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1950-chapter-31

The branches and leaves of the ancient dragon-blood tree covered the sky and sun, and it wasn’t until they escaped into the forest that Ning Ning realized it had started to rain.

The raindrops pattered through the gaps between the leaves, falling to the ground one by one, like tiny pearls glistening in the faint light.

On this rainy night, the mist was thick, and the fragrance of flowers surrounded the tree shadows. In the past, this would have been a captivating and beautiful sight, but now the entire forest is shrouded in a blood-red haze, creating an eerie and terrifying atmosphere.

It was as if they were immersed in a pool of blood, with blood droplets falling incessantly.

“This ten thousand-year-old tree has turned into a monster, and it has inexplicably been tainted by demonic energy. With our cultivation at the Golden Core stage, we will not be able to defeat it.”

Su Qinghan mused while lamenting how other people’s children were so lucky.

She then calmly analyzed the current situation: “Moreover, your junior brother is injured. If we start a fight, we won’t have the time to take care of him. It’s better to retreat first and find—”

Before she could finish her sentence, the rest of her words were stuck in her throat.

In just a moment, all the plants and trees in the forest suddenly stirred. It was as if they had received some kind of command, and vines and branches rose into the air, assuming an attacking posture.

“This is not good,” Su Qinghan said, her voice low. “It seems that this tree has grown powerful enough to control the entire forest. Unless we set this place on fire, we may not be able to get out.”

As soon as she spoke, the vines and branches in their line of sight rushed towards them.

This lush forest was now almost entirely under the control of the dragon-blood tree, making the danger all too clear.

The robust branches were unbelievably sturdy and surprisingly agile. With the pervasive blood mist, they had the strength to audition for the “Anaconda 3” movie.

With their appearance, even a real python might exclaim at how beautiful these little things were.

Flying on their swords was no longer an option to deal with this threat. Su Qinghan was about to sheathe her sword when Ning Ning called out, “Sister Su, wait!”

Confused, Su Qinghan listened as Ning Ning hurriedly added, “If we get entangled here, we’ll have no chance to escape. Let’s fly back!”

Su Qinghan’s eyes widened, and she quickly understood what Ning Ning meant.

With the entire forest now under the tree’s control, engaging in a life-and-death struggle with the surrounding vegetation would only leave them exhausted and vulnerable, at risk of being consumed by the tree’s vines.

It was clear that the key to resolving this crisis was to target the ten thousand-year-old dragon-blood tree.

Their swords quickly turned back. Although Pei Ji had been transformed into a bloody mess, most of his injuries were external, and with some determination, he could help them cut away the encroaching vines.

Of course, what counted as “determination” for him would be considered fatal for Ning Ning.

They hadn’t gone far, so their return was swift.

The appearance of the dragon-blood tree was now even more terrifying than before. The tree bark had split into several long and deep cracks, and the resin, like blood, dripped slowly down, forming the shape of a weeping face.

It was surreal, like walking onto the set of a horror film.

Sensing the presence of intruders, the ancient vine seemed to react sensibly, shifting its position. After seeing the intruders clearly, it trembled with a somewhat unexpected excitement.

“Junior sister Ning, it seems we’ll have to deal with this tree together with the three of us.”

What surprised Ning Ning was that Su Qinghan didn’t show the slightest trace of fear; instead, a smile began to form at the corner of her lips. She said with a slight smirk, “In my opinion, although the dragon-blood tree has a long lifespan, the power it’s using right now is demonic energy, not the accumulated spiritual power of ten thousand years. If we consider its demonic energy, it still falls short of ten thousand years of cultivation. If we give it our all, there’s a chance we might win.”

She said this with unrestrained excitement, her chest heaving, and the amusement in her eyes becoming more pronounced. “Even if we die here today, being able to spar with the famous ten thousand-year-old dragon-blood tree using our swordsmanship is a win for us. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. Finally, we’ve encountered some interesting opponents… How fortunate!”

Ning Ning looked at her with horror in her eyes.

Although there were rumors in the past that Su Qinghan of the Wanjian Sword Sect was a maniac sword enthusiast, one-track-minded in her pursuit of the sword, and had quite a wild personality, it was still surprising to witness it firsthand today.

