Chapter 223

Mist tides surged, wild winds became waves, crushing three parts of moonlight, stirring up seven parts of sorrow.

The tense atmosphere suddenly solidified, and everyone's eyes were attracted by the "creak, creak" sound of the shared bike.

"Beep..."

"You have locked it, bike returned successfully!"

Zhang Fan parked the bike on the side of the road, and after returning it, walked straight toward the Five-Spirit Wuling Hongguang.

"Old Yu, what are you doing? Put it away, hurry up and get in the car, let's go back quickly."

Zhang Fan glanced at the mist tide surging around Yu Fu, raised an eyebrow, and patted the hood of the Five-Spirit Wuling Hongguang, signaling him to get in.

"..."

Yu Fu's expression was strange; he subconsciously looked at the two Daoist priests from Mount Qingcheng and remained silent.

"Arrogant!"

Just then, Lan Tingzhu let out a violent shout, looking at Zhang Fan with some astonishment, a trace of annoyance gradually crawling onto his face.

Beside him, Xu Qinglai said nothing, but his face had already turned cold.

They were dignified disciples of Mount Qingcheng, here to subdue demons and devils, but this man in front of them "had two eggs under his eyebrows, only knowing how to blink and not how to see," actually treating them like air and skipping over them directly.

Such a frivolous act was simply disrespectful to them, and disrespectful to Mount Qingcheng.

"Who are you? A crab stretching its claws, are you walking sideways? Didn't you see the Daoist priest subduing a demon?"

Lan Tingzhu's temple jumped violently, aiming at Zhang Fan and cursing loudly.

"Daoist priest? Where did you Daoist priests come from?" Zhang Fan turned around, looked at the two people in front of him, and said indifferently.

"Mount Qingcheng!" Lan Tingzhu said loudly, with a trace of arrogance.

Zhang Fan remained silent, and after a long while, he said: "Old Yu, don't make a move, step back."

At this moment, Zhang Fan faintly knew why Bai He didn't allow Old Yu to set foot in the Sichuan region; it seemed he still had a grudge with Mount Qingcheng.

"Zhang Fan, they are disciples of Mount Qingcheng, you don't need to..." Yu Fu's brow trembled, and he whispered a reminder.

Mount Qingcheng is one of the ten great famous Daoist mountains in the world, and it is the place where the Ancestral Celestial Master Zhang Daoling ascended to immortality; its status is extraordinary.

He naturally didn't want Zhang Fan to get into this muddy water for no reason, provoke Mount Qingcheng, and bring about a fatal disaster.

"So he is your accomplice!?" Lan Tingzhu shouted coldly, his knife-like gaze locking onto Zhang Fan.

"Since you are together, then come back with me."

Xu Qinglai's words rang out faintly, filled with unquestionable majesty. At the same time, the silver bell on the head of the oil-paper umbrella in his hand swayed gently, emitting a crisp sound.

Clang... clang... clang...

That sound was like ripples in water, manifesting in everyone's minds, slowly spreading from far to near.

"Come with me."

Just while everyone was dazed, Xu Qinglai was like a breeze, already appearing in front of Zhang Fan, his indifferent eyes having no fluctuations, as if all this was a matter of course.

"The bell moves and disturbs the Soul-Aspect, good Daoist technique!"

Suddenly, Zhang Fan's voice rang out faintly.

Xu Qinglai's gaze trembled, and looking intently, he saw that Zhang Fan's eyes were incomparably clear and awake, as if the bell sound that could disturb a person's Soul-Aspect was completely ordinary in his ears.

"Senior brother..."

Almost at the same time, Lan Tingzhu shouted in shock, reminding him violently.

Hum...

Xu Qinglai's robes shook, rising without wind, and in the dark, it seemed as if an invisible force was dragging him to float backward gracefully.

"If you respect me by a foot, I will return the favor by a yard."

Rumble...

