Immortal Road.

The appearance of the Green Bamboo Sword Master brought great joy to Venerable Tanmu and the others!
Qianbu has the Xun Gu Sect as its backer, and they also have the Chunqiu Sword Sect as their backer. Anyway, everyone is betraying their own side. The eldest brother doesn't laugh at the second brother. Without external help, they'll just have to wait to die. They need to survive first.

The rhinoceros demon looked extremely ugly.

Strange things happened one after another tonight. I was lectured repeatedly as soon as I woke up, and even my horns were cut off, which severely damaged my self-confidence.

It also ignited a violent rage within me!
"What are you doing in my Ghost Valley Holy Land, Spring and Autumn Sword Sect? It's none of your business to meddle in our internal strife!"

The old and frail Green Bamboo Sword Master slowly made his way to the mountaintop, leaning on a thick bamboo pole.

"If the Seeking Ancient Sect can interfere, why can't my Spring and Autumn Sword Sect?"

Back then, during the battle at Bailu Academy in the Central Region, the Green Bamboo Sword Master's Yuan Nian incarnation was destroyed by Lin Shan, and the Spring and Autumn Sword Sect withdrew from the State of Lu in a sorry state. This incident was once a laughing stock in the cultivation world.

However, at that time, the Xun Gu Sect was at the height of its power, and the Chunqiu Sword Sect chose to temporarily avoid the limelight and did not continue to seek revenge.

The Green Bamboo Sword Master is quite old. As a figure from the same era as the God of Anger, he doesn't really have many years left to live. Therefore, he has become indifferent to many things and is not fixated on whether or not to seek revenge.

She just felt sorry for her junior, the Sunflower Fairy, who was abandoned by that heartless man, Zhong Shenxiu, and felt it was not worth it.

Now that the Ghost Valley Holy Land is embroiled in internal strife, Venerable Tanmu and others have taken the initiative to visit her, offering a series of generous terms. She thought that while she was still old, she should try her best to contribute her remaining energy and secure some benefits and resources for the Ping family.

It's inconvenient to go to the Bailu Academy in Lu State anymore, but we can always get involved in the Ghost Valley Holy Land and give the Xun Gu Sect a hard time, right?

But the rhinoceros demon made a startling statement, clearly showing bias.

"Qianbu is the Holy Lord who ascended the throne under the witness of this sacred beast, and has the legitimate right to inherit the throne. You can overthrow him just like that. Who is the true master of this sacred land?"

To put it bluntly, whether it was out of selfishness or confusion, since they had helped Qianbu get on board, there's nothing they can say if he gets overthrown by internal strife.

But if the Spring and Autumn Sword Sect openly supports its overthrow, where would it place itself?
Rhino had his own agenda. If he wanted to gain freedom, he had to instigate internal strife within the Guigu Holy Land within the rules and self-destruct without external invasion, just like the destruction of the Dan Ding Holy Land!
Qianbu was the troublemaker he had handpicked. This ambitious fellow was unwilling to remain subservient to others for long. Who knows when he might squander all the family's wealth? He might as well alter the foundation of the Ghost Valley Holy Land, don the imperial robe, and change the dynasty, transforming himself from a parasite into the founder!
Wouldn't that easily remove the shackles binding it?

Therefore, the reason for tacitly allowing the Xun Gu Sect to settle in was to help this kid, balance the current power, and allow the two sides to fight back and forth for the time being.

However, if Venerable Tanmu and others were to regain power and consolidate their position with the support of the Spring and Autumn Sword Sect, then the Ghost Valley Holy Land would become the only dominant force within the sect, with no voices of resistance remaining. In the future, it would become a vassal of the Spring and Autumn Sword Sect, which would be contrary to its plans.

Therefore, no matter what, since the Green Bamboo Sword Master of the Spring and Autumn Sword Sect has come to the gate today, it must step forward to stop him!

“Senior Holy Beast, you are mistaken. Qian Bu deceived you back then. The Holy Lord's token in his hand was fake, while the token in my hand was real. I should be the one to inherit the position of Holy Lord.”

Venerable Tanmu raised the token in his hand and showed it to all the disciples present.

Qian Bu sneered and, not to be outdone, raised his own token. The two were practically identical, and it was impossible to tell the difference between the real and the fake.

How could you possibly discern the handiwork of your godfather?
Seeing this, the Green Bamboo Sword Master shook his head and stood on the side of Venerable Tanmu to speak up for him.

"Brother demon, if I remember correctly, you should be the Frozen Rhinoceros, who became the guardian beast of the mountain at the invitation of the Tianquan Patriarch of the Ghost Valley Holy Land two Wanhui years ago."

"As a sacred beast, it should uphold the orthodoxy of the sacred land, instead of being deceived and handing over the sacred land to shady outsiders!"

“Venerable Tanmu has always been an elder of Guigu, while Qianbu is just a rogue cultivator recruited midway through his career. Moreover, he has a history of misconduct and bad behavior. How could such a person possibly be approved by the elders’ council to have the Holy Lord’s Token handed over to him?”

"Anyone with a brain wouldn't think he's qualified to inherit the Holy Lord's mantle, especially since he even gave away the Heavenly Treasure!"

