Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Early the next morning, everyone set off on their journey.
The Xiaoyao Sect itself had a small number of people, with only one elder and three disciples present. The Tang family sent quite a few people, including several female cultivators dressed in pink and white skirts, adorned with jingling accessories, seemingly from the Flying Flower Valley.
Each person received a ribbon and two detoxification pills.
Xu Xiaofei imitated others by wrapping the light blue ribbon around his forehead and tying it tightly at the back of his head. This ribbon contained a simple spell that could resist toxic gas for a short time, keeping the spirit platform clear.
They rode their Flying Swords and sped along.
After crossing several cities and towns, they flew deeper into the remote mountains and forests.
Xu Xiaofei closely followed the main group. Tang Huaiying flew beside him, seemingly wanting to talk to him, but seeing that his mind was elsewhere, she gave up.
Not far ahead was the Miaojiang region, Xu Xiaofei thought. When Senior Sister Qi Yan informed him that there were clues about reviving Lin Mo in the southwestern border, he had already inquired about the situation here through various channels. There was indeed a mysterious force, the Spirit Serpent Palace, located here, worshipped by the local Miao people. The people from the Central Continent and the Miao people originally had clear boundaries, with a tradition of not interfering with each other's affairs. However, the Spirit Serpent Palace suddenly took action, capturing many people and angering several Central Continent sects.
The Tang family sent so many people likely to use this excuse to invade Miaojiang and expand their own influence.
Although he thought of this, he had no interest in the undercurrents and ambitions at play.
Only the method to revive Lin Mo was what truly concerned him.
He recalled… a shadow flickered in his clear amber eyes; why did he leave Lin Mo alone to face danger?
Below, scattered Miao people's villages appeared as they passed through, flying into the Mountain Valley behind the Miao village.
A magnificent palace emerged before everyone’s eyes.
In the front mountain square paved with stone slabs, it was empty—there wasn't a single person around.
Only a statue of a goddess with a human head and serpent body stood tall here.
"They have arrived." He glanced at the water mirror on the table. He was in the Spirit Serpent Palace, and it was not yet his turn to take the stage.
Bai Fei's expression was grim.
He reached out and shook a bell. A silver bell sat right beside him.
The sound of the bell rang out, crossing the ethereal connections in the void, transmitting his orders far and wide.
— Form the formation!
This mournful sound of the bell was naturally unheard by those on the Righteous Path. They could only see countless snakes, scorpions, toads, centipedes, and spiders surging up from the ground, instantly filling every available space.
As someone looked up, a group of Cold Crows flew in, darkening the sky as they circled above, casting ominous shadows. For a moment, they did not attack but instead formed a tight defensive formation, occupying the airspace. It seemed that breaking through upwards would not be easy.
The real battlefield was still on the ground.
The poisonous creatures came in waves; although their momentum was fierce, these ordinary insects posed no real threat to those with cultivation.
A sharp whistle sounded, and Elder Gu from Xiaoyao Sect had already released a flock of golden-winged Firebirds from his Chaos Pearl. The firebirds scattered and began to devour the poisonous insects on the ground. Although there were many poisonous creatures, the speed at which the Firebirds hunted was even faster.
Xu Xiaofei also urged his sword energy to drive away the nearby poisonous creatures. As he looked around, he noticed that the ribbons tied to everyone's foreheads seemed to be gradually changing color, shifting from light blue to lake blue, becoming deeper and more intense; his own ribbon was likely changing in the same way. Once the ribbon turned completely black, this simple magical artifact would no longer be usable.
However, the current battle situation did not last long—
Not only were the Firebirds hunting, but the poisonous creatures were also consuming each other. In just a few moments, smaller ones were devoured by larger ones, and those that consumed their kind grew larger in size. Before long, they transformed into monstrous beasts over a person's height—each one bizarre and terrifying, including a green snake with more than ten pairs of toad legs and a giant spider with scorpion-like totems appearing on its back… The once-crowded ground of poisonous insects began to thin out.
However, since the Firebirds had consumed too many poisonous creatures, there were not many transformed beasts left; they could hardly form a significant threat.
Everyone summoned their magical artifacts and easily slaughtered them one by one without much effort.
Through the water mirror, this situation was clearly visible.
Everyone had cracked the formation so easily, clearly having come prepared and having grasped some of the intricacies of the Spirit Serpent Palace's array.
"Hmph!" Bai Fei also sensed something was amiss and let out a cold laugh.
The flowing sleeves of his robe trembled as he rang the bell again.
—Change formation!
