"Yu Yuan, my friend, you indeed possess amazing divine skills..."

Following Yang Jian's departure with Wei Hu, the farce also came to an end.

Jin Shengyang approached with a smile that split his face, his expression full of sycophantic flattery.

The other Jie Sect Immortals were not to be outdone, crowding around and spewing forth praise like it cost them nothing.

Yu Yuan had little interest in their "kindness" and couldn't be bothered to exchange empty pleasantries with them, simply sending them off with a blunt "Scram."

Jin Shengyang and a few other Jie Sect Immortals, having lost face, had no choice but to sullenly ride away on their clouds.

Seeing this, the surrounding Immortal Gods who had been enjoying the spectacle hastily abandoned any plans to curry favor and, after paying their respects from a distance, scattered to the winds.

In the blink of an eye, upon this vast Heavenly Vault, only he and Huo Ling'er remained.

After witnessing the scene of Yang Jian seriously injuring Wei Hu, Huo Ling'er's frustration from being manipulated dissipated quite a bit.

This incident had given her much to understand.

This world was not as she had imagined.

"When fighting others, it's not necessarily the case that one with a higher Daoist realm will win; scheming and adapting on the spot are also very important... am I right?"

Huo Ling'er summarized her experience and sought confirmation from Yu Yuan, who was reclining on the back of the Golden-eyed Five Clouds Camel.

Yu Yuan nodded indifferently, "Right, right, right, everything you said is right."

"How infuriating!"

Having been around him for so long that she was intimately familiar with every characteristic, Huo Ling'er could tell he was brushing her off and began to grind her teeth in annoyance.

A moment later, she recalled something and asked, "Why did you let Jin Shengyang and the others go? Aren't you afraid they will cause more trouble?"

Huo Ling'er looked at Yu Yuan, her expression grew serious as she said, "They rely on the reputation of the Jie Sect to commit misdeeds in the East Sea. We should have taken this opportunity to properly punish them and make them turn over a new leaf..."

She didn't finish her sentence before Yu Yuan interrupted her irritably, "What does that have to do with me?"

Huo Ling'er was startled and confused, "But didn't you burn Nine Dragons Island, capture Yao Gongbo, and kill the One Qi Immortal because they were committing misdeeds under the name of the Jie Sect?"

"Hmm? Who told you that?"

Yu Yuan frowned and shook his head, "I took action simply because they provoked me first."

"Just like that?"

"Yes, just like that."

"I see."

Huo Ling'er sat down beside him, somewhat disappointedly remarking, "I thought you were trying to rectify the behavior of the Jie Sect's disciples and followers."

"Heh heh~"

Yu Yuan chuckled lightly, "Even your master doesn't bother with such a thankless task. Do you think I would do it?"

Huo Ling'er remained silent, looking off into the distance, lost in her thoughts about who knows what.

Yu Yuan didn't pay it much mind.

To be frank, he had also thought about reorganizing the Jie Sect, but he soon gave up the idea.

Let's not even speak of the difficulty of such a task and its lack of gratitude, but even if he were to straighten up the Jie Sect so that each disciple and follower was well-behaved, what would be the use?

Could it help them avoid the Sealing God Calamity?

When the Calamity arrives, would those who set the game and place the pieces spare the Jie Sect due to its strict discipline?

The obvious answer is no!

During the Sealing God Tribulation, there were Jie Sect disciples who heeded the teachings of Sect Hierarch Tongtian, who sealed their cave gates and quietly chanted the scriptures.

Yet, even so, weren't there those who still came knocking on their doors?

Hence, reorganizing the Jie Sect, even if it had an effect, would only make their names on the list appear more tragic.

Backtracking from the conclusion of the Calamity, one can discover a fact - if Heavenly Court wishes to rise, the Great Teachings of the Saints must make way!

Otherwise, Heavenly Court can never truly control the power of Heaven and Earth.

After all, the disciples of the Great Teachings of the Saints wouldn't possibly submit to the jurisdiction of Heavenly Court.

It can be said that from the re-establishment of Heavenly Court, it has already been predestined that the Great Teachings of the Saints will become the focus of the next Great Calamity.

And the Jie Sect, as the foremost great teaching of the myriad Immortal realms, is inevitably set to become the target of all!

So, instead of wasting time reorganizing the Jie Sect, it would be better to devote energy to seeking that which has "escaped."

On this trip to the Returning Ruins, he had already confirmed that the Chaotic Divine Light beneath the ruins could travel back to the past.

As long as he could find its origin, or understand the pattern of the Chaotic Divine Light, he would have the chance to return to before the demise of Red Cloud Ancestor and obtain from him the "escaped one."

That is, the Hongmeng Purple Qi known as the Foundation of Sainthood!

...

Several thousand li away from the Returning Ruins Abyss, a charmingly picturesque island nestled atop the azure waves.

Hidden amongst dense bamboo, resting by mountains and waters, with cicadas serenading and fragrant blossoms wafting, it was indeed a haven of dense spiritual energy.

At this moment, within the bamboo forest, two middle-aged Daoists sat opposite each other, surrounded by a green stone chessboard.

The one on the left, draped in a mysterious-colored Eight Diagrams Daoist robe, had a tall figure and a long beard under his chin, giving off an air of a distinguished and extraordinary cultivator; the one on the right, clothed in a cyan robe with pine patterns, was beardless with a fair complexion, exuding a refined and scholarly appearance.

