Old Daoist Wu Shen (Part 2)

Old Daoist Wu Shen's expression was like stone, cold and devoid of emotion. But in his heart, he was furious, almost to the point of madness. He wished he could kill all the Yiyuan Sect disciples with a single sword, and then severely interrogate his own disciples to find out if they were hiding anything from him. "Heart Demon Blood Oath" and "Hundred Ghosts Exterminating Spirit Pearl" again. Anyone who cultivated the Dao knew that these items originated from the foundational scriptures of the "Blood God Cult," which was eradicated over five hundred years ago.

If this matter were to spread and the Cultivation World learned that a disciple of his Emei Xin Sect was practicing the scriptures of the notorious and infamous "Blood God Cult," how could his Emei Xin Sect continue to exist in the Cultivation World? He feared that their Ancestral Master would be so angered that he would spit blood and die in the immortal realm. What a disgrace, a complete humiliation. Where did these scoundrels get these things?

Old Daoist Wu Shen felt too ashamed to even look at the disciples of the Yiyuan Sect. He could only glare at his third disciple, Daoist Huo Zhen, with fierce eyes. Daoist Huo Zhen's heart chilled, and he quickly said, "Master, this has nothing to do with me. I merely mentioned to Junior Brother in passing that refining pills with inner cores and Nascent Souls is very effective, but I absolutely did not tell Junior Brother to collect these things... As for how Junior Brother learned those evil arts, I am even more ignorant."

The fourth disciple of Old Daoist Wu Shen, who had been struck by Daoist Huo Zhen's palm earlier, let out a cold laugh. "Third Senior Brother, that's not right. Didn't you find the 'Blood Demon Secret Codex' from Yin Feng Mountain? And didn't you proudly say that as long as one cultivates both righteous and evil paths, one can eventually become invincible? You also said that if we junior brothers bowed to you, you would teach us those things? Heh heh, what benefits did Junior Brother give you that you taught him all your most profound techniques?"

Daoist Huo Zhen was stunned, then he cursed loudly, "Fourth, what do you mean? Didn't you learn the 'Blood Demon Secret Codex' yourself? Where did that layer of blood-red light on your flying sword come from?"

The fourth disciple froze, then shouted, "So what if I learned a move called 'Crimson Blood Sword'? Which of the Senior Disciple Brothers hasn't learned it?" At this point, all seventeen disciples of the Emei Sect's Xin Sect, led by their Sect Master, Old Daoist Wu Shen, had completely fallen out, accusing and attacking each other. Besides exposing how many demonic divine arts they had learned, they even revealed many unspeakable secrets without hesitation.

Liu Xingzi and the others stood still, watching the spectacle with indifferent expressions. It was a time of internal strife within the Emei Sect Xin Sect, and they had no need to get involved. In any case, these ugly affairs could be treated as jokes. As for Old Daoist Wu Shen, his face first turned ashen, then purple-black, then a flush of blood-red, and finally, it turned completely white. His insides felt as if they were burning, and a scorching sensation rushed from his dantian to his throat. With a "wow," he spat out a mouthful of bright red blood.

Ling Guangzi looked at Old Daoist Wu Shen curiously and whispered, "Alas, it's truly strange. Why did he vomit blood for no reason? Could he have gone mad from cultivation? That's impossible. Going mad from cultivation only happens during seated meditation. How could a living person standing on the ground go mad? Could the Emei Sect have a technique for practicing while standing?" Ling Guangzi thought he was talking to himself, but his voice was loud enough for everyone to hear. When Old Daoist Wu Shen heard this, he felt even more stifled. Being proud and arrogant, how could he tolerate such sarcastic words? He spat out three more mouthfuls of blood.

In the cave hidden deep within the mountain, Li Feng took out his flying sword, 'Cold Sparrow,' and desperately dug at the large gems embedded in the cave walls. This place was likely a volcanic crater in the past. As the underground magma cooled, it formed tens of thousands of large gems, which benefited the greedy Li Feng. The largest gems were the size of goose eggs, while the smallest were as big as a little finger. What was even more rare was that they were all incredibly pure, of top-quality material, which was a bargain for Li Feng. His movements were swift, and coupled with the unparalleled sharpness of the 'Cold Sparrow' flying sword, after digging for only half an hour, the tens of thousands of gems were almost all piled on the ground.

