Bai Feng couldn’t sense the nature of that tiny bit of black qi, nor was she entirely sure the problem lay with it. She merely had an instinctive suspicion about the black qi, and aside from that, she couldn’t imagine why Shui Miao would say such things.
Shui Miao didn’t continue speaking.
He suddenly became alert, realizing he had already spoken far too much out of momentary impulse.
Bai Feng couldn’t sense the nature of that tiny wisp of black energy, nor could she be entirely certain that the problem lay with it. She simply had an instinctual feeling that the black energy was suspicious. Beyond that, she couldn’t fathom why Shui Miao would say such things.
Shui Miao didn’t continue speaking.
He suddenly grew alert—he had already said too much in the heat of the moment.
That black energy was a small strand of Spirit Devouring power he had cultivated earlier. He wanted to use this opportunity to test whether the Spirit Devouring power could destroy the formation inside the Demon Subduing Golden Bowl. That was all. In his heart, he still held a sliver of hope regarding the millennium female ghost and the Spirit Commander, hoping they weren’t merely using him as a pawn. Of course, being used as a pawn wasn’t without its benefits—at the very least, he could gain some assistance and learn some things, like this Spirit Devouring technique.
Seeing that Shui Miao had closed his eyes and stopped talking, Bai Feng tactfully fell silent and went to personally check what changes had occurred in the Demon Subduing Golden Bowl.
Shui Miao waited for over half an hour, but there was still no movement whatsoever.
“Could it be that Spirit Devouring is useless?”
Shui Miao was puzzled and began to grow anxious.
Before long, Bai Feng returned, her face brimming with barely contained excitement: “It seems we’ve stumbled upon another treasure!”
“What do you mean?” Shui Miao quickly sat up.
Bai Feng paused. “I can’t quite explain it clearly for now. Let’s wait and see.”
After saying this, Bai Feng vanished in a flash.
“…”
Shui Miao felt slightly embarrassed. Was she retaliating because he had ignored her earlier? This Bai Feng, despite being a centuries-old female ghost, was still acting like a petty young girl!
The train carriage was very quiet, with many people asleep.
The girl in the miniskirt, thinking her stomachache was due to catching a chill, covered herself with a blanket, changed into a pair of long pants, and curled up on her berth, enduring the dull pain.
Because it was so quiet, Shui Miao didn’t want to disturb everyone, so he refrained from making a phone call.
“Alright, let me use my spiritual sense to check.”
Shui Miao muttered to himself. He had been afraid of being pursued by the Yuxu Sect from the immortal realm, so he hadn’t dared to use his spiritual sense until now. But at this moment, he wanted to use it slightly to check on the situation with the Spirit Devouring power. Sitting cross-legged in meditation, Shui Miao extended his spiritual sense and instantly sensed information from a large area.
The train was filled not only with all kinds of people but also many ghosts and some cultivators with modest abilities.
In the carriage where the monks were, only the old monk, Master Wubian, possessed some spiritual power. Shui Miao could even sense that the spiritual power in his dantian was golden, though it was merely a mist-like golden spiritual energy—he hadn’t yet condensed and transformed the metal-element spiritual power. The Demon Subduing Golden Bowl was held by a monk, wrapped in a blue cloth bag, with Bai Feng guarding nearby, waiting for changes inside the bowl. Master Wubian was meditating with his eyes closed, but his hand never left the Nine-Ringed Staff, as if afraid someone would snatch it away.
Wait…
As Shui Miao sensed further, he suddenly realized that the inside of the Nine-Ringed Staff was hollow, concealing a very peculiar aura. This aura shared a common characteristic with the Wood Saint Spirit and the Yin Saint Spirit—it was exceptionally pure yet unfathomable. Could this be the Metal Saint Spirit?
Shui Miao found it incredible. According to the middle-aged scholar, Saint Spirit energy was the mother energy of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements, extremely rare. Some cultivators spent their entire lives searching for it without success, and the probability of encountering Saint Spirit energy was exceedingly low. Yet, shortly after learning of its existence, he had discovered one type after another. Was this merely a coincidence, or was there some other reason?
The word “conspiracy” flashed through Shui Miao’s mind.
Impossible. The middle-aged scholar was incredibly powerful, a transcendent expert. With his current cultivation level, finding the Saint Spirit energy of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements would surely be easy for him. He had no reason to use Shui Miao, nor would he stoop to such a level. In his eyes, Shui Miao was at most a junior cultivator with decent luck and a sense of loyalty. Perhaps he had taken in many cultivators like Shui Miao, nurturing them to accomplish great deeds alongside him in the future. For such a transcendent expert to take notice of Shui Miao was a blessing earned over several lifetimes. It was truly ungrateful of him to harbor suspicions.
Shui Miao dismissed his doubts about the middle-aged scholar.
In that case, he had to find a way to obtain the Metal Saint Spirit inside the Nine-Ringed Staff.
Shui Miao already possessed the Water Saint Spirit, the Dragon Finding Ruler contained the Wood Saint Spirit, he had just obtained the Yin Saint Spirit from the Ghost Mother, and now he had discovered the Metal Saint Spirit. To encounter so many rare Saint Spirit energies in such a short time made him wonder if he had already obtained the Purple Saint Spirit long ago. Otherwise, how could his luck be so good?
Moreover, a question had always lingered in Shui Miao’s mind: how exactly had he obtained his Water Saint Spirit?
※※※
Preoccupied with these questions, Shui Miao unconsciously delayed using his spiritual sense.
In one of the carriages, a young man in a white Daoist robe suddenly appeared without a sound. He was imposing and exuded a heroic aura, with a token hanging from his waist inscribed with the word “Lingxu.” In a flash, he transformed into a middle-aged Daoist with a thin face, the token turning into a gourd of wine. Carrying a sword on his back and stroking his mustache, he smiled as he walked toward Master Wubian’s carriage.
Shui Miao, with his spiritual sense extended, didn’t notice the Daoist’s appearance.
Suddenly, Shui Miao sensed a surge of black energy erupting from the Demon Subduing Golden Bowl.
What was happening?
Shui Miao snapped back to attention and focused his spiritual sense, discovering that the formation inside the Demon Subduing Golden Bowl had suddenly broken. The Spirit Devouring power he had unleashed had grown significantly stronger, expanding from the size of a grain of rice to that of a broad bean. Fierce ghosts and demons were escaping from the bowl, scattering in all directions.
