Chapter 426 Temporarily Leaving the Five Continents
Is this the mission given by Senior Brother?
“How tiring.”
The sun was setting in the west. In front of a medicinal shop with the sign ‘medicine’ hanging on it, Ling’e, who was dressed in a light blue cloth robe and had a disguised face, stretched in the afterglow of the setting sun. Her beautiful figure was reflected on the stone path that was covered in moss.
The pa.s.sers-by immediately looked at them kindly. A middle-aged woman with a bamboo basket called out, “Miss Lan, go to Aunt’s house for dinner tonight!” Ling’e smiled and rejected her, “No, I still have to prepare the herbs I need tomorrow. I’m too busy to leave.”
The woman hurriedly agreed and reminded her to take care of her health and not work too hard. Then, she left slowly. Ling’e returned to the stone house and closed the wooden door. She casually placed a few restrictions and could not help but yawn. At that moment, the table, and the wooden cabinet in the corner of the room were all filled with paper bags.
They were carefully labeled with cla.s.sifications and usage. She had disguised herself as Lan Xing’er and lived in the town for half a year as an ‘Apothecary’. In half a year, she had hunted 99 Perfected Immortal realm demons, including a few Heaven Immortal realm demons. Every time Ling’e attacked, she would take advantage of the darkness at night. The paper effigy would throw poison from afar and burn the corpses to destroy the traces. Then, she would quietly return, causing the demons to quickly fall into panic. Although she had only killed 99 demons with her own hands, she had scared away half of the demons there and relieved most of the pressure in Chentang Town.
Tonight, Ling’e would eliminate the last target that she had locked onto and leave Chentang Town quietly. In order to avoid the “awkward” situation of being sent off when she left, Ling’e chose to leave without saying anything. She had done what she could and had been sent there by Li Changshou. There was nothing to thank her for. Before she came to Chentang Town, Ling’e had already expected that there should be some medicine lacking in that place. Therefore, she had bought a large number of pills that mortals could use in the town. In less than a month, she had used them up. Ling’e immediately went to the town to “replenish” the goods. However, she thought that she would not stay in Chentang Town for long. She could help for a while, but she could not help for a lifetime. After thinking for a few days, Ling’e finally found a clear path!
Using the paper effigy’s method, she collected many herbs and prescriptions in the mortal world and the town and left them to Chentang Town. In the afternoon, Ling’e took out some of the Spirit Stones that Ao Yi had given her and entrusted them to the elders in Chentang Town. The reason why she did not leave all the Spirit Stones there was because she was afraid that those Spirit Stones would bring disaster to Chentang Town. When Ling’e was considering this matter, she had already done her best.
“I’m leaving.” Ling’e’s slender fingers brushed past the edge of the wooden table, and her eyes were filled with emotions. It was as if she could see the children playing around at the table, and the injured people whose eyes were filled with numbness. She smiled warmly once again… She also saw the mortal guards fighting the demonic beasts. She saw the weak women who put down their hoes and picked up their spears.
Immortal cultivation was about apt.i.tude. Not everyone could do it. Therefore, Ling’e could see the desire for power in the eyes of the men and women who were guarding the place.
Her immortal senses scanned hundreds of kilometers in the southwest direction. There was a large city there. The mortals there lived in peace, and the rich and powerful lived in luxury. It was a stark contrast to Chentang Town. Ling’e had also asked the elders of that place why the mortals of Chentang Town did not abandon that place and retreat to the mainland.
The elder replied, “That’s the teachings of the ancestors. If we retreat, the demons will chase after us. That way, more people will die, and more demons will come after hearing the news. Can mortals outrun those demons? They definitely can’t. That would be terrible.” Ling’e did not continue asking. After returning to her residence, she thought for a long time and her Dao heart was perfected. “This is probably the reason Senior Brother asked me to come here.”
Ling’e picked up her pen and wrote a letter. She read it carefully and went to the small courtyard at the back of the house. In the past half a year, apart from witnessing how the mortals there fought against the demons, she had also encountered many interesting things. What made Ling’e caught between laughter and tears was that when she was moving around in the town, she had used a mask to cover her face. She had also shown her cultivation level to be at the Essence Immortal realm. Moreover, she was the weaker one, making herself look very ordinary. However, in the past half a year, she had still received confessions from six men. Ling’e found it strange. She thought that there would be some ripples and a crack in her Dao heart. However, every time a man confessed to her, Lingle would be extremely calm. She would list facts and reason with the other party. She would say that she had been carrying a torch for someone since a long time ago and that she was now cultivating outside to train. She would also encourage them to find their own happiness.
