Longevity, starting from traveling and telling stories

Chapter 231 Abstraction
Ye Beixuan put away his axe and looked at the two souls in front of him. Their abstract appearance was truly indescribable.

At first glance, he appears to be a sage with an air of otherworldly wisdom, but once he opens his mouth, he sounds just like a street thug.

The two souls were arguing incessantly inside, but as soon as they came out and saw Ye Beixuan, they immediately became extremely serious. Their demeanor was so serious that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they were ancestors who had lived for tens of thousands of years.

“Feiyu, it seems he saved us.” One of the phantom souls, who looked quite righteous and had a kind face, said this.

The soul being called Feiyu also frowned, his tone full of doubt: "He looks like he's only at the Earth Immortal level. Logically speaking, he shouldn't be able to break our seals."

"Why don't we just ask them? It'll be troublesome if those guys inside wake up later."

As they spoke, the two pretended to be serious and floated over to Ye Beixuan.

The seemingly otherworldly old Taoist priest cupped his hands to Ye Beixuan and said, "Thank you for saving us from our predicament. I am Long Lin, and this is Fei Yu. May I ask which immortal academy you are a disciple of?"

Ye Beixuan immediately understood that these people were probably immortals from the celestial realm who had lost their physical bodies in the great battle and whose souls had no time to reincarnate, so they sealed themselves here.

So, with a calm expression, he cupped his hands in response: "I am Ye Dazhuang, a disciple of Tian Sui Palace who has come here for trials."

Upon hearing "Tian Sui Palace," Long Lin was overjoyed and immediately beamed with delight: "Oh my! So you're a descendant of Tian Sui Palace! This is truly a case of the flood washing away the Dragon King's temple! Your ancestor, Lord Sui Feng, and I are inseparable brothers!"

Ye Beixuan: "..."

"Don't try to claim kinship with me. I remember someone who didn't respect Fu Liu Sui Feng back then, and ended up getting beaten black and blue, and even had to be someone's underling for thousands of years," Fei Yu suddenly mocked from the side.

Upon hearing his teammate's sarcastic remark, Long Lin flew into a rage: "My friendship was strategic! Unlike someone else, who deliberately orchestrated so many chance encounters just to befriend the two Heavenly Lords..."

Before he could finish speaking, Fei Yu quickly covered Long Lin's mouth. One soul covering the mouth of another soul—Ye Beixuan couldn't imagine what would happen if these two clowns kept talking like that; their underwear would probably be exposed.

"Hey, can't you be a little more mindful of your image in front of the younger generation?" Fei Yu covered Long Lin's mouth while giving Ye Beixuan an awkward smile and said, "Well, I'm really sorry, I haven't been strict enough with him, please forgive me, young friend."

Long Lin forcefully broke free from Fei Yu's hand, glared at him fiercely, and then gave Ye Beixuan an awkward smile.

He then continued, "I just saw you break through our seals, but judging from your cultivation level, it seems..."

They're here! Ye Beixuan knew they would definitely have this question.

Fortunately, he had already thought of a way to deal with them when they were playing around.

He sighed softly, his voice tinged with sadness: "Do you two know Lord Fu Liu?"

"Lord Fuliu?" Feiyu and Longlin instantly lost their composure and exclaimed loudly, their voices and expressions filled with excitement.

"Quickly, tell us, where is the Heavenly Emperor?"

The two souls were so excited that they were incoherent. They glided to Ye Beixuan's side, their eyes full of hope as they stared intently at him.

"It's like this..." Ye Beixuan told them about the big willow tree, but concealed the matter of the axe.

After hearing his story, Long Lin collapsed to the ground, his voice filled with grief and indignation: "So it turns out that before the Heavenly Lord died, he foresaw that we would face this calamity, so he placed his willow body here to help us escape."

Fei Yu's face showed sorrow as he gazed at the ashes that had been burned to ashes. He asked in a deep voice, "Young friend, are you saying that these ashes are the transformation of that willow tree?"

Ye Beixuan sighed and nodded wistfully: "Yes, it transferred all its power to me, splitting open this place and letting you out."

Upon hearing this, Fei Yu seemed to lose all life and collapsed to the ground, her voice filled with sorrow: "Big brother, oh big brother, for the sake of Lord Sui Feng, you willingly severed your own soul into three pieces, and for our sake, you sacrificed your Willow Divine Body to help us escape..."

For a moment, silence fell over the scene, and the atmosphere became exceptionally somber.

After a long while, Fei Yu asked, "Young friend, you just said that you come from Tian Sui Palace. May I ask who the current Palace Master is?"

“Our Palace Master is named Ye Zhiluo,” Ye Beixuan answered truthfully.

To be honest, he wasn't very familiar with the Heavenly Palace himself, after all, he had only been in the Immortal Realm for a few days!

Then, Ye Beixuan said solemnly, "Please, seniors, do not make this matter public for the time being."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "My two senior brothers and sisters are still unconscious over there. I think that Lord Fu Liu's way of bringing us together might have a special arrangement."

"Therefore, it would be best for the two of you to keep this a secret for now."