Master Wubian suddenly opened his eyes and looked toward the Demon Subduing Golden Bowl.
At that moment, the young man, now transformed into a middle-aged Daoist, brandished his sword and began slaying the demons and ghosts in the carriage.
Seeing the middle-aged Daoist, Bai Feng grabbed the black snake demon that had just escaped from the Demon Subduing Golden Bowl and quickly fled. As a female ghost who had existed in the mortal world for centuries, Bai Feng had her own survival rules. If she could sense the other party’s cultivation level, then they weren’t stronger than her. If she couldn’t, then the other party was undoubtedly a master not to be underestimated—it was best to avoid them if possible.
“Huh? Who is this?”
Shui Miao finally sensed the middle-aged Daoist. To his shock, his spiritual sense couldn’t discern the Daoist’s cultivation level.
The aura emanating from the middle-aged Daoist grew increasingly distinct.
Could he be from the immortal realm?
A thought struck Shui Miao, startling him. He quickly withdrew his spiritual sense.
“Shui Miao, something’s wrong! A powerful Daoist suddenly appeared in the carriage. I suspect he’s an immortal. Let’s hide for now. Be careful!” Bai Feng, bringing the black snake demon with her, teleported to Shui Miao’s side. Without waiting for his response, she immediately teleported off the train with the black snake demon and hid in a nearby forest.
“This is trouble!”
Shui Miao was filled with regret—he shouldn’t have acted on impulse and used his spiritual sense. But then, he suddenly calmed down and muttered to himself, “What am I doing? Didn’t the super powerful middle-aged scholar from beyond the Three Realms grant me five stone tablets? Why should I fear a mere Daoist? Even if he’s a minor immortal sent by the Yuxu Sect, he’s at most a scout. How strong could he be? Why not use the power of the five stone tablets to suppress him, then loot his belongings? He must have some valuable treasures!”
Shui Miao truly dared to think big. As a mere mortal, he was actually considering killing an immortal.
“Haha, where do you think you’re going, little demon!”
The middle-aged Daoist raised his sword and chased a fox spirit that had just escaped from the Demon Subduing Golden Bowl down the corridor.
Bai Feng had said that the Demon Subduing Golden Bowl could reduce the black snake demon to pus in just two hours, which was true. However, the bowl also had a subduing function. Monks, out of compassion, didn’t kill indiscriminately. Master Wubian enjoyed capturing demons but never killed them recklessly. He always subdued them in the Demon Subduing Golden Bowl, releasing them only after eradicating their evil nature. If Master Wubian fully activated the formation inside the bowl, he could kill any demon captured within it in just half an hour.
At that moment, Master Wubian suddenly stood angrily in the corridor, blocking the way with his Nine-Ringed Staff. He glared at the middle-aged Daoist and hurled the Demon Subduing Golden Bowl at him. The Daoist, caught off guard, quickly pierced the bowl with his sword and pointed at Master Wubian, demanding, “Old monk, why did you throw something at me?”
“Scoundrel! Damned evil Daoist, how dare you use evil magic to break the formation inside our temple’s treasured Demon Subduing Golden Bowl! Heaven may tolerate you, but I will not!” Master Wubian was furious. His spiritual sense told him that this suddenly appearing Daoist was the only one on the train with profound cultivation—who else could have broken the Golden Light Evil-Suppressing Formation inside the bowl? He waved his hand and ordered, “Seize this evil Daoist and make him compensate for the Demon Subduing Golden Bowl!”
At Master Wubian’s command, over twenty young monks in the carriage immediately moved into action, capturing the middle-aged Daoist.
Just as the Daoist was about to use magic to escape, Shui Miao entered the carriage.
The Daoist had come for Shui Miao, intending to approach him in mortal guise to gather information before capturing him.
Now that Shui Miao had appeared, he abandoned the idea of using immortal power.
“Damn evil Daoist, take this!”
While the Daoist was momentarily distracted, a young monk somehow produced a pair of women’s underwear and threw it onto the Daoist’s head. Women’s underwear was considered extremely unlucky, and the moment it touched him, the Daoist’s immortal power became chaotic. Even if he wanted to use immortal magic, he couldn’t.
Immediately afterward, fists and feet rained down on him like hail.
His sword was also seized by a monk and handed to Master Wubian.
Seeing Shui Miao close his eyes and fall silent, Bai Feng wisely shut her mouth too, deciding to personally check what changes had occurred to the demon-sealing golden bowl.
Shui Miao waited for more than half an hour, but there was still no sign of anything happening.
“Could it be that the Soul Devouring Force is useless?”
Shui Miao felt puzzled and somewhat anxious.
Soon, Bai Feng returned, her face glowing with barely contained excitement: “It seems we’ve stumbled upon another treasure!”
“What do you mean?” Shui Miao quickly sat up.
Bai Feng paused, “I can’t quite explain it yet. Let’s wait and see.”
With that, she vanished once again.
“…”
Shui Miao felt slightly awkward. Was she getting back at him for ignoring her earlier? Bai Feng was a female ghost hundreds of years old, yet she still acted like a young girl throwing a tantrum!
Inside the train carriage, it was very quiet, as many passengers had fallen asleep.
The girl in the miniskirt, suffering from a stomachache, thought she had caught a chill. She covered herself with a blanket and changed into a pair of long pants, curling up on the bunk bed as she endured the dull pain.
Because it was so quiet, Shui Miao didn’t want to disturb anyone by making a phone call.
“Alright then, let me try sensing things with my spiritual awareness.”
He muttered to himself. Because he feared being hunted by the Jade Void Sect from the Immortal Realm, he had been reluctant to use his spiritual senses. But now, he decided to use them briefly to check on the status of the Soul Devouring Force. Sitting cross-legged in meditation, Shui Miao spread his spiritual awareness and instantly sensed information across a wide area.
Inside the train, aside from all sorts of people, there were also many ghosts and spirits, as well as a few cultivators with some abilities.
Bai Feng couldn’t sense the nature of that tiny wisp of black energy, nor could she be entirely certain that the problem lay with it. She simply had an instinctual feeling that the black energy was suspicious. Beyond that, she couldn’t fathom why Shui Miao would say such things.
Shui Miao didn’t continue speaking.
He suddenly grew alert—he had already said too much in the heat of the moment.
