It turns out, they were the main characters.

It can be said that Mu Zhian's strength has not improved much this time, but his foundation has been laid thoroughly.

If it weren't for this unexpected death, the Nirvana Pill would have been unusable, and similarly, the effects of the Soul Returning Pill and the Soul Nourishing Pill would not have been maximized.

It can be said that Mu Zhian's death this time was a blessing in disguise. With the help of three Rank 8 pills, his physique and spiritual awareness are now comparable to the peak of the Refining God realm, and his strength has been fully restored.

Boom!

In front of the pilgrimage hall, pink peach blossoms sway in the wind. It is almost the dead of winter, but the peach blossoms in the pilgrimage hall are still in full bloom.

Dark clouds rolled in the sky, and thunder roared.

At this moment, outside the pilgrimage hall, a number of scattered cultivators were watching the tribulation.

Tribulations were commonplace for these sect disciples, so not many sect disciples were attracted by the tribulation this time.

However, all the sect disciples who came to the Pilgrimage Hall and saw the lightning tribulation had blank, even disbelieving, eyes.

"If I remember correctly, wasn't there a rumor a few days ago that the former junior disciple was murdered after leaving the sect? How come now..."

The news of Mu Zhi'an's death in an attack a few days ago spread throughout the sect. According to the initial rumors, it was roughly as follows: the two ancient families of the Eastern Continent secretly colluded with demon cultivators to attack Yaochi. In order to help the Azure Emperor overcome his tribulation, Mu Zhi'an stood alone in front of Yaochi to resist the powerful enemy and eventually died in battle.

This news filled many within the sect with awe and gave them a completely new understanding of their fallen junior brother.

Mu Zhian was originally quite handsome, and there were already many female cultivators in the sect who secretly admired him. However, the news of Mu Zhian's death in battle spread like wildfire within the sect, and the story became somewhat distorted.

In some people's eyes, Mu Zhian has become a tragic figure who is upright and fearless in the face of powerful enemies.

However, now...

This tragic figure, who should have died in battle, is still alive and kicking, undergoing tribulation in front of the pilgrimage temple.

If news existed in this world, the first trending headline would probably be: #MuZhiAn Tried His Best#

#Leaving aside Yaochi for now, what are the other ancient aristocratic families doing?#

#Why aren't the other ancient clans helping?#

Then, after it was discovered that Mu Zhian was not dead, the trending topic was: #Former Demon Cultivator Status#

#Mu Zhian is still alive!#

"If I remember correctly, when my junior brother left the sect, he was only at the first level of the Spirit Refinement Realm, right? And now, in less than a month, he's already at the third level of the Spirit Refinement Realm...?"

After a brief silence, someone finally spoke up, breaking the silence.

"And wasn't it said that the pastor's brother was dead? How come he's like this now..."

"Could ghosts really exist in this world...?"

"Are you stupid? This is the Liangyi Sect. Even if there are ghosts here, can ghosts undergo tribulation?"

Suddenly, someone pointed at the woman in the pilgrimage hall and said, "Speaking of which, do you see anyone else in the pilgrimage hall?"

Logically speaking, one should not easily approach others when they are undergoing tribulation, as one might be caught in the lightning tribulation.

The lightning was so dazzling when Mu Zhi'an underwent his tribulation that no one noticed it until now, after the tribulation had dissipated. They discovered that there was actually a woman watching Mu Zhi'an's tribulation up close in the Pilgrimage Hall!

Isn't she afraid of getting involved?!

While everyone was thinking about this, Mu Zhian had already floated down from mid-air and arrived in front of the fairy in the green dress, whispering something to her.

"Judging from their appearance, they seem to know each other?" someone immediately noticed and said in a low voice.

"This junior priest, aside from everything else, is really skilled at seducing women," a senior brother exclaimed sincerely, feeling a little tempted to ask Mu Zhian for advice on how to pursue girls.

Of course, some people dismiss this, believing that cultivators should focus on cultivation, and that emotions will only affect their cultivation speed on this path.

