Chapter 103: Immortal’s Abode

The last time Mu Yuan met Yuan Jue, he had already changed his appearance using the “Heaven-Stealing Sun-Replacing” technique and called himself Bing Chengzi. However, later, while breaking out of the Demon Refining Gourd, he exhausted his Zhenqi and was affected by the Du Tian Fire Formation. The spell failed, revealing his true face. The group didn’t ask about it afterward, but Yuan Jue still remembered the Brilliant Salvation Curse on Mu Yuan. Although he knew Mu Yuan had appeared with a fake face back then, and that Daoist name was probably fake too, he had no idea how to address him now!

Seeing Monk Yuan Jue’s enthusiastic face, Mu Yuan smiled and nodded. The two Kunlun Sect disciples, seeing that the two knew each other, relaxed a little. They looked Mu Yuan up and down before the one in lavish clothes spoke, “Fellow Daoist, are you a disciple of the Longevity Palace?”

Mu Yuan smiled and said, “Fellow Daoist, you truly have a good eye. I am Mu Yuan of the Longevity Palace. May I ask how I should address you two?” Mu Yuan had actually forgotten that he had deceived Yuan Jue and the others using the Daoist name “Bing Chengzi,” so he spoke directly.

The two Kunlun Sect disciples naturally didn’t know about these past events. Seeing how Mu Yuan had swiftly dealt with the Seven Slayers Sect disciple earlier, they were somewhat impressed. Although they still had some thoughts about that person’s Demon Banner, they didn’t dwell on it much. After all, when using magical artifacts from evil sects, not only was their Zhenqi incompatible, but the evil aura was also overwhelming. People like them wouldn’t use it, and even Mu Yuan wouldn’t use it either. If he hadn’t thought about giving it to Chu Yunfei later, he really wouldn’t have had any interest in keeping this Demon Banner!

“I am Lin Feiyun of Kunlun. This is my junior sister, Nie Wushuang. Greetings, Fellow Daoist. It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

Mu Yuan smiled and hadn’t spoken yet when he heard Monk Yuan Jue ask, “Fellow Daoist, why are you here in the Southern Wildlands mountains? Could it be that you also know about the secret of the Immortal’s Abode here?”

“Huh? The secret of an Immortal’s Abode?” Mu Yuan showed a puzzled expression. When Yuan Jue said this, Lin Feiyun shot him a meaningful glance. Mu Yuan’s thoughts shifted, and he understood. “This Monk Yuan Jue must feel that he is alone and weak, afraid that these Kunlun disciples might turn ruthless. So he casually revealed it to pull me in as well. But since that’s the case, how could I not join in the fun?”

“I actually don’t know. I’d like to hear the details from you, Great Master!” Mu Yuan adopted a humble attitude, appearing as if he was willing to listen to teachings.

“Haha, it’s nothing much. We heard from nearby villagers that not far from here, there often appears a glow of treasure light. After inquiring, we learned that according to ancient legends, an immortal ascended here many years ago, leaving behind a dwelling. Fellow Daoist, why not come along? It might be a great opportunity!” It was Lin Feiyun who explained. Seeing that he couldn’t hide it, he straightforwardly extended the invitation.

Mu Yuan chuckled, “Then I’ll gladly accept.”

After agreeing, Mu Yuan then said to Zha Yun’er, “Yun’er, I’m going with these fellow Daoists to explore the Immortal’s Abode. An immortal’s dwelling is likely full of Restrictions and dangers everywhere. I may not have the focus to protect you. You should head back to the village first.”

Zha Yun’er really wanted to go with Mu Yuan, but she also knew her cultivation level was far too low compared to these people. Not wanting to burden Mu Yuan, she reluctantly nodded. Her beautiful eyes were glistening, holding back tears. Mu Yuan pretended not to see and turned away.

Watching Zha Yun’er ride the wind into the distance, Lin Feiyun smiled and said, “Fellow Daoist, you have quite a hard heart, making such a beauty sad for you.”

Mu Yuan gave a bitter smile and then asked about the Immortal’s Abode. However, these three had only heard about it by chance and didn’t know much else. Mu Yuan sighed inwardly. Although the Immortal’s Abode was tempting, Mu Yuan wasn’t overly eager. He just thought he’d try his luck to see if there was anything suitable for him.

