Mo Tiange raised her head and looked at the source of the voice.
Before long, a group of people appeared out of nowhere in the sky filled with devil aura.
"Late-stage Nascent Soul …" Nie Wushang murmured, her eyes falling on the leading cultivator.
If they weren't sure this person was in the late stage of Nascent Soul, they would never think he was Guifang City Lord, one of the three Great Devil Monarchs of Yunzhong Demonic Path.
This Guifang Demonic Monarch looked like he was in his thirties or forties. He was thin, had a pale face, and had a gentle bearing. There was no devil aura on his body, but he was elegant like a teacher in the secular world.
However, his momentum was extremely strong, not weaker than that of Venerable Avidya.
In Guifang City, who could have such momentum except for Guifang Demonic Monarch?
Moreover, Mo Tiange saw Yang Chengji standing behind him at a glance.
"Fellow Daoist Guifang." The moment he noticed Guifang Demonic Monarch, Venerable Avidya had already put away the Inescapable Net. He put his palms together with a smile and said, "I'm just passing by. I have important things to do, so it's not convenient for me to meet you."
"Hehe!"
Guifang Demonic Monarch's voice was a little hoarse, and he looked coldly at the Buddhist cultivators below. "Old Monk Avidya, as Venerable Puji, it doesn't seem right for you to bring so many disciples into my Guifang City without greeting us, right?"
The cities of the demonic path were different from the cities of the righteous path. Whether it was the State of Eastern Tang or the State of Southern Zhou, they all had their own royal families and prefectures. Even in a cultivation city like Sky Snow City, there were officials appointed by the imperial court to manage the mortals and take care of mundane affairs.
Sky Snow City was under the influence of Ling Clan, but nominally, anyone could come and go.
However, Demonic Path City was built by the City Lord and belonged to him. It had nothing to do with the royal family of Northern Qilin Nation.
Therefore, Guifang City was actually Guifang Demonic Monarch's private territory.
Venerable Avidya came to Guifang City, but he didn't greet Guifang Demonic Monarch and didn't go through the city gate. How could Guifang Demonic Monarch just let it go?
However, Mo Tiange was very curious. No matter what, Guifang Devil Monarch was one of the three strongest Devil Monarchs, and Guifang City was also his private territory. Why did he only find out after Revered Avidya brought his disciples into Guifang City?
Could it be that Revered Wu Ming had some secret technique that blocked the Ghost Square Demon Monarch's divine sense?
However, a late Yuan cultivator was a late Yuan cultivator after all. Although he was a bit late, he still arrived before Revered Avidya left.
Venerable Wu Ming, on the other hand, was still smiling, and there was not even a hint of guilt on his face. "Fellow Daoist Gui Fang, why do you have to be so calculative?
This old monk will leave with my disciple right now. How about it? "
"Hmph!" Ghostcraft Fiend Monarch said coldly, "Old monk, you have a good plan!
You want to leave?
Leave it here first! "
"Something?" Revered Wu Ming looked surprised. "Fellow Daoist Gui Fang, what are you talking about?"
If she hadn't personally handed the Inescapable Net to Venerable Avidya just now, Mo Tiange would've thought he really didn't take anything.
Such a benevolent-looking eminent monk actually acted like a scoundrel so naturally — it really made people speechless.
Ghostcraft Fiend Monarch's expression darkened. "Old Monk Avidya, don't be so shameless!
This is Guifang City, not your Baifu Mountain! "
"This old monk may be old, but his eyes aren't blurry. There's no need for Fellow Daoist Gui Fang to remind me," Revered Avidya answered with a smile.
Seeing Ghostcraft Fiend Monarch's darkened expression, Mo Tiange pulled Nie Wushang and cautiously retreated a few steps, hiding inside the cave.
Fortunately, she already handed over the Inescapable Net. For Ghostcraft Fiend Monarch, they were basically insignificant characters — he didn't even spare them a glance.
"It seems they'll most likely fight," Nie Wushang said softly as she looked outside with a bit of worry.
"En." Mo Tiange carefully closed the cave's stone door then quickly laid a bunch of restrictions around the cave.
"Will it work?"
Nie Wushang expressed her doubts upon seeing her actions. "Late stage Nascent Soul cultivators — if they fight, they can raze the whole mountaintop to the ground."
"They won't fight here," Mo Tiange said with certainty. "I'm just taking precautions."
"Oh, right." Nie Wushang nodded.
This was Guifang City. How could Ghostcraft Fiend Monarch fight casually in his own territory?
A battle between Late Nascent Soul cultivators could possibly destroy an entire city.
"Bald donkey!"
Ghostcraft Fiend Monarch's gloomy voice rang out. "It seems you won't obediently hand over the thing if we don't fight!"
Revered Avidya's voice was still as calm as ever. "Fellow Daoist Guifang, this thing is our Buddhist sacred object. What's the use of it for you?
If you give me face today, my Huayan Temple will owe you a favor in the future. Isn't that good? "
"Hmph!" Ghostcraft Fiend Monarch said coldly, "You make it sound nice!
The Heavenly Demon Tower is our Devil Path's sacred object, but didn't you Buddhist cultivators still come to snatch it? "
Judging from his tone, Ghostcraft Fiend Monarch was extremely resentful. Could it be that the Buddhist cultivators played a part in his failure to snatch the Heavenly Demon Tower this time?
"Fellow Daoist Guifang!"
Revered Avidya dragged out his tone as if he was patiently persuading him. "The matter regarding the Heavenly Demon Tower was out of control in the end. We also had no choice!
Now that it's over, it's useless to argue about it, isn't it? "
"This old monk looks like an eminent monk, but how could he be so shameless?" Nie Wushang said in a low voice.