Just then, Zhang Fan moved. He was like a great demon of the dark night, pressing down, his terrifying momentum covering the sky and earth. A large hand had already landed on Xu Qinglai's face.

"You..."

Through the gaps in his fingers, Xu Qinglai's eyes widened, finally no longer as calm as before, a trace of shock appearing in the sudden waves.

"Bone Arrow!"

Suddenly, a sound of wind breaking and strings snapping exploded, attacking from behind his head, sounding like a tiger's roar, with the force of a swift arrow! In the shattered wild wind, a white arrow aimed at Zhang Fan, its whole body forged like white bone, gleaming with a bronze luster, blood light surging on its surface, like a flower in full bloom, desolate and frost-covered.

Lacquer-gray bone dust, cinnabar water sand, desolate ancient blood producing copper flowers.

Rumble...

In the blink of an eye, that Bone Arrow had arrived close by, its peerless power tearing through the force around Zhang Fan, the mysterious sound it stirred up shaking the Soul-Aspect.

Whoosh...

Suddenly, Zhang Fan's other hand lifted violently, True Fire surging in his palm like a glove, actually gripping that arrow firmly.

Bang bang bang...

The Bone Arrow vibrated and ground in Zhang Fan's hand, sparking dazzling fireworks that splashed everywhere.

"Forged from the bones of a tiger demon... good magic tool!"

A sharp light flashed in Zhang Fan's eyes; he saw the extraordinary nature of this 【Bone Arrow】 at a glance.

This arrow is not made of ordinary bone; the tiger's roar in the mountains and forests suppresses the Soul-Aspect.

Its material is extraordinary, taken from the bones of a fierce tiger that had become a demon in the mountains, refined with Daoist mysterious methods; it can kill the body and suppress the spirit.

"You aren't even a Gao Gong, yet you dare to show off in front of me?"

Zhang Fan let out a cold snort, giant force erupting in his palm, True Fire surging like a withered branch being broken, actually crushing the Bone Arrow to pieces.

The tiger's roar stopped abruptly, blood light surged, and the essence of the white bone surged like a counter-current, brushing past Zhang Fan's body.

This scene was earth-shattering, scaring Lan Tingzhu so much that his expression changed abruptly, and he subconsciously took a step back.

Bang...

Almost at the same time, Zhang Fan's large hand dropped, pressing Xu Qinglai and smashing him violently into the ground. The latter flew a yard away, hitting a huge deep pit and stirring up smoke and dust into the sky.

"This... who exactly is this person?"

In the distance, Lan Tingzhu's eyes trembled; he simply couldn't believe his eyes.

Ignoring Xu Qinglai's spirit-disturbing bell sound, directly counterattacking violently, and even being able to crush his sudden Bone Arrow—such methods, such ferocity, gave Lan Tingzhu too much of a shock.

Even as a disciple of Mount Qingcheng, at this moment, his nerves were like tangled hemp, his face like chaff.

"How could Yujing City have such an expert? At this age, such cultivation is definitely Gao Gong without a doubt."

Thoughts flew through Lan Tingzhu's mind, trembling with fear.

However, before he could think carefully, Zhang Fan's sharp gaze was cast toward him.

"Don't... don't come over..." Lan Tingzhu's face twitched, and he subconsciously retreated.

Hum...

Just then, a chant soared into the sky, a terrifying aura erupting from the deep pit, leveling the pervasive smoke and dust.

"I didn't expect that evil obstacle to really find a helper..."

Xu Qinglai's figure flew, taking a step out, the oil-paper umbrella in his hand slowly opening.

"Since that's the case, you shall be subdued together with him!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the old oil-paper umbrella finally opened, and a harsh sound surged over, a roaring sound ringing in everyone's ears.

This was a sound with an extremely special frequency.

Zhang Fan looked down and saw that his clothes had been torn open by some invisible force before he knew it.

"Sword in the Umbrella!"

Hum...

Xu Qinglai rotated the oil-paper umbrella in his hand, the black, oily umbrella ribs vibrating violently, and that strange sound came again.

