Chapter 43

As the Supreme Daoist Ancestor and the Jade Purity Sage deliberated, naturally, the disciples under their command transmitted the talismanic commands.

Soon after, more than a dozen streams of clear qi emerged from the Great Red Heaven’s Supreme Clarity Realm, shooting towards various immortal mountains and treasure lands in the Three Realms... The clear qi was received by the disciples of the two sects, who, upon learning of the great calamity in the world, felt their hearts surge with emotion.

In no time, various rays of light shot out from the ancient sages' abodes, intertwining in the air to form a myriad of colorful rays, creating a lively and beautiful scene.

Xuan Kong and Immortal Zhenren Shenhui leaped into the sky, flying far away with a series of somersaults. Only his junior brother Wang Qi suffered, holding the little fox in one hand and stroking his chin with the other, muttering to himself that he did not possess the great abilities of his senior brother.

Unable to ride the clear wind or gather the clouds, how could he possibly keep up with Xuan Kong’s trail?

The more he thought about it, the angrier Wang Qi became. He lifted the little fox to his face and scolded, "You wretched fox, what kind of sorcery are you using? What evil deeds have you done? Speak up quickly!" He placed his finger on the long sword at his waist and said, "I am Wang Qi, an immortal of Mount Laoshan. You wretched fox, confess quickly!"

The yellow-furred fox, having just gained human understanding, could comprehend a few human words. Seeing Wang Qi’s aggressive demeanor, it paid no attention.

Only when Wang Qi pinched it in pain did it open its mouth and spit all over Wang Qi’s face.

Then, it propped itself up on two small paws on Wang Qi’s hand, looking in the direction Xuan Kong had flown earlier.

Wang Qi glared at the little fox, fuming with anger from being spat on. But seeing the fox’s dazed gaze out the window, he couldn’t help but be lost in thought: "Senior Brother, we just left Mount Laoshan and have already encountered a tough battle. I hope you can defeat that rogue Taoist. Otherwise, what will I do..."

He replayed the encounter with Immortal Zhenren Shenhui in his mind, imagining countless scenarios, and laughed to himself with satisfaction.

After laughing, he frowned and turned the little fox’s face towards him: "Do you think Senior Brother will be in trouble?" He had always admired Xuan Kong’s Daoist cultivation and magical powers. In Wang Qi’s eyes, his senior brother was almost a god.

He sighed, opened the door, and threw the little fox out: "I only booked two rooms at this inn. If you can turn my senior brother back, I’ll let you sleep in one of the beds. If not, go wander in the wild!"

Unexpectedly, the fox, when suddenly thrown outside, fell on its bottom and, holding its sore spot, seemed to come to its senses.

It patted the dust off, walked back with a swagger, and followed Wang Qi.

Wang Qi, feeling a growing sense of worry, pointed at the little fox in frustration: "You wretched fox, if you had greater powers, you could help Senior Brother deal with that rogue Taoist. Unlike me, a mere mortal, who has wasted time on Mount Laoshan and hasn’t even learned a fraction of Senior Brother’s skills."

"That day, Senior Brother and I fought a thousand-year-old zombie on the mountain slope. What was its name again?" He thought for a moment and remembered: "Right, it was the daughter of the Tang Emperor, Princess Yunluo, and Senior Brother dealt with it."

"Senior Brother even said he would teach me a few special techniques. He’s a man of his word and wouldn’t lie to me!"

After all, the founder of the Mount Laoshan Sect was the Taoist Yimei, who spent half his life as a fortune-teller. In the few months Wang Qi had been on Mount Laoshan, he had learned to read people to a fair degree. The Daoist cultivation of Immortal Zhenren Shenhui might not be inferior to that of his senior brother, and he didn’t know where this immortal came from.

If he had no background, it would be easier to deal with.

But if he had a lineage, and a bunch of senior and junior brothers came, he and his senior brother wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Wang Qi muttered to himself, and the little fox also looked worried. As their four eyes glared at each other, they suddenly heard a cough from behind: "What I, Xuan Kong, have said, I will never forget!"

Wang Qi couldn’t believe it, fearing it was a hallucination. He looked at the little fox, who nodded vigorously, and then turned around in surprise and joy.

"Senior Brother, you’re finally back! If you didn’t return, I was going to report that rogue Taoist to the county office for kidnapping!"

He rubbed his eyes and indeed saw Xuan Kong being supported by an unfamiliar Taoist. Wang Qi choked up, opened his arms, and hugged Xuan Kong, laughing and scolding. Xuan Kong looked embarrassed and gave a wry smile to Zhenren Jiandu.

Zhenren Jiandu’s face was grim. The Pure Brightness Sect had suffered a great loss, with four of the Twelve True Immortals perishing in a single day.

One of the Three Pavilions was gone.

The Twelve True Immortals under Master Xu Tian were renowned for over a hundred years and had never encountered such a powerful demon. They were both shocked and angry, with no time to pay attention to Wang Qi’s rambling. Zhenren Jiandu bowed: "I will take my leave here, Daoist friend."

Xuan Kong pushed Wang Qi away and, leaning on the table, said: "Daoist, please stay. Listen, the monk Cihang Pudu is not a good person. Once I recover, I will invite some senior immortals from the blessed lands and deal with that monk!"

Only then did Wang Qi realize that his senior brother was severely injured, and he was shocked: "Senior Brother, who is so powerful that they could injure you?"

Xuan Kong gritted his teeth. This trip out of the mountain had made him realize how vast the world was. His life on Mount Laoshan had been too comfortable. The battle with Cihang Pudu had resulted in the death of four True Immortals, but they were not Xuan Kong’s senior or junior brothers, just acquaintances.

If Xuan Kong felt any sorrow, it was not deep.

But the fire in his heart was only fanned more intensely.

Geese leave a sound, people leave a name. At the very least, he was a穿越者 (穿越者 means "穿越者" in Chinese, which can be translated as "穿越者" in English, but in this context, it means "a person who has traveled through time or dimensions"). If he couldn’t make a name for himself in this world of immortals and demons, it would be a great loss. Xuan Kong’s face, which had been gloomy, suddenly brightened.

His face gradually regained some color, and he forced himself to stand, stopping Wang Qi from asking more questions. He looked at Zhenren Jiandu, waiting for his response. Zhenren Jiandu had the same thought. With only eight of the Twelve True Immortals left, it would be difficult to match Cihang Pudu.

After careful consideration, Xuan Kong’s suggestion made sense.

Once he and Dadao Zhenjun recovered from their internal injuries, they would ask their master, Xu Xun, to intervene and invite close friends of the Pure Brightness Sect to go to Bianjing City. With the combined strength of their fellow Daoists, they would see what the Song Empire’s National Master, Cihang Pudu, had to say!

Just as he thought this, Zhenren Jiandu suddenly exclaimed, "Ah! My senior brother stayed behind to block Cihang Pudu. I wonder if he has escaped!"

Wang Qi suddenly understood. The injuries on Xuan Kong’s body were not from the Taoist he encountered during the day but from another encounter with a powerful opponent. He couldn’t see the severe damage to Xuan Kong’s spirit, but he could see that his senior brother’s true essence was depleted, his face gray, and his internal organs clearly injured.

Zhenren Jiandu was anxious, and suddenly a stream of clear qi appeared in the air around him, and a thread of divine sound filled the inn room.

With Xuan Kong’s return, Wang Qi felt reassured and smiled: "This Taoist is in a hurry, afraid that others won’t know he’s a righteous disciple." Xuan Kong, with a serious expression, angrily shouted: "Junior brother, be quiet. This is clearly a high-level technique for transmitting messages!"