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Chapter 192 Exchanging Immortal Fate (Part 2)

Clang!
A metallic clang rang out.

It seemed to tear apart the silent night sky.

The old grocery store was split in two by a dazzling flash of a knife!
Soap, toothbrushes, towel racks, dustpans, washbasins, and other miscellaneous items were blown away by the strong wind.

Rice, soybeans and other grains were scattered all over the ground.

"Ah!" The pregnant Huang woman scrambled to her feet, with the badly injured red fox protecting her.

Under the moonlight, two men, one tall and one short, walked slowly along the stone path.

The tall man wore a long white silk robe and held a tiger-striped cleaver in his hand. The short man had a goatee and carried a brass compass.

"Fox spirits and weasel spirits are skilled at bewitching people and escaping and hiding... but in my hands, Black Owl, your demonic tricks are useless."

The short man chuckled sinisterly.

Upon seeing this, Hu Lang's heart sank.

Huang's sister is pregnant, which limits her magical powers, and she herself is also exhausted. It seems that it will be difficult for her to escape now.

"The Zhao family has gone too far!" Hu Lang was furious. "They've actually harmed people for a so-called magic prescription!"

"You monsters are all a scourge."

The man with the knife said calmly.

"By taking harm to refine elixirs, I can extend Master Zhao's life by five hundred years. In the meantime, how many lives can be saved? I know which is more important."

Hu Lang was so angry that he laughed instead, feeling that the other party was shameless.

He was panting heavily, not intending to waste any more words.

boom!
Its fox-like fur danced, and its entire body swelled and grew taller, reaching the size of a lion. At the same time, its two fiery red tails danced and intertwined.

Hu Lang was determined to fight to the death!

"Sister, you must leave quickly." He grinned, a resolute look in his single remaining eye. "I'll buy you some time. Whether you and the child in your womb survive depends on fate."

"Brother Lang..."

Tears streamed down Huang's face.

The man in white raised his hand to stroke the back of his knife and said indifferently, "Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, you are overestimating your own strength."

now.

In a certain alley, a white hedgehog the size of a millstone was "speeding". It was fat and swayed slowly, but it could move seven or eight meters in a flash, and in the blink of an eye it had darted far away.

On the hedgehog's back sat a gray-black rat, clutching two sharp quills, sniffing the air and urging it on:

"Faster, faster! Old Man Pang is just ahead!"

"Stop rushing me," the hedgehog said in a muffled voice.

"Oh dear! If we're late, we'll be collecting Brother Hu and Niece Huang's corpses!"

The gray-black mouse was extremely anxious.

The hedgehog didn't answer, but simply increased its speed.

Soon, the two crossed a stone-paved road and came into view the split-open general store.

The mouse suddenly called out, "Wait!"

"What is it now?" The hedgehog stopped abruptly, and the mouse on its back was almost thrown off.

The mouse muttered a few curses and then said, "Someone has stepped in to help."

Under the moonlight, two menacing-looking men were blocked by a young man in a long black coat.

He stood upright with his hands behind his back.

A woman in a green cheongsam, who was like a maidservant, quickly ran to Ms. Huang's side and helped her up with concern.

"That's...which niece from the Liu family?"

The mouse stroked its whiskers, examining the situation, but its estimation was uncertain.

“I don’t know him,” the hedgehog said. “But to be able to enter the mortal world, he must have some skill.”

“I recognize that young man. He’s an interesting person Xie Er met in Qingwei Town. He’s quite talented. A few days ago, he even captured the demonized Qinghe God and rid the people of a scourge.”

"Incredible." The mouse exclaimed in astonishment. "No wonder this person is so full of good karma..."

As he spoke, the man in white raised his butcher's knife and brought it down on the head.

Clang——

The blade flashed like a bolt of lightning, falling from the sky.

However, the young man neither dodged nor avoided him, but strode forward to meet him.

"Watch out! Don't take his knife head-on!"

Upon seeing this, the two-tailed fox exclaimed in surprise.

The young people turned a deaf ear.