When she came back to her senses and carefully thought about it, she realized that her heart had already been filled by Li Changshou. She could not tolerate any traces of others. “Stupid Senior Brother, you insisted on letting me train outside for three years.”
Ling’e muttered to herself and used Earth Escape. She quietly left and headed towards the East Ocean.
After she left Chentang Town and found a secluded place to hide, she activated the paper effigy that was 500 kilometers away and injected the Heaven Immortal Poison into a Heaven Immortal realm demon beast that had already fainted. After dealing with the corpse and collecting the remnant souls, the paper effigy burned itself underground
Ling’e took out the jade token that her senior brother had given her and took a deep breath. Please don’t be a time-consuming mission, don’t be a time-consuming mission, don’t be a time-consuming mission! Ling’e muttered in her heart thrice. She opened her eyes and looked inside.
Eh?
Why is there no change? Ling’e tilted her head. ‘Could it be that there are demons who were just there to make up the numbers? Or do I need to use my main body to kill a hundred Perfected Immortal realm demons? However, it would not be safe to use my main body rashly…’
“Ahem!”
There was a sudden commotion beside her. Ling’e burrowed into the ground and fled thousands of feet away. However, she quickly stopped and sized up the figure where she was standing with her immortal senses.
“Senior Brother?”
“It’s me,” Li Changshou answered calmly.
“Huh?”
Ling’e sent a voice transmission. “I don’t believe you. How can you prove it?”
Li Changshou said, “Someone’s highest bath record is twelve times a day. When she was 13 years old, she was bitten by a snake and cried for six hours. At 17 years old, she learned to sew some soft cloth in her inner s.h.i.+rt…”
“Senior Brother!”
Ling’e shouted loudly and floated out of the ground. She jumped back with her hands behind her back and giggled. “Mission completed! Can I return to the sect now?”
“This is only the first mission.” Li Changshou pulled the jade token from her hand and wiped away the words on it, revealing the second line of small words. He also changed some of the content.
Ling’e could not help but lower her head and hold her forehead.
It was written directly!
Li Changshou stuffed the jade token back into Ling’e’s palm and smiled. “I wanted to knock you unconscious before writing the second chapter. This time, I saw that you performed well and completed the first stage of the trial. I omitted this segment. How was it? How did you gain in the past six months?” Ling’e pursed her lips and chuckled. She took off her mask and put on her disguise. With her hands behind her back, she walked around Li Changshou twice and giggled non-stop. Her eyes were almost smiling. “Senior Brother, there are six people who want to become my Dao companion. Six.”
Li Changshou flicked his fingers and accurately hit Ling’e’s head. She was in so much pain that she almost cried.
“If you like someone, I can go and look for Elder Moon to help you. How about that?”
“Stupid Senior Brother, I was just joking.” Lingle grumbled and muttered softly, “I still want to stay by your side. Senior Brother, don’t chase me away.” Li Changshou smiled warmly and said seriously, “The second trial is a little dangerous. Remember not to force yourself. If you complete the three trials in advance, you can return to the sect early if you don’t want to stay outside.”
“What trial?”
Ling’e lowered her head and looked at the jade token in her hand. When she saw the line of words, she could not help but be shocked. She hurriedly looked up, but her vision was empty. Where was Li Changshou? It was as if he had never appeared. Ling’e mistakenly thought that it was a dream. Ling’e looked at the jade token in her hand and frowned. “Follow this map and find an island. Without exposing your whereabouts, rescue Youqin Xuanya, who is trapped by the demons.”
“Senior Sister Youqin, why…” Ling’e did not dare to stay for long. She hurriedly escaped and entered the East Ocean. She followed the map in the jade token and rushed to the deserted island.
Not far behind Ling’e, the paper effigy army continued to follow.
In fact, what Ling’e did not know was that the reason why the demons were so panicked during the half-year trial was mainly because the strongest few old demons in the Golden Immortal realm had disappeared overnight.
He yawned. In the backyard of the Tus.h.i.+ta Palace, Great Daoist Master Xuan Du, who was under the tree, tried his best to focus. He looked at the two images that were simultaneously displayed on the mirror in front of him.