Zhao Yue'er, however, had better foresight than Li Feng. The cave was covered with large stalactites, and milky white liquid, emitting a faint chill, dripped from the ends of the stalactites, pooling into a small pond in the center of the cave floor. The small pond was only about three feet in diameter and a foot deep, entirely formed from these extremely rare ten-thousand-year-old stalactites. What made Zhao Yue'er even happier was that there were more than a dozen small, jellyfish-like creatures, entirely silver-white, swimming rapidly in the pond. Her discerning eye recognized them as "Spirit Rock Essence," a substance that could dispel all evil miasma and was an excellent ingredient for refining Spirit Pills.

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Yue'er took out two jade bottles. With her profound energy activated, two silver streams of water rose from the pond, precisely entering the two jade bottles. The dozen "Spirit Rock Essence" were also divided into two batches and sucked into the jade bottles. Zhao Yue'er smiled, sealed the openings of the two jade bottles, and instructed, "Disciple, good disciple, listen. Stop digging those stones... Each drop of the ten-thousand-year-old stalactite here can be equivalent to ten years of Qi Refining for an ordinary person. Even for us cultivators, consuming it can be equivalent to three months of arduous practice. The 'Spirit Rock Essence' within is also a rare treasure... Heh heh, we'll take half back for the fellow disciples to refine medicine, and the other half will be yours. From now on, every night at midnight when you practice Qi Refining, swallow a drop of stalactite. It will help you condense True Essence."

After speaking, she tossed a jade bottle to Li Feng. Li Feng quickly and smilingly agreed, and with a wave of his hand, the jade bottle disappeared into his sleeve. Seeing Li Feng climb back up the stone wall to dig for gems, Zhao Yue'er couldn't help but sigh, "Alas, what kind of cultivation is this...? Hmm, strange. It's so bright in here, yet there's no sunlight entering. There should be some treasures." She wandered around the cave but found nothing, her brow furrowing.

Li Feng had already piled all the gems together and was contemplating how to transport such a large pile of items back. Seeing Zhao Yue'er frowning in thought, he couldn't help but puff out his chest and say, "Master, what's there to think about? Are you looking for treasures here? Watch me." With that, his 'Cold Sparrow' sword turned into a streak of light and flew out, circling the cave and chopping all the massive stalactites, formed over billions of years, into pieces.

Zhao Yue'er was stunned and shouted angrily, "What are you doing? You've ruined this treasure land." If Li Feng hadn't done this, in a few hundred years, there might have been another pond of stalactites here. But now, Li Feng had chopped down all the stalactites, which was like cutting off the roots. This cave was effectively ruined, and it would take countless eons for such large stalactites to form again.

Hearing the slight petulance in Zhao Yue'er's voice, Li Feng quickly ran over to appease her, saying, "Master, I'm just sharing your worries. Look, if you're looking for treasures, naturally..." He then pounced like a hungry wolf, punching out with a fist. A rising spiritual light was struck by his True Essence-filled punch, and with a "clang," it fell to the ground, transforming into a transparent stone radiating thousands of cold lights and chilling air.

Zhao Yue'er also darted over and looked at the stone, no bigger than a child's fist. She exclaimed, "Wow, our luck is truly incredible. This is a 'Profound Stone' condensed from Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy over countless years. Legend has it that wearing this stone protects one from the threat of going mad from cultivation. Fengzi, you are truly lucky. With my mother protecting me, I don't need this thing. Listen to me, from now on, no matter what you do, you must keep it on you at all times, understand?"

After speaking, Zhao Yue'er picked up the 'Profound Stone,' thought for a moment, and a sword light shot out, piercing a small hole in the 'Profound Stone.' She took out a few silk threads from her belt, threaded them through the hole, and hung the 'Profound Stone' around Li Feng's neck. Li Feng felt a faint fragrance wafting before his nose and was about to say something polite when Zhao Yue'er pulled open his collar and placed the 'Profound Stone' against his skin. Li Feng felt Zhao Yue'er's delicate fingers inadvertently brush against his chest, making him tremble all over, almost collapsing to the ground.

