Stepping on the demon door, the witch becomes the strongest

Chapter 835 You're Too Optimistic
The chanting of Buddhist hymns, though reaching the ears, does not bring peace of mind; instead, it stirs up anger and gives rise to a multitude of distracting thoughts.

The Buddha's light shines down, but instead of bringing clarity to the mind, it only makes one more dizzy and drowsy.

Once caught in the formation, Yan Yu and Mei Yingxue immediately realized how powerful it was. It was like the Yamata no Orochi entering the Purple Cloud Formation. No matter how high your cultivation level was, you couldn't withstand the formation's relentless bombardment—just like even the most powerful soldier couldn't withstand a barrage of rockets. It was a case of being attacked from a lower dimension.

"Go!" Mei Yingxue quickly reminded everyone, then turned and merged with her sword, fleeing rapidly towards the outside of the formation.

Elder Yi also roared, and using some forbidden technique, he transformed his sword light into millions of beams, which, densely packed and overwhelming, surged wildly towards the Buddha light above.

While Elder Yi was drawing away the enemy's firepower, the other disciples scattered like birds and beasts, their sword light radiating in all directions.

Yan Yu did not rush to leave, because logically speaking, since the other party had set up the formation and only activated it after you entered, they must have made preparations to ensure that you would have no way to escape.

Rather than running around like an ant in a clay pot and getting crushed without a doubt, it's better to take this opportunity to figure out the mechanics of this illusion.

With a flick of his finger, he unleashed the Yin-Yang Micro Dust Sword Qi, slicing towards the abundant Buddhist light above.

It was cut off.

The essence of the Yin-Yang Micro Dust Sword Formation is to sever space. Even the tangible but intangible Buddha light is torn apart like scissors cutting through cloth.

However, the Buddha's light was too abundant and dense, and even the sword formation could not completely shatter it. Yan Yu pondered to himself, when suddenly he felt a sweet taste in his throat and vomited a mouthful of blood.

The fire in the heart burns fiercely.

The invisible fire of the heart is the inner demon, attacking your mind; the visible light of Buddha is the outer demon, destroying your physical body. You can deal with either one individually, but the combination of the two is very difficult to handle.

Yan Yu could only quickly focus his mind to prevent the inner demon from continuing its evil deeds. The Two Elements Micro Dust Sword Formation inevitably slowed down, and he saw that Elder Yi's millions of sword lights in the air had been completely swallowed up by the tide of Buddhist light. The latter instantly became even more powerful and magnificent, like boundless seawater, pressing down layer by layer, and in an instant, it also covered Yan Yu's figure.

In an instant, there was no pain, and his vision disappeared.

When Yan Yu opened his eyes again, he found himself and Mei Yingxue standing on the top of Mount San'e, surrounded by lush green trees, blooming flowers, flowing springs, birdsong, and deer calls—there was no sign of any Buddha's light pressing down upon them.

"This is..." Mei Yingxue had just begun to speak when Yan Yu said:
"It's a save/load."

Loading a save/load is a classic mechanism in trial-type dungeons. It's like the Eighteen Bronze Men Formation of Shaolin Temple. If your martial arts skills are not good enough and your defenses are breached, the opponent will not kill you, but will instead blast you away with a flurry of blows, asking you to come back another time.

If it's a secret realm belonging to a demonic sect or evil cult, they usually won't bother with a save/load mechanism. If a disciple fails and dies, that's it. These days, the one thing that's never in short supply is the resources needed for apprenticeship and cultivation.

"If there were a save/load mechanism, we could breathe a sigh of relief," Mei Yingxue said with a smile.

“That’s not it.” Yan Yu shook his head and said, “The mechanism of the trial-type secret realm is fixed. It was written into the rules of the secret realm when the great power opened the cave heaven.”

“We are currently in an illusion similar to the memories of the True Sun Sword, and the controller behind this dream is not a predetermined rule. Do you understand what I mean?”

Mei Yingxue was silent for a moment, then suddenly frowned and asked:

"You mean, loading a save/load isn't an unlimited number of times?"

"To be honest, the True Sun Sword isn't a very friendly person. He only shows affection to acquaintances he knows," Yan Yu analyzed. "When we first met at the True Sun Sword Sect, it even threatened to kill me."

"Not to mention, his true form is currently in a deep sleep, and it's hard to say how much rationality he can have while he's asleep."

“If the Divine Sword doesn’t kill us, it’s because it wants us to help it resolve its regret for not being able to protect the Shangqing Sect of Mount Shu.” Mei Yingxue said thoughtfully, “If we fail too many times, it might lose patience and stop using the save/load mechanism to save us.”

"The Onmyoji outside thought that the Kusanagi Sword was hidden here, and they sent people to explore it one after another," Yan Yu said calmly. "But none of them were able to return."

"Therefore, this place cannot be treated as a trial-type secret realm; if not handled properly, people will still die."

