A life of idleness in the world of demons

Chapter 81, Section 80: One act ends, another begins; the dust settles, the truth comes out (8.4K words - long chapter, please subscribe).
One moment it's mountains and rivers, the next it's yellow sand.

The sand dunes undulate, appearing as if covered in white frost under the moonlight.

After traveling some distance together, Ning Xuan saw nearly two hundred camels waiting quietly on a sand ridge in the distance, two of which had many water bags and food hanging on them.

The old man with blue rain looked serious and angry. He mounted the first camel and made no intention of saying goodbye to the two of them.

Instead, a young man with thin lips and sword-like eyebrows stepped out from beside the radical Granny Hantan, stood in front of the two, and said, "My name is A-Sui."

Lu Xuezhi said, "I recognize you. Senior Brother Qin told me about you. You are one of only two fourth-rank cultivators among the younger generation of the Five Poisons Sect."

The young man named A-Sui clenched his fist, smiled, revealing his white teeth, and said confidently, "He's not one of the only two fourth-rank masters, but the strongest fourth-rank master among the younger generation. As for the other one, you don't need to befriend him."

As he was speaking, Ning Xuan felt a cold but murderous gaze cast upon him from not far away.

The owner of that gaze was clearly another young fourth-rank official.

It seems that the two of them might not have a bad relationship.

Ah Sui pointed to the two camels loaded with supplies and said, "You two should leave quickly and not worry. The Shanmo Sect's palace is right under our noses. We have a good grasp of how many demons are in that palace, and there won't be many unexpected changes."

After saying that, he smiled confidently and winked at Ning Xuan, giving him a meaningful look.

Ning Xuan was taken aback, then continued, "If there is a chance, when you come to Suizhou, my wife and I will have a good drink and conversation with Brother Sui."

Ah Sui laughed heartily, "I haven't tried the wine from the Central Plains yet. I'll definitely come!"

After saying that, he suddenly reached into his pocket and pulled out a booklet. The paper was rather thick and was not the common white paper from the Central Plains. Instead, it was a kind of paper with textures that gave it an ancient feel and a remarkable toughness, bound together with animal hide.

He glanced at the booklet, then handed it out with both hands, saying, "I didn't have the chance to get to know you in the inner village, but we will definitely have to deal with each other again in the future. This booklet is a record of my insights on my cultivation path. I'm giving it to you two, and I also hope that you can break through to the third rank and enter the fourth rank as soon as possible."

In ancient records, these four ranks actually have a name.

Establish a destiny state.

This is also what ancient texts refer to as the divide between immortals and mortals; only by entering the Destiny Establishment Realm and increasing one's lifespan can one be considered to have truly begun cultivation.

Ning Xuan took the booklet and glanced through it. The ink was not new, and the dates of the writing were obviously different. As for the content, he glanced at it and saw a sentence: "A martial artist senses the heavens and responds to the earth, forgets his ego for a moment, and attains his true self, merging with heaven and earth. This is the Yang Soul Body. Once the Yang Soul Body is formed, one is in the initial stage of establishing one's destiny."

There is also a simple drawing below.

But then a small figure sat cross-legged, opened its mouth and spat out a giant, fiery red snake, which was not a physical object.

Recalling his battle with Qin Shanjun that day, when Qin Shanjun exhaled a scorching breath that directly boosted his physique by 0.5, he roughly understood what kind of realm the so-called "separation between immortals and mortals" Fourth Grade Initial Stage of Destiny was.

The second rank is based on flesh and blood, generating one's own yang energy;

The third grade represents the first attempt to come into contact with the yang energy of heaven and earth;

The fourth grade of the Destiny Establishment Realm uses one's own Yang energy as the seed of life, and the Yang energy of heaven and earth as the womb, to give birth to one's own Yang soul body.

There are still many mysteries and difficulties to be explored, but with just one glance, he already had a general understanding in his mind.

Once a martial artist possesses a Yang Soul Body, they are no longer afraid even if they are suppressed.

Although the body was suppressed, the yang soul remained outside.
Presumably, the fourth rank is the level at which one can truly contend with the Taiyin Ghost.

Ning Xuan hadn't expected this unexpected gain, so he put away the booklet and said, "Thank you."