He made a grasping motion with his hand to his side, and a ball of incandescent fire suddenly ignited in his palm, instantly condensing into a sword—which was then visibly stained black.

when! !

Wang Xi swung his sword to parry the flashing blades, and a dazzling light shone through the night, accompanied by a deafening clang.

He didn't retreat an inch, but let out a soft "hmm".

Wang Xi clearly felt a mysterious power flowing through the sword and into his body, sweeping from head to toe, causing him to feel a tingling sensation.

'Is this the power of a cultivator?'

He was slightly surprised.

However, those around him were even more shocked than he was.

The man with the knife, in particular, narrowed his eyes.

He took a knife to himself and was completely unharmed?
He entered the Dao through butchering knife techniques; even if he blocked a shot, the force of his blade would still be enough to dismember and debone his opponent.

But the young man didn't react at all!

Wang Xi looked up—

"Kitchen God Temple Monk, Slaughter Path, Five Lakes Hermit, White Falcon (Leader), Slaughter Hero (Hostile/High-Rank Three Stars)"

A long list of terms, three stars on the whiteboard.

The other short person was:

"Wuhu Sanren · Black Owl (Vice President) · Tan Yonglang (Opposing/5-Star/Elite)"

Five-pointed star with copper frame.

Wang Xi remained expressionless as he raised his hand and reached out to grab Tu Xiong, the man in white, from a distance.

A black hand appeared out of nowhere and fell down on him.

"So you're a cultivator too." The man sneered, brandishing his butcher's knife and slashing diagonally with his backhand. "Soul Severing!"

bass!
The blade struck the black palm, barely slicing through the outer layer of ink to reveal a blazing white color.

"?!" The man's pupils contracted, and he hurriedly dodged, looking quite disheveled. "How can there be such a powerful spell?"

Why is it so hard?

Go talk to my mark!

Wang Xi manipulated the black hand, conjuring a black sword, and launched a series of fierce attacks.

when!when!when!
The man in white held his breath and parried with his sword, but was repeatedly forced back.

Seeing this, the black owl, its companion, knew that it had encountered a tough opponent, so it immediately put away its compass and waved its hand.

shhhhh--

Several jet-black Soul-Slaying Nails pierced through the air, gleaming with a chilling blue light under the moonlight.

Black Owl was a master of concealed weapons, with a subtle and cunning technique. These poisoned concealed weapons attacked Wang Xi from all blind spots. Even a minor scratch would be fatal for a grandmaster of external martial arts.

Just as the hidden weapon was about to hit, a blazing white ice ring suddenly appeared around Wang Xi, the crystal-clear ice crystals swirling around like star trails, deflecting all the Soul-Slaying Nails.

Ding Ding Ding!
Moreover, after being impacted, the ice ring sparked out tiny specks of incandescent sparks, which clung to the black owl's robes like maggots clinging to its bones.

Bear!
"Ah!" the black owl screamed in agony as the sparks ignited upon contact with anything, instantly turning him into a human-shaped torch.

Taking advantage of the situation, Wang Xi manipulated the Black Hand, opening its single eye in the palm. A beam of gray-white light swept across, freezing the struggling Black Owl into a burning sculpture.

This scene made Liu Xunyan and Huang's eyelids twitch, and even Hu Lang was surprised and uncertain.

The expert that the Liu family girl brought is truly remarkable...

"Mind your own business." Wang Xi glanced at the frozen fireman, shook his head and sighed softly.

As the saying goes, when gods fight, mortals suffer.

Although neither of them are gods, they are still at a transcendent level, and how could ordinary people interfere with them at will?
The black owl was eventually burned to ashes!

White Falcon Slayer's eyes twitched violently as he watched his companion being instantly killed right before his eyes.

He roared and swung his knife, severing his own left index finger. The blood spurting from the severed finger ignited into eerie blue flames in the air.

"Light the lamp!" With a loud shout, Tu Xiong's face was covered in veins, his aura surged, and his speed and strength increased several times over as he dragged his sword towards Wang Xi.

