The night, like a rag soaked in ink, twisted over the head of the Qingyun Sect, and with a splash came a downpour. The raindrops hit the tiles, leaves and steps with a crackling sound, as if countless tiny fingers were knocking on the door - disturbing.
I pressed against the shadow of the eaves, held my breath, and let the raindrops trickle down my temples into my collar. The cold touch made me awake and more certain that if I did not leave, I would have to give my life to the peak of precepts tonight.
"Invisibility Talisman, 30 percent of spiritual power left." I rubbed the edge of the paper with the pads of my fingers and thought to myself, "I can't last more than half an incense stick. I need to speed up."
Under my feet, the patrolling disciples moved back and forth, and the word "Zhengmeng" on the raincoat was blurred by the water, like two clumps of scarlet blood. I crouched down and stepped in the crevices of the bluestone with the soles of my shoes. The splashed mud water was blown away in advance by the primordial qi, without making a sound. At this moment, I was like a slimy loach, darting in and out between my fingers.
"Target, south of the mountain gate, Little Cold Forest." I recalled the simple map Ling Qingxue had given me, and my tongue gently pressed against my upper palate, suppressing all distractions, "out of the forest is the gap of the mountain guard array, and old Feng Qingyang is waiting for me there."
The rain curtain was thick and the visibility was very low. I simply closed my eyes and relied on my spirit to perceive. One step, two steps... When there were still ten feet from the edge of the array, several cold flashes suddenly appeared ahead --
"Stop!" Someone shouted, their voice piercing through the rain curtain, "Formation! That guy may hide!"
My heart tightened, my toes snapped, and mud splashed. The cold light quickly formed a semicircle like an upside-down sea bowl, blocking the entire mountain path. The talisman paper was burning at my sleeve, and my spiritual power was flowing away like water - there was little time left for me to become invisible.
"Chu Xuan, I know you can hear me!" It was Wang Zheng who shouted, his shrill voice mixed with the sound of rain, like a blunt knife scraping iron, "The Lord of the Thunder Alliance has ordered to resist stubbornly and kill on the spot! "Those who know the truth, show themselves!"
I rolled my eyes secretly. Revealing? Does revealing your face cost you your head? Raindrops trickled down my eyelashes, and I squinted to look at the light curtain - spiritual energy fluctuations were steady, at least three foundation building latecomers in place. I charged head-on and broke the invisibility spell, and I was bound to be wrapped in dumplings.
"You have to play in the shade." I took a deep breath, wiped my finger on the storage ring, and took out the two remaining low-level fireball talismans. A fireball is not enough to tickle a foundation building monk, but tonight - rain, wind, thunder, the fire takes advantage of the water, the water takes advantage of the wind, it may not be impossible to muddle this pot of soup.
With a flick of my finger, two fireball talismans turned into red lines and slipped silently into the rain curtain.
"Boom!"
Fireballs burst outside the light curtain, red waves rolled, raindrops rose instantly, and large white mists, accompanied by scorching air waves, rushed towards the patrol team. The view was blurry.
"Enemy attack!" Cries of alarm rose and fell. The light screen flickered briefly. I seized the moment, and my body shot out like an arrow from a bowstring --
Whoosh --
The toes were almost wet, slipping through the gap between the two disciples. The raincoats were lifted by the strong wind, and they turned their heads sharply, only to see white mist and raindrops.
"Over there!" One man swung his sword haphazardly, and the sword energy broke through the rain curtain, but not even touched the corner of my robe. I held my breath, my heart pounding wildly, only the sound of my own blood flowing in my ears.
Ten zhang, five zhang, three zhang... The edge of the light curtain is close at hand. I bit the tip of my tongue, spat a mouthful of blood on the invisibility talisman, the talisman paper shone brightly, and forced out the last bit of spiritual power --
"Charge!"
The greyish-white figure flashed away like a ghost in a rainy night, crashing into the dark forest. Behind, the curtain of light closed, and roars, swordbeats, and splashing of mud and water were quickly swallowed up by the storm.
I did not stop but quickened. The branches hit my face and hurt; Thorns cut through the cuffs, blood trickled out and was washed away by the rain. But the corners of my mouth were lifted --
It's out.
"Kid, this way!" A familiar voice pierced through the rain curtain. Under the old locust tree ahead, Feng Qingyang leaned against a wine gourd, his long gray hair soaked through, but he laughed heartily. At his feet, a faint light door spun quietly, like an eye opened in the night.
I lunged forward, gasping for breath: "Old man, one step later, I'll have to give an account."
