A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 108 Strange Phenomena in a Chaotic World
"Master, please forgive me for not being able to entertain you properly these past few days," the clan chief said apologetically.

The clansmen had just moved to a new home and were inevitably having some trouble adjusting. This required the clan chief to go and comfort them. There were also various other trivial matters that required the clan chief's attention. As a result, the clan chief had been unable to spare any time to entertain Gu Xu for the past month.

"Chieftain, you worry too much. With these books as companions, I have no problem."

Gu Xu put down the scrolls in his hand. These scrolls covered everything from astronomy and geography to medicine, divination and astrology. They were truly a rare treasure. With this treasure as his companion, he could put everything else aside for the time being.

Knowing that the clan leader wouldn't come to the library without a reason, Gu Xu asked, "Clan leader, is there something you need?"

"I have come to inform you, Daoist Master, that General Longteng has awakened. I request that you go and see him."

“This is the proper thing to do,” Gu Xu immediately stood up, and the clan leader, seeing this, led the way.

After crossing the suspension bridge and turning past the cliffside grotto, the two arrived at a stone cave a quarter of an hour later, where Elder Tianxuan took Long Teng's pulse.

“Strange, truly strange,” Elder Tianxuan said, stroking his beard. The five elders beside him looked very nervous, while Long Teng remained calm.

"Elder, what exactly happened? How is the general's health?" Elder Huo, who was the most impatient, asked hastily.

"The general's life force seems to have been cut off, yet his complexion appears no different from that of an ordinary person. This is truly strange. I have seen many illnesses, but none of them are like this."

Upon hearing this, Elder Jin said, "Could it be because of the severity of the injury, which damaged his foundation?"

"That's possible," Elder Shui said from the side. "Our clan has treated people whose foundations were destroyed before, and their symptoms were very similar to those of the general."

Just as everyone was discussing, the clan leader led Gu Xu in.

"patriarch"

Everyone bowed in greeting. The clan leader pressed his hand down and looked at Long Teng, saying, "General, this is the Taoist priest I told you about."

"Greetings, Daoist Master." After Long Teng woke up, the clan leader briefly recounted what had happened that day. Only then did Long Teng realize that this was the reason he hadn't died.

When the Spirit Mirror was forcibly activated, it absorbed the life force of the dragon. If the Spirit Mirror hadn't preserved a sliver of his soul and been infused with life force by Gu Xu, he would already be a corpse.

Seeing that Long Teng was about to get up and bow, Gu Xu stepped forward and pressed him down.

"General, you are just recovering from your serious injuries, so please do not move around too much. Elder Tianxuan, how is the general's health?" Gu Xu turned around and asked Elder Tianxuan.

Elder Tianxuan then explained the situation. Upon hearing this, Gu Xu frowned, reached out and placed his hand on Long Teng's pulse. After a moment, Gu Xu slowly withdrew his hand.

"Daoist Master, how is it?" The clan leader noticed something was wrong with his expression and felt a surge of anxiety.

Gu Xu looked up at the clan leader, as if he was about to say something, when Long Teng said, "Daoist, if you have something to say, just say it. There is no need to hide anything. I am already grateful for the mercy of Heaven for being able to survive for a short time. What else can I not bear?"

Upon hearing this, the clan leader and the six elders all changed color. Could it be that the general ultimately could not escape this calamity?

"Taoist Master"

The clan leader looked at Gu Xu with hopeful eyes, hoping that the latter could come up with a solution.

"Clan leader, birth, aging, sickness, and death are the natural order. General Longteng is not a member of the Tong clan; it is already a blessing from heaven that he has lived for another ten years."

"What?" The clan leader and several elders were taken aback, and even Long Teng looked at Gu Xu with a blank expression.

"Daoist Master, are you saying that General Longteng has ten more years to live?" the clan leader asked excitedly.

"Judging from the life force within the general's body, ten years is the limit. In the end, no one can transcend death," Gu Xu sighed deeply.

"However, General's cultivation has been completely wasted, and his physical condition is no longer suitable for cultivation. This is truly a pity."

"It is already a blessing from heaven that Long Teng has been able to live for another ten years. I dare not ask for anything more," Long Teng said with relief. Although losing martial arts skills is very cruel for a martial artist, it is already the best outcome. As long as one is alive, there is still some hope.

"Taoist priest, could you please prescribe some medicine for the general so he can recover quickly?"

The clan leader, realizing that Gu Xu's knowledge of pharmacology was superior to Elder Tianxuan's, immediately spoke up.

Gu Xu had no objection. The clan leader told Long Teng to rest well, left someone to look after him, and then led everyone away.

