It turns out, they were the main characters.

Should I not have gone back to Yaochi...?

Looking at the two terrestrial immortals before him, and the black-clad woman beside him who exuded an aura of power, this thought flashed through Mu Zhi'an's mind.

Then, he quickly felt relieved again.

No, it's not that he shouldn't have returned to Yaochi, it's just that no one expected these people to turn on him so openly and without any pretense.

Logically speaking, this is a very strange thing. Even if they can really eliminate the people in Yaochi Holy Land without anyone noticing and obtain the Heavenly Phoenix Fruit, so what?

How do we send it to the Pilgrimage Hall of the Two Elements Sect for the First Demon Emperor?

There must be some unseen conspiracy involved.

"After the Azure Emperor emerges from seclusion, none of you will escape!" an elder from Yaochi shouted angrily.

"Is there any room for resistance while the Azure Emperor is in seclusion?" Fu Yuan chuckled lightly.

The man in the green robe sneered in return: "Others will naturally handle things on her end."

To establish such a massive force in the Eastern Continent, one must be a fool; since they dared to take action, they must have been mentally prepared.

Some forces in the Eastern Continent were in charge of the Yaochi Holy Land, while the Azure Emperor was handled by the demon cultivators.

The opponent isn't even afraid of the Azure Emperor; instead, they want to defeat her while she's condensing the cauldron?!

This answer sent chills down the spines of many in the Jade Pool.

“Fu Yuan, we are not people of Yaochi. Let me leave, and I swear I will never reveal any information about this place,” said an elder from an ancient family.

He was from another ancient family, and his appearance here was just a coincidence, but he did not expect to encounter this.

Both of these pavilion masters are at the fifth level of the Void Returning Realm, and with the added blessing of ancestral artifacts, most Void Returning Realm cultivators would find it difficult to withstand them. Since they chose to make their move at this time, they must have brought their clan's ancestral artifacts, which is why they dare to act so recklessly.

Next, three or four more elders expressed their determination, vowing never to reveal anything about this place, and expressed their desire to leave.

Fu Yuan raised an eyebrow, glanced at the group, and said, "Since you are all so sincere, I will not make things difficult for you. You may leave on your own."

Is this person really that kind? Mu Zhian frowned slightly as he watched the departing elders, feeling a strange unease he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Then, he suddenly heard a scream coming from outside the Yaochi Holy Land.

It was the voice of the elders who were just about to leave!

Mu Zhian suddenly turned his head and saw a person walking out of the holy land.

No... that can no longer be called a human, it's more like a monster.

Its body is covered with tentacles, it has the head of an octopus, and a pair of bat wings on its back, making it look ferocious and eerie!

"People from the Southern Wilderness?!" An elder from Yaochi almost blurted out.

Legend has it that in the Southern Wilderness, their god is in this form, and cannot be looked at directly, for seeing that god will reveal the deepest fear within one's own heart.

And the people of that god were also such monsters.

Of course, there aren't many of these monsters, but each one is at least at the Void Returning Realm, and their bodies alone can withstand several attacks from Ancestral Artifacts.

I never expected that even people from the Southern Wilderness would come...

This incident involves not only the demon realms of the Eastern and Northern Continents, but also the Southern Wilderness!

Some people do not want another empress in the Eastern Continent, so they want to kill her and, incidentally, resurrect the first Demon Emperor to plunge the Eastern Continent into chaos!

"Miss Lina, I'll have to leave this to you now." Fu Yuan said with a smile, but his eyes were also filled with apprehension as he looked at the strange creature that looked terrifying.

"Not only are you colluding with the remnants of the previous Demon Emperor, but you've even gotten involved with the Southern Wilderness. Aren't you afraid that you won't have a place to stay in the Eastern Continent in the future?!" The Queen Mother of Yaochi glared at the two of them, her tone filled with shock and anger.

“I told you, it was you who colluded with the Demon Emperor, not us,” Fu Yuan said with a faint smile.

"The truth is only in the hands of the living."

"Dead men can't talk!"

The next moment, Fu Yuan's smile disappeared, and he summoned the clan's ancestral artifact.