"I'm holding it off." Feng Qingyang patted me on the shoulder, palm spirit power rushed in to sort out my disordered breath, "Go, enter the array, leave and talk."
I nodded and stepped into the light gate in one step. The view was distorted, the wind whistled in my ears, and the sound of the rainstorm vanished in an instant. The teleportation array was like a slippery tunnel, throwing me in an unknown direction. But my chest was getting heavier and heavier -- my spiritual energy was being consumed too much, old wounds and new wounds began to counterattack.
"Hold on, don't faint." I bit the tip of my tongue, the smell of blood spreading, forcing myself to wake up. Ling Qingxue drew the escape route very finely - thirty li outside Xiaohan Forest, there was an abandoned hunting house where there were elixirs, clean clothes, and a second teleportation array to the demon realm. I must arrive before the Invisibility spell is completely ruined.
As soon as the thought occurred to me, the light of the teleportation array dimmed, and I suddenly lost my footing --
Bang!
I fell heavily into the mud, splashing a large splash of water. The rain had lessened a lot, but all around was no longer a mountain forest, but a desolate rocky beach, with strange rocks, no stars in the night sky, and in the distance a flash of lightning illuminated a broken stone tablet --
The four characters "The Barrier of Good and Evil" are baring their teeth and claws, blood-red and mottled.
My heart gave a jolt - the teleportation array was in a state of disrepair, off course!
"All right, just to the door of the house." I got up with a wry smile and wiped the mud off my face. Behind the stone tablet, space was distorted like a shattered mirror, and when lightning fell, the mirror reflected countless dark cracks, faintly emitting the wailing of ghosts and the howling of wolves.
It was a buffer zone between good and evil, where the spatial turbulence raged all year round, and primordial cultivators dared not venture in. With my current level of cultivation, I would be in danger of falling in.
"I can't stay." I forced myself to take a detour when suddenly a gust of wind came from behind me --
"Little thief, where to run!"
In the rain curtain, three figures came with swords, all dressed in moonlit Taoist robes, and the word "Zhengmeng" on their chests was scarlet by the lightning. The leader was the early stage of the Golden Pill!
My heart sank - the Invisibility charm was completely ruined.
"I'm chasing so hard." I grinned, the palm of my hand churning with a jumble of air, and quickly calculated in my mind: A tough fight? In the early stage of the golden Pill, I couldn't chew it with all my might; Run? The space beneath your feet is turbulent, and one wrong step can be a disaster.
"Surrender!" The Golden Core cultivator drank coldly, his sword light like a ribbon, straight to my back heart.
At the critical moment, I suddenly felt a heat in my chest -- the mark of the Dao deed shone with an ice-blue light, and Ling Qingxue's voice echoed through the rainy night in my mind --
"With your cultivation, go quickly!"
In the next moment, a surge of icy cold spiritual energy was poured into the meridians, roaring like an avalanche but strangely docile, rushing along the path of chaotic qi. I pointed my toes and my body rose up, more than twice as fast as usual --
The sword's light struck my afterimage, cutting deep gullies into the stony beach.
"What? !" The Golden Pill cultivator's pupils constricted, clearly not expecting me to dodge.
No time for surprise, I took advantage of the situation to rush towards the edge of the barrier, flipped my palm and took out the second card that Ling Qingxue had given me - the Random Teleportation Talisman. The paper of the talisman burned, and the power of space enveloped me, like a hand pulling me into a vortex.
"Don't escape!" The other two, in the late stage of foundation building, strike at the same time, their sword qi interwove into a net, and they come over their hoods.
I strike back with a sword - Cold Star Slash! The ice-blue sword qi, mixed with the chaotic qi, collided with the sword net and exploded with a roar, splashing water and sparks. With the force of the counter-shock, I was shot backward into the crack of the barrier and vanished.
At the last moment, I heard the Golden Core cultivator's furious roar and my own heart beating like a drum. The spatial turbulence was like countless blades cutting through the skin, but I held onto that wisp of icy sword intent -
Clear snow, wait for me.
Darkness came, rain mixed with blood, sweet and fishy. Consciousness is pulled, like a kite with a broken string, drifting towards the unknown distance...
Darkness is like a bottomless well.
I was falling, surrounded by swirling fragments of light, like broken mirrors, each reflecting a different face - Wang Zheng's sneer, Lei Xiaotian's coldness, Ling Qingxue's slightly wrinkled eyebrows. As the wind blade cut, the blood drops, as soon as they splattered, were swept away by the turbulence and turned into red threads, vanishing in an instant.
"If I keep falling like this, I'm really going to lose all my bones..."