Zhao Yue'er, unaware of his inner thoughts, smiled and tidied his clothes. She gently admonished, "Although this 'Profound Stone' isn't of great use, for cultivators of unorthodox paths, it's an ultimate life-saving treasure. You must be careful and never let anyone know you have this treasure, understand?"

Li Feng nodded repeatedly, "Don't worry, Master. I guarantee that besides myself, only you will know I have this treasure... Hmm, but if Little Cat leaks the secret, I can't help it."

Zhao Yue'er glared fiercely at Little Cat and said menacingly, "If it dares to leak the secret, I'll roast it and eat it." Little Cat was so scared that it stretched out its front paws, quickly covered its head, and lay on the ground. It howled indignantly in its heart, "Why? I, Little Cat, am a handsome and dashing tiger spirit. Why is there such a disparity in treatment? It's unfair! This little girl, now that she has a man, she's forgotten our friendship. Doesn't she remember that I carried her all over the mountains when she was little? Back then, when she wanted to harm those wild beasts, wasn't I the one who acted as her muscle? ... Sob sob, out with the old, in with the new... I'll find a tigress to keep me company soon, so I don't have to watch you two being so affectionate all day."

Thinking of a tigress, Little Cat's lips curved upwards, and a string of drool dripped onto the ground.

After a period of commotion, Zhao Yue'er looked at the large pile of gems on the ground and sighed, "What do you want these stones for? Do we cultivators still need money? But since it's your hobby, then so be it... Disciple, why do I feel like you're like the mythical dragons? They also desperately want to seize gems when they see them."

Li Feng puffed out his chest and smiled, "That just proves my disciple is wise and mighty, with the bearing of a dragon... Ouch, don't hit me."

Zhao Yue'er raised her foot and kicked Li Feng fiercely on the backside, laughing and scolding, "With you like this, you're at most a snotty slug on the ground. You call yourself a dragon? ... Hmm, consider yourself lucky. Since you like collecting these gold and silver treasures so much, I'll give you a 'Universe Bag.' It can hold a mountain inside, so you won't have to bury all that gold and silver behind the mountain of the 'Gathering Yuan Formation' and ruin the feng shui for no reason."

Li Feng indignantly exclaimed, "Gold and silver, how can they ruin feng shui? ... Hey, thank you, Master. Is this the 'Universe Bag' that is said to hold a mountain but only weighs two ounces? It's truly a good treasure, a good treasure, hehe. Thank you, Master. Now I can carry all this gold and silver with me, so I can finally relax and not worry about thieves stealing it." He snatched the small, silver silk bag, about two inches wide and three inches long, from Zhao Yue'er's hand. With a flick of his hand, the pile of gems on the ground spun and flew into it. Li Feng rummaged through it desperately. Indeed, the bag was still light and thin, as if it contained nothing.

Li Feng jumped up like a monkey with joy. Zhao Yue'er frowned, looking at the cave that had been ravaged by Li Feng's flying sword, and sighed, "Forget it, forget it. The spiritual energy here has all been depleted by your sword. It's unknown how long it will take for the spiritual energy to gather again. But it's not a total loss. You got a 'Profound Stone,' plus all these stalactites and 'Spirit Rock Essence.' We've struck it rich this time... Let's return to Qingyun Flat, lest the Senior Brothers worry."

Li Feng nodded, obediently prostrated himself on the ground, and crawled out through the small rock crevice. Little Cat, this time, shrank even smaller and leaned on Li Feng's back for support. The three of them left the cave, completely destroyed by Li Feng, and sped back to Qingyun Flat. Li Feng exclaimed in surprise, "Alas, who is that old Daoist? Why is he leading a group of young boys and girls around... Hey, not good... Damn it, old man, I'll fuck your eighteen generations of grandmothers, you son of a bitch, you..."

Zhao Yue'er and Li Feng simultaneously charged forward on their swords. Li Feng used the 'Lightning Control Art,' and his True Qi surged out like a tide. A Heavenly Lightning bolt struck down fiercely.

