A leisurely life in the world of cultivation

Chapter 172 Execution
Li Weizhou held Zhou Yueniang's hand and slowly walked down Zijin Cliff.

The golden energy of Xuanjin Peak surged in like a tide, as if paving a golden road for them.

Zhou Yueniang: "..."

Although I found it somewhat funny, it was also quite interesting.

Outside the Greenwood Peak, Liu Zhe led Chu Changxi to the plaza.

Chu Changxi, with the Spirit Serpent Sword slung across his shoulder, moved with light steps, his eyes scanning the surrounding vegetation like a venomous snake. A wicked smile played on his lips: "Old Monster Liu, your outer sect is certainly peaceful. You've certainly taken advantage of this. With everyone from the Five Elements Sect wiped out, it's become your territory. But, I quite like it here..."

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly turned to the side, and the Serpent Sword at his waist was drawn with a "whoosh." The blade gleamed with a ghostly green poisonous light in the sunlight, and it pierced straight into Liu Zhe's back!

This sword strike was swift and sinister, with a faint fishy smell lingering in the wind. He was also a wood spirit root, naturally fond of poisonous herbs. He used snake saliva, refined from a hundred kinds of poisonous herbs from the Demon Cave, to corrode anything that touched it, not only flesh but also divine sense.

Liu Zhe was prepared and spun her bamboo sword, but it was entangled by the Spirit Serpent Sword. The withered vine patterns on the sword's spine were instantly corroded by the poisonous light, and wisps of green smoke rose from it.

His heart sank, and just as he was about to activate his Wood Element Spiritual Power to counterattack, a golden light suddenly flashed before his eyes.

"Ding!"

The golden light collided with the poisonous light of the Serpent Sword, like a red-hot iron being branded onto ice; the eerie green poisonous light instantly dissipated.

Chu Changxi felt an overwhelming and sharp force coming through the sword, which made his tiger's mouth go numb. The Spirit Serpent Sword was even bent into an arc by the shock, and the snake scale pattern on the sword body shattered inch by inch.

"Who?!"

Chu Changxi shouted angrily, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw two people walking from the west, two young people who were a bit too young.

A young man in a blue robe led a young woman in red, the golden light emanating from the woman's fingertips slowly receding.

The one who made the move was actually a woman.

Chu Changxi was shocked, while Liu Zhe was filled with admiration.

The person who taught him kendo before wasn't the one in front of him.

"Steward Liu, who is this person?"

Li Weizhou's voice was calm. The wind from Qingmu Peak blew by, carrying a fresh scent that dispelled the stench of Chu Changxi's swordsmanship.

Chu Changxi's pupils shrank sharply, and he sneered, "So it's you, you little brat."

After laughing, the Spirit Serpent Sword suddenly trembled, transforming into three serpent shadows that attacked Li Weizhou, Zhou Yueniang, and Liu Zhe respectively.

This is the ultimate killing technique of his superior-grade spiritual weapon. This person is indeed ruthless and vicious, and his attacks are always deadly.

The moment the three snake shadows appeared, they exuded distinctly different sinister auras, sending chills down one's spine.

Li Weizhou marveled at the lifelike venomous snake before him; the battles in the spirit world were far more interesting than those in the mortal realm.

Seeing that the snake shadow on the far left was almost within reach, and that the withered vine patterns on the bamboo sword had been blackened by the poisonous smoke, Liu Zhe shouted and activated the Wood Element Spirit. The green buds on the scabbard suddenly burst open, transforming into a green vine shield that forcefully blocked the snake shadow.

However, his cultivation was slightly inferior to Chu Changxi's, and his methods were not as unpredictable as those of the Poisonous Serpent Demon Lord. Seeing that he could not withstand the pressure, he suddenly felt the pressure ease.

The dark green snake shadow flying in front of him hissed and vanished without a trace.

Looking back at the other side, the snake shadow in front of the woman who came with Li Weizhou dissipated even earlier.

The snake shadow in front of the sect leader, however, not only did not dissipate, but instead became larger and more ferocious.

It looks like three venomous snakes merged into one.

