"Junior Sister Xu, what's the matter?"
The man beside her noticed the anomaly and also halted his steps, following the woman's gaze.
His vision passed over the bowing and scraping Old Fox, landing on a group of sallow, emaciated, and ragged Human Race children on the distant grassland.
The man was slightly taken aback.
Then, he let out a soft, mirthless laugh.
He turned his head, looking at the somewhat distracted woman beside him, and spoke gently, "Junior Sister Xu, you've been secluded in the mountains for years in quiet cultivation. This is your first time coming to these Spirit Mountain lands, isn't it?"
The woman gave a slight nod, withdrawing her gaze.
Yet, a trace of an indescribable, knotting gloom remained between her brows.
"This place... feels a bit strange."
"Strange?"
The man shook his head. "Is it discomfort? Finding these furry, horned beasts imitating human ways, somewhat like the ridiculous sight of a monkey wearing a crown?"
"Or do you feel... that humans and demons living together here disrupts the natural order?"
The woman remained silent.
The man smiled, his voice clear and bright, showing no intention of avoiding the nearby group of fox Elders.
"Actually, Junior Sister, you needn't trouble yourself over it too much."
"Our Chunyang Lineage ranks among the five luminaries Dao Lineages, presiding over the throne of the mars, associated with warfare!"
"Above, we receive the clear Qi of the Heavenly Dao; below, we suppress the turbid currents of the Nine Netherworlds."
"With three inches of pure yang fire in our palms, we can burn the clouds across ten thousand miles of the firmament."
"In terms of origin, we are the Orthodox Mystic Gate; in terms of strength, we can move mountains and fill seas; in terms of status, even the ten peaks of the Spirit Mountain must lower their eyes and bow their heads upon seeing us, addressing us as'Superior Immortals'."
Having said this,
the man turned his head, looking at the cold-faced young woman beside him, speaking earnestly, "Since Junior Sister has already Ascended the Tower, you should understand that all things in this world are but straw dogs. Whether demons eat humans or humans kill demons, it's merely the flow of Yin and Yang, the cycle of the Heavenly Dao."
"If witnessing such filthy matters disturbs your Dao Heart, then what is the point of cultivating immortality? What is the point of seeking the Dao?"
"So-called Immortals must possess the composure to remain unfazed even if Mount Tai collapses before them."
"All the myriad sufferings and thousand joys and sorrows of the world, once they reach my ears... should vanish like a clay ox entering the sea."
Hearing her Senior Brother speak thus,
the woman in red robes was slightly startled.
She seemed lost in thought.
After a long while,
she finally nodded slowly.
The knot of gloom between her brows also dissipated somewhat.
"Senior Brother's admonishment is correct. My Dao Heart is not yet firm enough..."
Upon hearing this,
the man gave a faint smile, raised his chin, and stood with his hands clasped behind his back. "Actually, your thoughts are quite normal. After all, you also emerged from the mortal lands, and some traces of the Mortal World's aura still linger in your heart. However, there is one point, Junior Sister, that you must remember clearly."
"If we compare the long road of cultivation to a high mountain, now that you have Ascended the Tower, you stand near the summit. Since you are at the summit, you can no longer view worldly affairs from the perspective of the mountain's base."
"The lives of other people, compared to ours, are no different from ephemeral mayflies, born at dawn and dead by dusk, ignorant of spring and autumn, unable to distinguish morning from evening. As long as you can address the root causes in this world, the remaining trivial details will naturally be adjusted by them over generations of time. Why should we trouble ourselves with it?"
"Absolutely, absolutely!"
The leading Old Fox rubbed his hands together, stepping closer. "Immortal Master Liu's words are pearls of wisdom, the supreme great Dao!"
"However... since this is the Fairy's first visit to our Qingluan Mountain, Immortal Master Liu need not be too harsh. If the Fairy cannot bear the sight of these filthy things in her eyes... we can have them leave this place immediately."
Upon hearing this, the woman in red robes furrowed her brows slightly.
After a long silence,
she ultimately nodded. "Then have them disperse."
The Old Fox hastily bowed in acknowledgment.
Then he turned and strode briskly towards the direction of the grassland.
In the distance,
seeing the fox Elder approaching, the faces of the few Human Race children lit up with joy.
However,
before that joy could fully bloom on their faces,
the next moment,
they saw the Old Fox rush forward a few steps and slap the Old Teacher hard across the face.
"You old fool, have you lost your mind?!"
"Bringing the clan's Disciples is one thing, but why are you letting these lowly whelps loiter here?! Hurry up and take them away!"
The Old Teacher covered his half-swollen, reddened cheek, his eyes full of grievance.
What was this all about?
It wasn't as if True Men from the Yujing Tower had never visited Qingluan Mountain before.
Every time, weren't they aloof and indifferent?
Not to mention seeing such a scene,
even if these human children were skinned, dismembered, and served as a drinking appetizer right before their eyes, these so-called noble Immortal Masters would only calmly remark on what a good dish it was.
Who would have thought they'd be so soft-hearted today?
It was utterly baffling!
Although the Old Teacher inwardly grumbled endlessly, he dared not show a hint of it on his face.
He hurriedly beckoned to the terrified group, and they scrambled and crawled deep into the forest.
Once these unsightly figures had vanished from sight,
only a gentle breeze rustling the willows and the scent of flowers assailing the senses remained in the place.
The leading Old Fox then turned around, bent his body, approached Immortal Master Liu, and cautiously offered an apologetic smile.
"We've made fools of ourselves before you two Superior Immortals."
"These uncivilized creatures don't understand the rules and have offended your Immortal presence. This old one will definitely discipline them severely later."
Immortal Master Liu's expression was indifferent, and he did not respond.
The Old Fox was also a shrewd character.
Seeing this, he stopped wasting words and quickly got to the main point.
"You two Superior Immortals, our Old Ancestor has been waiting in the main hall atop the mountain for a long time."
"Regarding the Medicinal Pills the Yujing Tower commissioned, the Old Ancestor dared not stop day or night, personally overseeing the fire control."
"They have now been successfully refined, all bottled and sealed, awaiting only your inspection."
Mentioning the Medicinal Pills,
Immortal Master Liu's expression finally softened slightly.
He gave a slight nod. "In that case, let's not delay Senior Brother Wang's important matter... If we miss the appointed time, there will be no need for this Qingluan Mountain to exist either."
Having said that,
if not for bringing his Junior Sister to broaden her horizons, he would have been too lazy to continue walking slowly here on foot.
What Qingluan Mountain?
What Spirit Mountain scenic realm?
It was merely a bunch of damp-born, egg-hatched creatures gathered together in a cesspool of nonsense.
"Rise!"
Immortal Master Liu uttered a light shout.
A flash of crimson light appeared beneath his feet.
Vast swathes of crimson mist materialized out of thin air, instantly swirling and coalescing.
The mist churned, faint waves of heat assaulting the senses.
It lifted the two figures, carrying them straight towards the mist-shrouded mountaintop.
The few fox Elders exchanged glances, all revealing a sinister, malevolent look.
But soon, it was well concealed again.
The few demons also dared not delay.
Black mist surged around their bodies, Demonic Qi dense and sinister.
Transforming into several streams of black wind, they hurriedly chased after the crimson rainbow.