Stop it, Taoist, Your Fight almost Ruins the DAO!

Eerie chewing and bone-cracking sounds echoed over the hot springs, initially, the stalk of the purple flesh-like flower was incessantly expanding, but eventually it contracted again. After cycling through this three times, all fell silent, and the chewing noises abruptly stopped.

Bright red blood, as if free of charge, flowed down the petals of the purple flesh-like flower, falling into the emerald spring waters, dispersing, and finally disappearing without a trace.

Hours later, suddenly, the purple flesh-like flower spat out, and a sticky silhouette appeared in the hot spring, shockingly, it was the shape of the young Daoist from before.

This person was covered in cracks, with purple veins densely interwoven like a spider's web, as if someone had forcefully glued them together using the purple flesh as an adhesive.

"Spiritual Words, all beings cling to life and death, sinking into the sea of suffering, trapped for a lifetime, all beings must strive for the true way, and follow the supreme path of Bo Xun!"

"Spiritual Words, when heaven shall darken, all beings must transcend the doomsday tribulation, but how? Thousands like me are the universe itself, follow the supreme path of Bo Xun!"

"Spiritual Words, the minds of beings are chaotic, not recognizing the signs from heaven, forever losing the true way. I shall bind the mandate of heaven and take its body, I am the Heavenly Dao, follow the supreme path of Bo Xun!"

A chant-like whisper that sounded almost demonic arose from the 'Daoist', the eerie recitation echoing within the cave.

With the sound of gurgling water, the 'Daoist' with completely white eyes, crawled onto the ground, and approached a stone wall. Suddenly, a flurry of stone dust fell, and a stone door opened, revealing eight strange silhouettes standing within.@@novelbin@@

They varied in height and weight, male and female, Daoists, monks, and others too numerous to count. The only thing they had in common was the complete white of their eyes, bodies patched together with purple flesh, their lips moving, all reciting the same eerie scriptures.

As the 'Daoist' entered through the stone door, it slammed shut behind him, and the murmuring abruptly ceased,

"Soon, the revered one will be rescued from his plight." The face within the purple flesh-like flower murmured quietly before sinking into silence once again.

Everything returned to normal, and the tall, lush green lotus in the center of the hot spring swayed as usual in the water.

...

...

In a nameless valley shrouded in a thin mist,

At this moment, countless black-purple grasshopper-shaped insects, each over three meters tall, rushed like waves towards a figure in plain white. Yet no matter how ferocious the onslaught, the figure in white at the center remained indifferent, her gaze empty, as if her mind had drifted off elsewhere.

Boundless, razor-sharp Sword Qi swirled madly around her body. Without any need for additional movement, those wildly fierce insects were dissected and annihilated by the Sword Qi like moths to a flame.

Dirty, dark green fluid splashed around, and numerous insects let out mournful cries. Death, for these creatures, perhaps was a relief, but the true horror lay with those bisected by the Sword Qi, writhing on the ground, emitting miserable and extreme shrieks.

"You all are really noisy!"

The figure in white frowned slightly, perhaps annoyed that the crying insects had interrupted her thoughts. She slowly drew a narrow, long sword from the white jade scabbard.

The sword was completely transparent, like crystal, and the moment it was unsheathed, an intense chill emanated, instantly covering the surrounding hundred meters with a thick layer of frost.

"Freeze the world of mortals."

"All things shall turn to dust."

Cold words spilled from the lips of the beautiful woman in white, and suddenly, a fierce burst of cold air exploded outwards from the sword in her hand as the epicenter.

One after another, the frozen figures of the insects solidified, rapidly turning into thick blocks of ice. In that moment, the gorgeous woman raised her sword and struck towards an empty spot in the valley.

The space rippled like water, and suddenly, a bloody figure slowly emerged, shrouded in ghostly energy.

This was a figure shrouded in a red cloak, stretching out a hand encased in a ferocious gauntlet, from the fists of which a savage, skull-shaped mass of energy formed, dispersing the terrifying intent of the sword.

"Fairy of the Ice from the Carefree Palace is truly unparalleled in her cultivation. Hong Yue admires you." The figure in the red cloak glanced down at a pristine mark on her gauntlet, her tone full of wariness.

"So it's the second palace master of the Ghostly Heavenly Palace, Fairy Hong Yue. Your art of concealment is truly admirable. Let's not waste words. If you are lying in ambush here, what exactly do you intend?" The woman in white spoke coldly.

"Naturally, I wish to join Fairy of the Ice and explore this Heart-Questioning Cave. At our level of cultivation, other than the Heavenly Blue Lotus that can aid us in breaking through the threshold and revive the dead or reduce flesh to bones, what else could I possibly yearn for so persistently?"

"Lies upon lies, it's nothing but ambushing fellow cultivators in the dark. There's no need to test me, second palace master. If you wish to challenge me, then make your move. Otherwise, I will be taking my leave and shall not accompany you." The woman in white didn't mince words as she pierced through the lies, drew her sword, and moved forward, quickly disappearing into the dark entrance of a cave within the valley. The figure in the red cloak's expression flickered several times but ultimately refrained from attacking.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, following an internal struggle, the red-cloaked figure, unable to restrain her greed, stamped her foot in frustration and also vanished within the cave.

...

...

On a clearing in the woods.

