Zhu Xian: The way of heaven collapses, and I only have one sword!

Chapter 46: Kongsang Mountain is a steep mountain, and a group of bats suddenly appeared at night!
Chen Qiye and Lu Xueqi tidied their clothes and opened the door, then saw Zeng Shushu and Zhang Xiaofan walking towards them, talking and laughing.

Zeng Shushu was sharp-eyed. Noticing Lu Xueqi's slightly flushed cheeks, he immediately gave her a knowing smirk: "Hey, Qiye, Senior Sister Lu, did you guys sleep well?"

Chen Qiye remained calm and responded with a smile, "Thanks to you, I had a good night's sleep."

Lu Xueqi turned her head away and coughed lightly, trying to hide her discomfort.

Zhang Xiaofan smiled innocently and said, "Alright, alright, let's discuss our next itinerary."

"Kongsang Mountain is located in the east, about three thousand miles away from us now. It's quite a long journey, so we should hurry up." Chen Qiye looked at Lu Xueqi and the other two and said.

Everyone nodded, packed their bags, paid the bill and set off.

When the owner of Shanhaiyuan learned that Chen Qiye and his three companions were from the Qingyun Sect, he immediately showed respect. He only charged them fifty taels for their accommodation, which originally cost one hundred taels. Before the four of them left, Chen Qiye looked around, but he didn't see Bi Yao and the others, whom he had met last night.

The four of them left Heyang City and found a deserted spot. They each summoned their own magical weapons and flew on their swords. However, the journey of more than 3,000 miles took a full three days.

The group's cultivation levels varied widely. Lu Xueqi, at the ninth level of the Jade Purity Realm, and Zeng Shushu, at the seventh level, could barely keep up with Chen Qiye, at the first level of the Upper Purity Realm. However, Zhang Xiaofan, at the perfect fourth level of the Jade Purity Realm, found it quite difficult to fly. The other three also unconsciously slowed down along the way, which allowed Zhang Xiaofan to keep up.

On the evening of the third day, the four of them finally reached Kongsang Mountain. Standing high in the clouds, they were stunned by the sight. Within a hundred miles, the mountains were towering and steep, covered in rocks. There was no one living below. The desolate scene was all around, and the setting sun made the scenery even more eerie and terrifying.

The four of them drove their magic weapons down to the foot of the mountain. Chen Qiye looked at the sky and said, "Forget about staying here. It seems there's not even a single person. I think we should go up the mountain and find a suitable place to rest while searching for the Ten Thousand Bats Cave."

Zeng Shushu nodded and said, "Qi Ye is right. It's getting late. It will be troublesome if we continue to travel in the dark. Let's hurry up the mountain."

Seeing that Zeng Shushu agreed, Zhang Xiaofan had no objection. Lu Xueqi looked at the sky and walked to Chen Qiye's side.

Although Kongsang Mountain wasn't as towering as Qingyun Mountain's Tongtian Peak, it wasn't low either. Furthermore, the mountain was steep and precipitous, making it impossible to travel on a normal path. By the time the four of them reached the halfway point, it was already completely dark.

The four of them came to a relatively flat platform, and Chen Qiye called out to Lu Xueqi and the other two, and then said, "Eight hundred years ago, Kongsang Mountain was a gathering place for demons and monsters. Now, I'm afraid there are many mountain monsters. From now on, don't stay too far away from me." As he spoke, Chen Qiye pinched the magic formula with his hands, and a layer of dazzling, as if tangible golden light suddenly surged around his body. This light spread outwards at a speed visible to the naked eye, firmly enveloping the four of them, forming a solid protective shield.

"Is this the Golden Light Mantra? It's not bad. But Qiye, don't you have the Liuhe Mirror? Why don't you use that?" Zeng Shushu sighed.

"Do you think I don't want to use it? It's true that my Liuhe Mirror was damaged after facing the thunder not long ago, and it's still being repaired recently." Chen Qiye shook his head and said.

The night deepened, and the silence in the forest became eerie. At this moment, everyone suddenly heard a loud noise in the distance, followed by a series of voices.

