Liu Quan had found another master during the years he spent outside. Initially part of the Daoist sect, he discovered he couldn't ascend, so he switched to the Buddhist path and was known as Elder Kuti.

Liu Quan pleaded with Elder Kuti to help him escape the sea of suffering. Elder Kuti, unable to assist in that matter, truly accepted him as a disciple and imparted all of his lifelong learning.

Later, as Elder Kuti passed away into Nirvana, he handed over all his Magical Treasures to Liu Quan and said, "According to my calculations, that Old Demon Yideng will soon fall to Heavenly Punishment, and his Lifebound Divine Demon will also be obliterated under the Heavenly Punishment. By then, you all will be completely liberated.

The Demon Skills you originally learned are not reliable, and the Daoist Techniques I've learned are not from the orthodox Mysterious Sect. Eventually, relying on a Buddhist chant, I ascended into Nirvana. This Buddhist path does not suit your fate. In the future, you should seek out a distinguished Daoist master to achieve true enlightenment."

Liu Quan then asked who the Daoist master was. Elder Kuti shook his head, "I cannot know now. You just need to diligently cultivate and wait for the opportunity. As long as you do not stray, you will eventually find the righteous path."

After Elder Kuti's passing, Liu Quan resided quietly at Zhongnan Mountain, rarely venturing out, and always found excuses to decline meetings when Yideng sought him.

His mana was very strong. He had learned the Daoist Cultivation Techniques from Elder Kuti, practiced both Dao and Demon Paths, and possessed an array of Magical Treasures. Even Yideng would find it challenging to capture his Primordial Spirit, and his disciples individually were also hardly a match for him. Sending multiple disciples to fight him would surely lead to significant losses.

He maintained a highly respectful facade, sending special products from Zhongnan Mountain every year as offerings. Considering his own impending Heavenly Punishment, Yideng, busy with serious matters, temporarily let him be.

Yet Liu Quan dared not truly betray him and join forces with Deng Bagu to attack the Rotary Temple.

He shared his concerns with Deng Bagu, who responded, "I've heard of Elder Kuti's great reputation. Since he said you should join the orthodox Mysterious Sect, isn't that prophecy coming true? My master practices the Three Emperors True Path, and with us, he founded the nation of ten thousand immortals on the Outer Heaven Divine Mountain in Little Antarctic.

Come with me. I will take you to meet my master, explain the whole situation, and beg to be accepted under his tutelage. He will surely have a way to protect you completely. After we defeat Yideng and destroy the Rotary Temple, the tribulations that have persisted since our former master passed away centuries ago will be completely resolved, and you can escape from this sea of suffering."

Liu Quan shook his head, "Before he passed, my mentor Elder Kuti calculated that we can only be liberated after Yideng falls to Heavenly Punishment. Now he is still in this world, and this tribulation hasn't passed."

Deng Bagu said, "Now my master is going to defeat him to rid the world of this evil. Who knows if it isn't Heaven using my master to remove him? Come with me, and let him face this tribulation. Wouldn't that be in accordance with Heavenly Number?"

Liu Quan still hesitated, "He has great Divine Skills, and while we speak here, he might be using a Crystal Ball to observe us from afar. Even if he cannot hear what we say, he can guess the situation. This battle's outcome and whose tribulation it actually is, remains uncertain."

He feared Yideng deeply and remembered Elder Kuti's advice to stay here and not to go anywhere until Yideng faced his punishment. No matter what Deng Bagu said, he simply refused to agree.

Deng Bagu finally smiled, "I calculated your future; the Gua Xiang indeed shows that it's not fated for you to be my master's disciple. However, outside of this fixed fate, there are variables. Besides, whatever happens, you can't avoid this tribulation—isn't it said that the tree desires calm, but the wind will not cease?"

She had barely finished speaking when Xing Kun and Yuan Da arrived!

Both were tall and muscular, clad in thick red felt robes, with faces full of crass features and eyes that emitted a fierce light.

They had initially practiced the Demon Cult Techniques and later joined Yideng, learning many new Demon Path Great Techniques under him, falling deep into demonization.

Arriving at the cave, Liu Quan worried about Deng Bagu being seen, so he had her hide in the back cave.

Deng Bagu laughed, "Didn't you just say that Old Ghost Yideng must be using a Crystal Ball to remotely watch us? What difference does it make whether I hide now?"

"He can't possibly forsake all other things to watch me all the time; perhaps he's occupied with something else and hasn't seen us, which we cannot know."

"He must have a purpose in sending these two men; he's probably watching us right now."

While they were discussing, Xing Kun and Yuan Da, seeing Liu Quan not opening the door, released two Lifebound Divine Demons to forcibly lift the thousand-pound Stone Gate and burst into the cave.

Seeing Deng Bagu clad in a black dress, Yuan Da approached and exclaimed, "Well, you're indeed here!"

Deng Bagu, leisurely seated, glanced at Xing Kun then at Yuan Da and said with a smile, "Brother Dumb, you can actually talk! This isn't using a Divine Demon to speak for you; has your throat been healed?"

Yuan Da moved his lips to speak the previous sentence, but now with closed lips and no vibration of the throat, he still produced a voice, "It's not an external demon speaking on my behalf; it's my Lifebound Divine emitting the sound."

"Congratulations, Brother Dumb. After so many years, you've improved your skills significantly, and it is truly a cause for celebration. However, you usually don't need to speak aloud. When you suddenly spoke just now, your lips and teeth moved just like any normal person's, making me think that you had healed your throat."

