Patrol Captain

On the cliff face of the mountain stream, the four large characters "Nine Deaths and One Life" shone brightly with golden light, sharp and unparalleled, exuding a chilling aura!
The group of powerful cultivators squinted at the words on the cliff face, feeling the unparalleled sharpness on them, like needles pricking them. Those with weaker cultivation felt as if Dao soldiers were approaching them, each horizontal and vertical stroke like a weapon, and dared not look directly at them.

What a powerful Dao mechanism!
Even such a sacred place cannot suppress its sharp edge!
"This seems to be a warning from that imperial inspector!"

A Confucian scholar from the Four Symbols Academy raised his hand to his chest, his figure swayed, and he appeared near the large characters on the mountain wall. He circulated a righteous aura around him to resist the sharp edge of the attack, his expression turned serious, and he spoke leisurely.

"But to me, it looks like a warning to us!" someone said dismissively, their tone still carrying a hint of defiance.

"This means that the patrolling angel has been to the abyss below and knows what's inside." The white-robed fairy from the Lizhu Cave Heaven also stepped out, her eyes shimmering with mist, her voice like pearls falling on a jade plate, her words carrying profound meaning.

This stunningly beautiful fairy, who looks to be only twenty years old, is actually two hundred years old.

"Another great demon corpse. This person seems to be hunting demons here. Making such a commotion is very strange." Someone appeared, not dwelling on the writing on the cliff with the others, but looking down at the dismembered great demon corpse below, finding it very strange.

This place is no benevolent place. Dealing with the endless skeletons and invisible monsters alone would require a great deal of effort. In addition, there is no replenishment of the essence of heaven and earth here, and every bit of true energy used up in the body is a bit less. They all try not to use their true energy if they can avoid it. It is very unusual for this imperial patrol envoy to dare to make such a big fuss. Moreover, there are powerful undead creatures in this abyss, which will be alarmed.

This shows that the imperial inspector has a solution!
"Could it be that this general gained some benefit from the abyss?"

"Take that crimson spirit coffin, for example!"

"Were the words left behind merely meant to mislead future generations?"

A glint of light flashed in some people's eyes, a slight smile playing at the corners of their eyes, before their gaze swept over the figures.

"Everyone, what do you think?"

"We've come this far, we can't just give up halfway. Since this sir doesn't welcome us, we won't fawn over him, we'll just go our own way."

"They're gone!" Someone left, turning into a rainbow of light.

"I believe that if everyone joins forces and continues to explore, this imperial inspector is not exaggerating."

“But we still have to go, otherwise why would everyone risk coming to this place?” said the fairy from Lizhu Cave.

"Master Xuantianzi, what do you think?"

"Amitabha, we will do as Fairy Biluo says." The old Taoist from Longhu Mountain called out "Amitabha," and with his whisk in one hand, he placed it on his other hand. The green lion beneath him let out a muffled thunderous sound from its nostrils.

"good!"

"."

The other grottoes all agreed and set off one by one.

These people did not invite Tai Sui Mountain. After all, one is a celestial realm, and the other is a notorious bandit. Even if they are not completely incompatible, they are bound by some sense of right and wrong.

Seeing that the major caves decided to continue exploring downwards and set off one by one, curses rang out from inside the soundproof barrier on the side of the Thirteen Protectors of Tai Sui Mountain.

"Aren't you afraid of dying quickly? You still dare to go down there. Brother Chen even left a warning, and you still rushed down to your death." Hu Yanqing, the Mountain-Shaking Tiger, cursed as he watched the streaks of light rushing into the darkness below.

“Your Excellency, let’s not get involved in this mess. I believe that Lord Chen left these words here specifically to warn us after sensing our spying. It’s not just empty talk.” Jin Yushan said to Hu Yanxiong with a serious expression and cautious eyes.

Hu Yanxiong's strong eyes flickered, and after a long while, he spoke.
"You trust this person that much?"

"Maybe it's just a feint to avoid trouble?"

“No, the three of us followed this person deep into the Hundred Thousand Mountains and experienced many dangers. This person would not do such a thing. He would eliminate any trouble directly. I am even sure that these words were left specifically for us as a warning. It’s just that we have people from various grotto-heavens with us, so it is inconvenient for this person to show himself.” Jin Yushan’s tone was firm, and he spoke with a confident air.

He believed that the old Taoist priest from Longhu Mountain had used a method to peek into the secrets of heaven, which Chen Yuan had broken, and that the old Taoist priest had seen them through that hole.

These words were not meant for those people in the grotto-heavens, but for them; that was the feeling in Jin Yushan's heart.

Upon hearing this, Hu Yanxiong looked at the eight large golden characters on the cliff face, his narrowed eyes gleaming with a sharp light, before finally speaking.
"never mind!"

As the old saying goes, "Listen to advice, and you'll have a full stomach!"

"Although I have not yet met that general."

"But I'm sure you're not mistaken."

