Chapter 256: Escape

"How's it going? Nothing unusual at Pegasus Ranch, right?" Zhou Lao sighed and asked Ding Jiuzhong.

"No, absolutely nothing. I think you're being too cautious. It's just Pegasus Ranch. Even if that old bastard Lu Miaozi knew we were coming, what could he do to us?" Ding Jiuzhong couldn't help but say.

"It's true that Pegasus Ranch isn't much to us, but that old guy Lu Miaozi is quite capable. We should always be cautious," You Niaojuan said from the side.

"Hehe, You Niaojuan, I didn't expect you to be so timid. How about you wait outside Pegasus Ranch while the three of us go in and check it out?" Jin Huanzhen said with a chuckle to You Niaojuan and the others.

"That's right, You Niaojuan, how about you wait for us outside Pegasus Ranch? After the three of us go in and capture Lu Miaozi, we'll bring him out and then have him tell us about the Evil Emperor's relic." Zhou Lao sigh and Ding Jiuzhong's eyes lit up, and they immediately agreed with Jin Huanzhen.

When You Niaojuan heard the three of them say this, his face darkened. Who didn't know who else? If the three of them were allowed in, You Niaojuan could swear they would find Lu Miaozi immediately, force him to reveal the whereabouts of the Evil Emperor's relic, and then kill him. Upon their return, they would tell him that Lu Miaozi's resistance was too fierce, and they had accidentally killed him, thus failing to obtain any information about the Evil Emperor's relic. Then, they would seize the relic for themselves, excluding them.

Shi Qingxuan couldn't help but laugh at the four of them scheming against each other.

It was precisely because none of them trusted the others, each wanting to claim the Evil Emperor's relic for themselves, that Shi Qingxuan had been able to manipulate them until now.

After a brief argument, You Niaojuan and the other three decided to take Shi Qingxuan with them and head towards the hills behind Pegasus Ranch. They even swore to themselves that they would never let anyone out of the other three's sight.

They even swore a solemn oath to this end.

Finally, the five of them quickly made their way to their cozy retreat in the mountains behind Pegasus Ranch.

"Hmm?" Tianshan Tonglao, Zhu Yuyan, and even Ye Xiu paused for a moment, as they all sensed several sinister auras.

"People from the Demon Sect? Are they yours?" Ye Xiu asked, looking at Zhu Yuyan.

"They are from the Demon Sect, but they're probably not my people—I just don't know why they'd come here." Zhu Yuyan shook her head. While the auras she sensed carried a strong Demon Sect influence, she wasn't overly familiar with them; they weren't her Yin Gui Sect's martial arts.

"I don't know who they are, but since they're here, something's going on. Let's go out and take a look." Ye Xiu was also a bit curious.

Speaking of which, Ye Xiu didn't feel any danger.

After all, he was already a Grandmaster.

On the other hand, Zhu Yuyan was the only Grandmaster in the Great Sui Dynasty, including those from the Demon Sect. Not to mention that Tianshan Tonglao, a Grandmaster of the Profound Finger Realm, had already arrived, so there was naturally no need to worry about any danger.

Shang Xiuxun, the weakest of Ye Xiu's four companions, barely even a Grandmaster, was completely unaware of the presence of any Demon Sect members outside. Watching Ye Xiu and the others leave, Shang Xiuxun followed, eager to see what was happening.

Ye Xiu and his companions opened the door and emerged, encountering Shi Qingxuan and the others at the back mountain's An Le Wo.

Although You Niaojuan and the other four were quite capable, especially You Niaojuan, who had become one of the Demon Sect's Eight Great Masters, he remained cautious. He stopped in front of the An Le Wo, carrying the one-legged bronze figure.

"It's said that Lu Miaozi is also proficient in mechanical engineering?" You Niaojuan asked, glancing at Shi Qingxuan.

"Yes, Lu Miaozi is a remarkable individual, a multifaceted prodigy. He's proficient in martial arts, medicine, gardening, architecture, military tactics, disguise, astronomy, calendar calculations, mechanical engineering, and so on. If he designed this An Le Wo himself, I'm afraid it's filled with numerous formidable traps," Shi Qingxuan said, nodding softly.

Hearing Shi Qingxuan's words, You Niaojuan and the others, who had originally been reluctant to rush in, became more cautious.