In the darkness, the golden light emanating from Chen Qiye's body instantly illuminated everything. Everyone then saw that behind the mountain, a black cloud suddenly rose up, which looked strange and extraordinary in the darkness, and the loud noise came from there.

Before anyone could recover, the growing black cloud in the sky, as if sensing something, slowly moved towards them. A moment later, a piercing scream emanated from the cloud, and it swiftly pounced towards the only light in the night.

Everyone felt a foul smell coming towards them. Lu Xueqi and the other two were all shocked. Chen Qiye also frowned slightly and said, "Stay close to me, you will be fine."

As the black cloud swooped down at breakneck speed, the stench grew stronger. In the blink of an eye, everyone saw the cloud's true form: a dense, sky-blocking swarm of vampire bats. These bats were enormous, each as large as a child's head, their sharp fangs gleaming coldly in the golden light of Chen Qiye.

A dense swarm of vampire bats rushed towards the four people like a surging black tide. The strong stench was almost suffocating. Lu Xueqi, Zeng Shushu, and Zhang Xiaofan subconsciously moved closer to Chen Qiye, staying within the range of the golden light.

Chen Qiye's expression was solemn, his hands rapidly transforming into magical spells. The golden light grew increasingly dazzling, its intensity steadily increasing. The first few vampire bats to touch the golden light instantly emitted a sizzling sound, as if being burned by the high temperature. Their bodies quickly carbonized, turning into black powder and dissipating into the night sky.

However, these terrifying vampire bats seemed completely unafraid, continuing to charge towards the golden light. In the blink of an eye, countless bat corpses piled up at the edge of the golden light, forming a strange "carpet", but the bats behind them stepped on the corpses of their companions and continued their frantic attack.

Chen Qiye and his three companions were surrounded in the center. Although they were safe for the time being, bats were flying towards them from all sides, and the stench was nauseating.

"If I don't show my might, you'll take me for a sick cat!" Zeng Shushu gritted his teeth, his face flushed. The Xuanyuan Sword in his hand instantly shone with a dazzling blue light. Streams of sword energy whizzed out from his hand, slashing at the dense swarm of vampire bats. Each swipe of sword energy tore a large group of bats into pieces, and black blood rained down.

Zhang Xiaofan, unwilling to be outdone, gripped the fire stick tightly, a faint blue glow emanating from his body as he lashed out with sword energy. His cultivation was still shallow, and the power of his sword energy was slightly less than Zeng Shushu's, but he still managed to repel many vampire bats that attempted to approach. Lu Xueqi's eyes were cold, and the Tianya Sword in her hand shone brightly. The blade trembled slightly, emitting a clear sound. With a wave of her delicate hand, countless icy blue sword energy shot out in a fan-shaped pattern. Wherever they touched, bats were frozen into ice sculptures, then shattered into countless small pieces that fell to the ground.

Seeing this, Chen Qiye's spiritual energy surged like a turbulent river. He closed his eyes tightly, and his hand gestures changed faster and faster. The golden light around him suddenly expanded at an almost crazy rate.

The golden light, which had originally enveloped only the four of them, spread dozens of feet in the blink of an eye. Wherever it passed, vampire bats were shattered by the golden light's powerful force, transforming into a bloody mist. Those bats, which had been charging frantically, were like tiny ants before this sudden expansion of the golden light, powerless to resist.

Under the ravages of Chen Qiye's golden light, a large number of vampire bats were reduced to ashes, but the remaining ones still rushed forward fearlessly. As time passed, the vampire bats' offensive gradually weakened and their numbers decreased significantly, but they still showed no intention of retreating, and their madness remained undiminished.

This continued until dawn. As if summoned by some unknown force, all the bats circled in the air and then flew back to where they had flown from the previous night. Only when the last vampire bat disappeared from view did Chen Qiye and the other three breathe a sigh of relief.

Chen Qiye snapped his fingers, instantly clearing away the surrounding bat carcasses. The golden light, like an invisible force, enveloped the densely packed black remains, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye, leaving only a relatively clean patch of ground.

Because they were within the protection of the golden light, everyone's bodies were relatively clean, at least not stained with the disgusting blood. Lu Xueqi was slightly relieved. After all, if the blood stained her body, who loved cleanliness by nature, it would be more painful than killing her.

