Chapter One Hundred Ten: Venturing into the Divine Mountain, Entering the Abbot's Chamber

I ignored Ao Long, offering only a faint smile. With a flick of my palm, all the Daoist patterns in the sky crashed down toward him. Ao Long shook his massive draconic form, and a terrifying aura of dragon energy shielded him.

Boom! The Daoist patterns collided with the dragon energy, unleashing a thunderous roar that shook the entire secret realm. A horrifying fissure cracked open across the ground, as if the world were on the verge of collapse. My master hurriedly dodged to the side, floating low to the ground atop a green lotus. The Ghost Mountain group, who had been silent until now, fled in a panic.

In an instant, dust filled the air, and several peals of thunder echoed through the quiet realm. I raised my hand again, and the Daoist patterns flew back to me in perfect formation. I smiled, hands behind my back, watching Ao Long. Once the dust settled, he lay sprawled on the ground, his belly still heaving—clearly not dead, but merely knocked unconscious by the blow. I flicked my finger, and a beam of golden light shot out, expanding as it flew toward him. It circled above his head, and suddenly, Ao Long transformed into human form and slowly vanished from the spot. Hands still behind my back, I descended to the ground and walked toward my master, who approached me with a look of astonishment.

I brushed the dust off my clothes and said with a smile, "Tan Boqing, though this is our first meeting, I have long known of your great reputation. I have seen everything you have done leading the Beiming Pass. The current supernatural world is a place of undercurrents and traps. The burden this boy carries is far more significant than simply being your disciple. Your own strength is currently sealed, but I can tell you a method that might allow you to break it."

Master paused, looking at me with suspicion. "What method? And who exactly are you? Why are you in Xiao Xuan's body?"

I smiled slightly. "I am him, and he is me. Only by recognizing one's true heart can one walk this path. You need not ask further. I was awakened inadvertently by the dragon energy this time; I am merely a drifting remnant of a soul in this world. This boy is the one I have chosen. Guide him well."

Master looked at me with confusion, then nodded, saying, "Very well." I patted his shoulder and said, "Your power is currently seventy percent sealed. To break it, you must brave the perilous Sacred Mountain and enter the Fangzhang realm to return to the past!"

"Brave the Sacred Mountain? Enter Fangzhang? Do you mean Mount Fangzhang?" Master asked, puzzled.

I nodded. "The ancient Fangzhang is full of spiritual treasures, but equally full of danger. Mount Fangzhang is now untethered, making it incredibly difficult to find."

With that, I fell silent. Master pondered for a moment, then seemed to make up his mind. "If that is the case, this journey to Mount Fangzhang is unavoidable. With my current strength, I struggle even against the likes of Ao Long. Rest assured, I will bring this boy through this, and I will definitely go to Mount Fangzhang. As for the courtesies of the martial world, I must thank you for saving Xiao Xuan's life."

I waved my hand dismissively. "It is settled. I will take Ao Long back with me; he still has his uses."

Master nodded and bowed to me. I offered a faint smile and collapsed to the ground. He watched as a white radiance flew from the top of my head and soared into the sky of the secret realm.

Master looked up at the light before hurrying to my side. He helped me up and checked my condition. To his surprise, my body, which had just been flooded with dragon energy, was now calm, and the energy had completely vanished. Master sighed in relief and smiled. "You brat, I don't even know what to say to you."

***

Master was about to hoist me onto his back when I suddenly jolted awake in his arms, gasping for air. I looked around in a panic and asked, "The dragon! Where is the dragon?"

Master paused, seeing my terrified expression, and patted my shoulder. I turned to look at him, my breathing slowly steadying. "The dragon is gone," he said. "Can you walk, kid?"

Hearing this, I felt even more bewildered. I shook my head, but a sharp, piercing pain erupted in my temples. I frowned and clutched my head. Master said nothing, pulling me up and supporting me as we walked forward.

Looking at the ruined landscape, I pressed my forehead and asked, "Master, where are we going? Aren't there still things to do?"

Master turned and gave a faint smile. "Going home. We won."

I blinked. "We won? When? How come I don't know about it?"

"Just now. Can you stop talking so much? Your head hurts and you still can't keep your mouth shut? Do you feel anything else wrong?"

Master rolled his eyes at me. I checked my body and said, "My arm hurts a bit."

"Arm? Let me see." Master stopped and walked to my left side, rolling up my sleeve. I looked over and saw a bloody gash on my arm, the skin torn. When Master touched the wound, I hissed in pain. "It's just a scrape," he said dismissively. "The skin is broken, but as long as the bone isn't damaged, it's fine. We'll bandage it when we get back."

After he pulled my sleeve back down, I nodded. With Master's support, we exited the secret realm within the Dragon-Locking Well. Because of my injuries, my body felt uncomfortable—perhaps from the dragon energy or the tail-swipe I took from Zuo Long earlier. Those were the only explanations I could fathom.

We walked slowly through the dark, lightless tunnels. Time slipped by, and I don't know how long it had been when I suddenly heard movement ahead. I looked up in confusion. Master had sensed it long before; he stopped and gestured for me to be silent. I nodded, and he leaned me against the wall before heading forward alone.

A moment later, I heard a sharp cry followed by Master's voice. I straightened up, wanting to follow, but saw Master dragging three people back toward me, throwing them onto the ground. He unleashed a golden light to illuminate the area, and I saw that these three were the Ghost Mountain group. Master looked at the terrified Ghost Mountain and said, "A narrow road for enemies, isn't it, Ghost Mountain?"

Ghost Mountain stood up, feigning composure. "Tan Boqing, our Ghost Path has an agreement with your righteous sects in the mortal world: no war for ten years. If you act rashly, watch out, watch out..."

"Watch out for what?" Master interrupted, picking at his ear.

"Wa-watch out..." Ghost Mountain stammered, unable to finish his sentence. Master stared at him impatiently. "Enough. That agreement of yours means nothing to me. I am not one of those big sects. I'll give you a chance: answer what I ask, or you won't be walking out of here."

With that, a Green Lotus Sword appeared in Master's hand. Sweat beaded on Ghost Mountain's forehead as he stared fearfully at the blade. "What do you want to know?"

"Was Cao Wen captured by you?" Master asked bluntly.

I was startled, suddenly remembering Cao Wen's disappearance. Ghost Mountain looked at Master’s expressionless face and nodded without hesitation. Master asked again, "Where is he, and why did you capture him?"

Seeing Master's cold gaze, Ghost Mountain felt a chill down his spine. "I don't know!"

"You don't know?" Master frowned, moving the Green Lotus Sword slightly.

Ghost Mountain shuddered and nodded frantically. "I really don't know, Tan Boqing! I did order them to cause a stir in various places to distract the righteous sects, but I never gave orders to capture anyone!"

Master frowned. "Do you want to test the sharpness of my Green Lotus Sword?"

Ghost Mountain jumped back, waving his hands. "I really don't know! How can I make you believe me? I only sent a squad of elites and two leaders here to Beijing. I've lost contact with them now. They must know more than I do—go find them!"