Chapter 506 21: The Red Profound Order Appears

Deep within the treetop canopy.

On a massive, mountain-like tree trunk, a terrifying cold light suddenly erupted.

Countless crystalline, snow-white Frost Willow Leaves danced and spiraled, shimmering with a chilling glint. They emanated a terrifying aura that seemed to freeze the very void and all living souls within it.

On the trunk just outside the cold light stood a majestic Demon Emperor, tall and powerfully built, clad in armor.

If Fang Cheng were here, he would have surely recognized this man as Pei Juxian, the head of the nine Demon Emperors of Refining Ruins Cave Heaven.

At this moment, Pei Juxian's eyes were wide and his brows raised, his whiskers standing on end like needles. A golden-purple brilliance swirled around him as his hands formed a seal. Behind him, a figure materialized—one wearing a Heaven-Peaking Crown and a Purple Gold Imperial Robe, possessing the majestic and noble air of an emperor.

This Emperor Dharma Aspect was surrounded by a golden-purple radiance. In its large hand, it held a White Jade Purification Bottle. A willow branch was stuck in the bottle, from which sprouted thousands of frosty willow tendrils.

Streaks of icy light merged with the willow leaves, and the chilling energy filled the sky, seemingly transforming the void within a hundred-li radius into a single, enormous block of solid ice.

In the distance, more than ten Demon Race Cultivators watched with rapt attention. Two of them also had Tier Four Cultivation, and all wore grim expressions as they stared at the area besieged by the sky-filling Frost Willow Leaves.

"Xia Guming, if you can walk out of here alive today, I will no longer pursue the matter of you killing a member of my Refining Ruins Cave Heaven!"

Pei Juxian stared at the blurry figure in the distance and roared in a low voice.

In the center of the endless Frost Willow Leaves, an Ancient Mirror hung suspended. It shimmered with a faint, clear light. Its back was adorned with tadpole-like ancient script and the forms of cloud-dragons and strange birds. Within the mirror's surface, a rain of flowers fell amidst flakes of golden light, while wind, clouds, water, and fire appeared and transformed endlessly.

A dim, chaotic light shot out from the mirror, landing on the surrounding Frost Willow Leaves and instantly melting a large "hole" in the icy barrage.

Within this hole, a middle-aged man dressed as a mortal emperor stood leisurely. He wore a black Imperial Robe and a tall crown, his expression dignified. He seemed utterly unconcerned by the Frost Willow Leaves assailing him from all directions.

Both Pei Juxian's White Jade Purification Bottle and the Ancient Mirror behind the man were renowned Fifth-rank Magical Artifacts in the Mingxiao Domain.

Moreover, both Refining Ruins Cave Heaven and the Middle-Aged Noble Xia Family were top-tier factions, each presided over by a Tribulation Realm Great Power.

The reason for their conflict was that Xia Guming had recently killed a beautiful Female Demon King from Refining Ruins Cave Heaven in a struggle over a Creation Immortal Fruit.

That Female Demon King's strength was merely at the Tier Three Late Stage, but her temper was immense. She had actually dared to talk back to and provoke him, a Human Race Dharma Great Power.

This had thoroughly infuriated Xia Guming.

In a fit of rage, he struck her down.

Only later did he learn that the beautiful female demon was Pei Juxian's most favored concubine. No wonder she had dared to be so arrogant and domineering within the Feathered Immortal Tree.

Upon the death of his beloved concubine, Pei Juxian flew into a rage. He led the other Demon Cultivators of Refining Ruins Cave Heaven to pursue and intercept Xia Guming, finally cornering him here, intent on making him pay the price.

He knew that this Patriarch of the Xia Family certainly possessed protective measures left by their Tribulation Realm ancestor, making him difficult to kill.

But he was the son of a Tier Five Demon Saint and the head of the nine Demon Emperors of Refining Ruins Cave Heaven. If he were to let Xia Guming go so easily, where would his honor be?

Wouldn't he become a laughingstock to the entire world?

At this moment, enveloped by the light of the Reincarnation Mirror and surrounded by a golden radiance, Xia Guming spoke nonchalantly to Pei Juxian. "Brother Pei, why must you be so angry? I was merely disciplining a concubine on your behalf. Perhaps my hand was a bit heavy, that's all. Is such a trivial matter truly worth us coming to blows?"

Pei Juxian's fury intensified. He sneered, "Bring your cultivation partner over. Let me kill one for a look, too."

Xia Guming chuckled. "Brother Pei, you jest. My cultivation partner has never provoked you. Besides, we are both here for the Red Profound Order. Rather than waste time here and let others gain an advantage, it would be more important for us to disperse and seek our own opportunities."

Hearing Xia Guming's light and breezy tone only fueled Pei Juxian's rage. He glared and declared, "Today, I would rather give up the Red Profound Order than miss the chance to properly experience the Xia Family's Reincarnation Divine Techniques!"

