The Empress's First Running Dog

Chapter 676 You should call me Master!

At that point a thousand years ago, this forest became untouchable?
Inside the tent.

The candlelight shone evenly on everyone's faces. Zhao Du'an, the Empress, and the Old Celestial Master exchanged glances, all of them seeing the solemnity in each other's eyes.

A thousand years is such a long timescale that too many records have been lost.

Therefore, the information given by Tuoba Weizhi had a significant impact on all of them.

"Explain yourself clearly," Zhao Du'an urged in a deep voice.

What did you remember?

Tuoba Weizhi shook his head and said:
"I can only recall very little, and this is all I know."

It is said that a thousand years ago, although the north was cold, the Mubei Forest was not so dangerous. At that time, there were even residents in this forest, and regular caravans would come and go. This vast forest was a rich mine.

The Qi Kingdom at that time would not let it go either, which is why they made a map. But about a thousand years ago, I vaguely remember... it seems that one day, a calamity star streaked across the sky and fell straight into this forest, causing a huge wildfire. Countless animals fled in panic, and people also fled.

But after the wildfire was extinguished, the people who tried to return found that there was suppression of cultivators.

Ordinary people who entered were almost never able to leave; the entire Mubei Forest seemed to have become a forbidden zone, completely sealed off. At that time, it was also considered an ominous place.

Xu Zhenguan paused, then murmured:
"I have seen a few words about it in the royal books, but they are vague and only say that the Mubei Forest has always been a forbidden area."

She paused, then looked at Zhang Yanyi and asked seriously:
"Master Zhang, your Celestial Master's lineage has been established for about a thousand years. It is said that the first patriarch even entered it. Do you know anything about it?"

Zhang Yan sat cross-legged on the ground, his narrow, elongated eyebrows and eyes serious as he said:
"Why does Your Majesty need to ask about this matter again? Didn't the Xu family's ancestors also enter it? Yet they didn't leave any records."
The first Celestial Master did indeed have the opportunity to enter the Mubei Forest once after it became a forbidden zone, but upon his return, he remained silent about what had happened there. All he brought back was a banyan sapling, as you know.

Xu Zhenguan sighed and nodded, saying:
"Indeed. Historically, the number of powerful individuals who have entered the forbidden zone can be counted on one's fingers."

Maya the Pilgrim, the Green Mountain Patriarch, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, the First Celestial Master, my royal ancestors… yet none of them left any records.”

Zhao Du'an couldn't get a word in edgewise on this topic, but suddenly he frowned and asked:

"Wait, I have a question. Was the Green Mountain Sect also founded a thousand years ago?"

Xu Zhenguan seemed to understand what he was thinking and nodded, saying:
"Indeed. The Qingshan lineage and the Tianshi Mansion lineage were established only a century apart, while the Western Regions Buddhism has a much longer history. However, the Shenlong Temple, established by the followers of Maya Xingzhe, was established much later."

She lamented:

"This is also why cultivators throughout history have longed to enter this place. Historically, many of these powerful forces and figures entered the Mubei Forest by accident, and only after they came out were they transformed and established an unparalleled great foundation."

Maya is to the dragon, the first Celestial Master is to the Celestial Master's Mansion, the Green Mountain Patriarch is to Green Mountain, the Great Ancestor Emperor is to the Yu Kingdom...

Even the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva of six hundred years ago, if he hadn't been besieged and killed during the Heavenly Hunt to Suppress Buddhism, would likely have established a great empire.

Zhao Du'an asked in surprise:

"In other words, the source of all this lies at that point about a thousand years ago. After the Mubei Forest was ravaged by a 'disaster star' and became a forbidden zone, the first known person to enter was the Maya Walker?"

Zhang Yan nodded: "That should be the case."

Zhao Du'an fell into deep thought.

The Empress looked at him and asked tentatively:

"What did you think of?"

Zhao Du'an shook his head:
"It's nothing, it just feels weird..."

Just then, the four of them suddenly felt the ground beneath their feet tremble.

The four of them froze at the same time. Tuoba Weizhi also pricked up his ears and looked alertly out of the tent in a certain direction.

Something is approaching.

The old celestial master, resembling Gandalf in his black robes, spoke in a deep voice, his gaze sharp:
"It's very dangerous, far more powerful than the beasts we encountered during the day. Be careful, prepare for battle."

Zhao Du'an's heart tightened, and he quickly stood up and gripped the hilt of the knife beside him.

The whole day was filled with close calls, but as night fell, the forest finally revealed its true colors.

The four quickly stepped out of the tent and stood by the campfire, approaching the source of the vibrations. However, the forest was pitch black at night, obstructing their vision, and they could only passively remain on guard.

