Pillars Trapped and a Garden Plundered

“How powerful are the demon Dao-soldiers in this Immortal manor world?” Shaoyan Nong asked, his brow furrowed.

He understood as well. The greatest challenge to refining and claiming this Immortal manor were these native demon tribes. They had been trapped in this small world for far, far too long, generation after generation yearning to escape. This intense desire would drive them to pay any price. The most fatal part was that these demon Dao-soldiers were also incredibly powerful.

“The two strongest forces are the Wavefiend Demon-Soldiers and the Yaksha Dao-Soldiers,” Xiangliu Fang said. “Both of these demon forces number over ten thousand soldiers each, and the leaders of both sides are at the Earth Immortal or Loose Immortal level.”

“Both are Earth Immortal or Loose Immortal?” Shaoyan Nong was astonished.

“Yes, one each, most likely,” Xiangliu Fang said. “The leader of the Wavefiend Demon-Soldiers is likely a slightly stronger Loose Immortal. As for the Yaksha Dao-Soldiers, they are of the Wu Jiang clan. Although their leader is somewhat weaker, their overall strength is greater… As a result, even top-tier Loose Immortals can only flee for their lives from these two forces!”

Xiangliu Fang was a true ancient Primordial Fiendgod, and of the Xiangliu tribe at that. Although he was only at the peak Primal Daoist level, he possessed combat power comparable to a top-tier Loose Immortal.

Even the slightly weaker Wavefiend Demon-Soldiers were sufficient to force Xiangliu Fang to flee.

The Yaksha Dao-Soldiers could similarly toy with him.

“Defeating them is impossible,” Xiangliu Fang shook his head. “A few more Loose Immortals wouldn’t be nearly enough.”

“The Immortal manor has five main halls,” Shaoyan Nong said in a low voice. “I have already refined one of them. I am confident I can reach two more of the halls, but the last two will be troublesome.”

“Young Master Shaoyan, you’re confident you can reach two more halls?” Mu Northson asked in surprise. “Since you can reach those two, why not the last two?”

Ji Ning and the others looked at Shaoyan Nong with confusion as well.

Those two demon forces were waiting outside. How could they charge out?

“You simply don’t know,” Shaoyan Nong laughed. “I have already refined this Treasure Hall. The Treasure Hall is enormous, one of the five pillars supporting this Immortal manor world. The surrounding ten thousand li are all influenced by it. Using the Immortal manor’s key, I can open a passage and appear anywhere within that ten thousand li range.”

“Those two demon forces are just guarding the nearest area, but I can appear thousands of li away. Then, with Uncle Fang’s evasion technique, we can head straight to the next hall.”

Everyone understood now.

“If I refine all five halls, I can appear anywhere in the Immortal manor world,” Shaoyan Nong said emotionally. “But for now, I’ve only refined one.”

“Young Master Shaoyan, with this method,” Xue Hongyi said in surprise, “can’t we just enter the other four halls one after another? Those demon forces won’t be able to stop us.”

“You’re wrong.”

Shaoyan Nong shook his head and sighed. “Because the Immortal manor has been sealed for so long, these demon tribes have forgotten the abilities of its halls. But once I use a hall to appear thousands of li away… the moment I do it once, they will understand what the halls can do. Then they will probably just go directly to the halls I haven’t refined yet and guard them.”

Everyone’s expression turned solemn.

Right.

The Immortal manor had five main halls. These demon forces had no reason to just wait outside. They could go to the unrefined halls and surround them completely. Regardless, to refine the Immortal manor, Shaoyan Nong would have to go to those unrefined halls even knowing they were completely surrounded.

“Waiting by the tree, watching for the rabbit,” Ji Ning said silently. “He has to go to the unrefined halls. As long as they surround them completely, there’s no avoiding these demons.”

Waiting by the tree, watching for the rabbit. It seemed stupid.

But it hit their vital point. None of them had a solution.

“We can’t worry about that now. Let’s refine two halls first,” Shaoyan Nong said. “Let’s go!”

Around the pillar of golden light that represented the Treasure Hall, the two strongest demon forces of this Immortal manor world had gathered: the Wavefiend Demon-Soldiers and the Yaksha Dao-Soldiers.

“Duohe, this time we should set aside our differences and work together against the humans to seize the Immortal manor’s key.”

“Wu Sui, I am very pleased that your Wu Jiang clan is willing to join hands with us.”

These were the two most powerful beings in the Immortal manor world.

One was Duohe the Immortal, an old Loose Immortal who had lived for over a hundred thousand years. The other was Wu Sui the Immortal, who had just passed the ten-thousand-year mark. They immediately made a Heavenly Dao oath to each other, agreeing to join forces.

To get out, they would set aside everything.

Both sides waited in silence.

After a long time…

“Hm?” Two Loose Immortals and a number of Primal-level great demons almost simultaneously turned their heads to look several thousand li away. Several thousand li away, a warship appeared out of thin air. Following that, Xiangliu Fang on the warship shook his body and transformed into a thousand-zhang tall Primordial Fiendgod with nine heads, a human body, and a serpent’s tail. The Primordial Fiendgod Xiangliu grabbed the ship with one hand, then immediately executed an evasion technique, beginning to flee at a terrifying speed.

Swoosh!

A streak of light was left behind in the distance. Both Duohe the Immortal’s side and the Wu Jiang clan were stunned. They all knew that in terms of speed, they couldn’t possibly catch up to that Primordial Fiendgod. Since he had already opened a gap of several thousand li, there was no hope.