Li Weizhou even had the mind to smile at Zhou Yueniang and say, "Look closely, the 'Yuanjin Sword Technique' you cultivate is all about advantage and power. It uses invincible advantage to unleash the power to split the heavens and earth!"

Before he finished speaking, he loosely clenched his right hand.

"Qiang!"

A clear, melodious sword cry erupted from the ground of the plaza and landed in his palm. The sword's shadow was as clear as glass, yet it carried a chilling power to cut through everything.

Chu Changxi's serpentine shadow had already pounced close, aiming straight for Li Weizhou's face.

The billowing black mist shot forward first; this was the "Snake Heart Poison" he had refined with a century of cultivation. Even a cultivator at the Spirit God Realm would suffer from its torment if touched by it.

Li Weizhou flicked his wrist, and the Yuan Jinyi Sword was delivered smoothly.

There was no earth-shattering display, only a seemingly slow, yet extremely fast, golden mark.

The golden mark swept past the poison pill, and the poison pill, which could corrode spiritual artifacts, melted instantly like ice meeting fire, without even a trace of poison leaking out.

The benefits of Yuanjin (元金) are specifically designed to dispel evil and malevolent forces; when evil or poison encounters it, it is as clear as snow meeting the sun.

impossible!
Chu Changxi's heart skipped a beat. He always used only three moves at a time; if he could kill someone, he would kill them, and if he couldn't, he would retreat.

He has already made two moves today, and there is one last move left. If this person can withstand it, then he should withdraw.

He was originally invited to investigate the true strength of the Five Elements Sect.

Now it seems...

A strange smile suddenly bloomed on Chu Changxi's face, a smile with an evil aura. He bit his tongue hard and spat a mouthful of blood onto the Spirit Serpent Sword!

"Hehehe... Try this, it'll make you devoured by ten thousand snakes!"

As soon as those three words were uttered, even the wind on Qingmu Peak seemed to be tainted with the smell of blood.

The serpent sword suddenly swelled, its scales bursting open and transforming into countless small, dark green snakes, each about the length of a chopstick. Each snake had a triangular head and fangs that gleamed with a ghostly light, coiling into a giant serpent ball in the air.

Even more terrifying was that these small snakes were wrapped in wisps of black energy, which was the "Snake Vengeance" he had activated with his own blood essence. It was the resentment of the cultivators he had slaughtered before their deaths, and it was extremely insidious.

"go with!"

With a sharp shout, Chu Changxi caused the snake ball to explode, and thousands of small snakes surged towards Li Weizhou like a black tide. Wherever they passed, the air was torn apart by their venomous fangs with a hissing sound.

The most insidious aspect of this move is not its ability to bite the flesh, but rather the vengeful snakes. Once they touch the body, they will burrow into the meridians like a bone-deep infection, stirring up the cultivator's negative emotions. Ultimately, the cultivator will be devoured from the inside by the snakes in a frenzy, and even their sea of ​​consciousness will not escape being swallowed up.

Liu Zhe felt a chill run down his spine, and even the green buds on the bamboo sword curled up in fear. This kind of evil technique was almost a forbidden move of the demonic path. No wonder this person was known as the Poisonous Snake Demon Lord!
Although Zhou Yueniang was nervous, she knew Li Weizhou's true strengths and weaknesses, so she was not worried.

Sure enough, when Li Weizhou looked at the overwhelming tide of snakes, there was no fear in his eyes, but rather a look of amazement.

It seemed to be curious about how this skill was mastered...

Immediately, a golden light rose in his eyes, growing brighter and brighter until it projected a blurry sword shadow behind him. Ancient runes flowed across the sword shadow, carrying an aura of majestic heavenly power.

"Moon Maiden, look carefully! The Yuanjin Sword Technique, third move: Breaking Illusion!"

Li Weizhou let out a clear shout and slashed at the air with his right hand.

In an instant, the golden spiritual vein of Xuanjin Peak in the distance seemed to be awakened by this sword, and a golden sword aura like a bolt of lightning fell from the sky, cleaving straight into the snake tide!
The sword energy was not enormous, but it carried a sharp force that cut through all illusions. Wherever it passed, the dark green snakes turned into wisps of smoke. The venomous snakes that were struck by the sword energy let out mournful howls and instantly dissipated.

