The instant Fang Wang saw the woman in white, he immediately accelerated, using the White Rainbow Escape Technique once more. With a casual motion of his right hand, he sheathed the Qing Jun Sword, then condensed the Celestial Palace Halberd. Only with the Celestial Palace Halberd in hand could his sense of security be raised to the utmost.
He turned his head again and discovered that the woman in white had vanished, but he would not stop.
Ten breaths later.
"Have you ever heard of Great Sage Punishes Heaven?"
The woman in white's voice came again. Fang Wang did not dare answer, fearing he might fall into some trick. After all, he had read Journey to the West.
Fang Wang glanced sideways and found that the woman in white had appeared behind him again, and this time, she was even closer.
Without another word, he spun around and thrust his halberd at her. The blade pierced through the woman in white's body, yet no blood flew out. Even her robes remained unscathed!
A ghost!
No wonder he could not sense her aura!
Fang Wang's gaze sharpened. True Mysterious Sun Fire surged from his right hand, racing along the halberd shaft toward the woman in white. In the blink of an eye, it had spread over her body.
Mysterious Sun Fire could burn soul bodies!
Sure enough, the woman in white immediately halted, and the distance between them rapidly widened.
The woman in white frowned slightly. Suddenly, she swept her sleeve, dispersing the True Mysterious Sun Fire around her. The next moment, she disappeared into the sky.
Fang Wang did not dare let down his guard. That thing came and went like a ghost; he had to be careful.
For the rest of the journey, Fang Wang maintained full speed, while the woman in white's voice never came again.
He repeatedly looked back, yet did not catch sight of her.
Half an hour later.
Fang Wang landed beside a river. This area was a wilderness with an open view, making it convenient for him to rest.
He planted the Celestial Palace Halberd into the mud and looked around for quite a while. Only after confirming that the woman in white would not appear did he finally let out a sigh of relief.
He wondered how the black-robed man who had been hunted earlier was doing.
Fang Wang threw the Green Snake in his hand onto the ground, then drew the Qing Jun Sword and stabbed it into the snake's belly.
"Ah—"
A delicate female cry rang out. The Green Snake opened her eyes, and Fang Wang immediately seized her snake head with his left hand, forcibly suppressing her with his own spiritual power.
The Green Snake's demonic aura was astonishing, but not to the point of frightening Fang Wang. Otherwise, how would he have dared bring her along?
"Don't kill me... don't kill me... I can lead you to treasure!"
The Green Snake cried out urgently. Her sobbing was enough to soften most men's hearts, but Fang Wang remained unmoved.
He could not bring himself to soften toward a snake. The left hand gripping his sword began to tighten, and the pain made the Green Snake cry even more miserably.
"I know where the inheritance grounds of Great Sage's Grotto-Heaven are!"
Upon hearing this, Fang Wang stopped his left hand. Squinting, he asked, "What inheritance grounds?"
Great Sage's Grotto-Heaven had once belonged to the Jihao Sect. Perhaps it hid the Jihao Sect's inheritance.
Even now, Fang Wang still yearned for the Heavenly Dipper Sacred Body True Scripture.
It was said that the Heavenly Dipper Sacred Body True Scripture was no weaker than the Nine Dragon Divine Transformation Art. It was a cultivation method that even Zhou Xue had failed to obtain before her rebirth.
Immortals and mortals were separated by an insurmountable gulf. After ascending, Zhou Xue could no longer return to the lower realm, and many regrets had thus become eternal.
"Many inheritance grounds..." the Green Snake answered through sobs.
Fang Wang narrowed his eyes and asked, "Does Great Sage's Grotto-Heaven have the Heavenly Dipper Sacred Body True Scripture?"
"The Heavenly Dipper Sacred Body True Scripture? That is the Jihao Sect's strongest cultivation method! No, but I saw a map to it somewhere!"
The Green Snake answered quickly, afraid that Fang Wang would make a move. After all, a high-grade dharma artifact was still lodged in her belly.
After thinking it over, Fang Wang decided to give her a chance.
He could surely encounter another Demonic Core, but a guide was hard to find.
Still, he had to guard against the Green Snake launching a sneak attack.
Fang Wang pulled out the Qing Jun Sword, then retreated while taking the Celestial Palace Halberd with him. The Green Snake rolled over and curled into a ball, flicking her tongue as she looked at Fang Wang. A venomous snake actually wore a pitiful, aggrieved expression.
After retreating five zhang away, Fang Wang sat down cross-legged and began absorbing spiritual energy. He appeared to have his eyes closed, but his Spiritual Sense remained fixed on the Green Snake.
If the Green Snake tried to flee, he would kill her. Even if she managed to escape, he would lose nothing.
Before long, Fang Wang sensed some of the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy flowing toward the Green Snake. It seemed she was healing her injuries.
Silence fell over the riverbank.
Time slowly passed.
That mysterious woman in white did not appear again. It seemed she feared the True Mysterious Sun Fire.
Dusk gradually descended.
The little river flowed on, shimmering with rippling light as tiny fish swam through it.
The Green Snake raised her head and looked at Fang Wang, constantly flicking her tongue. Gathering her courage, she asked, "Young master, how did you escape that evil thing's pursuit?"