This is an Emperor-level weapon. Although it looks dilapidated and even a bit rusty, the intimidating power it exudes at this moment causes everyone present to change their expressions.

Behind the Queen Mother of the West, an ancestral artifact was also brought out. Gazing at the three people in front of her, her expression became more somber.

These two may not have been unaware that they were being used, but in order to have the opportunity to advance to the Enlightenment Realm, they still chose this path.

The shadow of Nanhuang is behind this incident, which is why they can act so recklessly.

“Young friend Mu, I will do my best to accompany the other elders to send you and Yao Yue away from this place. After that, I will send out a signal to expose their true colors.”

Suddenly, Mu Zhian heard the voice of the Queen Mother of the West. He glanced at the beautiful woman in the distance without making a sound, and then nodded silently.

He was an extremely calm person who knew when to do what. He couldn't interfere in battles at the Void Returning level, but as long as the signal was transmitted to the outside world, they would consider themselves to have won.

clang!

At that moment, an ancient bell suddenly rang out in the sacred land of Yaochi. This was one of the ancestral artifacts of Yaochi, and just hearing the sound made people feel as if their souls were about to fly away.

While everyone was in a daze, Mu Zhian glanced at the Holy Maiden of Yaochi and the others not far away, and without any hesitation, he and she flew away on their swords towards the outside of Yaochi.

"Humph!"

However, at this moment, a cold snort suddenly rang out, and with just that one sound, Mu Zhian felt discomfort coming from his internal organs.

This is the pressure of the Returning Void Realm, and also the blessing brought by the Ancestral Artifact. Even those in the Returning Void Realm of the same realm would find it difficult to resist, let alone those in the Refining Spirit Realm.

The Holy Maiden of Yaochi seemed to have something on her body that resisted the pressure brought by the voice, but she was still not feeling well. Her face was slightly pale, but she still gritted her teeth and wanted to rush out of the backyard.

Fu Yuan sneered, about to make a move.

At this moment, the Queen Mother of the West also raised her hand, and spiritual energy transformed into a huge sword blade that rushed towards him.

The elders of Yaochi beside her all stepped forward, their eyes bloodshot, seemingly determined to escort the Holy Maiden of Yaochi away from this place even at the cost of their lives.

However, the elders beside Fu Yuan also made their move, marking the beginning of this chaotic battle.

Shouts of battle echoed in Yaochi, but they could not reach the outside world. The sounds of clashing weapons and the oppressive aura emanating from spiritual energy could be clearly felt by everyone.

The man in the green robe from Zihong Pavilion laughed heartily: "Do you really think you can leave this place? As long as the barrier is not destroyed, you cannot escape."

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned his head to look at the slender back of the Yaochi Saintess in the distance, who seemed to be about to leave. He revealed a playful look in his eyes, like a cat catching a mouse, and raised his hand to grab at the air in her direction.

Before anyone could even realize what was happening, the Holy Maiden of Yaochi was violently shaken as she rode her sword, and then fell uncontrollably.

The man in the green robe sneered: "So what if he's a genius? Before he grows up, he's just an ordinary cultivator in the Refining Spirit Realm."

"Shi Fei, use talismans to bind her up, then take her back to Zihong Pavilion. I have a great use for her. If she resists, break her arms and legs."

Shi Fei dared not express his anger at this pavilion master and could only nod.

The Holy Maiden of Yaochi was also born with a Daoist constitution, so she knew exactly what the man in the green robe wanted to do, but she was powerless to do anything about it.

"A dignified Void Returning Realm Pavilion Master actually dared to lay a hand on a young girl. If word gets out, your reputation will be completely ruined." Not far away, an elder of the Xuantian Pavilion couldn't help but mock, but his eyes were full of regret as he looked at the Yaochi Saintess.

Who wouldn't want to be born with the potential to attain enlightenment?

“Fairy Yao Yue, this is not my fault. I will plead with my father to save your life.” Shi Fei said.

Although he couldn't obtain the innate Dao embryo, he could still imprison the Holy Maiden of Yaochi within his clan. He could play with such a beauty for a lifetime and never tire of her.