Two basic attacks were all it took to bait out his ultimate move?

Wang Xi calmly raised his hand.

A flash of black light appeared in his palm, and suddenly a jet-black razor appeared.

—Occam's Razor

Just then, the old man's hoarse voice rang in my ears:
“All that is superfluous should be shaved off. He has become trapped in the labyrinth of power; let me help him approach the essence.”

"shave!"

Wang Xi made a slash in the air at the charging Tu Xiong.

hum-

A mysterious fluctuation swept past, and Tu Xiong was horrified to find that the surge of power within his body vanished instantly, as if it had never existed.

The lamp that had been burning with the severed finger went out as well.

"magic weapon?!"

In his utter shock, Tu Xiong had already rushed into the black-robed youth's arms as if walking into a trap.

The black sword in Wang Xi's hand wriggled and transformed into a staff.

With a flick of his wrist, he delivered four heavy blows, creating a thunderous roar.

—"A Stroke of Landscape"

The shadow of the stick moved like ink splashes in running script, drawing sharp strokes in the air and converging into the character "kill".

bang bang bang!
Bang! !

Tu Xiong barely managed to raise his knife to parry, but each blow felt heavier than the last. When the fourth blow landed, his hand split open, and the boning knife flew out of his hand.

boom! !

Tu Xiong coughed up a mouthful of blood.

His sternum collapsed, and he was sent flying backward.

He rolled haphazardly on the ground, his hair disheveled, blood streaming from his mouth and nose, before struggling to his feet. A quick glance around told him that if he didn't fight desperately, he would likely perish there.

"Offer sacrifices to appease the spirits and soothe the souls!"

He suddenly made a hand gesture and began chanting a spell.

Bear!
The green flame that reignited at the severed finger transformed into a phantom image of the Kitchen God.

Tu Xiong raised his hand and grabbed, and the tiger-striped cleaver seemed to recognize its master, spinning and flying up on its own before landing in his palm.

Immediately, he roared in fury and brought his sword down—

Clang! !

The blood-red blade flashed fiercely.

This strike did not harm the body, but severed the soul; Wang Xi's "divine inspiration" mark served as a frantic warning.

Unfortunately.

He was not actually a cultivator and had not yet cultivated his three souls and seven spirits. If he were to be struck by this blade, he would likely suffer the fate of having his soul scattered.

But Wang Xi was not afraid.

Because he can fly.

If you were facing an enemy with maximum movement speed and the ability to teleport, and you didn't use your ultimate skill first, could you kill them instantly?

Wang Xi's assessment was that Cao Pi's wife went to the vegetable garden—Zhen Ji was picking vegetables.

Just as Wang Xi was about to take off to avoid it.

Suddenly, a whooshing sound was heard.

Tu Xiong's terrifying blood-red blade light suddenly shifted two feet in mid-air, grazing past Wang Xi's arm.

It's too late.

Tu Xiong was stunned and stood there dumbfounded.

Wang Xi almost burst out laughing, glancing at something not far away.

The gray mouse on the white hedgehog's back stood up, waving its two little paws as if performing some kind of teleportation spell.

'It seems this person is helping me.'

Wang Xi suddenly understood.

"Gongshu Quan, Messenger of the Five Immortals' Family and the Eastern Warehouse (Friendly/High-Rank 3/Elite)"

"Five Immortals Family - Old Man (Friendly/High-Rank Two-Star/Elite)"

It is expected that in the "Seclusion Preview", after Wang Xi kills Liu Xunyan, Hu Lang will treat him coldly and will not be willing to exchange for cultivation opportunities.

It's clear that even if he didn't intervene tonight, these two would still save Hu Lang.

'But I shouldn't refuse a favor that's offered so readily.'

In a flash, Wang Xi seized the opportunity and darted out, his black staff slamming out like a dragon—Bang!

This blow shattered Tu Xiong's skull.

"The target has been killed!"

"Does it possess the ability to capture 'Slaying Heroes'?"

