Ziwei Immortal Path

Chapter 73: Monk Li

Sun Wuyi waved his sleeves and used all his strength to display [Two Sleeves of Clean Wind]. The wind whistled on both sides of his body, like the sound of the mighty wind in the sky, which never stopped.

This flying technique was created by Confucianism. With the help of the righteous spirit cultivated by the Confucian scholars, it was extremely powerful. However, who would have thought that when it was used, it could not catch up with the white-robed boy in front. Sun Wuyi was furious, but suddenly he saw the boy flying towards the "Smoke Mountain Light" with his sword. Seeing this, he was overjoyed:

"There's a road to heaven, but you refuse to take it. There's no door to hell, but you insist on coming! Isn't this just walking into a trap? Haha! When my two senior brothers find out and come, I'll shut the door and beat the dog today!"

As Xu Boyang approached, the clouds and fog cleared, and he saw a group of islands scattered on the lake. This group of islands looked like a string of beads dropped on a jade plate. The islands were vaguely connected under the lake, and seemed to form a complete mountain range.

On the largest of these islands, there is a towering mountain with smoke and flames rising from it. It turns out to be a volcano!
"Smoke and fire!"

Xu Boyang recalled the map of the lake and island, and immediately remembered where this place was. He also suddenly remembered what Sun Wuyi had just said. It seemed that the monk who was the leader of the Huangbei clan was on this island.

So, the person chasing me has an accomplice here!

He immediately became very anxious and turned his head slightly. Sure enough, he found that Sun Wuyi behind him had slowed down, as if he was looking at his retreat route.

"Humph!"

Xu Boyang snorted coldly and thought of a countermeasure in his heart. At this moment, he was not worried that the young scholar would suddenly attack him. Through his observations along the way, he had already discovered that this person's cultivation should be similar to his own, otherwise why would he not be able to catch up with him.

I just don't know what kind of magic this person used, but I just can't get rid of him. He's too big a target in the sky, so it would be better if he landed on the ground, or even in the water, which would be much better than the current situation.

But unexpectedly, he accidentally ran into the encirclement set by the other party!
"Why not kill him with a surprise attack?!"

Xu Boyang's mind raced, and he was planning to turn back and break out to kill Sun Wuyi by surprise. However, he changed his mind and saw two streams of light, one red and one purple, flying from the two islands in front and behind on the lake. They were like two gorgeous rays of light, rushing towards him rapidly!

"It happened!"

The two streams of light came from the left and the right at an extremely fast speed. Xu Boyang felt something was wrong. Seeing that these islands had no spiritual defenses, he randomly glanced at a small island and hurriedly controlled [Biyouxian] to transform into a beam of light and flew down on the wind!

There was no way out. The opponent suddenly came to help, and I couldn’t gain any advantage in the sky, so I could only find a way to land!

"Hmph! Still want to run?"

Sun Wuyi followed slowly behind, his eyes fixed intently, his peripheral vision watching the two streaks of light on the left and right. His intention was obvious: wait for the others to come over and then surround them from three sides.

"Wuyi, what's going on? Who is it?"

The red light was closer and arrived first. The light stopped abruptly, and it turned out to be a man in red.

The man looked to be no more than twenty years old, with a slim figure and handsome appearance. He looked energetic and was dressed exquisitely. On his left shoulder was a dark red red door eaves tattoo, which looked vivid. A stone seal hung around his waist, swaying from time to time.

"Brother Shengqi, that damned Taoist who came from nowhere stole the Huaiyi Binzhu!"

Sun Wuyi gritted his teeth, clenched his fists and said in a muffled voice.

"What did you say?"

The purple light burst out with an angry roar, and Feng Xu rode the wind and came like thunder.

A young man wearing a dark purple brocade robe with a hanging belt appeared. He looked to be in his twenties. A lifelike thundercloud was embroidered on his right shoulder. His nostrils were raised high, and his phoenix eyes were as gloomy as dark clouds, flashing with lightning.