Just when You Niaojuan and the others were about to decide to let Shi Qingxuan be the pathfinder, Ye Xiu and the other four came out, and the two groups met face to face.

Shi Qingxuan saw Zhu Yuyan and felt a little relieved. Although Shi Qingxuan knew that Zhu Yuyan's attitude towards her was not very good because of her father, she also knew that Zhu Yuyan would not hurt her, at least until Zhu Yuyan sought revenge on Shi Zhixuan.

Then Shi Qingxuan saw the only man among the four people, a handsome man, even more handsome than her cheap father Shi Zhixuan.

Shi Qingxuan knew that if nothing unexpected happened, this man would probably be the most beautiful man in the Ming Dynasty who wrote the diary.

Zhu Yuyan was a Grandmaster, and this most beautiful man in the Ming Dynasty was also a Grandmaster.

As for the remaining two beautiful women, regardless of whether they were Grandmasters or not, regardless of their strength, they weren't in any danger. After all, she didn't believe You Niaojuan and the others could harm anyone under the hands of two Grandmasters. If they could achieve that level, they wouldn't be Grandmasters anymore, and wouldn't have to rush after the Evil Emperor's relic.

Despite their mutual strife, the four of You Niaojuan hadn't been active in the martial arts world, so they weren't well-known. As a result, Zhu Yuyan didn't even recognize them.

Similarly, due to their daily strife and intrigue, You Niaojuan and the others had little time to pay attention to the outside world. Although they knew Zhu Yuyan had become a Grandmaster, they had no idea what she looked like. So, when they saw her, they didn't even recognize her.

Instead, they looked at Ye Xiu and his group: handsome men and beautiful women. Zhu Yuyan seemed to be the oldest, around thirty years old. The others looked younger, and didn't look like masters at all.

Anyway, aside from Shi Qingxuan, no one else recognized him.

At this moment, Shi Qingxuan suddenly unleashed a magical form, instantly creating multiple phantoms that sprinted in different directions, a moment that was dazzling.

"Oh no! Trying to escape?"

"Hmph, do you think I'll let you get away?"

You Niaojuan and the other four snorted coldly upon seeing Shi Qingxuan's movements. They couldn't immediately tell which was real and which was fake. However, if each of them chased after one or two figures, they would be able to intercept Shi Qingxuan's true form.

Especially You Niaojuan, the most skilled of the four, he went straight to intercept the two figures of Shi Qingxuan that were hurtling towards Zhu Yuyan and the others.

Whoosh.

Bang—

You Niaojuan struck Shi Qingxuan with a palm strike. Shi Qingxuan's figure swayed slightly before vanishing, a false illusion. But You Niaojuan didn't panic, swinging the one-legged bronze figure and smashing it towards the second Shi Qingxuan.

Whoosh—

the one-legged bronze man swung up, causing a whistling sound in the wind. The momentum was astonishing, and there was a sense of forcing people to be overwhelmed by force.

Seeing the one-legged bronze figure approach, the second Shi Qingxuan spun and struck it with a palm strike. This palm strike seemed gentle, yet it was tinged with a mystical power, as if it were intended to dissipate the force within. It was the Immortal Seal technique that the Evil King Shi Zhixuan had bestowed upon Shi Qingxuan. However, this technique was quite profound, and Shi Qingxuan hadn't yet fully grasped it, so she could only block it slightly, dispersing the force.

However, facing You Niaojuan's one-legged bronze figure, her half-baked Immortal Seal technique was barely adequate. Although the overwhelming force sent her blood churning, she used it to swiftly fly towards Zhu Yuyan.

"Hmph!" You Niaojuan observed Shi Qingxuan's actions and snorted coldly, then charged directly at her. At the same time, the one-legged bronze figure swung up again, striking Shi Qingxuan's back with immense force.

Meanwhile, Ding Jiuzhong and his companions had completely defeated the illusory figure left behind by Shi Qingxuan. As they watched You Niaojuan attack Shi Qingxuan, the three of them showed no sign of wanting to intervene. For

one thing, they knew Shi Qingxuan was no match for

You Niaojuan. For another, they were unaware of Ye Xiu and his companions' identities and strengths. Seeing You Niaojuan's seemingly reckless actions, they wanted to see if Ye Xiu and his companions would come to Shi Qingxuan's aid. They wanted to see how powerful Ye Xiu and his companions would be if they did.