Upon arriving at the medicine room, Gu Xu wrote down a prescription for nourishing vital energy and handed it to the clan leader, who then passed it on to Elder Tianxuan.

"Wonderful! Daoist's knowledge of pharmacology is truly amazing. I admire him greatly." Elder Tianxuan is also a renowned expert in medicine, but in some aspects he is still inferior to Gu Xu. The simpler and more effective the prescription, the more it can demonstrate a person's level of pharmacology.

Apart from a few precious medicinal herbs, the rest of the ingredients in this prescription are all ordinary, but when put together, they are flawless. It feels like this is exactly how it should be, and adding or subtracting even a little would be a mistake.

Gu Xu smiled faintly upon hearing this and said, "I apologize for my humble skill, Elder. The medicine in this prescription should be taken once in the morning and once in the evening. Remember not to take too much. After two months of use, the general's health should be fine."

"Elder Tianxuan, please prepare the medicine according to this prescription," the clan leader instructed Gu Xu. Elder Tianxuan nodded and immediately went to get the medicine.

"Clan leader, if there's nothing else, I'll return to the library."

"Please go ahead, Daoist Master. Thank you for your help today." The clan chief escorted Gu Xu out of the medicine room and then walked a short distance before returning. Upon his return, he saw the five elders looking worried.

"Elder Jin, what has happened?"

Upon seeing the clan leader return, Elder Jin hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Clan leader, Lingjing, you should go and take a look quickly."

Upon hearing this, the clan leader dared not delay and hurriedly led the five elders to the treasure room. On the central altar was the petrified spirit mirror, which was now trembling slightly, its surface rippling like water, emitting beams of light.

Seemingly sensing the aura of the Tong clan patriarch, the spirit mirror vibrated even more violently.

Upon seeing this, the clan leader immediately extended his finger and drew a drop of blood in the center of the spirit mirror. The spirit mirror instantly returned to its original state, and a beam of light emanated from its surface, projecting onto the opposite wall.

The clan leader and the others all turned around, focused their minds, and stared intently at the wall.

On the wall, the first thing that appeared was tens of thousands of corpses, with blood flowing like a river. The heavy smell of blood seemed to be able to be smelled from outside. Then the scene changed, with dark clouds covering the sky, thunder and lightning, monsters roaming the ground, and mountains collapsing and the earth splitting. The following scenes were more terrifying than the last. In the last scene, countless dead souls were scattered across the sky and the cities were transformed into a hell.

As soon as the light faded, the spirit mirror returned to its original petrified state.

"Clan leader, the Spirit Mirror can foresee the future and know fortune and misfortune. Could it be..." Elder Jin had a guess in his heart, but still asked cautiously.

The elders all turned their gazes to the clan leader, who pondered for a moment before saying in a deep voice, "You elders should all know what's going on. The Spirit Mirror has warned that this is a calamity for all living beings five hundred years from now."

"This"

The elders were still shocked when they received confirmation from the clan leader. The scenes they had just witnessed were almost apocalyptic, with countless lives lost and the world suffering. What would become of the Water Moon Cave Heaven?

"Chieftain, although we will not live to see this calamity, we must do something for future generations."
After Elder Mu finished speaking, he looked at the clan leader.

Although the Tong clan members are long-lived, they never live more than two hundred years. Now they are all over one hundred and fifty years old.

"Elder Mu's words are wise. Although the court is corrupt and incompetent, what have the common people done to deserve this? Although Shuiyue Cave is a place of seclusion, it cannot withstand the calamity alone. We, who are about to die, should leave something for the sake of the common people and for future generations."

The clan leader looked at the five elders and continued, "This matter is of utmost importance, so do not reveal it to the clan members for the time being. In addition, I intend to tell Daoist Gu Xu about this matter. What do you elders think?"

The five elders had different expressions, but none of them voiced their objections. After all, they knew Gu Xu's abilities and that his background was very mysterious, with no way of knowing his exact age. They certainly wouldn't turn away someone with such strength and good connections. With such an assistant, perhaps some turning point would appear in the future.

The four elders nodded to Elder Jin, who understood and said to the clan leader, "Clan leader, the five of us agree to this. As for Elder Tianxuan..."

"I'll handle things with Elder Tianxuan. The sooner this matter is settled, the better. You all go to the secret room and wait for me. I'll go invite Daoist Guxu."

The five responded in agreement, and the clan leader left the stone cave and immediately headed to the library. Inside the library, Gu Xu was reading a spell about rainmaking.

"Thanks to the jade pendant, I was able to quickly memorize these seal characters; otherwise, deciphering them would have been quite a challenge."

