The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

"This Gu technique is so evil! It's not even afraid of talismans."

The old Taoist priest retreated to the roots of the Three Lives Tree, his back against the thick trunk, the talisman paper in his hand already mostly used up.

The light of the rune array gradually dimmed under the continuous erosion of the Silver Dust Gu.

He bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the talisman array. The golden light shone brightly for a moment, but was quickly suppressed again.

"You...you could be someone from Fengxiao Pavilion...?"

The old Taoist priest's voice was hoarse, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, spreading a shocking red stain on his white beard.

"You've been searching for the Three-Life Tree for so many years... and you still haven't given up..."

"Give up?"

Fengxiao Pavilion Master shook his head slightly, his hood swaying gently.

"The clue to the elixir of immortality is hidden under this tree."

"I have traversed countless mountains and rivers, and ventured through numerous secret realms and ruins, and finally found Yaoguang City and this Three Lives Tree."

"You want me to give up?"

She raised her hands.

Countless silvery rays of light surged forth from beneath her cloak, like an inverted galaxy, pressing down relentlessly towards the Three Lives Tree.

The light obscured half the sky, cutting off the morning light, and the area beneath the Three Lives Tree was shrouded in an eerie silver-gray shadow.

The air was filled with a rotten, sweet fragrance, like aged medicinal herbs soaking in sugar water.

"Since you refuse to tell me, then I will come to find you myself."

"wishful thinking!"

The old Taoist priest let out a long shout and slammed his hands down on the tree trunk behind him.

That shout carried a resolute hoarseness, like the final roar of an old beast driven to the brink of despair.

The Three Lives Tree trembled violently.

"That is?"

Tangxi Xue saw thousands of silver bells on the tree crown ring out at the same time, the sound waves rolling across the sky like thunder.

"The protective formation?"

The entire tree of three lives was trembling, and a silvery-blue halo shone from every single leaf at the same time, as dazzling as day.

A silver-blue light descended from the tree canopy, merging with the rune array on the ground and enveloping the entire Three Lives Tree.

The light was gentle and vast.

"Yes, this is the last line of defense for the Three Lives Tree."

Jiu Fangzhi subtly tried to take Tang Xixue away, as his senior sister had become cold-blooded and ruthless, no longer recognizing even her own family.

If she discovers her junior sister, I'm afraid she won't let her off the hook.

"Thump—"

The Silver Dust Gu crashed into the light barrier, producing a sound like a torrential downpour.

The light curtain trembled violently, each impact creating ripples on its surface, yet it did not shatter.

The Pavilion Master of Fengxiao Pavilion narrowed his eyes slightly.

"The protective array of the Three Lives Tree. It uses the tree as its foundation, the old Taoist's essence and blood as its guide, and the prayers of the city's people as its shield. It does have some merit."

Her voice held a faint hint of surprise.

"No wonder it has been able to remain at the bottom of this sunless lake for thousands of years."

"but--"

She abruptly changed the subject, her voice turning cold.

"Old Taoist priest, how long can you hold on? How long can the prayers of those mortals in the city last?"

The old Taoist priest remained silent.

His hands were pressed firmly against the tree trunk, and his spiritual power and blood essence surged into the talisman array at the same time.

A silvery-blue light spread upwards along his arm, enveloping his entire body.

His face turned ashen at a visible speed, and the wrinkles on his cheeks deepened, as if life had been drained from his body.

But his back remained ramrod straight, like a withered tree nailed to the Three Lives Tree, refusing to fall even in death.

The tourists under the tree finally realized what was happening.

A man who looked like a merchant shouted hoarsely:

"The tree is falling—run!"

Some people screamed and shoved each other to escape, while others collapsed to the ground, trembling all over.

An old man reached out shakily to touch the golden light of the talisman array, but was repelled and stumbled to the ground, muttering as he did so:

"May the God of Medicine, Liuyun, protect me... protect me..."

The young mother who had just been holding her child knelt on the ground, her hands clasped together, her lips trembling violently, and tears silently streaming down her cheeks.

A series of broken murmurs escaped his throat:

"Please...please don't destroy the Three Lives Tree...my child is only three months old, without the spiritual essence he won't survive tonight..."

Her voice grew increasingly fragmented, until finally only a breathy sob remained, like a flickering lamp in the wind.

"You should leave now; this is not a place for you."

Tang Xixue gripped the Longevity Sword tightly.

She glanced at the old Taoist priest, then stepped forward.

"Junior Sister".

Jiu Fangzhi's voice came from behind, tinged with tension.

It wasn't obstruction, it was questioning.

He asked her, "Have you thought it through?"

"Senior brother, I'm not afraid."

Tangxi Xue did not turn around, nor did she stop walking.

"Alright, I'll stay with you, senior brother."

Jiu Fangzhi was taken aback, and then spoke.

"Master, please allow me to treat you. I am a physician."

Tang Xixue walked to the old Taoist priest's side, squatted down, and took out a silver needle from her sleeve.

Upon hearing her words, the old Taoist priest's eyes reddened.

"Thank you for your trouble, young lady."

Her movements were extremely fast and steady. She inserted three needles into the acupoints on the old Taoist priest's back, and spiritual energy flowed into his meridians through the needle tips.

The spiritual energy was gentle and lingering.

The old Taoist priest's body jolted, and a trace of color returned to his ashen face.

He turned to look at Tang Xixue, his cloudy eyes filled with shock.

"You... are you a disciple of the Divine Medicine Valley?"

"Master, please don't speak. Stabilizing the talisman array is the most important thing."

Tang Xixue's voice was calm and composed, possessing a power that made people want to believe her.

"The silver needles can only temporarily protect your heart meridian; they won't last long. But you need time, so I will give you time."

She stood up and turned to the Pavilion Master of Fengxiao Pavilion.

"Sir, do you desire what lies beneath the Tree of Three Lives?"

"Oh?"

The Pavilion Master of Fengxiao Pavilion looked at her, and a faint interest appeared in his peach blossom eyes.

She tilted her head slightly, revealing more of her jawline beneath the hood; her skin was so fair it was almost translucent.

"Little girl, what do you want to say?"

I want to say—

Tang Xixue's lips curled up slightly, like a newly drawn blade, its sharpness just beginning to show.

"You've searched for so long to find this place, you can't just destroy the tree so roughly, can you?"

"You're being so rough; you've destroyed the clues along with them. Isn't that a waste?"

The Pavilion Master of Fengxiao paused slightly.

It was an extremely beautiful hand, with long, slender fingers and rounded nails, like a finely carved piece of jade.

But the silvery-white light swirling around the fingertips made the hand look more like a beautiful weapon.

Tang Xixue continued, her tone so casual as if she were chatting with an old friend.

"What you said makes some sense."

Fengxiao Pavilion Master looked at Tang Xixue quietly, as if he had seen an unexpected variable.

"However, you are right. I am not in a hurry."

"Old Taoist priest, I will give you the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

"Your choice is to reveal the secret of the Three Lives Tree, or to let me do it myself."

She withdrew her hand, and the Silver Dust Gu surged back around her like a receding tide, transforming into a thin layer of silver mist that enveloped her.

She took a few steps back, leaned against the trunk of an old tree on the side of the street, and closed her eyes to rest.

His posture was as relaxed as if he were admiring flowers in his own backyard, and the attack that had just nearly destroyed the world was as casual as a wave of his hand.

The scene instantly descended into a tense standoff.