All of the protagonist's Daoist partners are mine!

"No! No, I don't want to! I won't—"

No, that won't work! Go for it!

The scorching power spread throughout Yan Lingyun's body, causing her to scream again and lose focus.

Xiao Linglong initially thought she had fainted after experiencing that insane feeling, but upon closer inspection, she realized something was wrong.

"Is this what she is?"

"I'm processing some memories," Xing Moxie said jokingly. "My capacity is quite large, you know."

The statement had a double meaning. It turned out that in the final burst of power, Xing Moxie had also injected a portion of the scene into Yan Lingyun's body, and this scene, needless to say, came from his own memories.

If Yan Lingyun's cultivation level were still intact, she could naturally choose to destroy or seal these memories, and then slowly unlock and view them when needed in the future.

But in her current state, she can only let a massive amount of memories play automatically in her mind, to the point that all her consciousness is being used to process that information.

……

"Ah!" Yan Lingyun suddenly opened her eyes and looked around. "Where am I... I was just attacked by a demon. No, where am I?"

She realized she was in a rather strange state, in a pitch-black palace.

The palace was empty and desolate, but she would never forget its layout, even in death…

"The Demon Palace of the Heavenly Demons?"

It was more shabby and newer than I remembered the Demon Palace, looking like it had just been built not long ago.

Yan Lingyun's gaze involuntarily drifted towards the high stone seat, where a dark figure nearly made her heart stop beating.

The man on the stone seat exuded an aura of dominance in the darkness, his imposing presence like that of a ruler of the shadows, yet at the same time, he gave off a sense of emptiness, as if he did not belong to this world and that nothing in the world could touch his cause and effect.

That man was Xing Moxie, the Supreme Demon Lord and Lord of the Demon Palace before he possessed the body.

Yan Lingyun frowned. She knew she was inside the demon's memories, but she didn't know why the demon was doing this.

Looking around, there were no signs of the demon soldiers and generals. In the empty main hall of the Caotian Demon Palace, there was only its king and a few pillars supporting the dome.

She couldn't help but wonder why the demon lord who had summoned countless demons and monsters would be sitting alone in such a desolate place.

He didn't go into seclusion to cultivate; he just appeared to be meditating.

Suddenly, a crimson light appeared in Xing Moxie's eyes as he sat on the stone seat, jolting him awake from his meditation.

He spoke slowly, uttering that devilishly playful voice: "Although the Demon Palace is newly formed and its defenses are not yet complete, who exactly is this powerful figure who managed to bypass all the formations and arrive here? At such a level, why hide your face?"

Yan Lingyun: "?"

Then, a voice that Yan Lingyun had longed for day and night, and which brought tears to her eyes, appeared at the entrance of the main hall.

"Have you been discovered? I underestimated you."

The passageway at the entrance to the main hall was completely dark, with no lights on.

In that darkness, a golden flame suddenly shone, not bright enough, but bright enough to illuminate the golden spearhead carrying it.

The flames flickered, as if they might go out at any moment. They slowly approached.

Along with it came the clattering echo of the high heels of combat boots striking the ground in the empty hall.

A stunning blonde woman emerged from the shadows, casually carrying a golden spear across her shoulder with her hands resting on the shaft, clad in gold and white armor.

This woman bore a striking resemblance to Yan Lingyun, about nine-tenths. Yan Lingyun covered her mouth, having prayed countless times in her dreams over the years just to see her again.

Xing Moxie, seated on the stone throne, narrowed his eyes and examined the weapon: "Your weapon possesses a remarkably rich dual-attribute spiritual power of metal and fire. Could it be the legendary Heaven-Burning and Earth-Scorching Divine Spear? And you are the Great Sun Saintess of this generation?"

The blonde woman casually twirled the spear a few times, making the blade vibrate and hum: "Xuanyuan Rong of the Great Sun Immortal Sect, the one sent to kill you."

Chapter 145: 62 First Battle

confidence!

It wasn't just empty boasting; absolute confidence was written all over her face, adding to her captivating charm.

Upon seeing this scene, Yan Lingyun nodded, her heart trembling, her hands trembling with excitement, and she covered her mouth.

Indeed, this was the very quality she knew of Xuan Yuanrong, the extraordinary woman who was both a teacher and a mother to her.

The image that Yan Lingyun has maintained for so many years is merely an imitation of Xuan Yuanrong from her memories. Only when she reaches the level that Xuan Yuanrong has attained can Yan Lingyun look at herself in the mirror and feel the warmth of her mother never leaving her.

Xing Moxie, sitting on the stone seat, slightly opened his ape eyes. Over the years, he had learned about many women destined for greatness, but the woman in front of him, who had single-handedly ventured into the dragon's den and remained unmoved, gave him a fresh feeling he had never experienced before.

"The number of people who want my head is neither more nor less significant. What makes you think you can do what others can't?"

Xuanyuan Rong smiled confidently: "Why don't you try and see?"

The scene changes.