Suddenly, the earth shook again, this time closer and stronger, but in a different direction!
"There's a second beast?" The Empress's expression changed slightly.

Zhang Yan shook his head and said:

"It's not the second one, but it has changed location. It's underground, not on the surface, and there's something swimming around us!"

what?
Creatures hidden underground?
Zhao Du'an was taken aback. This place was all frozen soil. What kind of ferocious beast could move freely in such hard soil? Obviously, it was some kind of demon related to the earth god and possessing "escape techniques".

"Back to back, on high alert!" he said quickly.

The four powerful individuals, each at least half a step into the Celestial Realm, stood back to back like soldiers in a battle formation, each guarding a different direction.

"It's still changing its position! It's getting closer and closer to us!" Tuoba Weizhi was also a little anxious.

At this moment, the group was like bait trapped in a small boat, while a bloodthirsty great white shark circled around them, swimming in the water, looking for an opportunity to attack.

The hunter seemed to have great patience, or perhaps it was a natural unfamiliarity with humans that made it hesitant to make any rash moves.

For the next two quarters of an hour, the sense of danger lingered near the four of them, sometimes near, sometimes far.

As time went by, Zhao Du'an felt that he could no longer concentrate as he had at the beginning, and began to feel tired and lose focus.

Those who frequently engage in combat know that the real drain on energy comes not from the few rounds of fighting, but from the heightened vigilance required when facing the enemy.

"This thing is playing hard to get! It wants to wait until our condition drops before launching a surprise attack!" Zhao Du'an's face was grim.

Zhang Yanyi, however, reminded him:

"Don't rush! This is their home ground. We're being suppressed too much. If we attack rashly, we're likely to expose a weakness and be breached."

That makes a lot of sense, but if we keep going, the outcome won't be good.

The Empress suddenly gritted her teeth and said:
"We can't keep holding out. We need to create an opening to lure them out, and that's when we'll have a chance of winning."

"it is good!"

All four were very decisive. Zhao Du'an stomped his boots into the ground and kicked out a clump of snow, smothering the burning campfire.

The moment the campfire flickered, he seemed to lose his strength and staggered, unable to stand steadily.

This is the moment!
A powerful tremor approached from beneath everyone's feet in the blink of an eye at an alarming speed!

"boom!"

The frozen, steel-hard soil suddenly shattered and exploded.

Beneath the permafrost, a yellowish-brown light shimmered. A nearly ten-meter-long, four-legged, reptilian creature, covered in scales, eyeless, and with a triangular head, leaped from the sea like a great white shark, its bloody maw opening wide to bite Zhao Du'an! "Woo!"

A foul stench filled the air!

"It's here!" Zhao Du'an roared, about to draw his sword, when he saw a black shadow like a meteorite hurtling towards him, leaving afterimages.

That was Tuoba Weizhi.

The dark-skinned priestess launched a fierce attack, pulling her elbow back mid-air and slamming her fist down on the monster with all her might.

Even though she was severely suppressed, her punch was still powerful enough to shatter rocks due to its unique nature.

However, when the beautiful fist struck the thick phosphorescent armor, it only produced a dull thud.

Tuoba Weizhi's face turned pale as the opponent's claw slammed into his chest, sending him flying even faster than when he arrived!
"Die!" The Empress stepped back, drawing a sharp longsword from the imperial treasury. Even though it was just a puppet, the sword's armor-piercing ability gave it the confidence to tear through the monster's defenses.

But the sword that could cut through metal like a broken hair only produced a string of sparks. The empress's expression changed, and she tried to retreat, but the monster's tail whipped her around, sending her flying high before slamming her down!

"Be careful, Your Majesty!"

Zhao Du'an was shocked. He bent his knees and lowered his waist, using his Zhen Dao to block the opponent's tail, and layers of energy poured into his body.

The demon winced slightly and released its tail. Zhao Du'an rescued the Empress from the dire situation of being smashed to pieces and retreated frantically.

"This thing is at least a top-grade item in the world... Old Zhang! Cast a spell to take us away! Don't linger!"

Zhang Yan, who was standing at the back, also changed his expression upon hearing this.

If this ferocious beast were outside, the group of people present could easily kill it. But in this godforsaken place, it managed to drive the four of them to the brink of despair with just one move.

"go!"

The old Celestial Master's hair and beard flew wildly, and his body was surrounded by surging blue clouds. He raised his hand and pointed to the ground, and a phantom teleportation array gradually took shape.

However, the monster seemed to have guessed what they were thinking, and its raised tail suddenly slammed down onto the ground.