Following the steps in the book, Gu Xu stood up, walked out of the library, and silently recited the incantation. Soon, a faint mysterious light emanated from his body, with light spots dancing and swirling around him. Then, the mysterious light quickly converged, forming a small black cloud half a foot above him. With a command from Gu Xu, the black cloud rolled, and droplets of water fell down, soon wetting a patch of ground.

"Truly amazing," Gu Xu thought. This was his first time using magic, and he had already done remarkably well.

"Disperse!" Gu Xu shouted, and the mysterious light on his body receded, causing the dark clouds above him to quickly dissipate.

At the other end of the suspension bridge, the clan leader saw Gu Xu dispel the rain-praying spell and was shocked. This rain-praying spell was one of the most difficult spells to cultivate. Currently, within the Tong clan, only elders had successfully cultivated it.

Although Gu Xu's ability to bring rain was extremely weak, it should be noted that he was self-taught and mastered it in a very short time. With continued cultivation, he will surely surpass all the elders.

"Master, you have such talent, I admire you greatly," the clan leader said as he stepped onto the suspension bridge and bowed.

"The Tong family's incantations are truly profound and unfathomable; I have also benefited greatly from them. Clan leader, is there something important you need me for?"

I've only been gone for less than an hour. There shouldn't be any problems with Long Teng. It seems something else must have happened.

"Master, there is an important matter I need to discuss with you. Please come with me."

Gu Xu nodded upon hearing this and followed the clan leader to a stone cave hidden deep in the mountain. The cave was not large, but it was exquisitely decorated. Most notably, the interior lighting was made of crystal, which emitted a soft glow.

"Clan Chief, Taoist Master," the five elders rose and bowed, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then everyone took their seats.

"Master, the Spirit Mirror previously warned us of apocalyptic scenes five hundred years from now. We are all deeply terrified. The suffering of the people is not what our Tong clan wants. However, the cycle of fate is turning, and the Tong clan is gradually declining. We are afraid that we cannot reverse the collapse of the heavens and save the people from disaster. Therefore, we earnestly request your help, Master."

Gu Xu was shocked to hear this. The original world did not mention the calamity five hundred years later at all, but only the grudges and entanglements between the Tong, Yin and Long families.

Why did the clan leader choose this humble Taoist priest?

"The Daoist Master's origins are mysterious, and his cultivation has reached the level of a celestial being. I have observed that the Daoist Master's life force is inexhaustible. Although I do not know his exact lifespan, he will surely be able to see the world five hundred years from now."

"I see. I agree. As long as I live, I will not allow the common people to suffer, and the Tong family will remain safe and sound."

Hearing Gu Xu's words, the clan leader and the five elders breathed a sigh of relief. With these words, the Tong clan was saved, and the common people had a glimmer of hope.

After several more hours of discussion, the clan leader said, "Five elders, you may leave now. The Daoist priest and I have some things to discuss."

The five elders agreed in unison and left the secret chamber.

"Daoist Master, the Tong clan's destiny has come to an end, but the calamity has not diminished. The Supreme Dao and the Demonic Path will not let this opportunity pass and will surely launch a large-scale search. The Water Moon Cave is only temporarily safe. We hope that you can protect our clan in the future. I will be eternally grateful. If you have any requests, I will use the full strength of my clan to fulfill them for you."

"Chieftain, there's no need for that. Since I promised to serve the people, I will not go back on my word. Moreover, what you have given me is already more than enough. Let's discuss other matters after I have finished reading the letter."

The clan chief nodded upon hearing this and said, "Everything will be as you wish, Daoist."

The next day, after examining Long Teng, Gu Xu noticed that his health was beginning to improve and instructed Elder Tian Xuan to continue the medication.

Elder Tianxuan responded and descended. As Gu Xu was leaving, Elder Tianxuan seemed hesitant to speak. Seeing this, Gu Xu stopped and asked, "Elder, is there something you need?"

"Taoist Master, could you come with me to a place to see Yin Feng?"

Gu Xu remembered that this was Yin Zhong's daughter, who should be asleep at the moment, and nodded in agreement. Elder Tianxuan was very excited.

Gu Xu had already helped the Tong clan a great deal, and now he was being asked to handle private matters outside of the Tong clan's affairs. Elder Tianxuan felt somewhat ashamed, but his medical skills wouldn't be of much help to Yin Feng.

If Gu Xu can cure her, it will be a meritorious deed.

Elder Tianxuan led Gu Xu south to a valley called Earth Flame Valley. The temperature here was extremely high, turning the surrounding rocks red. Apart from some heat-resistant plants, there were no other living things.

