Chapter 1783: Mu Jiao

The Mortal World

Whoosh...

A cold wind swept across the wilderness.

First, a silver-white sword light streaked across the sky, followed shortly by a flash of green. As the two streaks of light soared past, vegetation on both sides swayed, and two figures darted by.

Qin Sang and the other three followed the Sword-Wielding Master, who led the way. They kept a certain distance from each other to prevent being caught off guard by sudden mishaps. In fact, they had only been in the Sinister Barrens for three days. Generally, they wouldn't encounter Nascent Soul-level ferocious beasts, so this precaution was merely out of habitual caution. Powerful ferocious beasts usually roamed only in the deeper parts of the Sinister Barrens, rarely appearing on the fringes. Their intrusion into Ju Mountain Prefecture was even rarer. If Nascent Soul-level ferocious beasts were to lurk nearby, even powerful sects like the Daoist Gate would find it a major headache.

Although Zhongmao Prefecture, Baishi Prefecture, and Ju Mountain Prefecture were connected, vast border areas still adjoined the Sinister Sea and the Sinister Barrens, leading to frequent attacks by ferocious beasts. To Qin Sang's knowledge, the mountain gods and river gods under the Daoist Court's jurisdiction had cultivations no higher than the Form Transformation stage. Unless the Daoist Court deployed all immortal officials of the fourth rank and above to guard the borders, there would never be peace within their territory.

Thud!

Qin Sang pressed his palm against the brow of an ape demon. The ape demon silently crumpled to the ground. His figure didn't pause; he floated past, his gaze like lightning, scanning the vicinity. Along the way, although ferocious beasts were numerous, he rarely had to take action.

Ferocious beasts weren't entirely devoid of reason. Rather, as their cultivation advanced and time passed, they were gradually corroded by the 'Old Qi of Six Heavens' until they lost their minds. Low-level ferocious beasts were only slightly more ferocious, cruel, and bloodthirsty than regular demonic beasts, but not by much. Even true ferocious beasts retained their instinct for self-preservation. Sensing the aura emitted by Qin Sang and his companions, they scattered like birds and beasts.

Cultivators entering the Sinister Barrens also wouldn't lose their minds within a short period. Even staying in the deep parts of the Sinister Barrens for over a decade wouldn't cause them to lose their sanity. However, once they exceeded the limits of the Talisman Altar, and the Old Qi of Six Heavens took root in their Nascent Soul, it became extremely difficult to expel. This change was subtle; cultivators might not feel any abnormality for a while, and it wouldn't hinder their cultivation, but it had already become a hidden danger. As their Dao cultivation deepened, it would eventually erupt, leading to irreversible regret. Therefore, cultivators entering the Sinister Barrens either planned ahead or brought ample spiritual pills.

Initially, the four occasionally exchanged messages via spiritual communication, but later it became a monotonous journey. After traveling for over a month, the deeper they went into the Sinister Barrens, the wilder the surrounding landscape became.

"There's a mountain ahead. Further on, we might encounter ferocious beasts comparable to our cultivation level. It's still quiet around here, so let's rest and recuperate for a while," the Sword-Wielding Master's message came. He abruptly accelerated, and the others quickly followed. Before long, they arrived at the mountain.

Upon seeing the scene on the mountaintop, a flicker of surprise crossed Qin Sang's eyes, but the Sword-Wielding Master and the others seemed unfazed. They leaped to the summit, each finding a rock to sit cross-legged on. Qin Sang was the last to arrive, landing on a black rock beside the others. The black rock beneath him was square and sharply angled. Qin Sang spread his divine sense and found that there were quite a few such black rocks nearby, though most were severely damaged and scattered across the mountain slopes. These black rocks could not have formed naturally; they were clearly man-made.

Observing the traces on the mountaintop, Qin Sang made another discovery. "This place... it seems to be the ruins of a Daoist temple or monastery..." This greatly surprised Qin Sang. This place was not near Ju Mountain Prefecture; four Nascent Soul cultivators had traveled for a month, albeit not at full speed due to various concerns. Golden Core cultivators would certainly not dare to linger here. Who would build a Daoist temple in a place like this?