Ah Sui waved his hand, said "Leave in peace," and then turned and walked away.

Soon, the disciples of the Five Poisons Sect mounted their camels one by one.

Ning Xuan carefully examined the booklet, but found nothing unusual. Just as he was about to put it away, a hand suddenly reached out from the side – Lu Xuezhi's hand.

Lu Xuezhi snorted through her nose: "Hmm?"

Ning Xuan handed the booklet to her.

Lu Xuezhi nodded in satisfaction, then pushed it back, saying, "Keep it in your arms for now, and give it to me when we rest later."

As she spoke, her usual haughty and aloof expression suddenly took on a mischievous quality. Like a little fox, she leaned closer, her bright eyes darting towards the departing camel herd, and whispered, "Husband, shall we follow them and take a look?"

Ning Xuan was delighted.

My wife is a fox in disguise, but she's also a stupid fox.

He glanced around and then looked at the booklet in his hand.

The fourth-rank expert named A-Sui was clearly there to make friends. His purpose in giving them this booklet was to be able to contact them after he rose to a higher position in the future.

The Five Poisons Cult has major problems, but there are also many more members within the Five Poisons Cult who are without problems.

Just now, Ah Sui gave him a wink and said, "It's all under our control," and then added, "Leave in peace," seemingly hinting at something.

Clearly, everyone has their own plans and thoughts.

Without a doubt, the undercurrents beneath the Mountain Cult will erupt, and everyone's plans will shift from the shadows to the light. This moment will be extremely dangerous, and no one can guarantee they will survive.

That stupid woman actually wants to go
Ning Xuan flipped over and mounted the camel.

His conversation with Ah Sui improved his mood somewhat.

There are people in the Five Poisons Sect who are still conscious, and there are also people who have set up schemes behind the scenes.

However, he will not be careless.

He sensed that someone in the direction of the camel herd in the distance was locking onto him. He knew that it would be useless to continue to act stubbornly or to sneak back to the Five Poisons Sect, at least not now.

"Let's go too."

"where to?"

"Return to the Central Plains."

Lu Xuezhi was immediately sullen. She really wanted to ignore her man and secretly follow him to Shanmo Palace to cause a scene and find Senior Brother Qin. However, thinking about the consequences of her previous self-determined actions, she could only angrily say, "Fine, I'll listen to you!"

And so, the two camels began to walk.

After walking for only a short while, Ning Xuan took the water bags and supplies off the camel, filled a large bag with them, carried it on his back, drove the camel away, glanced to the south, and said, "Go this way."

Although Lu Xuezhi is stupid, it doesn't mean she doesn't know the way.

"South? Shouldn't we be heading east to get to the Central Plains?"

"Yes, that's south. I've checked the map and learned about it. There's a small place called Ba Kingdom there, separated from this desert by a mountain called Changya. The scenery at Changya Mountain is quite nice, let's go take a look."

Ning Xuan's plan was to take a long detour around Changya Mountain before returning to the Central Plains, rather than from the previously planned western route.

He would rather spend more time taking a longer route than follow a route that could be predicted.

However, he felt that doing so might still be useless.

If it were him, and he wanted to ambush someone, he couldn't rely on what path the other person took. After all, there are many paths to take in this vast desert, and he couldn't possibly set up a precise ambush.

The only way is to track them down and then strike as soon as the opportunity arises.

The good news is that he doesn't feel like he's being followed.

However, Ning Xuan rode the camel for a short while before shooing it away. He then said, "Wife, don't ask any questions. Run! Run south! By tomorrow morning, we can rest."

Although Lu Xuezhi was quite angry that her will was not carried out, she was still willing to obey.

The two started running quickly.

Under the silvery moonlight, two figures moved with incredible speed, like leopards crouching low in the air, ready to hunt.
However, this rapid pace did not last long, and it stopped as Ning Xuan stopped.

Lu Xuezhi also became alert, sensing her surroundings.

They didn't smell any demonic aura, but they heard endless rustling sounds. These sounds were not accidental or unexpected, because they were surrounding them from all directions, several miles away, emanating from the ground, buzzing and clamoring, clearly from some kind of strange insect.

