I long to return home!

The next morning, the sun shone brightly.

"I think it's about time to get going." Xu Tao stood up and looked at the bright, shining sun.

"Where do we go next?" Xue Wu asked.

“Junior Sister Gu and I have both obtained spiritual weapons. Next, we will return to the Wood Domain to help Brother Su,” Xu Tao said.

"No problem," Gu Qingcheng said in a pure and innocent tone.

"If Sister Gu has no problem, then I have no problem." Jin Lingjiao clung to Gu Qingcheng's arm like a child, unwilling to let go.

"Let's go then." Xue Wu sighed softly as he looked at Jin Lingjiao and walked away dejectedly.

The group walked along the river toward the Wood Realm.

...

At the boundary of the Wood Domain.

"Entering this forest means entering the Wood Realm. We must be careful at all times, especially of those blood mosquitoes," Xu Tao said gravely.

As soon as they finished speaking, Xu Tao and Su Changfeng looked at Xue Wu, who was doing nothing.

"I understand, I'll be careful," Xue Wu said, unconvinced.

"Let's go." With a thought, Xu Tao summoned the Reverse Cold Sword in his hand.

The forest was fraught with danger; a demonic beast could leap out at any moment, and he had to be prepared to fight at any time. He spun his sword, and a stream of water enveloped everyone, shielding them from unexpected attacks.

"Brother Xu, isn't this a bit too much for you?" Xue Wu asked, puzzled.

"It's alright, the consumption isn't too great, it's enough for us to find the spiritual artifact and get out." Xu Tao replied while constantly scanning his surroundings.

Suddenly, a series of rapid footsteps approached, and the leaves in the bushes ahead began to rustle. A group of ancient-looking cultivators ran out in alarm, nearly bumping into Xu Tao.

"Are you disciples of the Xuan Sect?" Xu Tao asked, pointing his sword at the approaching cultivators.

"Yes, fellow Daoist, please don't kill us, we're just running for our lives," a Xuanzong disciple wearing a headband said in a panic.

"What's happening up ahead?" Xu Tao asked urgently.

"It's...it's the Wan Du Sect cultivators who fought with our senior brother over a spiritual artifact, and now they're chasing us. Fellow Daoist, please spare us!" The Xuanzong disciple looked at Xu Tao with a terrified expression and kept pleading.

"Let's go." Xu Tao brandished his sword and released the Xuanmen disciple.

"A magical artifact, should we try to snatch it?" Xue Wu rubbed his hands together, a wicked smile spreading across his face.

“Junior brother, it’s not that I’m criticizing you, but stealing spiritual artifacts is immoral and not the behavior of a righteous disciple. However, if it’s the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, I think it’s acceptable.” Xu Tao also said with a wicked smile. It seems that spending too much time with Xue Wu has made him a bit unorthodox in his behavior.

"Let's sneak over and wait until they've done enough fighting, then we'll sit back and reap the benefits, hehe." Su Changfeng leaned over, and the three of them secretly plotted the implementation of their plan.

"Hmph, men." Gu Qingcheng said disdainfully, stroking Jin Lingjiao who was tightly hugging her with one hand.

...

"Guan Fei, this spiritual artifact was first discovered by my Xuanzong sect. Your act of stealing it is utterly immoral!" Xuanzong senior brother Tianci roared angrily, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his hands gripping the barrier tightly.

"What you see is yours. Today I'll make sure you have the life to see it but not the life to take it." Guan Fei, covered in wooden armor, pounded the barrier with punch after punch.

boom!

Guan Fei shattered the barrier with a single punch, striking Tianci in the chest. The bones cracked, and Tianci was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the wooden stake where the spiritual artifact was stored.

"Your Ten Thousand Poisons Sect murdered cultivators, aren't you afraid of divine retribution?" Tianci leaned against the tree stump, barely alive. He glanced at the spiritual artifact entangled by branches, crushed the teleportation jade slip, and left in a blue light.

"You're courting death! Once I get the spiritual weapon, Senior Brother Han Sen, I will surely slaughter all of you sect disciples." Guan Fei sneered, then removed the wooden armor attached to his body and reached out to touch the wooden spiritual weapon.

"Hearing you say that, brother, you're quite brave. You killed all the disciples and you're still so arrogant."

"Who goes out here!" Guan Fei shouted angrily as he looked around.

"Your father is here."

Xue Wu and the others slowly emerged from the bushes, with the three leaders revealing mocking smiles.

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind; and after the oriole comes the eagle. Didn't expect that, did you? You stole the spiritual artifact that someone else discovered. It's not too much for the three of us to act on behalf of Heaven today, is it?" Xue Wu placed his hands in front of his chest, with streaks of lightning enveloping them, and then said, "Brother Xu, let's make our move."

Before Guan Fei could react, Xue Wu and Xu Tao had already appeared on his left and right sides. After a series of beatings, Guan Fei lay on the ground with bruises and swelling, unable to move as he was entangled in Su Changfeng's vines and could only stare helplessly.

"Brother Su, go and take a look at this magical artifact." Xu Tao said straightforwardly, as if he had never done anything wrong. He held a sword in one hand and pointed it at Guan Fei, ready to strike him down if he dared to move.

Upon hearing this, Su Changfeng excitedly went to the wooden stake, reached out and touched it. Suddenly, the branches disappeared, revealing the wooden artifact inside.

A long spear, its shaft winding and wrapped around the tip by trees, the tip incredibly sharp with strange runes flashing, and the two small characters "Jianmu" engraved at the end of the shaft. The entire spear appears perfectly natural, radiating an extremely strong vitality.

“Jianmu…” Su Changfeng looked at the small characters at the end, reached out and touched the gun barrel, and a rich wood energy emerged in his hand.

"You stole Senior Brother Han Sen's spiritual weapon, he won't let you get away with it." Guan Fei struggled desperately, trying to break free of the vines binding him.

"Who is Han Sen? Never heard of him. If he dares to come today, I'll beat him up." Xue Wu said contemptuously, and kicked Guan Fei.

"it's me."

As soon as he finished speaking, a tall man leaped down onto the Jianmu tree and kicked Su Changfeng away. He then gripped the gun and drew it out, brandishing it in his hand a few times.

His black pupils were like a deep, still pool, chillingly cold.

His gaze fell upon the terrified faces of the crowd, scrutinizing them lightly. A cold, murderous intent flashed across his eyes as he lowered them slightly. Then, with a half-smile, he raised his eyes, his body swaying slightly as he appeared behind Xue Wu, thrusting the Jianmu log forward.

Fortunately, Xu Tao reacted quickly, pushing Xue Wu aside and slashing with his sword. The sword and spear clashed violently, producing a series of ear-piercing sounds, like someone forcefully tearing cloth. Seeing this, Gu Qingcheng formed hand seals, her beautiful eyes flashing with a cold light. A white silk ribbon flew from her waist, dancing swiftly like a nimble white snake, as she attacked Han Sen.

Han Sen snorted coldly, thrusting his spear upwards to temporarily repel Xu Tao. He then brandished the spear, causing the Jianmu tree to flash with green light, and countless wooden spikes surged out from all sides, stabbing towards the crowd.

Gu Qingcheng was taken aback. She gently twisted her jade-like hand, turning the white silk back to shatter all the wooden splinters. Then, her hands rippled like flowing water, her fingertips lightly touching, as if water droplets were sliding down, and water droplets appeared. A few breaths later, she smashed towards Han Sen at the speed of light.

Xu Tao also brushed his fingertips across the sword, water flowing around it, and unleashed the "Second Reverse Form of the Water Spirit Sword Technique," sending jets of water shooting upwards towards Han Sen.