Chapter 224: Chapter 223: The Great War is Imminent
"The audacity!"
Lady White Bone stared at the Celestial Spirit Divine Talisman on the table, a malicious glint in her eyes. "I had no desire to make an enemy of Daluo Palace, but it seems they’re getting brazen!"
"My Lady, please calm your anger! That Mage was unaware of Your Ladyship’s might, which is why he spoke so insolently." Li Cuicui was trying to appease Lady White Bone as much as save her own skin, since she had failed her mission.
"Slaying fiends and banishing ghosts? Hah! What a joke!" Lady White Bone sneered. "I’d like to see what gives you the right to slay *me*, this ’fiend,’ and banish *me*, this ’ghost’!"
Lady White Bone raised a hand and pointed, sending a stream of Yin Qi from her fingertips toward the Celestial Spirit Talisman.
The instant the Yin Qi neared the Celestial Spirit Talisman, the Divine Talisman burst into flame of its own accord, turning to ash in a flash. At the same time, however, a ball of aura containing Celestial Light True Qi erupted, completely dispelling the sinister atmosphere in the hall.
"What?" Lady White Bone’s eye twitched.
The intensity of the aura itself wasn’t enough to impress Lady White Bone, but the sheer density and purity of the Magical Power contained within was shocking. Moreover, the aura was righteous and brilliant, carrying the light of the sun and moon, and it seemed to be the natural bane of all Yin and evil energies.
In the next moment, the ball of Celestial Light True Qi followed the trail of her Yin Qi right back to Lady White Bone. It then transformed into a tidal wave of Gang Qi that rushed straight toward her.
Lady White Bone narrowed her eyes and shielded her body with Magical Power, taking the Gang Qi attack head-on.
"WHOOSH—"
A sudden wind swept through White Bone Cave, making Lady White Bone’s robes flutter. But when the gust of Gang Qi passed, it had done little more than stir the hem of her clothing.
Li Cuicui didn’t notice the subtle change in Lady White Bone’s expression. She hastily bowed and praised, "Your Ladyship’s Magical Power is profound! That Mage was simply asking for humiliation!"
The next moment, a thin, sharp voice suddenly echoed in Lady White Bone’s mind. "What happened in the cave?"
Lady White Bone whipped her head around. ’The aura from that talisman paper just now... it actually reached the back of White Bone Cave?’
"A gift from some insolent minor power," Lady White Bone replied, extending her Divine Sense toward the rear of the cave and sending her voice back. "It didn’t affect our son’s training, did it?"
"Of course not," the sharp voice continued. "But this gift carried Celestial Light True Qi, which is our bane. Who are these opponents?"
Lady White Bone transmitted the information she had gathered to the White Bone God Monarch. "A bunch of lunatics obsessed with righteousness and heroism, slaying demons and banishing ghosts. But they’re not weak. They destroyed the Golden Wind Sect and the Yellow Heaven Altar."
"They really are insane," the White Bone God Monarch commented. "But their Magical Power’s aura is our bane. We must eliminate them."
Lady White Bone grew a little worried. "Are you going to come out of seclusion?"
"No need," the White Bone God Monarch chuckled sinisterly. "We have enough Three Yang Boys. In another three days, our son’s divine skill will be perfected. Once I help him master the Bone Evil Child Skill, his mastery of the Three Yang Evil Bone will be enough to raze Daluo Palace to the ground."
"Excellent!" Lady White Bone’s eyebrows arched in a smile. "Then we’ll let them live for a few more days."
...
Taoist Yan Ling reported the matter of White Bone Cave to Gu Zhao, and soon, several senior Daoists from Daluo Palace arrived in the territory of Bai Shi Prefecture.
"The Yellow Heaven Altar has committed countless sins!"
Taoist Ming Yu and Taoist Shen Hao stood side-by-side at a mass grave, their eyes fixed on a cave behind it that emanated Demon Qi.