With a loud boom, ripples of earthy yellow spread out, and the array constructed by Qingyun showed signs of collapsing and was difficult to form.

"Oh no!" the old Celestial Master exclaimed in alarm.
"This beast is also skilled in sorcery!"

His martial prowess is comparable to the highest level in the world, as is his sorcery.

They had only just entered the central edge of the forest, how could they have encountered such a powerful creature?
Or is it that many such terrifying creatures live in this forest?
"Roar--"

The hideous monster succeeded, opened its blood-red maw, exhaled a foul stench, and let out a strange laugh, as if mocking the creature.

Then, it twisted its massive body and crawled toward the four people who had gathered together, causing the earth to shake.

As Zhao Du'an held the Empress, he felt as if a black mountain was pressing down on them, about to crush them.

despair!

Who could have imagined that this place would be so dangerous? No wonder that for thousands of years, almost no one who has entered has ever survived.

Just as Zhao Du'an's hands and feet were going numb, suddenly, red threads shot out from between his eyebrows.

Pei Niannu slowly emerged from the air!
"Senior!?" Zhao Du'an was both surprised and delighted, his eyes filled with anticipation.

However, the senior did not look at the monster, nor did he respond to his calls.

As if in a dream, he simply stared fixedly at the dark forest not far away.

Suddenly, the monster that was about to pounce stopped abruptly, as if sensing some danger. It abandoned its easy prey and instead dug its ugly limbs into the soil, frantically digging and trying to burrow underground to escape!

However, the sound of wind breaking could already be heard in the dark forest!

Zhao Du'an and the other three raised their heads and looked up.

At this moment, in the sky above the forest, a thin layer of clouds slowly parted, revealing a huge, bright moon hanging high in the sky.

Suddenly, a slender and agile figure leaped up from the forest and stood on a tall tree in the center of the moon.

The dark figure also appeared to be a woman, but she was wearing a loose robe unsuitable for movement in the forest, and a round, conical-like object on her head, with what looked like a weapon at her waist.

In the darkness, a faint silver light could be seen flashing by.

It was as if... she was wearing some kind of mask.

The moment the mysterious woman appeared, she looked down upon the area from her elevated position. Then, she began to chant a mysterious incantation in a low voice, and extraordinary magical power gathered in the surrounding air.

Then, the mysterious sorceress suddenly raised her hand and grabbed a short sword that, wrapped in a dazzling silver light, crashed to the ground like a meteor, slamming hard into the monster that was trying to escape!
"boom!!"

Amidst the deafening explosion, the remaining half of the demon that had driven the Empress and the Celestial Master to the brink of destruction was blasted to smithereens, its flesh and blood splattering everywhere.

In the blink of an eye, only the half-corpse that had already burrowed into the mud pit was still twitching instinctively, but it was already dead beyond any doubt.

quiet!
It was quiet.

Zhao Du'an and his companions stared in astonishment at the divine soldiers who had suddenly appeared, momentarily at a loss.

How could such a powerful sorcerer still live here? With such power, he is probably not only a high-ranking sorcerer in the mortal world, but also a half-step celestial being.

Then, in the silence, the dark figure leaped down from the tall tree and came to the edge of the blood pit. With a wave of his hand, he recalled the short sword and grabbed a handful of snow to wipe the blood off the blade.

At this moment, the mysterious sorceress slowly walked over.

With the help of the moonlight and the faint glow of the fire that had not yet been completely extinguished, the four of them first saw the sorceress's face covered by a simple, silver-white mask under her hat.

Then, through the eye holes on the mask, a pair of bright, sharp eyes, like a cold blade in a snowy night, were revealed!

"Are you all alright?" the sorceress asked coldly.

Zhao Du'an's face showed a look of shock, and he exclaimed:
"Senior... Senior Pei?!"

The female sorcerer before them was none other than Pei Niannu!
Do not!
To be precise, it was the young version of Pei Niannu he had seen six hundred years ago, wandering the martial arts world, in "The Great Dream Scroll"!
He subconsciously looked at the phantom of Pei Niannu in the dark gold mask, only to find that, without him noticing, her body gradually faded away, turning into specks of starlight that merged into the brow of the silver-armored Pei Niannu before him.

The latter seemed completely unaffected, merely glancing at him indifferently and saying with displeasure:
“You should call me Master.”

Master...

Master...

In the night breeze and under the full moon, Zhao Du'an stared blankly, while Xu Zhenguan, Zhang Yanyi, and Tuoba Weizhi beside him also looked at him with shocked expressions.

At that moment, a chill ran down everyone's spine!

(End of this chapter)