Chapter 106: Dragon Mermaid Spits the Mirror, Immortal Union of Spirit

After obtaining the Great Sun True Fire Art, Mu Yuan was elated. Though his interaction with the old monk had been brief, the monk’s profound Buddhist wisdom and innate compassion deeply moved Mu Yuan. Witnessing his passing, Mu Yuan couldn’t help but feel sorrow.

“This orb is also a treasured artifact! It actually possesses thirty-two layers of Restrictions!” Mu Yuan exclaimed upon probing it lightly. Since Ao Jing had taught him artifact forging techniques, Mu Yuan finally grasped a basic, albeit vague, understanding of magic treasures, unlike his prior ignorance.

The perfectly round, brilliant red orb before him surged with flame and shimmering energy mist, clearly extraordinary. Since the monk had died without achieving his Primordial Spirit, the spiritual imprint within the orb had vanished entirely upon his death. It wasn’t like artifacts refined by Primordial Spirit experts, where the artifact’s consciousness persists even after its master’s death, requiring great effort for others to tame.

Before Mu Yuan could do anything more, violent tremors shook beneath his feet. Quickly, he stored the fire pearl away, gathering his focus to look. A doorway on his left shattered as a blinding ball of clear light burst forth, carrying two figures – Lin Feiyun and Nie Wushuang!

They were enveloped in swirling mists of colored light but appeared utterly disheveled. Lin Feiyun’s hair, once tied by a golden band, now hung loose and wild; the sleeves of his robe looked charred and rolled up. Nie Wushuang’s attire was relatively intact, though her face was pale. Seeing Mu Yuan, both showed relief. “Friend! Lend us your strength!” Lin Feiyun shouted urgently.

Mu Yuan was already prepared. As the pair broke out through the doorway, he saw a monster chasing them – tiger-faced with a dragon’s body, a single horn on its head. A massive pillar of water coiled above it like a living dragon, crashing relentlessly towards Lin Feiyun and Nie Wushuang. The pillar clashed with the Jade Pivot Divine Thunder Seal they both projected. The water remained concentrated and unyielding, while their seals twisted and distorted under the onslaught, seemingly unable to withstand its might! Mu Yuan shouted. His Six Harmonies Sword Pills joined as one, transforming into a shining arc of Sword Qi, slashing fiercely towards the monster’s left flank!

Mu Yuan recognized this beast; according to the texts, it was the Dragon Mermaid (Long Jiao) just mentioned by the old monk. It seemed Lin Feiyun and Nie Wushuang had encountered it. Mu Yuan didn’t underestimate it, knowing this creature excelled at parting waters, commanding water spirits, and was exceedingly fierce, especially with its ability to spit tough silk that frustrated Flying Swords. He attacked with all his might, pushing the Six Harmonies Sword Pills to their maximum capacity.

Having learned treasure forging, Mu Yuan had examined these Sword Pills. Though special, they contained no internal Restrictions, unlike the Minghe Immortal Sword or the Longevity Sword. The Minghe Immortal Sword was a Flying Sword with thirty-six perfected Restrictions. The Longevity Sword was even more formidable, possessing nine major Restrictions, each comprising thirty-six Rune Formations. Mu Yuan planned to ask his master at the Longevity Palace about refining swords later. Nevertheless, the set of Sword Pills unleashed a frightening assault, their dazzling radiance aimed straight at the Dragon Mermaid.

Upon joining Mu Yuan, Lin Feiyun and Nie Wushuang immediately turned their attacks. Alongside their Jade Pivot Divine Thunder Seal, Flying Swords shot from their sleeves, shimmering with clear light amidst sparkling star sigils, piercingly bright as they counterattacked!

Assaulted by the trio, the Dragon Mermaid seemed invigorated. It shook its head wildly, splitting the massive water pillar into three separate columns. These coils of water snaked around the three cultivators’ Flying Sword lights. Clashing and vibrating violently, the watery tendrils didn’t scatter; instead, they grew denser and more concentrated. Occasionally, a spray of droplets would burst forth like scattered jade beads, flying faster than crossbow bolts, forcing the trio into frantic defense.