At this moment, several whistling sounds were heard from the sky. Chen Qiye and the other three looked up and saw four rays of light, two yellow and two red, streaking across the sky. A moment later, the four rays of light fell in front of them. After the light dissipated, four figures emerged.

There are two monks on the left and two people on the right, a young man and a young woman.

The four of them looked towards Chen Qiye and the other two. They saw the young, fair-skinned monk and asked, "Amitabha, are the four donors from the Qingyun Sect?"

Lu Xueqi and the other two were led by Chen Qiye. Chen Qiye stepped forward, returned the greeting, and said, "Yes, I am Chen Qiye from Tongtian Peak. May I ask you..."

The monk smiled slightly and said, "I am Faxiang from Tianyin Temple. This is my junior fellow disciple Fashan. The two beside me are Li Xun and Yan Hong, outstanding disciples from Fenxiang Valley."

After he finished speaking, Fashan behind him gave a muffled greeting. Yan Hong from Fenxiang Valley also smiled and greeted everyone. Li Xun, on the other hand, was a bit arrogant and only nodded slightly, considering it a greeting. However, when his eyes fell on Lu Xueqi behind Chen Qiye, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Chen Qiye frowned, and his eyes looked at Li Xun a little sharper. The aura around him fluctuated quietly, and the powerful pressure of the first level of Shangqing Realm surged towards Li Xun like a tide.

Li Xun's face suddenly changed. He felt a force like a mountain pressing down on him, and his body trembled slightly uncontrollably.

"I have long heard of Senior Brother Fashang from Tianyin Temple. It is with great pleasure that I meet him today. He is indeed a man of extraordinary demeanor." Chen Qiye looked at Fashang and spoke calmly.

The Dharma Image smiled faintly and said, "Brother Chen, you are truly overly kind. I am a humble monk with dull talents, but fortunately, Master Puhong has taught me the true Dharma, which has enabled me to do good deeds for the people of the world. I certainly wouldn't dare to be compared with the other brothers from Qingyun Sect."

Chen Qiye smiled slightly and said, "Senior Brother Fashang is still too modest. Let me introduce you to some of my brothers and sisters." Then he introduced Lu Xueqi and the other two to them.

From beginning to end, Chen Qiye ignored Li Xun who was suppressed by his pressure. Li Xun's face turned red due to Chen Qiye's pressure. He felt ashamed and annoyed in his heart, but he didn't dare to get angry.

After Chen Qiye finished introducing everyone, Faxiang saw that the atmosphere was a little awkward, so he quickly smiled and tried to smooth things over: "This time, our forces have gathered in Kongsang Mountain, presumably to explore the Ancient Cave of Ten Thousand Bats. Since we have the good fortune to meet here, why not go forward together so that we can look after each other."

Chen Qiye nodded slightly, retracting his pressure on Li Xun and said calmly, "Brother Faxiang is absolutely right. There is strength in numbers. The Ten Thousand Bats Ancient Cave is full of dangers. It is indeed more appropriate to work together."

Li Xun secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although he was unwilling, he did not dare to show it in the slightest.

After a moment, the Dharma Image smiled and said, "Regarding the Kongsang Mountain incident, the elders of our three sects originally requested that we, the younger generation, come here to train. Now that everyone is here, why don't we rest for a day and then go into the Ten Thousand Bats Ancient Cave to investigate tomorrow morning? How about that?"

Before Chen Qiye could reply, Li Xun, who was standing next to him, snorted coldly and said, "Brother Faxiang is right. Otherwise, someone will hold us back after we go in."

At this moment, except for Zhang Xiaofan, which one of Chen Qiye, Lu Xueqi and Zeng Shushu is not favored by the teachers in their respective lineages, and which one of them does not have arrogance in his bones?

As soon as Li Xun finished speaking, Chen Qiye no longer cared about the friendly atmosphere. He snorted coldly and said, "You are so arrogant! Do you think that no one in the younger generation of Fenxiang Valley can surpass you? If so, why not have a fight and see who is holding us back?"

(End of this chapter)