In an instant, cracks appeared on the ground, as if torn by an extremely terrifying sharp blade, surging toward Zhang Fan from far to near in a large area.

"That umbrella of his is a magic treasure of Mount Qingcheng, forged from the wing bones of a bat demon," Old Yu's expression changed abruptly in the distance, and he reminded him in shock.

Bang bang bang...

The ground collapsed, the road seemed to be crushed and deformed by a strange force, flying stones splashing in all directions, the invisible force quickly reaching Zhang Fan.

"Great Flame Blade!"

Just then, Zhang Fan's chest heaved violently, and he spat out a breath; True Fire was born in the mysterious void, and a Great Flame Blade was born in a single thought.

Rumble...

The huge blade body was over seven feet long, True Fire burning brightly and inextinguishably, the terrifying temperature causing the surrounding air to twist rapidly. Under such high temperature and high pressure, the invisible sword Qi born from the Sword in the Umbrella also evaporated and disintegrated.

"He broke the Sword in the Umbrella!?" Xu Qinglai's pupils contracted sharply.

This was a magic treasure he had specially requested from his sect before coming down the mountain.

Bang...

This work was organized and uploaded by 69 Book Bar~~

The huge flame light slashed across, and a hideous crack was torn into the ground.

Xu Qinglai's face twitched violently, and he subconsciously retreated several steps.

Just then, a broad, thick palm pressed against his back. He turned his head violently to look, his eyes trembling; Zhang Fan was already standing behind him before he knew it.

Zhang Fan lifted his foot and kicked Xu Qinglai flying violently. At the same time, one hand slid over the oil-paper umbrella like a loach, directly taking it.

"My Black Sword Umbrella!"

Xu Qinglai landed heavily, looking at the precious umbrella in Zhang Fan's hand, and a mouthful of old blood sprayed out.

"Senior brother..." Lan Tingzhu hurried forward to support him.

"What's yours about the Black Sword Umbrella? If you call it, will it answer you?" Zhang Fan held the old oil-paper umbrella, suddenly unable to put it down.

Now he was at the Gao Gong rank, but apart from the Spirit-Suppressing Demon Gold Seal that he almost used as a brick, he didn't have a single proper Daoist magic treasure.

Just now, he had witnessed the power of this treasure, and it was indeed extraordinary—invisible sword Qi, strange and domineering.

"That is a magic treasure of my Mount Qingcheng." Xu Qinglai was filled with hatred and rage.

Strictly speaking, this magic treasure wasn't his either; he had borrowed it from the sect.

Daoist magic treasures cannot be refined casually; if they are to reach a certain level, they require the painstaking efforts of several generations, incense offerings, and inheritance from generation to generation. The older they are, the more powerful they appear.

Precisely because of this, every mountain and sect treats any magic treasure with strange and absolute power as an ancestor, worshipping it daily.

Although this 【Black Sword Umbrella】 couldn't be counted as an ancient treasure, it had nearly a hundred years of history.

"Your magic treasure?" Zhang Fan sneered, a cold light flashing in his eyes: "Even your life isn't yours anymore..."

As he spoke, he lifted the 【Black Sword Umbrella】 and walked toward Xu Qinglai and Lan Tingzhu.

Whoosh...

Just then, a car drove over from afar. When it arrived, a group of people got out, led by Sui Chunsheng, as well as Ma Buting, whom he hadn't seen for many days, followed by two accompanying staff members.

"People from the Jiangnan Province Dao Alliance are here." Xu Qinglai looked at the car logo, his face showing joy, as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw.

"Zhang Fan, why are you here?" Ma Buting walked over.

After the Zhang family old house incident, Ma Buting had also broken through to the Gao Gong rank, but later, because he was chasing Wu Wei demon people, he was poisoned and had his intestines pulled out, recuperating for two months.

Now, recovered and discharged from the hospital, he was two sizes thinner than before.