The scene within the array suddenly transformed. The Firebird let out a piercing wail, its fiery wings suddenly becoming even more brilliant, engulfing its body and turning into streams of flowing fire that fell to the ground. From beneath the earth, from the ashes of the Firebird, and from the remnants of insect shells scattered across the ground, countless green sprouts with two leaves emerged. In the blink of an eye, they unfurled their buds, and in another blink, they bloomed furiously, deep purple petals covered in speckles.
As thousands of Purple Flowers blossomed, the spiritual energy in the surrounding air began to rapidly dissipate. The flowers bloomed in such a strange and swift manner, seemingly intent on extracting vast amounts of spiritual energy.
A rich floral fragrance wafted through the air.
Fine pollen, invisible to the naked eye, was scattered about, forming a cloud of pink mist.
Xu Xiaofei felt a wave of dizziness wash over him as phantoms appeared before his eyes. This dreamlike pink mist seemed capable of luring one into an illusion.
But at that moment, an oil-paper umbrella with a white jade frame and an indigo canopy adorned with a golden-red swimming fish flew out from a female cultivator in Flying Flower Valley. It rose above everyone's heads, slowly spinning as countless transparent ribbons fell from its edges like rain or pearl curtains, sweeping away the pink mist.
Xu Xiaofei felt his mind clear.
Standing beneath the umbrella, he looked outward and could still faintly hear the sound of raindrops falling from it.
Inside the Spirit Serpent Palace, however, the atmosphere was far from relaxed.
Seeing that the first two transformations of the great array had been successively broken, Bai Fei's expression grew increasingly cold.
Bell Sound rang again.
——Transform again!
As the bell sound echoed, all Purple Flower withered in an instant, six petals falling off, and the flower center produced Crimson Fruits, each the size of a baby's fist, vibrant and dripping, enticingly tempting.
The flock of Cold Crows circling in the air suddenly flapped their wings collectively and flew higher.
“Boom”
All Crimson Fruit exploded in that moment.
The dust stirred up filled the entire formation, and the water mirror became hazy.
Both Spirit Sword Destiny and Bai Fei focused their gazes on the swirling dust over the Water Surface.
After a moment, the situation in the water mirror gradually became clear—
Everything alive had vanished, even the corpses, including the massive body of the monster covered in Purple Flower, which had turned to ash. Only a large rock, wrapped in yellow mud and seemingly unremarkable, stood in the formation.
Under their watchful eyes, that large rock cracked open with a line, gradually increasing in fissures until it shattered.
It revealed those hiding in the rock's hollow, all appearing safe and sound.
“They sent people to infiltrate a few times before; it seems they have uncovered many of your sect's methods. I fear this time they not only want people but also have ulterior motives towards your sect,” Spirit Sword Destiny finally said.
Bai Fei nodded slightly.
“Take action.” He ordered succinctly.
The three changes of the formation were merely a tentative exchange between the two sides. Next, it would be a real battle.
With a command, the priests of the Spirit Serpent Palace emerged from behind the formation. Some began to play the Insect Flute to manipulate poisons, while others used their fingers to control Corpse Puppets to charge forward.
The two sides immediately engaged in combat.
Bai Fei threw an object to Spirit Sword Destiny, which turned out to be a triangular flag with golden edges.
Spirit Sword Destiny caught it in one hand, and in the next moment, his figure had vanished.
Although the three changes of the formation had yielded no results, the formation itself remained intact. With this command flag, one could move freely within the formation.
The sword light flickered, illuminating Xu Xiaofei's brows and eyes.
In the previous three exchanges, he felt like just a bystander; now he truly felt the thrill of being in battle. However, his cultivation time was too short. The Xiaoyao Sect probably just sent him out for some experience. Elder Gu stood in front, holding off a man and a woman who were urging the poisons while also providing support to him and two other disciples of the Xiaoyao Sect.
Meanwhile, two highly skilled Tang Clan Elders worked together like sharp blades slicing through the formation, facing opponents who could not withstand even a single strike. However, whenever they launched a lethal attack, their opponents would suddenly flicker and vanish in an instant, as if the formation had transported them elsewhere.
For a time, although these two elders were unstoppable, they had not claimed a single head.
They did not feel discouraged and continued their relentless assault. Even if the formation was powerful, it must have its limits. The ground trembled slightly, and ripples appeared on the invisible formation as if it were beginning to collapse. Each time they saved someone, it consumed a large amount of spiritual energy from the one maintaining the formation; they would have to see how long that person could hold out!
However, in the next moment, a Daoist figure blocked their path.
With a wave of his hand, vast amounts of water-based spiritual energy surged forth.
Spirit Sword Destiny smiled slightly.
"Juejiao Demon?" One of the Tang Clan Elders exclaimed as he recognized him.
Spirit Sword Destiny moved his hands and said, “Spirit Serpent Palace is now an ally of my Evil Sect. You all did not know this before, so we will not hold it against you. Now that you know, why do you not quickly retreat?”
