I'm already a Great Luo Golden Immortal, how come you're only Martial Saints?

Zhongnan Mountain, Louguantai!

The night was as dark as ink, and a strong wind whipped up large raindrops that lashed against the ancient temple's tiles and window frames, making a crackling sound.

The world was shrouded in darkness, except for the pale white lightning bolts in the sky, which, like the whips of the gods, tore through the thick clouds and illuminated the outlines of the distant mountains.

Thunder rumbled, shaking the earth.

This was no ordinary thunderstorm; the lightning contained a destructive aura that sent chills down one's spine.

Inside the ancestral hall of Zhengyi Temple, the candlelight flickered, casting the ancestral tablets of past masters on and off.

The old Taoist priest Zhang Qingxuan knelt on a prayer mat, silently chanting scriptures in front of the image of the founding patriarch Zhang Daoling, praying for the continuation of the Taoist lineage and for the safety of his disciples.

He knelt down tremblingly, softly reciting the words.

"Grandmaster, my lifespan is nearing its end. I intend to pass the position of the eighth-generation sect leader to Tang Hao and Luo Zhantian, who will serve as guardian elders of the Daoist sect. The ninth-generation sect leader will tentatively be Qing'er!"

After returning from the Dragon Palace of the East Sea, Qing'er ate a lot of delicacies from land and sea, and her growth rate was astonishing!

What would take a normal baby several months to grow to the size of hers took only a few days.

In just six months, the tiny baby in swaddling clothes has grown into a two- or three-year-old child!

Qing'er's natural talent was extraordinary. When she was alone, birds and beasts would frolic around her without showing her any fear.

When you are sound asleep at night, spiritual energy will gather around you on its own!

The old Taoist priest had cultivated for a lifetime and had seen countless geniuses, but to use the word "genius" to describe this baby girl would be an insult to her!

Before the old Taoist priest could even raise his head after finishing his report, a loud cracking sound suddenly rang in his ears!

A blinding white bolt of lightning illuminated the entire ancestral hall as bright as day!

Almost simultaneously, the golden clay statue of Patriarch Zhang Daoling enshrined in the center of the ancestral hall shone with golden light in its eyes!

The overwhelming power of Heaven was irresistible and instantly filled the space of the ancestral hall!

The old Taoist priest trembled violently and raised his head. He saw the ancestral master's clay statue with golden body, his lips slightly moving, and a grand and majestic voice resounded directly in his mind.

"Zhang Qingxuan, heed my command! Propagate the Jade Emperor's decree!"

"Within the Zhengyi Sect, anyone with mixed demon blood, regardless of kinship, social status, age, or where they are hiding, is permitted to join!"

"Investigate thoroughly immediately!"

"Once confirmed, kill without mercy! Destroy their soul and spirit! As a warning to others!"

"There must be no mistakes!"

"Anyone who shows favoritism or protects another will be considered an accomplice! Under the divine thunder of the nine heavens, both body and soul will be annihilated!"

Zhang Qingxuan raised his head in disbelief, his lips trembling.

"Grandmaster, all members of the Zhengyi Sect are disciples of our sect. How could there be any demon blood among them!"

The patriarch's voice grew even colder.

"A thorough investigation is sufficient. If there are any issues, correct them; if not, strive to improve! But if you cover up or fail to report, you'll understand the consequences..."

Each word was like a red-hot steel needle, piercing the old Taoist's mind!

"Ancestor, Ancestor Master..."

The old Taoist Zhang Qingxuan trembled violently, his face drained of all color under the pale lightning, turning as white as a sheet of paper!

He almost stopped breathing.

Those with demon bloodlines...kill without mercy...

These words echoed wildly in the old Taoist's mind, eventually coalescing into a name he knew all too well: Qing'er!

The abnormalities that Qing'er exhibited were far beyond the scope of ordinary humans!

Upon returning from the West Sea Dragon Palace, the old Taoist priest received an apology from the West Sea Dragon King. With his wealth increasing, he recruited several more disciples.

These new disciples had already been gossiping about Qing'er in private.

If it weren't for Ning Chen, a terrestrial immortal, suppressing her, and Sun Rongrong, Tang Hao, and other divine realm practitioners who were doing their utmost to protect Qing'er, it would have been fine.

This suspicion has probably already spread like wildfire.

There were already rumors among other sects in Zhongnan Mountain that the disciples of the Zhengyi Sect were a mixed bag, with humans and demons mixed together!

