An Accidental Encounter with Hongyun

Sensing those two scorching and surging auras, Old Ancestor Minghe, a middle-aged man in dark red Taoist robes, felt his expression grow even gloomier.

"Hmph!" With a cold snort, Old Ancestor Minghe's figure flickered, transforming into a streak of blood-colored light as he dove downward.

"Eh? He actually left? That doesn't seem like his style," the massive, roc-like creature flapped its wings and landed, transforming into a man in black robes with a hooked nose.

Kunpeng, whose gaze was equally cold and sharp, could not help but reveal a look of astonishment and confusion.

Immediately following, two majestic men dressed in crimson-gold brocade robes, both radiating scorching heat, appeared to the side. One of them grinned and said, "It seems he knows he wouldn't gain anything by facing us!"

"Old Ancestor Minghe would never act without reason, nor is he the type to fear us. Looking at how he's rushing off, could it be..." the other majestic man said, shaking his head slightly as he fell into deep thought.

Meanwhile, Shi Mo, who was plummeting from the nine heavens, was falling much faster than he had ascended. Before long, he caught sight of the boundless, vast Primordial World stretching out below.

Utilizing the power of the Wind-Fixing Pearl to purge the strange death energy from his body with all his might, Shi Mo accelerated his descent, then used an earth-escape technique to dive underground, fleeing rapidly through the network of ley lines.

Having witnessed the strength of Old Ancestor Minghe, Shi Mo, though not entirely certain of the man's identity, had no desire to clash with him head-on; he preferred to avoid him whenever possible.

When one is weak, suffering a loss is no disgrace! He would simply settle the score when he had the chance in the future.

Old Ancestor Minghe, who landed almost immediately after, saw that Shi Mo had vanished without a trace, to the point where he could no longer even sense his aura. He frowned, "He escaped quickly!"

"I could not have been mistaken! That aura—the spiritual pearl he carried must be a top-grade innate spiritual treasure. What a pity!"

Old Ancestor Minghe muttered to himself with narrowed eyes. Suddenly, as if sensing something, he looked up and frowned again, "These three troublesome fellows!"

Once Old Ancestor Minghe's figure flickered and vanished, Kunpeng and the two majestic men in crimson-gold brocade robes appeared.

"To be able to escape from the hands of Old Ancestor Minghe, it seems the person he was chasing is no simple character!" one of the men in crimson-gold brocade robes remarked with surprise.

Kunpeng knitted his brows, murmuring with curiosity, "Why exactly was Styx chasing him?"

On the other side, Shi Mo, who had escaped far away through the ley line network, keenly discovered a problem:

"Why are the ley lines here so dense? The spiritual energy of the earth is also terrifyingly rich. Where exactly have I landed?"

In a lush, vegetation-filled valley, Shi Mo carefully sensed his surroundings. After confirming there were no powerful living beings in the vast vicinity, he sat cross-legged on the grass with peace of mind, focusing on purging the residual death energy in his body.

"This death energy is truly troublesome! That Black Divine Sword, filled with a sharp, deathly aura—it is practically a sword of death. It is definitely an innate spiritual treasure," Shi Mo thought, his mind racing as he sat with his eyes closed:

"Even my Wind-Fixing Pearl found it difficult to resist. It must be a top-grade innate spiritual treasure. A divine sword of this level... could it be Yuantu, belonging to Old Ancestor Minghe?"

"Bastard! Just you wait! I will definitely vent this frustration," Shi Mo gritted his teeth in secret resentment. Golden light flowed over his body, and faint wisps of gray-black death energy began to dissipate from within him. As they touched the surrounding vegetation, the plants withered at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"What an overbearing death energy! Fortunately, the power of merit within me can suppress it, otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy to purge."

Shi Mo let out a sigh of relief and opened his eyes. As he looked at the withered plants and prepared to stand up and leave, he sensed an ethereal and surging aura approaching. His gaze sharpened as he looked up:

"If it's not Styx, then who? To sense my aura so quickly? Could it be that I accidentally arrived near the cave dwelling of some great power? This aura is not much inferior to Styx's. Are there really so many great powers in the Primordial World?"

Soon, like gathering red clouds, a chubby old man in bright red Taoist robes descended from the sky. Upon seeing Shi Mo, he revealed a curious and kindly smile:

"I am Hongyun. May I ask how to address this fellow Daoist? How did you come to the territory of Longevity Mountain?"

"Hm? This is... death energy? You encountered Old Ancestor Minghe and were injured by him? Did you accidentally wander into the Nether Blood Sea? Given Old Ancestor Minghe's temperament, the fact that you managed to escape here shows your methods are not weak!"

As he spoke, Hongyun noticed the withered vegetation and sensed the lingering, deathly aura. His expression changed, and he looked at Shi Mo in astonishment.

Hongyun? Longevity Mountain? Shi Mo was startled to hear this. He hadn't expected to be in the territory of Longevity Mountain. No wonder the ley line network was so dense and the spiritual energy so rich.

One had to know that Zhen Yuanzi was known in later generations as the Ancestor of Earth Immortals. His companion spiritual treasure, the Earth Book, was a top-grade innate spiritual treasure capable of manipulating the power of the earth's veins; it was formed from the membrane of the earth and was absolutely top-tier among top-grade innate spiritual treasures.

"So it is Brother Hongyun. I am Shi Mo," Shi Mo replied, bowing slightly to Hongyun, then couldn't help but ask, "Does Brother Hongyun know Old Ancestor Minghe?"

"Know him? It's more than that, Brother Shi Mo. You see, I can't sit still; I like to travel all over the Primordial World. I once accidentally and curiously went to the Nether Blood Sea, where I encountered Old Ancestor Minghe."

Hongyun gritted his teeth in resentment as he spoke, "You wouldn't believe it, but that fellow Styx is simply an unreasonable madman. He is extremely overbearing."

Seeing Hongyun talk on and on, Shi Mo couldn't help but inwardly criticize him. He hadn't expected the man to be such a blabbermouth. They had only just met, yet he was saying so much—wasn't this being too familiar too quickly?

However, Shi Mo, who also wanted to learn more about Old Ancestor Minghe, did not interrupt Hongyun. He even asked curious questions from time to time, and through Hongyun's introduction, he learned much more about the Nether Blood Sea and Old Ancestor Minghe.

"Brother Shi Mo, since you have provoked Old Ancestor Minghe, you must be careful. Once that fellow latches onto you, it is endless," Hongyun said, continuing:

"Before, if it hadn't been for Brother Zhen Yuan helping me, Old Ancestor Minghe would not have let it go so easily!"

"Right, I almost forgot. Brother Zhen Yuan said there was a guest coming and asked me to invite you, but I ended up chatting with you instead," Hongyun suddenly realized, quickly pulling Shi Mo along:

"Come, follow me to see Brother Zhen Yuan first. His Ginseng Fruit Tree has recently ripened. Brother Shi Mo, you are in for a treat."

Zhen Yuanzi is inviting me? Shi Mo was slightly stunned. Is he really this warm and hospitable?

Having encountered Old Ancestor Minghe, who would resort to murder to seize a spiritual treasure at the slightest disagreement, Shi Mo dared not trust the character of these Primordial great powers too easily.

Even if Zhen Yuanzi's reputation seemed good, who knew how much of the mythology was actually credible?

However, upon hearing Hongyun mention the Ginseng Fruit Tree, Shi Mo couldn't help but feel his curiosity piqued, while inwardly criticizing:

"This Hongyun is truly a blabbermouth. He's practically revealing all of Zhen Yuanzi's secrets. How did Zhen Yuanzi ever become friends with him?"