She is Jianxiu

Chapter 1420, Section 52: The Fog and Clouds Retreat, Old Friends Reunite

Three months later, the city gates were opened wide, and disciples from various sects obeyed orders, crossing mountains and entering the territory beyond the pass.

Beyond the land, the vast sky and blue sea remained unchanged; looking up, one could still see a thick fog and surging waves.

On this vast sea, a dozen or so disciples gathered together, looking at the churning waves and eerie demonic aura below. One of them frowned and said, "It has been many years since I have been to the East Sea. I did not expect the demonic aura here to be so strong. Logically speaking, with the Taiyuan Dao Sect in charge here, it should not be like this."

Among the disciples, some agreed with this statement and nodded silently upon hearing it. However, a tall, handsome young man looked around for a moment before turning to Yan Chouxing, who had spoken earlier, and said, "I observe that the demonic aura here is very strong, but there are no traces of sea demons to be found. The vast sea area can be described as lifeless and devoid of vitality. It must have been intentionally done by the people of Taiyuan."

Yan Chouxing turned around and looked back, his expression softening slightly, and his tone becoming unusually polite. He raised his eyebrows and said, "Oh, I wonder what Brother Guan's opinion is on this?"

It's not surprising that Yan Chouxing acted this way; among these disciples, there were very few who could truly get along with him. Qin Yuke didn't say much more. The elder leading the group was none other than her revered master. Given the consistent temperament of Zhenyang Cave Heaven, even though she remained silent and rarely smiled with the others, disciples would still take the initiative to approach her and curry favor.

After all, they all came from the Eighteen Cave Heavens, and they could find connections with their elders a few generations back. On the contrary, Yan Chouxing, a member of a noble family, was an anomaly among them.

Fortunately, there were people like Boyan. Based on the relationship between his master and elders and the Chen family, and compared with the disciples of the Eighteen Cave Heavens, Yan Chouxing naturally gravitated towards them and regarded them as his own people.

Guan Boyan could see right through his thoughts. After laughing to himself, he didn't care much and gradually started associating with the other party.

Therefore, upon hearing this question, they knew that Yan Chouxing had done it on purpose, wanting to create momentum for himself and others, and not wanting to be looked down upon by those disciples of the Eighteen Caves.

He shook his head and smiled, noticing the disciples around him looking at him with puzzled eyes, and said, "In the end, it was just my guess. After all, supernatural powers are useless against demons and monsters. Taiyuan made this place filled with demonic energy, which is just right to prevent supernatural beings from coming to the East Sea. Besides, there have been quite a few demon soldiers and generals used in the Southern Lands over the years. If we don't create a few places to raise troops, how can the sea monsters of the East Sea possibly fill the gaps left by the Southern Lands for a hundred years?"

This statement made sense, and the remaining disciples nodded in agreement. Their gazes toward Guan Boyan and the others gradually became more serious.

Zhao Chun ventured deep into enemy territory alone, accompanied only by twelve disciples in the Outer Transformation stage. Most of them were from the Eighteen Cave Heavens, and while their cultivation and strength weren't top-tier, they were chosen by Zhao Chun because of their unique abilities, which suited her needs. As for Yan Chouxing, he was quite strong and courageous. She had once been indebted to Yan Xiaoning, so bringing him along wasn't unreasonable.

As for Guan Boyan, Gong Mianyu, and Qi Yunrong, Zhao Chun offered them the same support she would her disciple Yu Ke.

She was no saint, how could she be selfless? The trip to the East Sea seemed fraught with danger, but staying outside the pass to fight was just as risky. However, if the matter in the East Sea was accomplished, the merit gained would be far greater than that outside the pass. Since ancient times, good things should not go to outsiders. Apart from her disciple Yu Ke, only the Chongxiao Zhaoyan lineage from back then could still make her care.

Qin Yuke, as a disciple herself, also came from the Chongxiao Minor Realm. If Shi Xiangyuan hadn't insisted on introducing her, she probably would have missed this master-disciple relationship. Therefore, in her heart, the only people she could truly consider close among those present were Qi Yunrong and others who also came from the lower realm. Thus, upon hearing this, she smiled and nodded.
“That’s right. My master also told me that Taiyuan must have opened up a demon cave in the East Sea to raise a large number of demon generals and prevent other people from entering the East Sea.”

The real purpose of this move was to prevent the outsiders from crossing the sea to the north, which would also benefit the various sects in the north. So, all the major sects have been aware of this over the years, but they have kept it to themselves and refused to say it out loud.

These twelve disciples were not stupid. After listening to these words, they pondered for a moment, and their expressions showed a hint of understanding.

Suddenly, Qi Yunrong, who had been silent, changed her expression and turned to Qin Yuke, saying, "The demonic aura is getting stronger; a powerful demon is approaching!"

However, considering that there were other people present, there was one thing she didn't say directly.

That is, within this extremely strong aura, there is more of a sense of familiarity than a chilling malice.

As a half-demon disciple, Qi Yunrong was more sensitive to demons and monsters than the others. Therefore, after she uttered these words in a deep voice, the remaining disciples also felt an extremely powerful demonic aura, like a huge wave crashing in from afar!
Such a powerful demon is far beyond the capabilities of cultivators in the Outer Transformation stage. At least, killing these twelve disciples would be effortless for them.

