Immortal Life: Starting with Daily Last Words

Linxiang Island is located southwest of Qingyuanzong, more than a thousand miles away.

It was dusk when we arrived at Linxiang Island.

The sun sets in the west, its rays turning blood-red.

Xiahe Village is nestled against rolling green hills, with a winding river flowing in front of it. Generations of villagers have lived along the river and beside the mountains.

Under the old locust tree at the village entrance, several children were playing and chasing fallen leaves, their foreheads covered in sweat.

The elderly people sitting around them had worried expressions, their cloudy eyes occasionally glancing towards the dark and secluded forest behind the village.

Suddenly, one of the children stopped abruptly and stared wide-eyed into the distance.

Under the glow of the setting sun, a figure dressed in a plain white Taoist robe strolled leisurely towards the village entrance.

This man appeared to be around twenty years old; he was none other than Yu Daoxuan, who had come to slay the demon.

Linxiang Island is several tens of miles in circumference. It is barren of spiritual energy and no cultivation forces have taken root here. Only some mortal villages live by the mountains and water.

The place of opportunity mentioned in the Golden Stele's last words was near this village, so Yu Daoxuan rushed here without stopping.

When Yu Daoxuan arrived at the village entrance, the children playing under the trees saw that he had an otherworldly air about him and was different from ordinary people. They all timidly hid behind the thick tree trunks and secretly peeked at him.

"Esteemed Taoist priest, what brings you to Xiahe Village?"

At this moment, an elderly man dressed as a scholar approached, leaning on a wooden cane, his tone cautious and tentative.

Yu Daoxuan remained calm and replied composedly, "I am a cultivator from the Qingyuan Sect. I have heard that a demon has appeared in your village and is harming the villagers. Is this true?"

Upon hearing that he came from the Qingyuan Sect, the old man's cloudy eyes instantly lit up with intense hope, and the worry that had been etched on his brow for days eased slightly.

The Qingyuan Sect is the immortal sect that governs Linxiang Island. Every five years, they send people to the island to select promising immortals. All the villagers on the island are familiar with it.

The hunched old man sighed heavily and solemnly recounted the whole truth.

"Alas, our Xiahe Village has been peaceful for generations, but in recent months, a demonic tiger has appeared in the back mountain for some unknown reason, and seven or eight villagers who went into the mountain have died tragically."

Upon confirming that the demonic threat in the back mountain was real, Yu Daoxuan's expression immediately turned solemn.

"I have come here today specifically to deal with this demon. Please tell all the villagers that they must not approach the mountains and forests behind the village after nightfall, lest they be harmed by the demon for no reason."

The old man bowed repeatedly in agreement and warmly invited, "You must be tired from your journey, Immortal. Would you please come into the village hut to rest for a while and have some simple food before continuing your work?"

Yu Daoxuan gently shook his head and declined, stating that eliminating demons was the priority and there was no need for rest.

The old man dared not offer any further advice and immediately called the villagers around him to return to the village.

After watching all the villagers leave, Yu Daoxuan turned and looked towards the back mountain.

At this moment, the setting sun completely sank below the mountain line, and a layer of gray mist spread across the sky and earth, enveloping the entire back mountain in a deep twilight.

Looking into the distance, the dark outline of the rolling mountains resembles a crouching, lurking beast, exuding a chilling sense of oppression.

Deep within the dense forest, one sees fallen dead trees and smells of decay, yet not a single mosquito or bird can be seen, and the sounds of animals and birds are utterly silent; all is still and lifeless.

He searched the mountains for the caves of monsters, and after half an hour, he finally found a secluded cave in a hollow surrounded by rocks.

The cave entrance was about two zhang wide, and all the surrounding weeds had withered and died. Many white bones were scattered on the ground, half hidden and half exposed, which was shocking to see.

He slowly stood at the cave entrance and looked inside. The cave was dark and deep, filled with murky air, making it impossible to see the interior layout.

Yu Daoxuan did not rashly step into the cave. With a thought, the sword-nurturing gourd at his waist flashed slightly, and the Chongming sword shot straight into the cave.

Boom!

Intense spiritual energy roared repeatedly within the sealed cave, while dust and rubble fell from the cave ceiling.

Within moments, a deep, heavy roar came from the depths of the cave, shaking the rocks at the cave entrance. Clearly, the monster inside the cave had been disturbed by the sword light.

A cold glint flashed in Yu Daoxuan's eyes, confirming that the man-eating tiger was inside the cave.

He immediately floated lightly to the top of an ancient tree beside the cave entrance, concealed his aura, and quietly waited for the demon tiger to emerge from the cave.