Meanwhile, after Old Daoist Wu Shen spat out a few mouthfuls of blood, his disciples were all too frightened to speak. Old Daoist Wu Shen suppressed the anger in his heart, forcefully controlled his killing intent, and said coldly, "Fellow Daoists of the Yiyuan Sect, Old Wu Shen was presumptuous this time. I came here to be insulted without inquiring about the reasons... Fellow Daoist Ling Guangzi killing Qing He is forgotten. Today's events shall be as if they never happened."

Liu Xingzi nodded gravely, "Yes, nothing happened today." Liu Xingzi already felt that the matter was difficult to handle. If it were to spread that the second-generation disciples of the Emei Sect Xin Sect were all practicing magic, it would be a scandal enough to cause the annihilation of the entire Emei Sect. He had to speak cautiously.

Old Daoist Wu Shen walked out in silence, his unruly disciples trailing behind him dejectedly. As hosts, Liu Xingzi and the others naturally followed closely behind Old Daoist Wu Shen to see him off. Liu Xingzi, Xie Yuezi, and a few others with quicker minds secretly communicated their thoughts through their Nascent Souls, beginning to discuss countermeasures. After all, this matter could not pass without causing a stir. Everyone could see that Old Daoist Wu Shen was already thinking of killing. It was estimated that after returning to the mountain, few of his seventeen disciples would remain alive.

The Senior Disciple Brother of Old Daoist Wu Shen saw that the disciples of the Yiyuan Sect were all lost in thought and quickly stepped forward a few paces, whispering into Wu Shen's ear, "Master, no matter how you punish us when we return to the mountain... but we have lost all face this time. If the people of the Yiyuan Sect spread outside that your disciples have all cultivated demonic arts and magic, it would ruin the thousand-year reputation of the Emei Sect... At that time, not to mention whether we disciples will have our cultivation crippled and be expelled from the mountain, I'm afraid even you, Master..." He made a meaningful gesture and sighed softly.

Several thoughts churned in Old Daoist Wu Shen's mind. A killing intent flashed in his eyes, and he glanced at his Senior Disciple Brother, saying, "Wu Ling, what do you think?"

Daoist Wu Ling's face was filled with murderous intent. "As long as we ensure these people can never speak again, we won't fear others knowing. This is our Xin Sect's family matter. Master can deal with us however he wishes, but we absolutely cannot let the people of the Yiyuan Sect spread rumors among our peers and damage Master's reputation." Daoist Wu Ling also had his own plans. "As long as your Yiyuan Sect people don't cause trouble, with Master's usual indulgence towards his fellow disciples, won't everything be resolved easily?"

Xiao Longzi flew over with a Daoist Robe in hand, shouting loudly, "Senior Disciple Brother, you should change your clothes."

Daoist Wu Ling quickly said, "All twelve Senior Disciples of the Yiyuan Sect are present now, and there are no others here besides our people. The elders of the Yiyuan Sect are all in secluded cultivation and have no way of knowing what's happening outside. Master, you must seize this opportunity. There are seventeen of us Senior and Junior Brothers, and over thirty disciples with cultivation. We are much stronger than them." Wu Ling's selfishness arose, and he actually used the 'Soul Stirring Great Method' on Old Daoist Wu Shen.

Old Daoist Wu Shen, caught off guard, never expected his disciple to use a demonic art to provoke him! Moreover, he was already filled with rage and killing intent. Now, with the demonic art's instigation, the immense anger instantly transformed into killing intent and erupted.

He made a sharp turn and looked at the twelve disciples of the Yiyuan Sect, who were five to ten feet behind him. Liu Xingzi was startled and stopped his telepathic conversation with his fellow disciples. He smiled and cupped his fists, saying, "Fellow Daoist Wu Shen, do you have any other instructions?" Before he could even raise his head, he saw a golden light flash before his eyes, and an immense force struck him head-on. His Nascent Soul was almost shaken out of his body.

