“It’s a restriction,” Han Tao said after thinking for a moment, his voice calm and powerful. “The restriction mark I received after leaving the Dragon Clan’s forbidden area prevents me from using spiritual energy.”
Otherwise, his eye color wouldn't have been deliberately concealed by the brand, and what is now revealed is a pair of eyes no different from those of a human.
If he wasn't mistaken, Fu Mingxu should have been affected.
Looking at the leaping campfire in front of him, Fu Mingxu had a sudden inspiration: "Since you can't use any aura, it means that the demonic energy in your body won't appear either."
Therefore, the sudden change in the passageway was probably ultimately intended to drive the two of them here.
Ultimately, these issues are still related to the forbidden areas of the dragon race.
Han Tao had obviously thought of this as well. He stood up, his gaze falling on the light outside the cave, and slowly said, "I can sense that this place is far from the forbidden area in the back mountain."
Fu Mingxu raised an eyebrow. So the water earlier was equivalent to a teleportation array?
It has to be said, it's truly amazing.
Without the influence of demonic energy, Han Tao seemed to be much sharper. After seeing through his guess, he spoke up at the right time: "It's one-way teleportation."
He himself had never heard of such a thing happening in the Dragon Clan's forbidden area.
After understanding their situation, Fu Mingxu became more curious. Since this place was far from the forbidden area in the back mountain, it meant that they were already far from the boundaries of Yunhan City.
So, by sheer chance, he still managed to leave Yunhan City?
Having come this far, Fu Mingxu, free from all worries, quickly settled in. After drying his clothes, he decided to go outside the cave and take a look around.
Han Tao silently extinguished the campfire and picked up the flint from the ground, appearing very thrifty and hardworking.
As luck would have it, the two had just stepped out of the cave when they heard footsteps.
Han Tao immediately pulled him behind her. Fu Mingxu accidentally stepped on a dry branch on the ground, which startled the birds in the nearby trees.
"Who is it?" a sharp voice rang out, followed by heavier footsteps. "If you don't come out now, don't blame me for being impolite!"
"Junior Sister, there's probably a spirit beast involved. Let me handle this."
Hiding and not coming out is certainly not the best approach. Knowing this, Han Tao took two steps forward, revealing his figure, but completely concealing the person behind him.
Just as Zhang Hengbo stopped his impulsive junior sister at the cave entrance, he saw a tall and imposing figure appear. The man was dressed in black, and his aura was so powerful that no one dared to look him in the eye.
Strangely, he couldn't sense any spiritual energy fluctuations from that person.
"Who are you? How did you end up in the back mountain of my Tianxuan Sect?" Zhang Yanran walked over, her eyes still full of doubt.
The back mountain of Tianxuan Sect? Fu Mingxu was shocked upon hearing this, and the tree branch under his feet broke again.
Zhang Hengbo's eyes changed, and he pointed his long sword directly at her: "What are you hiding behind you?"
The atmosphere suddenly became tense, but Han Tao remained unmoved and said coldly, "Although Tianxuan Mountain is called the back mountain of Tianxuan Sect, the entire mountain range stretches for thousands of miles. And Tianxuan Sect only got its name because it happened to be backed by this mountain when it was founded."
Tianxuan Mountain is indeed not owned by Tianxuan Sect. The so-called "back mountain" is just a section that happens to be backed by the sect, a name that disciples within the sect are accustomed to using.
"What he said seems to be true." Zhang Yanran blinked. She felt that the person in front of her was unusually dangerous and didn't want her senior brother to confront him. "And which sect are you a disciple of?"
Han Tao parted his thin lips slightly: "A rogue cultivator."
Zhang Hengbo pulled her aside and said, "Junior sister, don't be fooled by him. If he's a rogue cultivator, why is he hiding something behind his back, sneaking around and afraid to show it to anyone?"
"Could it be that you've found the Celestial Mystic Beast?"
"No way?" Zhang Yanran exclaimed in surprise, "His luck is just too good!"
"Junior Sister," Zhang Hengbo said, rubbing his forehead, "this isn't the time to talk about luck."