He did not deliberately raise his voice, but his clear and resonant words had already spread throughout the formation.
The two sides engaged in fierce battle stirred slightly, with some beginning to falter.
Even the Evil Sect has gotten involved in this matter?
Is it him?
From the moment Spirit Sword Destiny appeared, Xu Xiaofei felt a sense of foreboding and looked in his direction.
It really is him!
Before arriving, Xu Xiaofei had a vague premonition that he would see this person again… a complex mix of emotions surged within him.
One person from Spirit Sword Destiny blocked the two elders, and the tremors of the formation immediately ceased.
After a short while, several spots in the void crackled with electric light, the ground shook again, and the light curtain of the formation was forced to appear, shattering with a loud bang.
Bai Fei appeared at the front of the formation, his face pale.
These people from the Central Continent had brought a master of formations who had calculated the flaws of this formation during the previous battle and managed to break it.
Spirit Serpent Palace was best at poison and Puppet techniques and was not particularly skilled in formations. The earlier effectiveness was merely due to prior arrangements and taking advantage of the terrain.
“Hahaha,” laughed the Tang Clan Elder, “This formation is broken! Everyone, attack with all your might!”
Upon hearing Spirit Sword Destiny mention “Evil Sect,” the hearts of those from the Righteous Path, who were already stirred, suddenly became invigorated.
However, the Spirit Serpent Palace was retreating.
Without the protection of the formation, Bai Fei gave the order, and those from the Spirit Serpent Palace who were weaker or more heavily injured began to withdraw.
The pair of men and women who had been entangled with the Xiaoyao Sect were already seriously injured. Upon hearing the command to retreat, they exchanged glances and decided not to linger any longer, quickly backing away.
Elder Gu did not pursue them and immediately flew towards Bai Fei, with Xu Xiaofei following closely behind.
On their way, they were hindered by Spirit Sword Destiny.
He moved with incredible speed, sometimes splitting into three phantoms that engaged in combat, and at other times merging into one, entangling multiple forces from the Righteous Path simultaneously.
Xu Xiaofei deflected an Ice Spike that shot towards him—Spirit Sword Destiny was using much more advanced techniques against the elders, while he only sent a few Ice Spikes towards Xu Xiaofei. It was unclear whether this was intentional leniency or if he simply underestimated him and conserved his energy.
"Long time no see," he said to the person in front of him.
He only moved his lips word by word without making any sound.
But he knew that Spirit Sword Destiny read those words from his lips.
Because the other party smiled at him again.
That smile could even be described as warm as jade.
Then, the Water Clone in front of him suddenly shattered, transforming into a much more dangerous water snake technique that lunged at him.
Xu Xiaofei hurriedly changed his move, and Elder Gu beside him also lent a hand, barely managing to fend off this attack.
Meanwhile, Bai Fei had also engaged with the remaining two elder-level figures from the Righteous Path.
He summoned the Nine-Headed Serpent, facing two opponents without losing ground.
A member of the Spirit Serpent Palace seemed unable to withstand the pressure, retreating while injured until he reached Bai Fei's side. Bai Fei commanded the Nine-Headed Serpent to provide support.
In the next moment, chaos erupted in the arena.
The Puppet controlled by the Spirit Serpent Palace Priest suddenly swung its knife backward, aiming for Bai Fei's heart.
The blade flashed, cold and green.
It was a sudden and vicious attack!
As the knife struck out, even the distant Spirit Sword Destiny noticed it. In that instant he turned to look, the blade was merely an inch away from Bai Fei's chest. Spirit Sword Destiny calculated quickly but did not act in time. It was too late to save him.
Bai Fei naturally saw the incoming blade as well. His agility was not exceptional, and there was no way to evade this strike. Yet he showed no sign of panic.
Suddenly, another figure appeared behind him.
Standing in his shadow, this figure was much taller. The person raised a hand, their movements seemingly slow and graceful, yet astonishingly fast—faster than the blade itself—
A pure white radiance emanated from the person's palm, as if holding up a bright moon.
The murderous knife and the Puppet wielding it dissolved in that light.
Such a pure and beautiful glow caused everyone engaged in battle to look on in shock.
The person had their eyes tightly closed, with snow-white hair flowing like a river. Their wide robe billowed up. They did not resemble an ordinary person but rather a Celestial Being formed from moonlight.
A powerful aura radiated from them.
The traitor completely failed to notice the Puppet that had been destroyed by Guanghua. Staring at the person who had suddenly appeared, he stumbled back, his face filled with pain, indignation, and nostalgia. Suddenly, he shouted, “High Priest! Bai Fei has ulterior motives and has harmed you in secret. Why have you passed your position to him? Can you see... this unworthy madman has turned you into a Puppet!”