Yuan Da said, "My notorious reputation precedes me. Everyone knows I am the Dumb Demon King and sometimes I have to disguise myself somewhat."

After some idle chatter, the conversation quickly turned serious.

Xing Kun said, "Master already knows you've returned to Central Earth and that your current master, the Demon Dragon that master argued with, is waiting for us to bring you back to Zhuanlun Temple. As long as you're willing to change your ways and reveal all the true and false information about the Demon Dragon, helping master to slay the Demon Dragon, all your past offenses will be forgiven, and he'll still take you back as his disciple."

Deng Bagu coldly laughed, "That old ghost One Light, with his nearing Heavenly Punishment, still dreams a fool's dreams! I didn't obey him in the past, and I certainly don't now! In my eyes, he is no better than a pig or a dog pretending to be my elder!"

"You!" Xing Kun and Yuan Da both became angry.

Liu Quan displayed a fearful expression as he knew, as Deng Bagu had indicated, that One Light Master, having sent two people, must be watching secretly using a Crystal Ball.

Deng Bagu extended a pale finger towards Xing Kun, Yuan Da, including Liu Quan, "What grudge does our former master have with that old fool? Originally from the same sect, yet he was willing to strike a lethal blow, refusing to assist during Heavenly Tribulation but instead attacking stealthily!

That Old Dog conducts himself vilely and shamelessly, and you are no better! Forgetting the kindness of our former master's teachings, cowardly kowtowing to the enemy, betraying your master, lower than beasts! I've long wanted to see if you few still have any hint of blood in you by ripping out your gallstones.

Now, with the Old Dog's Heavenly Punishment imminent, if heaven doesn't take him, fate will. But my current master doesn't allow him to disappear into ashes just like that, granting me this chance for revenge. You fools acting as the tiger's accomplices, not avenging our master and instead helping the tyrant or stopping me, I will ensure you meet the same fate as that old dog!"

After her rant, she sneered again, "When that time comes, don't blame me for forgetting the past camaraderie of our sect!"

Xing Kun and Yuan Da, being scolded and pointed at the nose, remembered their former master's situation and felt somewhat guilty; they did not immediately attack, but after she finished, they were infuriated, "You vile wench, stop taking advantage of merely having a sharper tongue! I only ask you this, will you come back with us to Zhuanlun Temple or not?"

Deng Bagu directly released a Flying Sword, "If you still remember the deep kindness of our former master, then rebel against that old dog and join me in beheading him to avenge our master. If your hearts are set on serving that old dog, then we are enemies, and there's no point in further talk. Use whatever skills you have!"

Xing Kun, enraged, immediately brought out the Golden Seven Treasures Demon-suppressing Mallet, while Yuan Da released two Precepts Blades.

Deng Bagu countered with a single Flying Sword, then turned to Liu Quan yelling, "And what about you? Are you with these two dogs trying to capture me to take back to Zhuanlun Temple?"

Liu Quan, with a distressed face, said, "I would never…"

"Then join me first in slaughtering these two, then go kill that One Light old ghost for our master's revenge!"

Liu Quan was also unwilling, "That's not possible…"

"Well then, get out of my way!" Deng Bagu fluttered her robe sleeves, sending out a cold brilliance that pushed Liu Quan, causing him to fly backwards more than ten yards and crash against the stony wall of the rear cave.

He watched as the three fought, the more he watched, the more frightened he became.

Over the many years, he had taken the bitter Elder as his master, practicing dual cultivation on the Demon Path, greatly advancing his skills. He thought he had long surpassed his peers only to find that his former sect mates also each had their distinct encounters.

Xing Kun and Yuan Da genuinely converted to One Light Master, who indeed taught them many formidable techniques of the Demon Cult, increasing their mana substantially compared to before. That aside, Deng Bagu, having taken the Demon Dragon Sect as her new shelter, previously thought to have resigned herself to fate due to the upcoming lethal tribulation, surprisingly progressed even greater than himself, Xing Kun, and Yuan Da!

Liu Quan observed that the swordsmanship of Deng Bagu was forceful, grand in spirit, and extremely impartial, truly the hallmarks of the Mysterious Sect.

Shi Feiyang possessed an unmatched teaching style, able to tailor his teachings to his disciples' needs, grasping the source from the Dao, deriving techniques from the law, and teaching each disciple differently.

Deng Bagu's swordsmanship bore traces of Wei Fengniang's Heavenly Mountain Swordsmanship and content from Xiankong Ancestor of Wuding Island, which Shi Feiyang refined, matching Deng Bagu's decisive character to create a new set with her reliance on the Snow Soul Pearl. The glinting snowflakes and dazzling cold light scattered within the crisscrossing sword Qi; once the Flying Sword was released, the cave became a realm of chilling clarity, sparkling with frigid brilliance.

Her single Flying Sword stood against Yuan Da's two Precepts Blades and Xing Kun's Vajra Pestle, not falling at all inferior. After a while, the cave seemed like an Arctic ice cave, frost glistening everywhere, chilling to the bone!

The Western Demon Cult was not known for its swordsmanship. Seeing how fierce Deng Bagu's swordsmanship was, Xing Kun knew it was tough to win and roared angrily, exhaling fist-sized Demon Fire from his mouth, quickly stretching out limbs mid-flight, transforming into blood-dripping Divine Demons each emitting shrill, ear-piercing demon sounds as they soared.

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