320 - Elasia Saga

Chapter 320 - Holding the Sword to Rescue (Transmigrated into a Novel) The Tong Family didn't send Tong Xiu Ning into the primordial forest alone. Once he awoke, he promptly signaled his clan members for help. Shortly thereafter, two elders from the Tong Family, both in the stage of great ascension, traced the signal to Fu Yan and the others. After being apprised of the situation, they expressed their gratitude to Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li once more. Tong Xiu Ning had been completely cured of the corpse poison, and his strength was gradually returning. Now that he had reunited with his family's elders, he had no intention of continuing with Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li. So, he raised his hand in farewell. "Thank you both, Palace Master Fu and the Saintess, for saving my life. We'll definitely pay you a visit to express our gratitude once we leave," Tong Xiu Ning said sincerely before departing with the two elders. Fu Yan nodded quietly, not saying much more. In less than half a day, the tranquility along the cold pond's shore returned, leaving only Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li... and of course, the silent Gu Shi Dao Ren nearby. "Tong Zhen is a body cultivator. I wonder if he'll successfully break through to the great ascension stage," Fu Yan murmured to herself, watching the direction in which Tong Xiu Ning and his companions departed. According to Tong Xiu Ning, Tong Zhen stayed behind to attempt breaking through to the great ascension stage, which was why he didn't join the journey into the dangerous forest. Without reaching the great ascension stage, self-preservation would have been impossible there. As a friend, Fu Yan naturally hoped for his smooth breakthrough. "He will," Bai Yue Li replied, gazing into the depths of the forest as she picked up the conversation. Fu Yan nodded, not dwelling on the matter further. Although the Tong Family wasn't a renowned noble lineage, they weren't obscure either. As the family head's daughter, Tong Zhen would undoubtedly receive the best resources and support. Breaking through to the great ascension stage was merely a matter of time. Quickly dismissing their distractions, the pair refocused on their immediate task—they needed to address the urgent matter of Shi Gui Dao Ren. Realizing this, Fu Yan finally turned to gaze at Gu Shi Dao Ren, who was bound by the power of the laws. With Bai Yue Li, she started walking towards him. Calculating the time, it had been two or three days since Fu Yan returned with the medicine. Only now did she notice Gu Shi Dao Ren’s pallor and pained expression. His wide eyes fiercely glared at them, yet he remained silent, unlike his usual behavior. One glance told Fu Yan something was amiss with Gu Shi Dao Ren. She subtly turned to Bai Yue Li, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Did you silence him on my behalf, Senior Sister?" Fu Yan suddenly asked through a mental transmission. Bai Yue Li's face warmed, but she remained steady as she explained, "He was unruly and very noisy, so I sealed his five senses." Bai Yue Li then ignored Fu Yan's expression, waved her hand before Gu Shi Dao Ren, and a stream of black demonic qi dissipated from his throat, disappearing into the air. "Cough... cough..." With his senses restored, Gu Shi Dao Ren coughed violently, his cold eyes tinged with blood-red veins—a chilling sight indeed. Bai Yue Li had no intention of repairing the severed meridians in Gu Shi Dao Ren’s hands. She let him endure the pain. Members of the Corpse Ghost Sect were marked for death by the other cultivators across the continent. Fu Yan glanced at his broken meridians with a raised brow, even considering dealing another blow. If they didn't need Gu Shi Dao Ren to locate Shi Gui Dao Ren, they would have easily killed him. The intense pain from his wrists forced Gu Shi Dao Ren to grit his teeth. After a long pause, he finally lifted his gaze to Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li, speaking coldly, "What is it that you want from me?" Not dull-witted, Gu Shi Dao Ren realized Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li spared him not just for the corpse poison in Tong Xiu Ning. They had another agenda. Hearing this, Fu Yan chuckled softly and met his gaze directly, her voice chilling as she asked, "What is Shi Gui Dao Ren’s purpose for secretly entering the primordial forest?" This wasn't the time for pleasantries. Fu Yan fixed him with a stern look, directly posing her question. Initially taken aback, Gu Shi Dao Ren’s expression suddenly shifted to one of realization. He sneered, focusing on Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li, and said, "Oh, I see. You're after our Sect Master." The "Sect Master" he referred to was Shi Gui Dao Ren. "Whoosh." Instantly, Bai Yue Li raised her hand, conjuring a powerful demonic aura that clamped around Gu Shi Dao Ren’s throat, choking him until he was on the verge of succumbing to death. "Did you think this was a negotiation?" Fu