Moreover, Qin Sang noticed that the ruins were very ancient, an old temple. Traces indicated it had been occupied by ferocious beasts after being abandoned, but for some reason, this lair was now also deserted.

"Could it be that cultivators once inhabited the Sinister Barrens?" Qin Sang's thoughts raced. He even suspected that this place, like Ju Mountain Prefecture, was originally within the Daoist Gate's sphere of influence. With this conjecture, Qin Sang couldn't help but make more associations. Since there was a Daoist temple, it indicated that this place was once suitable for cultivators. Why then did it turn into the Sinister Barrens?

Just then, the Sword-Wielding Master shifted his gaze to Qin Sang and said, "Fellow Daoist Qingfeng, be mindful of stabilizing your mind later on."

"Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist. I understand the dangers," Qin Sang replied, bowing slightly. He cast aside his distracting thoughts and sat cross-legged. Protected by the Jade Buddha, he had no need to worry, yet he still maintained appearances, occasionally taking a spiritual pill when venturing deeper into the Sinister Barrens.

After recuperating, they continued their journey. Unexpectedly, not long after leaving the mountain, they encountered their first Nascent Soul-level ferocious beast!

Roar!

A roar came from ahead. Perhaps due to the great distance, it sounded somewhat muffled. But the powerful might contained within the roar sent a strong warning signal to the four, causing them to stop immediately.

It was precisely nightfall. Moonlight spilled like water. The northern mountains and wilderness were shrouded in darkness. Large swathes of dark clouds seemed to gather in the sky, stirred by the wind, slowly pressing down towards their location.

True Master Youhuang flicked her jade-like finger, and a green light shot from her fingertip, transforming into a talisman shadow in mid-air before vanishing into an ancient tree on the ground. The ancient tree withered instantly. Then, a phantom wooden figure leaped out from the decaying wood. Others could barely sense the wooden figure's aura, or rather, its aura had merged with the mountains and forest. The wooden figure bowed to True Master Youhuang, then burrowed into the ground and vanished.

Qin Sang noted True Master Youhuang's actions and couldn't help but take a second look. Previously, whenever they encountered ferocious beasts, Qin Sang and True Master Guyun generally dealt with them easily, leaving True Master Youhuang few opportunities to act. This time, she cast a divine talisman, but without revealing her Talisman Altar.

"This divine talisman is one of True Master Youhuang's core true talismans, most adept at reconnaissance. We'll have results shortly...," the Sword-Wielding Master explained via spiritual message. Only divine talismans that carried Daoist decrees could be called core true talismans. True Master Youhuang had already received a third-rank Daoist decree, hence she possessed three core true talismans.

Qin Sang pondered for a moment, then voiced the question in his mind. In their eyes, he was a rogue cultivator who had luckily broken through, so a limited understanding was normal.

The Sword-Wielding Master explained, "You'll understand once you receive a third-rank Daoist decree. At the Grotto-Profound Dharma Rank, the Talisman Altar gradually stabilizes. As long as the spell is thoroughly mastered, there's no need to summon the Talisman Altar even when casting a core true talisman. However, if the spell hasn't been completely comprehended, one must summon the Talisman Altar to utilize its power. Of course, this only applies to the Golden Seal Altar..."

Hearing this, Qin Sang secretly nodded. No wonder he hadn't seen the Sword-Wielding Master summon his Talisman Altar before. One of the advantages of the Golden Seal Altar over the Military Altar was that there was no need for prior troop deployment; spells could be cast instantly with a thought.

"However," the Sword-Wielding Master's tone suddenly shifted, "it is said that when the Military Altar is cultivated to its depths, one can also bypass the step of summoning soldiers, directly communicating with the altar's forces to instantly form arrays."

True Master Guyun sneered, "This Daoist has yet to see such a master. Who knows if it's true or false."

