Chapter 494: Terrifying Demonic Aura

"Your Majesty, it seems we've been sent out by the immortals inside?" the guard carefully said, approaching the old emperor.

"I can see that," the old emperor replied. He looked around and noticed that none of the immortal masters from the Celestial Masters' office seemed to have come out, except for the Imperial Preceptor. The three people who had been accompanying Ji Yuan and the old beggar inside the hall were also still there. His gaze shifted, and he spotted Qiao Yong standing anxiously nearby.

A benevolent expression appeared on the old emperor's face. "My dear Qiao, tell me how you met these two immortal elders. Did they say anything particularly important? Attendants, prepare a table, chairs, and refreshments. I wish to have a long, intimate conversation with my dear Qiao here."

Qiao Yong was overwhelmed by the favor and repeatedly proclaimed, "As you command!" After the attendants had set up the table, chairs, and other items, he sat down with the emperor and began to recount in detail how he had previously encountered Ji Yuan and the old beggar.

As soon as he started talking about selling all his vegetables and closing his stall, the old emperor interrupted him, his face full of astonishment. "What? My dear Qiao has actually been reduced to selling vegetables for a living? Could there be treacherous officials in the court daring to persecute him? I merely sympathized with your years of hard work overseas and granted you a period of rest at home, expecting you to continue serving the nation in the future. How could you have fallen into such a dire state?"

Regardless of whether the emperor truly didn't know or was feigning ignorance, Qiao Yong, as a mere commoner, dared not act presumptuously simply because he knew an immortal elder. He remained cautious and expressed profound gratitude for the emperor's concern, tears welling in his eyes.

"Your Majesty's concern overwhelms this humble servant! No one has harmed me. It's just that I felt ashamed for my former subordinates, knowing they were struggling. So, I distributed my family's wealth and land to offer a small helping hand. Of course, everything at home is fine; we have enough to eat and warm clothes. Selling vegetables is also a way to cultivate one's character, to cultivate one's character…"

Upon hearing this, the old emperor did not show relief; instead, his expression became serious. "Ashamed of your subordinates? My dear Qiao, tell me in detail, how are you ashamed? I recall that our dynasty's compensation funds are quite substantial. Could someone be embezzling them!?"

A glint of severity appeared in his eyes as he swept his gaze over a nearby guard. The guard felt a chill in his heart, instantly understood the emperor's meaning, and immediately bowed with clasped fists. "Please wait, Your Majesty and Lord Qiao. Your humble servant will investigate immediately!"

With that, the guard slowly retreated, then used his qinggong to swiftly depart. He didn't know if someone had truly embezzled funds or if this had been the emperor's instruction from the start. Regardless, from this moment on, it had to be the case that someone had embezzled funds, causing Qiao Yong's former subordinates to suffer. No matter how many mistakes were made, the emperor could not be at fault.

Seeing the guard depart, the old emperor sighed, then looked at Qiao Yong with renewed benevolence and said, "Ah, my dear Qiao, you've worked hard. Come, continue your story, take your time!"

"Yes, yes, your humble servant obeys your command…" Qiao Yong wouldn't dare refuse. He straightened his posture and meticulously recounted his tale.

Meanwhile, from a tree in the courtyard, a paper crane continuously watched the emperor and Qiao Yong, also looking in the direction the guard had departed.

Inside the main hall of the Celestial Masters' office, the Imperial Preceptor and other cultivators from the office watched as Ji Yuan, with a wave of his sleeve, sent the emperor and the others away. They dared not say much, much less accuse him of any great disrespect. For powerful beings like the green-robed man and the old beggar, there were virtually no taboos. Whether facing worldly dignitaries, human emperors, or demons, ghosts, and monsters, none of these had any impact on them.

