Yang Guo: I'm invincible in the opening battle against Aunt Guo!

The mountain road winds its way through the mountains.

Hong Lingbo walked in front, followed closely by Zhao Zhijing and Zhen Zhibing, with the six disciples bringing up the rear.

The group walked along the path behind the mountain, heading deeper into the mountains.

After walking for a while, Hong Lingbo suddenly exclaimed "Oh dear!" and pointed to a steep slope ahead:

"Master, this is where I parted ways with my master yesterday. He said he was going to that valley to find medicine—"

The direction she pointed was roughly where the ancient tomb was located.

A glint of light flashed in Zhao Zhijing's eyes:

"Valley? Where exactly is it?"

Hong Lingbo pretended to be in a difficult position:

"Master only said it was in a valley, but the exact location... I don't know. However, Master left a mark, so I'll search carefully."

As she spoke, she pretended to search along the mountain path, sometimes parting the grass and sometimes examining the tree bark.

Zhao Zhijing and Zhen Zhibing waited patiently.

They certainly didn't genuinely want to help Hong Lingbo find a master; they just wanted to use her as a mouthpiece to avoid some obstacles.

Hong Lingbo sneered inwardly, but on the surface he became even more "serious".

Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she pointed to several fresh scratches on the trunk of an old pine tree:

"Found it! This is a mark left by Master! It means... there's an entrance three miles to the east!"

The entrance to Dongsanli.

That is roughly the location of the true entrance to the ancient tomb!

Hong Lingbo certainly wouldn't actually lead them to the entrance of the ancient tomb—that would be suicide.

But she needed to buy time, and she also needed a reason... to make these old fogies back down.

Zhao Zhijing was overjoyed upon hearing this:

"Alright! Young lady, lead the way quickly!"

"Yes."

Hong Lingbo responded, but she already had a plan in mind.

She led the group on a detour, sometimes "losing their way" and sometimes "searching for signs again," to buy time.

Zhao Zhijing was patient at first, but gradually became impatient:

"Young lady, how much further?"

"Almost there, almost there, just beyond that sea of ​​flowers ahead—" Hong Lingbo pointed ahead.

Everyone looked up and saw a large patch of wildflowers in full bloom, red and white, about a hundred feet away, their fragrance carried on the wind.

"Beyond the sea of ​​flowers lies the ancient tomb?" Zhen Zhibing asked.

"This is what Master's mark says..." Hong Lingbo nodded, but thought to herself: I don't know if there's an ancient tomb behind the sea of ​​flowers, but the jade bees in the sea of ​​flowers will definitely give you a hard time!

This sea of ​​flowers was naturally discovered by Li Mochou.

That was the honey-gathering area of ​​the ancient tomb's jade bees, a place where ordinary birds and beasts dared not approach.

"Hurry up!"

Zhao Zhijing urged.

The group quickened their pace.

Soon we arrived at the edge of the flower field.

The floral fragrance was so rich it was almost cloyingly sweet.

Hong Lingbo was the first to step into the sea of ​​flowers, her steps extremely light and cautious.

Zhao Zhijing and others followed closely behind.

At first it was fine, but after walking for more than ten feet, the flower bushes became denser and denser.

A disciple accidentally broke a dead branch.

"Click—"

A faint sound.

Immediately afterwards—

"Buzzing..."

The sound of flapping wings rose from deep within the flowers!

At first, there were only a few scattered noises, but then there were more and more of them, and they became louder and louder!

"What's that sound?" Zhen Zhibing's expression changed.

Hong Lingbo's face had turned deathly pale, and she screamed:

"It's poisonous bees! Run!"

Before she finished speaking, she had already used her lightness skill to rush towards the sea of ​​flowers like a startled bird!

Before Zhao Zhijing and the others could react, a flash of golden light appeared before their eyes!

Countless golden jade bees with dark blue stingers soared into the sky, like a golden cloud, rushing towards the crowd!

"Damn it!"

Zhao Zhijing then realized he had fallen into a trap and tried to chase after Hong Lingbo, but Yu Feng had already arrived!

"Form ranks! Defend!"

He shouted loudly, his longsword dancing wildly.

There were too many jade bees, and they specialized in attacking the gaps in the sword light!

"ah--"

Screams rang out one after another!

Within a few breaths, four or five disciples were stung, their faces and hands swelling up with horrifying bruises, and their swordsmanship was thrown into chaos by the excruciating pain!

Zhao Zhijing and Zhen Zhibing, being more skilled, were able to barely hold their own, but they were also forced to retreat repeatedly by the swarm of bees, ending up in a sorry state.

"Retreat! Retreat quickly!"

The group scrambled and stumbled as they fled the sea of ​​flowers.

The jade bee chased for ten zhang before stopping, hovering over the sea of ​​flowers.

Outside the flower garden, Zhao Zhijing, still catching his breath, looked back and saw that half of his six disciples had fallen, and the rest were covered in welts, a truly pitiful sight.

And Hong Lingbo...

They've long since vanished!

"You wretch! I'll tear you to pieces!"

Zhao Zhijing was so angry that he trembled all over.

But right now, saving lives is the priority.

He glared hatefully in the direction of the ancient tomb and gritted his teeth, saying:

"Take them back to Chongyang Palace to heal their wounds first! This matter... is not over!"

……

Half a mile away, in a dense forest.

Hong Lingbo leaned against a large tree, listening to the faint screams and curses coming from afar, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Those Taoist priests of the Quanzhen School... they deserve it."

She dusted herself off, determined her direction, and stealthily made her way towards the actual entrance to the ancient tomb.