As the female deity spoke, the Ba Hai Gang leader and others launched their attacks.
The female deity showed no fear, channeling her Divine Emperor level cultivation technique as she engaged the Ba Hai Gang leader and his companions.
Their divine skills clashed, unleashing terrifying surges of energy.
"Divine Emperor level divine skills!"
"Which faction do you belong to?"
The female deity had initially underestimated the Ba Hai Gang leader and his group, believing them to be ordinary Divine Venerables. However, during their exchange, she realized her error.
The divine skills employed by the Ba Hai Gang leader and the others were all at the Divine Emperor level.
Generally, cultivators at the Divine Venerable realm found it difficult to obtain Divine Emperor level divine skills.
Only individuals with significant backing, like herself, might have the opportunity to cultivate Divine Emperor level divine skills while still in the Divine Venerable realm.
She had already been surprised by Qin Han Chu possessing Divine Emperor level divine skills, but she hadn't expected all the helpers he summoned to possess them as well.
Most importantly, none of the divine skills used by the Ba Hai Gang leader and the others were duplicates.
Qin Han Chu claimed these eight Divine Venerables were his servants?
To have Divine Venerables as servants, and for these servants to cultivate different Divine Emperor level divine skills, what was Qin Han Chu's background?
"Want to know? Return the Nine Cauldrons Great Void Divine Pill to me first," Qin Han Chu teased.
"I am the cousin of the Azure Moon Divine Maiden from the Ancient Dao Academy. How dare you harm me?"
The female deity had initially believed her Divine Emperor level divine skills would allow her to escape the encirclement of the eight.
However, the strength of the Ba Hai Gang leader and the others was too formidable, and escaping now had become exceedingly difficult.
It was precisely for this reason that she attempted to intimidate Qin Han Chu by invoking the name of the Azure Moon Divine Maiden.
"You stole my divine pill, and I don't care whose cousin you are!"
"If you want to live, hand over all your resources."
Qin Han Chu observed from a distance, speaking his mind.
"You don't even know the Azure Moon Divine Maiden from the Ancient Dao Academy?"
"My cousin is a successor of the Ancient Dao Academy, a Divine Emperor expert."
"If you kill me, my cousin will never let you off."
The female deity had expected Qin Han Chu to be intimidated upon hearing the Azure Moon Divine Maiden's name, but to her surprise, he showed such disdain.
This was the territory of the Ancient Dao Academy; how dare Qin Han Chu make an enemy of a divine maiden from the academy?
"Tell her when she knows it was me who killed you."
This place was a Divine Emperor's temple, and outside this temple lay another world.
In other words, the female deity was now separated from the Divine Realm by two barriers.
Under such circumstances, it was impossible for her to transmit a message to the Azure Moon Divine Maiden.
As long as Qin Han Chu destroyed the evidence, no one would know that he had killed this female deity.
At that very moment, the killing blows from the Ba Hai Gang leader and the others surged towards her once more.
Facing the combined assault of the eight, the female deity finally could not withstand it.
She could only evade.
*Bang!*
The attack from Divine Venerable Han Yun struck the female deity fiercely.
Her body was sent hurtling like a meteorite into a hillside.
Dust billowed, and the rocks of the mountain were shattered.
The Ba Hai Gang leader and the others did not pause, continuing their barrage towards the female deity's location.
Just then, a sense of crisis enveloped the Ba Hai Gang leader and his group.
"Something's wrong!"
"Retreat!"
The Ba Hai Gang leader and the others hastily withdrew.
*Boom!*
As they retreated, a terrifying sword energy erupted from the hillside.
"Divine Emperor level attack!"
Qin Han Chu hadn't expected this female deity to possess a protective divine skill from a Divine Emperor expert.
Facing such a divine skill, how could the Ba Hai Gang leader and the others dare to resist head-on?
While retreating, they quickly activated the Myriad Sword God Slaying Formation.
