When I Achieved Sainthood, the Immortal Official Actually Called Me to Raise Horses!

Chapter 85: Testing the Divine Finger, Xu Lian the Demon Lord

Outer Sect City.

The city walls were crowded with outer sect disciples. Among them were Ye Lan and Zhen Qin, both frowning as they stared into the distance. They weren’t alone—all eyes were fixed on the same ominous direction, every disciple on high alert.

Snow blanketed the earth and mountains, howling winds carrying swirling flurries. Amid the chaos, the faint outlines of distant peaks could be glimpsed.

Gu-gu—

That eerie bird cry echoed once more, like the forewarning of ghostly spirits, causing the hearts of those on the wall to pound like war drums.

Gradually, a shadow emerged from the endless white expanse, leaving every disciple stunned.

“What… what is that?” Zhen Qin asked shakily, her voice so soft it was almost to herself.

Ye Lan’s eyes widened. She prided herself on having seen much, but even she was shocked by the sight before her.

The colossal shadow resembled a boundless black ocean advancing steadily, its edges disappearing into the heavens. The bird cries grew louder and more sinister.

Anyone confronted with such an immense shadow would feel terror, as if staring into the abyss itself.

Suddenly, a surge of overwhelming spiritual pressure burst from within the city, startling the disciples. They turned to see dozens of flying swords rising into the sky, glowing with golden spiritual energy.

With a deafening boom, the swords shot forth together, their combined golden energy coalescing into the form of a massive phoenix that soared over the city walls.

The phoenix’s wings spanned a hundred feet, its presence majestic. But as it hurtled toward the enormous shadow, it seemed minuscule in comparison.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The golden phoenix tore through the snow-filled sky, an unstoppable force colliding with the terrifying shadow. A burst of golden light erupted, accompanied by howling winds that whipped snow in every direction. The disciples on the walls shielded themselves with their arms, barely standing against the onslaught.

“Your Majesty the Demon Emperor, what are you waiting for?”

A chilling voice cut through the storm, silencing all other noise.

Atop the Heavenly Mending Platform.

The Huangquan Demon Emperor slowly rose to his feet. Opposite him, a fifth-level Void Transformation cultivator followed suit, their gazes locking.

“So, you are the fabled Huangquan Demon Emperor. I must say, you hid yourself well,” the Taixuan Sect elder said coldly, raising his right hand as a jade ruler appeared in his grasp.

Several other Taixuan Sect cultivators stood as well, exuding an aura far surpassing the Transformation Stage. The oppressive energy forced the other cultivators on the platform to retreat.

The Nightshade Ghost Mother also backed away, her demeanor indistinguishable from an ordinary cultivator.

Heh heh.

The Huangquan Demon Emperor let out a hair-raising laugh as his calm face twisted. Waves of demonic energy erupted from his robes, spreading in all directions.

Boom!

Thunder rumbled in the heavens as rolling clouds gathered from all sides, pressing down on the falling snow to form a dense, oppressive fog. The sky seemed split into two layers, the atmosphere suffocating.

The Huangquan Demon Emperor glanced upward, a mocking smile on his face. Then, with a sudden crouch, he slammed his palm into the ground.

In an instant, the demonic energy engulfing the Heavenly Mending Platform churned violently, and one malevolent ghost after another crawled from the mist, their roars shaking the heavens.

And so, the battle between the righteous and demonic factions erupted in full force!

Xuan Valley.

Gu An was leading the disciples in inspecting the herbs. Fierce winds swept the slopes, causing accumulated snow to cascade down. The rumbling from afar was relentless.

Yang Ni stood silently beside Gu An, her gaze fixed on the sky, brows tightly furrowed. She made no move to clear the snow.

“Senior Brother, this disturbance feels massive!” Wu Xin said nervously, moving closer to Gu An.

Gu An cursed inwardly. Didn’t Jiang Qiong say this area wouldn’t be affected? Why does it feel like the demonic faction is invading from here?

“Don’t worry. The Taixuan Sect won’t fall so easily,” Gu An reassured him.

He could sense the thick demonic energy emanating from the outer sect city but couldn’t discern its origin.

Though worried, Wu Xin kept working, a testament to Gu An’s years of instilling discipline.

Above, thunderclouds began to gather, slowing the snowfall—a small mercy for Xuan Valley.

Once the snow in the gardens was cleared, Gu An instructed Wu Xin to gather the disciples. He and Yang Ni stood at a distance.

“Do you think the Taixuan Sect can hold out?”

“What’s that terrifying sound?”

“Wonder how the outer sect city is faring. At least we’re in the Medicine Valley.”

“Don’t speak too soon. Demonic cultivators might target us next.”

“Shut up, you jinx!”

The disciples were tense, their nerves on edge. The oppressive aura of high-level battles, combined with demonic energy and fearsome pressure, assaulted their senses. None of them had ever experienced anything like it.

Glancing at the disciples a hundred feet away, Gu An turned to Yang Ni and transmitted his voice:

“With your strength, what level of enemy could you handle?”

“As long as it’s not a Transformation Stage cultivator, I can take on as many as come,” Yang Ni replied confidently.

Her boldness failed to reassure Gu An. A Transformation Stage cultivator is bound to appear.

At that moment, a figure flew in from the distance, descending rapidly into the valley. It was none other than Li Ya.

“Senior Brother Li!” Wu Xin exclaimed joyfully. An inner sect disciple and genuine Core Formation expert, Li Ya’s arrival filled him with excitement.

To Wu Xin, Yang Ni was merely at the Foundation Establishment stage and couldn’t compare to Li Ya.