Senior Sister Su, so you’re not just a single-minded, straight-laced woman; you’re this kind of Senior Sister Su?

Super good, but also super cool!

As the tree vines surged towards them, Ning Ning and Su Qinghan both sheathed their swords.

Ning Ning couldn’t help but worry about Pei Ji. When she looked at him, he averted his gaze as their eyes met, pursing his lips and stiffly saying, “No need for Senior Sister to worry.”

Having been ruthlessly exposed by Su Qinghan earlier, Ning Ning had lost her ability to communicate with Pei Ji normally. She made a small sound of acknowledgment and couldn’t be bothered to play along with the malicious antagonist role: “Don’t worry, I’ll find a way to get you out.”

She paused, then reluctantly added, “Don’t forget my spirit stones.”

After saying that, she walked forward with her sword. The dragon-blood tree was deeply rooted, and she had no idea how much spiritual energy it contained. Human cultivation was easily depleted, and to win, they had to fight quickly.

In the center of the weeping face on the tree trunk, there was a dark brown gemstone that looked like amber, emitting a mysterious and eerie light in the blood mist.

Su Qinghan nodded and said, “That should be a magic crystal. Destroying it can disrupt the foundation of the monster, similar to a human’s heart. Should we focus on that?”

Ning Ning nodded, and her Xinghen Sword emitted a buzzing sound as pure white light overflowed from the gem on the hilt.

“Xinghen Sword” emphasized the concept of speed.

As the swordlight scattered, it cut down several vines that were attacking them, creating a chilling gust of wind. However, the further she advanced, the more uneasy she felt.

Compared to the outer vines, the approaching branches were becoming stronger and sturdier. It was as if the previous attacks were just a feint, and the real purpose was to lure them in.

But for what reason did the dragon-blood tree want them to approach?

Just as she was thinking this, she suddenly felt a slight tremor beneath her feet.

Ning Ning’s heart skipped a beat, and she shouted, “Senior Sister Su, be careful!”

At the same time as her voice, there was another deafening roar.

The soil around the dragon-blood tree seemed to tremble, violently shaking, and something was faintly visible, about to break through the earth—

With a resounding crash, a tree root as thick as three people’s embrace suddenly shot up from the ground, heading straight for Ning Ning!

So that’s it.

The roots of the dragon-blood tree couldn’t extend freely. The reason it lured them closer was to ambush them and make them… become the nourishment on which the roots depended.

Ning Ning’s heart tightened, and she was about to strike with her sword when, unexpectedly, a sword energy flashed behind her, preemptively slicing the tree root into two pieces.

She had thought it was Su Qinghan, but then she smelled a strong and fresh scent of blood, and the air carried a faint, soapy fragrance, almost as if whatever was approaching was just inches away from her.

Ning Ning was about to turn around when her eyes were suddenly covered.

The young man’s hands seemed to have been carefully wiped clean, unlike the rest of his body, which was covered in bloodstains. In a daze, she heard a voice in her ear.

It was Pei Ji’s voice, cold and indifferent, as if he were forcibly suppressing some unbearable pain. Yet, it also contained a subtle softness that was not easily noticed, perhaps something he himself hadn’t even realized.

He said, “Close your eyes; don’t look.”

Ning Ning was momentarily stunned.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye, and Pei Ji quickly released his hold. However, even after he let go, Ning Ning still couldn’t see the surroundings clearly. It was as if there was a dim mist in front of her, and she could only see vague and shadowy figures.

The sound of the tree roots breaking through the soil echoed continuously, and the smell of blood around her grew stronger. She furrowed her brow and said, “Pei Ji!”

Ning Ning was blinded by the demonic energy he released and could not see the distant scenes clearly.

But Su Qinghan and the other elders who were watching through the mystic mirror could see everything clearly.

Someone stood up in shock, their voice trembling, “This…this is!”

Tian Xianzi furrowed his brow and, for the first time, put down the white jade pastry he had in his hand.

Pei Ji was willing to risk his life with this move.

This move would undoubtedly lead him to a dead end.

He was already severely injured, and now he was forcibly using all the remaining spiritual energy in his body to break through his sea of consciousness and unleash his full potential. Even if he could defeat the dragon-blood tree, he would be seriously injured and difficult to repair.