“Fellow Daoist mentioned that the Immortal’s Abode often has a glow of treasure light shooting into the sky at night. How is it that no one has discovered it?” Mu Yuan suddenly thought of something and couldn’t help but ask along the way.

“That’s not hard to explain. This Immortal’s Abode must have only recently appeared. The Southern Wildlands mountains are vast and sparsely populated, and cultivators seldom come here. It’s not strange that it hasn’t been discovered. For example, I came here to the Southern Barbarian Mountains to search for a certain spirit medicine, otherwise, I wouldn’t have heard about it either.” Lin Feiyun was quite easy to talk to, holding nothing back.

“And what brings you here, Great Master? Why don’t I see Great Master Yuan Neng?”

“Amitabha Buddha,” Yuan Jue responded. “This humble monk is here for other matters. Senior Brother Yuan Neng has returned to our sect. He’s busy refining a certain Divine Ability and couldn’t come here.”

Nie Wushuang had a clear and beautiful appearance, but she clearly wasn’t much of a talker. Since they met, Mu Yuan hadn’t heard her speak. However, having experienced Qi Wei’s icy demeanor, Mu Yuan wasn’t surprised and was quite used to it.

“It should be around here. Let’s wait for the sky to darken. Wherever the treasure light and strange colors appear should be the place!” Lin Feiyun stopped, his white clothes billowing in the wind, making him appear ethereal and graceful.

The four descended and each adjusted their breathing. Along the way, Mu Yuan sensed that both Lin Feiyun and Nie Wushuang had unfathomable auras. Although they were about the same age as him, they had probably already reached the Refining Righteous Energy or even Elixir Formation cultivation level!

Although this Nie Wushuang didn’t like to talk and didn’t appear as free-spirited as Lin Feiyun, Mu Yuan always felt she might be even more powerful than Lin Feiyun. Lin Feiyun’s movements still had traces to follow, but Nie Wushuang’s every action was as elusive as an antelope’s horns, incredibly ethereal, without any worldly aura, as if she had already transcended ordinary humans and achieved Elixir Formation!

The secret treasure of the Immortal’s Abode was sure to be full of Restrictions. None of the four dared to be negligent. They adjusted themselves to their best state, waiting for nightfall. Mu Yuan smoothed his Zhenqi and then took a moment to check the Black Water Gourd.

The Seven Slayers Sect disciple trapped in the Great Reincarnation Sword Formation of the Heavens was surprisingly not dead yet. His body had been pierced by the Six Harmonies Sword Pills’ brilliant rainbows, with Sword Qi entering his body and bound by the sword formation. It should have been a situation where death was certain. Upon checking, Mu Yuan discovered that this person’s physical body had already turned into dust within the sword formation. However, this person practiced some unknown secret technique and had now transformed into a giant serpent, about thirty or forty feet long, with shining silver scales and fierce, glowing eyes. It coiled within the sword formation, continuously spewing smoke and mist to resist the Sword Qi!

Originally, this Seven Slayers Sect disciple couldn’t withstand Mu Yuan’s Great Reincarnation Sword Formation of the Heavens. Now, having lost his physical body, although this serpent was much sturdier than his original human form, he couldn’t use many powerful spells. He could only channel a mouthful of Primordial Qi to conjure spells, but he still couldn’t hold his ground. The Sword Qi struck his body, clanging loudly.

“This spell is a bit strange!” Mu Yuan’s thoughts shifted. His Spiritual Sense entered the formation, temporarily halting the sword formation. His Spiritual Sense materialized. The giant serpent hissed, flicking its tongue, proudly coiled up. Saliva continuously dripped from its crimson tongue, and its fierce eyes stared intently at Mu Yuan!

“Who are you? Tell me the truth, and I might spare your life!” Mu Yuan didn’t ask directly but took a roundabout approach.

“I am Hu Zongnan, disciple of the Seven Slayers Sect. Who are you?” A rough, booming voice sounded from within the serpent’s belly, buzzing like iron.

Mu Yuan smiled and said, “It seems you still don’t understand the situation. You are trapped by me, yet you still speak so rudely. Do you really think just because you have a huge body, I can’t do anything to you!”