Fei Yu and Long Lin were taken aback at first, then their expressions gradually changed as if they had thought of something.

Fei Yu's expression was solemn as he asked in a deep voice, "Are you saying that the Heavenly Lord suspects that there is a traitor among us?"

"I'm not sure either, but it's always better to be safe than sorry," Ye Beixuan quickly replied.

In reality, he was just making it up on the spot, not wanting to expose himself.

After all, his cultivation level had improved too quickly, he had no background, and he possessed a valuable treasure. If he were discovered, it would inevitably attract the covetousness of those with ulterior motives.

Long Lin, who hadn't spoken for a long time, suddenly said seriously, "In that case, young friend, please leave with your two senior brothers and sisters. We'll leave for a while, and then go and wake up the old fellow inside after you've left."

Ye Beixuan did not respond.

It wasn't that he didn't want to make friends, but he was deeply influenced by online novels and always felt that the world of cultivation should be full of killing and robbing, as if the cultivation story would be incomplete without this plot.

Given the horrific murder-and-treasure-hunting plots in the online novels, he decided it was best to be cautious.

So he picked up the two men and quickly left the place, heading towards Black Dragon Pool.

After running for a while, feeling that he was far enough away, he found an open space and put the two still unconscious people down.

They must have been under the spell of the big willow tree to fall into a coma. They can be awakened by casting the Heart-Cleansing Mantra.

Not long after, the two began to cough violently. After taking a few deep breaths, they slowly regained consciousness.

Looking at Ye Beixuan in front of them, the two were filled with disbelief. He was still alive?

You should know that when they lost their fighting ability in an instant, they all thought they were going to die for sure. They never expected that their junior brother, who only had the cultivation of a terrestrial immortal, could save them from danger.

"Junior Brother Ye, how did you rescue us?" Ye Xiaofan asked curiously after taking the pill and regulating his breathing. His tone was full of doubt.

Ye Yaoyao was equally curious, and she became increasingly curious about the junior brother she had picked up.

He is handsome, incredibly talented, and most importantly, humble and low-key. Despite having the potential to be the center of attention, he remains remarkably low-key.

"It's like this..." Ye Beixuan began to make up a story vividly, since making up stories was something he was good at anyway.

"You mean, it was that headless man who saved us?" Ye Xiaofan frowned slightly, asking with a hint of doubt in his voice.

"That's right, I don't understand why either. Just as we were being pulled over, the headless man suddenly went berserk, frantically attacking the big willow tree."

"After we escaped, I led you all away as quickly as possible." Ye Beixuan's expression was calm, and his tone revealed no flaws.

Ye Yaoyao pondered for a moment, then asked in confusion, "Why did he save us?"

Ye Beixuan shook his head, secretly laughing to himself. Since there was no way to prove it since the dead were dead, what other explanation could there be?
"Regardless, we've escaped death this time." Ye Xiaofan stood up, looked around, and said calmly, "Looking at the map, it seems we're not far from Black Dragon Pool. Junior Sister Ye, why don't we go and complete the trial first?" Ye Yaoyao nodded, then stood up as well and said, "In Black Dragon Pool, kill that dragon crocodile, take its eyes, and our first trial will be complete."

"Let's go!"

After saying that, the group immediately got ready to go, carefully observing their surroundings.

Having learned from their experience, they dared not let their guard down again.

As they walked through the thick fog, they held their breath, trying their best to avoid inhaling the miasma that carried the smell of decay.

Three figures moved slowly forward through the swamp filled with withered trees and broken branches.

Following the map's directions, Ye Xiaofan suddenly stopped and pointed to the dense bushes ahead, saying, "Black Dragon Pool is just ahead."

"Is this Black Dragon Pool?" Ye Yaoyao stepped forward slowly, gently parting the vines that were blocking her view, and suddenly the view opened up before her.

The pool wasn't large, only about a hundred meters long, and the clear, emerald-green water was crystal clear. She turned her head and said, "This should be the place."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Xiaofan walked forward slowly, gently touching the water with his fingertips, ruffling the few duckweed floating on the edge of the pool.

However, just as the two were examining the pool closely, a strange change occurred, and the water suddenly surged with an eerie whirlpool.

Sensing something amiss, the two men simultaneously took a small step back. Beneath the emerald surface of the water, a huge, dark shadow could be vaguely seen lurking, as if waiting for its prey to come to its door for a fatal strike.

"It's actually a Celestial-level dragon crocodile." Ye Xiaofan swallowed hard, slowly drew his sword, the cold, gleaming blade reflecting the dark shadows on the water's surface. He said, "Its scales are incredibly tough; my Qingfeng Sword probably won't be able to break through its defenses. Junior Sister Ye, we'll have to rely on your Heavenly Sword later."

He then turned to Ye Beixuan and said, "Junior brother, you'll be there to support me and my junior sister later."

Just as Ye Beixuan was about to respond, a wave suddenly shot up and something flew out from the water, instantly shattering the dead wood on the shore.

Upon closer inspection, everyone realized it was half a stark white leg bone, with bits of flesh still clinging to it, looking quite fresh.

