He was so persuasive that he actually practiced extraordinary

"Such powerful strength!" Master Xuanzhen was secretly shocked. He had not expected that the black-robed old man's strength would be so terrifying, that he could contend with him single-handedly.

The old man in black robes also sensed the power of Master Xuanzhen. He understood that defeating his opponent in a short time would not be easy, so he changed his strategy and began to use his expertise in poison techniques.

The old man in black robes chanted incantations, and then wisps of black poisonous mist emanated from his body, rapidly spreading in all directions. This poisonous mist was not only highly corrosive but also paralyzed the nerves, causing people to lose their fighting ability without realizing it.

"Oh no! This poisonous fog is too dangerous!" Zhang Yingying exclaimed in alarm. She felt her true energy becoming sluggish under the corrosive influence of the fog. The other two female disciples were also affected, their faces turning pale.

Seeing this, Master Xuanzhen was extremely anxious. He knew that if things continued like this, the three women would likely be in mortal danger. Therefore, he hurriedly activated his inner energy to form a protective shield around the three of them, keeping the poisonous mist out.

However, the old man in black robes had no intention of stopping there. Seeing that Master Xuanzhen had protected the three women, a sinister glint flashed in his eyes. He vanished from his spot in a flash, and the next moment he appeared behind the three women.

"Die!" The black-robed old man sneered and swung his sword at the three women. A black sword aura instantly tore through the sky and struck the three women.

"Watch out!" Master Xuanzhen cried out in alarm, trying to save the three women, but it was too late. He could only watch helplessly as the black sword energy hurtled towards them, his heart filled with despair.

Master Xuanzhen's heart leaped into his throat. He knew he couldn't reach the three women in time and could only pray that they could escape the calamity. However, just as the black sword energy was about to strike the three women, a dazzling golden light suddenly burst forth from their bodies, forcefully blocking the sword energy.

"What... what's going on?" Master Xuanzhen stared wide-eyed at the three women, his mind filled with doubt.

It turned out that the moment the black-robed elder launched his attack, the three women felt a warm current surge from their dantian, and then their bodies were enveloped in a layer of golden light. This warm current was the true energy they had cultivated in their daily practice, which automatically activated in the critical moment to protect them.

"Master, we're alright!" Zhang Yingying felt the changes in her body and her confidence soared. She shouted loudly to Master Xuanzhen.

Upon hearing this, Master Xuanzhen felt a great weight lifted from his heart, but he was also secretly astonished. He hadn't expected the three women to unleash such powerful potential at the crucial moment, managing to withstand the black-robed elder's attack. This filled him with boundless anticipation for their future.

Upon seeing this, the old man in black robes was surprised. He hadn't expected these three young girls to be unharmed after his attack, which forced him to reassess their strength.

"Hmph, I underestimated you." The old man in black robes sneered. "However, with this little skill, you are far from enough!"

Having said that, he once again swung his black longsword, launching an even fiercer attack on the three women. This time, each of his sword strikes contained powerful true energy and deadly poison, sending chills down their spines.

The three women dared not slacken their efforts in the slightest. They immediately circulated their inner energy and engaged in a fierce battle with the black-robed elder. Zhang Yingying wielded her longsword with impenetrable skill, deflecting the elder's attacks one by one; the other two female disciples attacked from both sides, attempting to distract him.

Seeing this, Master Xuanzhen joined the battle without hesitation. He wielded his longsword and engaged in a breathtaking duel with the black-robed elder. In an instant, sword light flashed and sword energy crisscrossed, enveloping the entire space in their battle.

Despite his formidable strength, the old man in black robes gradually found himself overwhelmed by the combined attacks of Master Xuanzhen and the three women. He knew that if this continued, he would inevitably find himself in trouble. Therefore, he decided to deal with the three young girls first, and then focus on Master Xuanzhen.

He suddenly channeled his inner energy, injecting an even more powerful force into the black longsword. Then, he swung the sword fiercely, and a black sword aura instantly ripped through the sky, attacking the three women.

The three women were startled, knowing that this sword strike was no ordinary attack and that they would have to go all out to defend against it. Therefore, all three of them simultaneously channeled their inner energy, swinging their longswords to their fullest extent to meet the black sword energy head-on.

With a deafening boom, the black sword energy clashed violently with the three women's longswords, unleashing a powerful energy surge. The three women felt an immense force strike them, and their bodies involuntarily retreated.