This man looked obviously older than the other two. He held a 10-foot-long spear in his hand. The tip of the spear was surrounded by purple lightning and made a crackling sound.

"Sun Wuyi, what do you do for a living? You can't even handle such a small matter!"

The purple-robed man watched the green light disappear into the dense jungle of a small island, his eyebrows raised, his eyes wide open and he shouted angrily,

"What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and give chase!"

"Brother Guo, don't worry. It's okay. I'll do it!"

The man in red smiled calmly, took off the small stone seal from his waist and threw it away.

The stone seal flashed a gray luster, then turned into a stream of light and flew after Xu Boyang.

"go!"

Brother Shengqi just gave a short, low shout, and the three of them followed like shadows, following Shi Yin and flying down on the wind!

Sun Wuyi was upset after being scolded by Senior Brother Guo. However, he felt better after seeing Senior Brother Shengqi take action. He said:
"Yes, I forgot that Senior Brother Fang also has the [Boundless Seal]. Life and death are boundless, and he is heartbroken. As long as we put the mark on him, even if he flees to the ends of the earth, he will not be able to escape our Five Finger Mountain!"

Fang Shengqi smiled slightly:
"It's just a trifle, not worth mentioning. How can it compare to Senior Brother Shen Liang's [Wuwang Spear]?"

Guo Shenliang snorted coldly and did not answer. He narrowed his eyes, held the purple lightning spear in his hand, turned into a purple light and rushed into the jungle first. Unexpectedly, as soon as he came in, there was silence all around, no trace of anyone, and the stone seal was hanging in the air, motionless.

His expression changed immediately and he asked:

"Sun Wuyi, can you tell what level of cultivation that Taoist possesses?"

Sun Wuyi panicked when he saw that the [Boundless Seal] had no effect. He said, "Brother Shenliang, I'm only at the fourth level of the [Li Qi Realm]. How can I tell what his cultivation level is?"

Fang Shengqi frowned, took the stone seal with his hand, and said:
"This person snatched the pearl and fled, flying on a sword. He is definitely not a Foundation Establishment Daoist. At most, he is a cultivator at the eighth or ninth level of Condensation Yuan."

"This [Boundless Seal] has lost its effect. This person must have practiced the Taoist technique of concealing breath and invisibility. It's a pity that none of us have spiritual essence, otherwise he wouldn't be able to hide."

"Qingshen Daozi is the most cunning!"

Guo Shenliang snorted angrily, leaped up into the sky, and said:

"That damn Li Daoist hasn't been found either. I just shot him, severely wounded, and he cast a spell to escape. I don't know which island he's hiding on. Now another Daoist has come. I'm going to help my disciples perfect the formation and finally catch him in the act! You two search on the ground! Feng Lei, report any news!"

After saying this, purple lightning flashed, and he soared into the sky and escaped in the lightning.

Fang Shengqi shook his head helplessly, sighed and laughed:
"This Senior Brother Guo is incredibly impatient, he can't wait even a moment. Well, Wu Yi, you and I will look around. Don't worry, as long as Senior Brother Guo sets up the 'Wind Howling and Thunder Chanting Dome Formation', those two won't be able to escape!"

"Ah."

Sun Wuyi agreed. Now that he had the help of his two senior brothers, he felt a little relieved and his expression became calmer. However, he couldn't help feeling annoyed when he saw that the Taoist in white robe was so cunning in hiding his magic.

Little did they know that the three men could not find Xu Boyang because of their different Taoist methods. However, the ways of cultivation of Confucianism and Taoism are very similar, unlike the three schools of Buddhism, Witchcraft and Lich, which are very different. There seems to be some connection between them.

But after all, the sects are different, the methods are different, and each has its strengths and weaknesses.

Taoism has nine levels of Ning Yuan, where one gathers Qi to create life. When one reaches the sixth level, one has spiritual consciousness and can control magical instruments and use talismans. Only after reaching the ninth level can one build a foundation for immortality.

