Seeing Ning Caichen arrive, Lu Xuan chuckled inwardly. This fellow was truly bewitched. Even knowing Nie Xiaoqian was a ghost, he was still hopelessly infatuated. What a lovesick fool!
"Brother Ning, you are injured, so it's best not to move around unnecessarily."
"It's alright, it's alright. My injury is nothing serious. I just came to ask if you're really going to deal with that monster?"
"Of course it's true. Over the years, hundreds, even thousands, of people have been killed by tree demons in this area. I can't rest until I kill such a ferocious demon."
Hearing this, Yan Chixia glanced sideways slightly. This fellow Daoist seemed to be the kind of cultivator who did as he pleased, wanting to live freely in this world. He didn't care about cause and effect, only seeking enlightenment in a single thought. Yan Chixia even felt a little envious, because he couldn't achieve that level.
This is both a matter of personality and a matter of tradition. Yan Chixia was by nature a busybody. Although he was aware of his personality flaws and deliberately hid in the deep mountains and forests, trouble still came knocking on his door.
Secondly, his own lineage destined him to never truly live a carefree life in the mortal world. Consider the spells he used. Whether it was the Exorcising Spell, the Golden Light Spell, or later, the Thunder Spell, he always relied on a powerful figure from the Daoist sect as his backer. In a sense, he used his spells to invoke the power of a powerful Daoist master in the unseen realm. Especially Yan Chixia's signature move, "Boundless Heaven and Earth, Borrowing Power from the Universe," clearly demonstrates his intention to fight with borrowed magical power.
If this lineage is passed down directly, a great master can emerge within ten or twenty years. It's fast-acting, the techniques are powerful, and there's a powerful backer. There's virtually no risk of demonic possession. However, the price is that the caster's karma is tied to the lineage's sect. Bearing the entire sect's karma, one can never truly live a carefree life.
Even hiding deep in the mountains, Yan Chixia couldn't find peace, because he was burdened with too much karma. As long as one lives, it's impossible to escape this karma. Even after death, one will have to repay it in the next life.
Lu Xuan was different; he started in a world devoid of spiritual energy. He never relied on anyone's power from beginning to end. From his very first breath, he forged it all himself. He followed the typical path of cultivation in online novels: defying the heavens and swimming against the current. Every wisp of spiritual energy was earned through his own arduous cultivation.
It took hundreds of years to get to this point. It was slow, but it was a path that allowed for true freedom and ease.
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Chapter 350 Planning to Eliminate the Demon
Ning Caichen left looking disappointed. He ultimately didn't plead with the two to spare Nie Xiaoqian. Mainly, Lu Xuan's statement that hundreds, even thousands, of people had already been murdered deeply affected him.
"This kid isn't completely muddle-headed," Yan Chixia snorted.
"He is kind-hearted by nature, and you could even say he is a bit simple-minded. You'll get that feeling after reading a lot of classical texts."
"What's the use of reading so many books? Someone like him, even if he passed the imperial examination, could he really become an official? He'd probably be sold out and still have to count the money for the seller." Besides, the current court can't actually be saved by a scholar.
"Hehe, the world has its own destiny. We cultivators cultivate ourselves, slay demons and protect humanity, that is our path. But when it comes to who will rule the world, let the people of the world decide."
Yan Chixia was a former official, and even the chief constable of the Six Doors. He held a high-ranking position. In his view, Lu Xuan's words were not something an ordinary person could utter. The man before him was likely a well-read scholar who had eventually abandoned literature for martial arts.
"Fellow Daoist's words are thought-provoking. It's a pity there's no wine, otherwise I would definitely like to have a good drink with you."
"Hehe, wanting wine is no problem." Lu Xuan said, his left hand moving slightly. Xiahou and Yan Chixia saw the blue bracelet on his left hand suddenly grow larger. In an instant, it transformed into a giant blue python nearly as thick as a water bucket.
"This... Hahahaha, so the Green Snake Immortal and the White Fox Immortal are fellow Daoists. Impressive, truly impressive!"
This was the first time Xiahou had ever seen the Green Serpent. However, far from being afraid, he felt a surge of excitement. The stronger Lu Xuan became, the more correct his choice proved to be.
The green snake opened its bloody mouth and spat out a sealed jar of fine wine.
"This is fruit wine that I brewed myself in the mountains. However, those wild fruits in the mountains have some kind of spirituality. The wine brewed from them is extremely fiery and a bit pungent when you drink it. Fortunately, my spirit beast has some magical powers of ice. So I hid this wine in its belly and used the cold to warm it and reduce its fiery nature. Judging by the time, it has been more than three years, so it should be ready to drink now."