However, at that moment, the old man in black robes suddenly appeared behind the three women. His black longsword was already at Zhang Yingying's neck, the threat obvious.

"Stop!" Upon seeing this, Master Xuanzhen's expression changed drastically, and he immediately stopped his attack, fearing that the black-robed old man would harm the three women.

"Haha, Master Xuanzhen, you've lost!" The old man in black robes laughed triumphantly. "These three little girls are mine now!"

After saying this, he prepared to leave with the three women. However, the moment he turned around, a sharp sword aura suddenly attacked from behind, aiming straight for his vital points.

The old man in black robes was startled and quickly turned to swing his sword to defend himself. But the sword energy was extremely fast, and he had no time to react before it struck his chest.

"Pfft!" The black-robed old man spat out a mouthful of blood, his body was sent flying by the sword energy, and he crashed heavily into the distant mountain wall.

"Master!" the three women exclaimed and rushed to Master Xuanzhen's side to check on his injuries.

It turned out that the sword energy he had just unleashed was secretly gathered by Daoist Xuanzhen. He had prepared this surprise attack the moment the black-robed elder took the three women hostage. Sure enough, the move worked; the black-robed elder was struck by the sword energy and seriously injured.

"Master, are you alright?" Zhang Yingying asked with concern.

"I'm fine." Master Xuanzhen shook his head. "Go and check on that villain!"

Upon hearing this, the three women immediately ran to the black-robed elder's side to check on him. They saw the elder lying on the ground, unable to move, with a bloody hole in his chest from which blood was gushing out.

“Master, he’s not dead yet!” a female disciple said.

Upon hearing this, Master Xuanzhen walked over and examined the black-robed elder's injuries: "Although he is seriously injured, he won't die anytime soon. Tie him up and take him back for interrogation!"

So the three women and Master Xuanzhen worked together to tie up the old man in black robes, and then took him back to the Taoist temple.

Upon returning to the Taoist temple, Master Xuanzhen immediately began interrogating the old man in black robes. However, the old man remained extremely stubborn, refusing to divulge any information about the Black Fiend Sect no matter how Master Xuanzhen pressed him. Master Xuanzhen was not in a hurry; he knew that dealing with such villains required patience and time. Therefore, he ordered his men to lock the old man in a secret room and assigned guards to watch over him day and night to prevent him from escaping or committing suicide.

After the old man in black robes was locked in the secret chamber, Master Xuanzhen did not leave immediately. Instead, he stood outside the door, hands behind his back, brows furrowed. He knew that this old man in black robes was no ordinary person. To be able to infiltrate this place and intend to abduct the three women, he must be a high-ranking figure in the Black Fiend Sect. If the Black Fiend Sect were to be completely eradicated, the identity of this old man in black robes and the information he possessed would be crucial clues.

"Master, what are you thinking about?" Zhang Yingying asked softly as she approached Xuanzhen Daojiu, who had not moved for a long time.

Master Xuanzhen turned around, looked at Zhang Yingying, and a trace of worry flashed in his eyes: "I'm thinking about the identity of this old man in black robes. He is definitely not an ordinary member of the sect, and must hold a high position in the Black Fiend Sect. If we can learn more secrets about the Black Fiend Sect from him, we might be able to annihilate them in one fell swoop."

Upon hearing this, a determined glint flashed in Zhang Yingying's eyes: "Master, we will definitely get the truth out of him. No matter how stubborn he is, we will not give up."

Master Xuanzhen nodded, then looked at his two other female disciples, who also wore resolute expressions. He felt very gratified, knowing that these three disciples were all promising talents.

In the days that followed, Master Xuanzhen personally took charge of interrogating the old man in black robes. He sometimes interrogated him sternly, and sometimes coaxed him gently, but the old man in black robes remained tight-lipped and refused to reveal any information.

One night, Master Xuanzhen came to the secret chamber again. He stood at the door and looked inside through the crack. He saw an old man in black robes sitting on the ground, his eyes closed in meditation, seemingly indifferent to everything outside.

Master Xuanzhen quietly pushed open the door and stepped inside. The old man in black robes noticed the noise, opened his eyes abruptly, and a look of vigilance flashed across his face as he glanced over.

"Black Robe, do you really think that just because you keep quiet, I won't be able to find out your background?" Master Xuanzhen's tone was icy.

