Chapter 166

Chapter 166: Incoming, Double-Winged Thunderfire Lion!

Qing Dai had a dazed expression, still trying to wrap her head around things. The young disciple seemed accustomed to this sort of confusion from visitors traveling all this way to check out their Xuanqing Sect. Most reactions were pretty much the same when they heard about the sect’s latest initiatives.

But an introduction was still necessary…

The young disciple continued, “Dear friends, we’ve also launched a monthly subscription service! For just 9,000 Spirit Stones, you can enjoy all the offerings of the Eternal Emperor’s former residence. You can even stay in the Flying Goose Ridge cave, plus get one month of free bubble tea…”

He rambled on about various other services like it was the final sale of the century.

Qing Dai finally snapped back to reality, feeling a bit emotional. Trying to enter the Xuanqing Sect without any Spirit Stones was like attempting to sneak into a fancy restaurant in pajamas—just wouldn’t fly.

It wasn’t just the Xuanqing Sect; apparently, every sect in southern Qingshou had caught wind of how profitable it was to charge for visits and had jumped on the bandwagon. They were allowing some mortals and low-ranked cultivators to pay for entry and experience the daily life of the sect’s disciples.

Of course, Xuanqing Sect had the most clout. After all, not every sect could boast the residence of the Eternal Emperor.

Qing Dai chuckled to herself. She certainly wasn’t lacking Spirit Stones; after all, she had been a demon queen in the Endless Demon Domain before her journey to the Nine States. Now that she had broken through to immortality, ordinary Spirit Stones felt nothing more than pocket change.

However, just as she was about to pay her dues, a voice suddenly chimed in behind her, a mix of excitement and disbelief.

“Are you the Ancestor Qing Dai?”

Yan Changkong stepped forward a few paces, confirming that the person before him looked exactly like the painting—only her celestial aura was even more ethereal. He turned, glaring at the young disciple, “You fool! The Ancestor has returned, and you can’t even recognize her? How dare you charge her? Are you blind?!”

He waved his hand, “Get down there! Have a reflective day—write a thousand diary entries on what not to do!”

The young disciple was startled by the appearance of the sect leader and finally registered what was happening when he heard that this was the Ancestor. No wonder she looked familiar!

The Grand Elder, Chen Xiu, had seen Qing Dai during the battle in the Heavenly Storm Realm. He remembered how she and her companions had desperately defended the Ancestor, and he could hardly forget the fierce determination they displayed.

Upon returning, he made sure to draft a portrait of her—just in case she ever showed up and nobody recognized her, he didn’t want her getting upset.

After apologizing, the young disciple humbly retreated.

Qing Dai felt a bit uncomfortable, surprised to be called the Ancestor. She had only just joined her path with Lin Feng through the Blue Star Celestial Mansion. Before that, she was almost reduced to a mount…

How did the Xuanqing Sect know she was connected to the Ancestor?

But then again, no need to argue; it was easier to roll with it.

Qing Dai smiled, “I just wanted to see how you’re all doing. Now that I see you’re fine, I’m relieved.”

Lin Feng had suddenly left without a word, but everyone knew he held a deep affection for Xuanqing Sect. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have returned to leave the secret realm behind.

Yan Changkong was all smiles, filled with humility, “Oh Ancestor, please come in! Apologies for the oversight.”

“But right now, the sect is in a phase of growth, which means we need loads of Spirit Stones, so we had to open various sources of income!”

Qing Dai smiled, “You’re doing great.”

For a sect, thriving was incredibly important, and Xuanqing Sect wasn’t stealing or robbing; they were doing well for themselves—it’s not easy to pull off that kind of success.

Soon, the Grand Elder and the other elders came rushing over. After respectfully greeting Qing Dai, they accompanied her to the site of the Eternal Emperor’s residence.

This was Qing Dai’s first time visiting Xuanqing Sect, and she found it quite fascinating. They checked out the Emperor’s old home, the Emperor’s bath house, the Emperor’s sword training platform, and the ancient tree the Emperor had planted.