Ignoring Wu Xin, Li Ya strode toward Gu An, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized Yang Ni. Turning back to Gu An, he said urgently, “Junior Brother Gu, we need to evacuate. This place is too dangerous. Right now, battles are raging across every outer sect city and inner sect city. A traitor in Taixuan Sect used teleportation arrays to bring the enemy inside!”

What?

Li Ya Doesn’t Recognize Yang Ni?

Gu An’s expression turned grave. “No, I can’t abandon the Medicine Valley. Even if we were to flee, where could we go?”

Truthfully, Li Ya’s arrival stirred a mix of gratitude and frustration in Gu An. He wasn’t overly worried about the demonic invasion; his main concern was having someone nearby, making it inconvenient for him to act.

“Hiding is easy! But you can’t stay in the Medicine Valley!” Li Ya said in a stern tone.

Gu An shook his head. “If you want to hide, you can. Senior Brother Li, you didn’t need to come save me. I can’t abandon my disciples!”

Xuan Valley had over twenty errand disciples—moving them all wasn’t feasible, but they served as a good excuse for him to stay.

Li Ya was about to retort when Yang Ni suddenly interjected, “Someone’s coming!”

Both Li Ya and Gu An instinctively looked skyward.

Above, the rolling thunderclouds formed a massive vortex, and from its center, a figure plummeted toward Xuan Valley like a falling meteor, landing on the northern peak with a cloud of snow erupting on impact.

“Wu Xin, you’ve made it hard for your elder brother to find you. I didn’t expect you to be hiding here. And here I was wondering where you got the guts to infiltrate the Taixuan Sect as a spy!”

A mocking, icy voice resounded through the valley, drawing everyone’s attention to Wu Xin.

The disciples around Wu Xin gasped and quickly stepped back. Wu Xin’s expression darkened as he glared at the figure atop the peak, his eyes filled with hatred.

The man on the peak wore a black robe adorned with blood-red sigils. His long hair hung loose, framing sharp features with a sinister aura. His gaze was filled with malice, and his smile twisted his handsome face into a terrifying sneer. He looked down at Wu Xin as though observing an insect.

[Bai Wu (First-Level Nascent Soul Stage): 203/790/980]

Gu An glanced at the lifespan probe results and remained calm.

He dared to let this person into the valley because he’d already sensed that Bai Wu’s cultivation wasn’t a significant threat. The probe was merely an extra precaution.

Li Ya frowned, his gaze shifting to Wu Xin. A flicker of killing intent passed through his eyes.

Wu Xin seemed to understand the danger posed by Bai Wu. Gritting his teeth, he shouted, “I’ll go back with you! Just don’t harm anyone else!”

“Oh, that won’t do,” Bai Wu sneered, licking his lips. “My orders are to kill everyone in the Taixuan Sect, even insignificant errand disciples!”

“And who said I’d take you back? Today, you’ll die with them. At least I can bring your head back.”

“Hmph!”

A cold snort rang out, making Bai Wu’s pupils contract in shock. He instinctively turned to look, only to see a green-robed woman appear beside him, sword drawn and slashing toward him.

It was Yang Ni!

Bai Wu leaped back but couldn’t avoid the blow entirely. Blood spurted from his arm as the blade cut through.

Yang Ni pressed the attack, and the two clashed atop the mountain peak. Sword energy and demonic mist radiated outward, soon lifting their battle into the sky.

Li Ya glanced at Gu An, frowning. “Who is she?”

Gu An replied in a low voice, “Your mother’s younger sister, Yang Ni. You don’t recognize her?”

Li Ya’s expression turned to one of astonishment. “So it’s her…” he murmured.

Gu An noted the change in Li Ya’s demeanor, confused. What’s going on? Are they not on good terms?

However, instead of probing further, Gu An said, “I’m going to check the forest. There are still plenty of herbs planted there.”

Without waiting for a response, he ran toward the woods.

Li Ya wanted to call him back, but Yang Ni’s ongoing battle kept him preoccupied.

“Damn it!” Li Ya cursed under his breath, leaping into the air to assist her.

In truth, Yang Ni didn’t need help. She already had the upper hand against Bai Wu. Within just ten breaths, Bai Wu was drenched in blood. Though he unleashed wide, powerful techniques, Yang Ni’s nimble footwork allowed her to evade effortlessly.

Seeing Bai Wu in such a dire state, Wu Xin was dumbfounded.

Where did Senior Brother find such a formidable cultivator?

Meanwhile, at the forest’s edge.

Gu An stood with his back to Xuan Valley, his gaze fixed on the distant mountains.

He raised his right hand, pressing his thumb against his middle finger, aiming into the distance.

He sensed the presence of a Void Transformation cultivator several hundred miles away. Whoever it was had stopped there for unknown reasons, but it clearly wasn’t good news.

Too close to my Medicine Valley. Must be eliminated!

Perfect for testing Elder Tian’s Spirit Gathering Divine Finger.

Having mastered the technique, Gu An was confident that, despite his lack of practice, it would suffice to kill a Void Transformation demonic cultivator.

Spiritual energy condensed at the tip of his middle finger, though he avoided drawing from the surrounding energy to prevent alerting Yang Ni and the others.

Several hundred miles away.

On a flat expanse amid the mountains, a group of demonic cultivators was setting up a formation platform.

A commanding figure stood to one side, watching silently.

This was Xu Lian, one of the Demon Lords of the Tianjue Sect, a fourth-level Void Transformation cultivator. He idly played with a ball of white flame in his right hand, his expression indifferent.

A Tianjue Sect disciple approached and whispered, “Master, the formation will be complete in at most one incense stick’s time.”

Xu Lian replied coolly, “Complete it immediately. Prepare to—”

His words were cut short, his face suddenly changing. He instinctively turned his head, alarm flashing in his eyes.