Boom! The exterior of the Demon Palace dome suddenly exploded, and two beams of spiritual light, one black and one gold, emerged from the top.

Upon seeing this, the demonic cultivators responsible for guarding the Demon Palace exclaimed, "Holy crap, the Demon Lord? The Demon Lord is fighting with people!"

"How despicable those righteous cultivators! They actually dared to sneak in and assassinate the Demon Lord while we were joking around, working, and sleeping! This is intolerable! Attack!"

"Caw! Such powerful spiritual energy fluctuations! The newcomer is a Mahayana stage cultivator! A master! Retreat quickly!"

Xing Moxie and Xuan Yuanrong landed on the sloping roof of the thousand-meter-long Demon Palace.

The former, wielding a demonic halberd, stood alone amidst the clouds, his demonic aura obscuring the sky and sun.

The latter stirred up the world with just a divine spear, and the golden spiritual power emanating from his body was like a second sun shining brightly in the world.

Yan Lingyun's consciousness, which was forced to watch this memory, also floated not far away.

She looked at the golden figure with a fangirl expression: "As expected of my master, he was able to fight this despicable demon to a standstill in a one-on-one battle. Even Young Master Xiao couldn't do that."

Then she turned to the other side, her expression immediately showing disgust and loathing. She stuck out her tongue and gave a thumbs down: "Trash demon, relying on your rapidly improving and infuriating demonic arts, you're bullying people here."

……

In the real world

Xing Moxie and Xiao Linglong stared at Yan Lingyun on the bed, looking at her again and again, as if they were observing some extremely rare and precious beast.

Xiao Linglong: "What memories did you give her? Why is half her face filled with ecstasy and the other half with anger?"

Xing Moxie smiled wryly: "I thought this girl's cultivation aptitude was already above all others, but I didn't expect her talent for controlling facial muscles to be even more unique."

"I didn't know she had such a special skill."

……

In the world of memory

"Haha! Impressive! How many years has it been since you appeared? You've already reached the Mahayana stage. No wonder those old guys said you would be the greatest trial of my life." Xuan Yuanrong, alone with his spear, danced wildly with golden flames atop the Demon Palace.

Although Xing Moxie realized that the other party was a powerful cultivator in the early stage of Mahayana, just like him, Xuan Yuanrong's output of spiritual power still shocked him.

Such powerful golden spiritual energy! To be able to wield the Heaven-Burning and Earth-Scorching Divine Spear to this extent, only a genius with a top-grade golden spiritual root could achieve this.

They fought a fierce battle of pure martial arts for three hundred rounds without a clear winner.

"I never expected the Great Sun Immortal Sect to be hiding such a chosen one as you. But if I can't eliminate my nemesis, can't I at least suppress you?!" Xing Moxie released the demonic halberd and formed a hand seal.

Then dark clouds gathered in the sky, and rumbling thunder rumbled.

"The Dao Heart Spreads Demonic Yin Thunder, Borrowing the Law!"

boom!

"No!" Yan Lingyun knew that her consciousness could not interfere with the memory fragments, but she still couldn't help but shout out.

Because this move is very dangerous, it is a demonic Taoist technique evolved from the Devouring Heaven Demon Art, which corrupted the Yang Gang Thunder Technique.

It should be known that thunder magic has always been the nemesis of evil and heretical sects, and is a taboo that demonic cultivators cannot touch or learn.

The demon lord, however, fused demonic arts with lightning magic, creating a system of techniques that was both righteous and evil. Throughout the entire history of cultivation on the ancient continent, no one has ever accomplished such a feat.

This move caused them considerable trouble, even when they first met Xiao Fan.

Rumble!

Nine bolts of purple lightning transformed into thunder dragons, pouring down from the clouds and striking Xuanyuan Rong squarely. The thunder dragons carried a trace of destructive intent, intending to turn everything in their path into dust, causing creatures millions of miles away to experience a fear akin to the collapse of the heavens.

Yan Lingyun gasped. She knew her mother and the demon had fought many times, so she wouldn't die in the first battle. But how serious would the injury be if she took that full hit?

However, the next scene relieved Yan Lingyun's anxiety, and her solemn expression reversed completely, turning into one of overjoyed delight.

Xuanyuan Rong stood unharmed, holding the gun upside down in the ground with both hands. Golden light burst forth around him, turning the area within a ten-mile radius into a golden sea of ​​flowers.

Golden lotuses sprang from the earth, guided by thunder.

Thousands of golden lotuses bloomed on the ground. Their stamens transformed into lightning rods, meticulously separating the lightning power from the nine terrifying purple lightning dragons, dispersing it into smaller, fragmented parts. This weakened the Yin lightning power into countless smaller components, which were then absorbed and digested by the golden lotuses.

With thunder above its head and golden lotus beneath its feet, the Xuanyuan Banyan stands tall in the center of a sea of ​​flowers, exuding the air of an immortal who can remain detached from the world even if heaven and earth are destroyed.

