If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1339 The Cave Opens, the Old Demon is Ruthless
"These chivalrous figures of the martial world are all incredibly cunning, still wary of us. It might be difficult to make a move later! Ancestor, what should we do? Is there any way to salvage the situation?"

The old demon Ziwei was truly aggrieved and quietly complained to the meek and obedient young Taoist boy beside her.

Despite the reactions of the crowd, the Taoist nun remained calm and unmoved. She had never intended to kill and plunder treasures or collect all the immortal techniques.

She was somewhat annoyed by the old demon's hesitation: "Fool! The person who seemed to be Jiang Ziya just now exposed us and ruined our plans."

That's why I sent you here to expose him and ruin his plans.

What are you doing right now? You're arguing with these江湖豪杰 (jianghu heroes) and have completely forgotten about the important matter at hand.

So what if they question, doubt, or distrust me?

"We're already using fake identities, and once we change into new ones, who will recognize us?"

The old demon Ziwei was stunned for a moment, and his heart became more and more conflicted: You old demon have been hiding behind the scenes all this time, but I have already been exposed!

"Purple hair, it really really is you!"

At this moment, five strangely dressed and bizarrely shaped cultivators came together and began to shout from a distance, "I thought it was you when I saw you talking to people a few times before."

But you've even lost your purple hair, and I don't dare recognize you. What are you doing?

"Uh, Fellow Daoist Hongguang, and everyone else," Ziwei Old Demon glanced at the young Daoist Hubing out of the corner of his eye and whispered, "Ancestor, these are the fellow Daoists I told you about earlier who came with me."

The one with spiritual patterns on his body is the 'Saint Venerable of the Law Net', the one with an inextinguishable divine fire on his head is the 'Red Light Demon Lord', the one with a nose ring is the 'Five Rings Demon Emperor', the one with green hair and a green robe is the 'Green Robe Ancestor', and the one with exposed fangs is the 'Heavenly Dog Taoist'.

They are all my like-minded friends and fellow demonic cultivators. Shall I introduce the Ancestor to them?

"I was planning to play dumb to take advantage of the situation. Are a few worthless bastards worth exposing myself for?" Hu Bing said disdainfully.

Ziwei Old Demon was not happy. Some of them were more powerful than me. If they were all trash, what am I in your eyes?

"Then how should I deal with them?" he asked sullenly.

"You can handle this yourself," Hu Bing said casually.

The two exchanged a few words using secret techniques, and the five old demons had already approached.

They and the purple-haired demon lord do indeed share the same interests, both sporting the same "immortal-style punk" look.

The color and style of her hair, the clothes she wore—none of them were normal.

There was one whose face and body were covered with "spirit patterns".

There was also an old man with gold rings on his nose, mouth, and ears, looking just like a "ghost fire old man" from the world of monks.

Besides their "surprising" appearance, they also made no attempt to conceal their aura, exuding an evil and demonic charm.

It was as if he was shouting to everyone through a megaphone: "My darlings, follow my lead! This is the evil sect of demonic cultivators, and we're here to do bad things!"
Sure enough, the closer they got to the Old Demon Ziwei, the more the others retreated; the farther they got from the Old Demon Ziwei, the more wary and suspicious they became.

"You've even ruined the 'Purple Hair Secret Technique'? It's lost its former charm."

The Holy Venerable of the Law Net, whose body was covered with spiritual patterns, looked at the purple-haired old demon with a hint of disdain.

They disliked him because he no longer had his "emo" look and didn't deserve to join their "ghost fire old folks group".

"Alas, if I were still like those fellow Daoists, could I still speak normally with them?" The purple-haired old demon stopped pretending to be "Ziwei" and released some demonic energy from his body.

His kind and gentle expression was replaced by a ferocious and ruthless one.

The person is still the same, the appearance hasn't changed, but the spirit has been greatly altered.

Seeing his reaction, the five members of the Ghost Fire group nodded in satisfaction, accepting their old friend once again.