"impossible!"

Chu Changxi's eyes were bloodshot. This Ten Thousand Serpents Devouring Body technique was his trump card, a demonic skill that he had used to fight against a Spirit God Realm cultivator in the past. But today, it was broken so easily by a sword qi!
He would accept Tao Xixing's treatment, but what was this blond kid in front of him?
He's not invincible; he's never lost before, but never so humiliatingly!
At this moment, the golden sword energy showed no signs of diminishing and headed straight for his face.

Chu Changxi hurriedly summoned a black banner, on which were painted countless snake heads. It was the "Ten Thousand Snake Banner" that he had made from a hundred demonic snakes and then infused with human souls, making it an excellent life-saving treasure.

"puff!"

The sword energy struck the black banner, and the banner, which could withstand a blow from a Spirit God Realm expert, tore apart like paper. The golden sword energy passed through the banner and grazed Chu Changxi's shoulder before falling.

There was no earth-shattering noise, only a soft "hiss" sound.

Chu Changxi's right arm was severed at the shoulder. No blood gushed from the wound; instead, it was charred black by the Gengjin True Intent within the sword energy, not even a trace of Yin energy could escape. Even more terrifying, he could feel the residual force of the sword energy flowing along his spiritual meridians, and wherever it passed, his painstakingly cultivated poison techniques were gradually disintegrating.

"You...who are you?"

Chu Changxi clutched his severed arm, and fear finally showed in his eyes. It was a kind of awe from the depths of his soul, as if the person standing in front of him was not a young cultivator, but an ancient monster whose swordsmanship was divine.

Li Weizhou did not answer, but slowly stepped forward. The sword shadows behind him became clearer and clearer. The metal elemental veins converged into a long golden river under his feet, with countless tiny sword shadows surging in the water.

"Evil arts harm others, but ultimately harm oneself."

He spoke softly, raising his right hand again.

This time, there was no earth-shattering sword energy, only a golden ray flew from the fingertip and silently landed between Chu Changxi's eyebrows.

Chu Changxi's body stiffened abruptly, then shattered as if cut by an invisible blade.

The remaining small snakes, seeing their master perish, let out a mournful cry, but were drawn by the surrounding golden spiritual veins, eventually turning into wisps of black smoke and completely dissipating in the sunlight of Greenwood Peak.

All that remained in the square was a charred, severed arm and a torn black banner. The wind carried a faint smell of burning, but no trace of poison remained.

Li Weizhou dispersed his sword intent, turned to look at Zhou Yueniang, sunlight fell on his face, making his eyes clear, and he smiled: "In the Spirit Realm, sword techniques are all illusory, only sword intent is eternal."

Only when you thoroughly understand the essence of each sword move can you be considered to have mastered swordsmanship.

As Zhou Yueniang watched the sword shadow gradually disappear in his hand, she suddenly understood that the true essence of the Yuanjin Sword Technique lay not only in its indestructible sharpness, but also in the resolute determination of its sword strike.

Beside him, Liu Zhe stood stiffly, his wide-eyed old man staring at Li Weizhou as if he were a god.

The same applies to Shen Quan, the Broken Blade Swordsman, Luo San, the Earth Bear, and Lan Gu, who are further away.

……

Outside the gate of the Five Elements Sect, although there were occasional passersby who would stop and watch, the number of people was not large.

After all, they've already announced the mountain is closed; disturbing them further would only make us enemies.

But today, outside the Five Elements Sect's mountain gate, there were no fewer than a hundred people scattered around watching, some furtively, some openly, some excitedly, and some calmly.

They were all waiting for the Five Elements Formation to be activated again.

If the Five Elements Grand Formation hadn't been activated today, and Chu Changxi had escaped unscathed, then... in the next Seven Sects Grand Competition, before the Five Elements Sect reneged on its debt, indeed no one could forcibly seize the Five Elements Spiritual Vein.

