Chapter 13
Another one!
Xi Zhou looked at the two black-clothed people and felt like everything was over. What if they really died here?
Zhai Wangyou pressed her lips tightly together and opened her spiritual sense again to probe the black-clothed person directly ahead. Just like before, she could not detect anything. The person’s cultivation was also above hers.
For a moment, the atmosphere was silent and heavy.
The black-clothed person on the flying boat narrowed his eyes. He was at late Nascent Soul. In the cultivation world, aside from the sect masters of the other two great sects who could fight him to a draw, it could be said that he had no match.
The black-clothed person who had first chased after them was Medicine Sect’s Sect Master, Faxiang.
Medicine Sect’s talents had withered. Aside from him, the Sect Master, who was at late Nascent Soul, the only Golden Core cultivator was Great Elder Fachi. The rest of the disciples were mostly at Qi Refining, and there were barely even a few at Foundation Establishment.
It was because they could never snatch any single-spiritual-root disciples during the yearly recruitment. Those who went to Medicine Sect were either mediocre three-spiritual-root and four-spiritual-root disciples, or five-spiritual-root disciples who were practically equivalent to useless.
Now that he had learned that Zhai Wangyou had either a secret method or some magical treasure capable of repairing an inner core and rapidly raising cultivation, how could he not be tempted?
If he could obtain it, perhaps Medicine Sect could flourish in his hands.
Faxiang settled his thoughts. Since there was no one who could match him, he would quickly deal with this black-clothed old Daoist who had appeared from nowhere, then take Zhai Wangyou away and interrogate her properly.
He took out a black iron staff from his storage ring. His magical weapon was originally a sword, but in order to conceal his identity, he had temporarily found a convenient iron staff.
He had originally thought that he would not need a weapon to deal with Zhai Wangyou, who was only at Golden Core. He had not expected an unexpected troublemaker to appear halfway. It could be considered preparation against the unexpected.
Holding the iron staff, Faxiang said, “I advise Your Excellency not to meddle in other people’s business, lest you fail to steal the chicken and lose the rice instead.”
Unexpectedly, the black-clothed old Daoist in midair let out a low laugh and did not put him in his eyes at all.
“There is no business this old Daoist cannot meddle in.”
Xi Zhou first saw the black-clothed person on the neighboring flying boat take out an iron staff.
Then she saw the black-clothed old Daoist ahead in midair take out a golden staff.
A golden staff? Did he think he was the Monkey King?
These two really were in sync. Not only had they both come to kill and seize treasures, even the weapons they prepared had overlapped.
Presumably, they were trying to hide their identities. Whether it was the iron staff or the golden staff, neither should be their usual weapon.
Faxiang gave a low shout and attacked first. The moment the two staffs clashed, his expression abruptly changed. He directly abandoned the iron staff and flashed backward.
“Your Excellency’s cultivation is above Nascent Soul. Just who are you?”
How was that possible? Right now, the highest cultivation in the cultivation world belonged to the three great sect masters, all at late Nascent Soul. Yet this person’s cultivation was above Nascent Soul.
Spirit Division stage!
Impossible. Could it be that among those two old foxes from Tianjian Sect and Yudao Sect, one of them had secretly broken through but deliberately suppressed their cultivation?
“This old Daoist is merely an unaffiliated cultivator. As for you, fellow Daoist, I wonder which person from the three great sects you are?”
As soon as the black-clothed old Daoist finished speaking, Faxiang fled without looking back.
Only by keeping one’s life could one continue on. Fighting someone a whole realm above oneself was no different from throwing an egg against a rock.
Faxiang understood this principle deeply. Only when he saw that no one was chasing him did he finally let out a breath of relief.
On this side, the black-clothed old Daoist did not chase either. His target was Zhai Wangyou. The others were not important.
A fine, dense pressure came from Zhai Wangyou’s wrist again, as though urging her to do something.
Xi Zhou: Hurry and run, Eldest Senior Sister! Look how carefree that senior was just now. He ran faster than a rabbit. Let’s run too!
Of course, Zhai Wangyou could not hear her inner thoughts, but her current mood was more or less the same.
The person who had escaped just now had said that the black-clothed person before her, who called himself an old Daoist, had cultivation above Nascent Soul. In other words, he was at least two realms above Golden Core.
She pressed her lips together and said coldly, “Senior, whatever treasure you wish to seize, this junior will offer it to you.”
Unexpectedly, the black-clothed old Daoist laughed loudly. “How could this old Daoist be such a petty villain? What I want is your life.”
“Take her life.”
A familiar phrase, a familiar tone.
It was the person who had ambushed her last time.
Zhai Wangyou looked at the person approaching her. Last time, she had not even lasted one move against this person before fainting. When she woke up, she had discovered that her cultivation had been destroyed and her inner core shattered.
Last time, he had at least left her life intact. This time?
She glanced at the Dream-Entering Grass tightly wrapped around her wrist, put away her sword, and circulated her spiritual energy to drive the flying boat rapidly upward. Then, it suddenly descended at high speed and crashed straight toward the black-clothed old Daoist.
