Yellow Court Daoist

Chapter 288 - 270: Upper Origin Eight Sceneries Tower! Three Sects Refine the Old Demon!

"The Old Demon has been captured!"

"Wonderful, wonderful! No matter how arrogant Ren Guangyuan, the Old Demon was, he couldn't escape his destiny in the end!"

"I had long heard about the Upper Origin Eight Sceneries Tower of the Upper Origin Palace, crafted through the Eight Sceneries Talismanic Skill, claiming to encompass Eight Sceneries and Eight Realms, nearly as magnificent as a Blessed Land Cave Heaven. Today, upon witnessing it, it truly is extraordinary!"

Duanlong Cliff.

The True Men saw the towering Upper Origin Eight Sceneries Tower engulf Lu Qingfeng, before shrinking back to three feet tall, landing in the hands of Master Qing Han of the Upper Origin Palace. They all offered their compliments, yet their gazes remained firmly fixed upon the Eight Sceneries Tower.

It wasn't covetousness towards the Upper Origin Palace's Supreme Treasure that held their gaze.

But rather, because the 'Upper Origin Demon', carrying numerous inheritances of Divine Skills, was now conspicuously within the Eight Sceneries Tower.

The Kutuo, Wuxiang, and Smiling Face Divine Monks put away their Magic Artifacts and Divine Skills, taking a step forward to the front of the formation at the Upper Origin Palace. The monks from Great Xumi Mountain followed behind them.

Xuanji, Chi Ling, Shui Yue, and other True Men from the Qingyun Sect, each holding a Divine Sword, landed on another side of the Upper Origin Palace.

Together with Great Xumi Mountain, they formed a pincher attack, blocking the escape paths of the True Men from the Upper Origin Palace.

It was a hard-fought battle.

Ultimately, the Upper Origin Palace captured the Upper Origin Demon, but if the True Men from Upper Origin Palace simply walked away with the Eight Sceneries Tower in hand, all the battles would have been for naught, like making a wedding dress for someone else.

Inside the Upper Origin Palace.

Masters like Meng Zhu and Yue Yu frowned, displeased in their hearts.

Master Qing Han, holding the Eight Sceneries Tower and seeing the stance of the True Men from Great Xumi Mountain and the Qingyun Sect, was unfazed and said loudly, "With the Old Demon inside the Eight Sceneries Tower, there's no chance of escape now. This demon has many tricks up his sleeve; we need a proper discussion on how to deal with him. Fellow monks from Great Xumi Mountain, Fellow Daoists from the Qingyun Sect, why not join me back at the Upper Origin Palace for a thorough consultation on how to proceed?"

The three great Divine Monks — Kutuo, Wuxiang, and Smiling Face — exchanged glances, joined palms, and with a sorrowful expression the Kutuo Monk said, "Amitabha Buddha, it should be so."

Master Xuanji from the Qingyun Sect, after looking at his six fellow sect members, also nodded towards Master Qing Han and said, "Thank you for having us."

Evidently.

The Upper Origin Palace didn't dare to monopolize the Upper Origin Demon, and had to invite True Men from the other two sects to share the spoils.

As for the True Men from the other sects at Fengyue Star and the Independent Practitioners?

The alliance of the Three Sects was sufficient to disregard them.

...

In the Upper Origin Palace.

An 800-foot-tall tower stretched to the sky, the Upper Origin Eight Sceneries Tower itself.

Below the tower.

True Men from the Upper Origin Palace, Great Xumi Mountain, and Qingyun Sect were all present, staring intently at the Upper Origin Eight Sceneries Tower.

Master Shui Yue of the Qingyun Sect furrowed his brows, "What's the state of the Old Demon inside the Eight Sceneries Tower? Is there a way to see him?"

As he spoke.

His gaze turned towards Master Qing Han.

Other True Men from the Great Xumi Mountain and Qingyun Sect also looked to Master Qing Han.

"There is indeed a way."

Master Qing Han smiled, forming a Seal Technique with his hands, casting a talisman, and the Eight Sceneries Tower instantly became transparent like a water curtain. The upper seven layers faded from view, but one could see the bottom-most layer packed with thousands of Flying Swords moving through the Void, forming an impeccably dense and invincible Sword Array.

Enshrouding a corner of heaven and earth.

Within that Sword Array, the Upper Origin Demon stood at ease, strolling leisurely.

The onlookers watched.