"Isn't it just a matter of luck?" Zhang Yanran asked, bewildered.
Fu Mingxu finally understood where the two were. He was curious about the Heavenly Profound Beast that the other person mentioned. At the same time, to avoid causing any misunderstanding, he took the initiative to step out from behind Han Tao and asked, "Is the Heavenly Profound Beast that you two mentioned a spirit beast formed from the mountain energy of Heavenly Profound Mountain? I have heard that this beast is born alongside the Heavenly Profound Extreme Grass and can enhance one's fortune."
He was very interested in the Mystic Grass of that day.
The person who walked out was dressed in a green robe, like a green bamboo planted in the mountains, tall and slender.
He had no spiritual energy whatsoever, yet his eyes and brows were filled with the spiritual light of the mountains.
A look of amazement flashed in Zhang Hengbo's eyes until Zhang Yanran pouted and called out to him, "Hey, senior brother, snap out of it."
"Oh!" Zhang Hengbo looked embarrassed and subconsciously pulled back the item, his face flushed. "You're talking about the Heavenly Profound Beast."
Han Tao suddenly grabbed Fu Mingxu's wrist with such force that Fu Mingxu could not struggle.
Fu Mingxu was startled, but in this unfamiliar place, he only knew Han Tao. He suppressed his anger and glared at him, whispering in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "I want the Heavenly Profound Grass."
Among his inheritance is a rare pill formula that can produce pills of the ninth rank, comparable to immortal pills.
Fu Mingxu is still practicing, but he was very tempted by the conversation among the group.
Tianxuan Mountain is not the private property of Tianxuan Sect, so the Tianxuan Beasts within it naturally belong to the capable.
Fu Mingxu felt that he was lucky and should give it a try.
Anyway, we're already here.
Upon hearing this, Han Tao paused in her steps, holding his wrist tightly, but gently hummed in response.
He still hasn't figured out the real reason why the Dragon Clan's forbidden area teleported him here, but since Fu Mingxu wants the Heavenly Profound Grass, he has no reason to refuse.
Zhang Hengbo and his fellow disciple never expected that their trip would not only fail to find the Heavenly Mystic Beast, but would also arouse the desire of two other people for the Heavenly Mystic Extreme Grass.
Aside from a few scattered notes known to outsiders, only the disciples of the Tianxuan Sect have a deep understanding of the Tianxuan Beast.
Han Tao glanced at the purple tokens on the two men's waists and knew that they must be personal disciples of the Tianxuan Sect.
He said, "We've come looking for the Heavenly Profound Grass. We can cooperate; you can have the spirit beasts, and we want the spirit grass."
Although he had no aura left, Zhang Hengbo felt that he was unapproachable.
Even so, he dared not easily trust outsiders.
Just as Zhang Hengbo was about to refuse, he heard Zhang Yanran scream. He looked closely and saw a brightly colored venomous snake appear on a tree branch above their heads, extending its venomous tongue towards the handsome young man.
The five-colored snake, though brightly colored, is adept at hiding and has extremely potent venom; even a Golden Core cultivator cannot withstand a single bite.
Judging from their expressions, Fu Mingxu vaguely knew what had happened. But before he could react, Han Tao reached out and pulled him into his arms, while with his other hand he casually plucked a leaf, flicked it with his fingertip, and the leaf accurately pierced the snake's vital spot.
It wasn't until the colorful snake fell from the branch and landed dead among the fallen leaves that the others realized what had happened.
Fu Mingxu had always been wary of snakes, which were cold and slippery, but even as he felt a chill run down his spine, he still reminded her, "The snake gall can be used to make elixirs, don't waste it."
Han Tao remained motionless, reluctant to let him go.
Zhang Yanran stared wide-eyed at the two embracing so intimately, and murmured, "You two..."
Zhang Hengbo's face turned pale. The little thought that had just arisen turned into bitterness that he had to swallow, without even having a chance to speak it out.
Perhaps because Han Tao moved too quickly, Fu Mingxu's simple belt was about to fall off, and his neatly fastened clothes were slightly loosened.
