dozens of meters. Blood flowed from the corner of his mouth as he growled,
"You truly think my Hanging Temple is a soft persimmon?!"
Swish! Swish! Swish!
A group of monks appeared behind him, each holding magic treasures, their auras surging like dragons.
Clang!
A golden Nine-Ringed Monk's Staff appeared in Zen Master Jing's hand, radiating brilliance like the sun.
At the same time, the monks chanted mantras, channeling all their power into him.
Boom!
A terrifying aura surged outward.
Zen Master Jing's cultivation forcibly rose to the Perfected Body Integration Realm.
His eyes glowed with golden light.
A five-hundred-foot-tall Buddhist Dharma Form manifested in the sky, solemn and inviolable.
"This is Hanging Temple's Divine Technique!"
Shock filled countless faces.
Xue Tianyi sneered.
"Is this Ye fellow brain-dead? He actually dares to offend Hanging Temple too? Is he tired of living?"
He secretly hoped Ye Junlin would finally suffer a crushing defeat.
"Ye Master," Zen Master Jing said coldly,
"this old monk gave you a chance."
With the Buddhist formation and a Third-Grade Spiritual Artifact, his strength had reached an exaggerated level.
He didn't believe Ye Junlin could still dominate him.
"A little interesting," Ye Junlin said, stroking his chin.
Hong Qianye stood silently at the side, watching to see how far this silver-haired youth could go.
"Now—let this old monk deliver you!"
Zen Master Jing swung the Nine-Ringed Monk's Staff.
A terrifying force surged out, as if to pierce heaven and earth.
Ye Junlin raised his hand.
"Coffin—come!"
Rumble!
The sky nearly collapsed as an ancient bronze coffin descended, radiating a vast and ancient aura.
Fifteen meters tall.
Thirty meters long.
Oppressive and majestic.
The Burial Heaven Coffin.
With Ye Junlin's breakthrough to the Perfected Body Integration Realm, it had advanced from a Third-Grade to a Sixth-Grade Spiritual Weapon.
Bang!
The coffin blocked the attack effortlessly.
Zen Master Jing's face changed drastically.
"All of you—get in," Ye Junlin sneered.
The Burial Heaven Coffin opened.
An incomparably terrifying suction force erupted.
"Not good!"
Zen Master Jing's scalp tingled as he struggled with all his might.
But behind him—
"No—Great Master, save me!!"
The monks screamed as they were sucked in one by one.
Silence followed.
"Evil object!" Zen Master Jing trembled, rage and fear mixing.
"Your Xuantian Sect actually possesses such an evil object!"
Bang!
The Buddhist Dharma Form shattered.
Zen Master Jing's face turned ashen.
Sensing death, he shouted desperately,
"Everyone! This man is an evil cultivator! Kill him!"
What a joke.
Who would dare intervene now?
"Why aren't you getting in?" Ye Junlin roared, urging the coffin.
Buzz—buzz—buzz!
The suction intensified.
"No—!"
Zen Master Jing screamed in despair as he was dragged in.
The coffin slammed shut.
Silence returned.
At this moment, under the crowd's disbelieving gazes, Ye Junlin's silver hair danced wildly. He domineeringly held the Burial Heaven Coffin, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings as his voice rolled like thunder through the heavens.
Three simple words.
Yet they carried an invincible will.
"Is there anyone else?!"
The cultivators from outside the province felt their hearts seize.
Fear spread uncontrollably.
Too terrifying.
"Peak Master Ye is mighty!"
"Peak Master Ye is invincible!"
The Xuantian Sect disciples erupted in cheers, their faces flushed with excitement.
Xu Younian was so agitated that he could barely contain himself, repeating over and over, "Good! Well done!"
The Hidden Sword Peak Master murmured in a daze, "My heavens… am I dreaming?"
Slap!
Before he could finish, his face was struck.
He clutched his cheek in confusion. "Junior Sister, why did you hit me?"
"Does it hurt?" the Heavenly Fragrance Peak Master asked calmly.
"Nonsense! Of course it hurts!"
"Then it's not a dream."
The Hidden Sword Peak Master: "…"
At that moment, the cultivators of Wasteland Province burst into thunderous cheers. Pride filled their chests as they looked at Ye Junlin as though he were a living deity.
The Banshan Sect Old Ancestor, Ouyang Feng, had tears streaming down his face. He bowed deeply on the spot and shouted,
"Heavenly Lord Ye's divine might is unrivaled!"
