Zhang Chonglou suddenly burst into inexplicable laughter, leaving everyone bewildered.

Even Qiuming Mountain frowned, "Master Zhang, why are you laughing?"

Zhang Chonglou showed no tension or any intention of blaming Yang Hongfu. Instead, he smiled and said, "We Taoists have always valued fate, which bears a resemblance to Buddhist doctrines. You are making such a commotion simply to capture me, Zhang Chonglou, to achieve your Eternal Life Hall's schemes. However, I'm afraid you don't even need my intervention."

"Oh, Master Zhang, do you intend to watch these people die?" Qiuming Mountain could not grasp Zhang Chonglou's approach, not understanding why this old fellow spoke inexplicable words, looking indifferent to the lives of others, completely unfitting with the legendary image of an enlightened Taoist.

Zhang Chonglou lightly shook his head, "Life and death are fated, wealth is destined. I always thought I understood it, but it turns out I haven't seen through it yet."

Then, his gaze fell on Yang Hongfu, "Hongfu, you are my main disciple of Zhang Chonglou. In the future, Heavenly Master Tao will be entrusted to you. I have always believed in your cultivation and disposition, but there are trials you must endure. In today's matter, as a master, I will do nothing and leave it at that."

After speaking, he flicked the horsetail whisk, turned around, and intended to leave.

Everyone was stunned.

What was Zhang Chonglou up to?

Qiuming Mountain would not let Zhang Chonglou leave.

Everything he did was to control Zhang Chonglou.

Capturing Zhang Chonglou would effectively mean having the entire Taoist sect under control, "Capture him! Don't let him escape!"

Qiuming Mountain shouted loudly.

The crossbowmen quickly released the crossbow arrows.

But Zhang Chonglou, as if it were child's play, flicked the horsetail whisk. The crossbow arrows seemed to be pulled by a mysterious force, astonishingly returning by the way they came, directly killing the crossbowmen.

This scene brought a cold sweat to Qiuming Mountain's forehead.

"Quick, Eighteen Rakshasas, take action!"

The remaining seventeen black-robed figures, without further thought, transformed into a black wind and charged toward Zhang Chonglou.

Zhang Chonglou lightly shook his head, "The Eighteen Rakshasas are nothing remarkable. If your current sect master of Yin Ghost Sect is interested, you can come to Heavenly Master Tao and challenge me. Haha, it's been a while since I last dealt with a real Ghost King."

With another flick of the horsetail whisk.

A fierce gust of wind howled.

The original seventeen black shadows that charged out seemed to be hit by some heavy object, crashing back in succession.

Seventeen members of the Yin Ghost Sect all spat blood.

Qiuming Mountain was dumbstruck.

He knew Zhang Chonglou was formidable, but never imagined Zhang Chonglou was so powerful.

However, seeing Zhang Chonglou not making any further moves and turning back as if nothing mattered, Qiuming Mountain felt inexplicably strange.

No one could stop Zhang Chonglou.

"This, this..." Gong Cheng also looked strangely at the spot where Zhang Chonglou vanished in the blink of an eye, then turned to Qiuming Mountain, "Guardian Qiu, what's with that old Taoist?"

Qiuming Mountain swallowed hard, his initial confidence wavering.

Only Gongsun Zhi looked thoughtfully towards the Spiritual Spring.

Meanwhile, deep within the Spiritual Spring,

Ye Guichen slowly opened his eyes.

The massive Crystal Stone beneath him had lost its original luster, like it might shatter with a gentle touch.

Moreover, even the toad's Demon Core in his hand had turned pitch-black.

With a gentle squeeze,

The Demon Core instantly crumbled into ash.

"The Xuanming Prison Suppressing Technique is indeed miraculous. Even after absorbing so much energy, it's only barely reached the peak of the second layer. To break through the second layer, it seems I need even more energy."

Stretching his body, Ye Guichen slowly stood up.

The gravity that originally pinned him down seemed to have lost its effect on Ye Guichen.

Gently leaping forward, being on solid ground was no different to him now.

"Hmm, however, after entering the second layer, I feel as if my strength has increased several times." Ye Guichen clenched his fist, trying a punch.

Bang!

With a sound as if shattering through the air, a shadow of a punch formed before Ye Guichen's fist.

The punch shadow wasn't large, but after Ye Guichen delivered it, it struck a wall ten meters away, creating a small fist-sized hole.

Moreover, the punch shadow broke into the stone wall for seven or eight meters before stopping.

"Wow, this power is incredible!"

Ye Guichen was surprised himself.

If an empty punch carries this much power, a direct hit on a person, no, even a poke with a finger, could easily kill someone, couldn't it?

Now it seemed as if Ye Guichen had entered another realm. Although he couldn't describe the specific feeling, he was sure it was entirely different from martial artists.

"Could it be that the cultivators Old Man Zhang spoke of really exist?" Ye Guichen slowly opened his hand, holding a mass of profound energy.

Profound energy, though a sign of the Grandmaster Realm, is also a hallmark of breaking through to become an Innate expert.

However, the profound energy Ye Guichen held, able to be wielded externally, was clearly different from before.

It seemed more solid and contained a more raging power than the previous profound energy.

When Ye Guichen first entered the Innate Realm, he could barely chop wooden furniture from a distance.

But now, even cutting through steel from ten meters away seemed easy.

Ye Guichen sighed, preparing to return and have a good chat with Zhang Chonglou.

In this regard, Zhang Chonglou's research seemed to have delved deeper.

While pondering, he heard chaotic noises outside the Spiritual Spring, including shouting and cursing.

Listening carefully, it sounded quite lively.

"Hmm, why does it sound like there are hundreds of people outside?" With a slight movement of his ears, even from a thousand meters away, Ye Guichen could sense the number of people outside.

He walked to the wellhead, taking a look at the spring.

The spring that previously emitted Spiritual Energy was still bubbling with water, but the water now seemed no different from ordinary springwater and bore no trace of Spiritual Energy.

Like a gecko, Ye Guichen climbed out of the Spiritual Spring.

This time it was significantly easier.

Within a few breaths, Ye Guichen had reached the mouth of the Spiritual Spring well.

Then, with a leap, he was out.

Looking up, Ye Guichen was taken aback, "Whoa, what happened here?"

Outside, it was chaotic.

Dozens of corpses littered the ground.

Even those still alive were covered in wounds.

A quick glance allowed Ye Guichen to recognize several familiar faces.

"Hmm, Su Wu? Gongsun Fengying, Hua Sheng? What, what are you all doing?"

The sudden appearance of Ye Guichen startled everyone.

Gong Cheng was especially incredulous, "You're not dead?"