Han Tao glanced down and caught sight of an indescribably beautiful scene.
Fortunately, Fu Mingxu was facing away from them, so he was able to enjoy this scene all to himself.
Fu Mingxu also realized that he was disheveled, but he couldn't open the storage bag and had no new clothes to change into, so he could only turn his back to the two of them and make do with what he had to wear.
He turned around and found himself facing Han Tao. The two were already very close, but now they were practically touching; he could even hear the other's heartbeat.
One sound after another, like drums pounding against eardrums.
Zhang Yanran secretly observed the two of them, completely unaware of her senior brother's complicated expression, and whispered in his ear, "Senior brother, don't they look like they eloped?"
A note from the author:
Zhang Yanran: Running away together, how exciting!
Chapter 24
Zhang Yanran's voice wasn't exactly quiet; at least Han Tao could hear it clearly.
As Fu Mingxu finished tidying his clothes and turned around, he silently nodded to the two senior and junior brothers and sisters with complicated expressions.
Sure enough, the last glimmer of hope in Zhang Hengbo's eyes vanished instantly, while Zhang Yanran felt excited at having guessed the relationship between the two.
She automatically filled in the blanks for the two of them in her mind and found a reason why they came out of the cave in disheveled clothes.
Elopement, how exciting!
Zhang Yanran gave a meaningful smile, nudged her senior brother next to her with her elbow, and said, "Since this fellow Daoist has extended such a warm invitation, cooperation is naturally the best solution."
She and her senior brother were only at the late Foundation Establishment stage, making it unlikely that they would clash with Han Tao, who could easily kill the Five-Colored Spotted Serpent.
Furthermore, she glanced at Fu Mingxu and saw that he was dressed in ordinary clothes and had no trace of spiritual cultivation. She guessed that he was an ordinary person who was unable to cultivate and had fallen in love with someone from the immortal sect. However, due to the opposition of the other party's elders, the two had no choice but to elope to this back mountain.
Sure enough, once they had a chance to spend time together, the two couldn't help themselves.
Fu Mingxu found her expression really strange, and when she looked at him, he even felt a bit of sympathy.
"This...fellow Daoist," he said awkwardly, changing his form of address, his eyes seemingly clouded, "why are you looking at me like that?"
Even after the brief visual shock, Zhang Yanran still sighed inwardly at the beauty; no wonder the immortal sect members had eloped with her.
Not only that, she was surprised to find that her senior brother hadn't spoken for a long time. Turning her head to look, she saw that his face was indeed slightly flushed.
Beauty is alluring.
Zhang Yanran pulled her senior brother back to his senses and said with a smile, "It's nothing, I just felt that you two have a very good relationship."
Fu Mingxu was confused, but Han Tao's lips curled up slightly upon hearing this, looking quite pleased with himself.
Zhang Hengbo finally realized what was happening. After shaking off the inexplicable disappointment in his heart, he was a little worried that the other party would go back on their word if they actually found the Heavenly Profound Beast. After all, Han Tao's aura was so powerful that he looked like someone who was not to be trifled with.
“You can form a pact.” Han Tao saw his worry at a glance, his brows relaxed, and he suggested, “That would be safer.”
Fu Mingxu, however, remembered that he couldn't use his internal spiritual energy, frowned slightly, and turned around to say, "Your body..."
"I'm fine." Han Tao noticed his worry, the cold light in his eyes disappeared, leaving only gentleness. "There's no need to worry."
Although he cannot use the spiritual energy within his body, he can mobilize external spiritual energy, though it is not as convenient for him.
After he finished speaking, he flicked his finger, and a white light of contract appeared.
Zhang Hengbo and Zhang Hengbo were very familiar with this light. It was created by the immortal sect to prevent disciples who temporarily teamed up to search for treasure from going back on their word. It was called "Friendship Pact". Once broken, one would be plagued by inner demons.
I just don't know which sect that person belongs to.
However, the two siblings tacitly refrained from asking, tacitly assuming that the other had eloped. Since that was the case, they certainly wouldn't reveal their own identities.