Cultivating Immortality from the Book of Life and Death

Chapter 182 Yaotai Mountain. (Third update!)

Amidst the clatter of the well pulley, the caravan hesitated as it traveled along the somewhat desolate official road.

Occasionally, commotion could be heard from the front of the group, indicating that they had encountered an attack by ghosts.

But just like yesterday, it was resolved quickly and had almost no impact on the convoy's speed.

Before we knew it, two days had passed, and the terrain began to rise slightly, a sign that we were about to enter the mountains.

The official road here is even more dilapidated. Only traces of it can be seen among the weeds. Further away, the tall grass grows wildly, almost burying the road entirely.

Everything went smoothly over the past two days. Both the team leader, Lu Maohong, and most of the other cultivators were clearly experienced, and no accidents occurred along the way.

By the fourth day, the terrain began to slope uphill, and the caravan's speed slowed down considerably. The official road soon turned into a rocky area, followed by a rugged mountain path.

The official road ended, and as towering trees began to appear overhead, the surrounding light became noticeably darker, and the convoy entered the Yaotai Mountain area.

The mountains are lush with vegetation, providing a multitude of habitats, and filled with the sounds of nature.

Not long after we started walking, we saw three large characters carved on the top of the mountain wall ahead: "Falling Star Bay".

The characters are ancient and simple, exuding a sense of vicissitude. There are still some blurred characters at the foot of the mountain wall, which seem to be the calligraphy left by some passers-by. However, they have been blown away by wind and rain and are no longer recognizable.

The mountain road was quite steep, and the elevation gain was significant in just half a day. By the afternoon, the convoy was already traveling on a winding path with a cliff on one side and a steep wall on the other.

Below the cliff, the water gurgled, but no specific scene could be seen, all because a cloud of mist filled the air. The mist was not ordinary white, but tinged with faint colors, and a faint fishy sweet smell wafted from it.

Yuan Zhi whispered a reminder: "Be careful, that's miasma."

Zheng Que and the others immediately became alert and took out antidote pills to swallow. As they walked, they also tried to keep their distance from the colorful mist.

At this moment, the entire convoy became very quiet, with only the sound of the corpse puppets pulling the carts.

Zheng Que and Shi Shaoshan walked behind the "Geng" shaped carriage, glancing left and right from time to time, wary of their surroundings.

Gaa...gaa...gaa...

The harsh cries of wild sparrows echoed from near and far, reverberating through the mountains and making the desolation all the more eerie.

Zheng Que walked with the group while pondering for a moment.

In the past two days, besides Yuan Zhi and Shi Shaoshan, he also inquired about some information from Linghu Yuniang and Miao Xirong.

No matter which road you take from Taiping County to Fucheng, you will pass through three places: Zhuixing Bay, Baozhen Valley, and Danqiu Mountain.

This is the safest path for Qi Refining stage cultivators, based on repeated explorations by predecessors.

Compared to the ghosts encountered on the official road, the ghosts in these three places are more concentrated, and the cultivation levels of the ghosts are basically all at or above the late stage of the [Tongue-Pulling Prison].

The most dangerous part of the Falling Star Bay section is when you run into the Forget-Worry Inn.

This inn is an "oddity" in the [Scissors Prison], appearing only occasionally.

Under normal circumstances, you might not encounter a tax-delivery mission even once out of ten.

However, if you encounter such a situation, it's very difficult to escape without sufficient cultivation and experience...

Then came the elegant gathering at Baozhen Valley. It is said that this gathering is very selective, and only those with a special affinity can enter.

If fate is not on your side, even if you live in Baozhen Valley for several years, you may not be able to meet her.

Finally, there is the Wanshan Temple on Danqiu Peak, which is the most mysterious. Few people have seen it, yet the most people have died inside.

Several senior cultivators at the ninth level of Qi Refining have perished inside...

Of course, Lu Maohong, the team leader, had experienced all three of these "strange" events and certainly knew how to deal with them.

In addition, he learned from Linghu Yuniang and Miao Xirong a piece of information that Yuan Zhi and Shi Shaoshan had not mentioned... The gathering at Wangyou Inn and Baozhen Valley, each time it occurred, would not necessarily involve the entire caravan; those who were truly affected might only be a portion of the cultivators.