Daoist Wu Ling joyfully saw Old Daoist Wu Shen unleash thirty-six dragon-shaped golden lights from his hand, accompanied by earth-shattering dragon roars, charging towards the Yiyuan Sect group. Each Yiyuan Sect disciple was hit by three golden lights consecutively, and their bodies were sent flying backward like leaves. Daoist Wu Ling knew that in his anger, Old Daoist Wu Shen had unleashed the Emei Sect's mountain-protecting treasure, the 'Six Paths of Reincarnation, God Exterminating True Dragon Sword,' which was said to have the greatest offensive power in the Cultivation World.

According to legend, and the boasting of the Emei elders, each of these thirty-six True Dragon Swords was formed from the body of a flying dragon that had died in a Heavenly Tribulation. The spiritual power contained within was boundless, and its power was unparalleled. Being struck by three consecutive swords, even if their cultivation was high, would result in severe injuries.

Liu Xingzi and the others never expected that the sect leader, Wu Shen, would suddenly launch a sneak attack. Especially at such close range, and with the terrifying speed of the True Dragon Swords, the twelve people had no chance to gather their True Qi before they were sent flying. Among them, Xiao Longzi, Gu Lingzi, Gui Xinzi, and a few others with weaker cultivation directly spat out blood and fell to the ground, unconscious. Liu Xingzi, Ling Guangzi, Ling Houzi, Lei Zhenzi, Xie Yuezi, and a few others with higher cultivation also spat out blood. The True Essence within their bodies became chaotic, and they felt three extremely sharp sword energies piercing back and forth within their bodies, causing astonishing destructive power.

Seeing that his attack was successful, Old Daoist Wu Shen was overjoyed and was about to unleash his sword again. If this sword light were to twist slightly, at least half of the physical bodies of these twelve disciples of the Yiyuan Sect would be destroyed. Meanwhile, Wu Shen's seventeen disciples were ready with Heavenly Lightning and Earth Fire. As soon as they saw any Nascent Soul attempting to escape, they would immediately launch a full-scale annihilation.

Fortunately, Li Feng and Zhao Yue'er had already rushed out. Zhao Yue'er's expression was grim, and a jade bottle appeared in her hand. Countless streams of colorful light scattered from the bottle's opening, plunging the world into darkness. Only these fine streams of light, falling in the pitch-black sky, emitted ten thousand rays of light, gently but extremely rapidly enveloping the disciples of the Emei Sect. Li Feng simultaneously unleashed his 'Vermilion Bird Crescent' and 'Cold Sparrow' sword, a burst of fire and a gleam of cold light attacking Old Daoist Wu Shen with a flurry of slashes. All the True Qi within his body was condensed, and he unleashed a Heavenly Lightning bolt with all his might.

Old Daoist Wu Shen had not yet taken Zhao Yue'er's treasure seriously, but the streams of light arrived at their front with incredible speed. Old Daoist Wu Shen, caught off guard, was pierced through the heart by three streams of light. He immediately felt his True Qi draining, as if his Nascent Soul were burning. Yes, his feeling was not wrong; his Nascent Soul was slowly burning. These streams of light possessed a strange heat that could cause a Nascent Soul, condensed purely from energy, to burn.

Old Daoist Wu Shen was terrified. His mind suddenly cleared, and he suddenly remembered a legendary, extremely venomous magic refining treasure made from collecting the Arctic Magnetic Light. At the same time, he saw several sober disciples of the Yiyuan Sect forming a strange hand seal, looking at him with fierce eyes. He also heard bursts of tragic wails. His Nascent Soul could continue to burn for a few more days, but his disciples had already been killed, body and soul, by more than a dozen of them. Even their flying swords had been melted by those streams of light.

Old Daoist Wu Shen let out a tragic cry. In his moment of distraction, Li Feng's 'Vermilion Bird Crescent' had sliced off his left arm as if it were tofu. Then, the Heavenly Lightning, which was slightly undercooked, combined with twenty-seven streams of light, struck his chest again. Old Daoist Wu Shen cried out, "Disciples, retreat quickly... Fellow Daoists of the Yiyuan Sect, Old Wu Shen was rash this time. Explaining now will not be heard by you. Old Wu Shen will return another day to beg for forgiveness. Disciples, retreat quickly."

