Chapter 219: Mental Damage Is Also Damage

After shattering the rock layer's cracks, Xie Jinhuan ran over thirty li with the ghost, and firelight appeared again ahead.

Although the ghost's guidance made it truly simple to find, the three dared not sigh "all came without effort" at this moment; they only thought of how to withdraw safely after filling their packs.

Bu Yuehua secretly prayed to all ten Ancestral Witches, but clutching the witch's foot at the last moment obviously could not resolve the current predicament; she fished a pill from her waist along the way and handed it to Nangong Ye:

"Take all the opportunities; there will be movement underground, and we might encounter opponents upon exiting. Take the medicine first; after we get out, we'll go find another Hu Gu Teng for Xie Jinhuan."

In Bu Yuehua's hand was the 'Heavenly Secret Pill', whose function was to build a bridge between Heaven and Earth, allowing cultivators to cross into the threshold of Heaven and Man, thereby mastering the power of Heaven and Earth to complete a qualitative transformation; the Evil-Breaking Pill had the same effect, but the Heavenly Secret Pill's side effect made it suitable for the Wu Sect and the Immortal Path, while the Evil-Breaking Pill was suitable for martial artists.

In the Phoenix Tomb, everyone found it difficult to mobilize the power of Heaven and Earth here; a peak First Grade and a low-level Super Grade actually had little difference, but once back on the surface, the distinction between them was that of immortal and mortal.

Nangong Ye felt that even after taking the realm-breaking pill, the three would still find it hard to defeat the second elder of the Divination Sect, but relying on the magical artifact and the ghost who could find the path like a god, withdrawal was not a big problem; for this reason, he took out the Evil-Breaking Pill exchanged from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau and handed it to the part-time martial artist Bu Yuehua to maximize the benefit.

Xie Jinhuan had originally wanted Seeing Bing Tuozi to break through her realm first, but when she also took out a pill for Sister Hua, he was slightly puzzled:

"Where did this pill come from?"

Bu Yuehua obviously did not want to mention the grudge between the two, so she simply explained:

"A gift from the sect; Sister Mu and I have been fighting over this thing, but now there are two, so there is no need to fight. After we get out, we will search for a Hu Gu Teng for you together."

Xie Jinhuan naturally did not refuse this kindness and quickly approached the firelight.

Nangong Ye swallowed the Heavenly Secret Pill; his limbs and qi seas did not change much, but a vast soul power surged from within his body, gradually spreading to his four limbs and hundred bones, giving a feeling of sudden awakening.

The scattered power of Heaven and Earth around him seemed to establish a connection with his physique; no longer relying on the 'Fire Spirit Pearl' pendant hanging around his neck, he could also control and intervene.

However, the power of Heaven and Earth within the Phoenix Tomb was too powerful; with her small arms and legs, she could not master it at all, so no strange changes occurred outside her body. While digesting the medicine's nature, she slid into the rock layer's cracks to begin refining the final opportunity.

After Bu Yuehua took the Evil-Breaking Pill, her soul sensation was largely similar, but her bone structure was being nourished by the medicine's nature, and a touch of grimness appeared between her quiet eyebrows; she immediately took the Yin-Yang Ruler, sat down in front of it, and fully absorbed the medicine's nature while providing protection.

Because the cracks were narrow and the flames were below the fissure, there was no room for three people to stand; Xie Jinhuan spread his legs in a split, bracing against the rock walls on both sides, and poked his head out of the crack to look at the irregular fissures on the left and right.

Whoosh~

A gentle breeze swirled in the narrow fissure, and the entire underground fell into silence.

Xie Jinhuan looked calm on the surface, but was secretly praying for the ghost's blessing, hoping nothing else would go wrong, so they could finish quickly, return to dig out Bing Tuotuo, and head to Northern Zhou; with a pack full of divine gear unable to withdraw, the pressure was truly too great...

But unfortunately, Heaven seemed determined to test him.

After the three remained silent for about two quarters of an hour, the opportunity had not yet been fully refined, and Ye Hongshang, floating in front, frowned again:

"Why does that old Taoist nose keep haunting us?"