On the left was Ling’e moving quickly at the bottom of the sea. On the right was Li Changshou and Bai Ze, who were writing something on the table beside the pool.
The Great Daoist Master was supervising the entire process. Naturally, he knew that his junior brother and Bai Ze had been discussing continuously for the past six months and had made a plan to suppress the demons.
The contents of the plan were rather complicated. They had to take a few steps to implement it. They had to use the destiny of the human race, the Human Emperor’s merit, and the Heavenly Courts’ Heavenly Rules to prevent the Middle Continent Immortal Sect from controlling the mortal factions of the South Continent.
“Where did Changgeng’s strange ideas come from?”
The Great Daoist Master muttered to himself in the mirror and laughed.
He raised his finger and flicked it gently. The image in the cloud mirror changed, and the image on the right changed to a deserted island. On the deserted island, a few young men and women were trapped on the stone pillar. Youqin Xuanya was among them. Youqin Xuanya’s hands were tied by the immortal rope. She raised her head and hung in mid-air. The aura on her body was extremely weak, but she would glance at her surroundings from time to time. The realm that she displayed was only at the mid-stage of the Perfected Immortal realm.
There were black shadows hidden in the seawater of the deserted island. Demonic aura and immortal power mixed together, as if they were waiting for someone to rescue them. The Great Daoist Master smiled calmly and perked up. He was waiting for the show to begin.
Half a day later, Ling’e arrived at the nearby sea without stopping. Her immortal senses locked onto the deserted island where Youqin Xuanya was. She hid hundreds of kilometers away and did not dare to move forward. She transformed into a fish and mixed among the fish, carefully thinking of a solution. Senior Sister Youqin is playing along with Senior Brother’s acting?
It must be the case.
Senior Sister Youqin is the center of attention in the sect. It was impossible for the sect to not react after she was captured. Furthermore…
Ling’e looked at Youqin Xuanya’s tattered dress with her immortal senses and frowned slightly.
She had been in the mortal world for half a year. What had she not seen?!
Given Youqin Xuanya’s beauty, how could she be unharmed after being captured!?!
There are many bad people in the world.
The main point was! This place was less than 5,000 kilometers away from the East Ocean Crystal Palace. If anything happened, the experts of the dragon race would definitely rush over in time. It was completely in line with Li Changshou’s personality!
The stage that Senior Brother set up was a little too crude.
Ling’e pondered for a while and had an idea in her heart. She carefully investigated the surroundings of the deserted island and figured out the background of the “powerful enemy”. As her senior brother did not give her a time limit, Ling’e was not in a hurry to attack. She wanted to give him a satisfactory answer.
Hence, one day later, Ling’e used a diversion tactic to first use a paper effigy to pretend to pa.s.s by by chance. She floated in the air and flew near the deserted island to attract the other party’s attention.
She used Water Escape and circled around the seabed before arriving at the edge of the deserted island.
There were no restrictions there, which made Lingle smile secretly. However, Ling’e’s Dao heart was filled with vigilance. She hid in the crack of the rock and did not move, in case she was schemed against by her senior brother. After waiting quietly for an hour, she secretly used Earth Escape and approached Youqin Xuanya. However, the reef in front of her was extremely st.u.r.dy. Earth Escape could not penetrate it. A small-scale Five-Element Array! Wouldn’t it cost Spirit Stones to set up the array? Can’t he just set up a fake one for the sake of the trial?
Ling’e cursed in her heart and observed quietly for a while. Her body turned into a wisp of smoke and disappeared… After a while, a small b.u.t.terfly flapped its wings and landed on Youqin Xuanya’s back. It used her long hair to cover itself.
Ling’e shouted in a hoa.r.s.e voice, “Fairy Youqin! Fairy Youqin!”
“Huh?” Youqin Xuanya’s body trembled slightly. She muttered in a weak voice, “Who…”
“I… am Ming Jia, I’m familiar with your master. I pa.s.sed by this place today and saw that you were trapped. I came to save you.”
Ling’e continued, “Later, I will untie the immortal rope for you. Fairy, charge 300 feet to the left. I can bring you out of this place using an escape technique!”
“Thank you, Senior!”
“It’s a small matter, a small matter.”