An elder in a white robe sat in meditation, holding his breath and focusing his mind. Before long, another figure dressed in dark clothing, with hair coiled in a Daoist bun, gracefully landed in front of the white-robed elder.

"Big brother, we've been waiting here for a day and no one has come. Why don't we proceed into the Heart-Questioning Cave ourselves?"

"This cave does not only have this entrance; if someone gets there ahead of us, we will have tried to steal the chicken only to end up losing the rice," the elder in the black robe couldn't help but say.

"Look at you, always in a hurry."

"Second brother, you did not fail to see the imposing aura of that sinister blood beast guarding the entrance to the cave. If we try to force our way in, even if we could manage to kill the beast, we are likely to be seriously injured. In these Extinction Ruins, if something unexpected happens, wouldn't that be akin to courting death?" the elder in the white robe said calmly,

"Although the Bodhi golden fruit within the hall is important, able to strengthen the soul and even possibly allowing one to enter a state of enlightenment, we, the Two Immortals of Peach Valley, have managed to live to this ripe old age not just by outshining those impressive geniuses who have fallen but by being cautious."

"We are not afraid of shedding blood, but it is best when it's someone else's blood that is shed, so we have the upper hand."

"If someone indeed gets to the fruit before us, then it is simply not fated to be ours, gain it and I'm lucky, lose it and it is destiny."

"Second brother, don't be impatient. Avoid arrogance and rashness. As long as we find a fellow cultivator and scatter beast spirit powder on them in secret, the blood beast will surely go mad. That will be our opportunity," said the first elder.

"Alright, I'll leave everything to you, big brother." Thinking of how his elder brother had been like an oracle over the years, always securing the largest profit with the smallest sacrifice, the elder in the black robe immediately settled down and sat cross-legged.

Half an hour later.

The two men's eyebrows twitched slightly, and a trace of joy appeared on their faces as they suddenly heard a faint song in the distance.

"Even when hope is lost, I drink in a daze~"

"A soulless body resembles a scarecrow~"

...

"Three parts fate, seven parts struggle; only by striving can we win~"

"Pipi Bao, speed up!"

Yi Chen sat astride the crimson leopard, singing loudly, his mood very much uplifted.

Just when he wanted to break into 'The Tears of a Dancing Girl,' two figures suddenly rushed from afar and blocked his way.

"Fellow Daoist, please halt."

"I have a great opportunity to share with you," the two elders, one clothed in white and the other in black, appeared in front of him with a smiling face and laughed.

Yi Chen furrowed his brow and immediately stopped.

"Why do you two fellow Daoists block my way? Speak plainly, please."

"Fellow Daoist is indeed straightforward. To tell you the truth, we are the Two Immortals of Peach Valley. We are known to lend a helping hand in times of peril, and we have a bit of a reputation in Great Qin."

"My name is Tao Shanzi, and the person next to me is my second brother, Gu Lingzi."

"Ahead in that cave, there is a secret passage with a marvelous Bodhi tree inside, which bears three golden fruits. Alas, a strange blood beast is nesting there."

"Thus, the two of us brothers would like to ask for your help in killing this beast, and when we do, we shall split the three golden fruits equally," said Tao Shanzi, the elder in the white robe, with a smile in his tone, apparently quite confident in their reputation as the Two Immortals of Peach Valley.

"To think it is the Two Immortals of Peach Valley, I, Han Feiyu from Yellow Maple Valley, have no reason to distrust fellow Daoists. Please lead the way quickly," said Yi Chen, his eyes darting around before he became solemnly respectful.

He's not a local lad and has never heard of the so-called Two Immortals of Peach Valley, but that didn't prevent him from immediately agreeing, for the simple reason that the two elders before him felt to him like an early-stage and a mid-stage Daoist, respectively. The Bodhi golden fruit was a divine artifact not found easily, able to enlighten and enhance the soul. How could he not be covetous of it?

Moreover, he would have to return to Central Continent sooner or later and needed to bring some gifts back for his junior brothers.

Tao Shanzi and Gu Lingzi exchanged a look, surprise evident in their eyes. They had been prepared for the worst, ready to intimidate or threaten if their charade failed to convince, but Yi Chen was unexpectedly cooperative and decisive in his agreement, causing Tao Shanzi, who was naturally cautious, to take another look at the man before them.

"Could this person be hiding his cultivation level? Or is he feigning agreement and looking for a chance to escape?" After exchanging a glance with Gu Lingzi, the three of them proceeded together toward the cave, intentionally positioning Yi Chen in the middle.

Each hiding their own schemes, they quickly arrived in the underground world.

....

....

"Fellow Daoist, help me!" Yi Chen's expression suddenly changed, and in less than half an hour of traveling inside the cavern, a purple mantis-like insect abruptly lunged out from an access tunnel, fiercely attacking him. Its knife-like forelimbs shimmered with a cold light, exhibiting a power that was not inferior to that of Hei Mietian. Enjoy new tales from My Virtual Library Empire

Yi Chen could not transform while relying on these two elders to lead the way; he had no choice but to 'reluctantly' seek their help.

Boom!

The mantis' forelimb soon collided with the long sword in Yi Chen's hands, the tremendous force of the blow pushing him back against the cave wall.

Seeing this, Tao Shanzi and Gu Lingzi exchanged a glance, then relaxed, as they had intentionally shown a flaw in their own scheme. They cried out, "Do not panic fellow Daoist, we are coming!"