Chapter 123

Chapter 123: Spirit Root Chooses Its Master

Swish!

The monster roared in a low voice. Beneath its armpit, a divine eye opened, with a pupil filled with endless chaos. A ray of chaotic divine light tore through the space of the great abyss, lighting up the entire abyss.

The chaotic divine light burst out. In the blink of an eye, the young man’s sword formation was shattered. His chest was pierced, leaving a large gaping hole that failed to heal.

Yet, no blood flowed from the young man’s wound. The injured area was assimilated by the chaotic divine light and transformed into chaotic matter.

"What kind of power is this? So bizarre!"

Everyone was stunned. Great Emperor-level masters, who wielded the power of the Great Dao, could quickly heal any injury that wasn’t fatal.

But the monster’s power interfered with—no, it assimilated—the power of the Great Dao, preventing the young man from healing his wound.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, Duobao Daoist waved his large sleeve. Paper figures flew out from his sleeve, densely packed and swirling through the sky. They didn’t attack the monster; instead, they charged toward the purple wonder flower, the bronze ancient sword, the ghost-faced clay jar, and that unknown mysterious box.

"Dammit!" Great Emperor Heavenly Blade was enraged. At this critical moment, Duobao Daoist was still focused on seizing treasure, truly living up to his name.

Roar! The monster seemed furious too. It twisted its body, opening divine eyes one after another. Chaotic divine light spread everywhere, turning the whole great abyss into a Chaotic Sea.

Duobao Daoist’s paper figures vanished in an instant.

At that moment, the purple wonder flower suddenly disappeared.

The bronze ancient sword, the ghost-faced clay jar, and the unknown box all sank into the Chaotic Sea.

Everyone’s expressions turned grave. That Chaotic Sea was the monster’s domain, hiding countless dangers. If trapped, one might even have their entire cultivation assimilated.

Bang! Duobao Daoist transformed into a flash of divine light, plunging into the Chaotic Sea and stirring up chaotic divine light.

Everyone’s faces twitched in disbelief. This guy truly valued treasure over his life, greed in the extreme.

"I finally witnessed the Return to the Ruins tidal surge; this trip can’t be wasted," the Great Emperor of the demon clan said through gritted teeth. He swung a demonic blade, splitting the Chaotic Sea in half with one slash, then charged inside to search for treasures.

Great Emperor Heavenly Blade merged with his blade, becoming a sliver of blade light that chopped downward.

From Qilou Yan’s body, walked out six identical figures. Each rushed separately into the Chaotic Sea.

The young man’s face darkened. A red candle rose above his head, its flame wavering. His body was bathed in the candlelight as he stepped into the Chaotic Sea.

"I still want to live a few more years, so I won’t accompany you, dear friends," Royal Prince Bao said with intense longing, but he forcefully suppressed his greed. Among the group of Great Emperors, his skills were the weakest. If he entered the Chaotic Sea, he might never get out.

"It’s truly spectacular," Lian Jiuyou thought raptly. The techniques of these Great Emperors were each more powerful than the last, filling him with burning excitement.

"They’ve all been deceived," Lin Qianmo said.

"What do you mean by that?"

Lin Qianmo smiled and said, "How cautious is that Duobao Daoist? How could he be willing to act as a scout ahead? That was merely his trick to deceive the eyes; his true body remained outside."

When these words were spoken, Lan Youruo and Lian Jiuyou both looked greatly shocked.

"How is this possible?"

It should be noted, everyone had personally witnessed Duobao Daoist charging into the Chaotic Sea, which was why they followed closely behind.

"Amitabha Buddha."

Duobao Daoist’s voice rang out; clasping his hands together with compassion, he said, "Gentlemen, your six senses are impure, your greed runs too deep, all influenced by worldly attachments; it is truly sorrowful."

"…"

"Daoist Duobao… brother, aren’t you inside?" Royal Prince Bao had veins popping out on his forehead.

"I have stayed outside all along, never entered."

Duobao Daoist had a solemn and dignified appearance, like an enlightened monk, "Sir, you look at the world with your physical eyes, but I use the mind’s eye; what we see is naturally very different."

Royal Prince Bao couldn’t be bothered to listen to his nonsense, so in his heart, he mourned silently for the emperors.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Earth-shattering explosion sounds erupted; that monster within the Chaotic Sea stirred up chaos and thrived in it, as if at ease, suppressing four Great Emperors all by itself.

At this moment, Duobao Daoist finally moved.

From his physical body walked out two incarnations, one an extremely handsome bald-headed monk, the other a white-robed scholar with an extraordinary aura; each separately strode into the Chaotic Sea.

Lin Qianmo stared at Duobao Daoist’s supernatural power, her expression filled with astonishment.

"Dividing the qi into three purity?"

Lan Youruo and Lian Jiuyou showed no understanding.

"This is a profoundly advanced supernatural power, exceptionally potent," Nangong Zhandao explained. "His two incarnations are at the same level of strength as himself."

"That strong?"

"How do you know?" Lian Jiuyou asked suspiciously, looking at Nangong Zhandao.

Nangong Zhandao remained silent.

A surge of anger rose in Lian Jiuyou’s heart; without Lin Qianmo and Lan Youruo, Nangong Zhandao would have died countless times.

Whir!

At that moment, the Chaotic Sea surged.

A streak of purple beam suddenly flew out of the Chaotic Sea, heading toward Nangong Zhandao’s direction.

But strangely, such an unusual phenomenon seemed invisible even to Royal Prince Bao.

Only Duobao Daoist’s true body and Lin Qianmo beside him saw this scene.

"It’s that flower."