Now, the Patriarch has personally arrived by imperial decree, unleashing his thunderous wrath!

This is clearly aimed at Qing'er!

We must use this girl to establish our authority!

The patriarch intends to use Qing'er's blood to wash away this mixed and chaotic talk between humans and demons!

"puff......"

The old Taoist priest suddenly clutched his chest, and a spurt of blood gushed out.

He already had a short lifespan, and this shock pushed him to the brink of death...

The old Taoist priest staggered as he tried to stand up, nearly crashing into the door frame in his extreme excitement before managing to regain his balance.

He leaned against the door, panting heavily, his cloudy old eyes filled with despair.

We spent most of the year together!

As Qing'er grew up, her pure and innocent smile, her adorable way of learning to speak in her baby voice, and her stumbling and falling towards everyone's affection.

These little things have long been etched into everyone's hearts.

Tang Hao, Qian Quan, and Zhou Tao may not say it, but in their hearts they have already regarded this little girl as the apple of their eye that needs to be protected. Sun Rongrong even treats her as her own daughter!

Even Lao Luo and the old Taoist Zhang Qingxuan couldn't help but show kind smiles every time they saw this little girl.

Now he's being asked to personally kill this innocent and ignorant child?

To completely destroy him, body and soul?!

"No, no, Master, why are you so heartless...?"

The old Taoist priest let out a mournful wail from his throat, his fingers digging desperately into the wood shavings of the door frame.

As the seventh generation leader of the Zhengyi Sect, he had naturally heard and seen some rumors. Although Ning Chen did not explicitly state Qing'er's identity, he knew it perfectly well in his heart, and was only waiting to reveal it.

Outside the window, another dazzling bolt of lightning tore through the night, illuminating his face, which seemed to have aged ten years in an instant.

"No, no, we absolutely cannot let Qing'er..."

The old Taoist priest, leaning against the wall, staggered out of the ancestral hall and stepped into the courtyard ravaged by a violent storm.

The icy rain instantly soaked him through, chilling him to the bone, but it was nothing compared to the coldness in his heart.

"Someone come here..."

The old Taoist priest burst into his disciple's room, his voice hoarse and dry.

"Summon Luo Zhantian, Tang Hao, Sun Rongrong, and the other eighth-generation disciples to the main hall immediately. Have them bring Qing'er with them..."

Luo Zhantian, Tang Hao, and other disciples, as the revitalized disciples who saved the Zhengyi Sect and brought it back to life, were assigned to the eighth generation.

The newly recruited disciples are the ninth generation disciples...

Soon, all the eighth-generation disciples of the Zhengyi Sect, also known as the Divine Realm Walkers, braved the torrential rain and gathered in the main hall of the Taoist temple.

Sun Rongrong was holding a little girl named Qing'er, who was wearing a wide-sleeved robe and had two cute little braids...

If Ning Chen were here, he definitely wouldn't recognize Qing'er.

After only half a year apart, Qing'er had grown into a two-year-old girl, with delicate features like a porcelain doll and skin that glowed white like snow.

Qing'er's pure and clear eyes, as blue as a clear sky, were curiously observing the old Taoist priest.

Qing'er seemed frightened by the violent thunder outside. She tightly gripped Sun Rongrong's clothes with her little hands and buried her head between Sun Rongrong's two big steamed buns!

The old Taoist priest Zhang Qingxuan stood in the main hall, his appearance withered and his lips trembling slightly.

He didn't look at anyone, but stared intently at the lightning outside the main hall, where the lightning snakes kept flashing and seemed to tear the heavens and earth apart. His eyes were empty, with only a glimmer of light for a fleeting moment when the lightning flashed.

"Master, why have you summoned us here so urgently in the middle of the night?"

Since returning from the Dragon Palace, Sun Rongrong had never seen the old Taoist priest in such a distraught state.

Her heart skipped a beat, and a strong sense of foreboding welled up inside her.

The old Taoist slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping over everyone before finally landing on Qing'er, who was innocent and wide-eyed, in Sun Rongrong's arms.

"Master, issue a decree..."

The old Taoist's voice was dry and hoarse.

"A thorough investigation is needed within the sect to identify those with demonic bloodlines..."

At this point, the old Taoist priest took a few deep breaths before uttering the cruel decree, word by word.

"Once discovered, kill without mercy!"