“I understand,” Mei Yingxue said earnestly. “We still need to give it our all.”

There was no exit in the dream, meaning that all escape routes had been completely cut off. If the problem with the True Sun Sword could not be solved, then even if the two of them were not killed, they would be trapped here to die.

Just like last time, they took off on their swords, but halfway there, they were intercepted by the sword light again. It was the same junior brother who notified them to go to the Ancestral Hall to discuss how to deal with the siege of Mount Shu by 100,000 gods and demons.

Mei Yingxue keenly noticed that although the three elders' opinions had not changed (one wanted to ask for help, one wanted to fight their way out, and the other advocated for a dispersed escape), their specific statements were not exactly the same as before.

In other words, these are not scripts with fixed lines, but rather independent consciousnesses virtually generated based on the memories of the Sun True Sword.

“It’s obviously not scripted.” Yan Yu suddenly transmitted his voice. “I was thinking, if an Onmyoji broke through those layers of sword pressure outside, even if he entered this secret realm, he would probably be discovered to be out of place and killed on the spot.”

“In the end, this dream is controlled by the Sun True Essence Sword.” Mei Yingxue said seriously, “As cultivators from the Lu Kingdom, we will have a higher initial affinity with him, and he will be more tolerant and patient with us… You have experience dealing with the Sun True Essence Sword Intent. If the sword intent can transmit memories back to the original body, then you will definitely have the greatest chance of conquering this place.”

“I have serious doubts about that,” Yan Yu sighed. “If the main body could have the memories of the sword intent clone, then it should wake up right now and laugh at me mercilessly.”

"If only that were the case," Mei Yingxue said regretfully.

"So, what do you two think?" After listening to the elders' debate, Sect Leader Chen Yanwei once again handed the decision-making power to the two of them.

"Why don't we try asking for help?" Yan Yu said bluntly. "Kunlun is in the northwest, but the enemy will definitely have deployed heavy troops there to prevent us from breaking through... or lay an ambush."

“We can do the opposite,” Mei Yingxue, who had already discussed the plan with Yan Yu via telepathy, said. “First, send someone to break out from the northwest to attract the enemy’s attention. If things don’t go well, immediately pretend to be repelled and retreat in time, which can also lull the enemy into a false sense of security.”

"We will take the opportunity to escape from the southeast and then head towards Kunlun," Yan Yu said.

The elders remained silent for a moment, their faces expressionless, as if the NPCs were waiting for the system to calculate the result.

“Okay,” Chen Yanwei finally said. “Lu Gan, since you support asking for help from Dongkunlun, you will be in charge of drawing the enemy’s attention.”

Elder A indicated that he would obey.

"You two," he said, then looked at Yan Yu and Mei Yingxue, "when it comes to a stealthy breakout, quality over quantity is key. You proposed the plan, so you'll be in charge of executing it." "Yes!" Yan Yu and Mei Yingxue immediately replied.

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In the cultivation world, Mount Shu is not a single mountain, but rather "Mountains of Sichuan and Chongqing," a collective term for a large mountain range.

The mountain range is characterized by its high elevation in the west and low elevation in the east, and many of its peaks have flat terrain, resembling rooftops or terraces. Therefore, it is very suitable for establishing a sect and accommodating disciples for cultivation and residence.

In contrast, the foot of the mountain is mostly covered by virgin forests, and only in small river valleys where streams flow can you find villages where mountain people live.

Yan Yu followed Mei Yingxue through the mountains and forests, and heard her transmit her voice:
“The terrain of this mountain forest is extremely complex. If you walk close to the ground, it will not only be difficult to trek and easy to get lost, but you may also encounter poisonous insects and monsters. Therefore, outside cultivators often prefer to fly low on their swords and avoid the dense forest.”

“But if we fly in the air on swords, we won’t be able to find us in the dense forest,” Yan Yu said.

He kept an eye on the route and noticed that Teacher Mei always chose to walk along routes with dense canopies and few people around. In many places, the sun was not even visible, as it was completely blocked by the thick layers of trees.

Even with divine sense scanning, it's impossible to hire a large number of people to conduct a carpet search and scan every part of the dense forest.

Yan Yu felt increasingly uneasy, because if Teacher Mei could think of something, it was impossible for the Shangqing School members not to.

Even if the elders might not go out much, surely there should be at least one disciple among the forty or fifty who is as familiar with the surrounding terrain as Master Mei? Why didn't the Shangqing School in history send these disciples to seek help?
“Actually, it’s not safe either,” Mei Yingxue replied. “In the southwest of Shu Mountain, there are the Hundred Thousand Mountains of Southern Xinjiang. The demonic sect members there are skilled at controlling insects and beasts, making poisons and gathering herbs. Outsider cultivators are not used to traveling through the mountains and forests, but it is not a problem for these Southern Xinjiang cultivators.”

Yan Yu pondered and asked, "What if we meet on a narrow path in the forest..."

