I Seek Immortality Through Serendipity

However, Gu Yuan’s strength had improved significantly.

"Roar!"

The Silver Flood Dragon not only effortlessly blocked the invisible spiritual sense attack from the wild fox in the air but also turned around and tore it into pieces.

With its spiritual sense damaged, the wild fox’s swift movements were momentarily halted, and the pink peach blossoms immediately arrived, directly slicing its head in two.

The broken fox carcass fell to the ground, but within the blink of an eye, it transformed into a black mist and dissipated within the ruined temple.

"In that great battle, a Golden Core Cultivator fell, and it seems that the corpse and blood also polluted the spirit meridian here. Some demons were bred in the spirit meridian, and even if they’re slain, after some time, as long as there are wild beasts around, they will transform into a black fox again, guarding this temple."

"This is why the demons in Cloud Mist Mountain linger and do not perish."

"But don’t worry, Senior Brother, there won’t be any beings beyond Qi Refining appearing. As long as we can slay a few demons along the way, we can enter Cloud Mist Valley and pick the Flowing Flame Golden Fruit."

Seeing the puzzled look on Gu Yuan’s face, Bian Chuyao proactively explained.

Gu Yuan suddenly realized.

Then the two said no more, bypassed the ruined temple, and continued forward.

In the distance, a dense forested mountain peak was faintly visible.

Within the mountain peak, countless ghosts hung under the shade, like shadows.

The place before their eyes should be the White Tiger Ridge within the Crossing True Star Array.

Bian Chuyao didn’t stop and prepared to continue forward, but Gu Yuan suddenly halted, his gaze lightning-like, looking towards the side of the forest.

"Senior Brother Gu?"

Bian Chuyao extended her spiritual sense, meticulously checked for a long time, but found nothing, and couldn’t help but look at Gu Yuan in confusion.

"There’s a Tribulation Cultivator!"

But Gu Yuan just said lightly.

"What? A Tribulation Cultivator? Where?"

Bian Chuyao’s face showed some surprise, her spiritual sense surged again, and her eyes also flickered with spiritual light, but still found nothing.

"The soil under our feet has been sprinkled with Evil Spirit Demon Powder, a unique powder refined from Demon Miasma that can merge with it, making it extremely concealed. But once touched, in the eyes of those with intent, it’s like a flickering light, making it hard to hide one’s whereabouts."

"Moreover, this powder has a stimulating effect on beasts with incomplete spiritual wisdom, amplifying their murderous intent invisibly."

"This demon powder requires a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to refine, and a Qi Refining Cultivator’s spiritual sense can hardly detect it."

Gu Yuan explained.

"Then how did you know, Senior Brother?"

Bian Chuyao asked curiously.

Gu Yuan did not answer.

"If someone is ambushing us, what should we do now? Should we drag them out and kill them?"

Seeing Gu Yuan not answer, Bian Chuyao asked again.

"Since there are Tribulation Cultivators here, they’re surely certain someone will pass this way. But we entered Cloud Mist Mountain with the Cyan Jade Order, so we shouldn’t be their target. Just follow me..."

Without any hesitation, Gu Yuan said this, then slowly walked to the other side while taking out a bottle, gently sprinkling some in the void, and then took out a Void Nether Jade, hiding his figure within the woods on the other side of the mountain.

Seeing this, Bian Chuyao also took out a precious jade and, together with Gu Yuan, concealed her figure.

"Hoo, hoo, hoo!"

In the mountain forest, it was quiet for a while, with only the whimpering wind constantly whistling through.

Before long, a group of people rushed out of the Demon Miasma.

Leading them were two white-clad cultivators at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer, followed by two Qi Refining Eighth Layer cultivators, with a weather-beaten look on their faces.

"Brother Maa, after a long journey, we’ve finally entered Cloud Mist Mountain!"

"As long as we slay a few more demons, we can enter Cloud Mist Valley, which should definitely provide us the resources for Foundation Establishment!"

The cultivators whispered to each other as they cautiously advanced into the mountain forest.

"Roar!"

Yet just as they neared the forest, a roaring sound came from within, as a big white-stripe tiger led a tide of ghosts in a sudden attack.