"This traitorous fellow will eventually drain the Ghost Valley Holy Land dry. Brother Yao, don't make another mistake!"

Making the same mistake again and again?
The rhinoceros silently vowed, "What I want is to keep making the same mistakes!"
However, it had no choice but to suffer in silence, unable to reveal its intentions, and instead clung to the tail of the other side.

"What matters to my Ghost Valley Holy Land is none of your business, Spring and Autumn Sword Sect! Since the old woman knows my origins, she should also know my strength!"

It glared fiercely at the Green Bamboo Sword Master, enduring the numbness in its left foot and the tingling sensation in its nose, wishing it could kill this hateful old man.

"You are nothing but a mere avatar of my primordial spirit, daring to come to my territory and confront my true form. Who gave you the audacity? Believe me or not, with just a slight move, I can cause your avatar to perish forever?"

"Haha~"

The Green Bamboo Sword Master also smiled, grinning to reveal his few remaining teeth, and squinting his old eyes as he counted his wrinkles.

"I simply don't believe it. You're locked up under the Ghost Valley Patriarch's Shrine, with no ability to move out. You're like a statue, how much of your strength can you possibly unleash? The key is that even your natal horn was just severed by Sword Saint Ma Yuanjue. I'm afraid your condition is quite dire."

The rhinoceros felt a jolt in its heart!
That really hits the nail on the head. It is indeed a bit blustering but actually cowardly, trying to make the other party back down and not wanting to get involved in too much trouble.

But judging from the situation today, it seems that it is no longer a question of whether it wants to or not, but that the other party has already cornered it!
"Even if I'm not in good shape, I'm more than capable of dealing with your mere avatar. Don't force me to take action. If things fall apart, it will be difficult to repair the relationship later."

"Hehe, back in the day, Brother Yao was so powerful. It's said that he led an era of ten thousand years and almost stole the limelight from the human race on the continent! But ever since he was subdued by Ancestor Tianquan, he has never recovered and has fallen to this state. It's truly pitiful and lamentable~"

"you wanna die!!!"

Seeing that old woman Green Bamboo kept provoking him, even a clay figure would have some temper, let alone a rhinoceros demon.

It suddenly unleashed its true form, its enormous demonic body over five hundred feet long, casting a shadow that covered the entire mountaintop, and its billowing demonic aura instantly obscured the clouds and the moon!

Splash splash splash splash splash~~~
The sound of the iron chains echoed for miles around, and all the moisture in the surrounding rain was gathered together, forming a vast whirlpool that swept through the area, from which countless water jets shot out in dense spray.

The Green Bamboo Sword Master stood motionless like a pine tree at the center of the vortex, calmly and peacefully drawing a bronze short sword from his back.

An invisible sword aura rose from this moment, and the old man's body contained a sword intent. This power was carried and amplified and manifested in the form of this seemingly ordinary weapon!

From the moment she drew her sword to the moment she slashed down, it was a simple action, without any fancy moves, yet it instantly unleashed endless sword energy that pushed in all directions, directly piercing through the vast ocean and turning the world upside down!
The entire main peak was trembling violently, with countless rocks tumbling down. Everyone on it was unsteady and staggering. The violent earthquake terrified them, fearing that the mountain, which had been passed down for 100,000 years, would collapse.

The rhinoceros demon sensed the massive array of sword energy in the sky. Within it, a powerful force was firmly locked onto it, resisting while searching for an opportunity to break through the encirclement and tear it to pieces.

"You actually brought the Spring and Autumn Sword Sect's ancestral artifact, the Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasure Night Candle Sword, with you?"

As the former leader of the demon race who dominated an entire era, it naturally recognized the origin of this sword; it was the signature weapon of the Spring and Autumn Sword Sect. How could such a divine artifact not be properly preserved in the sacred ground, but instead dared to be brought out with only a primordial avatar? Wasn't it afraid of being stolen?

The Green Bamboo Sword Master moved with fluid grace, carrying his sword step by step as sword energy continuously burst forth from his body, his sword essence flowing endlessly within him, his sword aura overwhelming and awe-inspiring.

However, it is worth noting that she held this treasure tightly in her hand the whole time, not daring to let go even for a moment, and even used it to fly across the air on her sword.

This is obviously to prevent someone else from snatching it away!

The two engaged in a unique battle of primordial spirits in the sky. One was a veteran overlord of the demon race, but he was trapped in place and had lost his horn. The other was an incarnation of primordial spirits, but he held a heaven-reaching spiritual treasure.

This deadly magical artifact is extremely powerful. Anyone at the Nascent Soul stage cannot withstand it. The rhinoceros demon was also afraid of being hit by it, and kept using its attacks to surround it, gradually turning it into a life-or-death struggle!

Everyone below lay on the ground watching the battle, but all they could see was the vast ocean, making it impossible to discern the actual fighting situation.

Only a few highly skilled individuals could glimpse even a fraction of it, and they couldn't help but feel insignificant, realizing the vast difference in abilities, and thus suppressing their arrogance.

If any one of them were to face off, they would be no match!