This Celestial Being was actually of the same kind as those Puppets around him, who had lost their intelligence and were being manipulated.
The man with white hair slowly opened his eyes, revealing rare azure irises that shone with clarity.
He spoke slowly, “Bai Fei did not conspire against me; his sincerity has remained unchanged. Years ago, I foresaw that he would face this calamity. Yet, I foolishly acted as a teacher and, out of selfishness, chose to abandon my life when he was still young. I voluntarily requested to be made into a Puppet to deal with today’s disaster.”
Bai Fei lowered his gaze. He had not refuted the traitor's accusations earlier and now quietly listened.
“Since Bai Fei did not harm you, then how…” The traitor from Spirit Serpent Palace showed an expression of disbelief. “How could you die? You were at your peak back then, unharmed and without illness.”
The white-haired man remained silent.
He slowly closed his eyes again.
Bai Fei softly said, “Thank you for your assistance, Master.”
He extended his hand and a sharp arrow of energy shot out, piercing the traitor's throat.
In the previous battle, he had shown care for the people of Spirit Serpent Palace, but he no longer showed mercy to those who dared to rebel against him.
Everyone stopped fighting. The elders of the Righteous Path wore grim expressions.
To have killed a Juejiao Demon was already beyond their expectations; now it seemed that Spirit Serpent Palace still had a backup plan. The appearance of this former High Priest—even though he had become a Puppet—had completely tilted the balance of power in favor of Spirit Serpent Palace.
The situation on the battlefield became clear.
They no longer had any chance of victory.
Bai Fei finally revealed his cards. Spirit Sword Destiny was not surprised at all.
He had known for a long time that Bai Fei had some backing—otherwise, with the Spirit Serpent Palace's strained combat power, even if Bai Fei feared the Evil Sect, he would have to lower his head and allow his subordinates into the palace.
Bai Fei glanced around at everyone and coldly said, "Is it finally time to speak calmly? Why have you all come?"
The elders exchanged glances, and after a moment, one stepped forward and said, "We did not come here for no reason. Your sect recently detained several of our people, and we would like to know..."
Bai Fei waved his hand, and several guards brought forward the missing ten or so individuals.
They appeared to be safe and sound.
Bai Fei said, "I detained these people because they were sneaking around on my Spirit Serpent Palace's territory, gathering information! I had no intention of being enemies with your Central Continent sects. If you want me to release them, you must swear an oath that from now on, you will not step foot into my Miaojiang territory. Your sect must also refrain from invading this place; otherwise, it will be considered a breach of oath."
He took out a jar of glass and placed it in his palm. In the pale golden liquid floated hundreds of plump white worms. He said, "This is the Promise Bug. I promise that if all of you swear an oath, I will release all the captives and will no longer trouble you. If there is any breach, the poison will pierce your heart."
He picked one of the Promise Bugs and placed it in his mouth.
Spirit Sword Destiny had retreated to his side and smiled at everyone, saying, "There are no tricks in the bugs. If you are still worried, feel free to inspect them. Naturally, if you do not agree to his terms, my Evil Sect has been lying in wait for quite some time."
"This is a serious matter; please allow us to discuss it." The elder responsible for negotiations said.
The elders gathered together and whispered among themselves. Before long, they reached a conclusion.
In reality, they had no choice but to agree. Whether or not what Juejiao Demon said about an ambush was true, just looking at the strength of both sides made it difficult for them to leave unscathed today.
Although the Tang family had ulterior motives, how could these elders disregard their own lives?
The Righteous Path sent two people forward who used three different methods in succession to cast several beams of light to inspect the white worms in the glass jar. In the end, both nodded; there was no problem with the bug.
The group then made a vow, each one consuming the Promise Bug.
The oath they took was quite harsh; not only could they not step into the area, but if their sect were to infringe upon it in the future, the poison would activate. Although the disciples held little power, the elders had significant status within their respective sects and would naturally do their utmost to prevent any further actions from their sects.
Xu Xiaofei also received a Promise Bug.
He hesitated for a moment; given his purpose for this journey, he really shouldn't swallow this bug. He pretended to prepare to consume it while secretly hiding the Promise Bug in his sleeve. The seemingly weak High Priest of the Spirit Serpent Palace looked at him coldly.
"As long as one person does not swallow it, I cannot fulfill the promise."
Seeing everyone looking at him, Xu Xiaofei had no choice but to grit his teeth and swallow the Promise Bug.
He sighed inwardly.
He was calculating... If he were to break this vow, how much hope would he have of surviving when it activated?
The cauldron at his Dantian should be able to suppress the poison.
He was willing to take this risk.
Comment 0 Comment Count