Captured

After learning the details of the mission, Fang Xiao planned to set out at once. Once he had resolved this matter, he would head to the sect and pay respects to this mysterious Master.

As for placing restrictions on the Vajra Young Ape, that could only be postponed further. Fortunately, it was asleep within the Spirit Beast Bag. Though it had no food, it could still last for some time as long as spiritual energy was continuously supplied.

In mere moments, he arrived at the city gate. After identifying the direction, he activated the Great White Sword Pellet. Sword light wrapped around him, and in an instant, man and sword became one. He transformed into a pale violet rainbow that shot into the sky, tore through the firmament, and vanished beyond the horizon.

Fang Xiao now wielded sword light as easily as moving his own arm. In the blink of an eye, he could travel a hundred li. Coupled with his deep spiritual power, sustained flight consumed little energy. He did not stop along the way and headed straight into the depths of Yunmeng Marsh.

On the second day, sword light swept through the depths of Yunmeng Marsh. This place had long surpassed the region he had once explored and was already close to the five-hundred-thousand-li boundary.

Beyond that lay the Third Zone. It would not do to be too conspicuous, so Fang Xiao lowered his sword light and landed on a mountaintop. Based on the location from which the final message had been sent, he decided to conceal his aura and cautiously make his way over.

Just as Fang Xiao approached this area, a soft sound of surprise came from within the belly of a mountain.

"Someone else has come. Very well, let us see whether this person is suitable before making a decision."

Within the dim Cave Dwelling, only several seated silhouettes could vaguely be seen. The voice did not seem to come from anyone's mouth; it sounded more like vibrations in the air.

Unaware of any of this, Fang Xiao continued forward cautiously, observing his surroundings. Little did he know that danger had already crept silently upon him.

After advancing for some time, a hazy sense of unease suddenly rose in his heart. It was a warning from his Sword Heart. He turned to flee the way he had come, but a pulling force came from beneath his feet.

Countless white threads began to emerge around him. His Spiritual Sense had not detected the slightest anomaly, yet at some unknown moment, the threads had already tangled around and stuck to his legs.

Fang Xiao's expression changed. He activated the Sword Art within his body, and Great White Sword Light slashed down upon the threads. Yet the threads were extraordinarily tough; even the Great White Sword Light could only barely sever them.

Before he could make another move, countless threads rapidly wound around him, instantly wrapping him into a rice dumpling, with only his head left exposed.

Hearing the rustling from the woods behind him, Fang Xiao's heart sank to the bottom. He had been caught by a demon beast. He feared his life would soon be over. A thousand thoughts rose in his mind. He had never expected to perish here. Would there still be a chance for him to transmigrate again?

He shook his head. Sword light rose in his heart and cut away his many distracting thoughts. He began considering a solution, while the sword light within the cocoon continued cutting at the threads without pause.

By then, the rustling had stopped behind him. Cold sweat poured down Fang Xiao's back. He slowly turned his stiff neck and looked at the black shadow behind him. Though it was dark, he could still make out that it was a spider demon beast.

Just as he thought he was about to perish, the spider demon beast lifted him up and swiftly moved forward. When it reached the entrance of a cave, the spider demon tossed Fang Xiao onto the ground outside before quickly disappearing into the dense forest behind it.

Fang Xiao was utterly baffled. What was this for? Food for spider hatchlings, or a tribute for some powerful demon beast?

At that moment, an invisible force dragged Fang Xiao into the cave. The dim interior was deathly quiet. Then, all of a sudden, he sensed a strand of Spiritual Sense probing his body.

It was a cultivator. That spider was its spirit beast. He immediately understood, but why had it captured him?

"Hahaha, a Gold-Earth Dual Spirit Root. Heaven still favors me after all. It has truly sent me someone even better. Suitable—far too suitable."

Vibrations rang through the air, and the voice sounded exceptionally strange.

"Senior, I merely passed through this place by accident and had no intention of disturbing you. Could you let me leave?"

Fang Xiao tried to communicate with the other party.

"Boy, letting you go is impossible. You are extremely important to this ancestor."

The greed in the other party's voice was completely undisguised.

"What does Senior require? I will certainly do my utmost to cooperate."

Could this old bastard be planning to possess my body? Fang Xiao immediately thought.

"Hehehe, you will have a chance to cooperate. This ancestor is in a good mood today, so I will chat with you a while. Your cultivation is not shallow—what sect are you a disciple of?"