That black energy was a small strand of Spirit-Devouring Force he had cultivated earlier. He wanted to use this opportunity to test whether the Spirit-Devouring Force could destroy the formation inside the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl. That was all. In his heart, he still held a sliver of hope regarding the millennium-old female ghost and the Spirit Commander, hoping they weren’t just using him as a pawn. Of course, being used as a pawn wasn’t without its benefits—at the very least, he could gain some assistance and learn a few things, like this Spirit-Devouring technique.
Seeing that Shui Miao had closed his eyes and stopped talking, Bai Feng tactfully fell silent and went to see for herself what changes had occurred in the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl.
Shui Miao waited for over half an hour, but there was still no movement whatsoever.
“Could it be that the Spirit-Devouring Force is useless?”
Shui Miao was puzzled and began to grow anxious.
Before long, Bai Feng returned, her face brimming with barely contained excitement: “It seems we’ve stumbled upon another treasure!”
“What do you mean?” Shui Miao quickly sat up.
Bai Feng paused. “I can’t quite explain it yet. Let’s wait and see.”
After saying this, Bai Feng vanished once again.
“…”
Shui Miao felt slightly embarrassed. Was she getting back at him for ignoring her earlier? This Bai Feng, a centuries-old female ghost, was acting like a petty young girl holding a grudge!
The train car was very quiet, with many people asleep.
The girl in the miniskirt, thinking her stomachache was due to catching a chill, had covered herself with a blanket, changed into a pair of long pants, and curled up on her berth, enduring the dull pain.
Because it was so quiet, Shui Miao didn’t want to disturb anyone by making a phone call.
“Alright, let me use my spiritual sense to check.”
Shui Miao muttered to himself. He had been afraid of being pursued by the Yuxu Sect from the immortal realm, so he hadn’t dared to use his spiritual sense until now. But at this moment, he wanted to use it briefly to check on the Spirit-Devouring Force. Sitting cross-legged in meditation, Shui Miao extended his spiritual sense and immediately sensed information from a large area.
Not only were there all kinds of people on the train, but there were also many ghosts and some cultivators with modest abilities.
In the carriage where the monks were, only the old monk, Master Wubian, possessed any spiritual power. Shui Miao could even sense that the spiritual power in his dantian was golden, though it was merely a mist-like golden spiritual energy—he hadn’t yet condensed and transformed the metal-element spiritual power. The Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl was held by a monk, wrapped in a blue cloth bag, with Bai Feng guarding nearby, waiting for changes inside the bowl. Master Wubian was meditating with his eyes closed, but his hand never left the Nine-Ringed Staff, as if afraid someone might snatch it away.
Wait…
As Shui Miao sensed further, he suddenly realized that the Nine-Ringed Staff was hollow inside, containing a very unique energy. This energy shared a common characteristic with the Wood Saint Spirit and the Yin Saint Spirit—it was exceptionally pure, yet impossible to see through. Could this be the Metal Saint Spirit?
Shui Miao found it hard to believe. According to the middle-aged scholar, Saint Spirit energy was the mother energy of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements, extremely rare. Some cultivators spent their entire lives searching for it without success. The probability of encountering Saint Spirit energy was incredibly low. Yet, shortly after learning of its existence, he had discovered one type after another. Was this merely a coincidence, or was there some other reason?
The word “conspiracy” flashed through Shui Miao’s mind.
Impossible. That middle-aged scholar was immensely powerful, a transcendent expert. With his current cultivation level, finding the Saint Spirit energy of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements would surely be easy for him. He had no reason to, nor would he deign to, use me for anything. In his eyes, I was at most a junior cultivator with decent luck and a sense of loyalty. Perhaps he had taken in many cultivators like me, nurturing us to follow him in accomplishing great deeds in the future. For such a transcendent expert to take notice of me was a blessing earned over several lifetimes. How could I doubt him? That was truly inexcusable.
Shui Miao cut short his doubts about the middle-aged scholar.
In that case, he had to find a way to obtain the Metal Saint Spirit inside the Nine-Ringed Staff.
Shui Miao himself possessed the Water Saint Spirit, the Dragon-Finding Ruler contained the Wood Saint Spirit, he had just obtained the Yin Saint Spirit from the Ghost Mother, and now he had discovered the Metal Saint Spirit. How could so many rare Saint Spirit energies be found in such a short time? He truly wondered if he had already obtained the Purple Saint Spirit long ago—otherwise, how could his luck be so good?
Another question lingered in Shui Miao’s mind: how exactly had he obtained his Water Saint Spirit?
※※※
Shrouded in many doubts, Shui Miao unconsciously delayed using his spiritual sense.
In one of the carriages, a young man in a white Daoist robe suddenly appeared without a sound. This young man was imposing and heroic, with a token hanging at his waist inscribed with the word “Lingxu.” He transformed into a middle-aged Daoist with a gaunt face, the token turning into a gourd of wine. Carrying a sword on his back and stroking his mustache, he smiled as he walked toward Master Wubian’s carriage.
Shui Miao, with his spiritual sense extended, did not notice this Daoist’s appearance.
Suddenly, Shui Miao sensed a surge of black energy erupting from the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl.
What was happening?
Shui Miao snapped back to attention and focused his spiritual sense, discovering that the formation inside the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl had suddenly broken. The strand of Spirit-Devouring Force he had unleashed had grown significantly stronger, expanding from the size of a grain of rice to that of a broad bean. Fierce ghosts and demons were escaping from the bowl, scattering in all directions.
Master Wubian suddenly opened his eyes and looked toward the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl.
At that moment, the young man, now transformed into a middle-aged Daoist, brandished his long sword and began slaying the demons and ghosts in the carriage.
Seeing the middle-aged Daoist, Bai Feng grabbed the black snake demon that had just escaped from the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl and quickly fled. As a female ghost who had existed in the mortal world for centuries, Bai Feng had her own survival rules. If she could sense the other party’s strength and cultivation level, then they were no match for her. If she couldn’t sense it, the other party was undoubtedly a master not to be underestimated—it was best to avoid them if possible.
“Huh? Who is this?”
Shui Miao finally sensed the middle-aged Daoist. To his shock, his spiritual sense couldn’t discern the Daoist’s strength or cultivation level.
The middle-aged Daoist’s energy grew increasingly distinct.
Could he be from the immortal realm?
A thought struck Shui Miao, startling him. He quickly withdrew his spiritual sense.
