The lady in blood-red robes in front of them was just a clone, but she was already so terrifying. In other words, her true body had to be more terrifying than this.

Everyone present was in shock.

Zhou Fan's face also became extremely serious. The power of this lady in blood-red robes was far beyond her expectations, and this was just a clone.

If her true body were to arrive here... Zhou Fan dared not think further!

"Monk, protect Her Highness and leave," said Dao Jun. He took a step forward and spread his palm. A green wood seal shot into the sky, and then an old man in green Daoist robes emerged from the seal.

He was holding a sword in his right hand and a horsetail whisk in his left. He was sporting a white hair and a white beard.

Shockingly, he was exuding a seemingly boundless aura.

Ci Tian exclaimed, "Daoist Qingmu!"

Daoist Qingmu!

The sixth generation Dao Master of the Dao Clan, second only in strength to the founder of the clan.

The Dao Clan had two glorious eras. The first era was when their founder was still alive. The Dao Clan reigned supreme and was even above the Imperial family at the time.

Back then, the Dao Clan issued dedicts that no one dared to defy.

The second era was Daoist Qingmu's era.

During that era, the Dao Clan suppressed all other sects and clans.

The decrees of the Dao Clan were scarier than the Imperial edicts of the Great Zhou Imperial family.

Even scarier was that the Great Zhou Imperial family was also at its peak at the time!

Ci Tian was truly shocked to see Dao Jun summon Daoist Qingmu. Dao Jun had definitely used one of the Dao Clan's most important trump cards.

Damn, that old man really is willing to spend! I underestimated him a bit.

"Let's go!" Zhou Fan exclaimed. With that, she turned and disappeared into the distance with Ye Guan.

This was no time for hesitation. She had to take Ye Guan back to the Great Zhou. Only there could they even hope to stop this mysterious lady in blood-red robes.

Ci Tian collected his thoughts, and he took a deep look at Dao Jun before turning into a ray of Buddhist light that flew after Zhou Fan.

Daoist Qingmu glanced at Zhou Fan and Ye Guan in the distance, and a trace of surprise flickered in his eyes.

Meanwhile, Dao Jun said, "Master Qingmu, that young man and Her Highness are the chosen assistants of our clan. Today, they face great danger, and we implore you to help them."

Dao Jun bowed deeply as he spoke.

The Qingmu Daoist withdrew his gaze, glanced at Dao Jun without a word, and then he turned to face the lady in blood-red robes. The lady in blood-red robes raised her hand and slashed down with her saber.

Daoist Qingmu flicked his horsetail whisk.

Boom!

The blood-red saber aura shattered instantly.

The lady in blood-red robes smirked, "Not bad."

Daoist Qingmu stared at the lady in blood-red robes with his brows furrowed. "The Evil Dao Alliance..."

The lady in blood-red robes didn't respond. Instead, she took out a sugarcane to chew on.

Daoist Qingmu looked up into the depths of the starry sky, remaining silent.

Below, Dao Jun felt a bit worried. He could sense that his master seemed to have some apprehension about the Evil Dao Alliance.

Daoist Qingmu turned to look at Dao Jun down below, asking, "Which generation Dao Master are you?"

Dao Jun quickly replied, "The one hundred and sixty-second generation, Master."

Daoist Qingmu nodded slightly and said, "Your talent is lacking, but your eye for discernment is commendable. Acceptable."

Dao Jun smiled wryly, taking it as a compliment.

"Go," said Daoist Qingmu.

Dao Jun hesitated briefly before bowing deeply and turning around to disappear into the starry sky.

Daoist Qingmu looked at the lady in blood-red robes without speaking.

Soon, the lady in blood-red robes finished her sugarcane. Then, her figure became blurry before dissipating like smoke.

As soon as she disappeared, the space across from Daoist Qingmu cracked open, and a lady in the same blood-red robes walked out of the spacetime rift.

The lady in blood-red robes' true body was here, and she was also holding a sugarcane.

The lady in blood-red robes looked at Daoist Qingmu and smiled lightly, "I'm going to kill you once I finish eating this sugarcane."

Daoist Qingmu nodded. "Alright."

The lady in blood-red robes took a bite, chewed a few times, and then spat it out.

And just like that, one ate while the other waited patiently.

Finally, the lady in blood-red robes shoved the final bit of the sugarcane into her mouth. She chewed on it a few times, but instead of spitting it out, she took a step forward.