“A mantis trying to stop a chariot. You overestimate yourself.” The black-clothed old Daoist sneered coldly and mobilized spiritual energy to stop the flying boat. Not only was he not hit, he even took control of the flying boat instead.
Just as pride rose in his heart, he suddenly saw a figure flash past.
He had fallen for it!
The black-clothed old Daoist abandoned the flying boat and flew toward that white figure, but he was not particularly anxious.
How could a cat truly let the mouse under its paws escape?
Seeing that Zhai Wangyou had already rushed to the exit of Fan Boundary Mountain, he flew forward and struck with his palm.
Zhai Wangyou could not dodge in time and was hit. Her body swayed, and she almost could not stand.
She bit her lip hard, a trace of despair flashing through her eyes.
Her inner core had shattered again.
A Golden Core genius, before an enemy two realms higher than herself, was so vulnerable that she could not withstand even one blow.
When the Deacon Hall disciples guarding the exit saw that even Zhai Wangyou, a late Golden Core cultivator, could not withstand a single palm strike, they all abandoned the gate and fled. At a time like this, who would still guard the gate?
When immortals fought, small shrimp had to hurry and stay far away, lest they be caught in the disaster.
Beneath the mask, the black-clothed old Daoist’s face carried a mocking smile. “Last time, I underestimated you. Your inner core shattered, yet you could repair it. This time, let’s see how you live after losing even your life.”
Zhai Wangyou continued retreating. She was only two steps away from the exit now. One step. As long as she took this one step, she would reach the mortal world.
The mortal world had no spiritual energy. When cultivators reached the mortal world, their spiritual energy would become insufficient and their cultivation would regress. This black-clothed old Daoist might not necessarily follow her there.
As long as she took this step…
The black-clothed old Daoist stared at her feet like a cat playing with a mouse. The moment she lifted her foot, he gave a sinister laugh and struck with his palm again.
“Ah, dear—heavens—!”
A miserable scream rang out, and the exit was now empty.
The black-clothed old Daoist’s expression stiffened.
Was he seeing things? Who was the figure that suddenly appeared just now? And that scream had not belonged to Zhai Wangyou…
Just as he was about to chase inside, he heard a burst of footsteps behind him.
It was Elder Qingliu, who had heard the report from the gatekeeping disciples and arrived with a group of Deacon Hall people.
The black-clothed old Daoist frowned. After hesitating for a moment, he turned and left.
The mortal world.
Xi Zhou had taken a palm strike to the back and was directly forced back into the Dream-Entering Grass. She was loosely wrapped around Zhai Wangyou’s wrist, as though she no longer even had the strength to hold on tightly.
Zhai Wangyou stood in the forest, her steps unsteady. If the Dream-Entering Grass had not transformed at the critical moment and blocked that palm strike, she would probably have died on the spot.
The forest filled her vision. She did not go down the mountain. Instead, she struggled to walk upward.
When cultivators reached the mortal world, where there was no spiritual energy, their cultivation would drop by at least one realm. Her inner core had just shattered again, and now she had no strength to even bind a chicken. She did not know who was guarding the entrance below Fan Boundary Mountain, so it was safer to stay on the mountain first.
Halfway up the mountain, Zhai Wangyou leaned against a tree and slowly gasped for breath. She could not walk anymore.
Her right hand touched the Dream-Entering Grass on her left wrist. It was still wrapped loosely around her. At this moment, she had the will but not the strength. There was not even the slightest trace of spiritual energy on her body to give the Dream-Entering Grass.
The excessive exhaustion made her dizzy. In a daze, a person appeared before her.
Xi Zhou looked at the person who seemed as though she would faint in the next second and endured the pain as she transformed into human form.
However, just like Zhai Wangyou, she could not stand steadily either.
She moved closer, leaned beside Zhai Wangyou’s ear, and panted softly. “Eldest Senior Sister, let’s enter a dream.”
This could not go on. She should first help Eldest Senior Sister recover her cultivation…
Zhai Wangyou’s gaze narrowed slightly. “You can make sounds now?”
That was right. When they had escaped into the mortal world, she had heard a scream beside her ear. At that time, she had only cared about escaping and had ignored that point.
“Thanks to that old Daoist. One palm strike knocked my voice out.” At the time, she had opened her mouth instinctively. Along with the pain in her body, she had unexpectedly screamed aloud. It really was true that fortune and misfortune depended on each other.
But now was not the time to discuss this issue.
She looked into Zhai Wangyou’s eyes and repeated in a low voice, “Eldest Senior Sister, let’s enter a dream.”
Zhai Wangyou’s legs trembled faintly. Her body leaned backward, and only by placing almost all of her strength against the tree could she barely stand steady.
She lightly parted her red lips. There was no tone in her words, only the trailing sound brought out by her breath. “You’re injured.”
That old Daoist could shatter her inner core with one palm strike. The Dream-Entering Grass, which had no spiritual energy protecting her, was probably even more seriously injured.
Xi Zhou exhaled lightly, her breath carrying a trace of trembling. “It’s fine. My hand… my hand isn’t injured.”
Author’s Note:
Mini Theater~~
Xi Zhou: I only want to help you recover. I don’t mean anything else.
Eldest Senior Sister: Shameless scoundrel…
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