She could also be considered a Devil Path cultivator now, so she really couldn't stand Revered Avidya's behavior.
Mo Tiange smiled. "That depends on who he's dealing with. He doesn't mind showing the demeanor of a senior expert to insignificant cultivators like us, but when he's dealing with cultivators in the same realm as him, if he takes a step back, he'll be giving away his own benefits."
Nie Wushang nodded then said with a sigh, "Even if the Buddhist commandments are stricter, they're still cultivators after all. In front of benefits, they have to fight for it."
Mo Tiange didn't say anything.
Compared to other Daoists, the teachings of Buddhism were obviously gentler, but no matter how gentle it was, it had its limits. Revered Avidya didn't mind a junior like her negotiating conditions in front of him, and he was willing to give her some benefits. For him, she was still too insignificant. How could people haggle with ants?
But in front of cultivators in the same realm as him, like Guifang Demon Monarch, he wouldn't take half a step back.
He couldn't give up something that a late stage Nascent Soul cultivator fancied. If he retreated, he'd lose the benefits of himself and the entire Huayan Temple behind him.
"Cut the crap!
You snuck into my Guifang City, so don't even think about leaving with that thing! "
Guifang Demon Monarch was already impatient. When he said that, the two of them felt the spiritual aura pressure suddenly increase.
Fortunately, Mo Tiange had laid a restriction before, so the spiritual aura pressure weakened a lot.
Besides, Mo Tiange's Soul-Refining Art had been cultivated to a very high level, and Nie Wushang had strong Primordial Devil Aura in her body, so they weren't affected.
"Fellow Daoist Guifang, don't be so anxious. Isn't it bad to fight and kill for no reason?
Both of us lost a lot in the Sea of Returning Ruins last time. It's time for us to recuperate. Why should we waste our energy? "
"You make it sound so nice!"
Guifang Demonic Monarch said angrily, "You have obtained the sacred item of Buddhism, so you are naturally satisfied. If I allow you to sneak into my Guifang City and take away a sacred item, how can I have the face to live in this world!
Old Bald Donkey, I'll give you two choices. One, we'll have a good fight outside the city. If you win, you're free to come and go, and I won't say a word. If you lose, you'll leave the thing behind obediently, and you can still leave safely with your disciples. Two, I'll directly activate Guifang City's great restriction and kill you and your disciples at the risk of destroying the city!
What do you think? Choose one! "
In the end, Guifang Demon Monarch's tone became gloomy. Obviously, he couldn't let this matter go.
These two choices were very simple. Either one fight to decide the outcome, or the other fight to the death.
What Mo Tiange guessed was right. This was Guifang City, so Guifang Demon Monarch couldn't possibly not care about it at all, so he proposed the first solution.
In this way, Guifang City could be unscathed, and Venerable Avidya wouldn't be distracted by the safety of his disciples. However, whoever lost would lose the holy object, and they couldn't go back on their word.
But if they chose the second solution, it would be a fight to the death. Guifang Demon Monarch would bet Guifang City, while Venerable Avidya would have to pay with his and his disciples' lives.
At first glance, this solution seemed to make Guifang Demon Monarch suffer more losses, but Guifang City was a place he had been managing for a thousand years. How could he let others come and go?
Once he activated Guifang City's great restriction, Venerable Avidya would most likely die no matter how powerful he was.
Of course, with the great divine power of a late Nascent Soul cultivator, Guifang City and all the cultivators in the city would disappear from the world.
At that time, although Guifang Demon Monarch survived and obtained the Buddhist holy object, his thousand-year foundation would be destroyed in a day. Moreover, he was very likely to be seriously injured, and his cultivation level might be greatly damaged. In the end, he wouldn't have a good ending.
It wasn't easy to cultivate to the Nascent Soul realm. Breaking through to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm was even more rare among Nascent Soul cultivators. The higher the level of a cultivator, the more they cherished their lives. The first solution was the one that suited their interests.
However, in addition to this, it also depended on Venerable Avidya's confidence and the importance of this Buddhist holy object.
If Huayan Temple didn't hesitate to use the whole temple to retrieve this Buddhist holy object, then Venerable Avidya would have to fight Guifang Demon Monarch even if he had to sacrifice the lives of himself and his disciples.
"Hey, Fellow Daoist Guifang …" Venerable Avidya's voice sounded very helpless. "Do you have to leave no way out?"
"Hmph!
No need to talk nonsense; just choose! "
After that, there was no more conversation. Mo Tiange and Nie Wushang felt the spiritual aura pressure getting stronger and stronger. In the end, it was so strong that the two of them felt uncomfortable. From time to time, the sound of other disciples coughing up blood because they couldn't bear the spiritual aura pressure came from outside.
"Since Fellow Daoist Guifang is determined, this old monk won't say much. Please go ahead." This time, Venerable Avidya's voice became solemn and deep.
Both Mo Tiange and Nie Wushang's hearts skipped a beat. Could it be that Venerable Avidya chose the second solution?
If that was the case, hiding in this Immortal's Cave would mean certain death!
Before they could communicate, they heard Guifang Demon Monarch's voice: "Old monk, it seems you have some sense of responsibility. Let's go!"
Right after he finished speaking, one of the auras instantly went far away.
The two of them heaved sighs of relief. It seemed Venerable Avidya chose the first solution. The crisis in front of them finally had nothing to do with them.
Soon after, the auras at the entrance left one by one. Finally, there was no one left.
Mo Tiange and Nie Wushang looked at each other. Both of them heaved long sighs of relief.
This was really an unexpected disaster!