Lin Qianmo murmured, her gaze turning strangely toward Nangong Zhandao.

Nangong Zhandao seemed to have anticipated it; he appeared calm, opened his Purple Palace, and allowed the purple wonder flower to fly into his sea of consciousness.

Boom!

In an instant, the roots of the purple wonder flower spread out, penetrating the sea of consciousness and seemingly taking root in his Purple Palace. The two petals swayed, and the sound of the Dao was resonant, explaining the boundless mysteries of the Dao.

"Bad luck!"

Duobao Daoist furrowed his brows.

A few breaths later, the bald monk and the scholar in white emerged from the Chaotic Sea, the avatars in their hands each holding a ghost-faced clay jar and an unknown box.

Bang!

At that moment, the Great Emperor of the demon clan let out a cry of pain. He was pressed down into the Chaotic Sea by a claw of the monster, and chaotic divine light surged into his body. In just seconds, he was assimilated.

The Great Emperor had fallen.

"Hurry, go! We are not his match."

The young man shouted in alarm, finally not daring to linger any longer. Together with Qilou Yan and Great Emperor Heavenly Blade, they blasted through the Chaotic Sea and escaped the monster’s power domain.

The young man gripped a bronze ancient sword, a hint of joy at his brow.

At least the effort was not wasted.

"But it’s hard on you." The young man stroked the golden mane of the Nine-Headed Lion, his expression full of sorrow.

The Nine-Headed Lion was severely injured; its vital energy was greatly depleted. Without one or two hundred years, it would likely be difficult to fully recover.

"Daoist brother Duobao, you deceived us." Qilou Yan’s eyes revealed a trace of resentment.

She had been tricked into the Chaotic Sea, only to labor for others’ gain. Not only did she not obtain a single treasure, but she also injured herself.

Losing out doubly.

"Amitabha."

Duobao Daoist chanted the Buddha’s name, and the two avatars merged into his body one after another. "I have never said that I would battle the monster. It was all of you benefactors who could not resist the temptation."

He spoke righteously and without a shred of guilt.

"You…"

In a fury, Qilou Yan spat out a mouthful of blood, containing the fragmented power of the Great Dao.

She was injured.

"Sister Luoyan." Lan Youruo was horrified and pale.

"It’s only a small wound." Qilou Yan wiped the blood from her mouth and said coldly, "I will remember your actions today."

Great Emperor Heavenly Blade’s face also turned ashen.

If not for Duobao Daoist deceiving them with a misdirection trick, they would not have risked so much to fight the monster.

"I am no match for him; this grudge I can only endure." Great Emperor Heavenly Blade thought to himself.

He still knew his own limits.

After all, Duobao Daoist was a fierce person who escaped from the Holy Mother’s grasp.

The one who suffered the most was that Great Emperor of the demon clan; he had even lost his life.

Roar!

The monster kept roaring, but it seemed imprisoned, unable to escape a certain area.

The rules of the Return to the Ruins still bound Him.

"This is not the place to linger; we must leave quickly."

Lin Qianmo and the others hastily departed.

Duobao Daoist also vanished.

Within the span of a few breaths, Duobao Daoist appeared before them.

"Young benefactor, this humble Daoist observes a profound purple aura swirling around you. You must be a child of fortune," Duobao Daoist’s gaze fixed intently on Nangong Zhandao. "Is that flower upon your person?"

Lan Youruo and Lian Jiuyou’s faces underwent a great change.

That flower was actually on Nangong Zhandao?

But when had it fallen into Nangong Zhandao’s possession?

"Does the great master intend to snatch it?" Nangong Zhandao showed not a trace of fear; instead, a faint smile surfaced on his lips.

"Amitabha."

Duobao Daoist spoke slowly, "Though this humble Daoist delights in collecting treasures, I never snatch away others’ beloved things. Since it has chosen you, there must be a reason."

"This humble Daoist merely wishes to know, what exactly is that thing?"

Concerning that flower, Duobao Daoist was immensely envious, yet he was a man with principles; openly seizing it in broad daylight was something he simply wouldn’t do.

Nangong Zhandao pondered for a moment before replying, "The Ziwei Spirit Root."

Swoosh!

Hearing the four words spoken by Nangong Zhandao, Duobao Daoist’s eyes blazed with divine light, as if he had heard something earth-shattering.

He stared deeply at Nangong Zhandao. "Young benefactor, are you from the Yuan Realm?"

"Though the lower realms are vast and boundless, a person bearing such thick fortune likely could only have been born within the Yuan Realm."

Nangong Zhandao nodded.

"The Yuan Realm… heh heh…"

Duobao Daoist’s gaze became strangely complex.

"Once this humble Daoist has settled the matters in my hands, I shall make my way to the Yuan Realm."

"Benefactors all, we shall meet again."

Duobao Daoist’s figure gradually faded away.

"The Ziwei Spirit Root? What is that?"

Lian Jiuyou remained utterly bewildered.

"Daoist friend, weren’t you bound for the Demon Emperor’s Tomb?"

Lin Qianmo shifted the topic, saying, "It happens I also wish to visit the Green Lotus Demon Emperor’s tomb. Why don’t we proceed together?"

Lian Jiuyou stiffened.

He had unresolved history with Lin Qianmo and her companions; the thought of leading Lin Qianmo directly to the Green Lotus Demon Emperor’s Tomb filled him with apprehension.

"I merely wish to verify one specific matter."

Lin Qianmo’s voice dropped solemnly. "As for the treasures within the Emperor’s Tomb, I claim not a single item."

"Fine."

Lian Jiuyou nodded.

With that assurance, he felt somewhat relieved.