“How? How did they suddenly appear several thousand li away?”

“When they entered this hall before, they were very close to it.”

“To enter, you have to be close. Why can they appear several thousand li away when they leave?”

Even in the distant, endless years ago when Wu Jiang the Immortal was alive, as the master, the tribes under his command didn’t know much about the special properties of the halls, let alone the current demon tribes after endless years.

“He refined the hall. He controls it completely, which is why it’s special,” Duohe the Immortal said.

“That must be it,” Wu Sui the Immortal agreed.

“The Immortal manor has five main halls. He has only refined one. There are four unrefined halls left. Each of us will guard one of the unrefined halls. Unless he gives up, he will have to fight us,” Duohe the Immortal said.

Soon, both sides agreed. They swept off towards two distant golden light pillars, respectively.

“The worst-case scenario has happened.” The nine-headed, human-bodied, serpent-tailed Primordial Fiendgod Xiangliu had the warship in his palm. Inside the warship, Shaoyan Nong, Ji Ning, and the others watched from afar as the two demon forces flew away.

Those two demon forces did not pursue them. Instead, they flew in two different directions, heading straight for two of the golden light pillars.

“I have to refine the Immortal manor,” Shaoyan Nong gritted his teeth. “These damn demons deserve to die, all of them.”

Soon.

The thousand-zhang tall Primordial Fiendgod Xiangliu, holding the warship in one hand, arrived directly beside another golden light pillar.

“Enter.” Shaoyan Nong directly used the Immortal manor’s key to open a passage.

Ji Ning and the others felt a weight in their hearts. This time, they could enter easily because there were no demon tribes blocking them. But two of the five main halls were now completely surrounded. Getting into those two would be far from easy.

Whoosh.

The Primordial Fiendgod Xiangliu shrank and entered the warship. The entire warship flew into the passage.

An incredibly vast hall. This hall was over a thousand times larger than the main hall they had first discovered in the Treasure Hall.

“So big.” Everyone was stunned.

Looking out, it was boundless, like a vast plain.

This super-massive hall was essentially a closed-off minor world. In the sky above hung a sun, radiating endless light and heat. The soil below was covered with countless spiritual fruits and herbs. Over the endless years, these Immortal herbs had only been tended by a few golems, never receiving the best care.

These spiritual herbs and fruits generally required many special treasures to nurture and cultivate. But even so, after endless years, a few true ‘treasures’ had grown among these spiritual fruits and herbs.

“Immortal herbs and Immortal fruits.” Everyone was overjoyed.

“Whoosh!”

Suddenly, the Primordial Fiendgod Xiangli Fang, standing beside Shaoyan Nong, extended his hand. His palm rapidly grew larger, and his fingers transformed into ten giant serpents, blotting out the sky as they directly covered the entire field of Immortal herbs. In an instant, the eighteen stalks of Immortal herbs and fruits with the densest Immortal aura were all plucked.

“Roar! Damn it!”

“This is the master’s Immortal Herb Hall! Stealing herbs… damn it!”

Three golem figures flew out.

One of the Primordial Fiendgod Xiangliu’s giant palms directly flipped over and slapped down. The three golems were sent flying, crashing heavily into the distant wall. Following that, Xiangliu Fang reached out again, grabbed the three Primal-level golems, and directly tossed them into his large sack.

Then, Xiangliu Fang withdrew his two massive hands and stood calmly beside Shaoyan Nong, as if nothing had happened.

“This…” Everyone looked at the Primordial Fiendgod Xiangliu Fang in shock.

Xiangliu Fang had made his move, and they simply couldn’t compete.

“What you get is yours. That’s what I said before. Since Uncle Fang got them, they’re his,” Shaoyan Nong said with a smile. “There are still plenty of spiritual herbs and fruits. Although their potency is poorer, they are still decent.”

Everyone cursed inwardly.

This medicine garden, left behind by Wu Jiang the Immortal, had been left untended for endless years. The big fish had eaten the small, and the small had eaten the even smaller, resulting in only eighteen stalks that could truly be called ‘Immortal-grade’ spiritual herbs and fruits. The rest were weaker Immortal herbs and fruits whose spiritual energy had been plundered. Although they all grumbled inwardly, everyone including Xue Hongyi quickly began to gather all the remaining Immortal herbs and fruits.

“The Immortal Herb Hall is completely open. There aren’t even a few secret rooms,” Shaoyan Nong said, quickly discovering the central nexus of this hall. It was a quiet, secluded chamber built beside the medicine garden. The entire chamber was the hall’s central nexus.

“All of you can look around. You might find some more treasures,” Shaoyan Nong said calmly, entering the chamber to begin refining it.

Everyone cursed inwardly again.

The Immortal Herb Hall was exactly what it sounded like: its treasures were these Immortal herbs. The most precious ones had already been taken by the Primordial Fiendgod Xiangliu Fang. What other treasures could there be?

Even so, Ji Ning and the others scattered to search a bit. Unfortunately, there wasn’t even a single corpse in this hall. That made sense—this was Wu Jiang the Immortal’s medicine garden. He trusted his golems the most and forbade any of his tribesmen from entering the Immortal Herb Hall.

An hour later.

“I have refined the Immortal Herb Hall,” Shaoyan Nong said with a smile. “Let’s go. On to the next hall.”