After all, everyone fears that "the instigator will have no descendants."

However, not being able to seize by force doesn't mean not being able to plunder...

If Chu Changxi can touch it, why can't Chu Changdong?

Of course, such cultivators are few and far between, and the Five Elements Sect also has many powerful experts outside, and the Fire Spirit Cave is no ordinary force either.

Many people are observing, waiting to see if the "Immortal Realm" mentioned by the sect leader is actually real or not...

This is the real big deal.

Time passed slowly, but the Five Elements Formation still did not rise.

Many people were getting increasingly excited; clearly, the young sect leader had boasted.

Tsk tsk tsk, something really funny is about to happen in the Northern Spirit Realm!
Especially those who originally rented cave dwellings, earth fire, or spirit fields on Five Elements Peak, had previously benefited greatly. Even if they paid the Xuan Tian Pavilion a 20% "brokerage fee," the resources were still cheap and readily available. But now that Five Elements Peak has been taken back, they can no longer benefit from it and feel that they have suffered a great loss, inevitably harboring resentment...

However, even as the sun was about to set, the Five Elements Formation still hadn't risen, and the Poisonous Serpent Demon Lord Chu Changxi hadn't reappeared.

Some people started to feel that something was wrong...

What about people?

Could it be that Tao Xixing has truly ascended to the rank of Immortal?

That's impossible. If they were really going to be promoted, why would they need to seal off the mountain gate?
Just as the last rays of the setting sun were about to fade away, suddenly, the gates of the Five Elements Sect opened wide, and Liu Zhe reappeared.

As soon as he appeared, several impatient voices erupted simultaneously:
"Senior Liu, poison..."

"Don't want to die?"

"I mean, Senior Liu came out alone, why didn't Senior Spirit Serpent Gentleman come out? Phew..." I was almost scared to death.

"Senior Liu, where is the Spirit Serpent Swordsman?"

"Old Liu, where is he?"

Despite the chaotic scene, Liu Zhe remained calm and composed, her gaze sweeping around as the atmosphere gradually quieted down.

Liu Zhe then said calmly, "The Five Elements Sect Leader's decree: The Poisonous Serpent Demon Lord, though nominally a rogue cultivator, is in reality the most powerful and venomous cultivator in the Northern Spiritual Domain, with countless innocent lives on his hands. Sixty years ago, in the Black Wind Lake massacre, forty-seven rogue cultivators died and disappeared without a trace, their bodies left to rot in the wilderness—this was the work of this fiend. Forty years ago, in order to refine 'Serpent Vengeance,' he became a disciple of the Wood Heart Sect, gaining the sect's favor and the affection of his fellow disciples. His master even married his beloved daughter to him. Yet, on the very night of his wedding to his junior sister, this fiend slaughtered his entire sect, leaving no survivors, and used the vengeful souls of the entire sect to feed his poison..."

Each incident, each story, was told calmly, yet it sent chills down the spines of the onlookers. Those tragedies that had previously only been discussed in private were now being revealed in public, every word stained with blood.

“This villain’s evil deeds are too numerous to recount.”

Liu Zhe paused, looked up at the crowd, and slowly said, "Since you are concerned about this person's whereabouts, I will tell you. Today, the Poisonous Serpent Demon Lord Chu Changxi has been executed at the Five Elements Sect."

As the four words fell, a deathly silence fell outside the mountain gate.

Liu Zhe continued, “The sect leader’s decree states: Although the Five Elements Sect has closed its mountain for some reason, it is not out of cowardice. We cultivators cultivate the Great Dao and guard our true hearts. When evil spirits are in power, we will slay them. When demons run rampant, we will exterminate them.”

He raised his hand, and a ray of golden light drifted from the direction of the square, landing on the stone plaque of the mountain gate. The three characters "Five Elements Sect" suddenly lit up, and the golden light spread over the onlookers, carrying an awe-inspiring righteousness.

Liu Zhe turned and entered the mountain, and the mountain gate formation slowly closed.

Outside the mountain gate, more than a hundred gazes were fixed on the golden glow on the stone plaque, remaining unmoved for a long time.

