The Immortal Lord and the Demon Venerable Are Both My Vests - Chapter 1

A torrential downpour.

One corner of the grand hall had collapsed, jade stones and glazed tiles scattered across the ground. Muddy water mixed with fresh blood into a turbid dark red color, slowly flowing along the dimmed runes on the floor into the dark corners.

The luminous pearl artifacts used for lighting had been thoroughly destroyed in the fierce fighting. The hall was now pitch black, and only through the occasional flashes of lightning could one catch a momentary glimpse of the scene within.

Rumble——

Dark clouds churned in the sky, lightning twisted and tore through the endless night, pulling out long, narrow golden-white branch-like fissures.

A spear shadow pierced through the air, penetrating a dark figure at a speed barely visible to mortal eyes with a sharp, piercing shriek.

The struck body crashed into the hall’s wall like a meteor. The already precarious wall shattered with a thunderous ‘boom’ under the heavy impact, blue bricks and green tiles tumbling and shattering, raising clouds of dust.

Thunder exploded, and heaven and earth returned to darkness.

Footsteps sounded in the darkness, neither hurried nor slow, their rhythm seeming to land precisely on the beat of one’s heart, thump-thump.

Yin Lang stopped before the ruins, supporting himself with his spear, half-closing his eyes and saying lazily, “Sect Master Lin is at least at the Integration stage—how can he not even withstand a single spear strike from this venerable?”

All around was silent. From the rubble, a person crawled out with difficulty, his robes tattered, fresh blood continuously pouring from his mouth, holding a long sword that was now only half its original length.

He laughed miserably, yet with a hint of mockery. “If the Venerable has something to say, speak directly. Surely you didn’t stage a surprise night raid on my Jihe Alliance just to taunt Lin with a few painless jibes?”

‘Night raid,’ ‘surprise attack’—clearly mocking how the demonic cultivators lacked strength and could only resort to sneak attacks in the dark!

A demonic cultivator immediately became enraged, summoning his weapon with a gesture, about to teach this stubborn old fool a lesson.

“Ah!” Black flames appeared like a ghost’s shadow. With a scream, the demonic cultivator who struck out was instantly reduced to ashes.

The red-robed venerable leisurely standing in the center with his spear smiled slightly. The mischievous black flames in his palm reluctantly shrank back. His dark eyes slanted slightly, his cool gaze sweeping over several people. Every demonic cultivator who was looked at trembled all over, wishing they could bury themselves in the ground.

“Oh my, what happened to Sect Master Sun?”

When Yin Lang spoke, his tone and manner were as usual, but to the demonic cultivators’ ears, it couldn’t sound more fake.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, the flames had not yet fully dispersed—such an obvious display of authority. Not a second fool would be foolish enough to jump out and respond. Nor did anyone dare remind him that the demonic cultivator who had just been burned to soul-scattered ashes was neither surnamed Sun, nor was he the sect master of any demonic sect.

Black flames as dark as thick ink, as cold as ice and snow, capable of burning away even a person’s very soul—this was the signature of the Seventh Venerable of the Demonic Path, Yin Lang.

The demonic cultivators fell silent as cicadas in winter.

Those who had developed certain unspoken ulterior motives due to the Venerable’s overly long seclusion also quietly restrained themselves under the threat of the black flames.

Sect Master Lin also took advantage of this moment of light to see clearly the situation at the mountain’s base. Hundreds of demonic cultivators had completely surrounded the entire Jihe Alliance. Each wore bizarre outfits and wielded artifacts radiating ominous black light, seemingly scattered but actually forming an airtight trap formation.

——There was no escape.

Even in such dire straits, Sect Master Lin still couldn’t understand why the Jihe Alliance had suffered this unwarranted disaster.

The Seventh Venerable of the Demonic Path, a great power at the Tribulation stage—why wouldn’t he compete with the other nine Demon Venerables for territory and influence, but instead target his own mid-tier righteous sect that had nothing to do with him?

Over there, Yin Lang had finished ‘disciplining’ his unruly demonic subordinates, and his gaze returned to Sect Master Lin.

“Sect Master Lin.” Compared to smiling while casually burning a Spirit Formation stage demonic cultivator to soul-scattered ashes, Yin Lang’s attitude when speaking to him could truly be called ‘normal’. “I heard that the Sect Master recently obtained a treasure by chance… This venerable is quite interested in it.”

Coming to seize treasure?

Sect Master Lin was even more confused. He mentally reviewed all the artifacts and treasures he’d handled in the past thirty years, but couldn’t think of anything worth a Demon Venerable bringing a large force to seize with such fanfare.

…Fine, fine. Better to lose wealth to avoid disaster than to truly have his sect destroyed.

For the sake of all the disciples of Jihe Alliance, Sect Master Lin sighed heavily. “Please, Venerable, describe it in detail. If Lin truly possesses such an item, there’s no reason not to present it with both hands.”