But the disciples opened their eyes wide, yet felt no fear in their hearts!
Just then, the clouds parted above, revealing a familiar figure.

The man looked ahead, a smile on his face, and said with a hint of jest, "The disciples' cultivation is still shallow, so don't frighten them."

Suddenly, the vast sea fog dissipated, revealing a clear blue sky. Warm sunlight poured down, illuminating the azure sea with golden hues and rainbows filling the waves. Two young women stood on the sea, both with smiling eyes. The one on the left was of similar cultivation level to the disciples, but her aura was slightly strange. She looked like a member of my clan, but she was definitely not a Taoist cultivator. Instead, she resembled a demon cultivator quite a bit.

As for the one on the right, needless to say, the sweeping aura just now must have been released by her. Although she has now transformed into human form, she cannot fool everyone about her origins.

"Why does the Sword Lord make fun of us? How could a mere demon like me frighten such eminent disciples of the immortal sects?"

The two women approached, chatting and laughing. Zhao Chun also lowered herself to the disciples, cupped her sleeves, and said, "It's been many years. Senior Qingzhi has also made great progress in her cultivation. This junior should congratulate you."

In the demon race, cultivation largely progresses with the years. The longer a powerful demon lives, the deeper its cultivation becomes. Celestial demons like the Six-Winged Azure Bird, blessed by their bloodline, can still gradually improve their cultivation even if they spend thousands of years eating, drinking, and sleeping. This sounds quite enviable, especially for Daoist cultivators whose lifespans are short and who must cultivate diligently to continuously advance.

However, there are two sides to every story. The long lifespan of celestial demons and their supernatural powers derived from their bloodline mean that acquired cultivation is far less effective than what they are born with. The Blood Pool Secret Land in the Sun Palace is essentially designed to enhance the bloodline of future generations, rather than simply for arduous cultivation. Therefore, while Daoist cultivators can defy the heavens with the help of rare treasures and various opportunities, the future of celestial demons is mostly predetermined from the moment of their birth.

The pros and cons depend solely on each person's choices.

Once a demon or spirit reaches Qingzhi's level of cultivation, taking another step forward is no longer something that can be achieved through cultivation alone. Even with the bloodline of a celestial demon, without a great opportunity and without accumulating hundreds or thousands of years of experience, it is extremely difficult to make even the slightest progress.

But since Zhao Chun left the Sun Palace until their reunion today, the changes in Qingzhi are beyond what can be described as simply being radiant!

It is evident that after breaking through to the Divine Realm, this Heavenly Demon with pure bloodline made further progress in just a few hundred years, and by quite a bit.

"You don't know, this is all thanks to you." Qingzhi smiled and didn't say anything more. She took a few steps forward and invited, "There are many inconveniences here, please come with me."

She said Zhao Chun didn't know, and Zhao Chun indeed didn't know.

After she mended the Heavenly Path, Feng Shi repaid her with the Jade Pool Immortal Herb. This herb was incredibly precious; in times of crisis, it could even save the lives of powerful cultivators. Qing Zhi consumed the herb in her external avatar, not only successfully reshaping her avatar but also continuing to benefit from its effects even after breaking through to the Divine Realm.

Furthermore, as a prophet of the Six-Winged Bluebird clan, she foresaw the outcome of the imperial throne early on. Thus, after Zhao Chun helped Liu Xuan seize the blood of the Emperor Wu, all the omens returned to normal, and she benefited greatly from it.

It's true that it was all thanks to Zhao Chun.

These are just things that are not easy to talk about to outsiders.

The Sun Palace is located in a remote corner, near the southern sea of ​​the boundary. The northern sea area is mostly controlled by Taiyuan. Therefore, although no trace of this sect's disciples has been seen on the vast sea, the spies hidden in the shadows are constantly searching for clues and probing from all directions.

Fortunately, since this sect entered the sea, it has been actively recruiting members of the three clans of the Sun Palace. The latter could not refuse and could only send their clansmen to help. In the past hundred years, this has led to a situation where the imperial sons of the three clans are vying for the top spot, and each of them has occupied their own territory in this East Sea.

Qingzhi led everyone to the place that belonged to the imperial prince Liu Xuan.

Only in this territory where the celestial demons reside can they temporarily avoid the eyes and ears of Taiyuan, making it easier for everyone to act.

After refining the blood of the Emperor Crow, Liu Xuan's demonic soul became even stronger than before. Now, she can be said to have combined the strengths of both, possessing both the divine powers of a celestial demon and the convenience of cultivating in a human body. Zhao Chun observed that her magical power was profound and extremely pure, and it would probably not be long before she could smoothly enter the realm of the Divine Transformation.

Such speed is astonishing even among Daoist cultivators, and it is unheard of even among the Heavenly Demon Clan.

"In that case, those elders probably won't be able to say anything more." Zhao Chun nodded slightly, thinking to herself that before Liu Xuan refined the Emperor's Blood, the previous Emperor's son Chang Ying could be said to be on par with her. Now that Chang Ying is dead and Liu Xuan has shown her prowess, Chang Ying's mother alone can no longer shake her.