A group of experts was standing at the bottom of the dao altar.
They had given up on fighting for fortune and lingered around the bottom of the Ancient Dao Lantern Tree, but they couldn’t help coming after witnessing all their strange phenomena happening around the altar.
Unfortunately for them, the prohibition around the dao altar was so obscure and terrifying that they couldn’t get close to it and had to stand and watch from a distance.
“Yu Lingkong has been killed. Is there anyone else in the younger generation of this world who can stop Demon God Lin?”
“The Longevity Palace is amazing. It indeed lives up to the name of Saint Treasure of the Longevity Palace. The blow just now almost took Demon God Lin’s life!”
“Who is that girl? How can she be that powerful?”
“She, she, she...actually killed so many genius figures!”
Discussion broke out. Although the experts were unable to get near the top of the altar, they could still vaguely make out what was happening in the fierce battles.
When they saw Xia Zhi single-handedly slaughter one peerless genius after another like chickens, they were so horrorstruck that a chill ran through them and their hair stood on end.
“Haha, that girl is powerful, but...she’s not qualified to compete for the number one fortune. What a tragedy!”
Someone gloated when he heard the news.
But the next moment, his lips clamped together, his pupils shrank, and his heart was flooded with fear. He stood petrified as if he was struck by lightning.
He wasn’t the only one frozen to the spot. The other experts also fell silent, a look of shock mixed with fear washing over their faces.
Demon God Lin, together with the mysterious girl and Bai Lingxi, was rushing down from the altar and heading their way!
Lin Xun ignored them and darted away with Xia Zhi and Bai Lingxi.
It wasn’t until their figures were completely out of sight that the experts breathed a sigh of relief like a weight had been lifted off them.
Both Lin Xun and Xia Zhi had proved their strength with brilliance. How would they dare to face them?!
“Has the news spread yet?” someone suddenly asked.
“Yes.”
“It can be foreseen that after the Dao Lantern Festival ends, Demon God Lin will face another unpredictable catastrophe when he steps out of Cangwu Mountain!”
“But, didn’t he leave in advance?”
“No, he can’t leave. No one can leave until the Dao Lantern Festival ends!”
……
“We must quickly leave.” Lin Xun deeply furrowed his brows, realizing the seriousness of their problem.
Xia Zhi walked alongside Lin Xun, barefooted and holding up a black umbrella, radiating a uniquely calm and peaceful aura.
“But based on past Dao Lantern Festivals, before the battle for the Number One Fortune is over, no one who has reached the Ancient Dao Lantern Tree will be able to leave.” Bai Lingxi frowned, looking especially weak with her white clothes stained with blood and her delicate and pretty face deathly pale.
She was riddled with injuries in the previous fights and in no better condition than Lin Xun.
As she was speaking, she slightly tensed up, sensing the mysterious girl beside Lin Xun sizing her up.
It wasn’t a disguised look, but instead a direct and blatant stare.
There was a unique cold indifference in those crescent moon-shaped eyes, which were as dark as eternal night and without a ripple of emotion.
Bai Lingzi froze uncomfortably.
“What is your relationship with Lin Xun?” Xia Zhi asked bluntly, her voice as clear as a bell.
It was a very private question, and even if she wanted to ask someone, she should have asked Lin Xun.
But Xia Zhi was different from ordinary people. She asked the question in such a calm, simple and direct way, taking Bai Lingxi aback.
“Friend.” Immediately after that, she chuckled out loud. She knew that Xia Zhi cared a lot about Lin Xun so she had responded too bluntly.
“Friend?” Xia Zhi’s dark eyebrows were imperceptibly scrunched together.
“Yes, friend.” Bai Lingxi found it strange that the girl would care so much about her relationship with Lin Xun.
Xia Zhi nodded. “It’s fine if you’re just friends.”
Then, she retracted her gaze from Bai Lingxi, as if she lost any interest in her after confirming the answer.
Bai Lingxi found it more and more strange. After thinking about it over and over again, she could only conclude that the relationship between Lin Xun and the girl had to be not ordinary.
Interesting. I think this girl will be the first to protest if Lin Xun has any close female friends.
A strange thought flashed across Bai Lingxi’s mind.
……
Lin Xun quietly listened to the conversation between the two, but he remained unusually calm because Xia Zhi had always been different from other people.
She had been like this ever since he met her.
Although it was a little strange for Xia Zhi to ask such a question, Lin Xun was in no mood to question her.
He was racking his brain to get out of this place.
“Old guy, don’t tell me that you don’t know a way out of this place.” Very quickly, Lin Xun went to find the old herb.
The old rogue sneered disdainfully. “Nonsense, I have lived in Cangwu Mountain for countless years. I know every single ant nest here, let alone a mere way out!”