"You brute!" Xia Guming sighed softly, a hint of displeasure appearing on his face.

It was clear Pei Juxian was operating on the principle that if he couldn't get the Red Profound Order, he wouldn't let Xia Guming get it either.

Only these barbarians from the Demon Race could come up with such a self-destructive, spiteful plan.

Xia Guming pondered this. 'Should I pay the price to force my way out?' he wondered, hesitating for a moment.

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Amidst a dense thicket of giant leaves, a palace-sized fruit, radiating a brilliant light, hung from a branch.

A beam of Demonic Light shot through the sea of leaves, appearing before this Feathered Immortal Fruit.

The Demonic Light dissipated, revealing a man with the appearance of a youth. He had flowing, wide sleeves and a face full of devilish energy.

It was Rama.

Relying on his numerous Demon Dao incarnations, he had already obtained a considerable number of Feathered Immortal Fruits with astonishing efficiency.

At this moment, he gazed at the Feathered Immortal Fruit before him and muttered to himself, "By the Demon God, this one has to give me a Red Profound Order!"

As he spoke, he channeled his Magical Power, forming a Demon Light Hand to pluck the Feathered Immortal Fruit.

"Hold it. This Immortal Fruit is mine!"

Just then, a calm voice drifted from a distance.

The sentence was not yet finished when Rama saw a terrifying Sword Aura suddenly illuminate the sea of leaves, pierce through space, and shoot toward him.

'Could it be him again?!'

The image of Fang Cheng surfaced in Rama's mind, and he couldn't help but feel exasperated.

The Sword Aura's momentum was overwhelming and incomparably sharp. Rama recognized it at a glance as a Tier Five Flying Sword. Compounded by the fact that Fang Cheng had slain several of his incarnations, he was already feeling a bit unnerved.

His figure flickered, and he hastily retreated to dodge the sword light.

Unexpectedly, the sword light wasn't aimed at him. It deftly circled around and snatched the Feathered Immortal Fruit from the branch.

Rama looked up to see the sword light dissipate, revealing a tall, imposing middle-aged Daoist.

The man had deep-set eyes, thin lips, and a stern face. His Sword Intent was sharp and terrifying, giving him a commanding presence without any show of anger.

"So, it's Fellow Daoist Yan of the Jade Emperor Sect."

Rama cupped his hands in a mocking salute and taunted, "I never imagined someone of your stature would come here to pick up scraps."

This middle-aged Sword Cultivator was none other than the Supreme Elder of the Jade Emperor Sect, Yan Zongdao.

Yan Zongdao glanced at Rama with his sharp eyes and frowned. "A Demon Dao incarnation? You're a cultivator from the Ten Thousand Transformations Demon Sect?"

The Ten Thousand Transformations Demon Sect was also one of the seven sects of the Demon Dao. However, it had no remarkable figures in the current era and relied solely on the foundations left by a Tribulation Realm Great Power from several thousand years ago to continue its legacy.

Rama chuckled. "Unworthy as I am, I happen to be the Sect Leader of the Ten Thousand Transformations Demon Sect. Greetings, Fellow Daoist Yan. Within this Feathered Immortal Tree today, besides Yang Yi of the Mystic Sky Saint Sect, your reputation is surely the greatest."

"Yang Yi is here as well?"

A trace of apprehension flashed in Yan Zongdao's eyes. He quickly looked away, turning his back on Rama to face the Feathered Immortal Fruit. "I'll give you three breaths to disappear from my sight," he said coolly. "Otherwise, don't blame my sword for being merciless."

"I wonder if Fellow Daoist Yan can compete with the half-step Tribulation Realm Yang Yi?" Rama let out a sinister chuckle, the devilish look on his face intensifying. Instead of retreating, he advanced, transforming into a streak of Demonic Light and lunging straight for the Feathered Immortal Fruit.

"You court death."

A thunderous sword cry echoed from within Yan Zongdao's sleeve. The Tier Five Flying Sword instantly transformed into a dazzling beam of light and slashed straight at Rama.

Rama fearlessly met the sword light head-on, and his body was cleaved in two by the single strike.

But in the next moment, something strange happened!

His body exploded, and a dense cloud of black Demon Smoke, spanning a thousand zhang, abruptly appeared and enveloped Yan Zongdao within it.

SWOOSH!

A blinding Sword Aura flashed, and Yan Zongdao sliced through the Demon Smoke, flying out calmly with the Feathered Immortal Fruit.

However, the brilliant light on the Feathered Immortal Fruit began to slowly dim.

Rama had sacrificed his incarnation to be the first to refine the Feathered Immortal Fruit and discover its contents.

At this moment, within the fruit's core, the faint, flickering image of a Five-Colored Token could be seen.

Seeing this, Yan Zongdao's gaze sharpened abruptly.

...

High above the canopy of the Feathered Immortal Tree, in the vast expanse of the Extreme Heaven, stood a hundred-zhang-tall Ancient Evil Race member.