“Shui Miao, something’s wrong! A powerful Daoist suddenly appeared in the carriage. I suspect he’s an immortal. Let’s hide for now. Be careful yourself.” Bai Feng, bringing the black snake demon with her, teleported to Shui Miao’s location. Without waiting for his response, she immediately teleported off the train with the black snake demon and hid in a nearby forest.
“Trouble!”
Shui Miao was filled with regret. He shouldn’t have acted on impulse and used his spiritual sense. But then, he suddenly calmed down and muttered to himself, “What am I doing? Didn’t that super-powerful middle-aged scholar from beyond the Three Realms give me five stone tablets? Why should I fear some petty Daoist? Even if he’s a scout sent by the Yuxu Sect, how strong could he be? Why not use the power of the five stone tablets to suppress him, then loot his belongings? He must have some good treasures!”
Shui Miao truly dared to think big—as a mortal, he was actually considering killing an immortal.
“Haha, where do you think you’re going, little demon!”
The middle-aged Daoist raised his long sword and chased a fox spirit that had just escaped from the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl down the corridor.
Bai Feng had said that the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl could reduce the black snake demon to pus in just two hours, which was true. However, the bowl also had a suppressing function. As Buddhists, they compassionately avoided killing indiscriminately. Master Wubian enjoyed capturing demons but never killed them recklessly. He always suppressed evil spirits in the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl, releasing them only after eradicating their malicious nature. If Master Wubian fully activated the formation inside the bowl, he could kill any demon captured within it in just half an hour.
At that moment, Master Wubian suddenly stood up angrily, blocking the corridor with his Nine-Ringed Staff. He glared at the middle-aged Daoist and hurled the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl at him. The Daoist, caught off guard, quickly pierced the bowl with his sword and pointed at Master Wubian, demanding, “Old monk, why did you throw that at me?”
“Bastard! Damned evil Daoist, how dare you use evil magic to break the formation inside our temple’s treasured Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl! Heaven may tolerate you, but I will not!” Master Wubian was furious. His spiritual sense told him that this suddenly appearing Daoist was the only one on the train with profound magical power. Who else could have broken the Golden Yang Evil-Suppressing Formation inside the bowl? He waved his hand and ordered, “Seize this evil Daoist and make him pay for the damage to the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl.”
At Master Wubian’s command, over twenty young monks in the carriage immediately moved into action, capturing the middle-aged Daoist.
Just as the middle-aged Daoist was about to use magic to escape, Shui Miao entered the carriage.
The Daoist had come for Shui Miao, intending to approach him in mortal guise to gather information before capturing him.
Now that Shui Miao had appeared, he abandoned the idea of using immortal power.
“Damn evil Daoist, take this!”
While the middle-aged Daoist was momentarily distracted, a young monk produced a pair of women’s underwear from somewhere and threw it onto the Daoist’s head. Women’s underwear was considered extremely unlucky, and the moment it touched him, the immortal power inside the Daoist’s body became chaotic. Even if he wanted to use immortal magic, he couldn’t.
Immediately after, fists and feet rained down on him like hail.
His precious sword was also seized by a monk and handed to Master Wubian.
Wait a second…
Bai Feng couldn’t sense the nature of that tiny wisp of black energy, nor could she be entirely certain that the problem lay with it. She simply had an instinctual feeling that the black energy was suspicious. Beyond that, she couldn’t fathom why Shui Miao would say such things.
Shui Miao didn’t continue speaking.
He suddenly grew alert—he had already said too much in the heat of the moment.
That black energy was a small strand of Spirit-Devouring Force he had cultivated earlier. He wanted to use this opportunity to test whether the Spirit-Devouring Force could destroy the formation inside the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl. That was all. In his heart, he still held a sliver of hope regarding the millennium-old female ghost and the Spirit Commander, hoping they weren’t merely using him as a pawn. Of course, being used as a pawn wasn’t without its benefits—at the very least, he could gain some assistance and learn a few things, like this Spirit-Devouring technique.
Seeing that Shui Miao had closed his eyes and stopped talking, Bai Feng tactfully fell silent and went to see for herself what changes had occurred in the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl.
Shui Miao waited for over half an hour, but there was still no movement whatsoever.
“Could it be that the Spirit-Devouring Force is useless?”
Shui Miao was puzzled and began to grow anxious.
Before long, Bai Feng returned, her face brimming with barely contained excitement: “It seems we’ve stumbled upon another treasure!”
“What do you mean?” Shui Miao quickly sat up.
Bai Feng paused. “I can’t quite explain it yet. Let’s wait and see.”
After saying this, Bai Feng vanished again.
“…”
Shui Miao felt slightly embarrassed. Was she retaliating because he had ignored her earlier? This Bai Feng, despite being a centuries-old ghost, still acted like a petty girl holding a grudge!
The train car was very quiet, with many people asleep.
The girl in the miniskirt, thinking her stomachache was due to catching a chill, had covered herself with a blanket, changed into a pair of long pants, and curled up on her berth, enduring the dull pain.
Because it was so quiet, Shui Miao didn’t want to disturb anyone, so he refrained from making a phone call.
“Alright, let me use my spiritual sense to check.”
Shui Miao muttered to himself. He had been afraid to use his spiritual sense for fear of being pursued by the Yuxu Sect from the immortal realm. But now, he wanted to use it briefly to check on the Spirit-Devouring Force. Sitting cross-legged in meditation, Shui Miao extended his spiritual sense and instantly sensed information from a large area.
The train was filled not only with all kinds of people but also many ghosts and some cultivators with modest abilities.
In the carriage where the monks were, only the old monk, Master Wubian, possessed any spiritual power. Shui Miao could even sense that the spiritual power in his dantian was golden, though it was merely a mist-like golden spiritual energy—he hadn’t yet condensed and transformed the metal-element spiritual power. The Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl was held by a monk, wrapped in a blue cloth bag, with Bai Feng guarding nearby, waiting for changes inside the bowl. Master Wubian was meditating with his eyes closed, but his hand never left the Nine-Ringed Staff, as if afraid someone might snatch it away.
Wait…
As Shui Miao extended his senses, he suddenly realized that the Nine-Ringed Staff was hollow inside, concealing a very peculiar energy. This energy shared a common trait with the Wood Saint Spirit and the Yin Saint Spirit—it was exceptionally pure yet unfathomable. Could this be the Metal Saint Spirit?
