Chapter 2

The internal sensation made him vaguely sense something was amiss, and there was also a faint movement coming from inside the statue of Guanyin at his feet.

He quickly pulled the bronze mirror off the strap, but before he could jump down from the statue's shoulder, the sound of "creaking" mechanical springs came from the underground chamber, much stronger than the previous traps. The ground was buzzing and trembling, and the entire underground chamber began to shake violently.

The Daoist, who almost jumped down, grabbed the statue's head with one arm and quickly surveyed the surroundings with his flashlight. In such a situation, stumbling around was not a good thing.

Something rustled and fell from above. When he shone the flashlight upwards, he saw that the dome was cracking.

"Monkey, the dome is about to collapse, let's go!" The Daoist shouted, and then jumped down from the statue's shoulder.

But his luck was bad, and a huge rock fell from above, smashing him down from the air.

When he raised his head, coughing up blood, he saw the thin man's figure darting through the falling rocks and rolling into the tunnel they had come from. Then everything went black, and he lost consciousness...

When the chaos in his mind subsided and the headache receded like a tide, he slowly opened his eyes. The light was dim, and the firelight flickered.

He looked around and saw the source of the light—a torch slanted on a pillar. He seemed to be in an old, dilapidated temple with an ancient style. He didn't know where it was, but he guessed that the monkey who had escaped had saved him.

The feeling of being smashed down still lingered. Given the weight of the rock, he was lucky to be alive, even if he wasn't in great shape.

Based on his experience, it was best not to make any sudden movements when seriously injured. Although he didn't feel much pain, it could be due to nerve numbness.

He first moved his fingers, confirming that all ten were moving freely—no problem!

He then moved his palms and arms, and they were also moving freely—no problem!

He lifted his feet, bent his knees, and stretched his thighs—still no problem!

Surprised, he pushed himself up with both hands, about to test his body's condition, when he suddenly saw a smiling old face blocking his view. The hairpin, bun, and the style of the clothes indicated an old man in ancient attire.

"Little brother, you're awake? It seems I'm in luck," the old man smiled, then helped him up by the shoulder.

The Daoist remained slightly on guard, trying to gather his internal energy, but found he couldn't. He guessed it was due to his injuries. However, when he sat up and moved his body, he didn't feel any major issues, just a dull pain in the back of his head, as if he had been hit hard.

He looked around the temple and then at the old man's face, asking, "Old brother, this is..." His voice sounded young, probably due to his injuries. He coughed and continued, "Where is this?"

"Old brother?" The old man was taken aback, then chuckled, "You have a big mouth, young man. Fine, old brother it is. I like your personality. I don't know the exact name of this place, and I don't have the energy to explore. It's just a mountain hollow in the Ziyun County of the Yan Kingdom."

Ziyun County of the Yan Kingdom? The Daoist was confused. What was this?

He couldn't help but look the old man up and down, noticing large bloodstains on his chest and abdomen, and a faint smell of blood. His face was pale, indicating he was injured, but his eyes were still clear. "May I ask your name, old brother?"

The old man smiled, "I am Dongguo Haoran, a disciple of the Shangqing Sect."

The Daoist was taken aback again. He heard the words clearly but didn't understand their meaning. He looked the old man up and down again. The ancient attire and the old-fashioned speech—was this man too immersed in a role? If he was playing an ancient person, he should do it better. An ancient person speaking in perfect Mandarin? He suspected someone was playing a trick on him and called out, "Monkey! Monkey..."

The old man was also taken aback, "I just arrived and didn't see any monkey. Are there monkeys in the nearby mountains?"

No response from any monkey. How he ended up here was a mystery, but the person who had saved him from the ancient tomb must be extraordinary. The Daoist asked in a serious tone, "Old brother, which path do you belong to?"

The old man smiled, "The Shangqing Sect is naturally the righteous path."

The Daoist sneered, "Old brother, this is getting boring. Let's be frank."

"Fine!" The old man nodded, "I am gravely injured and don't have much time left. You may not understand, but remember this: the Shangqing Sect is also in Ziyun County, about three hundred miles away. There is a river not far from this mountain. Drift downstream until you reach a cliff waterfall, then stop. That place of natural beauty is where the Shangqing Sect is located. Do you remember?"

After speaking, the old man sat cross-legged and gently rotated his palm in front of his chest.