"The Golden Lotus Retreat Technique." Xuan Yuanrong raised his spear and said, "Where I am is the High Mountain, and within the sea of ​​flowers is the Pure Land."

Is this the power of the Golden Lotus Retreat Technique after it has been mastered?

Yan Lingyun was deeply moved by this scene. Divine-level cultivation techniques are extremely rare in the Eternal Continent, and in the Great Sun Immortal Sect, they are treasures that can only be viewed with the permission of the patriarch; even the sect leader has no right to allow anyone to learn them.

Yan Lingyun also practiced this skill, but of the nine levels of this divine skill, she had only comprehended the fourth level. She had originally thought that she might be able to access the fifth level once she broke through to the Great Completion stage, but she did not expect that her mother had already fully mastered it when she was in the early stage of the Great Ascension stage.

If it were anyone else displaying such terrifying talent, Yan Lingyun would be extremely dissatisfied.

But the fact that the person with such extraordinary talent was Xuan Yuanrong made her genuinely happy.

At the same time, her hatred for the demon deepened: "Damn demon! Master is clearly a cultivation genius unparalleled throughout the ages. Given enough time, he could definitely break through the limits of cultivation, rebuild his immortal path, open the Heavenly Gate, and ascend to the upper realm. Yet this demon..."

Xing Moxie stood on a cloud, gazing thoughtfully at the golden lotuses scattered across the ground.

He originally thought that Xuan Yuanrong, like the growing Xiao Fan, was a chosen one blessed with great fortune, after all, this Great Sun Saintess had shown such formidable strength at such a young age.

But something's not right. They've been fighting all this time, employing all sorts of unconventional methods.

Although Xuanyuan Rong possessed a top-grade spiritual root, terrifying comprehension, and a spiritual sense strength far exceeding that of cultivators of the same level, she did not display any of the standard features of a chosen one, such as invincible double pupils, supreme bones, innate holy body, and ancient bloodline.

Is there none?

Generally speaking, those destined for greatness have already cultivated to the Mahayana stage; even if they try to make up for it later in life, they should have already achieved this.

More importantly, Xing Moxie did not feel any "instability" when fighting against the Chosen One during the battle.

Throughout his relentless pursuit of Xiao Fan, even with a significant advantage and perfect planning, he always harbored a sense of unease, believing that "it's not stable enough" and "he might not be able to kill him."

Although Xuanyuan Rong was exceptionally powerful, Xing Moxie felt that he could still win.

If this woman is not the chosen one, how can her terrifying cultivation level and the methods she has displayed that far surpass those of other cultivators at the same level be explained?

He was neither an ordinary cultivator nor a chosen one.

"Great Sun Saintess Xuanyuan Rong, what exactly are you? Where does that strangeness about you come from?"

Dialogue flow?

Yan Lingyun was startled upon hearing this, recalling her defeat and filled with resentment—that damned fiend! Outmatched in skill, he tried to manipulate her with words. I mustn't fall for it, Master! He's the one who harmed me with this trick; he even raped me!

"Hmm? That's impressive. Did you notice?" Xuan Yuanrong paused for a moment, then held the gun in one hand and beckoned to him with the other: "Beat me, and I'll tell you."

"Once I capture you, I will personally dissect and investigate you!" Xing Moxie clasped his hands together, and a ten-thousand-foot-tall Asura shadow rose from the ground, shaking the heavens and earth: "Heavenly Demon False Body!"

As soon as the phantom of the Heavenly Demon appeared, the overwhelming demonic energy scattered the golden lotuses all over the ground.

The monstrous demon, with a ferocious expression, gripped a giant sword and swung it down at Xuanyuan Rong, who was known for his earth-shattering power.

This move is enough to kill an ordinary early-stage Mahayana cultivator.

Xuan Yuanrong remained unmoved, turning the gun around: "Partner, this looks like it's going to be a tough battle. Can we win?"

The Heaven-Burning, Earth-Scorching Divine Spear gleamed with golden light, as if responding to its master—you will win.

"Good! Eternal Heavenly Flame!"

Xuanyuan Rong used fragments of the golden lotus to pave a path to heaven, and thrust his spear forward to meet the phantom of the Heavenly Demon. The golden flames at the tip of the spear were powerful and strong, and after erupting, they pierced through and shattered the powerful Asura.

Xing Moxie looked at the golden spear charging towards him, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "I have spent my whole life fighting against the heavens, just to avoid my predetermined fate. If I can die at the hands of someone other than the chosen one of heaven, wouldn't that be defying fate? But my head won't be so easy to take! I'll borrow the power of the Demonic Netherfire in my Dao Heart!"

Black flames coiled around his palm as Xing Moxie punched Luo Shenqiang's golden flames.

"The Devouring Demon Art has descended upon me!"

Demonic energy enveloped him, and black flames erupted.

A black and gold explosion suddenly erupted between the two. Each retreated half a step, yet neither gained the upper hand.

Xing Moxie raised his hand and summoned the Jiyuan Halberd: "Chaotic World Halberd Technique! Chaotic World Pagoda!"