And this is still without being at their peak. It's hard to imagine how intense it would be if two true Nascent Soul level experts were to fight each other.
This battle is gripping the hearts of tens of thousands of people, because the outcome of the battle between the two sides will determine who wins tonight.

Therefore, the remaining players don't need to continue playing for the time being; they should just wait quietly for the results to be announced.

The battle lasted for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. What happened inside was unclear to those outside, but in the end, all that could be heard was a loud 'bang'.

A beam of green light flew backward, sliding for more than ten miles before barely coming to a stop. Inside, one could see that the Green Bamboo Sword Master was panting heavily, his hands were trembling uncontrollably, and a thin layer of frost was hanging on his eyebrows and nose!
The rhinoceros demon on the other side was in no better shape, with hundreds of wounds all over its body, revealing bright red blood. Among them was a wide chasm, with the rolled-up flesh clearly visible inside. If it weren't for the deliberate control of the bleeding to stop it, a river of blood would probably have fallen from the sky!

"Master?"

"Senior Sword Master, are you alright?"

Venerable Lan Jian, Venerable Tan Mu, and others all spoke up with concern and inquired, but only Venerable Green Bamboo Sword said a single word in a deep voice.

"withdraw!"

Upon hearing this, the former obeyed without hesitation and immediately urged the Sunflower Fairy to leave quickly.

The latter was stunned for a moment, not knowing what to do.

You are outsiders of the Spring and Autumn Sword Sect, so it's fine for you to leave whenever you want. But we are the native lineage leaders of the Ghost Valley Holy Land. Our home is right here. Where can we leave to?

Sunflower Fairy glanced at Mu Yan with resentment. She didn't know why she hated Mu Yan so deeply, and the killing intent in her eyes was almost tangible.

However, the current situation does not allow it, so we can only retreat for now, but we will never let this person go in the future.

Meanwhile, Xiong Shan Shangren, Dai Budong, Zhu Duiyou, and the army of Kao Shan Gang were no longer there. They had secretly slipped down the mountain and fled during the great battle in the sky!
"Venerable Tanmu, what are you all standing there for? Let's go!"

Venerable Lan Jian shouted loudly, bringing the group back to their senses.

"As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood. Come back to the Spring and Autumn Sword Sect with us first, and we'll see what happens next as we go back!"

Venerable Tanmu couldn't help but look around. The Liang Clan Master and the Iron-Blooded Wolf Mother knew that without the support of the Green Bamboo Sword Venerable, it was impossible to regain control of the Ghost Valley Holy Land. So they could only agree.

"Could you buy us some time to transfer the disciples of the Five Families into the Spirit Treasure Cave Heaven?"

The Green Bamboo Sword Master was not a heartless person. Upon hearing this, he immediately turned back and charged into the sky again to block the rhinoceros demon. The two were entangled together in the misty haze.

Seeing that the other side was about to escape, Qian Bu immediately led his troops to intercept them on the ground. At almost the same time, a deafening battle cry came from the foot of the mountain. The clan leaders who had returned to their respective clans during the banquet had already reorganized their internal affairs and led their men up the mountain.

The disciples of the Five Families Uprising were outnumbered and suffered heavy losses from attacks from both sides. Fortunately, their respective venerable ones did their best to maintain the situation and sent half of them into the Lingbao Cave Heaven.

Venerable Lan Jian shouted towards the sky:

"Master, the matter at hand is now settled."

"You go first!"

With the Green Bamboo Sword Master covering the rear, the Spring and Autumn Sword Sect and the rebel army were able to preserve some of their forces, and hurriedly scrambled away from the Ghost Valley Holy Land.

Qianbu wanted to give chase, but Muyan stopped him.

Tell him that the Ghost Valley Holy Land is their home ground, and the Spring and Autumn Sword Sect dares not be too presumptuous due to the impact, but there may be someone waiting outside. Going out might lead to an ambush and walking into a trap.

Upon hearing this, Qianbu instantly calmed down. He had been anxious, fearing that Venerable Tanmu and the others would return and recruit more soldiers, constantly planning to launch a counterattack. That's why he wanted to weaken them as much as possible.

However, for now, the priority should be stability; we should avoid being too aggressive.

From another perspective, the departure of opponents like Venerable Tanmu and Master Liang from the Ghost Valley Holy Land might not necessarily be a bad thing for him.

In the future, the Holy Lord's decrees will be effective in all directions, and no one will try to obstruct or trip them up. Every cloud has a silver lining.

"Lord Holy Beast, how are you?"

Remembering how the rhinoceros demon had protected him just now, Qianbu quickly turned around to inquire about the injuries, especially when he saw the rhinoceros demon's current state, which was simply too gruesome to look at!
"It's okay, I can't die."

The rhinoceros spirit was panting heavily; it was truly exhausted today.

Having finally driven away the Green Bamboo Sword Master, it had time to lift its left foot, only to find that it had developed a serious ulcer and festering pus. It could only fix its gaze on Mu Yan.

"Please summon the Ancient Master and tell him that this sacred beast is in some trouble. Please have him examine my injuries and tell him what happened." (End of Chapter)