The shouts surged like a tidal wave, as if they could tear apart the sun itself.
"This… how is this possible…"
Xue Tianyi felt as though he had fallen into an icy abyss, muttering to himself in disbelief.
He even began to wonder if he had come to the wrong place.
Was this really still Wasteland Province?
The strongest immortal sect force of the Eastern Domain had been routed and forced to flee.
The Hanging Temple, a famed Buddhist Holy Land, had been entirely sealed within an unknown coffin.
They had encountered a ferocious god.
Just then—
A deep rumble spread across the sky above Wasteland Province.
Boundless divine light surged upward, piercing through the clouds in a spectacular, awe-inspiring sight.
"The Secret Realm has opened!"
Cries rang out in succession.
The Luo Tian Secret Realm had officially opened, concealing immense opportunities within.
Cultivators from all forces felt their hearts burn with desire—but recalling what had just happened, none dared move forward rashly.
Countless gazes turned toward Ye Junlin.
Waiting.
"Very good," Ye Junlin thought calmly. "Just go in and sign in."
Sensing the atmosphere, he spoke in an unquestionable tone:
"All cultivators of Wasteland Province are qualified to enter and explore."
"As for the outsiders—"
"Scram back to where you came from."
One sentence stirred up a thousand waves.
The cultivators of Wasteland Province erupted in joy, praising Heavenly Lord Ye's decisiveness.
After enduring humiliation for so long, a peerless expert had finally emerged to lead them out of their predicament.
"This…"
The outside cultivators showed unwilling expressions, but after witnessing everything that had happened, who dared object?
Xue Tianyi's face was ashen, his chest burning with rage.
"Young Lord, let's go," the guard leader sighed.
"Is there really nothing we can do about him?" Xue Tianyi asked unwillingly.
The guard leader shook his head.
"This man has offended both the Feathered Immortal Sect and the Hanging Temple. Such sins will invite terrifying retaliation."
"He may be enjoying himself now, but what awaits him later will be far worse. There's no need to provoke someone who is already half-dead."
Xue Tianyi's eyes lit up. He sneered.
"You're right. To destroy something, you must first let it grow arrogant."
"This person won't live long."
"Retreat. Return to our province."
"Yes, Young Lord!"
With that, the Xue Family turned and departed.
Seeing that even the Xue Family had backed down, the remaining forces from other Dao Provinces had no choice but to retreat one after another.
They intended to spread this news back home.
It was easy to imagine how violently the Eastern Domain would be shaken.
Soon, only the cultivators of Wasteland Province remained.
Watching those once-arrogant outsiders flee in disgrace filled everyone with satisfaction.
Naturally, no one rushed forward recklessly.
They sensibly lined up behind the Xuantian Sect, fully aware that even picking up scraps here would already be a blessing.
"Let's go."
Ye Junlin led the cultivators forward, entering the Luo Tian Secret Realm with commanding ease.
As light flashed before their eyes, the scenery changed instantly.
They found themselves in a world of its own—a completely separate realm—filled with the aura of a prehistoric primeval forest.
Towering ancient trees soared thousands of meters into the sky. Their canopies were thick and lush, with vines hanging down like giant pythons, each one thick enough for dozens of people to embrace.
Most importantly, the spiritual qi here was exceptionally dense, far surpassing that of Wasteland Province.
"The environment here is excellent," Ye Junlin remarked.
[Ding! Detected check-in location: Luo Tian Secret Realm.]
[Would you like to claim the check-in reward?]
"Claim."
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Check-in successful.]
[You have obtained: Heavenly Emperor Dharma Form.]
[Heavenly Emperor Dharma Form]:
Upon activation, the Host may directly manifest the Dharma Form. Overall combat strength will be greatly amplified, and a corresponding Divine Ability can be used.
"Hm?" Ye Junlin nodded. "This thing is pretty good."
He had just witnessed Zen Master Jing's Buddhist Dharma Form earlier. The amplification it provided was indeed terrifying. Without the Burial Heaven Coffin, he might have been forced into a prolonged fight.
After completing the check-in, Ye Junlin originally planned to leave immediately.
But the sights of the Luo Tian Secret Realm stirred his interest.
"Alright," he said casually. "Let's see what's going on."
He moved forward, traversing the ancient forest with ease.
Swish!
A wild Nascent Soul Realm man-eating flower, as large as a hut, suddenly opened its blood-red maw, ready to strike.