The Daoist was instantly terrified, realizing he was being held by an invisible force, unable to move. He was lifted off the ground, shocked to find someone with such profound internal energy, far beyond his imagination. He had thought he was a top expert in the martial world, but now he realized he was just a grain of sand compared to the moon. The saying "there are always greater heights and more capable people" was true!

The old man suddenly slapped his chest, spitting out a ball of blood.

The blood formed a floating ball, and the old man inserted his fingers into it, stirring quickly. Blood-colored runes emerged from the ball, floating around the Daoist.

This bizarre and magical scene left the Daoist in awe. The level of internal energy control was beyond his wildest dreams.

As more runes emerged, the blood ball shrank and eventually disappeared, transforming into thirty-six blood-colored runes floating around the Daoist.

The old man then stirred with both hands, causing the floating Daoist to spin in all directions.

The old man slapped his palms, each slap hitting the spinning blood runes. The runes quickly condensed, turning into a red light that accurately struck the Daoist's acupoints and meridians.

The sensation of something being forcefully inserted into his body made the Daoist break out in a cold sweat.

When all thirty-six blood runes were injected into the Daoist's body, the old man stopped his hand, and the Daoist slowly descended, sitting opposite him, staring in shock.

The old man's serious expression turned into a smile, but the light in his eyes dimmed. He spoke weakly, "I used the Shangqing Sect's secret method to transform my remaining cultivation into thirty-six protective runes to protect you from evil. Follow the path I described, and it should be enough to get you to the Shangqing Sect. My injuries are severe, and I am on the brink of death, unable to return to the Shangqing Sect. Meeting you in my final moments is my luck and the Shangqing Sect's luck. Meeting me is also your luck, as it's a sign of a master-disciple bond. Being my disciple is better than being a peasant in this chaotic world. I'm sure you have no reason to refuse. When you reach the Shangqing Sect, tell them you are my disciple. The protective runes in your body will be proof, and they will believe you."

The Daoist blinked, trying to process what he had said.

The old man then pulled out a bronze mirror from his pocket and handed it to him, "I risked my life for this. Tang Mu, the leader of the Shangqing Sect, is my senior. Take this to him. Remember, do not show it to anyone else. Only give it to him personally. Do you understand?"

The Daoist nodded subconsciously, taking the bronze mirror and examining it. His mind was racing with shock and uncertainty. This... This must be the ancient bronze mirror he had taken from the Guanyin statue, though he couldn't be sure because he hadn't examined it closely at the time. But the mirror in his hand looked very similar.

He looked up at the old man, whose supernatural abilities had made him believe something, but the bronze mirror brought him back to reality.

He wanted to ask something, but as soon as he opened his mouth, the old man closed his eyes, smiled, and fell onto him.

"Old brother! Old brother..." The Daoist patted and called out, but got no response. He checked the old man's breath and pulse—dead!

After confirming the old man was truly dead, the Daoist was stunned. Was this a joke? This was real death!

He slowly laid the old man's body flat and examined the bronze mirror. He then noticed he was wearing ancient attire, and his hands didn't look like his own. He felt something on his head, touched it, and pulled—pain! It was a real bun!

He got up and looked around. Suddenly, a "caw" echoed from outside, like a crow.

The Daoist quickly walked to the door, wanting to see what was outside. He opened the door and stepped out onto the steps.

Under the bright moon, the mountains undulated, and the night sky was dotted with cold stars. Another "caw" came from a tree outside, drawing his attention. It was indeed a crow, but its eyes glowed red, seemingly staring at the bronze mirror in his hand.

The crow's eyes glowed red, and it spread its wings, transforming into a black mist that rushed at him, forming a human shape. It swung a bright, large sword at him.

The Daoist had never seen or heard of such a bizarre situation. He was shocked and instinctively dodged, but his body's reactions were slower than usual. As the sword was about to strike, he reflexively raised his arm to block. A hot stream shot from his palm, forming a giant blood-colored rune that collided with the crow-like creature.

A loud, thunderous sound echoed, and the creature was instantly turned to dust, the blood-colored rune disappearing.

The Daoist, holding his arm and bending sideways, was stunned. Was this his doing? He remembered what the old man had said after transmitting the runes.

"Damn, it seems dangerous outside!"

The Daoist quickly jumped back inside, closed the door, and extinguished the torch...