Their faces changed dramatically.

"Whoosh!"

But at this moment, a subtle wind blew up from the side of the forest, seemingly lifting some powder, and then two figures that had been hiding suddenly appeared in the forest on the other side of the white tiger.

The two looked surprised as they saw their unveiling figures.

"Fang Bai!"

"It’s actually you!"

The initially appearing white-clad cultivators looked shocked, incredulously shouting as soon as they saw the scene.

"Roar!"

But the Tiger Demon paid no heed, commanding the ghosts to launch an indiscriminate attack.

"Roar!"

"Bang!"

"Boom!"

In an instant, a three-way melee erupted in the forest, the scene chaotic.

Bian Chuyao looked at the melee in front of her, her face showing shock, involuntarily turning her head up and down to reappraise Gu Yuan.

But Gu Yuan just stood with his hands behind his back, quietly watching the melee.

After a long time, the melee in the forest finally ended.

The Tiger Demon and countless ghosts were all killed. Among the white-clad cultivators who first entered the battlefield, two were dead, and the remaining two were seriously injured, unable to fight anymore.

Although the two Tribulation Cultivators were also not in great shape, bearing injuries, their faces showed ferocity and excitement.

"Fang Bai, you actually became a Tribulation Cultivator?!"

The white-clad cultivator shouted fiercely.

"So what if I became a Tribulation Cultivator? Without doing so, how could I reach the Qi Refining Ninth Layer with my aptitude?"

"You foolish guys think of entering Cloud Mist Valley, but with that effort, wouldn’t ambushing you here be much easier?"

The leading Tribulation Cultivator sneered disdainfully, then prepared a Dharma Seal to kill the two in front of him.

"Roar!"

"Cling!"

But at this moment, invisible roars and clinging sword qi echoed from the void, causing the two Tribulation Cultivators’ faces to change drastically as they tried to activate their Dharma Seal to block.

But both were already injured, mana insufficient, and the Silver Flood Dragon quickly arrived, instantly causing a tidal wave within their Sea of Consciousness.

The two froze for a moment.

Then the peach blossoms twisted them easily to death.

"Hoo!"

The white-clad cultivators were stunned by the sudden scene before them, but before they could react, a red Flood Dragon phantom spiraled over, completely incinerating the two Tribulation Cultivators into ashes.

Then a handsome figure in a Daoist robe came stepping through the void, taking away the storage bags on the ground.

"Cloud Mist Mountain is extremely dangerous. You both are naive, it’s best to retreat early!"

The figure spoke a sentence, then with a surge of mana, transformed into a powerful force that swept the two out of the forest.

They had no strength left to resist, only able to watch helplessly as Gu Yuan’s figure drifted further away.

In the last glimpse of their sight, their two companions’ bodies were also cremated, with the storage bags falling into a slender white hand.

...

...

Bian Chuyao watched the scene before her, speechless and absorbed in shock.

Gu Yuan moved quickly, cleaning up the battlefield in just a few breaths, then continued forward past the forest.

Bian Chuyao seemed to wake from a dream, hurriedly following after.

But shortly after passing through the forest, just before reaching a Jade Hall, Gu Yuan stopped again.

Then under Bian Chuyao’s puzzled gaze, Gu Yuan moved swiftly, pulling out a short figure from an ancient tree about ten feet to the side of the Jade Hall.

Afterward, he made his move, and in just over ten breaths, he killed and cremated the figure, seizing a storage bag.

"Senior... Senior Brother, what did you do before coming to the Daoist School?"

As the sound of Gu Yuan returning reached her, Bian Chuyao seemed to wake from a dream, couldn’t help but ask softly.

"As a cultivator, what kind of livelihood could I have done? Just practicing diligently in the mountains..."

Gu Yuan shook his head, then turned, avoiding the Jade Hall, and walked toward another secluded old path on the mountain.

"Senior Brother, you’re mistaken, Cloud Mist Valley isn’t that way!"

Bian Chuyao, feeling a bit muddled, still reminded him.

"No matter, I know of a shortcut..."

But Gu Yuan didn’t lift his head, just striding forward.