Moreover, the black energy shrouding him…

The young man was enveloped in a dense aura of demonic energy, as if an invisible barrier was protecting him.

The smoky black aura spread over his cold brows and eyes, making his pitch-black pupils appear dim and lifeless, resembling a calm and dangerous deep abyss that one couldn’t approach.

However, Pei Ji had previously held a young girl in his arms so carefully.

His already pale lips were almost devoid of color, and he furrowed his brow while silently reciting a spell in his heart.

It was an extremely bizarre and eerie scene. The demonic energy clung to the young man like an evil spirit escaping from the underworld, following him like a shadow. The thick bloodshot veins were as numerous as the tides, completely submerging the whites of his eyes. A drop of blood slowly flowed from the corner of his mouth, making his face even paler, like thin paper.

Pei Ji silently walked to Ning Ning’s side, discreetly shielding her behind him and gripping his longsword tightly.

The righteous sword energy and the unstoppable dark energy surged together, converging into a dazzling and contrasting radiance.

Layer after layer of swordlight cut through the thick blood mist around them like an unstoppable bolt of lightning, clearing away the piled-up branches and leaves on the trees. Raindrops fell and moistened the young man’s eyelashes, which were stained with blood.

Pei Ji raised his gaze, and in his jet-black pupils, a surging sword intent was combined with a bloodthirsty aura.

There was no trace of light or shadow, just a swift, traceless sword.

Breaking through the layers of thick vines only took an instant.

It only took this one sword that he staked his life on.

On the other side, Chang Yue Peak

After rescuing his good friend Xu Ye, whose anger had left him incoherent, He Zhizhou continued on his way with stumbling steps.

But what is he?

He’s afraid of heights.

Making someone who’s afraid of heights ride a sword and fly, with eyes behind him that could kill him with a single glance at any moment.

The level of difficulty in this situation was akin to making Calabash Boy recognize a snake demon as a grandfather, driving openly in Jinjiang Literature City, and even making it an NP-type story.

He flew in a daze, and tonight he would be embarking on a long journey. Unfortunately, he didn’t fly to a happy star but came to some godforsaken place that he didn’t recognize.

The reason he stopped here was purely because there was no more road ahead, just an endless expanse of the sea.

The moment the flying sword landed, He Zhizhou was as happy as a child. He hugged Xu Ye’s neck and said, “Ye, we’ve finally escaped from the clutches of the demon! All we have to do now is wait for Ning Ning to join us—wait, where is this place?”

Xu Ye, exhausted, pointed to the scratches on his face and weakly said, “Who did this?”

He Zhizhou chuckled awkwardly. “I’m sorry, it was me.”

“Then, this is here,” his expressionless face said as Xu Ye pointed to the bloodstains on his arm. “Who did this?”

He Zhizhou couldn’t speak and raised his right hand.

Xu Ye asked, “So do you think I’ve escaped the demon’s grasp now?”

“Ye, you can’t put it that way.”

He Zhizhou carefully comforted him: “Compared to the anomalies over there, He Zhizhou is just a minor nuisance. Look! I’ve brought you to this absolutely safe place. How could there be anything scarier than that forest—”

He didn’t finish his sentence and took a sharp intake of cold air. His entire body stiffened like a frozen popsicle, instantly becoming a straight line.

Xu Ye turned his head with a calm expression.

Xu Ye closed his eyes peacefully and was so frightened that he passed out.

In the half-empty space behind him, there was a giant bird, as large as a house. It had a naked body and a long tail, and its orange eyes were snake-like vertical pupils, emitting a faint light in the misty rain.

Those were the eyes of a carnivorous animal upon seeing its prey, a gaze that appeared naturally.

Seeing the giant bird swooping down, its sharp claws about to touch He Zhizhou’s body, a sudden burst of golden light flashed by, making him squint his eyes.

The giant bird let out a sharp cry and returned to hovering in the air, but its eerie pupils were still fixed firmly on their location.

So, what on earth is going on here?!

“Do not worry, dear one. With this Vajra shield protecting you, the Black Bird won’t harm you for the time being.”

He Zhizhou followed the voice and saw a young monk meditating not far away.