“This must be the Dragon Mermaid the old monk faced. It’s truly formidable! All three of us are accomplished cultivators; Lin Feiyun and Nie Wushuang possess exceptional swordsmanship, yet we still can’t subdue this single beast!” Mu Yuan marveled as he witnessed their mystical, exquisite swordplay. Their combined efforts struggled against the Dragon Mermaid. The fact that the old monk had broken the outer formations and slain two of these beasts spoke volumes about his power!

“Fellow Daoists,” Mu Yuan called out. “This Dragon Mermaid is too strong. The Immortal’s Abode is filled with many Restrictions and dense formations. Perhaps retreat is our wisest course!” Having unexpectedly gained the Great Sun True Fire Art, Mu Yuan’s desire for the Immortal Abode was sated, and seeing the Dragon Mermaid’s power, the urge to withdraw grew stronger.

The wise know when to yield to the natural flow of the Dao. Facing impossibility, forcing things was folly. However, Lin Feiyun and Nie Wushuang had ventured in with great difficulty, gaining nothing. Reluctant to leave empty-handed, they rallied themselves, pushing their Divine Abilities to the limit, determined to kill this Dragon Mermaid and breach the next level!

The Dragon Mermaid truly lived up to its role as the Abode’s guardian Spirit Beast. Mu Yuan remembered the old monk saying he’d killed two before suffering crippling internal injuries. Mu Yuan had been doubtful then – the monk was a great Buddhist master, equivalent to the peak stage of Qi Refinement in the Daoist Sect, verging on the Primordial Spirit realm. Yet such grievous wounds… now, facing the beast himself, he understood its might!

All three cultivators were extraordinary. While Mu Yuan’s cultivation level was merely Condensing Evil Energy, his combat strength rivaled even Elixir Formation stage experts and beyond. Lin Feiyun and Nie Wushuang, wielding the finest Kunlun Daoist arts, unsurprisingly stood as leaders among their peers. Blazing thunder, Sword Qi, streaking radiance, and colored light violently whirled around the Dragon Mermaid, crashing against its protective mist of water. Ear-splitting cacophonies erupted as explosive shockwaves spread in all directions, pounding the white jade walls. Susu-susu! The impacts rained down powdered jade like a storm.

Seemingly impervious, the Dragon Mermaid only grew more agitated. Its four hooves lashed out, kicking rippling bursts of dark light that struck the floor like blooming jet-black lotus flowers. To the cultivators, the rhythmic clip-clop, clip-clop sound intensified, becoming deeply grating despite its initial pleasantness. Though their Magical Power raged wildly, the Dragon Mermaid traversed the battlefield with impunity. It would occasionally snort at them, expelling a thick, fog-like cloud of smoke and vapor that rolled over them like a dark cloud, straining their defenses to the limit!

“Being played with like fools by a mere beast! Infuriating!” Lin Feiyun bellowed. He and Nie Wushuang reached out, gripping each other’s arm. The clear light surrounding them suddenly flared, twisting into pure white and deepest black. It coalesced mid-air into a colossal Taiji Diagram that plummeted towards the Dragon Mermaid!

Yin Yang dual Qi, Taiji Primordial! They silently chanted the incantation simultaneously. The suspended Taiji Diagram instantly spun into a frenzy, the yin and yang fish chasing each other within seeming perfectly balanced and serene.

The Dragon Mermaid reared back, panic evident. It stamped its hooves frantically and then opened its maw. A crescent-shaped bronze mirror spiraled out, spinning chaotically. Bathed in the chamber’s ambient brilliance, it emitted a searing golden ray that met the descending Taiji Diagram, holding it at bay!

Mu Yuan was astounded that the Dragon Mermaid possessed a magic treasure. Such opulence within an Immortal’s Abode! Even a guardian Spirit Beast carries a treasure like this! The sheer extravagance of its master was staggering.

The mirror’s material was unknown. Mu Yuan diverted his attack from the beast itself, directing the brilliant arc formed by his Six Harmonies Sword Pills to slash squarely onto the mirror’s surface. Bang! Sparks erupted violently upon impact. The mirror wobbled several times but ultimately remained undamaged. The Dragon Mermaid shot Mu Yuan a look of utter contempt. Instantly, a wisp of the mirror’s golden light split off, lancing directly towards him!