Sure enough, a moment later, a huge black shadow, ten feet long, appeared at the cave entrance.

Twilight filtered through the gaps in the tree canopy, illuminating the entire appearance of the monster.

This beast resembles an ordinary mountain tiger, with its body covered in crisscrossing red stripes, thick limbs, and claws that gleam with a pale, cold light.

"It really is a striped red tiger."

A hint of killing intent flashed in Yu Daoxuan's eyes.

With a light flick of the sword, the Chongming Sword flew out through the air.

The sword shimmered with a brilliant crimson light, piercing the darkness of the forest like a thunderbolt aimed straight at the demon tiger's head.

The sword strikes with lightning speed, leaving no room for evasion.

"call out!"

A sharp whistling sound tore through the air and ripped through the forest wind.

At the critical moment, the striped red tiger's neck fur suddenly bristled, and its massive body leaped several feet to the left, narrowly avoiding a fatal slash.

After dodging, the demon tiger's eyes instantly filled with ferocious bloodshot veins, locking onto the hiding place.

Without the slightest hesitation, it opened its mouth and spat out a condensed mass of dark red wind blades.

The wind blades, carrying fine sand and gravel, moved faster than arrows, heading straight for Yu Daoxuan's hiding place.

"I didn't expect to be discovered so quickly."

Yu Daoxuan was slightly surprised, but his movements did not slow down in the slightest.

A spiritual light emanated from his feet, and he moved several feet away, lightly avoiding the impact of the wind blades.

While dodging, the sword technique guided the Chongming Sword, transforming it into a crimson rainbow that pierced straight into the demon tiger's eyes.

The eyes of demonic beasts are their natural weak points, a fact he had accumulated through countless battles to exorcise them.

The striped red tiger possessed intelligence far exceeding that of ordinary wild beasts. Sensing the killing intent of the sword's edge, it hastily mobilized its demonic energy, condensing a thick barrier of demonic wind on its face to block the sword light.

With a soft hiss, the sword energy and demonic wind collided, stirring up a cloud of dust.

Taking advantage of the moment when the barrier collapsed, Yu Daoxuan leaped into the air, his figure like a bird soaring through the sky, and in an instant landed directly above the demon tiger.

He poured all his magical power into the Chongming Sword, causing the sword's crimson light to surge three feet, a heatwave sweeping through the surrounding trees as it cleaved down with immense force towards the demon tiger.

Sensing the danger, the striped red tiger desperately unleashed its demonic power to resist.

However, this move was Yu Daoxuan's full-force attack, so it could not be easily blocked.

"Awoo!"

Instantly, a mournful and painful tiger roar echoed through the back mountain.

The Chongming Sword cleaved a wound in the tiger's back, flesh turned inside out, and white bones were faintly visible.

Fortunately, the striped red tiger's physical defenses were extremely strong after its mutation, so this severe injury did not immediately end its life.

Under the extreme pain, the demon tiger's eyes turned completely bloodshot, its demonic energy surged violently, and the blood stripes on its back lit up.

Enraged, it opened its mouth to gather its remaining demonic power, preparing for a desperate fight.

With the tiger demon's roar, its demonic power transformed into a pillar of wind that spewed from the tiger's mouth, rushing straight towards Yu Daoxuan with a force capable of annihilating everything.

Tigers follow the wind!

The tiger demon was already aided by the wind, and after becoming a demon, it became proficient in all kinds of wind techniques, turning the rolling demonic wind into tornadoes that swept across and strangled its enemies.

Yu Daoxuan, however, remained calm.

As the column of wind roared in, Yu Daoxuan calmly swung down the flying sword in his hand.

The Chongming Sword shone brightly with a crimson light, its sword energy surging and stretching for tens of feet.

The crimson sword energy collided with the demonic wind, and the swirling demonic energy that had condensed into a tornado of demonic wind was instantly pierced by the sword energy.

The raging, howling demonic wind vanished into nothingness in the blink of an eye.

The demonic wind that the demon tiger had desperately condensed was instantly extinguished, but the Chongming Sword's momentum remained undiminished, and it bombarded the demon tiger heavily.

The demonic tiger had already exhausted its demonic power and was powerless to resist, so it could only watch helplessly as the sword energy attacked.

"boom!"

After a loud bang, a scorched crater about two zhang in diameter was created.

The crimson flames slowly dissipated, revealing the scene inside the pit.

The pit was littered with charred bits of flesh, and the pungent, acrid smell of burnt fur filled the air.

After slaying the Crimson Tiger, he cautiously glanced around before stepping into the Demon Tiger's Cave.

The reason he went to such lengths to kill the tiger was because the opportunity lay in its cave.