As they spoke, a green shadow leaped out of the ground and entered True Master Youhuang's palm. True Master Youhuang's face lit up with joy. "It's a wood dragon! Its aura is only slightly stronger than ours, and there are no other demon marquis-level ferocious beasts nearby."

"A wood dragon? Fellow Daoist, do you intend to use this dragon's demon core to forge your altar?" the Sword-Wielding Master guessed True Master Youhuang's intention. True Master Youhuang cultivated the Wood Element Daoist Decree. To forge a third-rank Talisman Altar, the required spiritual materials were either rare heavenly treasures or the essence blood, bones, and demon cores of demon marquises. How could the demon marquises of the Ghost Fang Kingdom be so easily killed? A perfectly suitable ferocious beast was also extremely rare, hence True Master Youhuang's delight.

"Mid-stage Grotto-Profound Dharma Rank. What do you two think?" the Sword-Wielding Master looked at Qin Sang and True Master Guyun. True Master Guyun stretched his neck, his battle intent erupting powerfully, his stance self-evident. Qin Sang also nodded in agreement. All four of them were at the early Nascent Soul stage of cultivation. Hunting a ferocious beast comparable to a Thunder Turtle should pose no danger.

"Many thanks to the three Fellow Daoists for your assistance," True Master Youhuang said with a smile, bowing to them. They immediately flew towards the ferocious beast, discussing their plan, when they suddenly detected the aura of cultivators below.

The Sword-Wielding Master said in a low voice, "Let's send these people away first." They had come for the demon marquis and did not want to reveal their identities prematurely.

Inside a mountain cave. Three Daoists were busy, their faces etched with anxiety. One of them summoned a Talisman Altar and continuously launched divine talismans towards the cave entrance, gradually forming a pitch-black light barrier. Before the other two lay an incense burner. Jointly activating it, thick smoke filled the small cave. Both the smoke and the light barrier had the ability to conceal auras. All three were Ascending-Profound True Masters.

"Senior Brother, the ferocious beast won't discover us, will it?" the female cultivator on the left of the incense burner asked timidly.

"I wish we hadn't come so deep. We haven't even had time to erase our traces outside, and there are clearly very few demon marquis-level ferocious beasts here," complained the Daoist busy sealing the cave entrance.

The last Daoist, a middle-aged man, sensed the aura outside before saying, "Junior Brother, Junior Sister, don't worry. The stronger a ferocious beast is, the lower its intelligence. It's impossible for it to find us through traces. We'll be safe once it flies past."

His words had barely fallen. Suddenly, a cold snort, accompanied by astonishing pressure, descended. "You have quite some nerve to come here."

Whoosh!

The trio's expressions changed dramatically. They shot to their feet but found no other figures. The middle-aged Daoist bowed to the void. "We did not know Senior was here. We apologize for disturbing Senior while avoiding ferocious beasts. We hope Senior will not be angry. We will leave immediately once the beast flies away."

"No need to wait. Leave now; it won't find you," the voice said, utterly cold yet beyond doubt. The three exchanged glances, filled with indignation and worry, yet the invisible pressure stifled any thought of resistance. With heavy hearts, the three opened the talisman restriction at the cave entrance and began to walk out, but they were called to a halt by the mysterious person.

"Wait! How long have you been here, and have you noticed anything unusual?"

The middle-aged Daoist's expression brightened. He quickly said, "We arrived here ten days ago. Earlier, a large pack of ferocious beasts rushed out from the deep parts of the Sinister Barrens. We observed them for a few days and, seeing no other abnormalities, took a chance and didn't retreat."

The four figures in mid-air exchanged glances. "That place is even further north; it shouldn't affect us this quickly, should it?" True Master Guyun said, his voice tinged with suspicion.

"Perhaps someone acted midway? Without further ado, let's slay the wood dragon and depart as soon as possible," the Sword-Wielding Master commanded. The group immediately split up, each taking their assigned position.

The three Ascending-Profound True Masters emerged from the cave. Seeing that the wood dragon had changed its flying direction and indeed hadn't noticed them, they were overjoyed and fled the area without looking back.