However, I couldn't help but take another look at that fairy-like woman in a blue dress, with an ethereal air.

Even just from her back view, one can tell from her graceful figure that this woman is an absolute beauty.

"The priest is out," someone suddenly said, seeing Mu Zhian flying away from the pilgrimage temple on his sword.

Seemingly noticing the gazes of the crowd, Mu Zhian immediately raised his hands in a fist salute and said, "Greetings, fellow senior brothers and sisters."

"Sect Master... are you a human or a ghost?" a rather timid senior sister couldn't help but ask cautiously.

"Of course I'm a human. Didn't you see the shadow on the ground? Can ghosts have shadows?" Mu Zhian said with a helpless smile.

Then, sensing the terrifying aura emanating from behind him, he continued, "My story is a long one, so I'll leave it for another time. It's best if you all stay away from here for now, as someone is about to undergo tribulation."

“Brother Mu is joking. Even if it is a tribulation of the Void Returning Realm, we will not be affected by it if we stand here. There is no need to worry too much,” a senior brother said with a gentle smile.

boom!

As soon as the words were spoken, the sunlight that had been shining again in the sky after Mu Zhian's tribulation ended was once again obscured by light-colored dark clouds. Then, a roar that seemed to resound throughout the Eastern Continent echoed in front of the Pilgrimage Hall.

The laughter fell silent for a moment, and everyone stared in surprise and uncertainty at the figure of the woman in the green dress in mid-air.

Under normal circumstances, even the tribulations encountered by terrestrial immortals at the Void Returning Realm would not possess such a terrifying aura...

"Could it be the Enlightenment Realm...?"

When someone mentioned this speculation, another person shook their head and said, "The current rules of heaven and earth do not allow the Enlightenment Realm to appear, so this should not be the Enlightenment Realm."

"Could it be that it's the Dao Integration stage—"

It was supposed to be a joke, but after the person finished speaking, he suddenly seemed to remember something and subconsciously looked up at the fairy in the green dress shrouded in moonlight in mid-air. Gazing at her stunning beauty, after a brief moment of stunned silence, he almost blurted out.

"...Qing Emperor!"

Many people reacted almost instantly upon hearing this.

This is the primordial spirit tribulation of the Azure Emperor!

Is this fairy in the green dress the Azure Emperor?!

This guess flashed through the minds of all the disciples like a bolt from the blue, and then they all tacitly stepped back.

Even if the Azure Emperor can control the lightning tribulation of the Dao Integration Realm so as not to damage anything in the Pilgrimage Hall, these people are likely to be affected, so they can only try their best to avoid it.

But why is Mu Zhian with the Azure Emperor...?

At this moment, many disciples of the sect had strange thoughts in their minds, but their eyes remained fixed on the fairy in the green dress, with both men and women looking at her with admiration.

Mu Zhian retreated to a secluded corner, gazing at the flawless beauty of the fairy in the green dress.

There was no admiration in his eyes, only his gaze fixed on her graceful figure accentuated by the strong wind, pondering whether he should suppress the fairy tonight.

At that moment, he suddenly felt as if he were being locked onto by something, and two paper cranes flew silently toward him from behind.

My senior's letter...?

But... how did she know I was at the pilgrimage temple?

Mu Zhian's eyes flickered slightly, and he subconsciously reached out and took the two letters, opening them.

The contents of the envelope were then revealed to the naked eye.

The first letter was written by the sect leader's sister, basically telling him to go to Liangyi Peak right now.

The other letter... was not written by the senior sister, nor by the sect leader.

Almost the instant he unwrapped the other paper crane, Mu Zhian felt a slight burning sensation from the demon realm mark within his body.

...A letter from the Demon Queen.

Chapter 229 The Sect Leader's Secret 5K

"The fact that the demon realm mark is reacting indicates that this letter must have been written by a demon cultivator from the demon realm... and such a strong reaction must be from the demon empress without a doubt."

