novelaction Chapter 354: Burning Lantern with Nowhere to Escape
Chapter 354: Burning Lantern with Nowhere to Escape
Qianyuan Mountain, with its green peaks, is like a splash-ink landscape painting, with endless mysteries hidden in its tranquility.
A streak of light cut through the sky, like the brightest star in the night sky, and in an instant it reached the foot of the mountain, its speed was so fast that it was astonishing.
When the light faded, the figure revealed was Mu Lei who had escaped in a panic from Jiepai Pass.
Mu Lei was staggering, his breath was lingering, his clothes were tattered, covered with dust and blood, and he looked dying. It was obvious that he had experienced a hard battle and escape.
He endured the severe pain in his body, took a deep breath, and then mobilized the remaining spiritual power in his body. Although his voice was weak, it penetrated the layers of clouds and mist and reached the depths of Qianyuan Mountain:
"Master, disciple Mu Lei wants to see you!"
Before he finished speaking, a long bell sound echoed in the mountains, as if responding to his call.
In the mountains, in the Golden Light Cave, Taiyi Zhenren was resting with his eyes closed, when suddenly a hurried voice broke the silence. He suddenly opened his eyes, frowned, and had an ominous premonition in his heart.
"Hmm? This voice... is it Mu Lei? Didn't he go down the mountain to support Junior Brother Zi Ya? Why is he back at this time?"
Taiyi Zhenren was full of doubts, but he did not hesitate. He turned into a stream of light and disappeared into the cave in an instant.
At the foot of the mountain, Mu Lei was slumped on the ground, his face as pale as paper and his breathing weak.
He clenched his teeth, trying not to fall down. At this moment, a stream of light fell from the sky and landed in front of him.
"Mulei, what's wrong with you?" Taiyi Zhenren looked at the disciple in front of him and was shocked.
He hurried forward, helped Mu Lei up, grabbed his wrist and checked his injuries.
"Master, I... I failed to live up to your trust. This time when I came down the mountain, I was unable to... failed to help Uncle Zi Ya. I even lost the battle against Jiejiao disciple Wen Zhong."
Mu Lei lowered his head and spoke in a trembling voice. His eyes were full of guilt and self-blame, as if he were a sinner.
"Defeated? What happened? Tell me in detail." Taiyi Zhenren frowned, his tone revealing a hint of urgency.
Mu Lei took a deep breath and tried to calm his emotions. He slowly raised his head, looked at Taiyi Zhenren, and told him everything that had happened.
"Master, I...I am ashamed of your teachings and the reputation of the Chan Sect."
As Mu Lei spoke, tears began to flow. He felt extremely ashamed and desperate, as if he had reached a dead end.
Taiyi Zhenren listened to Mu Lei's narration, and his expression gradually became solemn. He was silent for a while, then gently patted Mu Lei's shoulder.
"My disciple, you don't have to blame yourself. Victory and defeat are common in the military. What's important is that you can come back alive. As for Zi Ya, I will personally explain it to him."
Taiyi Zhenren's voice was gentle but firm, like a warm current flowing into Mu Lei's heart.
Mu Lei raised his head and looked at Master Taiyi, feeling grateful. He knew that no matter how big a mistake he made, his master would forgive him and give him a chance to reform.
“Master, disciple...disciple will practice hard to make up for this mistake.” Although Mu Lei's voice was weak, his tone revealed a firm determination.
Taiyi Zhenren smiled and nodded, then took out a pill from his arms and handed it to Mu Lei.
"This pill was given to me by your master. If you take this pill, you can recover quickly from your injuries if you are below the level of a quasi-saint. You should take it and recuperate well."
"After your injuries are healed, come down the mountain with me. I want to see how a mere disciple of Jiejiao, who is only at the Golden Immortal level, dares to be so cruel to my disciple." Taiyi Zhenren said in a cold voice.
Mu Lei took the pill, looked at Taiyi Zhenren with gratitude, and then swallowed it.
The pill melted in his mouth, and a warm current instantly surged through his body. His injuries began to recover at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Thank you, Master, for the medicine!" Mu Lei clasped his hands together, bowed deeply, and his voice was filled with gratitude that was difficult to conceal.