Yan remained unfazed by Bai Yue Li's actions, maintaining her piercing gaze as she declared, "Try any tricks, and I’ll search your memory by force." While invading the mind of a cultivator was troublesome and risky, Fu Yan wouldn't hesitate to take that step if pushed to the edge. But, suspended mid-air by Bai Yue Li’s demonic aura, Gu Shi Dao Ren appeared unaffected. He lowered his gaze, surveying the pair below, and laughed, "Since the Sect Master sneaked in alone, would you think I'm privy to his plans? Even if I did speak, would you believe me?" He had a point. Shi Gui Dao Ren, having entered alone, wouldn’t have disclosed his true intent to anyone. If Gu Shi Dao Ren offered up a reason now, it would likely be met with skepticism by Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li. In truth, they hadn't really expected to hear Shi Gui Dao Ren’s intentions from Gu Shi Dao Ren's mouth. If they could find his whereabouts, those intentions would become clear. Without warning, Bai Yue Li withdrew her hand, allowing the large demonic aura to dissipate. Gu Shi Dao Ren fell heavily to the ground, coughing violently and gasping for air. "Where is Shi Gui Dao Ren now?" Bai Yue Li watched him coolly, her voice icily demanding. “Pfft.” Blood spurted from Gu Shi Dao Ren's mouth. He struggled to sit upright, staring calmly back at his captors. "If I say I don't know where the Sect Master is, are you just going to kill me anyway? Either way, it seems I'm a dead man." His words were punctuated by the sudden song of a sword, as Fu Yan raised her blade, pointing it unsparingly at Gu Shi Dao Ren. Fu Yan refused to continue wasting time with him. “You have no choice,” she said, her voice devoid of warmth. Confronted by her steely resolve, Gu Shi Dao Ren’s facade of bravado finally slipped away. “I don't know the Sect Master’s exact location, but I can find him,” he admitted. Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li remained skeptical, staring him down in silence, waiting for him to continue. Seeing their impatience, Gu Shi Dao Ren didn’t stall longer. With his intact arm, he tore open his chest with a rip. “Sss…” Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li’s expressions shifted as they observed something writhing under his skin, resembling a small worm, about half the size of a fingernail, moving around near his heart. The sight made their skin crawl. Neither had anticipated his willingness to let such a creature roam near his heart, where any wrong move could be fatal. But Gu Shi Dao Ren seemed unfazed. With a faint smile, he explained, “This is a lesser corpse gu. The dominant corpse gu is with the Sect Master. Through this connection, I can track him.” Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li exchanged a knowing glance but remained silent. The child-mother gu indeed allowed one to sense the presence of the other. It seemed unlikely that Gu Shi Dao Ren would lie about this, as it could truly help them find Shi Gui Dao Ren's whereabouts. Of course, Fu Yan didn’t believe Gu Shi Dao Ren was motivated purely by the fear of death to divulge everything. However, there were no other methods to track Shi Gui Dao Ren, so it was worth a try. After all, Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li had plenty of options for fallback. Now that Gu Shi Dao Ren was in their grasp, it was unlikely he could stir up any significant trouble again. Thus, Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li quickly made up their minds in secret. Seeing that the two believed his story, Gu Shi Dao Ren chuckled and motioned towards the power of laws binding him, saying indifferently, "However, you will need to loosen this restraint first. I need power to activate the corpse gu." Upon hearing this, Fu Yan finally withdrew her spiritual sword. With a flick of her wrist, the binding loosened slightly. In that instant, Gu Shi Dao Ren could feel the true essence starting to flow within his body. He swiftly healed the meridians in his wrists, then, under the watchful eyes of Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li, began to stimulate the corpse gu within him. As the power surged through him, the corpse gu became visibly agitated, writhing fiercely within Gu Shi Dao Ren’s chest. He couldn’t help but let out a pained groan, "Ugh..." "Swish, swish" In the next moment, an invisible wave emanated from Gu Shi Dao Ren, and he swiftly stood and, as if driven by an impulse, charged in a direction deep into the forest. Without delay, Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li followed him. Though the power of laws was only slightly loosened, it still hung over Gu Shi Dao Ren, ensuring he couldn’t escape with any trickery. Besides, even at his peak, his speed couldn’t rival that of Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li. Thus, the three figures darted quickly through the dense forest. Time passed in the blink of an eye; a month and a half flew by. As Fu Yan continued to watch Gu Shi Dao Ren ahead, she couldn’t help but furrow her brows. Even though the primordial forest was vast and years of wandering in it were not uncommon, something felt off. The places they passed grew increasingly silent, shrouded by trees whose canopies blocked out all sunlight. The atmosphere was dark and foreboding. But Fu Yan’s spiritual awareness constantly encompassed the surroundings, finding nothing amiss—not even a trace of Shi Gui Dao Ren. As she pondered whether to continue following Gu Shi Dao Ren, he finally came to a halt. Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li also paused just behind him. Amidst the quiet gloom, Gu Shi Dao Ren turned to face them, suddenly smiling as he said, "Apologies, I just recalled that the Sect Master’s master corpse gu is kept in a secret chamber of the Corpse Ghost Sect and wasn’t brought along." Of course, Fu Yan suspected it was unusual for Gu Shi Dao Ren to be so eager to lead them to Shi Gui Dao Ren. It wasn’t out of loyalty to the Corpse Ghost Sect but rather because he genuinely couldn’t ascertain Shi Gui Dao Ren’s location. Yet, unwilling to die at Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li's hands, he had led them here on purpose. In a sudden moment, the ground beneath them began to shake. Gu Shi Dao Ren continued to smile, his voice eerily calm, "It's a profit to have you as company in death." He reached for his chest and blood flowed swiftly, poisoning his body which began to dissolve. A stench spread quickly in the air. Simultaneously, Fu Yan perceived immense noises from all sides; a swarm of beasts charged forwards. Yet, strikingly, they were all corpses of beasts. Ahead lay a massive chasm filled with a multitude of beast cadavers and bones. Gu Shi Dao Ren used some unknown technique to revive these beast corpses, now tainted with blood, and lead them as puppets towards Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li. Among them were even powerful beasts with celestial capabilities. Gu Shi Dao Ren's maniacal laughter grew, becoming more terrifying as he gazed bloodthirstily at Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li, murmuring, "With my soul, I offer a sacrifice to the Corpse Ghost." His body dissolved fully, soul burning to ash. Whoosh! The power of laws returned to Fu Yan’s hand, but she took a moment, a slight smile playing on her lips. As the crazed beast corpses charged, Fu Yan glanced at Bai Yue Li, urging rapidly, "Senior Sister, these beast corpses are strange. No need to face them head-on. Would you like to enter the Xuyou Jade Seal?" Bai Yue Li paused, inquiring, "What about you?" "He doesn’t seem to understand what a true soul sacrifice means," Fu Yan’s eyes twinkled with amusement. "If so, I don’t mind helping him out." At this, Bai Yue Li understood but shook her head, suggesting, "Together." "Alright," Fu Yan agreed without further protest. With beast corpses encroaching, Fu Yan remained calm, backhanding her sword and sweeping it across them. The decayed beast bodies disintegrated instantly. However, the powerful beasts pressed the attack relentlessly, forcing Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li to defend themselves. The entire forest burst into chaos. Amid the intensifying battle, the pair could hardly disengage. Hidden amidst the chaos, a spectral apparition emerged and clung to a beast's corpse, drifting away unseen. Swish! Yet in the next second, a golden orb flew in, enveloping the spirit tightly, rendering it helpless. Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li appeared. Gripping the power of laws, Fu Yan chuckled, speaking leisurely, "I shall grant your wish." Strong flames erupted from her hands, engulfing the spirit. It crackled with burning agony and pain. Now, the last trace of Gu Shi Dao Ren finally vanished. His attempt to deceive Fu Yan had failed before it even began. Feigning a noble soul sacrifice, his ploy of grand mutual destruction—what a farce. He had secretly severed a sliver of his soul, hiding it amidst the overwhelming corpse aura, hoping to slip away unnoticed as Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li contended with the surrounding beasts. To any celestial being, preserving even a sliver of the soul promised potential rebirth. Hastily, one might even hijack another body, though temporarily weakened. Regaining past strength was merely a matter of time. Gu Shi Dao Ren, having survived thus far, was boundlessly cautious about his life. "Swish swish" When Gu Shi Dao Ren’s last soul dissipated, the beast corpses only grew more frenzied, their eyes glowing red with enhanced power. Reggaining the power of laws, Fu Yan wasted no time, pulling Bai Yue Li into the safety of the Xuyou Jade Seal. Once the beast corpses’ sacrificial energy depleted, they would return to decaying corpses. There was no need to confront them, wasting precious time. In the serene confines of the Jade Seal, Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li emerged from their cultivation to find tranquility restored. Gu Shi Dao Ren’s sacrificial ploy had been nothing but a jest to them.