"Years ago, I heard Lord Qiao mention that Mister Ji had something to discuss with me. May I ask what brings you two immortal elders here today, and what commands you have?" Men Yutong did not mention Ji Yuan's past promise to contact Xianxia Island on their behalf. He only addressed Ji Yuan and the old beggar's requests, even though he knew very well that the old emperor would be more concerned about the immortals' promise.

"Haha, Imperial Preceptor, no need to be so formal. To tell you the truth, Old Mister Lu and I went to great lengths this time simply to seek a small measure of justice for Qiao Yong; consider it something I owed him. As for why I sought you out…" As Ji Yuan spoke, the old beggar also pricked up his ears. He had constantly asked Ji Yuan about this before, but the latter had always been mysterious. Surely, he would explain now, and he wouldn't send him away, would he?

Ji Yuan thought for a moment before speaking. "Imperial Preceptor, do you remember giving Qiao Yong a jade pendant that could discern good from evil and righteousness from wickedness?"

Men Yutong nodded. "I remember it, of course. That was the Xiezhi Pendant. Its primary function is actually to provide early warning, allowing the treasure ship fleet to receive alerts in advance: preparing early if danger approaches, or proceeding swiftly if good fortune awaits."

"Hm." Ji Yuan nodded, pondering the matter internally.

In this world, various animals can become demons, and there are many strange spirits. There are also dragons, phoenixes, and deities. It is perfectly normal for there to be other divine beasts and mythical creatures. However, so far, apart from dragons and phoenixes—and even then, dragons are far more common, with few legends about phoenixes—Ji Yuan had not yet precisely learned about any other divine beasts. The Xiezhi, however, is a highly representative divine beast, and it was the first time Ji Yuan had clearly heard of a creature with nearly the same meaning as the divine beast from his previous life's memories.

"So, Imperial Preceptor, how did you obtain such an artifact? Or, have you ever learned about this beast, the Xiezhi?"

"Xiezhi?" the old beggar murmured to himself beside them. It was his first time hearing such a beast's name. It seemed to be a very significant mythical creature, otherwise Ji Yuan wouldn't be so interested.

The Imperial Preceptor first bowed to Ji Yuan and the old beggar, then reached into the sleeve of his right arm, pulling out a scroll from within a hidden Qiankun pouch. It appeared to contain either text or a painting. "Immortal elders, please take a look!"

As he spoke, Men Yutong approached Ji Yuan and the old beggar and slowly unrolled the foot-long scroll in his hands. The content revealed inside was indeed a painting.

The painting depicted a magnificent and mighty mythical beast with thick, dark fur covering its entire body. Its eyes were bright and spirited, a large horn protruded from its forehead, its limbs were sturdy, its claws sharp as hooks, its tail short, its body stout, and its mouth wide with long teeth.

"Roar…" The mythical beast in the painting was initially still when it was first unrolled, but once fully unfurled, it seemed to come alive. It roared beyond the confines of the painting, swaying its body from side to side as if trying to burst forth, even emanating an undeniable pressure.

"Roar…" The old beggar and Ji Yuan stood up again. Ji Yuan was slightly agitated in his heart, while the old beggar was stirred by the imposing aura of the mythical beast in the painting. "What kind of demonic beast is this? Why have I, this old beggar, never seen it? What is this? Mister Ji, do you know?"

At this moment, the Imperial Preceptor tightly gripped the scroll with both arms, spiritual power flowing through his body, as if merely unrolling the painting wasn't enough. Ji Yuan, meanwhile, had taken a few steps closer and was standing right in front of the painting, answering with narrowed eyes. Initially, Men Yutong thought Ji Yuan was merely curious about the jade pendant he saw at sea. When the old beggar asked, he was about to answer for Ji Yuan, but upon hearing Ji Yuan's words, he immediately realized that this immortal elder understood the beast in the painting far better than he had imagined. At the very least, Men Yutong did not even know the alternative name "Xiezhi."

"An ancient divine beast? Xiezhi?" The old beggar's expression was grave. "Mister Ji, could you elaborate?"