On the other hand, in Confucianism, after reaching the sixth level of Qi Li, one only needs to enter the [Qi Li Realm] to be able to fly, use magic to control royal weapons, and draw Qi to contain spirits. After the sixth level, one can contain spirits, and there is no need to build a foundation. It's a pity that if one wants to possess spiritual consciousness, one must enter the [Spirit Containment Realm].

【Li Qi】【Yuan Ling】【Shen Gong】

【Gezhi】【Hongru】【Sage】

This is exactly the sixth level of Confucian cultivation of the inner sage and outer kingly way!
Therefore, each family has its own advantages, but Xu Boyang does not know it at the moment.

Fortunately, I stumbled upon it by accident and escaped the disaster temporarily.

Fang Shengqi and Sun Wuyi flew low over the jungle, scanning the surroundings for clues. Sun Wuyi frowned and asked in a low voice:
"Brother Fang, there's something I'm not clear on. Isn't that fellow called Monk Li? Why did Brother Guo just call him Taoist Li?"

"Monk Li, Taoist Li, and Mr. Li are all the same person, just called differently. I heard his surname is Ling. He was originally a Qingshen cultivator, but later turned against the teachings and was hunted down by the Qingshen sect. He fled to the ends of the earth and became a wandering cultivator."

Fang Shengqi frowned and stared at the woods in front of him. There was no trace of anything nearby. He became suspicious and responded without thinking.

When Sun Wuyi heard this, he became even more surprised and said:

"Is this really true? Didn't Senior Brother Guo say that this person was a monk who had seen through the mundane world? He actually turned out to be a cultivator of the Green God?"

"What monk? This guy is a lunatic!"

Fang Shengqi looked at Sun Wuyi with a surprised expression, pursed his lips slightly, and whispered,

"He called himself these names himself. Sometimes he called himself a monk, sometimes he called himself a Taoist priest, sometimes he called himself a Confucian scholar. He kept talking nonsense all day long."

"Forget it, Wuyi. You haven't been in the south for long. You don't know the whole story of this man and our feud. I'll tell you about it, but you must never tell anyone about it."

"Just three years ago, this monk Li came to our Three Thousand Academy as a casual cultivator, calling himself Li Jushi."

"The three masters at the academy saw that although his cultivation was not high, he had a wide range of knowledge. He had been a Taoist priest, a monk, and a Confucian scholar. He had traveled all over the world, so they all agreed to his request."

"Especially Guo Diyun, the teacher of the Confucian School of our academy. You haven't met him yet since you arrived. He is the eldest brother of Senior Brother Guo."

"Siye Guo took a liking to him the moment they met, and he became a student at our Sanqian Academy."

"I thought a guest official would be a great help, but I didn't expect him to have such ulterior motives. While publicly working hard for the academy, he secretly came to steal the Taoist teachings of our Three Thousand Academy. No one noticed at the time. It wasn't until two years later, when the Shenxiao Pavilion of the academy was robbed and Monk Li disappeared, that we finally realized what was happening."

"He stole our Confucian [Red Flame Flint Wind] and [Spring Breeze Yishui], as well as the [Red Flame Mountain Residence] we exchanged from Qingqiu, and the Taoist method given to [Xiaohan Zhenglan] by Ruludong of the Buddhist Wukong Sect!"

"The academy was furious and issued a hunting order throughout the Zhufen Plains, offering a reward of 100 Yu Qing coins. Unfortunately, he simply vanished without a trace." "Until a month ago, that Wuba got some information from somewhere and came to our three families, saying they had found him, hiding in the volcanic light of Wandao Lake's south. That's how we came to be here today."

"That's it."

Sun Wuyi suddenly realized that he had just come to the Zhufen Plain from the ancient Liang in the north and had just arrived there. He didn't know the reason, so he just followed his two senior brothers from the academy and brought his own disciples.

Along the way, he saw that Guo Shenliang had a gloomy face and refused to talk about anything else. He only said that his Guo and Fang families attacked Yanhuo Mountain Light and captured Monk Li, and asked his Sun family to wipe out the Huangbei tribe that had a grudge against his family. Sun Wuyi's cultivation was low, so he didn't dare to ask. Fortunately, his second senior brother Fang Shengqi was more easy to talk to. When he asked today, he told him the whole story.

