Chapter 348 - 146: All Bow Down, the Ink-Black Demon Dragon, Gui Chen Reappears

"I—we... greet you, Elder!"

A disciple clad in Blood Armor shouted, his voice trembling after he fell to his knees.

"We greet you, Elder!"

One after another, a chaotic chorus of shouts rose up, all at different pitches and out of sync.

The Changqing Daoist looked around and saw that every disciple had already prostrated themselves on the ground, kowtowing and shouting.

The scene was identical to how these disciples once greeted the Leader of the Gui Chen Sect.

For a time, the hall was filled with nothing but the sound of their cries and prostrations.

The various Daoists of the Gui Chen Sect stood amidst the chaos, utterly at a loss for what to do.

’Sect Leader...’

A wave of confusion washed over the Changqing Daoist.

His hand trembled several times, but he could never quite bring himself to raise it.

Facing this white-robed young man of unfathomable power, he found his courage lacking.

Finally, he let out a dejected sigh and fell to his knees.

"Changqing greets... Elder."

"We greet you, Elder!"

When the remaining Daoists of the Gui Chen Sect saw that even the Changqing Daoist—the one among them with the highest Cultivation—had surrendered without a fight, what thought could they have of resisting?

One by one, they dropped to their knees, their bodies trembling.

"How laughable, how truly laughable..."

Xiao Yu let out two bitter laughs, unsure if he was laughing at the cowardice of the Daoists or at himself.

FWOOSH!

With a flick of his wrist and a clench of his fist, Su Bai crushed Xiao Yu’s Yin Spirit in his palm, causing it to vanish.

"Elder Su..."

Cui Yanliang bowed slightly, his heart a mix of shock, joy, and a hint of resentment.

"You knew all along..."

’How could there be so many coincidences in the world?’

’He doesn’t show up when I’m getting my ass kicked and running for my life, but the moment I’m about to make a getaway, he suddenly appears?’

’The only explanation is that my dear Elder Su knew what was happening here from the very beginning.’

"You have a good nature, but your personality is marred by a streak of indolence. Your first instinct in the face of trouble is often to hide or flee. That makes you ill-suited for great responsibility."

"This battle was, in a way, a special trial for you."

Su Bai glanced at Cui Yanliang.

The current Cui Yanliang looked as if he had regained his youth. His muscles and bones were strong, and he was brimming with Vitality.

Though for some unknown reason he had gone bald, he had also grown stronger.

It would be no exaggeration to say that he was a world apart from the man he had been just over ten days ago.

Cui Yanliang sighed. He knew this was Elder Su’s way of tempering him, so he had no choice but to swallow his pride and accept it.

WOOF!

Just then, a white figure shot out from the shadows and landed at Su Bai’s side.

It was the Silver-White Dog Demon.

GASP!

Cui Yanliang jumped in fright, staring in disbelief at the Silver-White Dog Demon.

"Th-this dog..."

The Silver-White Dog Demon’s speed was so extreme that it had flashed over in an instant, and even he hadn’t seen it clearly.

Now, looking closer, he immediately sensed a power contained within the Dog Demon’s body that made even him tremble in fear.

’This dog...’

’It’s actually much stronger than I am!’

For a moment, Cui Yanliang was simply stunned.

"Old Daoist, what’s gotten into you?"

The Silver-White Dog Demon stood up on its hind legs, folded its arms across its chest, and spoke in a human voice.

"This dog has had a great fortuitous encounter!"

Cui Yanliang murmured to himself. How could he not realize that this Silver-White Dog Demon must have received some heaven-sent opportunity?

Otherwise, how could it possibly have become this powerful?

Thinking of this, he suddenly felt a pang of injustice.

’What kind of life have I been living lately?’

’Every single day, it was nothing but practicing martial arts, tempering my body, drawing talismans, rushing from place to place, and vanquishing demons.’

’I’ve been through untold suffering and hardship just to get to Yu Province.’

’And yet, I never imagined I’d still be weaker than this Silver-White Dog Demon.’

Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind.

’This dog... surely it’s not your biological son, is it?’

SMACK!

The thought had barely crossed his mind before a slap landed squarely on his face.

It was a heavy slap.

Cui Yanliang’s vision went black. He spun around twice involuntarily and nearly pitched face-first onto the ground.

"Slanderous thoughts deserve a slap."

Su Bai shot Cui Yanliang a sidelong glance, then flicked his sleeve and strode toward the Branch Hall.

From start to finish, he had paid no mind at all to the Daoists of the Gui Chen Sect, including the Changqing Daoist.

’Crap, I forgot again. Elder Su can read minds...’

Cui Yanliang shook his head, muttering to himself as he trotted over to Jin Yunfeng’s side.

Jin Yunfeng was in a sorry state. Fortunately, he was already dead, so even if his skeletal body was severely damaged, his soul wasn’t in immediate danger of dissipating.

Cui Yanliang helped him up and hurried to keep pace with Su Bai.

Meanwhile, the Gui Chen Sect Daoists, including the Changqing Daoist, remained kneeling on the ground. Even after Su Bai’s figure had disappeared from view, none of them dared to rise.

The thought of escape didn’t even cross their minds.

They all possessed a certain level of Cultivation. While the True Qi within them wasn’t exceptionally powerful, it was enough to grant them some status within the Gui Chen Sect.

And while they weren’t high-ranking enough to meet the Leader of the Gui Chen Sect, they knew all too well the power of a Feathered True Master.

With their level of Cultivation, escape was impossible unless they possessed a technique to traverse tens of thousands of miles in an instant, or unless this particular Feathered True Master intentionally let them go.

Otherwise, there was no way they could escape from right under the nose of a Feathered True Master.

...

Deep within the hall, now a field of rubble, Su Bai stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His calm gaze fell upon the spot in the ruins where the Gui Chen Sect Elder had perished.

"Elder Su..."

Jin Yunfeng staggered forward and bowed.

"Do you have any idea why the Leader of the Gui Chen Sect would want to prolong this Elder’s life?"

Su Bai asked, his back still turned to Jin Yunfeng.

The ghostly flames in Jin Yunfeng’s eye sockets flickered. He shook his head, the motion accompanied by a dry, rattling sound. "I do not."

A mundane person might think the Leader of the Gui Chen Sect was simply feeling sentimental, or perhaps that this Elder had once made a great contribution to the Gui Chen Sect.