"I am the personal disciple of a Nascent Soul ancestor from Tianlan Sect. May I ask how Senior should be addressed?"

"Boy, you are borrowing a tiger's hide. Let alone the disciple of a Nascent Soul Cultivator, even the disciple of a Spirit Transformation True Lord would be useless. But what is a Tianlan Sect disciple doing in the territory of my Five Elements Sect?"

From his words, Fang Xiao understood that this person was from the Five Elements Sect.

"Has Senior not heard? The Demon Race of the Southern Wilderness has invaded, and demon beasts are flooding the land like a disaster. The Gold Vein of Five Elements Sect has even been wiped out. I was ordered by my sect to come exterminate demons."

"Impossible! With Ancestor Jin Chen there, how could it have been wiped out? And what of the other four veins? You are deceiving this ancestor."

He seemed to have some connection to the Gold Vein. Upon hearing this news, he immediately became agitated and loudly questioned Fang Xiao. The entire Cave Dwelling shook along with him.

"How could I deceive Senior? The Demon Race had long prepared for this. They sent several times the number of the Gold Vein's Nascent Soul Cultivators in Shapeshifted Demon Race to besiege it. The teleportation formation was also sabotaged in advance by a Human Traitor. As for Ancestor Jin Chen, who was at the Nascent Soul Late Stage, it is said that he was slain in a single strike by a Deity Transformation Stage Demon Race. Not even his Nascent Soul escaped."

"How could this be? How could it be?"

The other party's voice gradually fell silent. Fang Xiao guessed that there might be a serious problem with the other party's physical body, and it was highly likely that he wanted to possess Fang Xiao's body. From their conversation, he judged that this person might be a member of the Five Elements Sect's Gold Vein who had ended up stranded outside. Unable to think of another way to escape for the moment, he could only first throw the other party's mind into turmoil and stall for time.

He then hid a passively triggered strand of Great White Soaring Sword Energy between his brows as a precaution. Great White Sword Light also continued cutting at the threads around his feet, attempting to make an opening. Even if he could not escape, he could at least release the Sword Pellet and magical artifacts through the gap to protect himself for a while.

He also took this time to carefully observe the Cave Dwelling. However, apart from several black silhouettes seated in the darkness, he discovered nothing else.

After some time, that voice rang out again.

"Boy, you must have guessed it already. This ancestor's physical body has developed a problem, and I need to borrow your body to rebuild my foundation. Whether what you said is true or false, you cannot escape the fate of being possessed. Even if the Gold Vein has truly been destroyed, as long as I remain alive, I will surely reestablish it and make it glorious once more in my hands."

That strand of Spiritual Sense stirred again, carrying a trace of mana as it attacked Fang Xiao. Only after forming a Golden Core could spiritual power transform into mana. Fang Xiao had no room to resist. The mana passed through the cocoon of threads and entered his body, forming a restriction within his Dantian.

"This is a restriction unique to my Five Elements Sect. Without five-element spiritual power, it cannot be undone. Stay here obediently for this ancestor. Once I recover somewhat, I will come send you on your way."

The Spiritual Sense withdrew. Fang Xiao sensed it and, seeing that it had indeed retreated, mobilized his Spiritual Sense, intending to use it to draw forth spiritual power. Yet under the restriction's seal, he could not mobilize any spiritual power at all. Just as he was at his wits' end, he recalled what the other party had just said.

Five-element spiritual power. His Five Spirits Plate could transform any spiritual power into five-element spiritual power. Now, he could only treat a dead horse as though it were alive.

Fortunately, he had just hidden a strand of Great White Soaring Sword Energy between his brows. Fang Xiao used his Spiritual Sense to draw upon the sword energy and transform it into spiritual power. He opened the Storage Bag containing the Five Spirits Plate and poured his scant remaining spiritual power into it. The silver-white spiritual power was completely exhausted, and a stream of five-colored spiritual power rose from the Five Spirits Plate.

His expression remained unchanged as he quietly used his Spiritual Sense to send that stream of spiritual power containing the five elements into his Dantian. The instant the five-colored spiritual power touched the restriction, the two began to dissolve one another. Though it did not completely break open, the spiritual power in his Dantian could already flow freely through the breach. With the support of spiritual power, and under the Five Spirits Plate's continuous conversion, the restriction was ultimately dissolved completely by the five-colored spiritual power.