Xie Jinhuan frowned, thinking that if he didn't dig out that old bastard later, he wouldn't deserve such relentless pursuit.

He looked down; Seeing Bing Tuozi would probably need another quarter of an hour or so to finish refining; because she had to maintain the protection distance, she couldn't personally control the Yin-Yang Ruler, so Sister Hua had to protect her right there.

He had been traveling within the Yin-Yang Ruler's protection throughout this journey and hadn't consumed much qi mechanism; if he left the protection range, relying on his own true qi for protection, he could probably hold out for a moment, not enough to return to the surface, but with the ghost's navigation, delaying time would be sufficient.

Xie Jinhuan pondered slightly and said in a low voice:

"You two refine as quickly as possible; I'll go block the path so Lu Yan doesn't find us."

Nangong Ye frowned and turned back:

"Don't run around recklessly; you can't withstand the yang fire here!"

Bu Yuehua also quickly ended her cultivation:

"Lu Yan has arrived? How about I go draw him away..."

"You don't know the way; leave it to me."

"Eh?!"

Both of them looked urgent in their eyes, wanting to call him back, but Xie Jinhuan had already leaped out of the crack.

Whoosh~

As he left the Yin-Yang Ruler's protection range, an indescribable heat pressed in from all directions.

This heat was like being in a copper room; all four sides were roasted red by fierce flames, with not a drop of moisture inside, only pure yang fire seeping in from all four sides.

Xie Jinhuan had not tried it before, but at this moment he suddenly understood why living beings could not enter this place early—the depths of the Phoenix Tomb were a deep sea composed purely of the power of Heaven and Earth.

Although invisible to the naked eye, the density of the power of Heaven and Earth here far exceeded that within his body; the pressure was too great, making it impossible to mobilize, and it would even seep into his physique from all parts of his body.

Unrefined power of Heaven and Earth was extremely violent; once the physique was eroded, one would quickly become a dried corpse; to survive, one could only use one's own qi mechanism to counter it, forming a protective layer. With such a huge disparity in power, once the qi sea was exhausted, one would die on the spot.

Xie Jinhuan used his own qi mechanism to isolate his body surface; he still felt as if jumping from an air-conditioned room directly into a scorching desert, but having been tempered multiple times by the 'Oil on Fire Pill', he actually had no major reaction; after a quick glance, he quietly slipped into a crack and then drew out the Great Star Mace to smash the rock wall:

Boom—

The rock layer immediately collapsed, blocking the crack and cutting off the light and the two people refining the opportunity.

Half a li away.

Lu Yan held the Imperial Fire Token and led the juniors forward through the rock layer cracks; knowing Xie Jinhuan was no stupid pig and would surely have a trick if he dared to lure him here, he proceeded very cautiously, suppressing all sounds and signs.

A sudden boom echoed not far away; Lu Yan's steps suddenly stopped, and Xi Yanjun also halted his form:

"What was that noise?"

"Shh..."

Lu Yan couldn't use the power of Heaven and Earth to sense movements in this place either; he could only use ancient methods to investigate—listening with his ear to the side.

It turned out the other party didn't seem to intend to hide, speaking directly in the winding, twisting cracks:

"You really dare to come; this Xie has been waiting for you for a long time."

?

Lu Yan's face darkened, and he quickly scanned left and right to see if there was an ambush.

But in this ghost place, aside from collapsing the rock layer to crush him, what other ambush could there be?

"Young friend Xie has great courage; the 'courtesy' has already been offered by this Lu; it is Young friend Xie who refused the toast and chose the penalty. No matter who your master is, we must settle this account."

"I already gave Daoist Lu a chance just now; if you won't leave on your own, don't blame me for not remembering the sentiment of both being of the Righteous Path. The Imperial Fire Token in your hand is also a famous magical artifact..."

"..."

Lu Yan frowned tightly, feeling that Xie Jinhuan's tone was a bit too harsh.

But since he mainly cultivated the Five Elements Fire Method, Lu Yan's temper was quite explosive; he simply didn't believe a First Grade martial artist could snap his neck with a single finger, him being the Vice President of the Divination Sect!