His eyes flashed with reverence and gratitude for Taiyi Zhenren, as if at this moment, all the pain and grievances turned into endless respect.
Seeing this, Taiyi Zhenren nodded with satisfaction, a trace of relief flashing in his eyes. He gently raised his hand and propped up the wooden fort, his voice gentle and kind:
"My disciple, there is no need to be polite. Follow me back to the Golden Light Cave first, stabilize your breath, and recuperate your body. Once you are completely free of any problems, then make plans."
"Yes, Master."
As soon as he finished speaking, Taiyi Zhenren waved his sleeves, turned into a stream of light and left the place with the wooden fort.
……
"Zhao Gongming, do you really want to fight to the death with me?"
The voice of Master Ran Deng echoed like thunder in the empty valley. His eyes were wide open, glaring at Zhao Gongming behind him, exuding strong anger and fighting spirit.
His robe fluttered in the wind, as if it would turn into a sharp blade and chop towards the source of his anger in the next moment.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Gongming curled up the corner of his mouth into a sneer, which contained endless ridicule and disdain.
He held an iron whip in his hand, stood in mid-air, and looked into the eyes of the Burning Lamp Taoist. He said in a deep voice:
"Randeng, if you hadn't provoked me beforehand, why would I have pursued you so relentlessly? Your disciples from the Chan Sect have repeatedly provoked my Jie Sect and hurt my disciples. How could I sit back and watch such evil deeds?"
"What happened before was nothing but karma. You should bear the consequences of the evil you sowed."
Upon hearing this, the Taoist Master Ran Deng's face darkened and he said angrily:
"Zhao Gongming, stop slandering me! When did my disciples of the Chan Sect provoke you disciples of the Jie Sect? It was clearly you disciples of the Jie Sect who were arrogant and bullied my disciples of the Chan Sect, so we had no choice but to take action."
Zhao Gongming sneered even more and said:
"Randeng, why do you have to be so cunning? Right and wrong are in the hearts of the people."
"If you, the disciples of the Chan Sect, are truly innocent, why would I trouble you for no reason? If the Chan Sect had not instigated the previous incident, why would I, the disciples of the Jie Sect, be enemies with the Chan Sect?"
The Taoist Master Ran Deng was furious and said:
"Zhao Gongming, don't push me too far! Although I am not invincible in the prehistoric world, I am definitely not a coward. If you, the Jie Sect, are really right, why don't you fight me squarely in public instead of entangled in this way?"
Zhao Gongming laughed loudly upon hearing this, and said disdainfully:
“Randeng, you are wrong. I am not pestering you, but your disciples of the Chan Sect have repeatedly provoked me, so I had no choice but to take action.”
"Besides, you are at least a powerful person at the early stage of Quasi-Saint, and you have also listened to the teachings in Zixiao Palace. You are also a cultivator of the same period as my master, the Saint of Shangqing. How could you not be able to defeat me, a cultivator at the Daluo Golden Immortal level?"
"Even if you can't win, you shouldn't run away. This is really unreasonable."
When Master Ran Deng heard this, his face instantly turned pale, and there seemed to be flames burning in his eyes. He said angrily:
"Zhao Gongming, don't be so arrogant! Do you think that you can defeat me with your strength as a Golden Immortal? Today, I will fight you to the death!"
After saying this, Randeng turned around, quickly formed seals with his hands, and muttered something.
As he chanted a low spell, a bright light burst out from his hand and shot straight into the sky.
In that light, a simple and ancient palace lantern could be seen slowly emerging. It was the companion spiritual treasure of the Taoist Master Randeng - the Coffin Palace Lantern.
As the palace lanterns came out, the whole world seemed to be dimmed. There seemed to be an endless flame burning in the wicks, releasing terrifying heat and pressure.
Taoist Master Ran Deng shouted angrily and sacrificed the coffin palace lantern. The palace lantern turned into a stream of light and attacked Zhao Gongming with the power to destroy the world.
Seeing this, Zhao Gongming curled up a sneer at the corner of his mouth. He held the iron whip in his hand, his body shook, and a powerful momentum surged out of his body.