"Nine Provinces will not allow the existence above Ascension," Mu Hongyuan said leisurely. "Even if it were the Immortal Ling Chen, coming to the Nine Provinces, he would only be at Ascension Peak..."

This was indeed what Mr. Lee had said, Wang Mu thought. But an Immortal is still an Immortal, after all. How could it be the same? Even if they only possessed Ascension cultivation, their Immortal bodies couldn't possibly be dealt with by Cultivators, right?

"It is Ascension, after all," Wang Mu said. "And who knows how many there are? You are both strong, but now one of you hasn't fully recovered, and the other is afflicted by Emotion Poison... Can you exert your full strength? The other Ascension Experts, aside from those still in seclusion, can't even handle you when they join forces, let alone an Immortal from the Lower Realm. What if that Immortal has some special methods? Who could know? Moreover, you are the most powerful in the Nine Provinces... It's inevitable they'll set their sights on you..."

Mu Hongyuan and Elder Yan both fell into deep thought. It made some sense.

"That Demon Capturing Bottle in your hands..."

"This item requires the blood of those Immortals or Immortal Beasts to be effective," Wang Mu said. "My strength is definitely not enough to harm them... so I need your assistance..."

"Hmph." Mu Hongyuan's lips curved slightly.

This scoundrel, this was his plan all along, she thought.

"The trouble stirred up by Yan Sword Immortal, what does it have to do with me?" Mu Hongyuan waved her hand. "This matter is unrelated to me. Don't ask for my help again."

If she won't help, then so be it, Wang Mu thought. I don't need your help right now anyway. Changing the subject is enough.

Though he thought this, he still said, trying to persuade them, "Lord Mu, this isn't just Elder Yan's issue—it's a matter concerning all of Nine Provinces! You saw it too; that Ancient Black Dragon was absorbing the Dragon Clan's Qi Fortune. Who knows what the other Immortals might do?"

"I don't care." Mu Hongyuan glanced sidelong at Wang Mu. "Just a moment ago it was 'sister this, sister that.' How is it that now, after supposedly seducing me, you're calling me Lord Mu?"

Wang Mu was speechless. ...

He offered no explanation. Heroine Yan can tell whether I tricked your body or not. No matter how passionately you act, if your Yuan Yin is intact, she would have seen it at a glance.

Elder Yan remained silent. After Wang Mu's interruption, the Qingshuang Divine Sword in her hand stopped stirring.

"How about we find a quiet place and calmly discuss our countermeasures?" Wang Mu suggested, deliberately avoiding any mention of what had just transpired.

"Her?" Mu Hongyuan looked at Elder Yan with a smirk. "Yan Sword Immortal, would you be willing?"

"I will resolve my own matters myself," Elder Yan stated coolly. "Please return to wherever you came from. Seeing as you helped Brother Mu capture an Upper Realm Immortal Beast, I will not kill you today."

"HAHAHA!" Mu Hongyuan burst out laughing. "With your current strength, how much do you even have left, huh? And you dare say such things to me? You want to fight, is that it? Come on! I actually came here precisely to deal with you!"

Wang Mu was taken aback. Is that so? No, it can't be because I was with Heroine Yan first...

With that, Demoness Mu flashed outside.

"Hmph!" Yan Sword Immortal's eyes turned cold, the Qingshuang Divine Sword gleaming brightly, and in an instant, she too vanished from the spot.

RUMBLE...

The firmament trembled.

Wang Mu was speechless again. ...

Stepping out of the wooden house, Wang Mu looked up at the dark, shrouded moon, his brow furrowed slightly. Yet, he breathed a sigh of relief.

No matter what... my life is saved for now, he thought. Those two fighting again won't result in a clear winner... They're evenly matched... I'm temporarily out of danger...

Recalling the chilling sensation that had run down his spine just moments ago, Wang Mu shook his head. Too terrifying.

He felt that if he had misspoken even slightly, Heroine Yan might not have killed him, but... Wang Mu glanced down at himself.

I certainly don't want to go down the path of self-castration, he thought.

Flying to the roof of the wooden house, Wang Mu first instructed all the villagers to secure their doors and windows and stay inside. He then erected a Spiritual Energy barrier, enveloping the entire village.

I wonder what kind of cataclysmic changes their fight will cause... It's probably even more dramatic than facing that Ancient Black Dragon... Demoness Mu is afflicted by Emotion Poison and can't unleash her full strength... Heroine Yan just returned from the Dark Border not long ago, and her strength hasn't fully recovered either... 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Wang Mu quickly calculated, concluding that the two were roughly on par. Of course, if they were both in their prime, Heroine Yan would likely be stronger; after all, she was capable of destroying the Immortal Slaying Sect with a single strike. Though, that sword was the Sky-cutting Sword.

Soon, the sky darkened. Above, with Gu Yun Mountain at the center, the heavens periodically erupted with the shriek of swords and transformations of Yin Yang. Streaks of fissures flashed like thunder. The intense shockwaves felt as if they could crush everything, even from tens of thousands of feet away.

The space above is fracturing... Wang Mu watched, his heart pounding. The last time these two fought, it was over the Linglong Love Abyss... Back then, Heroine Yan was even more severely injured, so their battle wasn't as cataclysmic... This time, the sheer scale of it feels like the entire Huangtian Continent is being affected... Although I don't understand the intricacies of their fight...

Wang Mu sighed internally. If I had the strength of an Outer World Immortal... when Heroine Yan arrived just now, I could have subdued her immediately... Never mind. A thousand years of cultivation... how can my mere decade or so compare?

Wang Mu took a deep breath. The longer he watched, the more restless he became. Finally, he took out the Divine Light Mirror. "Enough of this. I'll contact Mr. Lee first. There's no telling how long they'll fight..."

If I fly up even a little, Wang Mu thought, the shockwaves from their battle would probably obliterate me.