Seeing the other party's confidence was high, Lu Yan said no more, moving forward silently along the sound while keeping watch on the other two female accomplices.

Xie Jinhuan's tone was hard, but if Lu Yan hurled a blast of Blazing True Fire at him, without the protection of the Yin-Yang Ruler, he would turn to ash on the spot; thus, he could not let the other party touch him even once.

At this moment, moving through the crisscrossing maze, the Ghost Wife, for the sake of convenient guidance, directly held a crystal ball in her hand, inside which was the flow of Yang Fire spanning a hundred zhang in all directions.

Because Yang Fire filled every corner, the crisscrossing gold-red lines naturally formed the surrounding map, while the positions of Lu Yan and the other were three intersections away, where they could see the hollows where the Yang Fire was blocked.

Xie Jinhuan first led Lu Yan to a position farther from the Ice Lump, while simultaneously searching his body for usable resources.

He had come fully prepared this time, bringing all his chaotic belongings, but items like the Ice Scale Armor, the Yellow Qilin Seal, and the Qilin Holding Book Pendant were now utterly useless; in this desperate situation, he could only rely on the Great Immortal Lin Zisu...

The Pill that causes a sudden surge in cultivation won't help him win even if eaten; the one that brings a constant smile and a sarcastic tone can only make Lu Yan laugh to death...

The Pill that makes one stuffed and bored, if eaten here, would cause frantic Qi cultivation and instant death, but it can't be fed to the mouth; the Lump-Drilling Pill immediately is the same...

The Sticking-Together Powder...

?

Xie Jinhuan's gaze shifted, thinking this thing might not poison Lu Yan, but that stalker behind him didn't have much cultivation!

Although this move couldn't harm Lu Yan's physique, mental damage is still damage; confusing Lu Yan's mind and rhythm would create an opportunity to counterattack... Thinking of this, Xie Jinhuan's heart surged; first he observed the terrain and their positions, then acted quickly...

Tap tap~

Hearing the commotion in the distance, Lu Yan flew swiftly through the intersecting cracks; after chasing a stretch, he unexpectedly found this fellow did have some skill.

He couldn't figure out the surrounding paths in this place at all, yet this fellow moved like he was at home, twisting left and right and darting about, but never once running into a dead end.

Separated by a little less than half a li, he could burn him with fire techniques, but as long as this fellow reacted quickly to seal the cracks, he could block the flames; thus, attacking from such a distance was meaningless.

Seeing the other party only running, Lu Yan spoke again:

"You rely on the protection of the Yin-Yang Ruler to venture deep into this place. Now that we are separated, if you don't have the Yin-Yang Ruler, you won't last a quarter-hour; if you are holding it, they won't live long. Do you think this circling has any meaning?"

Xie Jinhuan, darting wildly in the distance, also seemed to realize this circling had no meaning; he stopped at a certain spot, and all sound ceased.

?

Lu Yan frowned, silently arriving at the crack where the figure vanished. Leaning against the rock wall, he listened carefully; he could sense the movement of Qi mechanisms deep within the crack that isolated the Yang Fire. The crack should be straight, over seventy zhang away, and the human figure had not moved.

Because he couldn't be sure of Xie Jinhuan's intentions, Lu Yan raised his hand slightly, putting the Xi Yanjun he was protecting on guard.

Xi Yanjun was also a legitimate disciple with solid foundation; seeing this, without needing orders, he leaned against a recess in the corner of the rock wall to avoid being injured by the aftereffects of the Qi force.

Lu Yan then flashed through the crack entrance; halfway through, his left hand flipped slightly, and a gold-red line of fire, like an arrow, shot out, instantly piercing the seventy-plus-zhang narrow tunnel and illuminating all the scenery.

Whoosh~

Xie Jinhuan, holding the Tiangang Mace, stood at the end of the passage, ready to shatter the crack and block the fire at any moment. Realizing the opponent was only making a probing feint, he shifted into the crack, using the Panlong Horizontal Ridge to protect his entire body.

Boom—

The fire line looked no thicker than a finger, but when it shot to the rock wall at the end, it still blasted out a basin-sized hole; the rock melted, and the aftereffects of the flames instantly swept the surroundings.