The Crimson Light Demon Lord shouted, "Why are you talking to them? Are you really as they say, deliberately getting close to them, befriending them, and then taking advantage of their unpreparedness to kill them and steal their treasures after they obtain the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Divine Powers?"
Ugh, this is way too complicated!

According to our original plan, we would directly identify those who possessed immortal powers by observing their aura, and then surround and kill them.

"We've killed someone, tortured their soul. The resulting magical powers will be shared among us brothers—wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, this guy's voice was loud and clear, like thunder. Everyone around him had special abilities and keen senses, so they couldn't hear it.

The purple-haired old demon used the corner of his eye to look at the strange people, heroes and villains around him.

Sure enough, they made no attempt to hide the fear and disgust on their faces.

"Fellow Daoist, keep your voice down! This is the Central Plains, where there are many True Immortals of the Xuanmen Sect. We must not incur their wrath."

He first whispered something, then his voice was loud and clear, like thunder, and he exclaimed, "Fellow Daoist, you are mistaken! Although we are members of the Demonic Sect, we do not need to be as hypocritical as the Taoist priests of the Xuanmen Sect."

However, the demonic cultivators were just straightforward, not foolish.

Among the many heroes here, who is easy to deal with?
What we aim to achieve is simply to gather all thirty-six transformations of the Heavenly Dipper.

I befriended all of you heroes and even proactively exposed 'Jiang Ziya's' evil plan, all to forge good karma so that I could exchange immortal techniques with you all after this encounter with immortals ends.

The Five Rings Demon Emperor asked in surprise, "Why did you suddenly change your mind, fellow Daoist?"

"We came here precisely to gather the Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals Technique, didn't we?"

The purple-haired demon lord also felt some dissatisfaction with his old companions.

He's clearly trying to play the good guy, yet they keep undermining him. Could it be that he and the old devil have wronged "Jiang Taigong"? Are these bastards the ones exposing his identity?
The Green-Robed Ancestor said, "I've also noticed the 'Jiang Taigong' you mentioned, Brother Dao."

He really is like Jiang Taigong; why is he spreading the "Taigong Baolu" everywhere?

The purple-haired demon lord said, "He gave me a mysterious smile, a sinister and lewd smile, and said that he was Jiang Taigong."

I don't know if it's true or not, but I know his plan.

He specifically sought out heroes from across the land to trade with the hidden dragons, intending to use the "Taigong Baolu" to plunder the human fortune and imperial dragon energy within them.

Anyone who makes a deal with him will ultimately perish and have their clan wiped out in this great calamity in the Central Plains.

"Alas, all their luck has been drained; of course, things will turn out horribly."

"Is this really true?" The elderly members of the Ghost Fire group all changed color.

The strange men and heroes who had been eavesdropping in the distance also showed expressions of surprise and doubt, their ears perked up even more, and their feet subconsciously moved toward the purple-haired demon lord.

The purple-haired demon lord sighed, "Whatever one asks for, one must first give. Conversely, what did 'Jiang Taigong' hope to gain by offering benefits?"
You see, the targets he's locked onto are all hidden dragons of China, possessing dragon veins.

What are the most prominent characteristics of a hidden dragon? Destiny, dragon veins, and the fortune of humanity.

For example, Jingju, everyone knows that his family has a very large dragon vein, and he himself has the appearance of an emperor. He is the true master of the 'Southeast Emperor's Aura'!
If we were to seize his "Southeast Emperor's Aura," even demonic cultivators like ourselves could soar to the heavens and attain the status of "Golden Immortal of the Demonic Sect."

"Ah, the legendary master of the aura of the emperor in the southeast is actually Jing Ju?"

“But Jingju’s uncle, Jingbo, is still the Commandant of Dang Commandery, and he is currently leading troops to besiege Chen Sheng’s army!”

Everyone gasped in surprise and looked at Jingju with strange eyes.

"Old Demon, don't talk nonsense!" Jing Ju roared. The purple-haired Demon Lord turned around and glanced at him, then laughed, "I praised you, why are you cursing me?"