Shui Miao found it hard to believe. According to the middle-aged scholar, Saint Spirit Energy was the mother energy of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements, extremely rare. Some cultivators spent their entire lives searching for it without success. The probability of encountering Saint Spirit Energy was incredibly low. Yet, shortly after learning of its existence, he had discovered one type after another. Was this merely a coincidence, or was there some other reason?
The word “conspiracy” flashed through Shui Miao’s mind.
Impossible. That middle-aged scholar was incredibly powerful, a transcendent expert. With his current cultivation level, finding the Saint Spirit Energy of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements would surely be easy for him. He had no reason to use me, nor would he stoop to such a thing. In his eyes, I was at most a minor cultivator with decent luck and a sense of loyalty. Perhaps he had taken in many cultivators like me, nurturing us to follow him in some great endeavor in the future. For such a transcendent expert to take notice of me was a blessing earned over multiple lifetimes. How could I doubt him? That was truly ungrateful.
Shui Miao cut short his suspicions about the middle-aged scholar.
In that case, he had to find a way to obtain the Metal Saint Spirit inside the Nine-Ringed Staff.
Shui Miao himself possessed the Water Saint Spirit, the Dragon-Finding Ruler contained the Wood Saint Spirit, he had just obtained the Yin Saint Spirit from the Ghost Mother, and now he had discovered the Metal Saint Spirit. How could so many rare Saint Spirit Energies appear in such a short time? He couldn’t help but wonder if he had already obtained the Purple Saint Spirit long ago—otherwise, how could his luck be so good?
Moreover, a question had always lingered in Shui Miao’s mind: how exactly had he obtained his Water Saint Spirit?
※※※
Preoccupied with these questions, Shui Miao unconsciously delayed using his spiritual sense.
In one of the carriages, a young man in a white Daoist robe suddenly appeared without a sound. He was imposing and exuded a heroic aura, with a token hanging from his waist inscribed with the word “Lingxu.” In a flash, he transformed into a middle-aged Daoist with a gaunt face. The token turned into a gourd of wine, and he carried a sword on his back. Stroking his mustache, he smiled and walked toward the carriage where Master Wubian was.
Shui Miao, with his spiritual sense extended, didn’t notice the Daoist’s appearance.
Suddenly, Shui Miao sensed a surge of black energy erupting from the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl.
What was happening?
Shui Miao snapped back to attention and focused his spiritual sense. He discovered that the formation inside the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl had suddenly broken. The strand of Spirit-Devouring Force he had unleashed had grown significantly stronger—originally the size of a grain of rice, it was now as large as a broad bean. Meanwhile, some fierce ghosts and demons had escaped from the bowl and were fleeing in all directions.
Master Wubian suddenly opened his eyes and looked toward the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl.
At that moment, the middle-aged Daoist, transformed from the young man, brandished his long sword and began slaying the demons and monsters right inside the carriage.
Seeing the middle-aged Daoist, Bai Feng grabbed the black snake demon that had just escaped from the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl and quickly fled. As a female ghost who had existed in the mortal world for centuries, Bai Feng had her own survival rules. If she could sense the other party’s cultivation level and strength, then they weren’t stronger than her. If she couldn’t sense it, then the other party was undoubtedly a master not to be underestimated—it was best to avoid them if possible.
“Hmm? Who is this?”
Shui Miao finally sensed the middle-aged Daoist. To his shock, his spiritual sense couldn’t detect the Daoist’s cultivation level.
The aura around the middle-aged Daoist grew increasingly distinct.
Could he be from the immortal realm?
A thought struck Shui Miao, startling him. He quickly withdrew his spiritual sense.
“Shui Miao, trouble! A powerful Daoist suddenly appeared in the carriage. I suspect he’s an immortal. Let’s hide for now. Be careful!” Bai Feng, bringing the black snake demon with her, teleported to Shui Miao’s side. Without waiting for his response, she immediately teleported off the train with the black snake demon and hid in a nearby forest.
“This is bad!”
Shui Miao was filled with regret. He shouldn’t have acted on impulse and used his spiritual sense. But then, he suddenly calmed down and muttered to himself, “What am I doing? Didn’t that super-powerful middle-aged scholar from beyond the Three Realms give me five stone tablets? Why should I fear some minor Daoist? Even if he’s a scout sent by the Yuxu Sect, how strong could he be? Why not use the power of the five stone tablets to suppress him, then loot his belongings? He must have some good treasures!”
Shui Miao truly dared to think big. As a mere mortal, he was actually considering killing an immortal.
“Haha, where do you think you’re going, little demon!”
The middle-aged Daoist raised his long sword and chased a fox spirit that had just escaped from the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl down the aisle.
What Bai Feng had said about the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl being able to reduce the black snake demon to pus in an hour was true. However, the bowl also had a subduing function. Monks, out of compassion, did not kill indiscriminately. Master Wubian enjoyed capturing demons but never killed them recklessly. He always subdued them in the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl, releasing them only after eradicating their evil nature. If Master Wubian fully activated the formation inside the bowl, he could kill any demon captured within half an hour.
At that moment, Master Wubian suddenly stood angrily in the aisle, holding the Nine-Ringed Staff. He glared at the middle-aged Daoist and hurled the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl at him. The Daoist, caught off guard, quickly pierced the bowl with his sword and pointed at Master Wubian, demanding, “Old monk, why did you throw something at me?”
“Scoundrel! Damned evil Daoist! How dare you use evil magic to break the formation inside our temple’s treasured Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl! Heaven may tolerate you, but I will not!” Master Wubian was furious. His spiritual sense told him that the only person on the train with profound cultivation was this suddenly appeared Daoist. Who else could have the ability to break the Golden Yang Killing Formation inside the bowl? He waved his hand and ordered, “Seize this evil Daoist and make him pay for the damage to the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl!”
At Master Wubian’s command, over twenty young monks in the carriage immediately moved into action, capturing the middle-aged Daoist.
Just as the Daoist was about to use magic to escape, Shui Miao entered the carriage.
The Daoist had come for Shui Miao, intending to approach him in mortal guise to gather information before capturing him.
Now that Shui Miao had appeared, he abandoned the idea of using immortal power.
“Damn evil Daoist, take this!”
While the middle-aged Daoist was momentarily distracted, a young monk produced a pair of women’s underwear from somewhere and threw it onto the Daoist’s head. Women’s underwear was considered extremely unlucky, and the moment it touched him, the immortal power inside the Daoist’s body became chaotic. Even if he wanted to use immortal magic, he couldn’t.