Mu Yuan focused his Spiritual Sense to probe the incoming golden light. Within the radiance, countless spectral beasts roared and charged at him, hurling themselves towards his consciousness. They tore and clawed with ferocious fangs and talons, rammed him with brute force, relentlessly assaulting Mu Yuan’s mind!

The instant the golden light touched him, excruciating pain exploded at his brow, as if countless sharp knives were stabbing him deep into his brain. His Sea of Consciousness surged violently, threatening to tear apart. The phantom beasts tore at his soul, ripping at his senses. Wave after wave of blurring dizziness washed over him, threatening to pitch him into oblivion at any moment. Worse still, the golden light felt like a whirlpool, pulling him inexorably, inch by inch, deeper into the mirror!

Physically, Mu Yuan stood firm. But his consciousness felt dragged and buried within the bronze mirror. Shock jolted through him. Now he understood! This mirror was a treasure for assaulting Spiritual Sense! Like the Demon Suppressing Stone that immobilized the flesh, each treasure held its own distinct and terrible efficacy!

Distracted by the unexpected ferocity, Mu Yuan now found himself fully engulfed by the Dragon Mermaid’s mirror. The dazzling arc of light from his Flying Swords lost its guidance instantly, coalescing back into six pale, gleaming Sword Pills and clattering to the floor. Mu Yuan paid them no heed. He poured every ounce of his will into the struggle against the invading golden terror!

Though he had achieved Condensing Evil Energy, Mu Yuan’s Yin Spirit remained newly forged. He had focused excessively on mastering Divine Abilities, somewhat neglecting the profound cultivation of his Dao foundation. Consequently, his control and understanding of his Spiritual Sense lagged behind many peers. Now, clashing head-on with the mirror’s golden light, his critical weakness became starkly clear!

In contests of sheer Magical Power, Mu Yuan held faith he could challenge anyone at his stage, even beyond it. But when confronted with a purely spiritual battle, he found himself drastically outmatched!

In this critical moment, mental incantations for tempering Spiritual Awareness surged unbidden through Mu Yuan’s core. His immense Spiritual Sense shifted accordingly. Suddenly, it coalesced into the form of a colossal tree. Simultaneously, a shimmering stream of light, resplendent like the river of heavens (milky way), wound itself around the towering trunk in an endless, spiraling dance. The savage beasts lunging towards him were ruthlessly whipped apart by the thrashing branches of the tree, shattering into cascades of pulverized light. Many others were sucked under and drowned within the luminous swirling current, their death throes echoing eerily in his awareness.

With this transformation of his Spiritual Sense, Mu Yuan finally managed to anchor his footing. Yet, pinned from the initial blow of the mirror, escape proved agonizingly elusive. He was reduced to a desperate, bitter struggle. His body convulsed violently. Sweat poured down in rivulets, his muscles trembling like a leaf! His inner Zhenqi fluctuated wildly, mirroring the turmoil within his mind. The aura surrounding him flickered erratically between hues of deep emerald and profound black.

Lin Feiyun and Nie Wushuang saw his peril clearly. But they were utterly locked down themselves! That confounding mirror not only held their Taiji Diagram at bay but seemed poised to counterattack. Seeing Mu Yuan trembling violently, they burned with frustration, powerless to assist!

Just then, violent spasms began within Mu Yuan’s Dantian. An emerald light – pure, vital, and overwhelmingly powerful – erupted upwards! To Lin Feiyun and Nie Wushuang’s eyes, this viridian flash instantaneously traced a straight, brilliant path from Mu Yuan’s lower abdomen directly to the crown of his head. They immediately thought he was unleashing some mysterious art!

Within the depths of Mu Yuan’s Sea of Consciousness, an incredibly intricate, doll-sized figure suddenly appeared. It was unmistakably the Longevity Patriarch! The Longevity Patriarch gazed at the massive tree Mu Yuan had formed with his Spiritual Sense. A mischievous, knowing smile touched its features. Instantly, the figure leapt forward, merging seamlessly with the spiritual tree! Two streams of vibrant jade light intertwined. The instant they fused, a magnificent, vertical column of emerald brilliance burst forth internally. Externally, atop Mu Yuan’s physical head, a wisp of cloud-like green light materialized. It coiled lazily upwards, flickering rhythmically like the flame of a solitary candle, pulsing with life and retreating into near-extinction, over and over!