'Yes. '

Wang Xi said secretly.

A deep blue light appeared on the headless cultivator's body and flew into his brow.

As for the unlucky kid who was instantly killed by the "Ice Heart Shield" counterattack, he contributed an unremarkable dark green card.

Wang Xi dispersed the black stick.

He went forward and collected his spoils.

As the leader of the Five Lakes Hermits, Bai Jun Tu Xiong was indeed wealthy. He only had a few silver dollars on him, and the rest were all hundred-dollar bills, totaling ten bills.

In addition, there were the jade pendants identifying the two individuals, which were engraved with the characters for "gold" and "water" respectively.

At this point, Wang Xi had collected all five tokens representing the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, achieving great success in his stamp collecting.

...

...

Hu Lang shed his red fox form and transformed into human form.

This is a middle-aged man with a fair complexion and no beard, wearing a dark mandarin jacket and vest, paired with skirt and trousers, and a round hat. He has a refined and easygoing demeanor.

His face was pale from his injuries. He bowed deeply to Wang Xi, his voice weak but filled with gratitude: "Thank you for saving my life, sir. I will remember this forever."

The pregnant Huang woman also gave a graceful bow, while Liu Xunyan stood obediently behind Wang Xi, behaving like a maid.

Just then, the white hedgehog, carrying a gray-black mouse, wobbled over.

hum-

The hedgehog shuddered and transformed into a kind, plump old man with a round face, big ears, and a friendly smile; the mouse rolled on the ground and became a hunched, withered old man, leaning on a cane, stroking his beard, and his eyes darting around.

"Old Man! Mr. Gongshu!" Hu Lang exclaimed in surprise.

The battle had been intense, and he was injured, so he hadn't noticed their arrival at all.

"Brother Hu, your injury is quite serious." The skinny old man's gaze fell on the wound on Hu Lang's abdomen. "I'll have Old Pang give you a little treatment later, and I guarantee you'll be jumping around again."

"Then thank you very much," Hu Lang said with a fist and palm salute.

Gongshu Quan squinted at Wang Xi again, and tentatively asked, "Sir, may I ask who your teacher is?"

He had just heard Old Pan say that this young man was only a Grandmaster a few days ago, but now he was showing the skills of a cultivator and easily killed Bai Jun Tu Xiong. He was definitely not simple.

"Master?" Wang Xi smiled slightly and stood with his hands behind his back: "The Huo Family Martial Arts School in Qingwei Town."

"..."

Everyone looked at each other.

How could such a prodigy emerge from such a small martial arts school?
It's clear that this was just an excuse used by the young man.

Seeing this, Gongshu Quan stopped asking questions, otherwise it would have been impolite.

"Gentlemen, we cannot linger here." Hu Lang coughed twice, his face pale. "The Zhao family will not let this go easily; we must leave as soon as possible."

"Where to?" Liu Xunyan asked.

Gongshu Quan slapped his thigh: "Let's go to the Qi family. I have some connection with that girl Qi Luan. Her family has a deep mansion and a cultivator in charge. The Zhao family wouldn't dare to provoke her easily."

So the group left under the cover of night.

The Qi family residence is located in the eastern suburbs of Fengdeng City. It occupies a vast area, with pavilions and towers nestled among ancient trees, exuding an air of otherworldly tranquility.

After a while.

The group passed through the vermilion gate, went around the screen wall, and were soon led into the inner courtyard by the servants on night duty.

The door to the side room opened, and a young woman dressed in a plain white cheongsam slowly walked out.

She had a beautiful face, delicate features, and a quiet and reserved demeanor. She was holding an unfinished paper-cut in her hand, as if she had just been creating one.

This is Qi Luan, the eldest daughter of the Qi family.

The "soul-wrenching paper-cut" that the peddler once asked Wang Xi to get from Zhang's coffin shop was made by her.

Wang Xi silently observed her from the crowd, only to see an entry appear above her head—

"Qi Luan, a cultivator from the Tai Su Jian Zhen Pavilion (Friendly/High-Rank 3-Star/Hero)"

The silver frame is a three-star rating.