Lin Xun’s heart fluttered. “Where is it?”
The old rogue said without hesitation, “Promise to let me go first, and I will tell you. Otherwise, I won’t be able to escape if you kill me!” He didn’t miss out on the chance to negotiate with Lin Xun. Adding to that, he said it with an air of confidence around him.
Then his expression changed, and he cursed out loud, “Bastard, do you have a conscience? Who was it that gave you the life-saving elixir when you were in life-threatening danger? How can you be so ungrateful? Kill me if you dare! I won’t even bat an eye if you do!”
He was talking about the strand of white ginseng root and leaf.
Lin Xun was speechless for a while. He’s a majestic supreme-king-grade herb, but he resembles more like a rogue with the way he talks.
“Of course, I also know that you just want to use my powers for cultivation.” The old rogue suddenly changed the topic.
His face turned solemn. “Back then, I witnessed a group of saints imparting the dao on Cangwu Mountain, I listened to many king-level cultivators explore the mysteries of the great dao, and I even witnessed the rise of youngsters on the absolute apex path. I can tell you with certainty that if you do this, then don’t even think about becoming an absolute apex king in this life!”
“The road to the pinnacle has to be explored by oneself and verified by all heavens and myriad ways. Only then can one open up an absolute apex king path that belongs to them!
“If you borrow foreign objects, then the path you achieve will not belong solely to you. The absolute apex king path will also be completely out of the picture.”
Lin Xun trembled inwardly. He never thought that the old rogue would have such insights.
“You’re right, but I didn’t capture you to strengthen my own cultivation and path, but as a means of saving my life. Don’t you think that if I had swallowed you just now, my injuries would have quickly recovered?” Lin Xun cast a sidelong glance at him.
The old rogue's face stiffened, and his dignified and solemn aura faded.
He flew into a rage, “Do you know that you are humiliating someone who will soon become a Saint?!”
“Stop talking nonsense! Are you going to tell me or not?” Lin Xun snapped.
“Never.” The old rogue said stubbornly, “Unless you release me.”
“Is that right?”
“That’s right!”
“Haha, kid, how will you attack me?”
……
In the end, after a series of negotiations, threats, intimidation and persuasion, Lin Xun agreed to let the old rogue go.
The old rogue also agreed to Lin Xun’s conditions, promising to give him three drops of king-grade herb essence and a king-grade herb seed to compensate Lin Xun.
“Damn it, I’ve never seen a little bastard as unreasonable as you!” The old rogue then cursed, his heart aching.
The king-grade herb essence was his precious treasure. One drop of it was enough to bring the dead back to life and instantly heal any injury no matter how bad it was.
Similarly, the king-grade herb seed was also a rare treasure unable to be found in the present world.
“Remember, I am the Nine Orifices Treasure Ginseng born from the blessings of heaven and earth. I am unique in this world, and this seed is my only descendant. You must treat it well.”
A ruminative expression crept into his eyes. “I hope you can dig up some five-coloured soil in the Kunlun Dominion, then go to the Return Dominion to collect some mystery holy water, then go to the Fortune Dominion to collect some yellow wonder essence, and then go to the All-Wonder Dominion...oh, the road to the All-Wonder Dominion has long been blocked off...
“It doesn’t matter. I believe the five-coloured soil, mystery holy water and yellow wonder essence will just about be enough to grow my only descendant. One day, it may also be able to open up its nine-orifice heart as I have and also develop the potential to become a sage or an ancestor.”
Lin Xun felt a spark of murderous intent. The five-coloured soil, mystery holy water and yellow wonder essence? Those are all legendary divine materials!
Even a Saint won’t have come across them before! He is blurting nonsense again!
……
Following the direction of the old rogue, Lin Xun and the others navigated the Ancient Dao Lantern Tree, gradually walking further and further along one of the branches and into the depths of the clouds.
“In ancient times, each branch of this tree led to a different world. Cultivators of Cangwu Mountain could travel to different worlds as they wished with the help of this tree. Unfortunately, they have met with misfortune and only this lonely body is left now...Speaking of which, we two were friends that talked about everything back then...” The old rogue sighed.
Lin Xun started to regret his decision. The old rogue knows a lot of secrets. It’s not a good idea to let him go.
“Then do you know what kind of treasure the Number One Fortune is?” A thought struck Lin Xun.
The old rogue said disdainfully, “There is nothing about Cangwu Mountain that I don’t know about. The so-called Number One Fortunes are nothing more than gifts left by those Saints back then.”
He seemed to think of something as he murmured, “But speaking of it, I’m really surprised that the fortune this time is the Dao Ruleless Bell…”
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