The Yellow Heaven Altar had ruled Bai Shi Prefecture. The Yellow Heaven Ancestor hadn’t taken in ferocious beasts as his minions, preferring instead to gather small animals like hedgehogs and wildcats that had turned into Fairies. His favorite pastime was abducting children to devour their souls.
Moreover, the Yellow Heaven Ancestor did little to protect the countryside. As a result, besides the Yellow Heaven Altar, the wilds were infested with all sorts of Demons and Ghosts, making life in Bai Shi Prefecture even more miserable than in Changping Prefecture.
For instance, behind this very mass grave lived a nest of rat fairies. Just three or five of these rats, which hadn’t even achieved Transformation, were enough to plague three or four surrounding villages.
Of course, upon sensing the profound Daoist auras of the two old Daoists, the few rat fairies, along with their countless descendants, had all scurried into the labyrinthine tunnels of the back mountain.
Taoist Shen Hao snorted coldly and raised his hand, unleashing his Flowing Gold Fire Bell. A spark of crimson-gold light shot into the rat hole and instantly erupted into a raging inferno.
Empowered by Taoist Shen Hao’s Magical Power, the flames spread rapidly through the interconnected tunnels.
Within just a few breaths, flames and thick smoke erupted from dozens of spots on the back mountain, accompanied by countless high-pitched squeals.
A moment later, the squealing died down, and the flames gradually extinguished, leaving only wisps of smoke to drift slowly into the air.
Taoist Ming Yu and Taoist Shen Hao stood still for a moment before turning to leave, heading toward Bai Shi Prefecture.
Meanwhile, not far from the two old Daoists, at a Mountain God Temple on the outskirts of a county seat, Taoist Jing Feng and Taoist Qingyuan stood shoulder to shoulder, watching the so-called Mountain God who was putting on a big show before them.
"The Yellow Heaven God is my adoptive father!"
"This entire mountain range you’re standing on is my domain, and the simpletons living here are my property!"
"How dare you slander me! Aren’t you afraid I’ll skin you alive and pull out your tendons?"
A voice boomed from the Divine Statue in the shrine, causing the assembled villagers to tremble. They looked at Taoist Jing Feng and Taoist Qingyuan with a mixture of terror and hope.
"Just a monkey."
"Its Cultivation isn’t high, but its Evil Qi is quite thick."
"There’s a layer of yellow smoke shrouding the Divine Statue. It might actually have ties to the Yellow Heaven Ancestor."
"In that case..."
"Let’s eliminate it!"
Taoist Qingyuan drew his sword. A flash of Sword Qi split the Divine Statue and continued unabated, striking the main beam at the back of the Mountain God Temple.
A strange cry rang out as a black shadow leaped down from the beam. It bounded off the walls of the Divine Temple a few times, trying to escape through the front of the hall amidst the confusion.
But Taoist Qingyuan suddenly appeared before it, tapping the tip of his longsword lightly against the center of the shadow’s brow.
"THUD!"
The shadow fell to the ground, revealing a small, thin man. Then, before everyone’s eyes, his body transformed into a gray-furred monkey, its life force extinguished.
Taoist Qingyuan sheathed his sword and addressed the mountain folk huddled together. "This monkey was your ’Mountain God.’ The misfortunes you’ve suffered were actually caused by it."
He paused, glancing at the fearful and skeptical villagers, but paid them no mind. He simply added, "If you encounter any more Demons and Ghosts in the future, you can go to the Daluo Temple in the county town for help."
After leaving the Mountain God Temple, Taoist Qingyuan and Taoist Jing Feng walked out of the mountains and arrived at the Western Suburbs of Bai Shi Prefecture.
"With the level of Senior Brother Yi Hong’s and Senior Brother Yan Song’s Dao Practice, they should be able to attack White Bone Mountain directly by now, right?" asked Taoist Qingyuan.
Taoist Jing Feng nodded, then shook his head. "Although our True Qi is the bane of demonic evil, White Bone Cave is their home ground, after all. It would be safest if we could lure them down from the mountain."
"Safety first!" Taoist Qingyuan said with a smile. "Let’s go. We need to find Senior Brother Yan Ling."