The last rays of the setting sun swept across the horizon, as if gilding this final act with a somber golden edge.

……

As dusk settled into the warm chambers of the Green Wood Palace, the moonflowers on the windowsill unfurled their pale white petals, a delightful sight.

Zhou Yueniang, Situ Qingyue, Feng Biwu, and Qi Erniang all liked this place; it had a refreshing feel to it.

Beside the low table, Lan Gu sat cross-legged on a cushion, telling the four people about her past as a rogue cultivator.

He wouldn't even glance at Li Weizhou...

"Everything else is fine. I was quite scared when I first became a rogue cultivator. The first time I went out, I encountered the 'Returning Soul Mist'. It was then that I realized how terrifying the Spirit Realm was."

Even now, when Lan Gu brings it up, there is still lingering fear on her face.

Upon hearing this, Qi Erniang straightened her neck and asked, "What is that? It sounds eerie."

“It’s really strange.” Lan Gu pursed her lips and said, “Fifty years ago in the Valley of Broken Souls… three thousand miles from here, I took on a mission with three female cultivators I had just met to find the ‘Blood Heart Orchid’. When we entered the valley, we discovered that the mist inside was alive and would follow the aura of people. People who were touched by the mist would see the people they missed most in their hearts. Some were their parents, some were their deceased spouses, and some were their children or friends.”

Feng Biwu frowned and asked, "Is it an illusion?"

"More ruthless than the illusion."

Lan Gu shook her head, a hint of bitterness in her eyes, and said, "The fog would lure people towards the thickest part of the fog, and the further in you went, the heavier your steps became. I saw my mother there, and she wanted to take me home. The three of them held on to me tightly, their nails digging into my flesh, but they couldn't wake me up... The place with the thickest fog is the miasma pit. The cultivators who went in a few years ago all had their bones turned to dust there."

Zhou Yueniang handed over a cup of spiritual tea and asked, "How did you get out?"

"Thanks to Ah Rui's 'Awakening Incense'."

Lan Gu took the tea and chuckled softly, "She has a wood spirit root, and her other skills are mediocre, but she can refine incense with spirit herbs. The incense has a bitter wormwood smell when burned, and it's refreshing to smell. Later, she joined the Xuan Tian Pavilion with this skill, and I never saw her again. But it's good, otherwise she probably wouldn't have survived. Ah Rui and the others all died in the small secret realm later."

Situ Qingyue asked, "What is a small secret realm?"

Lan Gu traced the rim of her teacup with her fingertips, the steam from the bottom blurring the fine lines at the corners of her eyes. She said softly, "Small secret realms are like cracks in the world. Some are hidden behind cliffs in deep mountains and forests, some are submerged at the bottom of deep pools, and some are brought down by shooting stars, only to surface every three to five years. They contain some good things, thousand-year-old spiritual herbs, ancient remnants of treasures, and even mineral veins that can temper the body, but those places are never reliable."

Qi Erniang stuffed a piece of dried spirit fruit into her mouth and mumbled, "It sounds like a treasure trove, how could people die here?"

"The reason we die is because we're so unpredictable."

Lan Gu gave a bitter smile and said, "Twenty years ago, I ventured into the 'Shattered Star Secret Realm.' The entrance was a rotating stone that looked no bigger than a palm, but once inside, I realized it could hold half of Greenwood Peak. However, the sky inside was slanted, and the ground was soft. We were a team of five, searching for 'Star Marrow.' After three of us died, we discovered that the rubble under our feet would piece together a star map on its own. Following the star map would allow us to avoid spatial rifts. But on the fifth day, I squatted down to look at the star map on the ground, and when I looked up again, the last one was gone. The surroundings were still those rubble, still that crooked sky, but no matter how hard I shouted, there was only an echo."

Feng Biwu asked softly, "She... fell into the crevice?"

"maybe."

Lan Gu smiled bitterly, "The cracks were as thin as hair, invisible and intangible. If you touched one, you would disappear into thin air. Later, I wandered around the secret realm alone for three days, and when I came out, I found that three months had passed outside."

