He Lian's anger was not solely due to Fan Ye.
His plan for this visit to the Golden Crow Sect was meticulously laid out.
First, he would unleash the Level Nine Wind and Thunder Technique as a show of dominance.
Any sect facing such a blatant challenge would be unable to tolerate it; it would be a direct slap in the face to the entire sect.
Regardless of the sect leader's cultivation, they would come forward to reason, or even fight to the death, sacrificing themselves to uphold the sect's honor.
At that point, he would directly attack with the Wind and Thunder Technique.
Combined with the three Azure Dragon Envoys, they would surely subdue the Golden Crow Palace.
However, the Golden Crow Fairy was an anomaly, never appearing.
It was as if the honor of the Golden Crow Palace had nothing to do with him.
Instead, Nong Qing and the other two came out, engaging him in a protracted struggle.
His plan was completely disrupted, preventing it from proceeding as intended.
Furthermore, the Level Nine Wind and Thunder Technique consumed a significant amount of spiritual energy.
Since the Golden Crow Fairy refused to show herself, he couldn't simply withdraw the Wind and Thunder Technique.
He had to maintain it with great effort, lest he be criticized.
People would say he was all talk and no action, afraid of the Golden Crow Fairy.
Thus, the Azure Dragon Envoys and their companions fought with Nong Qing, and were eventually struck down into the void. He could only watch helplessly.
He was too preoccupied to intervene or provide any spare spiritual energy to support the Four Symbols Envoys.
He cursed the Golden Crow Fairy inwardly, and the deranged Fan Ye continued to insult him to his face.
Hearing the applause and cheers from the sect leaders and elders in the plaza, He Lian was driven to madness. He redirected all his fury onto Fan Ye and the other two.
If not for these three detestable juniors disrupting his plans, he wouldn't believe that the Golden Crow Fairy would remain so composed and refuse to appear.
Thus, he harbored murderous intent, wanting to kill Fan Ye, who had insulted him.
It had been an hour since he began casting the Wind and Thunder Technique.
He had reached his limit. If he didn't withdraw it soon, the Wind and Thunder Technique would dissipate. Thus, adhering to the principle of not wasting energy, he directly aimed it at Fan Ye.
He pointed his finger, and the lightning surrounding Mount Wuliang rapidly converged, transforming into a ink-purple Nine Heavens Tribulation Thunder, as thick as a water bucket.
Under He Lian's control, the tribulation thunder struck directly at Fan Ye.
"Hahaha! Well met.
The world laughs at my madness, I laugh at the world's inability to see.
All sleep while I alone am awake, I and my sword become Kunlun!"
Seeing the tribulation thunder descending from the sky, Fan Ye's demeanor became even more unhinged.
With a wild, unrestrained laugh and a song to the heavens, he swung his Mad Demon Sword. A surge of sword energy flashed, and the phantom image of a majestic mountain appeared, blocking the tribulation thunder and shielding him beneath it.
The mountain peak was majestic and precipitous, ancient and weathered, exuding an aura of primeval mystery.
Though the tribulation thunder descended with great force, it was held aloft by the mountain, unable to fall.
"Even if you manifest Kunlun with your Mad Demon Sword Qi, you can only withstand one of my tribulation thunders.
My Heavenly Dao Sect is the orthodox lineage, our Daoist traditions have a long and continuous history.
Do you think the Wind and Thunder Technique is merely this?"
He Lian, with his over three hundred years of cultivation, felt much more at ease once he no longer had to expend spiritual energy to maintain the Wind and Thunder Technique. Seeing Fan Ye block the tribulation thunder, a mocking smile touched his lips. He had expended half his cultivation to maintain the Level Nine Wind and Thunder Technique for so long; it wouldn't be so simple.
He beckoned, and the raging winds around Mount Wuliang gathered towards him, forming a wind dragon hundreds of feet long, colored earth yellow.
"Go!"
He Lian waved his hand, and the wind dragon, wagging its head and tail, charged towards Fan Ye.
Although Fan Ye had transformed his Mad Demon Sword Qi into Kunlun to block the Nine Heavens Tribulation Thunder, it had completely depleted his cultivation. Now, with the tribulation thunder above and the wind dragon charging from the front, he was unlike He Lian.
With over three hundred years of cultivation, he could no longer spare any spiritual energy to resist.
He cried out inwardly, "My life is forfeit!"
At that moment, two streams of warmth flowed into him from his back. He looked back to see Ling Ge and Nong Qing.
Without a word, their six eyes met, and they shared a smile.
After smiling, Fan Ye immediately turned back.
The dim light of the Mad Demon Sword surged, and the Kunlun mountain peak became even more solid, transforming from an illusion into a real mountain.