Gazing at the beautiful figure of the Jade Pool Saintess, a hint of greed flashed in Shi Fei's eyes.

The Holy Maiden of Yaochi bit her lip tightly, and could only watch helplessly as Shi Fei took out a talisman and then stuck it on her body.

However, in the next moment, a sound like wind breaking suddenly came from behind, and the Lone Star Sword shot out with lightning speed, piercing into Shi Fei's chest.

The sudden attack caught everyone off guard. Shi Fei spat out a mouthful of blood and slowly looked down at the sword blade that had pierced his chest.

The man in the green robe also reacted, turning his head sharply to look behind him, only to see a scroll suddenly unfurl, seemingly about to suck him in.

The Dream Map of the Eight Desolations!

The Holy Maiden of Yaochi hesitated for a moment, then, suppressing the stinging pain in her chest, she turned and rushed out of Yaochi without hesitation.

However, disciples from the two major pavilions had already surrounded the area. Most of them were only at the Qi Refining stage, but even with their sheer numbers, they were enough to continuously deplete the spiritual energy in the Yaochi Saintess's cauldron.

This also greatly hindered her progress.

Meanwhile, the man in the green robe emitted a surge of spiritual energy, instantly shattering the Eight Desolate Dream Map, and looked at Mu Zhi'an with a gloomy expression.

How dare a mere cultivator in the Refining Spirit Realm play tricks on him?!

Just then, a seductive and alluring voice suddenly came from the side: "Let's keep Mu Zhian. He will be of great use to me later."

The woman in the black dress licked her lips seductively and said softly, "I will make him swear that he will not reveal this matter. In addition, I will sever his Achilles tendons so that he can stay at my feet as my pet and will not disturb anyone else."

However, as soon as he finished speaking, the man in the green robe snorted coldly, raised his hand and waved it, and a dark green flame shot out, turning into a sharp blade that slammed towards Mu Zhian.

The woman in the black dress frowned slightly, but didn't speak. She simply sighed, "What a pity."

The dark green flames fell towards Mu Zhi'an, but at that moment, the maid in the yellow dress beside him acted in time, blocking Mu Zhi'an with her sword.

She staggered back several steps, looking somewhat disheveled, but still managed to block the attack.

"Oh?"

The man in the green robe looked at the woman in the yellow dress with interest.

He hadn't really noticed before... but this maidservant beside Mu Zhi'an seemed to be several times better than her mistress...

However... no matter how strong he is, he's only at the Refining Spirit Realm. How many times can he withstand that in my hands?!

The man in the green robe's eyes turned cold, and he raised his hand again, unleashing a burst of azure flames.

What was merely a casual attack to him felt like a mountain slowly moving from afar when it landed in front of Wei Mengrou, instantly bringing an immense sense of oppression.

Just then, a scream suddenly came from the crowd. The man in the green robe glanced over and saw hundreds of golden firebirds taking flight in mid-air, crashing into the disciples who were blocking the Holy Maiden of Yaochi.

These disciples were mostly from the Purple Rainbow Pavilion and the Profound Heaven Pavilion, and were basically at the Qi Refining Realm, so they naturally found it difficult to resist this formation.

The one who manipulated the formation was that young man with a natural furnace-like physique.

The man in the green robe narrowed his eyes, about to raise his hand to suppress it.

At this moment, an elder from Yaochi intervened and became entangled with the man in green robes, forcing him to focus on dealing with the enemy before him.

Although Mu Zhian rarely took action in the past, it doesn't mean he was weak. At least among those of the same level, he hadn't encountered anyone who could defeat him. It's just that in the past, he always had people stronger than himself protecting him, so he didn't need to take action himself.

The Hundred Birds Formation had wiped out dozens of people in succession. They rushed out from the backyard and attacked the disciples of the two major pavilions who were surrounding the Yaochi Holy Land.

Hearing the continuous screams, a sinister look finally appeared in the eyes of the man in the green robe. After raising his hand to block Elder Yaochi's attack, he abruptly turned to look at Mu Zhian on the ground and slowly said:

"You will die a horrible death."