Thinking about it secretly, he suddenly felt something was wrong. His face changed slightly and he asked in a low voice: "So, this matter..."

Before he could finish his words, Fang Shengqi interrupted him, saying, "Well, the other two gentlemen in the academy don't know about this yet. Only Dean Guo knows about it. Otherwise, why would you and I need to take action?"

"I'm not familiar with the complexities involved. Guo Siye is reluctant to step forward. He probably feels he's entrusted the wrong person and can't afford to lose face. So, let us handle this matter. We can capture the person later without embarrassing ourselves."

"But Wu Yi, don't worry. This guy is just an old man. He looks like an immortal, but his actual cultivation is not that high. I heard that he is only at the ninth level of the Taoist Condensation Yuan. He is just an old thief who stole scriptures. Brother Guo is at the sixth level of the Li Qi, and he is only one step away from becoming the Yunling Si Ye. I have also reached the fifth level, and you are at the fourth level. With so many brothers and sisters from our three families here, it is more than enough for us to catch this guy!"

After hearing this, Sun Wuyi felt relieved, but he looked around, gnashing his teeth and angrily said:
"I was thinking, let's capture that Taoist monk in white robes first. If I don't tear him into pieces, I won't be able to relieve the hatred in my heart!"

"By the way," Fang Shengqi asked, "if you're chasing us like this, where are your children and the Wuba people?"

"They are still at the Great Black Reef. This Li Wu is just a rat. No problem. Let him take the men to capture those yellow clams."

Sun Wuyi no longer had the energy to care about those people at this moment. The most important thing at this moment was to capture these two Taoists.

In the jungle on the island, the two walked on the grass, chatting as they walked, and in a blink of an eye they disappeared into the dense grass and trees.

Just now, when Xu Boyang saw the stone seal coming through the air, he was startled and hurriedly used the "Invisibility Technique" and "Breath Concealment Technique". Sure enough, he saw that the seal was fixed and he could not find its direction. He then quietly escaped and quickly went to the deep forest and dense grass on the island. However, he did not dare to use the "Divine Movement Technique" for fear of being exposed.

After a while, Sun Wuyi and the man in red came walking on the wind at an incredible speed. Seeing that it was difficult to hide, Xu Boyang took two quick steps and hid behind a big tree, ready to launch a surprise attack on the enemy.

Unexpectedly, just when he was about to attack, the two men turned a blind eye, passed by like the wind, and disappeared from sight in the blink of an eye.

Xu Boyang was surprised and delighted. It was true that wealth and honor are achieved through risk. He smiled silently, turned around and planned to walk in the opposite direction.

Unexpectedly, just as he turned around, a shriveled and bony hand suddenly stretched out from the grass as tall as a person beside him and grabbed his back!
This attack was so sudden that Xu Boyang was caught off guard and was grabbed. His figure was immediately revealed. Fortunately, he reacted very quickly. He was startled and had no time to turn around. He used his [Biyouxian] to break through the air!

"Dao... Daoist friend!"

A weak voice came!

Xu Boyang's consciousness turned and he found that this person was extremely weak and was on the verge of death. With a thought, the long sword in his hand stopped abruptly, only a millimeter away from the arm!

Turning around, I saw an old monk with a white beard and a bald head, covered in blood, lying in the weeds, gasping for breath.

The man was skin and bones, with wrinkles all over his face, sunken eyes, and a hanging beard. He was wearing a dirty monk's robe, which was now stained with blood. There was a big hole in his chest, his flesh was rolled up, and blood was dripping. He was gasping for breath, a sign that he was on the verge of death.

Xu Boyang was shocked when he suddenly saw the old monk. He quickly supported him and recalled what the yellow shell monster had just said. He looked around and asked in a low voice:

"Senior, are you Monk Li?"

The old monk opened his eyes, his eyes full of surprise. He grabbed Xu Boyang tightly and said with difficulty:

"Who... who is this fellow Daoist who actually... knows me? Could it be an old acquaintance? P-please save me!"