The two were engrossed in their game and conversation when suddenly a rainbow light descended from the sky, landing amidst the bamboo.

As the rainbow light dissipated, the figures of Yang Jian and Wei Hu appeared.

However, Yang Jian stood while Wei Hu was cradled within Yang Jian's arms, his breath weak like a flickering thread, his Primordial Spirit nearly dispersing.

The middle-aged Daoist in the Eight Diagrams robe got up abruptly, his aura fierce without anger, "Who was so bold as to injure my disciple and deliver such a heavy blow?"

Yang Jian quickly bowed and said, "Reporting to Uncle-Master, it was I who inadvertently injured my brother-disciple."

"Hmm?"

The middle-aged Daoist in the Eight Diagrams robe, also known as Wei Hu's master, Dao Xing Venerable, seemed taken aback. Just as he was about to ask for details, the other Daoist clad in the cyan pine-patterned robe stood up and walked over, "Dao Xing, my brother, set aside your questions for a moment, saving him is what's important now!"

As he spoke, he approached Wei Hu and fed him a shimmering golden pill.

With the Golden Core ingested, Wei Hu's torn and tattered flesh was immediately enveloped in a faint golden light.

And with that, his grievous injuries healed at a visible rate.

Flesh regenerated, broken bones reconnected, tendons repaired...

Anyone witnessing this would surely be envious.

Such a spectacle of raising the dead and knitting bones was not common even in the Primordial era, for it signified the consumption of a life-saving Divine Pill!

Just observing the speed of Wei Hu's recovery, one could deduce that the Golden Core he swallowed was certainly no trifling matter.

In just a moment, Wei Hu's injuries were stabilized, and his Primordial Spirit resettled within his body.

Yang Jian breathed a sigh of relief and before Dao Xing Venerable could inquire, he took the initiative to fully recount the events that had transpired.

Upon hearing his explanation, Dao Xing Venerable's anger could not be contained, "This isn't your fault! Tell me, where are those Jie Sect disciples? I wish to see for myself just how capable these beastly brutes truly are!"

"Hold your temper, my brother." Content presented by *.

The middle-aged Daoist wearing the cyan pine-patterned robe turned to Yang Jian, "You mentioned earlier that Yu Yuan was merely a superior Profound Immortal; are you certain of what you saw?"

"What's so strange about that?" Dao Xing Venerable furrowed his brows, "It's probably just that Yu Yuan hid his true realm, leading Yang Jian and the others to mistake him for a mere superior Profound Immortal. We've encountered such deception during our travels in the Primordial past."

"It's not the same,"

The middle-aged Daoist in the cyan pine-patterned robe replied with his constant gentle demeanor, patiently explaining, "Yang Jian possesses Divine Eye, capable of seeing through falsehood. Even I cannot pretend to be a superior Profound Immortal in front of him."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Dao Xing Venerable, hearing this for the first time, couldn't help but marvel at the silvery white pattern on Yang Jian's forehead, admiringly saying, "I had no idea that the disciple of Yu Ding, my brother, had such an exceptional talent. No wonder the master bestowed upon you the Eight-Nine Profound Skill for you to teach him... Wait a moment!"

He suddenly grasped the implication in the Real Yu Ding's words, and said in astonishment, "You mean to say that Yu Yuan is truly just a Profound Immortal?"

Yang Jian nodded, stating earnestly, "I have observed him in secret; Yu Yuan is indeed only a superior Profound Immortal!"

"But how can a mere Profound Immortal possess such strength?" Dao Xing Venerable mused, "Could it be that he has also cultivated the Eight-Nine Profound Skill and achieved an unrivaled physical body like Yang Jian? Or is he actually a remnant of the Witch Clan?"

Yu Ding shook his head, "There are indeed many remnants of the Demon Clan within the Jie Sect, but the Witch Clan, which does not cultivate the Primordial Spirit, would not be able to achieve the Profound Immortal level even if they joined the Jie Sect... And as for the Eight-Nine Profound Skill, that's even less likely.

It is a Dharma Divine Skill created by our master; how could a disciple of the Jie Sect learn it?

However, brother, you're right about one thing.

That Yu Yuan surely follows the same path of physical cultivation as Yang Jian.

Yet even so, with his level of strength, he shouldn't be merely a Profound Immortal, should he?

Could it be that he has already achieved the Dao Fruit of Daluo? Or has he not transcended the Three Calamities?"

Hearing this, Yang Jian's brow furrowed.

The so-called Three Calamities refer to the calamities of wind, fire, and thunder.

Not ordinary wind, fire, or thunder.

But rather a kind of cosmic metamorphosis, a mystery of the sun and moon.

If evaded, one's longevity could match the heavens; if failed to evade, it spelled death.

Someone like Yang Jian, a disciple of a great order, would inevitably face the Three Calamities soon after becoming immortal, and found them easy to transcend.

Yu Yuan was also a direct disciple of the Jie Sect; how would he fail to pass the Three Calamities?

So had he already achieved Daluo?

With this thought, Yang Jian couldn't help feeling immense pressure.

"Why think so much? My disciple has been harmed like this; we cannot let this matter rest!" said Dao Xing Venerable with an unwelcoming tone.

After a pause, he looked towards Real Yu Ding, "If you are interested in him, join me in confronting him."

Real Yu Ding hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

"That indeed might be for the best."