I bit the tip of my tongue, and the intense pain lifted my consciousness a little. The cold spirit power that Ling Qingxue borrowed from me was still running around in the meridians like a flock of frightened cranes. If not guided, it was not the pursuers but me who would burst first.
"Chaos Qi, collect it for me!
The greyish-white air flow gushed out from the dantian and transformed into a fine net, gradually enveloping, crushing and fusing the cold spiritual energy. A sharp pain came from every part of my body, as if someone were sharpening my bones with a file, but I could only grit my teeth - I couldn't faint, and if I did, it would be a free fall forever.
Buzz --
Suddenly burning in the palm was the "Map of the Demon World" jade slip in the storage ring. Ling Qingxue said: The map is marked with a wisp of her sword intent, which can guide the way in times of crisis. At this moment, the jade slips are burning hot, like fireflies in the dark night, flashing desperately.
Without hesitation, I injected the last wisp of chaos into the jade slip.
In the next moment, a dark blue sword light burst from the palm, splitting the darkness, as if someone whispered in my ear, "Come with me!"
My body sank sharply, and the current was forcibly torn open by the sword light, and I was pulled into it. The weightlessness vanished abruptly, replaced by a deluge of sweet and sour dampness --
Bang!
I crashed heavily into the mire, splashing water and stinking. The sky above was dark purple, and three blood moons hung high, like nails chopped off by someone. In the distance, the black ancient forest winds and undulates, with green ghostly flames floating among its branches.
"The Demon Realm..." I coughed up a mouthful of blood and smiled wryly. "It's really here."
Qi and blood were surging in my chest, and the just-fused cold spiritual energy was still fighting with the chaotic energy, and the meridians were experiencing tearing pains. I struggled to get up, but my legs went weak and I knelt down again. The mire immediately squirmed like a living creature, trying to drag me down.
"Get out!"
I groaned, and the greyish-white air in my palm shook, and the mire was shaken in all directions, making a hissing sound like a baby's cry. Taking advantage of the intervals, I pulled out a handful of the Elixir of Revival and stuffed it into my mouth haphazardly. The power of the elixir dissipated and managed to suppress the surging blood.
"First find a safe place to breathe..."
I looked around and my gaze fell on a stone wall at the edge of the ancient forest - there was a crack there, hidden by vines, and it was extremely hard to spot without a closer look. I, leaning on my sword, staggered closer, just as I pushed aside the vine, suddenly a piercing sound came from behind!
Whoosh!
A bone arrow was nailed to my foot, and the tail of the arrow trembled non-stop. I turned sharply and saw a few tall and thin figures emerging from the thick forest -
Demon cultivator!
They all wore black robes, with dark red flames embroidered on their collars, bony bows on their backs, and amber pupils that glowed cold under the blood moon. The first young man, with a small black horn on his forehead and a Wolf tail on his shoulders, has a breath - the late stage of foundation building!
"Human?" The young man's nostrils twitched slightly, showing a look of surprise. "The little mouse that fell from the space crack?"
I groaned inwardly, but pulled a smile on my face: "Everyone, passing by, no offense."
"Passing by?" The young man raised his eyebrows and his gaze fell on the hem of my robe - where the logo of Zhengmeng's disciple's robe was still torn off. His eyes instantly turned cold, "Zhengmeng dog?"
The men behind him immediately drew their bows and drew their bone arrows, looking fierce.
A twitching of the corner of my mouth, I cursed the Zhengmeng suit for being a fool, but my hand did not dare to slow down, chaos crept over my palm: "All of you, I have been hunted down by the Zhengmeng. We are Allies."
"Fellow?" The young man smiled faintly, "We in the demon world only recognize strength, not recognition. "You --" he pointed at the mire beneath my feet, "if you can catch me three times and not die, I'll give you a chance to speak."
"Three moves?" I spat out a mouthful of blood foam and laughed more wildly than he did. "All right, but the rules have to be changed - I'll take you three moves and you take me one sword!"
The young man was stunned for a moment, then laughed: "You have the guts!"
He stepped out, and in the later stage of foundation building, the spiritual pressure burst out like a mountain flood, and the demonic flames rose up behind him, turning into a three-zhang black fire wave, overwhelming him. I pointed my toes, and my body did not retreat but advanced, and the chaotic energy in my palm spun wildly --
"First move!" The young man raised his hand, and the fire wave condensed into a huge black palm and crashed down.