Just as the Qin dynasty lost its mandate, heroes from all over the land vied for it. Once I have mastered great supernatural powers, I will remain in the Central Plains to support the imperial court.

You were the first person I chose to turn to, and Peng Zhuangshi was the second.

Your attitude towards virtuous men is enough to chill the hearts of heroes throughout the land.

Peng Zhuangshi was heartbroken: Damn it, you put Jingju on the fire to roast, but I never cursed you once, so why did you have to hurt me?
Jingju was even angrier, but was pulled back by the people around him, who loudly advised, "My lord, everyone knows that this devil is vicious and specializes in using lies to harm people. If you lower yourself to his level, you will only make a fool of yourself."

The purple-haired demon lord chuckled and said, "Yes, I was lying to harm you. You can continue to seek out 'Jiang Taigong' to learn the 'Taigong Precious Record'."

"What a magnificent dragon! What a fine old Chu royal family! Let's see what fate awaits you!"

The Green-Robed Ancestor asked in bewilderment, "How did Jiang Taigong seize the hidden dragon's fortune through the 'Taigong Treasure Record'?"

—How would I know? I'm just following the old demon's orders, talking nonsense here, deliberately slandering "Jiang Taigong," and that old Taoist priest is very likely not Jiang Taigong at all.

The purple-haired demon lord muttered to himself, but said aloud, "Everyone, please continue your conversation. I must take my leave."

"What are you going to do?" asked the Holy Venerable of the Law Net.

The purple-haired old demon pointed to the white fog and said, "Someone else is coming. I'll go and make some friends with them so that we can exchange Taoist techniques in the future."

“They already know your identity,” said the old demon with the red light.

The purple-haired old demon curled his lip and said, "Does the orthodox Xuanmen sect need to come to Baiyun Peak to try and find a chance to become immortals?"
Everyone here is either a practitioner of unorthodox methods or a rough-and-tumble hero; who can claim to be superior to anyone else?

This fellow spoke with righteous indignation, and he himself felt that it made a lot of sense.

However, after leaving everyone's sight, he still asked the old demon for help and used the "Intestinal Worm Metamorphosis Technique" to disguise himself as the thin, middle-aged Taoist priest "Maple Leaf".

The boy who made sesame cakes has also transformed into a handsome, clever, and endearing boy in blue robes named "Qingxi".

As before, they took the initiative to strike up conversations with the newly arrived extraordinary individuals and heroes of the martial arts world.

If anyone was unfamiliar with the Ape Lord's Immortal Abode, he would explain it to them in detail. He also secretly revealed the stories of the "Purple-Haired Old Demon" and "Jiang Taigong".

Newcomers mostly expressed their gratitude and friendliness to them, but the "old folks" who had seen the "Old Master Ziwei" and the "Bowl-shaped Cake Taoist Boy" combination had some doubts about the identity of the Maple Leaf Taoist.

Although they had their doubts, they did not question them on the spot, at most reminding acquaintances afterward.

The gaunt old Taoist priest, who was falsely accused of being Jiang Taigong, continued to do as he pleased, ignoring the strange looks from others, and went around trying to sell Qianlong "Taigong Baolu".

The Taigong Baolu (太公宝录) offers real and tangible benefits.

Even though they had doubts about his identity, no one refused to talk to him.

The next day at noon, a cheer suddenly came from the foot of Baiyun Peak, "Look, incense is burning in the sky! The incense burner in Baiyun Immortal Cave is lit!"

At this moment, Maple Leaf Taoist looked like an ordinary person who had been working overtime for two days and two nights in a row. His face showed signs of fatigue, and his originally bright and spirited eyes had become somewhat cloudy.

Hearing the call, the others immediately looked up, their faces full of anticipation as they gazed at the summit of White Cloud Peak. He, however, seemed not to hear them, continuing to speak with a kind expression to the newly arrived rogue cultivator.

