“Senior Brother! Why are you bringing this little Taoist priest along!”
On the mountain path, the young woman, born into a renowned sect, grumbled discontently, quite puzzled by her senior brother’s actions.
Tonight, their group was ostensibly on a mission to vanquish demons and devils, but in truth, they were after the fortuitous encounters that would follow their success. However, the rewards, though precious, were not abundant.
Now, to bring along an unknown little Taoist priest, whose humble origins were evident at a glance, not only offered no benefit but would also dilute the already insufficient spoils for their group of five.
To the young woman, her senior brother’s decision was beyond reckless; it was as if he were determined to be a bringer of fortune, willingly giving away a portion of the spoils they were about to acquire.
Hearing this, Li Mufeng and the other three exchanged glances. They had a great deal they wished to express, but facing their junior sister, who was descending the mountain for the first time and possessed a naive heart, certain words absolutely could not be spoken.
They couldn’t possibly say, “We’re not planning to share the fortune with him, but rather to have this little Taoist priest scout ahead and test the dangers for us?”
Thus, stifled by their unspoken thoughts, they looked at the retreating back of the little Taoist priest in front of them, a hint of sternness in the depths of their eyes.
Only Li Mufeng maintained a gentle smile. Even in his gaze, imperceptible to outsiders, there was no trace of abnormality. He did not appear to be coercing anyone; rather, he seemed genuinely intent on bestowing fortune.
Forced to walk at the front, Ji Yuan felt even more stifled than the others. His original intention was to take a shortcut and return to the monastery quickly, but he hadn't expected to encounter such an unforeseen calamity.
However, dwelling on such thoughts was now useless. His true concern was how to escape safely from the four individuals’ vigilant watch.
Although he had embarked on the path of cultivation, having never fought against cultivators before, he held little confidence in his ability to do so.
After all, catching ghosts and dispelling evil spirits were entirely different matters from engaging in combat with people. Moreover, not only were they numerous, but they also hailed from a prestigious sect, meaning they would surely possess ample combat techniques.
Furthermore, even if he managed to act with surprise, they would likely catch up to him before he could get far.
Ji Yuan could sense that the other four, besides Li Mufeng, were all at the early stage of Enlightenment, with the potential to advance to the middle stage at any moment.
As for Li Mufeng, he was at least at the middle stage of Enlightenment, his cultivated essence incredibly close to the later stage.
If these five, a group of senior and junior disciples, joined forces, combined with the rigorous training of a renowned sect, even an Qi cultivator at the late stage of Enlightenment would be forced to retreat in disarray if they lacked renowned heritage.
“Little Daoist, you’ve only recently begun your cultivation, haven’t you?”
As if sensing Ji Yuan contemplating how to escape their grasp, Li Mufeng blinked and then spoke, “The beginning of cultivation is the most arduous. There are no shortcuts to enlightenment. Besides diligently studying the Daoist scriptures to nourish your soul, there are no other methods to break through and advance.”
On the path of cultivation, the first realm for a Qi cultivator was called ‘Enlightenment.’ It required continuous reading of Daoist classics to nourish one’s soul. Only with sufficient accumulation and a strong soul could one naturally break through to a minor realm.
Before entering the second realm of cultivation, Qi cultivators possessed no magical power. Their only reliance was a physique stronger than that of ordinary people and a cultivated essence within their bodies.
They couldn't even employ spells or control magical artifacts for self-defense or combat. Their only recourse was to use sharp weapons like swords and the martial arts of the Jianghu.
Li Mufeng’s intention was to warn the young man to abandon his thoughts of escape and not engage in futile efforts, as a one-on-five confrontation would be utterly hopeless.
Ji Yuan remained silent, not abandoning his thoughts because of the other’s words. He couldn’t simply resign himself to fate.
As he pondered, the little Taoist priest suddenly felt a chill in the air. Though there was no wind, he could feel waves of cold air rushing towards him, seeping into his body.
He instinctively looked up and saw, illuminated by the firelight, wisps of grayish-white Yin energy rising from the ground, twisting and turning in the air like nimble little snakes.
“We’ve arrived.”
Li Mufeng said softly, simultaneously reaching for a yellow paper talisman and slapping it onto his chest.
The other four did the same. Once the talismans were affixed to their chests, they emitted a faint glow, warding off the encroaching Yin energy.
Ji Yuan pretended not to notice, carefully observing the grayish-white mist nearby. It was as he had seen before, indeed formed by a large amount of Yin energy, impervious to wind and invisible to the naked eye.
Without special means, one could only see through this mist of Yin energy after condensing magical power and opening their spiritual eyes.
“Stop!”
Li Mufeng, who had just taken out a porcelain bottle and was preparing to pour out the pills within, suddenly shouted.
Under their stunned gazes, Ji Yuan suddenly exerted force with his legs and charged fiercely towards the nearby mist of Yin energy. His speed was so great that it created gusts of wind, pushing the surrounding Yin energy aside.
By the time the shout fell, the little Taoist priest, whom none of them had considered a threat, had already plunged into the mist of Yin energy, his figure disappearing from sight.
The smile on Li Mufeng’s face vanished, replaced by a dark expression. A flicker of anger crossed his eyes. He had not expected the little Taoist priest, whom he had considered a pawn for scouting, to slip out of his control so easily.
Meanwhile, Ji Yuan, having rushed into the mist of Yin energy, paid them no mind. He chose a direction and ran forward with his head down, not relying on his eyes to guide him, lest he be deceived and fall into a carefully laid trap.
After running at full speed for a while, he burst out of the thick mist. Although there was still a grayish-white fog lingering, he could at least discern the surrounding scenery.
“This can’t be this strange…”
Ji Yuan muttered to himself. Even though he often performed rituals to catch ghosts and dispel evil, his scalp tingled at this moment.
Before him lay a vast graveyard stretching as far as the eye could see. The numerous mounds were overgrown with grass, some reaching half a zhang high. Although there was no wind, they swayed on their own.
Moonlight pierced through the mist, casting its glow upon the graveyard, revealing the scattered withered bones on the ground and in the pits.
“Nameless, boundlessly supreme!”
The little Taoist priest recited a reverent address, steeling himself and stepping into the graveyard.
Retreat was clearly impossible now. Not only was there the uncertainty of getting lost in the mist of Yin energy, but even if he could retrace his steps, he would still face the ill-intentioned Li Mufeng and his companions. It was better to press on and see what lay ahead.
As he walked, Ji Yuan took out yellow paper talismans from his sleeve and, with practiced movements, slapped one onto his chest. As the inscription glowed, the Yin energy that had been seeping into his body was instantly repelled.
Then, from some unknown place, he produced a porcelain bottle, poured out several round pills, and stuffed them directly into his mouth, chewing them haphazardly before swallowing.
The talisman was a ‘Yang Energy Dispelling Talisman,’ capable of dispelling all Yin and evil energies. The pills were ‘Returning Yang Pills,’ which could restore some of the Yang energy consumed.
After doing this, the little Taoist priest, looking at the unsettling surroundings, still felt it wasn’t enough. He reached into his sleeve and pulled out a large handful of talismans, ready to scatter them all at the slightest disturbance.
However, after Ji Yuan had walked only about seven or eight zhang into the graveyard, the tense anticipation he had built up completely dissipated.
He stiffly turned his neck to the left, his gaze fixed on a skeleton in a tattered red dress, gracefully dancing under the moonlight.