As he spoke, Lu Xuan opened the wine jar. A strange aroma of wine filled the entire room.
Xiahou was also a connoisseur of wine, but his cultivation was still in its infancy; he could only smell the aroma. Yan Chixia, however, was different. He could sense that the aroma contained a rich spiritual energy. This was actually a rare spiritual wine.
"Incredible, incredible! Brother Lu, your wine is truly remarkable. Quick, quick, I'll have a bowl first."
Yan Chixia was a wine lover. He couldn't resist drinking so much wine for a long time. Lu Xuan didn't hesitate either, downing a whole bowl in one go.
Yan Chixia swallowed it hastily. He felt a sensation of both coolness and warmth enter his throat simultaneously. Two different kinds of spiritual energy erupted within his body. Strangely, this phenomenon not only did not cause any conflict between the spiritual energies within him, but even gave him a nourishing effect. The spiritual energy he had consumed in the previous fight was being rapidly replenished.
"Good wine, good wine," Yan Chixia exclaimed, but he was too embarrassed to ask for more. He could tell that this was no ordinary spirit wine. It was a carefully brewed wine used to heal injuries and replenish energy. In fact, it should be called a spiritual medicine.
However, Lu Xuan didn't seem to care about such things. He casually filled Yan Chixia's bowl again.
"Wine is meant to be drunk. Brother Yan, why bother? You used up a lot of your spiritual energy in the fight. Now is a good time to replenish it. We'll set off for the tree spirit's lair when the sun rises."
"Oh? Could it be that Brother Lu has already found the tree spirit's lair?"
Yan Chixia was somewhat surprised and puzzled, but there was nothing he could do. Lu Xuan seemed to have done nothing, just drinking with them, yet he had unknowingly accomplished what he was supposed to do?
“That’s right, I’ve already sensed the tree demon’s lair through the runes on the sword.”
As Lu Xuan spoke, he gently waved his right hand. A scene appeared in the void. It was entirely blue-green, but it was still possible to discern that it resembled a cave.
"This is..." Not only Xiahou, but even Yan Chixia was stunned. The Daoist sects possess spells like the "Circle Light Technique," which allows for long-distance observation. However, that requires extremely complex conditions. Crucially, this concept of 3D projection is appearing for the first time in this world.
This technique was naturally created by the Valyrians. They were passionate about conquest, so much of their magic was designed for warfare. This technique was one of their signature spells, capable of simulating every detail of war in real time, ensuring that the command system at the rear could perfectly control all the details.
"The principle behind this spell is too complex to explain in a short time. Let's start with the important part. What you see now is the lair of the tree demon. This place is in a valley about thirty miles to the south. The valley floor was hollowed out and shaped into this form."
Look at these active points of light. These are the demons in their lair. The brighter the point of light, the stronger their cultivation. It seems that besides Grandma, there are two other beings with considerable cultivation.
Grandma's location is here. She's surrounded by many lesser demons. She's probably absorbing their energy to heal her wounds. Notice these; they're different from the other demons. This bluish-red color corresponds to ghostly energy. These points of light are likely the female ghosts controlled by the tree demon, who specifically seduce men.
The lair is divided into three parts. The outermost layer likely contains some minor demon guards. The next layer contains the two powerful demons and Granny. But look at the third layer. There's a shadow here. This indicates that it's being concealed by some kind of magic. I suspect that Granny on the second layer is also an illusion. Her true form should be hidden in this location on the third layer.
The old fellow is a tree spirit. These wood-type spirits are masters of earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of magical escape technique). Don't be fooled by its slow speed on land; underground, we probably can't catch it. Therefore, the key to this battle lies in completely blocking the tree demon's escape route as quickly as possible. Brother Yan, do you have a suitable plan?
Yan Chixia was lost in thought when Lu Xuan's question startled him. In his mind, exorcising demons and monsters was all about cultivation and magical treasures. It wasn't the same as chasing criminals in the mortal world. But seeing Lu Xuan's plan, he couldn't help but start to doubt. Was he too incompetent, or was the world changing too fast?
"Brother Yan?" Lu Xuan reminded him again, finally bringing Yan Chixia back to his senses.
"Um, let me think. If we want to block the tree spirit's escape route, I can request a land decree to turn all the land around the tree spirit's lair into something as hard as refined iron. Then, no matter how good its earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of magic or escaping technique) is, it won't be able to escape."
Just as the three were discussing how to kill Grandma.
In the tree spirit's lair, two figures, one tall and one short, stood before Grandma.