Amidst the sounds of wind and thunder, it stood unmoving.
It blocked the dual assault of the tribulation thunder and the wind dragon.
Seeing this, He Lian spurred his cultivation, intensifying the power of the tribulation thunder and the wind dragon.
Fan Ye, Nong Qing, and Ling Ge pooled their spiritual energy, struggling to hold on.
For a time, the four were locked in a stalemate, frozen in mid-air.
"Sister Bao Bao, aren't you going to make a move yet?
The time for the recognition ceremony is approaching. If you don't act soon, the auspicious hour will pass!"
Ming Yue finished an entire bag of preserved fruits and, looking at the four locked in a stalemate, felt a bit bored. She turned to remind the Golden Crow Fairy.
She didn't care if the ceremony missed its auspicious hour; it was the Golden Crow Fairy who had said there would be a gift for her at the ceremony.
Therefore, she couldn't wait a moment longer, fearing she would miss her gift.
"Ah! I was so engrossed, I almost missed something important.
Sister, you sit here for a while. I'll go deal with that old fossil."
The Golden Crow Fairy was in the midst of analyzing He Lian's remaining power.
Reminded by Ming Yue, she stopped her calculations.
Before, the auspicious hour had not yet arrived, and she was idle.
She had treated it as entertainment. But now that the time had come,
The recognition ceremony was about to begin. Even the King of Heaven himself couldn't delay it.
Ming Yue saw a blur before her eyes, and the Golden Crow Fairy vanished.
Looking up at the sky, she saw the Golden Crow Fairy.
She had already appeared on the high mountain conjured by Fan Ye,
Playing with a small flame in her hand, she sneered at He Lian.
"Golden Crow Fairy, you've finally appeared.
No longer a shrinking turtle? Your disciple, Ji Shiyou,
Killed my son and the White Tiger Envoy in Furong Town.
My Heavenly Dao Sect's people cannot die in vain.
Today, you must give me an explanation. Not only must you hand over the killer,
But you must pay for my son's life. Otherwise, I, this sect leader, will raze the Golden Crow Palace.
I will have the Golden Crow Palace removed from the immortal sects, becoming history."
Seeing the Golden Crow Fairy appear, He Lian shouted loudly.
"Old fossil, you've got some nerve!
The reason I didn't come out to deal with you was because
Today is a grand day for my sister and I to recognize each other. I didn't want any bloodshed to spoil the occasion!
It just so happens that before the ceremony, there was no entertainment.
So I allowed you to prance around in front of the Golden Crow Palace.
Thinking to treat the guests who traveled from afar to a monkey show.
You shamelessly come to question me,
And arrogantly claim you want to destroy my Golden Crow Palace.
Your useless son, I've wanted to kill him for a long time.
I just didn't have the time to deal with him. My disciple is filial.
Knowing his master was busy, he acted on my behalf.
Upon his return, I was planning to reward him handsomely.
If you dare to continue barking like a mad dog here,
Believe it or not, I'll turn you, old fossil, into a stiff corpse."
The Golden Crow Fairy didn't even look at He Lian, her eyes fixed on the small flame in her hand.
She spoke casually, her voice not loud but filled with murderous intent.
"You, you, you..."
Being called a monkey and compared to a dog by the Golden Crow Fairy, He Lian was speechless with rage.
"What 'you'? The auspicious hour for the recognition ceremony is almost here.
I don't have time to waste with you, old fossil. Take this!"
The Golden Crow Fairy, fearing she would delay the auspicious hour, tossed the golden-purple small flame outwards.
With a whoosh, the sky above Mount Wuliang was completely enveloped in Golden Crow Fire.
The tribulation thunder and wind dragon were all swallowed by the flames.
Then, the sky full of Golden Crow Fire
Formed a circle, trapping He Lian in the center.
"Golden Crow, you called the old fossil a curse, but you've trapped us too.
You said he was a monkey show, so aren't we monkeys too?"
Fan Ye retracted his Mad Demon Sword, but the mad demon energy hadn't subsided.
Behind the Golden Crow Fairy, he said in a deranged manner.
"Sword lunatic, don't be foolish.
What the Golden Crow said about the monkey show is correct.
The old fossil is the monkey, and we are the ones putting on the show.
Your brain is broken, picking up insults for no reason!"
Seeing the Golden Crow Fairy make her move, Ling Ge put away the Huqin in his hand and explained to Fan Ye.
"Alright, with the Golden Crow here, let's go back and rest.
Let's leave here quickly. The old fossil is about to unleash a big move.
I'm exhausted. Golden Crow, it's all yours."
Nong Qing pulled Fan Ye and Ling Ge, descending into the void.
This was because she saw that He Lian, within the circle of Golden Crow Fire opposite them, was about to fight desperately.