It was just one step, but she was already thousands of meters behind Daoist Qingmu.

She finally spat out the sugarcane and noticed something, prompting her to look down at her saber. The tiny nick on the saber made her smile lightly. "There’s something there, but not much."

With that, the lady in blood-red robes disappeared into the distance.

Daoist Qingmu's figure slowly faded away.

***

The green wood seal in Dao Jun’s hand suddenly trembled violently, and then it dimmed.

Zhou Fan turned to look at Dao Jun, whose face was filled with dread and apprehension.

Zhou Fan’s expression turned somber as well.

Clearly, Daoist Qingmu had met a grim fate.

It made sense, though, as Daoist Qingmu wasn't here in his true body. If he had been in his true body, he would have been able to contend with the lady in blood-red robes.

Ci Tian suddenly spoke, "The Great Zhou Universe Region is just up ahead."

Zhou Fan collected her thoughts and was about to speed up when a spacetime rift manifested ahead of them.

A lady in a blood-red robes emerged from the spacetime rift.

Zhou Fan and the others immediately came to a screeching halt.

Dao Jun’s expression grew heavy.

The lady in blood-red robes was here in her true body.

Dao Jun said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, the Great Zhou Shence Army..."

Zhou Fan shook her head. "I’ve already ordered them to stand down."

The Great Zhou Shence Army was indeed formidable, but they couldn’t be used against this lady without incurring heavy losses.

Kings had to face kings while generals had to fight generals!

If the Great Zhou Shence Army were to come here, they'd die a meaningless death.

Dao Jun nodded slightly. "I see."

Ci Tian suddenly stepped forward and turned to Zhou Fan, putting his hands together, "Your Highness, I have a request."

Zhou Fan nodded, "Speak."

Ci Tian glanced at the still unconscious Ye Guan and said, "In the future, I would like to ask this Young Master Ye to promise that as long as he exists, my Fantian Temple should exist as well."

Zhou Fan looked down at the unconscious Ye Guan in her arms and nodded. "I will answer for him."

Dao Jun looked at Ci Tian in shock. "Monk, are you going to ignite your soul?"

Ci Tian snapped angrily, "Ignite your head, I'm calling my ancestors!"

With that, he took out an ancient scripture.

Looking at the scripture in his hands, Ci Tian's eyes showed a trace of complexity. "We were keeping this hidden to protect ourselves against the trump cards of your Dao Clan and the Great Zhou Imperial family, but today..."

Ci Tian glanced at Ye Guan in Zhou Fan's arms and said, "I’m taking a gamble. If I win, I will earn a great blessing for Fantian Temple that will last for eternity, repaying the favor of my master's rescue and enlightenment of me. If I lose... then, it's just death."

With that, Ci Tian sat down cross-legged and put his hands together before chanting the ancient scripture.

The lady in blood-red robes observed Ci Tian with a smile, showing no intention of stopping him.

Zhou Fan took a deep look at the lady in blood-red robes and said, "Let's go."

With that, she turned and left with Ye Guan and the others.

The lady in blood-red robes glanced at Zhou Fan in the distance, but she didn't do anything to stop them.

Just then, the ancient scripture in front of Ci Tian trembled slightly, and an ancient Buddhist light burst out of it.

"Amitabha Buddha!"

The golden light Buddhist light transformed into a monk in hemp clothes. The monk was holding a burning oil lamp in his hand. The light of the lamp was faint as if it would go out at any moment.

Ci Tian stood up, put his hands, and saluted, "Greetings, Ancestor!"

Ancestor!

The Founder of Fantian Temple, the Withered Lamp Monk.

The lady in blood-red robes glanced at the Withered Lamp Monk, then took out another piece of sugarcane. She took a bite and said with a smile, "I especially like dealing with people who call on their ancestors."

The Withered Lamp Monk looked at the lady in blood-red robes with a benevolent expression. "The Evil Dao Alliance..."

The lady in blood-red robes chewed on her sugarcane and did not speak. Clearly, she had a habit of eating a piece of sugarcane before killing someone.

The Withered Lamp Monk was about to speak when Ci Tian suddenly said, "Ancestor, you hold on, I'll... retreat first!"

With that, Ci Tian turned and transformed into a streak of Buddhist light, disappearing into the distant starry river.

The Withered Lamp Monk was slightly taken aback, finding it surprising that this generation's leader wasn't behaving like a proper monk.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

The Withered Lamp Monk snapped back to reality and turned to the lady in blood-red robes. "May I ask whether you are a protector or an envoy of the Evil Dao Alliance?"