The Upper Origin Demon seemed to sense something, his gaze turning towards them with a sardonic smile playing upon his lips.

"This—"

Master Qing Han was momentarily taken aback, his brows immediately knitting together. Seeing the odd looks from everyone, he quickly formed Seal Techniques, activating the thousands of Flying Swords to attack simultaneously, slashing towards the Old Demon.

Yet, the Old Demon, wrapped in his Magic Robe, nimbly dodged the myriad of Flying Swords.

Indeed, not the least bit threatened.

Seeing the derisive look in the Old Demon's eyes, Master Qing Han grew even more irritated, and the True Men of the Upper Origin Palace also lost face.

Master Meng Zhu of the Upper Origin Palace stepped forward, saying in a deep voice, "Brother, why not cast this demon into the Thunder Realm."

"The Old Demon's Thunder Skills are profound; the Thunder Realm might be ineffective," remarked Master Chi Ling from the Qingyun Sect.

They had previously joined forces, the seven Gathering Law True Men of the Qingyun Sect, executing their highest Thunder Skill, only for the Upper Origin Demon to turn it to his advantage.

His mastery of Thunder Skills was unquestionable.

"Indeed."

"The Thunder Realm won't work; let me send him directly into the Four Seas Realm, under the Heavenly Yi Ice Array. No heavens above, no earth below; surely this demon will find no aid from gods nor from earth!"

Master Qing Han's spells changed.

Within the Sword Array, space cracked open, revealing darkness, ready to swallow the Old Demon.

But the Old Demon simply looked up at the True Men outside the Eight Sceneries Tower for a moment and stepped into the spatial rift on his own.

The space sealed.

Within the first layer, the Golden Dawn Realm, no trace remained.

Master Qing Han stretched out his hand and waved it, talismans fluttered, and the third layer of the Eight Sceneries Tower became see-through, revealing the scenery inside.

The Third Level — the Four Seas Realm.

Although the Four Seas Realm may not be as vast as four actual seas, it was incredibly broad. It was the transformed power of the Upper Origin Palace's Mysterious Great Array — the Heavenly Yi Ice Array.

Normally, it appeared as a boundless ocean, but once it reacted to an enemy, it would turn into boundless Mystic Ice, solidly freezing the foe, sealing any powerful being tightly within so that they could no longer move.

Space shifted, layer upon layer, truly ensnaring the enemy.

Within that, the Upper Origin Demon's figure was revealed among the Four Seas. He moved walking, striding across waves.

"Let's see you move now!"

Master Qing Han formed a Seal Technique, activating the Great Array within the Four Seas Realm.

In an instant, the ocean surged with waves reaching high, from every direction engulfing the Old Demon. The next moment, the water covered everything, the Old Demon's trace was lost. Then it solidified into Mystic Ice, frozen in wave shapes.

Looking closely.

One could still see the Upper Origin Demon, clad in a green robe with an indifferent face, maintaining his stride, frozen in the midst of the Mystic Ice.

"It's done!"

Master Yue Yu of the Upper Origin Palace clapped his hands in approval, and the True Men of Upper Origin Palace also heaved a sigh of relief. With the other two sects present, if they failed to subdue the Upper Origin Demon, it would have been a great shame indeed.

The True Men of Great Xumi Mountain and the Qingyun Sect all relaxed their expressions.

They had no desire to be the butt of Upper Origin Palace's jokes.

Subduing the Upper Origin Demon early and obtaining the Divine Skills and secret transmissions was the proper way to proceed.

However.

While the True Men were at ease, the two Golden Core Experts of Upper Origin Palace, Master Qing Han and Master Meng Zhu, were still furrowing their brows without a hint of relaxation. Especially Master Qing Han, whose white brows trembled as he concentrated deeply.

Seeing the expressions of the two True Men, a sense of foreboding rose in others' hearts.

Master Xuanji turned to Master Qing Han in confusion and asked, "Master Qing Han, could there be more tricks up the Old Demon's sleeve?"

Before Master Qing Han could reply, a crisp crackling sound was heard from the Four Seas Realm. A spark burst forth first, illuminating the area in an instant, shattering and melting the mystic ice for thousands of miles.

"Not good!"

Everyone's brows furrowed deeply.

Could the Heavenly Yi Ice Array of the Four Seas Realm fail to trap the Old Demon as well?!

Indeed!