Xie Jinhuan cast the Drifting Dragon Coiling Mountain to isolate the aftereffects, yet he was still roasted by the unbearable high temperature until his robes turned scorched yellow and his skin felt a burning pain; however, he still held out. Once the aftereffects dissipated, he sneered:

"A true Sect Master of the Five Spirit Mountain, dealing with a mere First-Rank martial artist, yet so cautious. If our cultivation levels were swapped, you wouldn't survive a single move."

Lu Yan discovered Xie Jinhuan had no Yin-Yang Ruler and no one else by his side; his heart was filled with doubt as he replied:

"I give you one last chance: yield a portion of the Ling Guang Divine Gift, and I will let you leave. Otherwise, even if you truly are a legitimate disciple of the Ye Shrine, dying here would be your own fault for greed and rashness. The Zhan Yan Sect is not without Ancestors; we do not fear a single Ye Shrine."

The Old Sect Master of the Zhan Yan Sect was the True Person Huang Lin, the head of the Righteous Path in Northern Zhou during the Wu Sect rebellion, and, alongside the Northern Zhou Valkyrie and the High Priestess of the Zhuji Sect, was known as one of the 'Three Immortals of the Northern Border'; he was of the same generation as the Ye Shrine and others.

According to records, the Bodhisattva Yu Nian passed away in meditation at Tiantai Temple due to injury; the Northern Zhou Valkyrie, while slaying the Corpse Ancestor, had her physique corroded by demonic Qi; to prevent falling into demonic chaos and harming the world, she achieved liberation from the body at the Ascension Platform after the Fengbo Tower incident; and the True Person Huang Lin also seemed to have been injured, subsequently entering the Life-and-Death Seclusion like the True Person Qixia. If he hasn't passed away, then indeed he has no fear of the Ye Shrine.

Fortunately, Xie Jinhuan hadn't expected the Holy One of the Ye Shrine to back him up either; at this moment, he replied:

"What I have eaten, you cannot take away. However, if you are willing to compensate me with a portion of the Nether River Grass, I can keep your secret, sparing you the loss of your late reputation."

Lu Yan was baffled: "What do you mean?"

"You used the Fire-Ordering Talisman to isolate the surroundings and held your breath to sneak in just like me, so naturally you couldn't smell the scent around. Of course, that thing is also colorless and odorless; once it touches your robes, it takes effect. It is truly an essential item for traveling the Jianghu..."

?

Lu Yan frowned, thinking Xie Jinhuan had set up some Immortal-Slaying Poison Array here, and cautiously scanned left and right.

As it turned out, there was nothing abnormal around him, but Xi Yanjun, leaning against the crack opposite, suddenly had his eyes become hazy, then instantly flashed out, leaning right up against him, raising his hands for a bear hug:

"Junior Uncle~ I'm so hot..."

Holy crap—!!!

Xie Jinhuan, standing on the opposite side of the crack, heard it and felt goosebumps rise; his heart felt the Great Immortal Lin Zisu lived up to its name: saying "hug the person nearby" meant hugging the person nearby. Don't ask about gender first; just ask: did he hug or not...

Lu Yan, caught off guard, was stunned; discovering this little Wang Ba was acting recklessly, he raised his palm, intending to turn this evil spawn to ash.

But as a legitimate disciple of the Sect Master, he certainly couldn't kill him; he could only exert force with both arms to shake this rascal away.

But Xi Yanjun was like a madman, his hands and feet locking onto him tightly, as if he wanted to squeeze himself into his Junior Uncle's body...

Damn it!

Lu Yan, feeling so nauseous he almost vomited stomach acid, could only knock this useless junior nephew unconscious.

But Xie Jinhuan, though disgusted, wasn't just watching the show.

At the same moment Xi Yanjun moved, Xie Jinhuan had already grabbed the Tiangang Mace and launched a full-speed frenzied assault; in the blink of an eye, he crossed the seventy-plus-zhang crack. With his Qi Sea empty, he dared not waste energy; originally intending to close the distance, he planned to deliver a Black Dragon Colliding Pillar strike against the hidden rock wall corner where the two were concealed.