The b.u.t.terfly that Ling’e had transformed into flapped its wings gently and the immortal rope untied itself.
Youqin Xuanya’s raised hands fell to the ground. However, her immortal power was too weak and she could not circulate it well. She immediately fell forward and prostrated on the ground.
Such realistic acting skills…
The little b.u.t.terfly that Ling’e had transformed into was shocked. It immediately used a layer of immortal power to wrap Youqin Xuanya.
At this moment!
Amidst the thunder, pillars of water exploded on the surface of the sea around the deserted island. Dozens of black shadows soared into the sky, holding weapons that were s.h.i.+ning with cold light in their hands. Dozens of streams of light were already smas.h.i.+ng towards Youqin Xuanya! Ling’e panicked and was about to forcefully fly up with Youqin Xuanya. However, before Ling’e could do anything, golden rays of light suddenly surged out of Youqin Xuanya’s body. A golden pillar of light connected to the sea! In the golden light, Youqin Xuanya opened her arms and quickly floated up. She closed her eyes and raised her head. Her long hair danced behind her back. Her beautiful face was so pure and holy.
“Alright, stop!” A shout came from the side. The golden light slowly dissipated. The black shadows that were originally charging over aggressively also landed in various places and closed their eyes. Paper… paper effigy? The little b.u.t.terfly that Ling’e had transformed into was completely engulfed by the shadows. She was a little stunned and could not snap back to her senses for a long time. What’s going on… When Youqin Xuanya took a deep breath, Li Changshou’s Golden Immortal paper effigy flew over from afar. He held a Shadow-Retaining Ball in his hand and smiled.
“Not bad this time. It’s over in one go.”
Youqin Xuanya heaved a long sigh of relief when she heard that. Her eyes lit up as she asked softly, “Senior Brother, where are we going next?”
“There’s no hurry. Let’s rest for a few days first.” Li Changshou cleared his throat. “Fake Daoist, aren’t you going to appear?” Youqin Xuanya looked behind her. The b.u.t.terfly was accompanied by immortal light and had transformed into Ling’e’s figure. Her face and her Dao runes were still disguised.
Ling’e blinked. “Senior Brother, is this the second trial?”
“That’s right,” Li Changshou said warmly. “Your performance this time… You have failed completely. Copy the Steadiness Sutra 6,000 times. Add it when you return to the mountain.”
“How can that be… I’m not convinced! I’ve completed the mission to save Senior Sister Youqin!”
“Have you seen b.u.t.terflies on the deserted island?” Li Changshou’s incarnation widened his eyes and pointed at the surroundings. He cursed, “There’s a blade of gra.s.s here. I’ll consider you a pa.s.s!”
“This…”
Ling’e immediately looked aggrieved. Youqin Xuanya could not hold back her cold expression. She pulled Ling’e to cover her mouth and chuckled.
“Senior Brother, why are you doing this?” Ling’e asked in confusion.
“Send a voice transmission. I will spread the images in the Shadow-Retaining Ball throughout the Primordial World. I will let your Senior Sister Youqin become famous and attract more talents and righteous people to join the Heavenly Courts.”
“Although I don’t know what’s going on, I feel that it’s very impressive. Then, what kind of place is the Five Village Temple that I have to go to for the third trial, Senior Brother? The earlier I finish, the earlier I can return to the sect!”
“This is the real trial of your journey. That is the Dao residence of an expert. You have to find out where this place is and find the owner of this place…”
“Senior Brother, do you not know where this place is?”
“You want to copy the Sutra an additional 6,000 times?”
“Senior Brother, why don’t you just declare that I’ve lost? I can go back to the mountain to copy the sutras.”
“Then increase the number of times by ten.”
“Sorry to disturb you. I’m going to look for the Five Village Temple…” Under the huge tree in the backyard of the Tus.h.i.+ta Palace, Great Daoist Master Xuan Du listened to the conversation from the Taiji Painting and smiled like an “uncle”. “Changshou is popular with the ladies. If he can form a marriage with all of them that would be lively… Hmm?”
The Great Daoist Master suddenly frowned. The Taiji Painting trembled slightly and he understood something.
“Why are they causing trouble at this time… Have these guys also sensed that a great calamity is about to descend on the Primordial World?” With a few murmurs, the Great Daoist Master disappeared. After a while, a stream of light seemed to have pierced through the universe and quickly disappeared into the horizon…