They've repeated these insincere words countless times, it's become a habit. Even when exhausted, they subconsciously continue rambling on in a gentle tone.

Qingxi Xiaotong looked up at the top of Baiyun Peak and, sure enough, saw three wisps of blue smoke rising from the swirling white mist.

The plume of smoke, as thick as a bowl, rose straight up from the mountainside into the sky.

"Three sticks of incense are lit to pay homage to the Three Pure Ones, the white ape ascends to heaven to worship the Jade Emperor. The ape is leaving, the White Cloud Cave is about to open~~"

This time, it wasn't just one person shouting. Many extraordinary individuals and heroes who knew about the situation at the Ape Lord's Immortal Abode couldn't suppress their joy and shouted in low voices as they quickly approached White Cloud Peak.

"Master Maple Leaf, the Immortal Mountain is open! Hurry up!" The rogue cultivator who was listening to Master Maple Leaf's ramblings had grown impatient with his nonsense. He greeted him and used his lightness skill to approach the location of the burning incense.

The incense burner was placed at the entrance of Baiyun Cave, and the passage opened by the Mountain Guardian Immortal Array was naturally below the entrance of Baiyun Cave.

"What immortal mountain opening? What~~" Maple Leaf Daoist asked blankly, then couldn't help but yawn, "What are they doing? Which extraordinary person are we looking for next?"

Two beams of purple light shot from Qingxi Xiaotong's eyes and fell into Fengye Daoist's pupils.

Maple Leaf Taoist, however, seemed not to have seen anything and was completely unaware.

Qingxi's voice was soft and gentle, like a call from a dream, "Are you very tired? Do you want to sleep?"

Maple Leaf Daoist became increasingly confused. He nodded, yawned, and said, "Ancestor, although I am a cultivator, I am not good at being insincere with others."

For two days in a row, we met with thousands of people, constantly trying to build relationships. It was truly exhausting!

Qingxi Xiaotong said calmly, "You're not just tired, you're under a curse. Your heart is burning, your mind is like being fried in oil, and you're constantly sleepy. It's probably the 'Seven Arrows of Nailhead' book."

Maple Leaf Taoist instinctively wanted to be horrified.

But he was too frightened to move, lacking the mental strength to engage in particularly intense emotional activity.

He could only gasp in disbelief, "What? I've been cursed by the Seven Arrows of Nailhead? Ancestor, help me!"

Qingxi Xiaotong suppressed a laugh and said coldly, "As the saying goes, 'Master and disciple are like birds in the same forest; when disaster strikes, they fly away separately.'"

Besides, you're not my apprentice yet.

Now that the Immortal Cave of Baiyun Peak is about to open, I cannot give up such a wonderful opportunity for immortality for you.

Go quickly to the five old demons and ask them to protect your body. Then immediately send a message to your master, Venerable Mixin.

Only your master can save you now.

Of course, if I return from my immortal abode with a great harvest and in a good mood, I will also lend a hand to the Bewitching Demon.

Maple Leaf Daoist was too weak to even feel angry. "Ancestor, you can't be so heartless!"
I only ruined Jiang Ziya's plans because I listened to you. You have to take responsibility for me!

Qingxi Xiaotong sneered, "Are you stupid? It's common for us members of the Demonic Sect to scheme against each other."

At this crucial moment when the White Cloud Mountain cave is about to open, I am still willing to tell you so much; I have already done more than enough.

Leaving behind those words, she vanished in a flash.

"Old demon, I curse your ancestors~~"

He cursed bitterly, and a vast magical force descended from the sky, sending him flying.

"Dare to insult me, and I'll send you to your grave right now! Dare to leak even the slightest bit of my information, and I'll cripple you immediately." The old demon's icy voice almost froze his soul into ice shards.

"Pfft~~" While flying in mid-air, seven or eight of his sternums broke, like firecrackers going off, and blood gushed from his mouth.

"Ahhh~~~" he screamed miserably, and finally landed with a "splat" in front of the old man group of ghost fire.

(End of this chapter)