Once you enter one of these two "strange" places and lose contact with Lu Maohong, the leader, the chances of survival are slim.

Only the Wanshan Temple on Danqiu Peak—either you don't encounter it, or if you do, it will drag the entire convoy in…

Just as he was thinking, Zheng Que suddenly felt a chill coming from behind him.

Whoosh!
The next moment, a jet-black claw suddenly shot out, aiming straight for the back of Zheng Que's head.

Zheng Que did not turn around. With a sway of his body, he instantly moved to a position five zhang away.

This is the [Phantom Escape Technique]!
brush!
A ghostly creature, resembling an ape and entirely blood-red, landed heavily where Zheng Que had just stood. Its body emanated a surge of yin energy and a chilling killing intent; it was clearly a ghost at the seventh level of the [Tongue-Pulling Hell].

The ghostly creature missed its attack, then opened its claws again, instantly grabbing at Shi Shaoshan beside it.

Shi Shaoshan's expression changed, and he immediately crossed his arms to block his vital points in front of his chest, gathering all his spiritual power into his arms.

boom!
With a muffled thud, Shi Shaoshan was blasted away like a kite with a broken string, crashing into the mountainside. He immediately coughed up blood and his breath quickly faded.

Only then did Yuan Zhi's urgent voice finally rang out: "Protect the carriages!"

Before he finished speaking, he immediately leaped into the air and threw a punch at the ape-like ghost.

At the same time, Zheng Que opened the Soul Nourishing Bag, summoned Nian Nu, and then quickly took out a [Fire Tongue Talisman] and threw it at the ape-like ghost.

Boom boom boom...

Suddenly, a series of loud noises echoed through the silent mountains as Yuan Zhi and his ghost servants engaged in battle with the ape-like ghosts.

Linghu Yuniang and Miao Xirong stood guard on either side of the "Geng" shaped carriage, looking around but not going up to help, clearly prioritizing the protection of tax revenue.

Shi Shaoshan coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, finally caught his breath, and struggled to get up. He immediately swallowed a pill, and his injuries recovered quickly.

Boom boom boom boom…

bang bang bang...

At this moment, sounds of fierce fighting also came from other teams.

Strange howls and cries arose everywhere, and hordes of ghosts swarmed out from under the cliffs, on the steep walls, and among the vegetation, attacking the convoy.

In the blink of an eye, the team that had been advancing smoothly was now completely surrounded, with fighting breaking out everywhere.

Boom boom boom...

Spiritual energy and yin energy vibrated in mid-air, stirring up layers of invisible ripples. Yuan Zhi, working with his ghost servant, quickly defeated the ape-like ghost.

However, just as Yuan Zhi was gaining the upper hand, a slender figure in light pink suddenly joined the battle, grabbing the ape-like ghost by the neck with one hand and piercing its chest with the other, then suddenly exerting force.

Stab it!

This ape-like ghost, at the seventh level of the [Tongue-Pulling Hell], was torn in two in the blink of an eye, turning into a thick black mist that quickly dissipated.

Yuan Zhi was startled and hurriedly assumed a defensive stance, but he saw that the pale pink figure paid no attention to him. After dealing with the ape-like ghost, she quickly retreated and stood next to Zheng Que, her sleeves tucked in, her demeanor serene. It was Nian Nu.

Upon seeing this, Yuan Zhi finally came to his senses; this was Zheng Que's ghost servant!
Although it was a sneak attack, his Yin energy was clearly only at the sixth level of the [Tongue-Pulling Prison], yet he defeated a ghost at the seventh level of the [Tongue-Pulling Prison] with just one move!
After a brief moment of shock, Yuan Zhi quickly regained his composure and immediately said, "Fellow Daoist Zheng, you and your ghost servant continue to protect the carriage."

"I'll go check on Fellow Daoist Shi's injuries."

As he was about to turn around and walk toward Shi Shaoshan, who was slumped down at the foot of the mountain wall, he caught a glimpse of a small building in the dense forest not far away.

(End of this chapter)