The sound of these tiny, fragmented sounds was like the sound of ocean waves.

Ning Xuan stood still.

Now that the enemy had appeared, he stopped running around and started observing.

At this moment, he had already realized the other party's methods.

He didn't sense any demonic energy along the way, because the other party was controlling this strange insect from a very, very far away place.

The insects had no demonic aura, so no one sensed them.

But these insects had already formed a huge encirclement, surrounding him from the very beginning.

The only way out is the road from the Five Poisons Sect to the Mountain Mo Sect.

He and Lu Xuezhi could escape the insects' encirclement by following the Five Poisons Sect in that direction.

But this is the path that he and Lu Xuezhi cannot take.

Therefore, no matter which way they go, they will be surrounded.

They were already surrounded when they were forced to leave the Five Poisons Sect.

Just then, a voice suddenly reached Ning Xuan's ears.

"My lord, the second-grade Crane Pill I took allows me to fly for a while."

Lu Xuezhi suddenly said.

She could escape the encirclement by flying, but her speed would decrease after taking off, and she would become a sitting duck as there would be nowhere to grab her weight in mid-air.

"Hurry up and get on. Watch your surroundings while I'm flying."

Lu Xuezhi urged.

Just then, the dense rustling sound grew closer, and black mist rose from the desert under the moonlight. Upon closer inspection, the black mist turned out to be strange insects with wings and a metallic sheen.

"I can't fly anymore." Lu Xuezhi bit her lip, then immediately assumed a fighting stance. There was no discouragement or despair in her eyes, but rather a burning fighting spirit.

"To catch the thief, first catch the king. These insects can surround us like this, so someone or some demon must be manipulating us. Husband, one of us will cover you while the other goes to find the person behind it all and kill him."

Lu Xuezhi quickly devised another plan and then said, "You provide cover, I'll behead you."

Ning Xuan finally discovered another good point about his wife.

Besides being well-liked by her elders, having a powerful background, and being straightforward, she also never complains when encountering enemies and can devise plans that are at least superficially flawless, making her much better than Fairy Yao Zhen.

Ning Xuan did not hesitate to summon the [Gong Sizhi] Heavenly Demon Talisman, instantly raising his physique to 29.99.

He opened his senses, but still couldn't find the insect manipulator.

Bang!
The golden light suddenly expanded and transformed into a golden Bodhisattva.

The Bodhisattva grabbed Lu Xuezhi, placed her in his left palm, and rushed south at high speed.

Using movement and breakouts to lure out the enemy during a tug-of-war is a basic combat tactic.

The reason it was the west was because Ning Xuan believed that the enemy's initial ambush was most likely located in the west.

He's more likely to encounter the insect manipulator if he goes west.

In an instant, the golden statue of the Bodhisattva collided with the buzzing black mist.

Immediately afterwards, Ning Xuan felt his incense offerings diminish.

Upon closer inspection, good heavens! The surface of his golden Buddha statue was now pitted and uneven, and strange insects were actually gnawing on the incense.

The other party already knew his information; this was a targeted ambush.

Whoosh! !

The Ruyi Blade flew out in an instant, splitting into a thousand blades, which then surrounded the body.

If you see an enemy who can be killed in one move, or if you see no enemy who shows weakness, these are basic combat common sense.

Ding Ding Ding Ding!

A sound came from behind.

Ning Xuan's golden body surged forward another thousand feet amidst the swirling flying knives, but just then, he suddenly felt that the flying knives were dwindling.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the strange insects were not only nibbling at the incense sticks, but also at the throwing knives. The extremely sharp blade fragments were now covered in insects and riddled with holes.

Ning Xuan was startled.

What kind of strange insect is this?

However, he continued westward.

His golden body and Ruyi Blade were damaged. The former could be repaired, which was fine, but the latter made him feel a little heartache.

The two sides continued to tug at each other for more than ten breaths. Just when Ning Xuan's golden body and Ruyi Blade had suffered considerable damage, he finally heard the sound of a flute. The ethereal and eerie flute music was flowing gently over the frost-covered yellow sand.

Ning Xuan sensed something and landed in the direction of the flute sound.

He saw a dark figure.

He instantly gathered the remaining fragments of the Ruyi Blade and shot towards the dark figure.