"It's coming!"

In a valley, Qin Sang and True Master Guyun stood on opposing peaks, watching the approaching dark clouds. In front of the dark clouds, a slender green shadow appeared and disappeared intermittently.

True Master Guyun extended his arm and gripped, black light shimmering as a long spear suddenly appeared in his palm. The spirit spear was pitch-black throughout, with a cold sheen, and its sharp edge faintly emitted a bloody glow. One look was enough to know it was a peerless weapon of destruction. Clutching the spirit spear, True Master Guyun's battle intent surged, accumulating layer upon layer. Compared to him, Qin Sang was much more restrained. He did not activate his Spiritwood Body; golden light merely circulated on his body as he activated the Vajra Heavenly Armor Seal.

Roar!

An enraged dragon's roar reverberated, deafening them. The dark clouds churned, and a slender figure, nearly a hundred zhang long, burst forth. Its massive eyes shot out terrifying malevolence, a sharp horn adorned its head, and its entire body was covered in thick, greenish-blue scales.

Swoosh!

The wood dragon suddenly lashed its long tail, as if cleaving a green chasm in the void. At that moment, Qin Sang and True Master Guyun's hearts heavily thumped, not to mention True Master Youhuang, who was directly facing the wood dragon. For Nascent Soul cultivators, every increment in cultivation brought a proportionally stronger surge of Heaven and Earth's might. Though the wood dragon was a ferocious beast, its every movement instinctively utilized the might of Heaven and Earth to suppress its enemies, and it struck without holding back.

In True Master Youhuang's eyes, this was no mere dragon tail. In an instant, terrifying pressure descended with the dragon's tail. True Master Youhuang felt as if she had fallen into a mire. This strike seemed capable of shattering the void and erasing her from this world. True Master Youhuang, already prepared, remained calm. Her body swayed, transforming into a talisman shadow out of thin air.

Crack!

The dragon's tail swept past, and the talisman shadow shattered on the spot. At the same time, countless fist-sized green light points floated up from the jungle floor. These points converged, forming a human figure, which was True Master Youhuang. True Master Youhuang was unharmed, but this act enraged the wood dragon. The wood dragon roared as it plunged downwards, the malevolence in its eyes becoming so dense that its two eyes turned white.

The next moment, all the vegetation ignited from within with pale white flames. White flames shot skyward, yet strangely, the jungle within the sea of fire remained completely unharmed. True Master Youhuang's face paled slightly. She felt a strange power continuously emerging within her, as if it intended to burn away all her vital essence, and she hastily cast spells to suppress it.

At this moment, the wood dragon descended from the sky, its flames raging fiercely, enough to incinerate the heavens. The wood dragon's true body was invisible to the naked eye; only an overwhelming sea of white flames engulfed this part of the world.

"Vile beast! Why do you not accept death!"

Suddenly, a thunderous roar erupted. True Master Guyun glared furiously at the white flames, his battle intent exploding. He leaped forward, like a fierce tiger unleashed from its cage. With a flick of his wrist, he fiercely hurled the spirit spear, which transformed into a black bolt of lightning. The spirit spear spun rapidly, its powerful force creating a black vortex at its tip. The vortex grew larger and larger; merely grazing a mountain peak, it caused half of it to collapse. The sounds of wind and thunder roared, instantly rushing into the white flames, blasting open a black hole within the sea of fire.

The wood dragon was exposed within the black hole. Just then, a figure appeared by the wood dragon's side; it was Qin Sang, forming the Demonic Annihilation Seal with his hand.

At this moment, a peculiar look suddenly flashed in Qin Sang's eyes. So close to the wood dragon, and with a cultivation level one stage lower, he surprisingly felt no suppression from the might of Heaven and Earth emanating from it.

"How is this possible?" Qin Sang was also extremely surprised; even at his peak, he would have to avoid the Thunder Turtle's direct attack. In a flash, Qin Sang quickly traced the source and was astonished to find that the power of his Dharma Idol within his body was vibrating.