As Liu Xingzi and the others cast their spiritual spells, five small spiritual peaks appeared in the sky. Amidst the flashing green light, clusters of lightning began to seal off the surroundings. Old Daoist Wu Shen, along with fifty of his more deeply cultivated disciples, flew up. The remaining disciples were all destroyed on the spot by the streams of light emitted by Zhao Yue'er.

With a "boom" of thunder, the prelude to the 'Great Five Elements Exterminating God Array,' the guardian immortal array of Qingyun Flat, began. The thirteen Emei disciples in the air instantly turned into dust, and their magic treasures were also blown into a pile of scrap metal. Old Daoist Wu Shen screamed, "Fellow Daoists, show mercy and leave some face for future encounters."

Li Feng, having exhausted his True Qi, sat on the ground and roared, "Old bastard, I'm interested in meeting your wife next time, you piece of shit... Fuck your mother, you dare to hit my Master? Do you believe I'll really fuck your mother?" Li Feng saw Xiao Longzi and the others lying on the ground with pale golden faces and a trace of blood at the corners of their mouths. For some reason, his heart suddenly ached, and he began to curse madly without restraint.

Liu Xingzi remained silent. He was casting a spiritual spell, and the five spiritual peaks slowly rotated. Countless golden lights bombarded down from the sky. With continuous screams, another seventeen Emei disciples were struck by the golden light and instantly vanished into thin air, turning into gas.

Old Daoist Wu Shen cried out in distress, "Liu Xingzi, fellow Daoist Wu, do this for my sake! Think of the friendship between the founding ancestor of my Emei Sect and your Yiyuan Sect's elders... Think back to seventeen hundred years ago, when the Heavenly Tribulation demon attacked Yiyuan Sect, and the three sects of Emei came to aid, with over a thousand disciples from six generations killed or wounded..."

Upon hearing Old Daoist Wu Shen mention this matter, Liu Xingzi and the others felt their hearts soften. The casting of their spiritual techniques slowed slightly, and Old Daoist Wu Shen, along with the remaining twenty disciples, fled like stray dogs and escaped criminals. For a moment, the entire world fell silent, save for Li Feng's furious curses: "You old bastard, stop right there and pay for my senior uncle and master's lives! I'm going to wash your Emei Mountain with blood... I swear, one day, I'll wash your Emei with blood... I'll splash your entire mountain with black dog blood, you mother—"

As he cursed, Li Feng scrambled to Xiao Longzi's side and shouted, "You old geezer, don't you die! You still have so many techniques to teach me... Hey, hey, hey, Gu Lingzi, you stingy old immortal, don't you die either! You still owe me so many pill-refining techniques... sob sob..." He truly began to weep, without any pretense. He even wondered to himself, "That's weird, why am I crying so sadly? Why should I be this sad? Wuwuwu... Heavens, could it be that I've fallen for those old Daoists? Impossible, I like Master's wife... That's strange, wuwuwuwu..."

Liu Xingzi and Xie Yuezi felt a warmth in their hearts. They exchanged glances and nodded heavily. "Well, well, it seems we didn't make a mistake taking in this disciple who likes to slack off... It's just a shame his mouth is so venomous."

Zhao Yue'er retracted her radiant lights and stared blankly at Li Feng, who was kneeling on the ground and weeping profusely. A different thought surfaced in her mind: "Fengzi is so sad. I wonder if he would hold me and cry if I were to die... Pui pui pui, what am I thinking? Three Pure Ones above, what I just said was nonsense. Why would I mention death out of the blue?"

The five spiritual peaks in the sky secretly vanished, revealing a vast expanse of azure sky once more. Warm sunlight cascaded down.

White clouds drifted, and a gentle breeze blew.

Within the clouds, Old Daoist Wu Shen, covered in blood and missing an arm, looked dazed, his face filled with shame and regret. He stealthily led his disciples back to the Xin Sect's encampment in the back mountains of Emei. He immediately announced a ten-year closed-door cultivation period, refusing to see any fellow disciples or Daoists