But Lu Yan sensed something was wrong; disregarding the rascal on his body, he flashed out directly. With both arms pinned, he formed the Fire Seal with his left hand and held the Fire-Ordering Talisman in his right:

"Depart!"

Boom—

Even though he could only draw upon his physical body's strength, with an unstable Dao Heart and blocked rhythm, Lu Yan's casual Fire Seal still possessed a power that was terrifying to hear!

As the Fire-Ordering Talisman displayed gold-red flowing light, a hundred streaking stars instantly shot forth before him, like a meteor shower sweeping across the crack.

Seeing he had no chance to get close, Xie Jinhuan immediately flashed into the mid-way rock wall, and then behind him came:

Boom boom boom...

The rock layer cracks were like they had been swept by a machine gun; rocks exploded, splashing fire rain and leaving nearly a hundred basin-sized crimson craters.

Xie Jinhuan saw the momentum and knew the gap in cultivation was so vast that even with a single finger, it would be hard for him to force a kill; he immediately abandoned the thought of a counter-kill and instead began to maneuver and stall within the maze.

Lu Yan was so furious he nearly ascended to the second Buddha; with one palm, he directly knocked this useless junior nephew unconscious. Although Xie Yanjun had broken free from the bonds, in his dazed state, the moment he left protection, he would instantly turn into a dried corpse, so Lu Yan could only chase with one arm, carrying him.

Though this act had almost no physical impact, the mental damage was truly heaven-defying; Lu Yan's Dao heart nearly exploded. Holding the Fire Decree, he shouted angrily:

"Deceitful little thief, if I do not turn you to ash today, what face do I have to walk the world..."

Xie Jinhuan leaped through the maze, occasionally collapsing cracks to block paths; to prevent Lu Yan from running off to interfere with Seeing Bing Tuozi, he deliberately goaded him:

"Come, come..."

After shuttling like this for a moment, a boom echoed from not far away:

Boom—

Nangong Ye and Bu Yuehua smashed through a pile of rocks and burst out; hearing Lu Yan's murderous, sky-shaking roar, they knew it was likely a fight to the death today, so they immediately rushed to aid.

Xie Jinhuan turned and charged toward the direction of Seeing Bing Tuozi, while simultaneously blasting the rock walls to block all paths:

"Go!"

The three had all depleted their Qi seas and were in no condition to fight; having already eaten their fill and secured the opportunity, they should not linger in combat.

Seeing Xie Jinhuan charge at full speed toward the rock layer cracks, Bu Yuehua rode the Yin-Yang Ruler to follow, shielding him within it.

Nangong Ye saw that Xie Jinhuan had delayed for a moment; his lips were cracked and his skin red from the ravages of Yang fire, and his heart nearly melted, but there was truly no time for pleasantries at this moment.

Xie Jinhuan had indeed expended a great deal, but was not yet exhausted; returning within the shelter of the Yin-Yang Ruler, he felt as if he had been reborn. Along the way, he used the Tian Gang Mace to strike the rock walls, blocking paths, trying to lock the mad old man Lu Yan inside.

But Lu Yan had already gone berserk; at this moment, he had cast aside the matter of the opportunity entirely and was blindly smashing through collapsing rocks in pursuit.

Boom boom boom—

Fortunately, creating obstacles was far simpler than clearing them.

The three dashed about in all directions, gradually increasing the distance; following the Ghost Daughter-in-law's guidance, they soon approached the surface. Even without the Yin-Yang Ruler, they could barely withstand the Yang fire, which was gradually dissipating as it lost its root.

Lu Yan was left several li behind, able only to hear the faint sounds of "boom boom boom—"; without a guide, he had to take detours to search, making it impossible for him to catch up to them in the short term.

Seeing star and moon light appear ahead, about to reach the exit, the three felt the great matter was accomplished; a feeling of "spring breeze, proud heart, horse hooves swift" arose in their hearts, and joy welled up in their eyes.

But very soon, the three realized they were happy a bit too early! —

One more chapter, currently revising or2!

(End of this chapter)