Just as You Niaojuan's one-legged bronze figure was about to strike Shi Qingxuan, he suddenly felt a strange force descend upon it, causing it to involuntarily deflect slightly, just missing Shi Qingxuan and allowing her to escape to Zhu Yuyan's side.

"Master!" Shi Qingxuan smiled, without a trace of reluctance, pain, or panic.

"Well, what brings you here?" Zhu Yuyan frowned slightly, looking at Shi Qingxuan.

"Because I encountered danger, I thought this place might be able to help me deal with them, so I ran here, but I didn't expect the sect leader to be here." Shi Qingxuan said with a smile, she still didn't say anything in the direction of the diary.

"Really?" Zhu Yuyan squinted slightly and looked at Shi Qingxuan.

And You Niaojuan and the others looked at Zhu Yuyan who was talking to Shi Qingxuan, but they couldn't help squinting their eyes, and even a hint of fierceness was hidden in their eyes.

"I didn't expect that you really have helpers here, no wonder you ran here, but do you think you can run away?" You Niaojuan looked at Shi Qingxuan ferociously, and even glanced at Zhu Yuyan's face, trying to see something from her face.

Shi Qingxuan smiled upon hearing this, making no move to address You Niaojuan. Instead, she turned to Zhu Yuyan, "Master, these four are renowned figures within the Demon Sect, and this time they've come for the Evil Emperor's relic."

"Evil Emperor's relic?" Zhu Yuyan couldn't help but frown at the mere mention of it. She didn't want anything to do with it, especially now that she knew it wasn't so simple.

"Indeed, these four, by chance, received a portion of the Evil Emperor Xiang Yutian's inheritance. Therefore, they've always considered themselves his disciples, and have always desired to obtain the Evil Emperor's relic, which has long been passed down through the Evil Emperor's lineage." Shi Qingxuan directly pointed out You Niaojuan and his group's identities and their purpose.

Hearing Shi Qingxuan mention the words "Evil Emperor's relic" to Zhu Yuyan, they couldn't help but feel a little more nervous. If anything, they truly didn't want anyone else to know about the Evil Emperor's relic.

"The Evil Emperor Xiang Yutian's inheritance?" Zhu Yuyan's eyes flickered as she looked at You Niaojuan and the others.

After becoming a Grandmaster, Zhu Yuyan discovered that her Heavenly Demonic Art wasn't completely useless, but it was somewhat inadequate.

Therefore, Zhu Yuyan actually wanted to find a more suitable and superior martial art.

The words "Evil Emperor Xiang Yutian's inheritance" caught Zhu Yuyan's attention.

"Shi Qingxuan, no matter what you intend to do this time, you all must die." You Niaojuan's eyes flashed with a fierce glare.

It seemed as if Shi Qingxuan was about to reveal their true abilities, and this made them contemplate killing everyone around them, even all life.

"Evil Emperor Xiang Yutian's inheritance! I didn't expect it to come to my doorstep, apparently." Zhu Yuyan was in a very good mood. Then, the Grandmaster's Heavenly Demonic Force Field activated, enveloping the four of them.

Instantly, You Niaojuan and the other four felt an invisible force descend upon them, even attempting to bind their limbs and bodies.

"This is, the Heavenly Demonic Art? Are you the Yin Queen Zhu Yuyan?"

Finally, after combining Zhu Yuyan's martial arts with You Niaojuan's, he finally confirmed her identity.

The thought of her being a Grandmaster made the four of them blush slightly. Despite boasting their formidable strength, the prospect of them facing a Grandmaster seemed a stretch.

"Hand over the Evil Emperor's inheritance that you have obtained. Then I can spare your life," Zhu Yuyan said directly to them.

"Okay, Sect Master Zhu, keep your word. I will teach you my share of the Evil Emperor's martial arts, but you must not harm me." Jin Huanzhen's eyes lit up, and he looked at Zhu Yuyan seriously.

"Of course, don't worry. Apart from the Evil Emperor Xiang Yutian's inheritance, you are of no use to me. You possess nothing of value," Zhu Yuyan said with a hint of disdain.

Meanwhile, You Niaojuan and the other three looked torn. They were clearly resisting the idea of handing over the Evil Emperor Xiang Yutian's inheritance.