Ye Yaoyao's expression was solemn, and she said in a slightly tragic tone, "These are the remains of a trial disciple who was devoured?"

The sense of danger grew stronger, and several pieces of torn clothing floated on the water, clearly indicating that the person had suffered greatly before dying.

Ye Beixuan noticed the duckweed floating on the surface of the pool swaying back and forth, and the water surging beneath the surface. Clearly, the enormous creature below was gathering its strength.

"It seems it won't come out unless I lure it out. I'll go lure it out." Ye Xiaofan suddenly activated his magic technique, and spiritual power instantly enveloped his entire body.

The clear pool water reflected his eager face and the spiritual energy emanating from his body.

Ye Beixuan frowned slightly and quickly reminded him, "Senior brother, the enemy is in the dark while we are in the light. I'm afraid this beast is deliberately leading us down."

"If you're afraid, then stay on the shore!" Ye Xiaofan said with disdain, his spiritual power surging once more before he leaped into the air.

With a "plop," the calm surface of the pool was instantly shattered, and the surging waves pushed the withered leaves floating on both sides aside.

In less than a breath, the water began to churn as if it were boiling.

Ten breaths.

Twenty breaths.

The churning at the bottom of the water became increasingly intense, and when it reached its boiling point, the entire pool suddenly exploded.

With a clang, Ye Yaoyao's Heavenly Sword was suddenly drawn: "Not good, Senior Brother Ye may be in danger!"

Before he could finish speaking, a towering column of water exploded, and Ye Xiaofan burst out of the water like an arrow. His armor had been torn to shreds, and he retreated to the shore in a rather disheveled state, with three deep, bone-revealing wounds on his chest.

"Senior Brother Ye" Ye Yaoyao quickly took out a pill and fed it to him. He then felt a little better, and the bleeding from his wound stopped.

At this moment, two blood-red pupils suddenly lit up on the water's surface, which had just returned to calm. Above the pupils, a sword mark was clearly visible, and the dragon crocodile had emerged from the water.

Clearly, Ye Xiaofan's dive into the water was not without its rewards; he thoroughly enraged the dragon crocodile and even injured it.

"Boom!" A thick, hard tail fin covered with barbs swept across, and Ye Beixuan grabbed Ye Yaoyao and Ye Xiaofan, who were healing Ye Xiaofan, and quickly retreated.

With a "crack," the ancient tree, which took three people to encircle, was easily snapped in two.

Ye Beixuan's pupils shrank; this ferocious beast had actually grown a dragon tail.

"Take care of Senior Brother." Ye Yaoyao's Heavenly Sword emitted a crisp sword sound, and the blade burst forth with a chilling aura as she slashed at the dragon's tail.

The dragon-crocodile was immediately in pain and let out a deafening roar that even caused the water in the pool to explode.

Then it lashed out with its tail again, sending Ye Yaoyao flying along with her sword.

The dragon crocodile did not slow down and rushed into the air, shooting towards Ye Yaoyao.

In an instant, the dragon crocodile's sharp teeth were already close to her throat, intending to kill her in one fell swoop.

Although its series of actions were completed in one go, it exposed a weakness: it was out of the water.

Upon seeing this, Ye Beixuan flashed forward like lightning, unleashing a move called "Horse Trampling Flying Swallow," and stomped hard on the dragon crocodile's forehead.

However, this attack was like stepping on a rock, failing to cause the dragon crocodile any damage. Instead, the crocodile violently flicked its head, sending Ye Beixuan flying. But because of this, the dragon crocodile missed its perfect opportunity to kill Ye Yaoyao.

"Its weakness is in its abdomen..." Even after being thrown away, Ye Beixuan quickly noticed the dragon crocodile's flaw.

Ye Xiaofan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his figure flashed, and he quickly slid down to the dragon crocodile's side, then stabbed it fiercely with his sword.

The dragon-crocodile instantly realized that this despicable human had discovered its weakness and hurriedly tried to escape.

But being in the air, its movements were ultimately a beat too slow.

With a "thud," the sound of a sharp sword piercing flesh was clearly heard.

"Roar..." The dragon crocodile let out an angry roar. This sword not only pierced it, but also completely aroused its ferocity.

Suddenly, it unleashed a "death roll," flipping Ye Xiaofan and his sword over, before its dragon tail slammed heavily into him.

"Crack!" A crisp sound of bones breaking rang out. Ye Xiaofan was struck as if by a heavy blow and flew backward into the bushes, smashing through several large trees. His fate was unknown.

"Senior Brother Ye..." Ye Yaoyao was extremely anxious when she saw that Ye Xiaofan and Ye Beixuan were seriously injured in order to save her, and she couldn't care less about anything else.

At this moment, the sword mark on her forehead suddenly felt cold, and the Heavenly Sword in her hand trembled and emitted a dazzling white light.

Ye Beixuan keenly noticed that a faint white light was flashing at the wound on the dragon crocodile's abdomen where it had been stabbed. At the same time, the Samsara Mirror on his chest also vibrated slightly.

Could it be that this dragon-crocodile devoured the fragments of the Samsara Mirror?

(End of this chapter)