"But where did that beautiful snake woman send me the letter from...? To Sister Ying?"

As Mu Zhian pondered, he unwrapped the paper crane and read the contents of the letter:

"The first Demon Emperor was sealed by the Azure Emperor for over a thousand years, and is now a flickering candle in the wind. But even a spark must be careful not to burn into a raging fire. The previous generation of demon cultivators and the Western Regions were mortal enemies, but the demon realm of the previous dynasty had cooperated with the Southern Wilderness in the past. The Southern Wilderness will not offer help in times of need, but if we are to deal with the first Demon Emperor, we must take him down with lightning speed and not linger in battle."

"The Nine-Lives Phoenix's combat power will increase with each battle. Once it realizes it cannot escape, it will definitely burn its essence to take others down with it, so don't get close to it. You'll generally be fine with that woman protecting you within the sect, but you should still be wary of hidden dangers."

“You are within the sect, and the remnants of the previous generation of demon cultivators don’t dare to ambush you, but you also need to consider the external crises.”

Her earnest tone made it seem like she genuinely wanted to teach me how to defeat the first Demon Emperor…

But the problem is, what merit do I, a mere cultivator in the Refining Spirit Realm, possess to do so… Mu Zhian thought to himself, but a thoughtful look appeared in his eyes.

It's hard to say whether the first Demon Emperor's combat power was truly astonishing or the Demon Queen was overly cautious. The first Demon Emperor had been sealed by the Azure Emperor for so long that his spiritual energy was almost exhausted. Under these circumstances, the Demon Queen still wrote a letter to remind him.

It seems the first Demon Emperor was even more cunning than expected...

This also shows that the empress attached great importance to the first demon emperor and hoped to eliminate this scourge as soon as possible.

With this in mind, Mu Zhian continued reading the rest of the letter:

"The death of Young Master Mu a few days ago caused a shock in the Eastern Continent. Your girlfriend seems to value you very much. With the protection of the Forbidden Zone and the Liangyi Sect, I believe you will not encounter any danger in the future."

"However, one's own strength is equally important. Once bound by the Lock of Desolate Time, it is difficult to break free. Take care."

The last sentence sounded more like a joke, but Mu Zhian didn't expect a demon queen to be so gossipy, even bringing up something like this.

"Why is that woman so concerned about me, even reminding me to be careful?" Mu Zhian finished reading the letter, then put it away, pondering the words of the Demon Queen.

"This demon queen is very thoughtful. Although she's not in the Eastern Continent, her observations are very meticulous... If I get together with that woman in the future, will I be caught cheating immediately? And she seems to be able to read minds, which is a bit dangerous..."

"Besides that, her charm ability is also exceptional... If she uses her charm on me, wouldn't I be doomed?"

As Mu Zhian pondered, he suddenly slapped his forehead: Why think so much now? Aren't there enough troubles already?

If things don't stay stable for a while, who knows, one day I might actually end up being locked up in a dark room.

Although everyone feels sorry for Young Master Mu, their recent reactions are somewhat dangerous.

Right now, we need to stabilize the situation before considering other things.

……

Mu Zhian flew to Liangyi Peak on his sword. It seemed that because they knew Mu Zhian would come, the formation of Liangyi Peak was not activated and was completely open.

He entered the pavilion he had visited before, and there, in front of the pavilion, the sect leader was already sitting at the table, leisurely drinking tea and playing chess.

Mu Zhian did not disturb them, and glanced at the chess pieces on the table.

Every time she placed a piece, the white piece would follow her down on its own, as if someone were playing against her, which was quite magical.

Mu Zhian took a sniff and smelled a faint scent of perfume, a delicate and subtle fragrance.

Shang Yanfei was dressed in a black dress embroidered with light blue flowers. She had an elegant demeanor, and her long, flowing hair was loose. Her full and firm breasts pushed up the fabric of her dress. She seemed to be wearing light makeup and looked much more beautiful than she had in the past.