The lady in blood-red robes smiled. "You know a bit about my Evil Dao Alliance."

"I had some dealings with you back then, though not many," replied the Withered Lamp Monk.

The lady in blood-red robes took a bite of the sugarcane, chewed it, and then asked, "Monk, let me ask you a question."

"Please go ahead, lady," replied the Withered Lamp Monk.

The lady in blood-red robes stared deeply at the Withered Lamp Monk. "Have you done the Ascension Battles?"

The Withered Lamp Monk nodded slightly. "Yes."

The lady in blood-red robes chuckled lightly. "No wonder."

The Withered Lamp Monk asked, "Have you done it, too?"

The lady in blood-red robes nodded casually. "I've fought my way to the Third Heaven before."

The Withered Lamp Monk looked down with his heart shaken deeply.

The lady in blood-red robes added, "I heard that there is someone called the True God in the True Universe, and she's apparently quite formidable. I'm here to meet her."

The Withered Lamp Monk said, "Even if my real body were here, I wouldn't be your match. However, the future generation is in trouble, so I try and stop you."

With that, he took a step forward, put his hands together, and chanted an ancient scripture.

Boom!

A kaleidoscope of Buddhist lights erupted around him. At the same time, an inscrutable incantation pervaded the universe region.

The lady in blood-red robes smiled wordlessly. She took a step forward, and with that step, she was already ten thousand kilometers behind the Withered Lamp Monk.

The lady in blood-red robes spat out the sugarcane and said, "Master, you have some skills but not much."

She took another step, disappearing from sight.

The Withered Lamp Monk's hands were still clasped together, but his figure was disappearing slowly.

***

Ci Tian seemed to have sensed something, and he turned around with a horrified look.

Dao Jun and Zhou Fan's expressions darkened at the sight.

Ci Tian's face became as pale as a piece of paper.

Damn it, even the ancestor couldn't stop that monster?

Zhou Fan didn't hesitate and immediately said, "We're going to the Great Zhou Imperial City."

At this point, they were already inside the Great Zhou Universe.

Zhou Fan, carrying Ye Guan, flew as fast as she could into the distance. At the same time, her voice echoed throughout the starry sky, "There's a powerful foe coming for us! Retreat and do not attempt to resist!"

The hidden elites of the Great Zhou Imperial Family hesitated, so Zhou Fan had no choice but to shout, "Retreat

NOW!

"

The hidden elites had no choice but to retreat.

Zhou Fan flew toward the Great Zhou Imperial City.

Just as they were about to enter the Imperial city, a lady in blood-red robes appeared in their path.

Zhou Fan's face darkened immediately. Dao Jun and Ci Tian beside her also looked very grim.

The lady in blood-red robes was just outrageously strong.

The lady in blood-red robes chewed on a sugarcane and said with a smile, "Want to enter the city? Go ahead!"

With that, the lady in blood-red robes stepped aside, clearing the way.

Zhou Fan stared at the lady in blood-red robes without saying anything.

The lady in blood-red robes spat out a piece of the sugarcane and said with a smile, "I’m not joking. Go ahead and enter!"

After a moment of silence, Zhou Fan led everyone into the Imperial City.

The lady in blood-red robes truly didn't block their way, allowing them to enter the city.

The lady in blood-red robes turned to look at the Great Zhou Imperial City and smiled slightly, "I, Ji Xiaojian, will fight all of you in the Great Zhou alone!"

Swoosh!

A young woman appeared next to Zhou Fan on the city walls.

It was Yi Nian.

Zhou Fan looked at Yi Nian. "You are?"

Yi Nian licked a candied hawthorn and asked, "Do you need me to help you fight?"

Zhou Fan asked, "What realm are you in?"

"Divine Dao Realm."

Zhou Fan looked at Yi Nian in silence. She could sense that this lady wasn't as simple as she appeared. She was definitely not just a Divine Dao Realm expert.

However, Zhou Fan instantly extinguished the thought of making Yi Nian fight the lady in a blood-red robes upon being reminded of the latter's might.

Moreover, Yi Nian looked like someone precious to Ye Guan, so Zhou Fan couldn't afford to have her risk her life.

With that thought in mind, Zhou Fan ruffled Yi Nian's head and said, "Just take care of yourself."

Yi Nian had no idea what to say.