"Retreat and head up the mountain."

After speaking, the Grand Duke of Jupiter watched as the powerful figures from those grotto-heavens disappeared into the darkness below.

"The world is bustling, and no one can escape the pursuit of profit."

"Let's go!"

The group from Tai Sui Mountain then left, heading straight back up the black giant mountain via the same route, without exploring the abyss below, which was quite decisive.

And so, time flew by in this dark and gloomy world.

Half a day later,
"boom"

"boom"

"boom"

In a place deep within the black mountain abyss, a tide of white bones surged like a raging torrent, with thousands of skeletons and dead creatures roaring as they rushed toward the powerful cultivator from the cave.

As the inhabitants continued their exploration of the various grottoes in the abyss, they encountered increasingly dense waves of skeletons and powerful undead creatures along the way.

They went through fierce battles, during which casualties were inevitable. If it weren't for several powerful figures supporting the situation, they would not have been able to continue their advance.

At that moment, they were engaged in a fierce battle.

The old Taoist priest of Longhu Mountain waved his whisk, and a huge Tai Chi Bagua diagram with a diameter of over a hundred feet swirled in mid-air. With each rotation, the void trembled, shattering pieces of withered bones. The green lion beneath his feet let out a deafening roar, which reverberated through the void, crushing and annihilating the invisible ghosts and monsters in the void.

The sword cultivators of Thunderclap Mountain set up a sword formation, countless sword energies following the clouds, transforming into a torrent of sword energy. Within the formation, they fiercely battled a gigantic, six-headed, undead creature—a serpentine creature with rotting flesh between its skulls, silver wings, and an exceptionally ferocious appearance, emanating surging demonic energy and howling winds. The torrent of sword light pierced through the black mist, clanging against the skeletal body of this undead being, producing ear-piercing metallic clangs. Then, the six serpentine heads spewed out six beams of light, tearing through the torrent of sword energy with overwhelming power.

The fairy of Lizhu Cave Heaven summoned a green glass mirror, which emitted a blue light. Together with the sword cultivators of Jinglei Mountain, they fought against the powerful death creature. Wherever the mirror light swept, the demonic light was absorbed, which was extremely mysterious.

Shouts and explosions echoed across the battlefield.

"There are too many monsters!"

"If this continues, we'll run out of pills to replenish our true energy."

"Damn it, when will this killing ever end?"

"Break it for me!"

"."

Just as these powerful beings from the grotto-heavens rose up to fight against a deadly creature comparable to a great demon and the bone tide it led.

"Rumble"

The black mountain beneath their feet suddenly trembled.

"click"

On the black mountainside, tiny cracks appeared in some places, and these cracks, unusually, displayed a vibrant blood-red color. Just like the color of blood before it dried and turned black many years ago.

"what happened?"

This sudden and bizarre change caused a stir among the group of powerful martial arts practitioners in the cave realm, who all became cautious.

Immediately afterwards, a terrifying roar echoed from the bottomless, dark abyss!
The roar carried immense pressure and the aura of death.

With that roar, the ferocious, attacking creatures seemed to be paused. Then, the bone tide, as if drawn by an invisible force, began to slowly retreat. At first, it was only sporadic, but it quickly evolved into a torrent of receding tide.

The powerful, six-headed undead creature let out a fierce roar, its massive body smashing through the sword formation before plunging headfirst into the abyss.

In less than half an incense stick's time, the tide of white bones that covered the mountains and fields receded completely, leaving only ashes and broken bones scattered on the ground.

The sword cultivators of Thunderclap Mountain withdrew their sword formation and looked at the scene, their voices tinged with apprehension: "What the hell is that?"

The old Taoist priest from Longhu Mountain put away the Taiji Diagram and looked at the abyss that had swallowed the bone tide. A trace of solemnity flashed in his turbid eyes.

Amidst that roar, he sensed an aura a hundred times more terrifying than the tide of bones—an aura emanating from death, as if a terrifying being that had slumbered for a long time had awakened.

Moreover, watching the black mountain with its blood-red cracks slowly multiply.

More precisely, it seems as if this mountain is about to awaken!

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the abyss, in that burial ground, a streak of crimson light pierced through the dark world filled with deathly aura and miasma, moving away from the black mountain, passing through the ruins of the great city left by the King of Death, and heading straight outwards.

From the depths of the black mountain, a terrifying roar resounded.

The crimson light paused as it descended, revealing the phantom of a phoenix!
On the phantom image, Chen Yuan stood on the phoenix's head, with his soldiers on his back.

He turned around and gazed into the distance at the darkness that seemed to devour human souls; the outline of the giant mountain in the darkness had turned blood red.

Chen Yuan's eyelids twitched; it seemed a major change was imminent!

Then, he lowered his head and looked down, and saw that below, countless white bones emerged from the desolate wasteland and went deeper into it.