"Qi girl!" Gong Shuquan waved with a smile.

Qi Luan looked up, saw everyone, and was slightly taken aback. Then she said softly, "Mr. Gongshu, what's going on here...?"

Her voice was soft, tinged with shyness. Her gaze paused slightly when it swept over Wang Xi, then quickly looked away.

"It's a long story," Gongshu Quan sighed. "Let's go inside and talk."

Qi Luan nodded and stepped aside to make way.

Inside the room, the lights dispelled the darkness.

The portly old man took out silver needles and began to treat Hu Lang and Liu Xunyan's injuries. His medical skills were miraculous; as soon as the silver needles touched the wounds, they healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, leaving no scars.

Even Hu Lang's lost eye miraculously grew back!

Wang Xi sat to the side, observing quietly.

My head is covered in question marks.

What kind of acupuncture technique is this?! It's like bringing the dead back to life and healing bones!

Gongshu Quan then spoke quietly with Qi Luan, briefly explaining what had happened. After listening, Qi Luan frowned slightly: "The Zhao family is so arrogant..."

She looked at Wang Xi, hesitated for a moment, and then said softly, "Thank you for your help, Mr. Xi."

Wang Xi smiled and nodded: "Miss Qi, you're too kind."

Qi Luan seemed unaccustomed to talking to strangers; her ears turned slightly red as she lowered her head and continued fiddling with the paper cutting in her hands.

The five immortals gathered together at this moment, chatting about everything under the sun.

There was dissatisfaction with the Zhao family, but also plans for the future.

Wang Xi listened silently and discovered that the Five Immortals from beyond the pass sent their disciples out into the world, seemingly to experience the mortal realm, yet they all shared the same principle—never to harm others.

At the same time, one should do more good deeds, and it is best to make friends with talented and fortunate people, and try to help them embark on the path of spiritual practice.

Wang Xi couldn't help but think of a sentence:

When one attains enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.

If those who help others are like a roc rising with the wind, soaring ninety thousand miles high, then they will benefit immensely.

At this moment, Gongshu Quan suddenly asked, "Fellow Daoist Wang, since you are a cultivator, why do you still get involved in worldly affairs?"

Wang Xi took out the token, a dogwood fruit, and placed it on the table: "To be honest, I came here seeking an opportunity."

Upon seeing the dogwood fruit, Hu Lang's expression turned strange: "This... is a peddler's token? Fellow Daoist Wang is already a cultivator, what use is this opportunity to you?"

It's like a top-ranked player in the Chinese server suddenly saying they didn't play their bronze placement matches—it's as abstract as that.

"The path of cultivation is endless," Wang Xi said calmly. "I will return to the mortal world to prove my Dao heart."

Although the crowd did not understand, they were deeply shocked.

Hu Lang scratched his head: "Alright... since the peddler agreed, I will naturally keep my promise."

The next day.

Miss Qi sent her servants to Tingyu Tower to wait for the Jinghong Troupe to reunite.

In the afternoon, after being informed by Luo Qu, Mei Yanxi hurriedly went to the Qi family.

"Brother Xi!" Mei Yanxi breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Wang Xi. "Tingyu Tower was sealed off by the police; I thought something had happened to you."

Wang Xi smiled and said, "Don't worry, Master Mei, I'm fine."

Hu Lang accepted the token handed to him by Mei Yanxi. After confirming that it was correct, he solemnly said, "Please allow me to make some preparations. Tonight at midnight, I will send you into the blessed land."

Mei Yanxi was very excited and thanked them repeatedly.

That night, inside the side room.

Wang Xi sat cross-legged, waiting quietly.

“Brother Xizhi.” Mei Yanxi pushed open the door and entered, looking excited, then lowered her voice: “I just asked Mr. Hu, and he said that everyone’s opportunity is different.”

Wang Xi raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean?"

Mei Yanxi chuckled: "In other words, you and I are not on the same path, and we will be heading to different blessed lands."