"You came just in time; these two are impersonating Daoist officials, robbing the road in broad daylight, and even wanted to poison me." Zhang Fan reported the crime.

"You... you..." Xu Qinglai was trembling with anger, pointing at Zhang Fan, unable to say a word. After "you"-ing for a long time, another mouthful of old blood sprayed out.

"He's saying all our lines," Lan Tingzhu was filled with hatred and rage.

"Stop arguing, take them back first," Sui Chunsheng shouted in a deep voice.

"We are disciples of Mount Qingcheng," Xu Qinglai gritted his teeth: "This person colluded with monsters and committed crimes in the street."

"Mount Qingcheng!?"

Sui Chunsheng's suspicious gaze swept over Xu Qinglai and Lan Tingzhu.

"Monsters? Where are the monsters?" Zhang Fan sneered.

"He is right..."

Xu Qinglai turned his head, but the area next to the Five-Spirit Wuling Hongguang was empty; where was Old Yu's shadow?

"Saying I colluded with monsters, you're blind."

As he spoke, Zhang Fan took out his phone and shook it in front of Xu Qinglai and Lan Tingzhu; on the screen was a photo of a silk banner.

"Open your dog eyes and look carefully, Outstanding Daoist Worker... officially certified, let's see who is the monster."

"You? Outstanding worker?"

Xu Qinglai widened his eyes, simply unable to believe it; he somewhat suspected that this silk banner was a fake bought online for nine yuan and nine cents with free shipping.

"If you have any questions, talk to me after returning to the Dao Alliance," Sui Chunsheng raised a hand, not allowing the two to argue.

"Are you really people from the Dao Alliance?" Xu Qinglai became suspicious; he now even suspected that these Dao Alliance staff members were fake.

Slap...

However, before Sui Chunsheng could reply, Zhang Fan raised his hand and gave Xu Qinglai a big slap, making him see stars.

"You're blind, you still dare to question the Dao Alliance," Zhang Fan said righteously.

"Brother, that was too much," Sui Chunsheng lowered his head, pulled Zhang Fan's sleeve, and whispered.

"You... you... you are violent law enforcement," Xu Qinglai covered his swollen cheek, pointing at Zhang Fan, hating him.

"I'm not a person from the Dao Alliance, I don't have law enforcement power, so how can there be violent law enforcement?"

"..."

Xu Qinglai was stunned.

"I just slapped you!" Zhang Fan said frankly.

"Take them away... talk after taking them back."

Sui Chunsheng waved his hand, and two staff members stepped forward, dragging Xu Qinglai and Lan Tingzhu away.

"Friend, let me give you a word..."

Just then, Xu Qinglai had also calmed down. He looked at Zhang Fan, his gaze narrowing into a line.

"Mountains and rivers meet, let's wait and see."

"Fellow Daoist, let me give you a word in return," Zhang Fan replied.

"What?" Xu Qinglai asked subconsciously.

"A strong dragon doesn't suppress the local snake."

"Take them away."

As the words fell, Xu Qinglai and Lan Tingzhu got into the Jiangnan Province Dao Alliance car.

"What's the situation?"

Sui Chunsheng pulled Zhang Fan to the side and asked.

"Go back and interrogate them slowly yourself," Zhang Fan said casually.

He knew that once they arrived at the Jiangnan Province Dao Alliance, the identities of Xu Qinglai and Lan Tingzhu could be quickly confirmed, and he didn't need to lie in front of Sui Chunsheng.

"Do I need to go back and give a statement?"

"No need, we're all our own people. If there's a need, I'll provide door-to-door service," Sui Chunsheng said politely: "Do you want a ride?"

"No need, I have a car."

Zhang Fan pointed to the Five-Spirit Wuling Hongguang in the distance.

A moment later, Zhang Fan watched the Jiangnan Province Dao Alliance car leave. He turned around slowly, took out his phone, and dialed Old Yu's number.

That night, a phone call was made from Yujing City to Mount Qingcheng! (End of Chapter)