"Is something wrong?"
Ye Junlin released a trace of his cultivation aura.
The man-eating flower immediately froze, snapped its mouth shut, and shrank back into a corner, trembling violently.
Behind him, Xu Younian's eyes lit up as he scanned the surroundings.
"Heavenly Spirit Plants, Purple Crystal Vines, Golden Ginseng, Ten-Thousand-Year Blood Ganoderma…"
"Good stuff—all good stuff! Take everything!"
"Yes, Sect Master!"
Xuantian Sect disciples scattered excitedly, harvesting rare spirit medicines.
Boom!
Suddenly, a massive Golden Core Realm burrowing worm burst out of the ground, spewing corrosive saliva as it devoured dozens of loose cultivators in an instant before diving back underground and disappearing.
The scene caused immediate chaos.
Many Wasteland Province cultivators were left shaken, bitterness flashing across their faces.
They had hoped to follow Xuantian Sect closely—if they couldn't eat the main dish, at least they could drink some soup.
Reality was cruel.
They didn't even qualify to drink the soup.
"Those without strength who insist on forcing their way forward—this is their fate," Hong Qianye said coldly, showing no sympathy.
"Roar! Roar! Roar!"
Dense monkey cries suddenly echoed through the forest.
Large numbers of white apes swung through the vines in groups, their movements swift and violent.
Thick demonic qi spread like a tide, sending chills down many cultivators' spines.
"Be careful—enemy attack!"
Someone shouted.
The white apes had bloodshot eyes and incredibly tough hides. Treasure attacks struck them like metal on stone, doing little damage.
They grabbed cultivators with massive hands and tore them apart alive.
Blood soaked into the soil. The air filled with a thick stench of gore.
As expected of demonic beasts from a Secret Realm.
At minimum, they were Golden Core Realm, with some even reaching Nascent Soul Realm.
"Ah! Run!"
"They're coming this way!"
"Help! Someone save me!"
Panicked cries echoed everywhere.
The most outrageous part was—
These white apes had a peculiar obsession with young female cultivators. Once they caught one, they tore at her clothes while roaring madly, as if in heat.
"Wuwu… someone save me!"
A female disciple of Xuantian Sect was seized. Her clothes were ripped apart, revealing pale skin.
"Let her go, you beast!"
A male disciple roared, launching a flying sword.
Clang!
The sword struck the ape's body, sparks flying—but it failed to even break the skin.
"No… don't…"
Feeling the scorching breath behind her, despair filled the female disciple's eyes.
Bang!
The white ape was suddenly lifted into the air and incinerated in an instant by violent flames.
Hong Qianye, dressed in red, walked over calmly.
"Are you alright?"
In his heart, he thought: Women are really troublesome.
The female disciple sobbed uncontrollably.
"Thank you… thank you, Senior Sister Hong."
Hong Qianye: "…"
"Roar! Roar! Roar!"
The White Ape King leapt down from above. It pointed at Hong Qianye and let out excited cries.
Its meaning was obvious.
It had taken a liking to this "woman."
In an instant, all the white apes charged toward Hong Qianye, scrambling to gain favor.
"You're courting death."
Hong Qianye's hair danced wildly. His red robes fluttered like flowing blood, his eyes filled with killing intent, exuding the terrifying might of a demon lord descending upon the world.
Rumble!
Endless flames swept forward, instantly annihilating large numbers of white apes.
The White Ape King panicked and turned to flee.
The next moment, flames ignited on its back.
Its entire body was engulfed.
Amid shrill screams, the Soul Formation Realm White Ape King was burned to ashes.
"Senior Sister Hong is mighty!"
"Senior Sister Hong really inherited Peak Master Ye's legacy!"
"Fairy Hong is beautiful and kind!"
Cultivators rushed over, showering him with praise.
Hong Qianye's expression darkened with every word.
"Shut up. All of you."
"…Ah?"
Everyone froze, not knowing what they had done wrong.
Hong Qianye took a breath and calmed himself. He glanced around, a trace of confusion appearing on his face.
"Hm? Where did that guy go?"
At this moment—
Ye Junlin was already heading deeper into the forest.
"System," he asked calmly, "are you sure the special energy fluctuation you mentioned is in this direction?"
[Ding! Replying to Host: Confirmed. The target is in this direction.]
Ye Junlin's eyes flickered.
Earlier, the system had detected an area filled with special energy fluctuations.
That alone was enough to spark his interest.