Immediately afterward, fists and feet rained down on him like hail.
His precious sword was also seized by a monk and handed to Master Wubian.
Shui Miao was astounded. According to what the middle-aged scholar had said, Sage Spirits were the primordial essence of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements, extremely rare. Some cultivators spent their entire lives searching in vain for them. The odds of encountering such a spirit were incredibly low. Yet, ever since he had learned of the existence of Sage Spirits, he had repeatedly stumbled upon one after another. Was this really just a coincidence, or was there some other reason?
The word “conspiracy” flashed through Shui Miao’s mind.
Impossible. The middle-aged scholar was so powerful, a true hermit of great cultivation. For him, finding Sage Spirits of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements must be very easy. He had no reason or motive to use me. To him, I’m probably just a minor cultivator with decent fortune and a bit of righteousness. He might have gathered many such cultivators like me, nurturing us to assist him in great endeavors. The fact that such a hermit regards me as worthy is a blessing I must have earned over countless lifetimes. How could I even dare to doubt him? That was truly unworthy of me.
Shui Miao quickly dismissed his suspicions about the middle-aged scholar.
Bai Feng couldn’t sense the nature of that tiny wisp of dark energy, nor could she be entirely certain that the problem lay with it. She simply had an instinctual feeling that the dark energy was suspicious. Beyond that, she couldn’t fathom why Shui Miao would say such things.
Shui Miao didn’t continue speaking.
He suddenly grew alert—he had already said too much in the heat of the moment.
That dark energy was a small strand of Spirit-Devouring Force he had cultivated earlier. He wanted to use this opportunity to test whether the Spirit-Devouring Force could destroy the formation inside the Golden Alms Bowl of Demon Subjugation. That was all. In his heart, he still held a sliver of hope regarding the millennium-old female ghost and the Spirit Commander, wishing they weren’t merely using him as a pawn. Of course, being used as a pawn wasn’t without its benefits—at the very least, he could gain some assistance and learn a few things, like this Spirit-Devouring technique.
Seeing that Shui Miao had closed his eyes and stopped talking, Bai Feng tactfully fell silent and went to see for herself what changes had occurred in the Golden Alms Bowl of Demon Subjugation.
Shui Miao waited for over half an hour, but there was still no movement whatsoever.
“Could it be that the Spirit-Devouring Force is useless?”
Shui Miao was puzzled and began to grow anxious.
Before long, Bai Feng returned, her face brimming with barely contained excitement: “It seems we’ve stumbled upon another treasure!”
“What do you mean?” Shui Miao quickly sat up.
Bai Feng paused. “I can’t quite explain it yet. Let’s wait and see.”
After saying this, Bai Feng vanished once again.
“…”
Shui Miao felt slightly embarrassed. Was she getting back at him for ignoring her earlier? This Bai Feng—a centuries-old female ghost—was actually acting like a petty young girl!
The train car was very quiet, with many people asleep.
The girl in the miniskirt, thinking her stomachache was due to a chill, had covered herself with a blanket, changed into a pair of long pants, and curled up on her berth, enduring the dull pain.
Because it was so quiet, Shui Miao didn’t want to disturb anyone by making a phone call.
“Alright, let me use my spiritual sense to check.”
Shui Miao muttered to himself. Worried about being pursued by the Yuxu Sect from the immortal realm, he had been avoiding using his spiritual sense. But now, he wanted to use it briefly to check on the Spirit-Devouring Force. Sitting cross-legged in meditation, Shui Miao extended his spiritual sense and instantly sensed information from a large area.
The train was filled not only with all kinds of people but also many ghosts and some cultivators with modest abilities.
In the carriage where the monks were, only the old monk, Master Wubian, possessed any spiritual power. Shui Miao could even sense that the spiritual power in his dantian was golden, though it was merely a mist-like golden energy—he hadn’t yet condensed and refined it into metal-element spiritual power. The Golden Alms Bowl of Demon Subjugation was held by a monk, wrapped in a blue cloth bag, with Bai Feng standing guard nearby, waiting for changes inside the bowl. Master Wubian was meditating with his eyes closed, but his hand never left the Nine-Ringed Staff, as if afraid someone might snatch it away.
Wait…
As Shui Miao extended his senses, he suddenly realized that the Nine-Ringed Staff was hollow inside, concealing a very peculiar energy. This energy shared a common trait with the Wood Saint Spirit and the Yin Saint Spirit—it was exceptionally pure yet unfathomable. Could this be the Metal Saint Spirit?
Shui Miao found it hard to believe. According to the middle-aged scholar, Saint Spirit energy was the primordial energy of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements, extremely rare. Some cultivators spent their entire lives searching for it without success, and the chances of encountering it were incredibly low. Yet, shortly after learning of its existence, he had discovered one type after another. Was this merely a coincidence, or was there some other reason?
The word “conspiracy” flashed through Shui Miao’s mind.
Impossible. That middle-aged scholar was incredibly powerful, a transcendent expert. With his current cultivation level, finding the Saint Spirits of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements would surely be easy for him. He had no reason to use me, nor would he stoop to it. In his eyes, I was probably just a minor cultivator with decent luck and a sense of loyalty. Perhaps he had taken in many cultivators like me, nurturing us to join him in some great endeavor in the future. For such a transcendent expert to take notice of me was a blessing earned over multiple lifetimes. How could I doubt him? That was truly ungrateful.
Shui Miao dismissed his suspicions about the middle-aged scholar.
In that case, he had to find a way to obtain the Metal Saint Spirit inside the Nine-Ringed Staff.
Shui Miao already possessed the Water Saint Spirit, the Dragon-Finding Ruler contained the Wood Saint Spirit, he had just obtained the Yin Saint Spirit from the Ghost Mother, and now he had discovered the Metal Saint Spirit. To encounter so many rare Saint Spirits in such a short time made him wonder if he had already obtained the Purple Saint Spirit long ago. Otherwise, how could his luck be so good?
Moreover, Shui Miao had always harbored a question: how exactly had he obtained his Water Saint Spirit?
※※※
Preoccupied with these questions, Shui Miao unconsciously delayed using his spiritual sense.
In one of the carriages, a young man in a white Taoist robe suddenly appeared without a sound. He was imposing and exuded an aura of heroic vigor, with a token hanging from his waist inscribed with the word “Lingxu.” In an instant, he transformed into a middle-aged Taoist with a gaunt face, the token turning into a gourd of wine. Carrying a sword on his back and stroking his mustache, he smiled as he walked toward Master Wubian’s carriage.
