As he gradually drew closer and made out the immortal beast's appearance, Xiao Hua was so angry his nose nearly twisted crooked. A toad dozens of zhang in size squatted beside the fish, its mouth gaping as it used its barbed tongue to snatch fish from Xiao Hua. Its blood-red tongue stretched out, a full zhang wide and several zhang long; whenever it swept across the fish's body, it scraped off a strip of crystal-clear flesh.
"You vile beast..." Seeing that the toad had not noticed him, Xiao Hua gripped the Ruyi Scepter, sprang out from behind it, shouted, and brought the staff crashing down!
Though this was rather underhanded, considering that a single croak from this toad could shatter his soul, Xiao Hua could no longer worry about keeping up appearances.
"Croak..." The toad was alert and turned to croak, but its mouth was stuffed with fish flesh. Before the sound could emerge, there came a pop, and Xiao Hua smashed its brains apart. It had learned its lesson for stealing an immortal's fish—though the lesson was somewhat too severe!
This toad was naturally unlike the toads of the Four Great Continents. Green patterns like pythons covered its body, and pale runes lay between those patterns. Xiao Hua did not know what use this thing had, but its ugly appearance made him unwilling to eat it, so he swept it into his space with his Heart God.
After withdrawing his Heart God, another thought stirred in Xiao Hua's mind. Back in the Four Great Continents, he had cultivated an art to strengthen his Heart God, blending it with divine sense to expand the range of his divine sense. Now that his divine sense was gone, could he use his Heart God in its place?
With that thought, Xiao Hua instinctively turned to look. The Guiding Emissary had not yet caught up. As he stood by the water waiting for the big fish to take the bait, he attempted to release his Heart God. Heart God differed from divine sense. If divine sense was an eye, then Heart God might be a hand. After probing for a while, Xiao Hua felt as though a blind man were feeling an elephant.
"Forget it..." Xiao Hua withdrew his Heart God and thought to himself, I should think of how to nurture emanated thought instead. I'll use this Heart God only when necessary!
"Eh? Why haven't any fish taken the bait?"
After waiting a while with nothing appearing, Xiao Hua was rather puzzled. He had endured the stabbing pain over his entire body to serve as bait by the shore, yet the fish refused to show him any respect.
"Croak..." Suddenly, faint croaking drifted over from the distant marsh. If refined scholars and elegant guests heard it, they might well splash ink across paper and paint, indulging in the poetic fancy of "In the fragrance of rice blossoms, one speaks of a bountiful year; listen to the chorus of frogs." But when it reached Xiao Hua's ears, his expression changed drastically, and he nearly blurted out, "Damn it, I killed one male toad and drew in a whole swarm of female toads. They want Xiao's life! Xiao is leaving..."
Without bothering to fish any longer, Xiao Hua hurriedly activated his movement technique and headed toward what looked like a distant patch of reeds.
After traveling several li, reeds indeed appeared. These reeds were also extraordinarily tall, dozens of zhang high. Thinking of the Reception Hall as he stood on the shore, Xiao Hua no longer found it so imposing.
He climbed onto the reeds and looked ahead, realizing that they led to the opposite bank. Xiao Hua activated his movement technique and raced onward. Unfortunately, just as he reached the middle, he realized something was wrong. The dark-green moonlight falling upon him produced specks of phosphorescence, making him rather conspicuous in the night.
No, I have to get away quickly... The instant this thought arose, a buzzing roar came from ahead, sounding like a flying boat.
Xiao Hua did not stop moving. Raising his eyes, he silently cried out in misery again. An immortal bird, dozens of zhang large and shaped like a dragonfly, flapped its wings as it flew toward him. Black markings like a skull stood out starkly upon its enormous head.
Sure enough, before the dragonfly drew close, a stream of black qi descended from thin air. It rapidly encircled Xiao Hua, and vague ghostly heads emerged within it.
"Damn it!" As Xiao Hua retreated rapidly, he cursed inwardly. "Xiao was once the Demon Lord's elder brother, the foremost of soul cultivators. How had he come to this place only to be bullied by such a tiny thing? Come, come, come—Xiao will let you taste the methods of a true soul cultivator!"
Having said that, Xiao Hua naturally opened his mouth, pretending to cast Green Seal Script. To his surprise, the moment he opened his mouth, a faint mark immediately appeared before his glabella, and soul threads actually extended forth. Especially when those soul threads emerged, a sudden change arose all around him, strands of ghostly green radiance appearing!
"Ah??" Xiao Hua was utterly stunned, then immediately began chanting.
In an instant, the sky to either side changed abruptly. Sounds of gods and ghosts rose from the void, while the ghostly green radiance swiftly enveloped the incoming dragonfly immortal bird!
"Wuuu..." The dragonfly immortal bird was horrified. Beating its wings frantically, it charged desperately toward the reeds beneath Xiao Hua!
"Damn it!" Having gained a means to save his life, Xiao Hua was even somewhat delighted. Pointing at the dragonfly immortal bird, he said, "Now you know how formidable Grandpa Xiao is, don't you? Aiyo, you... you actually dare ram Xiao's reeds??"
Xiao Hua naturally did not truly intend to take the dragonfly immortal bird's life. Seeing it knock down the reeds beneath him, he hurriedly used the Soul Cultivation Flight Technique to fly into the air, looking quite disheveled.
After teasing Xiao Hua, the dragonfly immortal bird fled in haste. Xiao Hua, meanwhile, smugly flew across the marsh and was astonished to discover that a soul cultivator's flight technique was exceptionally useful in the Immortal Realm.