She even got to read the lengthy documentation about the Eternal Emperor’s growth. Qing Dai chuckled when she read how Lin Feng, in his youth, would nurture wounded demon beasts he came across during his adventures.

“Hmph! If I hadn’t fallen into that guy’s trap back then, I might’ve actually believed that.”

While wandering around, Qing Dai thought, “Did bringing in the Sect truly happen? Did they bring in a lot of condiments as well?”

After touring, Yan Changkong organized a feast. With the Ancestor present, it had to be done right. Qing Dai didn’t refuse, and after having lunch, she suddenly asked, “Have any crises arisen from the other celestial mansions?”

This was one of her main concerns; if there was nothing to worry about, she could just bounce. If there was, she’d handle it swiftly.

Yan Changkong laughed heartily, saying, “Ancestress, for now, there are none… though the current situation is chaotic, with Lin Feng’s reputation, no celestial mansion dares to mess with us.”

The other elders nodded in agreement, thankful. Many forces from the Nine States had felt the heat from celestial mansions, some even facing annihilation, yet Xuanqing Sect had remained safe and sound. No celestial mansion dared to challenge them—all thanks to their strong backing.

Qing Dai nodded, feeling relieved. But just then, her gaze snapped to some point in the void above.

There, an astonishing surge of demonic energy and many powerful cultivators were charging toward them.

It was all headed towards the direction of Xuanqing Sect.

Yan Changkong and the others noticed her sudden change in expression and asked, “Ancestor Qing Dai, is there something wrong?”

The Grand Elder, Chen Xiu, also wore a serious face. None of them were fools; they quickly sensed something was off. Though their cultivation levels were low, they could tell something was brewing.

Qing Dai, retrieving her gaze, smiled casually, “Nothing to worry about—just some folks coming to their doom!”

With her current level of cultivation as an immortal, she could easily discern that the approaching group was merely made up of Tribulation Period and Great Ascension Period cultivators alongside demon beasts.

Nothing to sweat about.

Still, Qing Dai felt a thrill; who knew it would turn out to be such a wild adventure?

Moments later!

The Double-Winged Thunderfire Lion, along with a bunch of Nine Heavens Sword Sect cultivators, had already ventured into the several hundred-mile radius of Xuanqing Sect.

Yan Changkong and the others could feel that dreadful energy now and their expressions shifted dramatically.

“What a powerful demonic aura!”

“And so many strong cultivators. That presence, there’s even an Emperor in the Tribulation Period!”

Yan Changkong’s face turned grave, his eyes sparkling with intensity.

The other elders also looked serious; to send out an Emperor right away, this had to be the work of some celestial mansion force. But they glanced at Qing Dai, still calm as a cucumber, and were relieved.

Their hearts steadied considerably.

Qing Dai scanned the surroundings, casually stating, “Don’t worry, with me around, the sect will be just fine.”

Yan Changkong and the others bowed, grateful, “Thanks for stepping in, Ancestor!”

Boom!

Suddenly, the sky darkened. Black demonic energy began to gather over Xuanqing Sect, blocking out the light.

The Double-Winged Thunderfire Lion spread its wings wide, its massive form looming in the air like a mountain. Its bl**d-red eyes glinted with a savage light.

“Haha… Is this Xuanqing Sect? Though the cultivators inside are a bit weak, it looks like I’ll have a decent feast!”

The lion’s thunderous voice echoed like rolling thunder across the land.

Liao Qing coldly looked on, casually asking, “Do we need to take action?”

The Double-Winged Thunderfire Lion laughed heartily, “No need! Just watch. It won’t take long before I can devour them all!”

Liao Qing didn’t want to lift a finger, saying, “Alright, we’ll just be outside, catching any stragglers.”

The conversation between the beast and the human was as if they were discussing their lunch plans, with the entire Xuanqing Sect in earshot.

To them, annihilating the Xuanqing Sect felt as easy as squashing an ant.

And that was that.

The Double-Winged Thunderfire Lion nodded in satisfaction, then looked down at Xuanqing Sect, saying, “Hehehe, people of Xuanqing Sect, listen well! I’m here to feast on you all…”