Wang Xi nodded, seemingly lost in thought.

He was quite looking forward to it.

What exactly is a blessed land?

The answer will be revealed soon.

child time.

Hu Lang went to the side room alone, lit an incense stick, and solemnly brewed a pot of tea.

This tea is strange too.

I boiled a whole pot, but when I poured it out, it barely filled two cups.

"Gentlemen, drink this tea." Hu Lang pushed the teacup in front of Wang Xi and Mei Yanxi, and said with a smile, "Then you will be able to travel to the other world in your dreams."

Wang Xi and Mei Yanxi exchanged a glance.

Immediately, they each picked up their teacups and drank the tea.

The tea was not hot, just lukewarm.

After drinking it, the two felt warm and energetic, and were not sleepy at all.

"Mr. Hu, I... can't sleep."

Mei Yanxi laughed awkwardly.

However, Hu Lang shook his head meaningfully and said, "Don't rush."

Just as Mei Yanxi was wondering what was going on, he suddenly found that his body was floating and he was slowly flying up.

No.

It wasn't that the body flew up.

It was his primordial spirit!

In an instant, the world spun around.

When he opened his eyes again, he was greeted by a massive, mountain-like wall of flesh, with folds and grooves that formed an arc, resembling a human ear!
There is a deep cave entrance in the center of the "mountain wall".

Mei Yanxi was uncontrollably sucked into the hole.

At the very last moment before going in.

In a daze, he glimpsed an old plaque above the cave entrance, inscribed with the three characters "Douxuan Kingdom".

After it had completely entered the cave, and after flying for an unknown amount of time, the view suddenly opened up, revealing rolling mountains, well-established cities, magnificent palaces, and exquisite pavilions...

Amidst the swirling clouds above, millions chanted the name of their sovereign.
"Long live Lord Xuanzhen!"

May your life be as long as heaven and earth, your way of life be in harmony with yin and yang, your heart be in sync with the sun and moon, and your governance be in harmony with the four seasons!

Mei Yanxi was filled with emotion.

the other side.

Wang Xi had a similar experience.

He clearly felt his primordial spirit floating away, and even looked down at the three people sitting around the table in the side room.

Soon everything went black, and my consciousness plummeted into an abyss.

When he came to his senses, he found himself in a secluded mountain forest.

Ancient, verdant trees stand tall, their branches filtering dappled sunlight. Mountain mist, like a veil, entwines the peaks, while in the distance, a waterfall cascades down, its waters murmuring softly.

The air is filled with the fragrance of pine resin and wild orchids; one breath and you feel a refreshing coolness in your lungs.

"This is……?"

Wang Xi was very surprised.

He stood still, looked around, and found himself standing on a bluestone path.

The stone steps were covered with moss, clearly indicating that no one had been there for a long time.

Looking up, three mottled ancient seal characters are carved on the cliff face—

Rotten Axe Mountain.

Upon seeing this, Wang Xi was startled.

Rotten Axe Mountain?
Is this the legendary place where the woodcutter Wang Zhi watched chess until his axe handle rotted?
Similar to "The Peach Blossom Spring"!
He climbed the stone steps and soon came to a natural stone platform. On the platform was a jade chessboard, with black and white pieces scattered like stars, as if the game was in its middle stages.

A rusty axe lay on the edge of the chessboard; its wooden handle was long since rotten, but the blade still gleamed coldly.

"Watching chess until the axe handle rots..."

Wang Xi murmured.

Looking closer, I suddenly noticed a faint glow on the chessboard.

A white piece moved on its own without any wind and landed with a thud in an empty space.

In an instant, mist surged through the mountains and forests!

The once tranquil valley was suddenly filled with the crisp sound of pieces being placed, one after another.

The scene before Wang Xi's eyes was distorted, as if he saw two illusory immortals sitting and playing chess. One played white, with flowing sleeves; the other played black, with white hair and a youthful face.

"Now that you've arrived, young friend, why not watch the game?"

(End of this chapter)