Zhou Yueniang poured her more spiritual tea and said gently, "Is the treasure inside worth such a risk?"

"It's worth it for independent cultivators."

Looking at the deepening twilight outside the window, Lan Gu said, "That year in the Shattered Star Secret Realm, I found half a 'Star Core,' the size of a fingernail, but it gave me enough resources to cultivate to the Spirit Origin Realm. It was because of this that I was able to gain a foothold in Black Wind Ridge and not be swallowed by other rogue cultivators. But the price was... of the five people who went with me, only I survived."

Li Weizhou, who hadn't said a word until now, suddenly asked, "You said it's unstable, so is there anything stable?"

"Yes, I have."

Lan Gu glanced at him and then looked away, saying, "The most secure place is the lower realm. When I was young, I heard an old Taoist say that our Spirit Realm, and the Immortal Realm above it, and the Mortal Realm below it, are actually like an old tree. The minor secret realms are the roots that the old tree keeps sprouting, but not every root can survive. The ones that survive and take root are the lower realms, which are very secure, like the Mortal Realm. There are many such lower realms. Even more numerous are the roots that sometimes appear and sometimes disappear, which are the various minor secret realms."

Zhou Yueniang chuckled, "One tree? How many worlds are there in the lower realm?"

Lan Gu gestured with her hand, drawing a thick line in the air with her fingertips, which then branched into countless thin lines. She said, "Countless. The old Taoist said that the entire universe could be a tree. Look at the lightning in the sky; when it strikes down, there's a main beam of light first, then it crackles into countless thin lines. Doesn't that look like a branching tree? Our cultivators' spiritual veins, branching from the dantian to the limbs and bones, aren't they also like a small tree?"

The old Taoist priest said that even humans are like that, with a main trunk that branches into four limbs, and the bones in the body are also like that. Rivers are like that too, just like trees.

All things in heaven and earth actually resemble trees, and heaven and earth themselves are the same.

Qi Erniang was stunned when she heard this, and said, "You know what, it really sounds plausible."

"No."

Lan Gu smiled and said, "Even the mountains of the Five Elements Sect follow the same principle."

Feng Biwu said thoughtfully, "Could it be that those who fell into the small secret realm and didn't come out might have gone to other 'branches'?"

Lan Gu shook her head and said sadly, "Even so, I'm afraid we'll never meet again in this life. That's how it is for rogue cultivators."

The warm pavilion was quiet for a moment, with only the occasional crackling of the candlelight. A layer of night dew clung to the petals of the moonflower, shimmering in the candlelight, making it look like a small tree adorned with pearls.

After Lan Gu left, Feng Biwu suddenly asked, "My master's wife once said that some groups of independent cultivators went out, and only one person came back. Another group went out, and again only one person came back. There's something fishy about these people. What do you think about this woman?"

Qi Erniang shook her head and said, "I don't know, but he's definitely not a good person."

Li Weizhou said, "In short, the small secret realm is too uncertain, so you guys shouldn't go for now. I'll go back and forth a few more times, and you can go play after I'm familiar with it."

"Pfft!"

Zhou Yueniang laughed and said, "If those rogue cultivators like Aunt Lan hear this, they'll be furious."

Li Weizhou shook his head and said, "We're only slightly better off than rogue cultivators. Those born in the Central Plains Holy Land, aristocratic families, or the Imperial Court will only have a more unfair life than us. Fate has never been fair, and we can only rely on ourselves."

Feng Biwu said softly, "It mainly depends on you."

Li Weizhou laughed and said, "Of course. By the way, once you've reached the Spirit Origin stage, let's have some children soon, shall we?"

Zhou Yueniang: "..."

Situ Qingyue: "..."

Feng Biwu: "..."

Qi Erniang was overjoyed, holding up two fingers and saying, "I want to have two!"

Giving birth is no longer an unspeakable pain for Feng Biwu. The process of being cleansed by the heavens has already reshaped her spirit, and her old wounds have been completely healed.

For a moment, everyone fell silent, seemingly imagining a future where the Five Elements Sect would be filled with the laughter of children...

……

(End of this chapter)