Zhongshan decided to continue forward but must swiftly distance themselves from the numerous zombies they had encountered earlier. It was too dangerous; facing just one zombie had left them in such a sorry state. With twenty-four more zombies and even that mysterious figure in black robes who attacked without a word, it was clear he was a dangerous individual.
Zhongshan understood that if that person didn't chase them, he wouldn't be able to leave either. He could only dispatch one zombie to pursue them, so it was best to leave early.
Heading southeast, they avoided the previous valley from a distance. From the high mountains, Zhongshan had already seen the general terrain. Tianling'er was instructed not to fly in the sky; it made her too conspicuous, not only to the person controlling the zombies but also potentially to other powerful individuals hiding in the area.
As they traversed through the woods, within just an hour, they encountered trouble—a group of demonic beasts.
Leading them was a giant mountain cat standing four meters tall, its eyes shining silver, followed by twenty-odd mountain cats, each two to three meters tall.
Seeing this scene, Zhongshan quickly assessed the situation. The leading mountain cat should be similar in strength to Tianling'er, or perhaps similar to the zombies they had encountered earlier. While the other mountain cats, under the influence of his Devilish Body Tempering, he could contend with. However, there were too many of them, and with Yinglan by his side, dealing with them would be extremely tricky.
Zhongshan remained calm, just as before, because he still had a lifesaving method—the Red Phoenix Mist, now at its third level. Dealing with these mountain cats wouldn't be difficult. What he had previously encountered with the zombies was useless, but he knew it wasn't fundamentally ineffective. Zombies neither lived nor died; even if they consumed a heap of aphrodisiacs, it would be to no avail.
But facing the mountain cats before him was different.
Tianling'er felt a bit nervous, not for herself but for Zhongshan, while Yinglan turned her head to see Zhongshan's composed expression, feeling little fear. Because she deeply trusted Zhongshan.
As Zhongshan was about to release the Red Phoenix Mist, he suddenly widened his eyes and retracted the mist abruptly, going on high alert.
A large amount of Red Phoenix Mist spread out. Zhongshan grabbed the hands of the two women, fully on guard.
Why did the Red Phoenix Mist suddenly appear? Wasn't the Red Phoenix Demon already dead?
As the Red Phoenix Mist spread, Zhongshan held onto the two women, constantly resisting the invasion of the mist. If it were someone else, perhaps they wouldn't be able to resist, but Zhongshan had practiced with the Red Phoenix Mist and could repel it. However, Zhongshan noticed that this Red Phoenix Mist seemed slightly different from his own.
The group of mountain cats ahead had already started to become restless, the previous fierce light in their eyes slowly replaced by confusion. Even the Mountain Cat King, sensing something amiss, suddenly showed a hint of fear in its eyes.
"Tsk tsk tsk, what beauties we have here, not just one but two! It's been ages since I've seen such stunning beauties. Did you come looking for my marvelous double cultivation? Hmm, still possessing your Yuan Yin, truly fortunate! Sitting at home, and yet, beautiful women come knocking at my door. Truly, I, the Marvelous Immortal, am blessed." Suddenly, a voice filled with a silver-tongued allure echoed from all directions.
Hearing the voice, Zhongshan's heart tightened. He knew this time they were in real trouble, far more terrifying than the previous encounter with the zombies because the other party also knew the Red Phoenix Heavenly Scriptures.
Tianling'er, upon hearing the vulgar words, was immediately annoyed and about to erupt in anger when suddenly her palm was pressed, and she became much calmer, turning to look at Zhongshan.
"Follow my lead, cooperate fully," Zhongshan whispered softly.
Upon hearing Zhongshan's words, Tianling'er frowned but remained silent, while Yinglan could discern the seriousness of the situation and quietly waited for Zhongshan to address it.
"Whoosh~~~~~~~~~~"
Descending gracefully from the sky was a handsome man dressed in loose robes adorned with flowers, resembling a bathrobe draped over him. A delicate belt squeezed around his waist, his hair shining brightly, tied into a small ponytail. He held a folding fan made of black jade in his hand, his face full of silver-tongued allure as he gazed at Tianling'er and Yinglan.
The man appeared quite relaxed in demeanor, as if the forest were merely his backyard. Swinging his folding fan lightly, he admiringly appraised the two women, choosing to completely ignore Zhongshan in the center.
Moreover, Zhongshan noticed that this man was emitting a faint Red Phoenix Mist, the same mist that surrounded them.
The Marvelous Immortal? Did he just refer to himself as the Marvelous Immortal?
"Such captivating beauty, truly surpassing the women I've encountered before. To train such exquisite specimens into female slaves would be the ultimate pleasure. Marvelous, marvelous, truly marvelous," the Marvelous Immortal chuckled as he watched the two women.
Seeing the Marvelous Immortal speak in such a lascivious manner, Tianling'er's face flushed red with anger, her brows furrowed tightly as if she were ready to confront him at any moment. As for Yinglan, she remained expressionless, her eyes showing a hint of solemnity.