It must be those immortal kings summoning their subordinates!
Chen Yuan's eyes blazed with golden light. Without further delay, he turned around, flicked his sleeve, and the phoenix flapped its wings, transforming into a stream of light that rushed towards the outer perimeter against the flow of death below.

He has collected all the primordial spirits and enough luck points, and must break through the barrier as soon as possible.

And so, Chen Yuan ignored the black mountain and charged forward, traversing wastelands and volcanoes, until he arrived at the Storm Desert where he had previously secluded himself to condense the second golden flower.

As before, he chose a place swept by sandstorms and set up multiple layers of restrictions. However, this time, he condensed divine flowers and transformed his true energy into primordial energy, making the restrictions even more powerful.

At the same time, he knew that the Refining God Method passed down by the white-robed king was a taboo. Once it was sensed by heaven and earth, it would easily bring down calamity and punishment. Therefore, he also used the fourth divine treasure to set up the Star Shifting and Constellation Changing Formation to conceal the heavenly secrets of this place, and entrusted his soldiers and six fellow Daoists to protect the Dharma.

After all these preparations were completed, another half day passed.

He keenly sensed that the aura of this forbidden area was beginning to change, and that something even greater must have happened to the black mountain deep within it.

"This forbidden area is inescapable, and an unprecedented upheaval is about to occur. I will use this opportunity to attempt to become a Martial Saint!"

"This method must be completed in one fell swoop and cannot be interrupted. I ask you all to protect the Dharma for me!"

Amidst the wind and sand, Chen Yuan solemnly gave instructions to Old Man Dong and the soldiers.

"Yes!"

"Rest assured, General!" Armor clashed.

"Leave it to us." Old Dong and his six companions also looked solemn.

Everyone naturally sensed the approaching storm, and they all tensed up, taking the situation very seriously.

"Then please!"

Without wasting any more words, Chen Yuan stepped into the center of the restriction and sank into the underground secluded cultivation area.

After making all the preparations, Chen Yuan sat cross-legged, silently recited the Pure Land Sutra, and quickly entered a meditative state.

He pressed his tongue against his palate to form a bridge, and with a thought, he first drew out the essence in his lower dantian, causing it to manifest. The eight extraordinary meridians were opened, and the twelve meridians were unblocked. The jade liquid returned to the elixir and flowed down from the Chonglou point, circulating throughout the body, as the mysterious gates and acupoints of the whole body opened one by one.

Then one could hear a series of firecracker sounds coming from inside his body.

"boom"

"boom"

"boom"

Within his inner physical body, countless acupoints and furnaces roared to life, erupting like volcanoes. Blood, flesh, and vital energy surged forth, making his entire body a blazing furnace. The fire burned ever brighter, and the blood and energy within his body raged like a vast ocean, gradually creating a terrifying buzzing sound that caused the surrounding void to tremble.

Then, he activated his middle dantian, the Yellow Court Mysterious Pearl, and the Primordial Golden Qi ignited. The temples of his five internal organs emitted the sound of bells, like deities chanting scriptures. His body shone with Primordial Golden Light, and all evil spirits were warded off.

Once his physical body and spiritual essence reached their peak, Chen Yuan focused his mind on his upper dantian, the abode of his primordial spirit, where clouds billowed and a nine-story cyan-gold pagoda floated in the center.

From inside the tower, terrifying roars echoed.

Chen Yuan

"Ninth Mountain General"

"I'm going to kill you, ahhh!"

"let me out!"

"."

Like the howl of a vengeful ghost demanding death, it shook the sea of ​​clouds.

Just then, the tower shook violently, the chains rattled, and the portal to the sixth floor suddenly opened, followed by a cloud of black demonic energy that flew out swiftly from the opening.

It plunged into the sea of ​​clouds with a whoosh, instantly causing the clouds to surge and creating waves.

The black mist rapidly expanded, revealing a burly demon clad in black scales, with slender, hound-like eyes and flames flickering between its mouth and nose. Lava-like flames also flowed through the gaps in its black scales; it was the primordial spirit of the great demon of the Huodou clan.

As soon as the demon burst out of the Demon-Suppressing Tower, its demonic eyes flickered with ferocious fire, and it roared.

"Fire burns the sky!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a raging fire surged forth from the demon's primordial spirit, threatening to ignite the sea of ​​clouds below and spread like wildfire.

At that moment, in Chen Yuan's lower dantian, the essence and qi flowers vibrated simultaneously, and the two qi of Kan and Li rose up, rushing straight to the Niwan Palace and transforming into a golden and a red qi, which firmly bound the demonic primordial spirit. Then, golden light suddenly appeared in the Niwan Palace, and Chen Yuan's primordial spirit suddenly expanded, like a Kunpeng spreading its wings, with the sea of ​​clouds like a reversed Milky Way.

The third eye opened like an angry god, bulging and staring at the demon.

"You're the first one!"

Chen Yuan's teeth gleamed menacingly. (End of Chapter)