The young monk appeared to be only sixteen or seventeen years old, bald but still quite handsome, even in the eyes of He Zhizhou, who considered himself a straight man. His bright eyes, white porcelain-like face, and an aura of pure sanctity that was not to be offended made it impossible to look away.

Besides the young monk, there were five other unfamiliar cultivators, all shielded by Vajra shields.

“That’s a black bird that eats people, deliberately guarding this place.”

The monk smiled faintly at He Zhizhou, his youthful voice like a clear spring. “We cannot do anything to it, so we can only take shelter here.”

He Zhizhou quickly expressed his gratitude: “Thank you. May I ask who you are…?”

“This is Master Mingkong from the Fanyin Temple. Don’t you recognize him?”

It wasn’t the young monk who spoke, but one of the cultivators next to him. Seeing He Zhizhou shaking his head in confusion, he said in amazement, “Do you know that the Fanyin Temple currently possesses three supreme techniques?”

He Zhizhou was silent for a moment and asked tentatively, “So… Great Heavenly Dragon, Blessed Land Treasures, and the Prajna Buddhas, the Eightfold Path of Prajna?”

“The Great Emperor of Ten Thousand Buddhas, the Unnamed Calamity, and the Vajra Shield Technique”

The cultivator gave him a disdainful look and then laughed at Mingkong, currying favor in his tone. “Among them, the Vajra Shield technique is the most difficult. Ordinary Buddhist cultivators need at least a hundred years to reach the third level. But our Master Mingkong here only took ten years!”

Ten years.

That was indeed a genius!

He Zhizhou transformed into a little fanboy and continued to ask curiously, “What about the other techniques?”

The scene fell into an eerie silence.

Mingkong smiled as he gazed at He Zhizhou, a picture of serenity and transcendence. His impeccable features were bathed in a soft, ethereal light, making him look as pure as a snow-covered mountain flower, a true embodiment of Buddhahood.

He Zhizhou saw him raise his right hand with a smile, circling it around his clean and shiny bald head.

Like a round duck egg.

The meaning was clear: I don’t know any of them, which is surprising, isn’t it?

“After all, they are the three supreme techniques. Achieving proficiency in one of them is already impressive.”

The cultivator rubbed his hands and smiled, staring closely at Mingkong’s profile. “Besides these three, I’m sure the rest of Master Mingkong’s techniques are equally godly, aren’t they?”

Mingkong gave him a faint glance.

Then Mingkong smiled with pursed lips and raised both hands simultaneously.

He proceeded to draw two more circles around his eyes, like panda eye circles, forming two more rounds around his eye sockets.

This action looked a bit silly, and He Zhizhou couldn’t help but laugh.

Oh, the little monk is quite humorous and mischievous.

— So, are all your other techniques at level 0? Are you specialized like this? And yet you can laugh about it; is this what a genius from your Fanyin Temple is like? He Zhizhou was probably shocked to see someone even more unreliable than himself and immediately gave him a thumbs up.

“As long as others don’t provoke me, I won’t provoke them. Those who seek the Buddha’s guidance should be free, go with the flow, and be themselves. I already have self-defense techniques; why harm others?”

Mingkong maintained his lotus position, his youthful voice as clear as a spring. “With the Vajra Shield technique, that’s enough.”

Over there, the other cultivator had already started shouting, saying things like “Master Mingkong truly lives up to his name” and “A compassionate monk,” but He Zhizhou thought that guy might have a few screws loose.

Mingkong glanced at everyone with his narrowed eyes. His pristine voice contained no hint of anxiety or panic. “You don’t need to worry, dear ones. To become Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, one must first be humble, like cattle and horses. Every injury is a maturation. Only by passing through this difficulty can you progress further in your spiritual practice.”

He Zhizhou fell silent.

Buddy, that’s not maturation.

You’re about to get roasted right now.

He couldn’t help but complain in his mind, and as Xu Ye seemed to regain consciousness, he moved slightly.

At the same time, the carnivorous Black Bird, unwilling to let its prey escape, dived down. It faced the golden, shimmering shield between them and locked eyes with He Zhizhou.

So when Xu Ye woke up, he saw his usually unreliable brother, He Zhizhou, and the legendary Black Bird in a standoff. After a moment of silence, He Zhizhou shouted boldly, “Don’t look at me! If you turn me into food, you’ll regret it!”

