Li Yundong patted Su Chan's hand, gently shaking his head at her, then wrote: "Calm down, let's observe first."

At this moment, Yan Fang hadn't expected that her loud shout would force out so many people; she too was somewhat stunned, failing to speak for quite some time, her expression flickering between dark and light.

It was Wan Zhenyuan whose face was a true spectacle. He hadn't anticipated so many people hidden right under his nose. His expression turned exceedingly grim as he stated, "Who else? Come out together!"

Just then, the short, stout Dang Qiang slowly climbed over the wall, waving his hands excitedly as he proclaimed, "Me, and me too!"

Wan Zhenyuan, filled with pent-up frustration with nowhere to vent it, immediately waved his sleeve violently. A sudden gust of Gang Feng erupted, violently knocking Dang Qiang tumbling back down from the wall.

The cultivators from various sects standing in a line atop the wall burst into a chorus of laughter.

Wan Zhenyuan's face turned ashen. He roared, "Do you truly treat my Gezao Sect as a mere vegetable garden, daring to be so presumptuous! Who else? All of you, get out here!"

As his voice fell, a chilling sound echoed from the mid-air. A young married woman, accompanied by a beautiful maiden, descended from the sky. Both were clad in Taoist robes; one kept her hands tucked in her sleeves, the other carried a long sword on her back, both standing gracefully.

The young married woman stared coldly at Wan Zhenyuan, her gaze piercing, and stated icily, "Wan Zhenyuan, I am being presumptuous. What of it?"

Wan Zhenyuan focused his gaze on the woman, instantly sucking in a sharp breath, his face a mask of shock. Not far away, Yan Fang’s expression also changed drastically.

Li Yundong recognized the beautiful maiden next to this woman as Zou Ping, but he noticed that the woman beside Zou Ping, though otherwise ordinary in appearance, possessed a strikingly conspicuous dot of red cinnabar mole right between her brows. Wan Zhenyuan and Yan Fang hadn't shown such shock even when so many others had jumped out, but upon seeing this woman, their complexions visibly paled—this woman was clearly no ordinary person.

Li Yundong couldn't help but write on Zi Yuan’s back, asking: "Who is this person?"

Zi Yuan’s expression grew solemn. She transmitted her voice to Li Yundong and slowly explained, "This is Zhang Ling, the elder sister of the Heavenly Master Zhang, the leader of the Zhengyi Sect, known as the Earth Fire True Person!"

Li Yundong’s own face shifted. He quickly wrote on Zi Yuan's back again: "Could this be the one who let out that great shout at Dragon Tiger Mountain earlier?"

Zi Yuan slowly nodded to Li Yundong.

Li Yundong’s demeanor instantly sharpened. When he had summoned lightning to strike Dragon Tiger Mountain, Zhang Ling's furious roar had nearly jolted him, even on the side peak, off the ground—what level of cultivation was that!

Such power was terrifyingly formidable!

Li Yundong secretly calculated; if he were to engage her in a direct fight, his chances of winning were likely less than thirty percent!

Su Chan, that little fox spirit, suddenly realized that so many powerful cultivators from various Taoist sects had suddenly appeared beside her. She became so frightened she didn't dare even take a deep breath, clinging desperately to Li Yundong, afraid he might vanish the next moment.

Li Yundong’s heart was also pounding. He thought to himself: Could this Zhang Ling have been tracking me? If she came looking for trouble with me, and Yan Fang decided to join the fray, I might very well meet my end today!

My death wouldn't matter much, but what about the little girl? And what about involving Zi Yuan?

Li Yundong rapidly analyzed his options. Just as his thoughts raced like lightning, the atmosphere on the field suddenly shifted.

Zhang Ling's appearance caused Wan Zhenyuan's expression to change. He watched her with high alert and said in a deep voice, "It turns out the Earth Fire True Person has graced us with her presence. I failed to greet you properly; my apologies, my apologies."

Zhang Ling let out a cold smile without responding. Zou Ping, standing beside her, spoke loudly, "Wan Zhenyuan, stop with the pleasantries. Speak quickly: Where were you in the first half of this night!"

Wan Zhenyuan was already frustrated enough tonight, having failed to notice so many people hiding under his watch. Now, a young girl was pointing at his nose and barking orders. No one could tolerate that, especially a (Sect Leader) and the head of a lineage!

Wan Zhenyuan's displeasure peaked. He roared, "Who are you, daring to shout at me like that in my presence!"

Zou Ping’s face flushed with anger, about to retort, but she saw Zhang Ling raise a hand, stopping her. Zou Ping glared angrily at Wan Zhenyuan, then stepped back behind Zhang Ling, fixing Wan Zhenyuan with a furious stare.

Zhang Ling’s gaze continuously assessed Wan Zhenyuan, and she asked coldly, "Sect Leader Wan, didn't you just tell me to roll out? I have rolled out now. Do you have any instruction for me?"

Being questioned so sarcastically to his face made Wan Zhenyuan’s anger surge, but he was extremely wary of Zhang Ling's strength. Thus, he suppressed his rage and said, "The Earth Fire True Person is joking. But you arrive so late; may I ask the reason for your esteemed visit?"

Zhang Ling snorted, her gaze sharp as she fixed on Wan Zhenyuan. "I have no other business, merely wishing to inquire about your whereabouts during the first half of the night."

Wan Zhenyuan’s expression changed. "Zhang Ling, are you interrogating me like a criminal?"

Zhang Ling sneered, "If your conscience were clear, why would you say that?"