Without opening his eyes, Fang Wang answered, "Just a small trick. By the way, she repeatedly asked whether you had heard of Great Sage Punishes Heaven. What did she mean?"
Hearing that his tone was no longer filled with killing intent, the Green Snake secretly breathed a sigh of relief and answered, "That evil thing is no simple being. She was the maidservant of an Ancient Great Sage. Legend has it that in ancient times, the Heavenly Dao was cruel and unkind. Heavenly Gods descended to the mortal world and ravaged all living beings. The Great Sage stepped forward and slaughtered the Heavenly Gods, but misfortune then clung to him, and he ultimately fell. The reason she asks that question is to see whether the living beings of later generations still remember this matter. If they do, she grants them a path to survival. If they do not, they die."
Fang Wang raised an eyebrow slightly. At first, he had thought Punishes Heaven was the Great Sage's name. He had not expected it to be a legend.
"Since you know this legend, why were you captured?"
"Because I have been trapped here for over three hundred years. She has caught me several times. Now, even answering correctly is useless..."
The Green Snake said aggrievedly, then opened the floodgates and poured out her grievances without end. "I was originally just a little Green Snake with no one to rely on. One day three hundred years ago, I was carried away by an eagle. Halfway through, that eagle was shot dead by a cultivator, and I fell to the ground with it. I survived a great calamity, then later accidentally slipped into a crack in the earth. In a muddle, I arrived at Great Sage's Grotto-Heaven. Three hundred years have passed. I want to leave, but no matter what I do, I cannot escape. Young master, I know you cannot fully trust me, but please believe me. I want to leave too. Only by following you can I have a sliver of hope for survival."
Fang Wang decided to test her. "For the next month, I will cultivate here. Help me gather heavenly treasures and earthly treasures. If you perform well, I will take you out."
The view here was wide open. If enemies approached, he could spot them in advance. It was better than being trapped in a dead end.
Upon hearing that, the Green Snake cautiously asked, "Can I rest for a few days?"
"Of course."
Hearing Fang Wang's answer, the Green Snake immediately relaxed considerably.
Over the next few days, the Green Snake did not disturb Fang Wang and focused on healing her injuries.
Six days later, the Green Snake left.
Fang Wang's spiritual power had already recovered. He began walking along the riverbank, seeing whether there were any treasures nearby.
Unfortunately, after walking dozens of li, he had not found any heavenly treasures or earthly treasures, so he had no choice but to return the way he came.
Rumble—
The ground suddenly trembled. Fang Wang looked toward the end of heaven and earth, able to sense the direction from which the vibrations came.
This time, he did not go to join the excitement. Instead, he cultivated where he was and waited for the Green Snake to return.
If the Green Snake did not return after a month, he would leave on his own and treat it as though none of this had happened. If she returned, he could use her to search for treasures and inheritances.
The sun set and the moon rose. Fang Wang sat amid the boundless world, cultivating before the little river and feeling the essence of sun and moon, the spiritual breeze. This state of mind was far more pleasant than cultivating inside a cave residence.
Cultivators occasionally passed by, but none dared disturb him. Disciples from every sect were exceedingly cautious within Great Sage's Grotto-Heaven.
In the blink of an eye.
Half a month passed, and the Green Snake finally returned.
Fang Wang glanced over at her, watching her twist her way toward him, and his brows furrowed.
Empty-handed!
Could this snake be playing tricks on him?
The Green Snake quickly arrived beside Fang Wang, opened her mouth, and spat out stones the size of fists one after another. They were all different colors, five in total. Finally, she spat out a scroll of paper.
Fang Wang raised his brows, finding it rather curious.
"Young master, these stones all contain dense spiritual energy. They should count as heavenly treasures and earthly treasures. And this map is a map to the Heavenly Dipper Sacred Body True Scripture. I went through tremendous trouble to find it. You can trust me now, right?" the Green Snake said, flicking her tongue.
Fang Wang stared at her and asked, "I nearly killed you. Why did you not use this chance to escape, find other cultivators, and have them take you out?"
"Nearly means you did not kill me. Besides, other cultivators might not be as formidable as you. Young master, you could escape from that evil thing's hands, so you must be very powerful. Great Sage's Grotto-Heaven is filled with evil things and terrifying demonic creatures beyond counting. Following you makes me feel safer."
The Green Snake's answer was fairly sincere, and Fang Wang reluctantly believed her.
He drew the Qing Jun Sword and used its tip to spread open the map. After memorizing every detail, he activated the Xuan Yang Spiritual Energy within his body, ignited True Mysterious Sun Fire, and let it descend along the blade onto the map.
The map instantly burst into flames, drawing a startled cry from the Green Snake. Though she did not understand, she did not dare stop him.
Fang Wang did this only because he feared the Green Snake had played some trick and smeared poison on the map.
Scorched smoke rose, separating Fang Wang from the Green Snake.
Fang Wang suddenly frowned. Why was this map so difficult to burn?
True Mysterious Sun Fire was incredibly fierce. Yet after ten breaths, only one-fifth of the map had burned away, proving that its material was extraordinary.
At that moment, the rising scorched smoke condensed into a human figure. Startled, Fang Wang rose to his feet and directly condensed the Celestial Palace Halberd. The Green Snake was frightened as well, darting even farther away than Fang Wang.
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