"This Earth Flame Valley should lead directly to an underground volcano. Elder Tianxuan, this place is extremely dangerous. We need to set up an array to isolate it and prevent innocent people from being harmed."

The temperature is already this high even before it erupts. If it were to erupt after a violent tremor, half of the Shuiyue Cave would be destroyed.

"What you say is quite right, Daoist Master. The reason we chose Shuiyue Cave Heaven as our place of seclusion was because of this underground volcano. It is because of it that Shuiyue Cave Heaven enjoys a spring-like climate all year round and has a pleasant environment. However, Daoist Master, you don't need to worry. The five elders and the clan leader have already set up a seal below, so it won't erupt easily."

Gu Xuxin was not optimistic. He believed that the seal would loosen sooner or later, or be considered to have been destroyed, which would be a disaster. He would have to come back to consolidate it after he had learned the formation.

"Daoist Master, please," Elder Tianxuan led Gu Xu to a precipice and went down the stone steps first. Gu Xu looked down and saw that the bottom was unfathomable, with only a misty fog.

Without further hesitation, he leaped down, using the stone steps as leverage, and after falling several feet, he found himself in a chilling stone cave.

Elder Tianxuan said, "Xiaofeng is too severely poisoned. I can only use the method of freezing to preserve her body. Daoist, please."

After walking for a while, it got colder and colder as they went deeper. They came to an ice cellar and saw an ice coffin in the center, inside which lay a beautiful little girl.

"This is Xiao Feng, Taoist Master. Do you see any way to wake her up?"

Gu Xudao said, "Let me take a look first."

Elder Tianxuan pushed open the ice coffin, and a blast of cold air rushed out, then quickly froze and landed on the ground.

Gu Xu took a few steps closer, reached out and touched Yin Feng's wrist, channeling a stream of true energy into her. The true energy circulated through her meridians and discovered a ball of blazing fire energy condensing in her dantian. The true energy dissipated quickly upon contact.

After a moment, Gu Xu withdrew his hand, and Elder Tianxuan asked anxiously from the side, "Daoist, how is it? Is there any hope?"

After closing the ice coffin again, Gu Xu said, "Yin Feng is poisoned by a kind of fire poison, which is extremely potent. Does Elder Tianxuan know what kind of poison it is?"

"This is the venom of the Red-Scaled Serpent. There are many records of this venom, but there is no antidote. Few people who are poisoned by it survive. Back then, Xiao Feng was only able to hold on for a while because Yin Zhong transferred a large amount of true energy to her. Otherwise, how would I have had time to suppress the poison?"

At this point, Elder Tianxuan looked dejected. Although he had suppressed the poison, the effect was becoming weaker and weaker. Otherwise, he would not have resorted to the most inferior method of freezing, hoping to use time to resolve the poison in Yin Feng's body.

"Red-scaled snake," Gu Xu recalled the description of this venomous snake in the previous chapter on strange creatures. It was described as having a bright red body, like blood jade. Because it lived in the underground fiery valley for many years, its body was naturally covered with fire poison. If not handled properly, being bitten or accidentally eating its flesh would result in death from poisoning. Gu Xu remembered that Yin Feng had eaten the flesh of this venomous snake and that was why she was like this.

"Elder Tianxuan, freezing her is a poor choice and will severely damage Yin Feng's body. Even if she successfully awakens, she will likely not live long. The best approach is to use elixirs and acupuncture, combining internal and external treatments."

"The Daoist Master is also proficient in acupuncture. It seems that the Daoist Master has some clues. Xiao Feng can be saved," Elder Tianxuan said with delight.

"We've made some progress, but we still need to test it out. Let's go out and talk about it first."

After leaving the ice cave, the two returned to the medicine room. Gu Xu was unfamiliar with the medicine room, so he wrote down a prescription and asked Elder Tianxuan to prepare the medicine according to the prescription, and also asked him to prepare a set of unused gold needles.

"I never imagined that the golden needle technique I learned from Young Master Wuhen would come in handy again today."

Half an hour later, Elder Tianxuan returned with a medicine packet and a wooden box.

"Daoist Master, here are the things you need. Also, the medicine furnace is ready. If you need anything else, just let me know," Elder Tianxuan said to Gu Xu as he placed the items on the table.

"Thank you for your trouble. If all goes well, I should be able to try to detoxify myself in about seven days. You still need to refine the Mind-Clearing Pill."

Upon hearing this, Elder Tianxuan immediately said, "Then this old man will await good news from you, Daoist Master," and then left the medicine room.

Thank you to the following three readers for their generous donations: Haohaoxianrenbufengliu, Yezibotao, and Zuoniyongyuandejian.

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(End of this chapter)