The shadowy figure remained calm even after its location was discovered. The ethereal flute music suddenly turned sharp and piercing, and the swarms of black insects that filled the sky seemed to close together like two enormous hands that blotted out the heavens.

The Ruyi Blade plunged headfirst into the center of the dense swarm of strange insects.

Tsk tsk tsk!

Clang clang clang clang clang!
Bang bang!

The strange noises continued.

The Ruyi Blade disappeared at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The strange insects that had eaten the Ruyi Knife became even more deeply black, which made the insects that hadn't eaten it swarm even more desperately, as if the Ruyi Knife were an extremely delicious food.

Along with the Ruyi Knife, the golden statue of the Bodhisattva also disappeared.

The golden body was melting and corroding. When it was dozens of feet away from the black shadow, it finally succumbed to the erosion. Its right arm fell off, and the Bodhisattva's head also fell into the yellow sand with a "thud," and then was instantly covered with black monsters.

His left arm was also teetering on the verge of collapse.

Lu Xuezhi suddenly moved, her left hand swaying precariously as she opened her body, her expression sharp as she stared intently at the distant black figure. After realizing that there were still many black insects between them, she abandoned her plan to attack from that distance and instead crashed to the ground from mid-air.

As soon as she landed, she stomped her foot hard on the ground, causing the ground to tremble and sending frost and gravel flying up.

"call!"

She blew suddenly.

Toad strength.

She chose the Toad Strength technique within the Five Poisons Sect's inner village, and these days she has actually practiced it quite well, at least to the point that she can use it in actual combat.

The frost-covered yellow sand instantly transformed into a giant shield, pressing down on the dark figure playing the flute.

The insects along the way were all bounced away.

Lu Xuezhi had no distracting thoughts, her delicate body tensed, and she was about to continue rushing forward to unleash her giant python bite.

But at this moment, she was stunned.

Because the shield formed from her toad-like energy, wrapped in yellow sand and frost, couldn't reach the black figure playing the flute; it shattered halfway through its flight. A dense swarm of black insects still separated her from the figure.

Lu Xuezhi let out a sharp rebuke.

She didn't care.

She's going to go straight for it.

In a life-or-death battle, there's no time for so much deliberation. If retreat is impossible, then fight your way out! Her husband has already brought her here; the rest is up to her.

Just then, she suddenly felt a hand grab the back of her collar, and then she heard a soft exhale.

The sound of exhaling was very light, but after it was exhaled, it turned into a howling, violent hurricane.

The next moment, the desert between her and the shadowy figure was as if it had been brutally crushed by the hand of a giant god. Yellow sand and frost danced wildly in the sky, turning into shields. Even the black insects were wrapped up by this force and became part of the shields.

boom! !

Everything cleared!
Lu Xuezhi was stunned. Incredulously, she turned her head and saw Ning Xuan's calm face.

Lu Xuezhi's beautiful eyes widened, her small mouth opened, and her whole face was filled with confusion and blankness.

A hundred zhang is the distance at which Ning Xuantu reveals his dagger.

Since he was already there, he decided not to stand on ceremony.

The next moment, in Lu Xuezhi's eyes, the dark figure opposite suddenly began to move stiffly and mechanically. The dark figure did nothing but walk towards the two of them, as if it were being manipulated by something.

At the same time, strangely enough, as the dark figure moved, the sand beneath its feet continued to surge and ripple upwards, clearly indicating that there was something unusual about its feet.

In the next instant, Lu Xuezhi covered her mouth in surprise, because her husband, who had only just entered the second rank, had rushed out. His figure froze in mid-air for hundreds of moments before merging into one, and a leg whip of extreme explosiveness lashed viciously at the neck of the dark figure.

boom! !

The shadowy figure remained motionless, but under the full force of the attack, its body twisted and contorted. The fox demon's head and body, resembling a broken sapling, instantly tilted and crashed to the ground, becoming a bloody corpse whose shape was difficult to discern.

The leg whip landed heavily on the arched yellow sand, and another tremendous force followed without pause. This explosion was like a meteor falling into the ocean, causing a huge upheaval. The sand waves parted like angry tides in all directions, revealing the huge, hunched figure of an old man beneath them.