Xiao Hua was just about to continue using the soul cultivator's flight technique to flee when a faint pain suddenly rose within his soul. Knowing something was amiss, he hurriedly descended and thought, No! Senior Xu made it perfectly clear that soul cultivation arts are Forbidden Techniques in the Immortal Realm, and that I absolutely must not use them after entering the Immortal Realm. I carelessly used one just now—will it cause some trouble? Moreover, using Green Seal Script consumes life essence and soul power. My soul is weak right now, so how can I use it recklessly?
After looking around, Xiao Hua knew regret was useless now. He had better make his escape while he could!
Still using Misty Steps and the Flowing Cloud Movement Technique, Xiao Hua had already begun calculating in his heart. Though I am a Nascent Soul Body and everything else has vanished, I should only be able to use Daoist Sect methods. Why can I still wield the soul cultivator's Green Seal Script? Could it be as Xuan Hong explained while discussing the Dao at Star Moon Palace—that the path to godhood lies in a god's words, a god's qi, a god's spirit, and a divine body that can be encountered but not sought? If so, then the soul cultivator's Green Seal Script, the Confucian cultivator's qi within the chest, and the Buddhist Sect's relic... could I... could I use them as well?
Thinking of the path to godhood, Xiao Hua could not help thinking of the crystalline divine spark behind his head, no bigger than a peanut kernel. Unfortunately, that thing could not be examined at will, and with Xiao Hua in such danger, where did he have the time to inspect it?
Xiao Hua tested things briefly. Sure enough, he could not use the Confucian cultivation art Nascent Soul, but he could still exhale that breath of living qi. As for the origin of this breath of innate true qi, he did not know either. The Buddhist Sect's Demon Subduing Divine Ability Nascent Soul likewise could not be used. Unfortunately, he could not verify the Buddhist relic's other divine abilities here, so Xiao Hua simply did not try. At any rate, Xiao Hua, who had thought himself completely empty-handed, had unexpectedly discovered that he still possessed a fortune worth a thousand strings of cash. His courage surged again. Though he did not know how to use this fortune, at least he knew he possessed some means of preserving his life.
While Xiao Hua was testing his divine abilities, in a place countless li away, brilliant light suddenly burst forth within an extremely old pavilion. The light directly pierced the dark-green night and shot into the sky.
"What is happening?" Above the pavilion, light and shadows flickered. An Immortal General in armor, dozens of zhang tall, stepped out of the air with an Immortal Soldier in hand. Staring in astonishment at the flashing brilliant light inside the pavilion, he cried out in shock.
"Reporting to the deputy city patrol captain..." Within the courtyard surrounding the pavilion, two Immortal Soldiers hurriedly flew into the air and bowed. "We do not know either. This is a Forbidden Ground of the Immortal County Prefecture. Ordinary people like us are not permitted to approach it."
"Forbidden Ground?" The Immortal General was somewhat baffled and was about to speak when, whoosh, a cascade of light tore through the distant night sky. A tall silver figure descended upon a bridge of light.
As the silver radiance faded, a beautiful woman clad in feathered garments appeared. None dared to be negligent, and they hurriedly bowed. "Greetings, Immortal County Lord..."
"Has there been an abnormal movement at Chenqiao Pavilion?" Though her eyes held an unusual glint, the woman's tone remained calm.
"Reporting to the Immortal County Lord..." The Immortal General hurriedly said, "This subordinate was patrolling around the Immortal County Prefecture tonight. When I had just passed this place, I discovered an anomaly in the Forbidden Ground."
"Captain Zhuo knows about the Forbidden Ground?" The woman raised a brow, carrying an indescribable charm. Her watery eyes seemed able to speak. "Why does this county lord recall never having told you of this matter?"
The Immortal General surnamed Zhuo was somewhat embarrassed and replied with a forced smile, "This subordinate only just heard of it as well."
"Mm, Captain Zhuo is thoughtful!" The woman smiled, then turned toward the brilliant light from the old pavilion. "This is a Forbidden Ground directly constructed by the Heavenly Venerate Mansion. Even this county lord does not know what lies within. We should report it directly to the sect."
"Yes, this subordinate understands!" The Immortal General surnamed Zhuo acknowledged. Just as he was about to activate his movement technique, he suddenly stopped, glanced at the brilliant light, and said quietly, "Immortal County Lord, this subordinate has something to say, though I do not know whether it should be said..."
The woman glanced at the two Immortal Soldiers beside her and smiled. "You may return to your posts."
Once the two Immortal Soldiers had left, the woman looked at the Immortal General with her beautiful eyes and asked, "Speak!"
"My lady..." The Immortal General surnamed Zhuo said with a smile, "This subordinate knows that your nature is detached, and that all affairs within the city have been conducted according to the rules left behind by the previous Immortal County Lord. Reporting matters concerning the Forbidden Ground to the sect must also have been a regulation established long ago by the sect, correct?"
"What if it was?"
"In truth, my lady, you might as well take half a step further..." Captain Zhuo said. "The matter of the Forbidden Ground must be reported to the sect, but no one knows why the Forbidden Ground issued an alarm. Do not forget that this Forbidden Ground was personally established by the Heavenly Venerate Mansion. Perhaps the Heavenly Venerate Mansion will react as well. If you can uncover what caused the Forbidden Ground's alarm, would you not have a chance to directly meet the Heavenly Venerate?"
"Meet the Heavenly Venerate??" The woman sneered. "You are thinking far too much, are you not?"
"Even if you cannot meet the Heavenly Venerate, you could at least establish ties with the Immortal Officials of the Heavenly Venerate Mansion. At worst, you could become a familiar face!" The Immortal General surnamed Zhuo did not give up and continued persuading her. "With such a connection, would you still remain here guarding this perilous Yunmeng Marsh? Leaving this place and returning to the sect would be no more than a word from the Heavenly Venerate Mansion!"
The woman's gaze flickered as she stared straight at the Immortal General and asked, "What do you want? The position of Immortal County Lord?"
Before you continue