It had the head of an elephant and the body of a man, with eight arms growing from its sides. Its entire body was covered in thunder patterns, and its aura was vast and immense, filling the heavens and earth.

If Dharma Cultivators like Fang Cheng, Pei Juxian, Xia Guming, and Yan Zongdao, who had witnessed a Tribulation Realm Great Power, were here, they would have recognized the true power of this Ancient Evil Race member from the Purple Cloud Lineage at a glance.

Tier Five!

And not just any Tier Five, but a member of the Purple Cloud Royal Family, hailed as the strongest among the Ancient Evil Race.

Strangely, a Human Race Cultivator was standing on the head of this Tier Five Purple Cloud Royal Family member.

This man was not tall, with a gaunt face and slightly sunken eyes. Dressed in a Gray Mist Weaving Sun Daoist Robe, he looked unremarkable, but a startling glint of light would occasionally flash in the depths of his eyes.

His Cultivation had already reached the Peak of Dharma Form. Within the Mingxiao Domain, he was the Human Race Cultivator most likely to break through to the Tribulation Realm in the next five hundred years.

He was none other than the person Rama had mentioned—the half-step Tribulation Realm master from the Mystic Sky Saint Sect, Yang Yi!

The world knew of his profound Cultivation and vast Divine Techniques, but no one could have imagined that he had actually managed to subdue a Fifth-rank Ancient Evil Race member!

Yang Yi stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at the immense Feathered Immortal Tree below, exuding the air of a master strategist in complete control.

At the feet of the Ancient Evil Race member, a mature, beautiful woman in plain robes sat cross-legged in the void. A green glow flickered around her, forming halos of light that merged with the canopy of the Feathered Immortal Tree.

She was the Celestial Fragrance Demon Emperor of Taiyi Cave Heaven.

Not far away, three other beautiful women with a similar disposition to the Celestial Fragrance Demon Emperor were each using their Divine Techniques to sense the situation within the canopy.

There were a total of seven Demon Emperors in Taiyi Cave Heaven, and four of them were now present.

It was known that the Demon Cultivators of Taiyi Cave Heaven were all spirits of flowers, trees, and plants who had achieved cultivation. They were experts at sensing the changes in the wood-element Spiritual Mechanism between heaven and earth.

At this moment, the four Demon Emperors were positioned in the four cardinal directions—east, south, west, and north—and had almost completely grasped every change in aura within the entire canopy.

Just then, a look of surprise appeared on the Celestial Fragrance Demon Emperor's beautiful face. She opened her lovely eyes and said, "Fellow Daoist Yang, the Red Profound Order has appeared!"

Yang Yi nodded faintly. "I'll trouble the Demon Emperor to lead the way. Lei Yan, let's go."

The Tier Five Ancient Evil Race member grunted in a deep, booming voice. Thunder Light flickered all over its body, splitting the sky and reflecting the sun in a ceaseless flow.

The next moment, its massive body slowly shrank to a height of ten zhang. The terrifying aura made the Celestial Fragrance Demon Emperor and the others feel quite uneasy, and they retreated to a safe distance.

Lei Yan had originally been a Tier Four Peak Powerhouse of the Purple Cloud Lineage. He disappeared a hundred years ago, and the world believed he had perished.

Who would have thought he was now a Tier Five Great Power?

The Celestial Fragrance Demon Emperor felt an instinctive fear, but what terrified her and the other three Demon Emperors of Taiyi Cave Heaven even more was that unremarkable-looking Human Race Cultivator.

"Fellow Daoist Yang, please follow me."

The Celestial Fragrance Demon Emperor leaped into the air and transformed into a streak of verdant light, flying deep into the sea of leaves in the treetop canopy.

...

Somewhere in the canopy of the Feathered Immortal Tree.

The Ruyi Celestial Escape Shuttle hovered in the air, its silver light flickering and flowing.

Inside the shuttle.

The cracked, jet-black Compass in Yun Qiuyuan's hands bloomed with a strange light. The young girl scanned her surroundings, her fine brows furrowed. Then, a look of joyful surprise filled her eyes, and she exclaimed, "Master, I think... the Red Profound Order has appeared!"

Fang Cheng's eyes lit up. He smiled and said, "Looks like our luck is a bit off. Someone else found it first. Which direction?"

Yun Qiuyuan pointed southeast. "Over there. We have to get there quickly. If that person claims the Red Profound Order, it'll be hard to sense its treasure aura anymore."

Fang Cheng immediately activated the Ruyi Celestial Escape Shuttle. A flash of silver light flickered in the sea of leaves, and the shuttle instantly vanished, leaving behind a series of illusory afterimages.

'I wonder who got the Red Profound Order...'

Fang Cheng mused silently.

Regardless, by relying on Yun Qiuyuan, this successor of the Heaven-Stealing Sect, he had at least managed to grasp a sliver of initiative.

...