Even though there were only eight of them, the Myriad Sword God Slaying Formation could amplify their attacks to their strongest.
*Swish, swish!*
The attacks from the Myriad Sword God Slaying Formation met the female deity's attack.
*Boom!*
The earth-shattering shockwaves of the explosion sent the Ba Hai Gang leader and the others flying, and even Qin Han Chu, who was further away, was forced to retreat.
"What a powerful attack, the owner of this divine skill is truly formidable."
"Could this be the strength of that Azure Moon Divine Maiden?"
The moment the sword energy appeared, the female deity had already fled into the distance with extreme speed.
At this point, she had already escaped far away.
Qin Han Chu did not deploy his Pangu avatar to pursue her, as the Pangu avatar was too conspicuous.
"Master, we apologize," the Ba Hai Gang leader and the others said fearfully, seeing the female deity escape.
"It's alright, I also didn't expect her to possess a protective divine skill of a Divine Emperor."
"As long as you are unharmed, you may return now."
Seeing that Qin Han Chu did not blame them, the Ba Hai Gang leader and the others quickly expressed their gratitude, "Thank you, Master."
After the Ba Hai Gang leader and the others returned to the main realm of Shenzhou, Qin Han Chu continued to fly forward.
...
A streak of light landed in a forest, and the female deity reappeared, her face filled with rage.
"Damn it, this is the life-saving divine skill I painstakingly obtained from my cousin."
"Who exactly is this person? How dare he defy the Ancient Dao Academy!"
"I absolutely cannot let him get away with this!"
"Fortunately, I've already locked onto his aura. He cannot escape."
"What if there are eight Divine Venerables? I will kill you!"
As she spoke, a spherical object appeared in the female deity's hand.
This sphere was a tracking divine artifact. During the previous battle, the female deity had used it to absorb Qin Han Chu's aura.
Through this trace of aura, she could pinpoint Qin Han Chu's location within a world.
This meant that as long as Qin Han Chu remained within the world of the Divine Emperor's temple, the female deity could find him.
Of course, this was assuming Qin Han Chu hadn't used the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe to conceal his aura.
Just then, four Divine Venerables rapidly approached.
The female deity immediately transmitted a message, "Four fellow Daoists, come and gather."
Receiving the female deity's transmission, the four Divine Venerables landed one after another in the forest.
These four were none other than Liu Sanniang, the Pang family head, and others.
They were all subordinates of Qin Han Chu, and after arriving at this place, they had formed a small team.
"What business do you have, fellow Daoist?" Liu Sanniang and the other three looked around vigilantly.
"I am Qing Han, a disciple of the Ancient Dao Academy. My cousin is the Azure Moon Divine Maiden of the Ancient Dao Academy!"
"Rest assured, I have no ambush here, nor do I intend to harm you."
The female deity's expression was arrogant, confident that her identity would earn these individuals respect.
Upon learning of the female deity's identity, Liu Sanniang and the others indeed showed expressions of shock.
As forces under the Hundred Refinement Divine Sect, they were well aware of the Azure Moon Divine Maiden's status within the Ancient Dao Academy.
"So it is Daoist Qing Han. May I ask what you require?" asked the Pang family head, cupping his hands.
"I encountered someone who dared to attempt to kill me."
"Even after I revealed my identity, he still sought to kill me and steal my treasures. This person's actions are a provocation to the Ancient Dao Academy."
"I now require your assistance in slaying him."
"If you are willing to help me, I can recommend you to join the Ancient Dao Academy."
Divine Venerable Qing Han spoke through gritted teeth.
Liu Sanniang and the other three were greatly shocked. Who was so audacious as to dare to make an enemy of the Ancient Dao Academy?
It was assumed that all cultivators who entered this Divine Emperor's遗迹 (relic/ruins) were likely forces affiliated with the Ancient Dao Academy.
"Could it be from the Divine Beast tribe?" Liu Sanniang asked.
Qin Han Divine Venerable: "It's just a human."