Ren Guangyuan, the Old Demon, stepped out from the mystic ice, enveloped in demon flames, resembling a Demon God amidst fire, walking on waves. He raised his head, his gaze colliding with Master Qing Han's, and his lips parted.

"Insolence!"

"How dare you insult Upper Origin Palace, you brazen devil!"

True Man Yue Yu saw this and exploded in rage, with indignation flaring in his eyes. Behind him, the True Men of Upper Origin Palace had faces flushed with anger. Being insulted by Ren Guangyuan, the Old Demon, in front of True Men from the two other sects – who could tolerate that!

"Upper Origin's Supreme Treasure, mere trinkets!"

"Excellent, excellent, excellent!"

"Today, I shall show you, devil, the might of Upper Origin's Great Method!"

Even Master Qing Han laughed in anger.

After much difficulty capturing Ren Guangyuan, the Old Demon, now they were at a loss in the Eight Sceneries Tower of Upper Origin. Today, when True Men of Great Xumi Mountain and the Qingyun Sect were present.

If word got out, wouldn't Upper Origin Palace become the laughingstock of Fengyue Star?!

With restrained anger, Master Qing Han swept his hand, and the space changed once again.

He did not bother raising another True Fire Realm at the Fourth Level. Given the level of fire technique displayed by Ren Guangyuan just now, initiating the True Fire Realm would only bring disgrace upon themselves.

"Upper Origin Eight Sceneries—the Barren Exotics Realm!"

The space transformed.

In the Third Level of the Eight Sceneries Tower, Ren Guangyuan's figure vanished suddenly. The crowd waited for a moment; seeing Master Qing Han complete the spell, but the illusions of the Fourth and Fifth Levels were not visible.

"Master Qing Han?"

True Man Shui Yue, anxious about the whereabouts of Ren Guangyuan, looked to Master Qing Han impatiently.

Master Qing Han looked slightly fatigued and did not reply.

Instead, Master Meng Zhu spoke solemnly beside him, "The Eight Sceneries Tower of Upper Origin Palace is our Supreme Treasure; the latter four sceneries and realms are not for outsiders to know."

"Hm?"

The True Men from the other sects heard this and turned to look at Master Qing Han.

But they saw Master Qing Han showing a wry smile, saying, "My fellow apprentice, there's no need to protect me. With my limited Dao ability, despite exhausting my cultivation, I have only managed to refine up to the Fourth Level of the Eight Sceneries Tower. I have yet to master the Fifth Level's Barren Exotics Realm fully; I can only let people in and out, but have no control within it and cannot perceive its interior."

"This—"

The Kutuo Monk, Master Xuanji, and the others were skeptical, but since Master Qing Han said so, without any way to verify it, they couldn't press too hard and begrudgingly accepted it.

Seeing their response, Master Qing Han added, "The Barren Exotics Realm contains numerous Exotic Beasts and venomous creatures with profound Dao abilities. Once the Old Demon enters, it's only a matter of time before he's running scared. Just wait for his energy to diminish, and I will transfer him out of the Barren Exotics Realm; then, he will be at our mercy."

"Excellent."

Smiling Face Divine Monk was the first to respond, standing still, not rushing or impatient.

The others, seeing this, also fell silent, waiting for the moment when Ren Guangyuan would 'run scared with dwindling energy.'

Time passed.

One quarter-hour.

Two quarter-hours.

One hour.

Two hours.

"Master Qing Han, how fares the demon in the Barren Exotics Realm?"

True Man Shui Yue was the most impatient; seeing that two full hours had passed without any sign, he could not help but ask.

Master Qing Han's forehead was soaked with sweat, and a hint of confusion flickered in his eyes, "Odd, once the Old Demon entered the Barren Exotics Realm, I could sense someone was inside, yet none of the traps were triggered. It's as if he's hiding somewhere. Without the Dao ability to manipulate the Barren Exotics Realm, I can't do anything to him for now."

"What should we do then?!"

True Man Shui Yue frowned.

"We can only wait."

"Dangers lurk in every corner of the Barren Exotics Realm; he may avoid them for a moment, but he cannot hide forever."

"I ask all divine monks and fellow Daoists, please be patient."

After Master Qing Han spoke, he addressed the Divine Monks and True Men from the other sects.

"Let's hope so!"

The True Men from Two Sects could do nothing else.

They could only stand by and wait.

However.

One day.

Two days.

One month.

Two months.

One year.

Two years.

...

Years passed, and since the Old Demon entered the Barren Exotics Realm, there had been no news.