The old man in black robes sneered disdainfully: "Master Xuanzhen, go ahead and investigate. I, in black robes, am just a nobody in the Black Fiend Sect. What can you possibly find out?"

Upon hearing this, Master Xuanzhen's heart stirred. He carefully examined the old man in black robes and noticed that although his face was sinister and terrifying, there was a barely perceptible sorrow in his eyes. This gave rise to a bold guess in his mind.

“Black Robe, if you were just a nobody, why would you personally kidnap my disciple? You must have something to do with it. Moreover, I can sense an unusual aura about you, which is definitely not something an ordinary member of the sect could possess,” Master Xuanzhen said slowly.

Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in the old man's eyes. He hadn't expected that Daoist Xuanzhen's senses were so sharp that he could detect the abnormality in him.

"You...you're talking nonsense!" the old man in black robes stammered in his defense.

Seeing this, Master Xuanzhen became even more certain of his guess. He continued, "Black Robe, if you're willing to tell me your true identity and everything you know, I might spare your life. Otherwise, once I discover your secrets, I'll make you wish you were dead!"

Upon hearing this, a flicker of fear crossed the old man's eyes. He remained silent for a moment, then slowly spoke, "Master Xuanzhen, do you... do you really want to know my identity?"

Master Xuanzhen nodded: "Of course. Your identity may be the key clue for me to destroy the Black Fiend Sect."

The old man in black robes took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind. He slowly said, "I...I am actually the Right Protector of the Black Fiend Sect..."

Master Xuanzhen was shocked upon hearing this. He hadn't expected that the old man in black robes was actually the Right Protector of the Black Fiend Sect; this was indeed an important clue.

"Since you are the Right Protector, why did you personally come to abduct my disciple?" Master Xuanzhen pressed.

The old man in black robes gave a bitter smile: "This is because... I was actually forced into it. The leader of the Black Fiend Sect gave me a death order, that I must capture your three female disciples. He said that these three female disciples possess the secrets he needs to cultivate his techniques."

Upon hearing this, Master Xuanzhen was enraged. He never expected that the leader of the Black Fiend Sect would be so shameless, resorting to any means to cultivate his techniques.

"What secret does the cult leader want to get from them?" Master Xuanzhen pressed.

The old man in black robes shook his head: "I don't know either. The sect leader has never revealed the specific secret. He only said that these three female disciples have special physiques and are suitable for cultivating his techniques."

Upon hearing this, Master Xuanzhen frowned, a hint of doubt and deep thought flashing in his eyes. He paced slowly, the dim candlelight casting dappled shadows on his face, making his expression even more solemn.

The old man in black robes huddled in the corner, his body trembling slightly, seemingly struggling with fear. He looked up at Master Xuanzhen, his eyes filled with complex emotions—fear of the unknown and a yearning for life.

"As the Right Protector of the Black Fiend Sect, you should know quite a bit about its secrets." Master Xuanzhen stopped and stared sharply at the black-robed elder. "Tell me, what exactly is the Black Fiend Sect plotting? And who is their leader?"

Upon hearing this, the old man in black robes changed his expression, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes. He lowered his head, remaining silent for a moment, seemingly weighing the pros and cons. Finally, he raised his head, a resolute glint in his eyes.

"The leader of the Black Fiend Sect is an extremely mysterious and cruel person," the black-robed elder said slowly, his voice trembling slightly. "He cultivates an extremely evil technique that requires him to constantly absorb the essence of others to improve his own cultivation. And what he has his eye on is the special physique of your three female disciples."

Master Xuanzhen was shocked upon hearing this. He hadn't expected the leader of the Black Fiend Sect to be so evil, willing to harm the innocent for the sake of cultivating his techniques. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, a surge of intense anger rising within him.

"What exactly is the cult leader plotting?" Master Xuanzhen pressed.

The old man in black robes took a deep breath, seemingly recalling past events he was unwilling to discuss. He slowly said, "The sect leader has been searching for a way to break through his cultivation limits. He believes that as long as he can absorb enough essence, he can reach a completely new realm. And your three female disciples are the key to him achieving this goal."

Upon hearing this, Master Xuanzhen's eyes flashed with a chill. He understood that what the black-robed elder meant by "absorbing vital energy" was actually murder. The leader of the Black Fiend Sect was willing to sacrifice others' lives for the sake of cultivating his techniques; such behavior was utterly heinous.

"Where is the sect leader now?" Master Xuanzhen asked in a deep voice. (End of this chapter)