“Either kill them quickly,” Mei Yingxue replied, “or let word get out and attract powerful monsters, such as those at the Golden Core or even Nascent Soul stages, to kill us.”

As for why he was able to attract such a powerful old monster, Yan Yu already had the answer in his heart.

With 100,000 gods and demons attacking Mount Shu, the scale of the attack was so immense that it would be virtually impossible to keep it a secret from the world. It's highly unlikely that any righteous sect, whether from East Kunlun, Penglai, or elsewhere, would still be kept in the dark at this point.

As the elder of Mount Shu said, most of those sects knew they were no match, so they chose to sacrifice their fellow disciples rather than themselves. Even if you successfully broke through to seek help, would they necessarily send reinforcements? Not necessarily.

But someone will definitely try to stop us from breaking through, because Shushan might want to find a way out of this predicament by handing over the sect's accumulated wealth to its disciples and then escaping. Therefore, in the eyes of the demonic faction, these disciples are practically walking treasure chests, free lottery tickets...

Yan Yu suddenly made a sword gesture, and the Yin-Yang Micro Dust Sword Qi instantly appeared, passing through layers of trees and piercing the head of the Southern Border cultivator hiding in the shadows.

This cultivator was a bird-riding cultivator who originally intended to ambush the two, but Yan Yu preemptively struck and killed them. The black dove, hidden in the tree canopy, had lost its master and was about to let out a terrified scream when its pupils were completely filled with the light of the sword.

Mei Yingxue's flying sword pierced its body.

Yan Yu thought to himself, "What a quick finishing blow! Teacher Mei is indeed a seasoned and experienced swordsman. Although she has been doing scientific research for several years since coming to Earth, her skills and awareness show no signs of decline."

Otherwise, if the spirit bird's call attracts the attention of the demonic cultivators patrolling the nearby skies, the situation could easily spiral out of control.

The two rushed to the body. Yan Yu shook out the puppet Azhen, which spat out a mouthful of bright fire, and quickly completed the destruction of the body and the elimination of evidence.

Mei Yingxue quietly looked at the puppet, then suddenly said:

"The secret techniques of the Silk-Pulling Sect are indeed quite suitable for you."

"For methods that require control," Yan Yu said modestly, "I'm somewhat good at them."

“No, even Zhao Yuanzhen can’t do what you do.” Mei Yingxue shook her head and said, “Zhou Hongyu’s Great Bright Flame, when activated with just a little true essence, can spew out an overwhelming force that can burn mountains and boil seas. But to spew out just the right amount like you do requires extremely exquisite skills in manipulating true essence. Zhao Yuanzhen can’t do that.”

Yan Yu remained silent for a while, thinking that given Teacher Mei's straightforward personality, she shouldn't be sarcastic or mean; she just wanted to express that my skill level was better than that of the demoness.

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Inside the villa in Jinling Prefecture, Zhao Yuanzhen sneezed several times, attracting the attention of the girls.

"Someone's talking about you, Sister Zhao," Xie Ruoxi said casually. "Their sneezes are even getting into the food."

"What complaints? I just choked on the cumin powder." Zhao Yuanzhen put down his chopsticks, picked up a plump, roasted lamb chop with his hand, and said heartily, "Keep eating!"

"It's been several days, and there's still no news from the captain?" Lin Ning asked with a worried expression, though she had little appetite.

"If they continue to be out of contact, they should send someone to check on the situation," Ye Yun reassured everyone, "just like when Master Jing went missing before."

"Don't worry," Zhao Yuanzhen said casually. "Anyone can get into trouble, but he's the only one who won't, okay? When this guy is in danger, his reaction time is faster than anyone else's."

"Moreover, Mei Yingxue, whom our Sister Zhao admires most, is also accompanying us this time," Chen Lingyun said with a smile. "There's definitely no problem."

Zhao Yuanzhen frowned, about to say, "I have never admired that woman," but the girls all looked relieved and at ease. After all, she was an authority who had compiled the cultivation textbook, and Yan Yu had always praised her highly, so everyone believed that Teacher Mei was also very strong, even though they had never seen her make a move before.

This made Zhao Yuanzhen even more unhappy, feeling a sense of frustration at being outdone by his arch-rival.

Lin Ning was still somewhat uneasy when she suddenly heard the fairy in the mirror transmit her voice:
"I think you're all too optimistic."

"No way!" Lin Ning retorted instinctively.

"Your captain is going to find the True Sun Sword, right?" the Mirror Immortal said with a smile. "Almost all the masters of the Sun Sword throughout history have been fanatical and warlike. Guess why?"

"Because... a sword immortal who isn't fanatical and warlike can't qualify to become the Sun Sword Master?" Lin Ning asked, guessing.

“Wrong,” said the Mirror Immortal. “Because those who don’t follow this method simply cannot pass the test of the Sun True Sword and will all die.”

(End of this chapter)