Xu Ye thought he was dreaming.

How could He Zhizhou be so brave now? Maybe he’s just used to being playful and silly every day, but when faced with danger—

He didn’t even finish the sentence.

He saw He Zhizhou, with a fierce expression, took out a strand of Snake Shadow Grass, known for its extreme bitterness and foul odor, from his bag. He didn’t hesitate to crush it into a pulp and smear it all over his face.

Real bitterness.

Xu Ye:…

Are you sick,brother? Whose idea of experiencing bitterness involves actually smearing it on their face and then giving it to someone else? This is like handing it to them directly. Come on, show some resistance!

What he didn’t expect was that the Black Bird seemed to understand his words. After a slight pause, it turned its gaze away indifferently.

The Liuming Mountain talisman cultivator trembled as he was stared at by two orange pupils.

“Don’t look at me! I’m made of iron! My belly is filled with unchewable stuff! He’s a better choice! He’s a scumbag, and he’ll be easier to swallow.” — Baocai! I’ve picked up a ghost on Liuming Mountain!!

(T/N: I’m not sure whether this name is related to one of the principal characters in the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber, Xue Baochai.)

No way, no way, has He Zhizhou’s foolishness become contagious? Are all of you talisman cultivators like this? What’s wrong with this world?

“Pah!”

Standing up gracefully under the pointing fingers, Mei Xiu exclaimed, “Master Black Bird, do you need a lesson? People often call me cold-hearted, but this blood is colder than a thief’s frozen teeth.”

The enigmatic bird’s peculiar pupils curled slightly, carrying a hint of humor.

Mei Xiu would never forget. After saying the above words, the beast that controlled life and death sneered, and in a tone as despairing as black and white impermanence, he told him, “It’s okay; I only devour acquaintances.”

Mei Xiu’s heart was walking straight down the road with that statement.

Too terrifying, too terrifying.

Xu Ye listened in astonishment. This group of cultivators was far from normal, and even the Black Bird had been led astray. The only one who seemed relatively serious on the scene…

It seemed to be Master Mingkong from the Fanyin Temple.

He is a well-known genius and the master of the Vajra Shield technique. Besides, Buddhist cultivators are generally serious and won’t create any oddities.

So he endured the pain and moved closer to Mingkong, asking, “Master, what’s the current situation?”

“Why do tears often fill the eyes of the donor?” Mingkong lowered his gaze to meet his eyes, wrinkling his brows with immense affection. His voice was as clear as mountain spring water. “If I were a little deer in the mountains, I would surely die from the intense sorrow in your eyes.”

After a pause, he continued, “Why not join me in looking at the starry sky, observing this heavenly rain, as the Buddha says, ‘Who is the cause, and who is the effect? Cause and effect—ah, this mountain. Ah, this water.'”

Xu Ye: Damn, can you speak human language?

So, you added that completely useless mountain and water part because you couldn’t come up with anything else, right? It lacks coherence and makes no sense! The Buddha never said that, right?

The pitiable little deer Mingkong had nothing to worry about, but he was almost scared to death.

He heard people nearby shouting “three short one,” and by this time the flowers had withered.

So these were the elite disciples of the major sects, and he loved them, he loved them.

The young sword cultivator, whose worldview had been severely shaken, had a blank expression and found a quiet corner to squat down silently.

He felt lonely, pitiful, and helpless, like a baby abandoned by the world. His only concern was his senior sister, Su Qinghan, about whom he didn’t know where she was now.

Senior sister, do you know?

In the green sky, while waiting for the rain, your bright starlight is waiting for you.

 

(T/N:Calabash Boy is from the Chinese cartoon series, which aired around 1990. The snake spirit is a mortal enemy of the Calabash boy. Thus,the words “the level of difficulty in this situation was akin to making Calabash Boy recognize a snake demon as a grandfather, making He zhizhou who is afraid of height, fly using a sword, which is very hard, as hard as Calabash Boy recognizing the snake spirit, which is his mortal enemy, as grandpa.

Np means no couple. Cp means couple, which you ship. You think they make a great couple, so you ship them. These terms are also used irl, not only in novels but usually on idols, actors, and other entertainment personas. So writing a no-couple novel and posting it in Jinjiang Literature City is very hard.)

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