Wearing dried yak hide, with a hunched back and a fleshy hunchback, and holding a cane with a copper bell attached to it in his left hand, who else could this old man be but the hunchbacked mountain god of the Shanmo religion?

Bang!
The hunchbacked monkey's head was kicked to the side.

Ning Xuan landed on his feet and then kicked out continuously.

The hunchbacked mountain god was kicked out of the yellow sand, into the air, and then, without any resistance, its golden body shattered under Ning Xuan's series of powerful kicks, revealing one of its fat, silver rat demons, which then exploded under Ning Xuan's relentless kick.

Ning Xuan raised his hand and made a gesture, but only managed to summon a few fragments of the Ruyi Blade.

brush!
The fragments fell, dismembering the silver rat demon and finishing it off.

These movements were executed in one fluid motion, exuding an extremely smooth sense of violence.

Immediately, Ning Xuan did not linger, but raised his hand and touched the blood of the two demons respectively.

Fox demon, Fate (Constitution) 20.

Rat Demon, Sexual (Mental) 21.

He closed his eyes slightly and instantly refined it.

During the refining process, he realized one thing: demons begin to weaken once they reach the third rank, because all their power seems to be simply piled up.

The rat demon had no other means but to raise its incense-powered golden body to the level of third-grade power;

The fox demon hadn't made much progress in its physical body; its ability to control the insect was entirely due to its magical flute and a matching spell—the "Insect Taming Technique."

Ning Xuan quickly took the flute magic weapon, refined it again, and then used the insect taming technique.

The surrounding black mist buzzed and quickly flew over, entering the magical flute.

The magical flute-shaped artifact looked to be only a little over a foot long, but inside it was a small, independent insect nest, where a huge black mother insect was constantly nurturing baby insects.

One by one, the tiny insects that had devoured the Ruyi Blade flew to the black mother insect and spat out the broken blades from their abdomens, feeding them into the black mother insect's mouth.

Ning Xuan glanced around briefly, feeling a sense of感慨 (gan3kai3, deep emotion), and at the same time, he gained a deeper understanding of the world of incense offerings.

The crafting of treasures and artifacts in the world of incense offerings is quite advanced.

The main powerful figures in the world of incense offerings are in the Buddhist Kingdom and the Taoist Court; these demons are merely their vanguard.

The thought flashed through his mind, and Ning Xuan quickly tucked the flute into his waistband, casually naming it "Insect Flute".

This time, I lost a Ruyi Blade, but gained a bug flute in return. I don't know if it was a gain or a loss.

"Husband, you...you..." Lu Xuezhi stared blankly at Ning Xuan, her little brain still processing what had just happened.

My husband chose the "spider" spirit, right?
It was just put into public use.
However, there should be four kinds of strength.

The four forces are linked together in an extremely exquisite manner.

How can this be?

Ning Xuan pulled Lu Xuezhi's hand and said, "Don't stand there in a daze, keep running south."

Lu Xuezhi felt a wave of fear wash over her.

Even though she got close just now, she wouldn't have succeeded.

Although she hadn't witnessed the fox demon's power, there was actually a terrifying rat demon lurking in the sand beneath its feet. No wonder the fox demon didn't move; it was already standing on the ambush, so it didn't need to move at all.

The concentration of incense emanating from the rat demon was terrifying to her; it was clearly at the third rank. Yet, her husband had kicked that rat demon to pieces with just a few kicks.

She gripped Ning Xuan's hand even tighter and muttered from behind, "I'll listen to you from now on."

Although she was completely confused, she began to sense that something was wrong.

On this seemingly normal journey of the Five Poisons Sect, there appears to be a deep and turbulent murderous intent hidden beneath the surface. So, what's the problem?

She didn't understand what the problem was, but seeing her husband dragging her away so quickly, she could realize the seriousness of the situation.

However, she didn't ask anymore.

Her husband seemed to be a little bit smarter than her, so she would just listen to him.

The pale moonlight laid out roads on the yellow sand.

The shadows of the sand dunes resembled jagged, ghostly figures.

The night wind carried the mournful howls of ghosts, foxes, and wolves.