I did not take it hard. My toes touched the surface of the mud, and I used the force to slide sideways. The giant palm brushed past me, hit the marsh, and blew up ten feet of black mud. With the cover of the mud curtain, I was like a ghostly figure, instantly close to the young man --
"Cold Star · Flash!" "
The icy blue sword qi, mixed with chaotic qi, broke through the mud curtain and pierced the young man's throat! The latter's pupils shrank slightly, clearly not expecting that I could burst out at such speed in the midst of my serious injury, and hastily raised his hand to condense the magic flame to block --
Clang!
The sword qi collided with the magic flame, ice and fire intertwined, and a large white mist burst. I, with the force of the counter-shock, swept out in mid-air, coughed out a mouthful of blood, but grinned: "First move, I take it!"
The young man lowered his head and looked at the bloodstains on the back of his hand, his eyes brimming with excitement: "Good sword! The second move - Black Flame Dog!"
He made a sign with his hands, and the flame turned into three huge black dogs, with sharp fangs, roaring and pouncing. I took a deep breath, and the chaotic air condensed in my palm into a greyish-white vortex --
"Chaos, inhale!"
The vortex suddenly swelled up, and three black flame dogs were forcibly pulled in, their tongues of fire and ashes devouring each other, making a shrill screeching sound. My arm was in sharp pain and my meridians were almost torn apart, but I forcibly twisted the three dogs into pieces of fire and threw them aside.
"The second move, take it too!" I knelt on one knee, blood dripping from my chin, but laughed even more wildly, "It's my turn --"
The young man licked his lips, his eyes brimming with fighting spirit: "Come!"
I rose slowly, the primordial energy in my palm merged with the remnants of icy cold spiritual power, transforming into a long greyish-white sword, with ice-blue patterns flashing on the blade - that was the first true fusion of Ling Qingxue's sword intent and my primordial energy.
"This sword is called --" I spoke softly, but my voice echoed with the sound of the sword, "snow falls without a trace."
The sword came out, without a sound.
The greyish-white sword light, like snowflakes, flew lightly towards the young man. Wherever it passed, the black flames died out, the mire froze, and even the light of the blood moon was refracted into ice blue. For the first time, a solemn expression appeared on the young man's face, his hands quickly formed a seal, and the magic flame condensed into a thick black shield --
Hiss!
The sword light swept across the black shield, the shield split silently, and a bloodline emerged from the young man's shoulder and spread rapidly. He lowered his head and watched the blood drip through his fingers, but his eyes shone with an even more intense light: "Good sword! I took it -- but you're not strong either, are you?
I grinned, my body swaying, blood gushing from the corner of my mouth, but I laughed heartily: "Yes, I have no strength left..." But there seems to be someone behind you."
The young man turned his head sharply --
Deep in the forest, a tall figure emerged slowly, black gold armor, crimson cape, carrying a double-bladed axe on his shoulder, aura - the early stage of Golden Core!
"The tail of the Alliance has finally followed." The wararmored man's voice was deep, and his gaze swept over me with scrutiny. "Boy, you deserve a lot of spirit stones."
I gave a wry smile and wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth. "Senior brother, do you want to bargain?"
"Bargaining?" The man in armor grinned, revealing his forested white teeth. "Chop your head!"
Boom!
He took a step forward, and the golden elixir burst forth like a mountain flood, shaking the mire to collapse. I shook my body and almost fell to my knees, blood gushing out. The young man took a step sideways and stood in front of me, his amber pupils burning with dark magic flames: "My man, you dare to move?"
The man in armor sneered: "You devil, you look for death!"
"It's you who's courting death!" The young man growled, and the demonic flames shot up into the sky, colliding with the golden Pill Spirit pressure, tearing the night sky into blinding cracks.
I seized the moment, staggered back, made a sign on my finger, the storage ring flashed with a faint light, and the last random teleportation talisman burned quietly. The power of space enveloped me, and I took a deep look at the young man's back --
"Hey, brother of the Demon world, thanks! Next time we meet, please have a drink!"
The young man turned back, the corners of his mouth raised in a haughty arc: "Remember, I'm called 'Moyan'! Don't die too early!"
The space fissure closed and I disappeared. In the next moment, the Golden Core cultivator roared to the heavens, and the axe light split the earth, but only shattered a remnant.
...
The turbulence swirled again, and the world spun.
I finally realized that I heard my own heartbeat, thumping, like distant war drums. The smell of blood, the smell of mud, and the smell of burnt magic flames mingled together and turned into a mouthful of pungent liquor, burning the throat.
Darkness came, like a gentle quilt, enveloping me completely.
"Clear snow... Old Wind... Mo Yan..."
I murmured a few names, the corners of my mouth curled up, completely losing consciousness.