Ji Yuan shook his head. "I only know a little. Let's ask the Imperial Preceptor first. Is this the only painting you have, Imperial Preceptor?"

Men Yutong nodded. "There is only this one painting, but its appearance changes at different times, and it also reacts when spiritual energy and magical power are channeled into it."

As he spoke, Men Yutong channeled spiritual energy into the painting. The next moment, the painting's colors seemed to become more vibrant, and the beast within appeared even more lifelike. "Roar… I am Xiezhi! Who dares disturb me here? I am Xiezhi! Who dares disturb me here? Roar…"

"Uh, most of the time, it only says these two phrases," Men Yutong explained to Ji Yuan and the old beggar. Both men appeared thoughtful. Ji Yuan first narrowed his eyes, then fully activated his spiritual vision. He extended his right hand, and a golden-red feather appeared in his palm.

As the feather appeared, Ji Yuan began to subtly channel a wisp of spiritual energy into it. A terrifying demonic aura faintly rose, though it existed only on a conceptual level, imperceptible to ordinary people. The old beggar, however, frowned and looked at the feather. Upon closer inspection, it seemed ordinary, yet he had just felt a faint palpitation. Ji Yuan couldn't help but glance at the old beggar again. Based on his reaction, the old beggar's cultivation was indeed slightly stronger than Ju Yuanzi's.

"Xiezhi, do you recognize this?" Ji Yuan's voice was calm as he brought the feather in his hand before the painting, but the divine beast in the portrait still uttered the same phrase.

Ji Yuan was about to put the feather away, but suddenly an idea struck him, and he spoke to Men Yutong. "Imperial Preceptor, please channel more magical and spiritual energy into it."

"Yes!" Men Yutong, being a True Man-level cultivator, concentrated his thoughts. Magical light surged around his body, and a continuous stream of magical power, imbued with spiritual energy, flowed into the scroll. A moment later, black smoke began to emanate from the ferocious Xiezhi in the painting.

"Roar… I am Xiezhi! Who dares…" The sentence abruptly stopped. Then, the divine beast in the painting made a gesture it had never displayed before, its gaze purposefully fixed on the feather in Ji Yuan's hand.

"Hoo…" A hoarse, terrifying growl emanated from the scroll. The Imperial Preceptor felt the scroll become significantly heavier and much hotter, with plumes of black smoke practically overflowing from it.

"Hoo…" The sound grew deeper, but the sense of oppression it brought became even stronger.

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle…" Green smoke rose from Men Yutong's hands. The scroll felt like a branding iron, yet while he could grasp an actual branding iron, this scroll was almost slipping from his grasp, and his arms began to tremble slightly.

'It truly reacted!' Ji Yuan said to the old beggar, "Old Mister Lu, I'll trouble you to take over from the Imperial Preceptor and channel spiritual energy into the painting."

"Mhm!" Without a word, the old beggar took the painting from Men Yutong's hands. Any discerning person could tell that the Imperial Preceptor could no longer hold on. In the old beggar's grasp, the painting immediately became much more stable. "Let me see what's going on here!"

Saying this, and after exchanging nods with Ji Yuan, the old beggar increased the flow of spiritual energy, causing the entire scroll to be almost entirely suffused with spiritual light. Ji Yuan, on his side, made a similar move, channeling even more spiritual energy into the feather.

"Whoosh…" A wisp of smoke shot out from the painting, coalescing into a nebulous black flame. From the feather in Ji Yuan's hand, a golden-red ethereal fire erupted. The two fires collided, stirring up a powerful demonic wind.

"Whoosh… whoosh…" Inside the main hall, fierce winds howled. Several immortal masters could barely stand, not because the wind was too strong, but because the fear in their hearts was overwhelming. Demonic energy! Utterly terrifying demonic energy!

The old beggar looked with horrified expression at the scroll in his hands and Ji Yuan's feather, then at Ji Yuan's grave face.