Strands and rolls of sand and snow waves lingered and surged, sometimes stopping and sometimes moving, ever-changing.

Ning Xuan suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Lu Xuezhi also stopped abruptly.

Suddenly, an old man, leaning on a cane, stood under the moonlight not far away, looking at them from afar.

His figure was distorted and elongated by the moonlight, like a hideous midnight ghost.

The moonlight revealed the old man's appearance.

He was surprisingly kind and approachable, with white hair and a youthful face. Lu Xuezhi saw it clearly. An hour ago, she would have happily called out "Teacher," but now, she couldn't.

Her neck felt like it was being strangled by a dead man's hand; she couldn't utter a single word.

She felt cold all over, goosebumps appeared on her skin, and a strong sense of doubt, anger and unease arose in her heart.

Ning Xuan, however, reacted quickly.

Ning Xuan laughed and said, "Teacher was worried about us, so he came all the way here to see us off, right?"

"Ah"

Old Man Lan Yu smiled and said, "The new generation surpasses the old."

Lu Xuezhi was taken aback. The same words had been spoken by Elder Lan Yu when he was passing on his skills to the Five Poisons Sect, but back then it was encouragement and praise. Now, however, it felt different.

After saying that, Elder Lan Yu continued, "Xue Zhi, in your heart, will I always be the teacher who fought the demon tide alone before?"

Lu Xuezhi stammered, then suddenly said, "Teacher, shouldn't you be on your way to the Mountain Temple?!"

Old Man Lan Yu chuckled and said, "Don't ask any more questions. Let's go. Your master will take you somewhere."

Ning Xuan suddenly said, "Mysterious Hidden Fox."

Old Man Lan Yu's smile remained unchanged. He simply nodded approvingly and said, "You could even guess that? Heh, Xue Zhi is truly blessed to have found a husband like you."

As he spoke, he seemed to remember something and added, "Xuezhi is always so lucky, she has such a good life."

Ning Xuan said, "The one who went to Shanmo Palace with the Five Poisons Sect was not you, but Xuan Yinhu in disguise."

Similarly, Qin Shanjun's hasty departure that day was also due to you luring him out.

Later that evening, the person speaking by the swamp was not him, but also Xuan Yinhu.

You did this just to create the illusion that Qin Shanjun left in the evening because he had discovered something during the day.

Otherwise, many people would have noticed something amiss, because there aren't many people who could persuade Qin Shanjun to suddenly leave. And you are one of them.

Old Man Lan Yu chuckled, his expression unchanged.

Seeing his tacit agreement, Lu Xuezhi's once powerful and respectable image of her master began to crumble rapidly. She questioned, "Why...why did you willingly become a follower of demons?!"

Old Man Lan Yu looked at Ning Xuan and said, "Boy, you're so good at guessing, can you tell me why?"

Ning Xuan said, "Who said you have to become a follower of demons to cooperate?"

Old Man Blue Rain was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter, saying, "Interesting! Interesting! You actually guessed it! Truly interesting!"

He continued, "I was the one who told the Mountain Lord how to urinate on the Bodhisattva, but I am not a believer in demons, so how could I have made a mistake?"

Lu Xuezhi asked in a trembling voice, "You...you're not a follower of demons, so why did you do this?"

The old man Lan Yu did not explain, but said, "Xue Zhi, you are still too naive. Have you never considered the possibility that the person you have been communicating with is me from the beginning to the end?"

That's why you won't notice.

That's why you obediently went into the trap.

At this point, I really don't know whether it's a good thing or a bad thing that you married such a clever husband.

Originally, if you two had fainted in that oasis, the matter would have ended there. You would have simply gained the identity of demon cult followers, but you would still have entered the Five Poisons Sect to study. At that time, I would have truly taught you everything I knew, and then you would have left safely and returned to the dynasty. Why would I need to do it this way?”

He closed his eyes slightly and said, "I'll give you two choices: one, obediently come with me, and you'll return to the dynasty unharmed; two, I'll knock you unconscious first, and then drag you along. Which do you choose?"

The air was quiet, deathly still.

The whole truth has come to light.

Everything seemed to have settled down.

The mastermind behind it all stood there quietly and confidently.

Even if his prey escapes the first and second traps, it will eventually fall here.