Xu Boyang had just scanned the man with his spiritual sense, but he couldn't tell what level of cultivation he had. However, seeing that he was extremely weak, his face was black, and there was a horrible hole in his chest. His internal organs seemed to be completely shattered. He was afraid that he would die in the blink of an eye. He felt pity for him and whispered:
"I'm not an old friend. I just stumbled upon your name and came here by accident. There are powerful enemies all around us. Sorry, your injuries are too severe and I'm afraid I can't save you."

"Please...fellow Daoist, please don't abandon me and save my life."

Monk Li's face was covered in blood and tears, and he begged desperately, his arm tightly grabbing Xu Boyang's robe.

Xu Boyang sighed softly, "Monk, it's not that I don't want to save you. I can't even take care of myself right now, and you're so seriously injured that you'll die in a blink of an eye. How can I save you?"

Monk Li looked at Xu Boyang eagerly and asked:

"Dao, Daoist friend, do you have the Rejuvenation Pill and the Bone-Growing Pill with you?"

Xu Boyang was surprised to see that the old monk actually knew about Taoist elixirs, but he still whispered truthfully:
"I brought healing pills, but you've been seriously injured. Your spirit has been completely drained, and your blood and energy have weakened. At your age, I'm afraid you'll pass away soon. These pills aren't magical, so I'm afraid they won't be able to save you."

"It doesn't matter."

The old monk took a deep breath and raised his other hand, which was covered with mud, tremblingly.
"I beg you to give me one of each."

"Well! I'm not a medical expert, I don't know the ins and outs of this, I can only help you up to this point."

Xu Boyang sighed lightly, took out the pill from his storage bag, crushed it and handed it to him.

The old monk took it tremblingly, quickly opened his cracked lips and swallowed it in one gulp. He swallowed it with all his strength. In just a moment, his old face turned a little redder, and he whispered:
"Fellow Daoist, these two kinds of elixirs can temporarily keep me alive for two hours. Please, please lend me a helping hand."

After Xu Boyang gave him the pill, he didn't look at him again. Instead, he used the "Wind-Following Technique" and "Thousand Mile Technique" and paid close attention to the surrounding movements. When he heard his whisper, he couldn't help but feel helpless and whispered softly:
"Monk, didn't I tell you that if there were no external enemies, I would save you. But right now, danger is everywhere. That group is looking for you and me. It's even a question whether we can escape. How can I save you in two hours?"

"Besides, you and I are not from the same sect, so what's the meaning of calling me fellow Taoist all the time? Don't you Buddhists practice reincarnation? You are so old, probably no less than eighty or ninety years old. At this point, you are still so cautious about your life?"

Monk Li sighed, "Fellow Daoist, I am originally a Taoist of the Green God Sect. I have traveled extensively in pursuit of the Great Dao over the years, and have suffered some setbacks. Otherwise, how would I know that you are a disciple of the Taoist sect, and how would I know that you possess Taoist elixirs?"

Xu Boyang's expression changed slightly: "Are you from the Green God?"

Monk Li nodded slowly:
"Fellow Daoist, this is not the place to talk. My entire Yanhuo Sect has been wiped out, and I'm the only one left. It's not that I value my life, but I've been wandering for over a hundred years. Now, I'm just one step away from success, but I've failed. I really... I really can't accept this!"

"Don't worry, I have a way to escape from this place. I beg you to save my life for the sake of our fellow Daoists. If I can escape this disaster today, I will definitely be your slave and servant in the future, working like a cow or a horse!"

"That's not necessary."

Xu Boyang's heart trembled, and he asked in a low voice: "What do you have in mind?"

Monk Li knew that he had impressed this person, so he quickly said:

"I was careless today and was ambushed. However, my cave has been hidden and has not been discovered yet. Just go to my cave and I have a way to help us escape from here."

Seeing that Xu Boyang didn't say anything, he quickly said, "There's a secret passage in my cave that connects to the bottom of the lake. We can escape from the bottom of the lake! Without anyone noticing!"