The high-ranking demonic cultivators on the mountain also pricked up their ears, wanting to know what item was worth the Venerable making such a big fuss over. The shrewd ones were already starting to calculate their own little schemes.

“This venerable doesn’t know.” Utterly shameless.

Sect Master Lin choked. If it weren’t for the fact that standing before him was one of the cultivation world’s most powerful beings, he really wanted to spit in his face.

You want to find something but you don’t know what it is? Then who are you expecting to know? Me?!

Yin Lang still had that boneless appearance, lazily lifting his eyelids, lips curving into a smile.

If not for the timing, location, and context being all wrong, if you changed the setting to a southern riverbank with drooping willows, he would be exactly like a romantic young master strolling through pleasure quarters.

“I trouble Sect Master Lin.”

The words were very polite, but that expression clearly said ‘if you can’t find it, I’ll destroy your Jihe Alliance.’

The Ten Venerables of the Demonic Path—not one was easy to deal with!

“…I ask Venerable to make an oath that once I present the item the Venerable seeks, the Venerable will absolutely not strike against anyone in my sect again.”

“Agreed.”

The Seventh Demon Venerable’s credibility had always been good. Sect Master Lin could only rack his brains to remember.

For a full half hour, he transmitted the names of hundreds of treasures and artifacts. Even items with just the slightest unusual features were not omitted.

And the large group of demonic cultivators also stood in the heavy rain for half an hour, staring at each other. If Yin Lang didn’t move, none of them dared to move.

“…A silver chain adorned with a crimson gemstone. It seems to be an imitation of the one belonging to Tianji Daojun of Taihua Immortal Sect. It appears to be mortal craftsmanship, exquisite yet no less fine than Baibao Pavilion’s work, quite peculiar…”

Having mentioned even mortal-crafted items, clearly Sect Master Lin had exhausted his options.

“Does Sect Master Lin think this venerable is easy to fool?”

“This lowly one wouldn’t dare!” Sweat covered his forehead. Under the Demon Venerable’s gradually rising killing intent, his mind raced as he hurriedly protested:

“That item was accidentally obtained by my daughter several months ago. She loved it dearly and wore it on her person daily, which is why I looked at it a few times! Though it has no spiritual qi, the craftsmanship is extremely exquisite. If I didn’t know that Dao Tianji Daojun’s natal artifact could never possibly be lost, this lowly one would have almost mistaken it!”

The killing intent gradually faded.

However…

“…Natal artifact?” Yin Lang’s expression was subtle.

“The Venerable doesn’t know? That item has been worn on Tianji Daojun’s forehead since their first appearance in the cultivation world, never leaving their person. Everyone speculates that Tianji Daojun fashioned their natal artifact to look like a forehead ornament. Due to… circumstances, over the years imitators have been as numerous as fish crossing a river.”

“……”

Yin Lang’s expression was truly hard to describe.

He raised his hand and formed a hand seal, then half-closed his eyes and waited. He neither spoke nor showed any tendency to strike. Lin Chiluo couldn’t determine what this meant and could only stand there stiffly with him.

After an unknown amount of time, the rain became even heavier. Suddenly, sharp screams rang out from outside the demonic cultivators’ encirclement. Sect Master Lin’s face changed drastically.

Then the crowd parted like Moses parting the sea. A black-robed youth with an upright bearing walked in with large strides, dragging something unidentifiable in his hand. Rainwater washed away the remaining traces on the ground, and a thick smell of blood permeated the air.

The demonic cultivators exchanged glances without leaving traces: How many people did the Young Venerable kill tonight? This blood qi is practically soaring to the sky…

“Master.” Qin Xun walked to within ten feet of Yin Lang, casually tossed away the unidentified object he’d been dragging, and bowed his head in greeting.

Yin Lang opened his eyes to look at him.

Qin Xun paused slightly and transmitted. “The matter you asked this disciple to investigate has results. The daughter of the Jihe Alliance Leader set out for Taihua Immortal Sect seven days ago.”

…Taihua Immortal Sect? Was it a coincidence?

After a hundred years as master and disciple, Qin Xun could tell what he was thinking from his micro-expressions. He transmitted a reminder. “Master, in three days will be Taihua Immortal Sect’s once-per-century Mountain Opening Ceremony.”

Mountain Opening—meaning accepting disciples.

With a better option available, Sect Master Lin naturally wouldn’t let his daughter remain cultivating at his own fourth-grade sect.

“…This venerable naturally knows.”

“……”

Qin Xun lowered his head, silently swallowing back the thought that had already reached his lips.

Uh… could this be what Junior Sister Chang’an often called ‘the desire to complain’? But why would people speak toward a trough while vomiting? Wouldn’t that cause unclear pronunciation?

The young Venerable truly couldn’t understand.

“Then I’ll leave this place to you. Kill everyone to silence them, not one left alive.”

Yin Lang straightened up, casually issuing the massacre order. The God-Slaying Spear automatically scattered into scattered black flames, and under the horrified gazes of the demonic cultivators who had all taken a step back, returned to his dantian.