Shui Miao, with his spiritual sense extended, didn’t notice the Taoist’s appearance.
Suddenly, Shui Miao sensed a surge of dark energy erupting from the Golden Alms Bowl of Demon Subjugation.
What was happening?
Snapping back to attention, Shui Miao focused his spiritual sense and discovered that the formation inside the Golden Alms Bowl had suddenly broken. The Spirit-Devouring Force he had unleashed had grown significantly stronger, expanding from the size of a grain of rice to that of a broad bean. Fierce ghosts and demons were now escaping from the bowl, scattering in all directions.
Master Wubian suddenly opened his eyes and looked toward the Golden Alms Bowl.
At that moment, the young man disguised as a middle-aged Taoist brandished his sword and began slaying the demons and monsters in the carriage.
Seeing the middle-aged Taoist, Bai Feng grabbed the black snake demon that had just escaped from the Golden Alms Bowl and quickly fled. As a female ghost who had existed in the mortal world for centuries, Bai Feng had her own survival rules. If she could sense the other party’s cultivation level, then they weren’t stronger than her. If she couldn’t, then the other party was undoubtedly a master not to be underestimated—it was best to avoid them if possible.
“Huh? Who is this?”
Shui Miao finally sensed the middle-aged Taoist but was shocked to find that he couldn’t discern the Taoist’s cultivation level.
The Taoist’s aura grew increasingly distinct.
Could he be from the immortal realm?
A thought struck Shui Miao, startling him. He quickly withdrew his spiritual sense.
“Shui Miao, trouble! A powerful Taoist suddenly appeared in the carriage. I suspect he’s an immortal. Let’s hide for now. Be careful!” Bai Feng, carrying the black snake demon, teleported to Shui Miao’s side. Without waiting for a response, she immediately teleported off the train with the black snake demon and hid in a nearby forest.
“This is bad!”
Shui Miao was filled with regret. He shouldn’t have acted on impulse and used his spiritual sense. But then, he suddenly calmed down and muttered to himself, “What am I doing? Didn’t that super-powerful middle-aged scholar from beyond the Three Realms give me five stone tablets? Why should I fear some minor Taoist? Even if he’s a scout sent by the Yuxu Sect, how strong could he be? Why not use the power of the five stone tablets to crush him and then loot his belongings? He must have some good treasures!”
Shui Miao truly dared to think big—as a mortal, he was actually considering killing an immortal.
“Haha, where do you think you’re going, little demon!”
The middle-aged Taoist raised his sword and chased a fox spirit that had just escaped from the Golden Alms Bowl down the aisle.
Bai Feng had claimed that the Golden Alms Bowl could reduce the black snake demon to pus within an hour, which was true. However, the bowl also had a subduing function. As Buddhists, they cherished all life and avoided unnecessary killing. Master Wubian enjoyed capturing demons but never killed them indiscriminately. He always subdued them in the Golden Alms Bowl, releasing them only after eradicating their malicious nature. If Master Wubian fully activated the formation inside the bowl, he could destroy any demon captured within half an hour.
At that moment, Master Wubian suddenly stood angrily in the aisle, blocking the way with his Nine-Ringed Staff. He glared at the middle-aged Taoist and hurled the Golden Alms Bowl at him. The Taoist, caught off guard, quickly pierced the bowl with his sword and pointed at Master Wubian, demanding, “Old monk, why are you throwing things at me?”
“You scoundrel! Damned evil Taoist! How dare you use dark magic to break the formation inside our temple’s treasured Golden Alms Bowl of Demon Subjugation! Heaven may tolerate you, but I will not!” Master Wubian was furious. With his spiritual sense, he could tell that the only person on the train with profound cultivation was this suddenly appearing Taoist. Who else could have broken the Golden Yang Evil-Suppressing Formation inside the bowl? He waved his hand and ordered, “Seize this evil Taoist and make him pay for the damage to the Golden Alms Bowl!”
Following Master Wubian’s command, over twenty young monks in the carriage immediately moved into action, capturing the middle-aged Taoist.
Just as the Taoist was about to use magic to escape, Shui Miao entered the carriage.
The Taoist had come for Shui Miao, intending to approach him in mortal guise to gather information before capturing him.
Now that Shui Miao had appeared, he abandoned the idea of using immortal power.
“You evil Taoist, take this!”
While the Taoist was momentarily distracted, a young monk produced a pair of women’s underwear from somewhere and threw it onto the Taoist’s head. Women’s underwear was considered highly unlucky, and the moment it touched him, the Taoist’s immortal power became chaotic, making it impossible for him to cast any spells.
Immediately after, fists and feet rained down on him like a storm.
His sword was also seized by a monk and handed to Master Wubian.
Shui Miao himself possessed the Water Sage Spirit. The Fengshui Ruler contained the Wood Sage Spirit, and he had recently acquired the Yin Sage Spirit from the Ghost Mother. Now, he had discovered the Metal Sage Spirit as well. In such a short time, he had encountered so many of these extremely rare Sage Spirits. He couldn’t help but wonder if he had unknowingly already obtained the Purple Sage Spirit long ago. Otherwise, how could his luck be so good?
Another lingering question in Shui Miao’s heart was how exactly he had obtained the Water Sage Spirit in the first place.
※※※
Caught in many doubts, Shui Miao unconsciously extended the time he spent using his spiritual senses.
Suddenly and silently, a young man in a white Taoist robe appeared inside one of the train compartments. The young man was dignified and impressive, with a token hanging at his waist marked with the characters Ling Xu. With a wave of his hand, he transformed into a thin-faced middle-aged Taoist priest. The token changed into a gourd of wine, and slung over his back was a sword. Stroking his mustache, he smiled and headed toward the carriage where Master Wubian was seated.
Shui Miao, with his spiritual senses spread out, failed to detect the Taoist’s arrival.
Suddenly, Shui Miao sensed a large amount of black qi erupting from the demon-sealing golden bowl.
What was going on?
Shui Miao snapped back to focus and sensed the situation. He discovered that the formation inside the demon-sealing golden bowl had suddenly collapsed. The Soul Devouring Force he had previously injected had grown significantly stronger. What was once only the size of a grain of rice had now expanded to the size of a soybean. At the same time, some vicious ghosts and demons were escaping from the bowl, scattering in all directions.