Wan Zhenyuan's anger was becoming difficult to control; the veins on his forehead throbbed. He suppressed his fury and stated, "Where Wan Zhenyuan was during the first half of the night is not something I need to report to you!"

Zhang Ling was reluctant to mention the matter of the lightning striking Dragon Tiger Mountain, lest it spread among the many onlookers and become a laughingstock. Therefore, she repeatedly pressed Wan Zhenyuan about his whereabouts earlier in the night.

Initially, she harbored some doubts, but seeing Wan Zhenyuan evade and refuse to disclose his location, her suspicions grew stronger, making her increasingly certain that Wan Zhenyuan was responsible for striking Dragon Tiger Mountain with lightning.

Zhang Ling threw her head back and laughed loudly. "If you don't want people to know, don't do it in the first place! You won't even answer such a simple question, which proves you have something to hide! Sect Leader Wan, you probably never imagined that I already knew what you did!"

Wan Zhenyuan’s face changed dramatically. His true essence suddenly erupted, purple energy swirling around him, his killing intent blazing as he demanded, "What did you find out?"

Seeing Wan Zhenyuan’s savage nature fully revealed, Zhang Ling let out a great shout, "Wan Zhenyuan, you finally admit it! Hmph, very well, today I shall test the prowess of the foremost expert of the Outer Elixir Sect!"

Saying this, she pulled both hands out from the wide sleeves of her Taoist robe, revealing a pair of fiery red hands.

Zhang Ling clapped her hands together violently. A deafening explosion sounded before her, and the ground beneath her feet cracked into countless fissures. Within these cracks, one could faintly see dark red flames churning and surging beneath the earth. Countless small flames shot up from below, swirling between Zhang Ling's palms, coalescing into a ferocious, burning fire dragon!

The cultivators from the various sects gathered on the wall gasped in unison, exclaiming, "What is going on here? Why start fighting the moment they meet?"

Zheng Yuan also boomed out, attempting to play the peacemaker: "Earth Fire True Person, Sect Leader Wan, please listen to this old man for a moment. Don't strike yet! What, what exactly is happening here! If you must fight, at least let us understand things clearly first!"

Zhang Ling was proud and arrogant; she respected no one in the world except her own sect brother, the Master. She immediately snapped at Zheng Yuan without courtesy, "What business is it of yours to meddle!"

Zheng Yuan’s face darkened, a flash of ferocity quickly crossing his eyes, but he swiftly regained control, still smiling broadly at Wan Zhenyuan. "Sect Leader Wan, you can discuss things civilly. Why resort to violence?"

Wan Zhenyuan's expression was grim. He eyed the row of cultivators on the wall with ill intent, sneering, "Discuss things civilly? Fine. First, tell me why you all came to my Gezao Sect tonight. Isn't taking the Human Essence Golden Elixir once enough? Do you really think our Gezao Sect is a soft persimmon?"

Dang Qiang grinned mischievously, "Sect Leader Wan, don't say I didn't guess right, we really are here for the Human Essence Golden Elixir!"

Wan Zhenyuan's face shifted, his voice a mixture of shock and anger. "Wasn't the Human Essence Golden Elixir already taken by you people? Why are you here again!"

Just then, Du Fei suddenly spoke up. "Sect Leader Wan, to be honest, I recently heard rumors circulating that the Gezao Sect possesses a second Human Essence Golden Elixir yet to appear. That's why I came to investigate thoroughly."

As soon as Du Fei finished speaking, the cultivators from the other sects chimed in agreement: "That's right, we also came to check after hearing that rumor. If there truly is a second Human Essence Golden Elixir, Sect Leader Wan, we are willing to purchase it at a high price!"

"Exactly, Sect Leader Wan, name your price!"

"Yes, we can also exchange magical artifacts for it. Just name your price, Sect Leader Wan!"

Wan Zhenyuan listened to the chaotic chatter of these cultivators and couldn't help but throw his head back and laugh heartily. As he laughed, the purple energy around his face grew even more vigorous, as if his entire person was enveloped in a dense purple mist.

After laughing for a while, he glanced coldly at Zhang Ling and said, "You've come to stir up trouble for no reason!" Then he looked at Yan Fang: "You came to shift the blame!"

Saying this, Wan Zhenyuan swept his gaze over the cultivators on the wall and sneered, "You've come to take advantage of the chaos!"

Wan Zhenyuan forcefully exhaled a stream of purple energy through his nostrils. Gradually, the purple energy swirling around him transformed into a Tai Chi Bagua pattern. He sharply flicked the horsetail whisk in his hand and said menacingly, "Taking one Human Essence Golden Elixir wasn't enough, and now you come again! Very good, very good! It seems you truly don't take me, the Sect Leader of Gezao Sect, seriously! Today, none of you will leave!"

With that, he swung his horsetail whisk, striking out two fierce gusts of Gang Feng, which shot viciously towards Zhang Ling and Yan Fang simultaneously.

Zhang Ling saw this Gang Feng approaching ferociously; if struck, it would be no different from taking a direct blow from a steel whip. She let out a great cry, "Well met!" and with a mighty sweep of her hand, a blazing fire dragon instantly lunged toward Wan Zhenyuan.

Yan Fang sneered, remaining utterly still. The Six Harmonies Sword behind her rang out with a sharp zheng as it blocked the incoming Gang Feng, then transformed into countless flying swords that surged toward Wan Zhenyuan.

The field immediately devolved into utter chaos!