Sect Master Lin’s eyes suddenly widened. “Venerable, you said——“

Before he finished speaking, the red-robed figure in the ruins had already vanished without a trace.

Long accustomed to his master appearing and disappearing without warning, whose hobby was leaving his disciple with a complete mess, Qin Xun was silent for half a second. Facing Sect Master Lin’s shocked and angry expression and the demonic cultivators behind him each with their own schemes, he silently manifested a long spear in his right hand.

****

Majestic Taihua, ethereal Immortal Sect.

As the first immortal sect of the Lantian Continent, Taihua Immortal Sect had mobilized the entire sect’s power to relocate thirty percent of Zhongzhou’s spiritual veins, concentrating them all in this ten-thousand-mile Taihua mountain range.

Spiritual qi transformed into mist, circling the heavens like fish swimming through water.

Yin Lang stopped at a mountain peak still three or four miles from Taihua Immortal Sect. From this position, with his eyesight he could clearly see the prosperous immortal city at the foot of Taihua Mountain, bustling with people flowing like weaving shuttles.

The Mountain Opening Ceremony might just be a common disciple-recruiting ritual to inject fresh blood for the immortal sect, but for the mortals living in this million-mile Zhongzhou region, it was a once-in-a-lifetime celestial stairway to seek immortality and the Dao.

The blood-red robe hem faded to pure white in the dense spiritual qi, gold thread outlining beautiful patterns. The black flames withdrew, dark hair flowing freely—suddenly like an immortal.

Looking again, it was already a completely different gentle countenance.

Taihua Immortal Sect, Tianji Daojun, Shen Muxuan.

This wasn’t an illusion technique, nor any disguise spell known to cultivators. Rather, he had actually torn apart the muscles of his own face and reassembled them according to bone structure into another appearance.

Illusion techniques would fail, disguise spells couldn’t fool those with higher cultivation—only this method of fundamental alteration was a flawless disguise.

He remained calm as if the severe pain on his face didn’t exist at all, raised his hand to cast a cleansing spell, then reached into his spatial ring to retrieve something.

——A silver chain with a suspended crimson gemstone, exactly matching Sect Master Lin’s description.

“Um… excuse me, which direction should I go to reach Dieyun City?”

Just as he raised his hand to fasten the temporarily forged crimson gemstone ornament, a breathless voice suddenly came from two feet behind him.

!!!

Yin Lang instinctively took a step forward, dodging the hand that had nearly touched his shoulder. His right hand formed a claw, and just as the God-Slaying Spear was about to materialize, the white robe hem that swept past his peripheral vision made him quickly recall his current identity. The spear shadow dispersed, he pointed his fingers together like a sword, emitting sharp cyan sword light.

Within one-thousandth of a breath’s time—dodge, raise hand—the sword light was already pressed against the ‘ambusher’s’ neck.

——A cloth-clothed youth with ‘bewilderment’ written all over his face.

Bone age fourteen, the pitiful spiritual qi around him couldn’t reach Foundation Establishment even at its peak. Hair casually tied in a messy ponytail, clothes the most common rough cloth tunic of the mortal realm, worn until the skin was somewhat reddened.

An utterly ordinary, common mortal youth. If there was anything special, it was probably that handsome face glimpsed in a flash.

Yin Lang’s two fingers radiating cyan sword light remained motionless as he silently assessed this person from behind.

Tribulation stage, the tenth stage of the cultivation path. Unless one encountered an eleventh-stage Dao Integration half-immortal great power one step away from ascension, no living being could escape his perception and approach within five hundred meters of him.

His thoughts raced. Over there, the youth opened his mouth wide and tilted his head back, eyeballs desperately glancing downward, not even daring to swallow, afraid that one careless move would make him bump into that obviously very sharp sword qi.

No matter how foolish he was, he knew this wasn’t just a passing traveler. He stammered. “Um… Immor- Immortal, I- I’m going to Dieyun City to prepare to participate in the immortal sect exam- examination. I was just asking for directions…”

These words unintentionally reminded Yin Lang once again.

He was no longer the Seventh Demon Venerable now, and Tianji Daojun would not casually kill mortals. Moreover, this was already within Dieyun City’s range—any slight spiritual qi fluctuation would be monitored by the Taihua Immortal Sect.

The sword qi across his neck disappeared, killing intent restrained.

“Really can’t take a scare.” The light tone carried a hint of barely perceptible regret. Xu Rong felt something lightly tap his shoulder:

“Hey, little one, there are people from Diyun City coming over there. Just follow them. Remember, you must not speak of seeing this lord, otherwise…”

Xu Rong’s heart was in his throat.

Other- otherwise? Please, benevolent immortal, please don’t kill him… he really was just asking for directions, wuwuwu…

The person behind him paused, then seeming to think of something, said with malicious amusement. “In three days, you’ll know just how severe the consequences of leaking secrets are!”