Xu Boyang saw that the old monk was so anxious that he didn't lie and asked slowly, "Where is your cave?"

Monk Li had been talking too much, and his blood circulation was not smooth. He couldn't help but cover his mouth and coughed dryly. A trace of blood flowed out from the corner of his mouth. He stretched out his hand and pointed. Xu Boyang looked up in the direction of his finger and saw a volcano with billowing black smoke and towering into the sky.

He frowned unconsciously. The volcano was not close and he couldn't fly there. It would probably take more than half an hour to get there, and that was without being discovered.

After thinking about it, I feel that it is too risky. It would be better to find a nearby lakeshore and escape directly from the bottom of the lake. However, the old monk is in such a state that even if he knows the "water avoidance technique", he probably won't be able to use it.

Xu Boyang had no grudges against this person. It was just a coincidence that they met. He knew nothing about this person and didn't know whether he was a good person or a bad person. If he got involved in this matter for no reason, who knew if it would cause even bigger trouble.

You are alone, you can come and go as you please, and take care of your own fortune and misfortunes. If you carry this person with you, you will become a huge burden. You can't promise someone to take you with you, and then abandon you when you are in danger. That would be your fault.

For a moment, he was torn between conscience and desire, and no one answered.

Monk Li seemed to see Xu Boyang's concerns and sighed softly:
"Don't worry, fellow Daoist. Although I, Daoist Li, have behaved strangely throughout my life, I have never brought harm to others and have a clear conscience. Those who are chasing me are all Confucian disciples of the Three Thousand Academy, but the Dean of his family's [Spiritual Realm] didn't come, which is a blessing."

"Though the two leading men have strong cultivation, they lack spiritual awareness. You can transfer your spiritual energy into my body and cast the 'Invisibility Technique' and 'Breath Concealment Technique'. They won't be able to detect you or me."

"If you want to go directly to the lake, there are so many of them. Once you use the 'Water Avoidance Technique', you will inevitably be exposed. This is too risky and not a foolproof plan."

"Three Thousand Academy? These three people are actually from the Three Thousand Academy?"

When Xu Boyang heard the name of Sanqian Academy, he was startled. He did not speak, but suspicions arose. He thought to himself:

"According to Zhang Guanzhi, isn't this Sanqian Academy a Taoist sect? How could there be Confucian disciples there? It seems this man is unreliable. He probably heard this from hearsay, pretending to be knowledgeable and making up stories. Fortunately, I didn't go there rashly, otherwise I might have gotten into trouble."

"But this old monk just hit me. He doesn't know good from evil, so his words can't be trusted. This matter is quite strange. I'm afraid I'll have to make more inquiries when I get back."

"Forget it. Let's not worry about whether the Three Thousand Academy is real or not. The situation is not good right now. It's better to believe it than not. This old monk must have been here for many years and is knowledgeable and familiar with Taoist techniques. It is estimated that he really could be a Qingshen."

When he thought of this, he said:

"Senior Li, I don't care whether you are a monk or a Taoist priest, or where you come from, and I will not make you a slave. Our meeting here today is a fate, so I will follow your instructions and make this journey."

"But I have to be frank. This is a dangerous time. I hope you are sincere in what you say. Don't let others get hurt when your own city is on fire. Otherwise, don't blame me for abandoning you."

"Once we escape from this place, you and I will go our separate ways!"

Monk Li showed a look of joy and said in a trembling voice: "Daoyou...can...can..."

Xu Boyang said no more, and immediately squatted on the ground and helped him up. The monk was extremely weak, with only a bag of bones left.

Carrying him on his back, Xu Boyang felt as if he was carrying a quilt of cotton. The spiritual energy in his hand was transferred into the Laogong acupoint on the palm of his hand. Then he made a hand gesture and ran towards the volcano with black smoke.

It’s still 6K. The Chinese New Year is coming soon, so I may have to restore it to 4K for a while and save the manuscript for the Chinese New Year. Thank you for your support!
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(End of this chapter)