With a casual point of his finger, the Great Reincarnation Sword Formation of the Heavens rumbled into operation. Over a hundred flying swords vibrated simultaneously, swift as lightning, stirring up endless Sword Qi. The surrounding thunder evil energy surged in violently, pouring down all at once like a rushing galaxy or an inverted Tian He!

Within Hu Zongnan’s serpent belly, the Demon Banner faintly appeared, driving smoke upward to counter the thunder evil energy from above. He felt constant shaking, but fortunately, this serpent body was sturdy enough to endure it. Unwilling to yield, he thought Mu Yuan couldn’t do anything more.

Seeing that Hu Zongnan indeed had a way to resist his thunder evil sword formation, Mu Yuan wasn’t anxious. He reached out and summoned the Longevity Sword, which broke into the gourd. Since they were inside the gourd, Mu Yuan wasn’t afraid of being discovered. Although the Minghe Immortal Sword was powerful, in terms of offensive capability, it wasn’t as good as Chu Yunfei’s Tiandu Sword. However, this Longevity Sword was incredibly formidable. Mu Yuan guided it into the sword formation, where it transformed into a shocking purple rainbow from afar, piercing downward!

Hu Zongnan had thought Mu Yuan’s methods ended there. He never expected there was such a divine weapon. The black energy he spewed forth met the Longevity Sword and instantly retreated like snow meeting boiling water. The Sword Qi swirled around, slicing the giant serpent in half at the waist, creating a wound a foot deep. Blood gushed out, nearly cutting it into two pieces. Hu Zongnan screamed in pain. Seeing the sword light’s brilliant rainbow flying toward him again, he was terrified, his face turning pale. He hurriedly shouted, “Fellow Daoist, spare my life! I submit! Please have mercy on my hard-earned cultivation. Don’t kill me!”

Mu Yuan still had questions and hadn’t planned to kill this demon outright. He immediately withdrew the Longevity Sword, which transformed into a flicker of purple light dancing in mid-air. Smiling, he asked, “Cultivators who haven’t achieved a Primordial Spirit cannot choose a new physical body. How did you seize this serpent’s body?”

Hu Zongnan didn’t dare hide anything anymore. Staring at the leaping purple rainbow in the air, he now told everything he knew, explaining like pouring beans from a bag. “Daoist cultivation focuses on the Primordial Spirit. Those at the Qi Refinement Stage cannot perform Soul Seizure. However, many unorthodox paths find cultivation difficult, so they take alternative routes. They plunder Spirit Beasts with long lifespans, relying on their lengthy years to cultivate and seek Eternal Life. This type of spell is called the ‘Seven Slayers Primordial Spirit’ in our sect. To be honest, it’s not particularly sophisticated. It involves expelling the Spirit Beast’s Soul and Spirit, then attaching oneself to it. There are many intricacies involved, which are secrets of our school.”

“Oh?” Mu Yuan hadn’t expected such a spell. He asked a few more detailed questions. Hu Zongnan, desperate to save his life, revealed the entire Divine Ability. Mu Yuan glanced over it once. Although this spell couldn’t be considered respectable, it had its unique merits. Then he moved on.

“Where did you get that Demon Banner? It doesn’t look like the methods of the Seven Slayers Sect!” Hu Zongnan was severely injured and already suppressed by the sword formation. Mu Yuan released the Primordial Qi Grasping Hand, directly seizing the Demon Banner. Black energy churned, making Mu Yuan feel nauseous and annoyed. Knowing it was dangerous, he quickly suppressed it with his Zhenqi. However, he could indeed see it was related to the Soul-Gathering Banner in Chu Yunfei’s possession, so he deliberately asked.

“This Demon Banner is called the Nether Soul Banner. I found it by accident in a cave in the Southern Wildlands mountains. Afraid it would be confiscated by my sect, I secretly practiced with it. This was the first time I used it, and you subdued me, Fellow Daoist.”

Hearing Hu Zongnan’s tone full of reluctance, Mu Yuan just smiled. He tossed the Nether Soul Banner into the Mirage Dragon Thousand Illusions Array. “Wait here. After I part ways with these people, I’ll find a quiet, secluded place and release you. I won’t go back on my word.”

Hu Zongnan thanked him profusely again. Mu Yuan’s Spiritual Sense withdrew from the gourd. Seeing that the sky had already darkened, sure enough, beyond a mountain range, a swirling speck of treasure light, like a gentle whirlwind, looked quite beautiful.