"Woo woo woo~~~~~~~~~~"
The surrounding mountain cats, caught in the throes of lust, quickly found other partners to mate with, creating an extreme scene.
While the threat of the mountain cats had been neutralized, everyone knew that this Marvelous Immortal was even more terrifying than the beasts.
Scanning Tianling'er, Yinglan, and Zhongshan, the Marvelous Immortal's initially suave expression suddenly turned cold. He realized that the three of them weren't affected by the confusion he had caused?
At that moment, one of the mountain cats, unable to find a mate, unexpectedly pounced on the Marvelous Immortal. Perhaps in their confused state, they didn't differentiate between friend and foe.
With a glint of coldness in his eyes, the Marvelous Immortal waved his black jade bone fan, unleashing hundreds of crimson sword qi bursts from his body.
"Crackle~~~~~~~~~~"
Dozens of mountain cats, in their muddled state, were cut down one by one by the sword qi. In an instant, blood sprayed into the sky as the beasts, which had posed a threat to Zhongshan's group just moments ago, were mercilessly slaughtered by the sword qi emanating from this man's body. Their corpses lay in pieces.
The scent of death hung heavy in the air, adding a touch of fear to the atmosphere.
As blood sprayed everywhere, a few drops fell on the Marvelous Immortal's face, enhancing his ferocity. With a sinister smile, he licked the blood from the corner of his mouth and then turned his attention back to the trio.
"Hidden sword in acupoints, Golden Elixir stage?" Tianling'er suddenly exclaimed in surprise.
"Hidden sword in acupoints?" Zhongshan frowned. "Golden Elixir stage?" And judging by the situation, this Golden Elixir stage cultivator was even more terrifying than the zombies encountered before, with greater power. Moreover, his slightest displeasure led to rampant slaughter, making him an utterly unreasonable villain.
The moment this man appeared, Zhongshan was on high alert. However, he soon realized that no amount of vigilance would help; this man was too strong. He was so powerful that he could easily crush all three of them, even harboring extremely unpleasant intentions towards Tianling'er and Yinglan. As for himself, Zhongshan felt that this man had been ignoring him as if he were already dead.
No, they couldn't delay any longer; they had to stabilize the situation first.
"Indeed, little beauty, you have sharp eyes. However, you will soon become my best female slave," the Marvelous Immortal continued with his silver-tongued words.
Then, his gaze shifted from Tianling'er to her arms. When he saw Zhongshan holding her hand, a cold light flickered in his eyes.
Unable to delay any longer, Zhongshan knew the Marvelous Immortal had already set his sights on them.
"Senior brother," Zhongshan suddenly revealed a hint of surprise on his face.
Senior brother?
As expected, Zhongshan's address caught the attention of the Marvelous Immortal, who frowned with confusion and looked at Zhongshan. Not only the Marvelous Immortal but also Tianling'er and Yinglan wore expressions of disbelief.
Both women sensed the danger of the situation and wondered what Zhongshan's plan was to defuse the current threat. However, they couldn't imagine that he would resort to something as extreme as claiming to be the Marvelous Immortal's brother.
The Marvelous Immortal's brow furrowed slightly, his expression turning cold once again. Brother? He didn't have a brother.
Seeing the Marvelous Immortal's expression, Zhongshan seemed to realize that the Marvelous Immortal didn't believe him. He immediately waved his hand, and a red mist appeared in his palm - the Red Phoenix Mist.
The release of Zhongshan's Red Phoenix Mist truly surprised the Marvelous Immortal. Red Phoenix Mist? Indeed, it was Red Phoenix Mist. How could he have it?
Tianling'er and Yinglan had been instructed by Zhongshan earlier not to act like curious children during this dangerous period.
"Senior brother, Master passed on this technique to me, but he didn't mention having another senior brother. Did he forget? But apart from Master, there couldn't possibly be anyone else who knows this, so it must be you, senior brother," Zhongshan pretended to ponder.
"Are you that old fellow's disciple?" the Marvelous Immortal started to say but then changed his question mid-sentence.
Zhongshan, being experienced, immediately noticed the Marvelous Immortal's slip of the tongue. This revealed that he wasn't a disciple of the Red Phoenix Old Demon and might even hold a grudge against him. Zhongshan also sensed that the Marvelous Immortal's killing intent had intensified, but he knew the show had to go on.
Intensified killing intent from the Marvelous Immortal? That was not a good sign. It was imperative to suppress him from the bottom of his heart.
"Yes, I'm Senior Brother Zhongshan. However, senior brother, your Red Phoenix Mist seems to be missing something. It's slightly different from what Master taught me," Zhongshan said, furrowing his brow in puzzlement.
Hearing Zhongshan's words, the Marvelous Immortal's pupils contracted. His previous killing intent suddenly diminished by half.