Stories of people turning the tables in a fit of rage are ultimately just fairy tales; they're never realistic.

but
One person's background is anything but fairytale-like.

In just a few breaths, the moonlit sky suddenly lit up.

This brilliance was an incredibly dazzling gold, so dazzling it was as if the desert had suddenly been bathed in daylight.

The three of them instinctively looked up at the same time, but then squinted, unable to look directly at each other.

It was a terrifying hand that blotted out the sky and the moon, descending from the heavens, gleaming with golden light.

Old Man Lan Yu was stunned. His lowered pupils widened in disbelief. In the next instant, his figure moved like light and flew towards Lu Xuezhi. At the same time, he opened his mouth and spat out a huge unicorn dragon that emitted a scorching aura.

The long python was nimble and shot out of the palm of my hand, then quickly leaped up into the clouds.

In another instant.
Bang!
The old man Lan Yu was pressed firmly to the ground by the golden hand, motionless. He did not struggle, scream, or curse. Instead, he quietly closed his eyes, as if he was manipulating some power and fighting on another battlefield.

However, Ning Xuan and Lu Xuezhi were unharmed.

A rumbling sound came from the sky, a battle beyond Ning Xuan's perception and beyond their understanding.
But the fight quickly subsided.

In the sky, with a painful cry from a one-horned dragon, the old man Blue Rain under the golden palm suddenly opened his eyes, revealing a hint of unwillingness.

Immediately afterwards, the golden hand rapidly shrank, grabbed the old man Blue Rain, and then transformed into ropes to bind him.

A figure draped in a purple robe descended from mid-air, glanced down at the tightly bound Elder Lan Yu, and said, "Long time no see."

Lu Xuezhi looked at the figure in purple robes and exclaimed excitedly, "Mother!!"

Ning Xuan was both surprised and unsurprised. He bowed respectfully and said, "Your son-in-law Ning Xuan greets your mother-in-law."

The figure in purple robes was a middle-aged beauty with a similarly aloof appearance, long legs, and a face that resembled Lu Xuezhi in her later years. The beauty nodded to him and smiled warmly, "My name is Ruan Qingzhu, and I am Xuezhi's mother."

After saying that, she waved again.

Lu Xuezhi ran to her side.

Ruan Qingzhu held her in his arms and said, "Human life is no match for lifespan. Your time is coming to an end, and you still yearn to advance one more step. The fourth rank of the Establishing Life Realm adds sixty years to your lifespan with each minor realm. After deducting the lifespan lost due to some minor injuries, your teacher should only have a dozen or so years left to live."

Lu Xuezhi thought for a moment and said, "Then he is in the mid-stage of the fourth-grade Life Establishment Realm?"

Ruan Qingzhu said, "That's right. But because of the decline of the sect, many important resources were taken away by the Incense World. So your conscience has been tormented again and again, which is why you chose to cooperate with the demons in order to obtain a life-sustaining artifact in order to break through to the later stage and add another 60 years to your lifespan."

Actually, he's not a bad person at heart, and there's still hope for him. I'll take him back to see him.

Lu Xuezhi said, "That's great."

Old Man Lan Yu was taken aback, a strange and horrified look appearing on his face. But before he could speak, the tightly bound golden rope suddenly spread out even more, completely binding him up and even sealing his mouth.

With a wave of his hand, Ruan Qingzhu made him float up, then quickly fell into the beautiful woman's wide sleeve and disappeared without a trace.

"You still have companions in the Five Poisons Sect, right?"

Ruan Qingzhu said.

Ning Xuan nodded.

Ruan Qingzhu said, "Let's go together and bring her back. This place is not a safe haven."

Immediately, Lu Xuezhi led the way, and the three of them arrived at the entrance of the Five Poisons Sect.

With a wave of her hand, Ruan Qingzhu caused the hidden entrance to expand into a conspicuous vortex.

She moved and stepped into the vortex.

But suddenly, it was blocked.

Ning Xuan was taken aback and tried it as well, but was bounced back by a thick shield.

Ruan Qingzhu said, "An ancient sect's mountain-sealing formation? When was it triggered? Never mind, it seems we can't get in."

(End of this chapter)