Master Wubian suddenly opened his eyes and looked toward the golden bowl.
At that moment, the middle-aged Taoist, who had transformed from the youth, swung his sword and began slaying the demons and spirits within the carriage.
Seeing the middle-aged Taoist, Bai Feng grabbed the black snake demon that had just escaped from the golden bowl and quickly dodged away. Bai Feng, a female ghost who had survived in the human world for centuries, naturally had her own survival rules. If she could sense an opponent’s strength, she would fight. If she couldn’t sense it, the opponent was definitely a formidable expert, and she should avoid confrontation if possible.
“Hmm? Who is this again?”
Shui Miao finally sensed the middle-aged Taoist, but his spiritual senses failed to detect the man’s true power. This startled Shui Miao greatly.
The middle-aged Taoist’s aura was becoming increasingly apparent.
Could he be from the Immortal Realm?
Shui Miao suddenly had a thought and was alarmed. He quickly withdrew his spiritual senses.
“Shui Miao, it’s bad! A powerful Taoist suddenly appeared in the carriage. I suspect he’s an immortal. We should hide for now. Be careful on your own,” Bai Feng said as she and the black snake demon vanished and reappeared beside Shui Miao. Without waiting for Shui Miao’s response, she immediately disappeared with the snake demon, hiding in a nearby forest.
“Trouble!”
Shui Miao immediately regretted his impulsive use of spiritual senses. But then, he suddenly calmed himself and muttered in his mind: “What am I so afraid of? Don’t I have the Five Talisman Tablets granted by that supreme expert from beyond the Three Realms, the middle-aged scholar? Why should I fear this little Taoist? Even if he’s a minor immortal sent by the Jade Void Sect, he’s probably just a scout. How strong could he possibly be? Why not use the power of the Five Talisman Tablets to kill him and loot whatever treasures he has on him!”
Shui Miao was bold indeed, daring to covet treasures from an immortal while still a mortal himself.
“Haha! Where are you running, little demon!”
The middle-aged Taoist raised his sword and chased after a fox spirit that had just escaped from the demon-sealing golden bowl.
Bai Feng had said that the golden bowl would dissolve the black snake demon into a puddle of liquid within an hour, and that was true. However, the golden bowl also served to suppress demons. As a monk, Master Wubian was compassionate and refrained from killing wantonly. While he liked capturing demons, he never killed them recklessly. Instead, he always sealed the evil spirits inside the golden bowl, releasing them only after their malevolence had been cleansed. If Master Wubian fully activated the formation inside the golden bowl, he could kill any demon sealed within in just half an hour.
Bai Feng couldn’t sense the nature of that tiny wisp of dark energy, nor could she be entirely certain that the problem lay with it. She just instinctively felt there was something wrong with the dark energy—aside from that, she couldn’t fathom why Shui Miao would say such things.
Shui Miao didn’t continue.
He suddenly grew alert, realizing he had already said too much in the heat of the moment.
That dark energy was a small strand of Spirit-Devouring Force he had cultivated earlier. He wanted to use this opportunity to test whether the Spirit-Devouring Force could destroy the formation inside the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl—that was all. In his heart, he still held a sliver of hope regarding the millennium-old female ghost and the Spirit Commander, hoping they weren’t just using him as a pawn. Of course, being used as a pawn wasn’t without its benefits; at the very least, he could gain some help and learn a few things, like this Spirit-Devouring technique.
Seeing Shui Miao close his eyes and fall silent, Bai Feng tactfully stopped talking and went to see for herself what changes had occurred in the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl.
Shui Miao waited for over half an hour, but there was still no movement whatsoever.
“Could it be that the Spirit-Devouring Force is useless?”
Shui Miao was puzzled and began to grow anxious.
Before long, Bai Feng returned, her face brimming with barely contained excitement: “It seems we’ve stumbled upon another treasure!”
“What do you mean?” Shui Miao quickly sat up.
Bai Feng paused. “I can’t quite explain it clearly yet. Let’s wait and see.”
After saying this, Bai Feng vanished once again.
“…”
Shui Miao felt slightly embarrassed. Was she getting back at him for ignoring her earlier? This Bai Feng—a centuries-old ghost—still acted like a petty young girl holding a grudge!
The train car was very quiet, with many people asleep.
The girl in the miniskirt, thinking her stomachache was due to catching a chill, had covered herself with a blanket, changed into a pair of long pants, and curled up on her berth, enduring the dull pain.
Because it was so quiet, Shui Miao didn’t want to disturb anyone by making a phone call.
“Alright, let me use my spiritual sense to check.”
Shui Miao muttered to himself. Worried about being pursued by the Jade Void Sect from the immortal realm, he had been avoiding using his spiritual sense. But now, he decided to use it just a little to check on the Spirit-Devouring Force. Sitting cross-legged in meditation, Shui Miao extended his spiritual sense and instantly sensed a vast amount of information from the surrounding area.
Not only were there all kinds of people on the train, but also many ghosts and some cultivators with modest abilities.
In the carriage where the monks were, only the old monk, Master Wubian, possessed any spiritual power. Shui Miao could even sense that the spiritual power in his dantian was golden, though it was still just a mist-like golden spiritual energy—he hadn’t yet condensed and refined it into metal-element spiritual power. The Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl was being held by a monk, wrapped in a blue cloth bag, with Bai Feng standing guard nearby, waiting for changes to occur inside the bowl. Master Wubian was meditating with his eyes closed, but his hand never left the Nine-Ringed Staff, as if afraid someone might snatch it away.
Wait…
As Shui Miao extended his senses, he suddenly realized that the Nine-Ringed Staff was hollow inside, concealing a very peculiar energy. This energy shared a common trait with the Wood Saint Spirit and the Yin Saint Spirit—it was exceptionally pure, yet impossible to fully comprehend. Could this be the Metal Saint Spirit?
Shui Miao found it hard to believe. According to the middle-aged scholar, Saint Spirit energy was the primal energy of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements, extremely rare. Some cultivators spent their entire lives searching for it without success, and the chances of encountering Saint Spirit energy were incredibly low. Yet, shortly after learning of its existence, Shui Miao had discovered one type after another. Was this merely a coincidence, or was there some other reason?
The word “conspiracy” flashed through Shui Miao’s mind.
Impossible. That middle-aged scholar was incredibly powerful, a transcendent expert. With his current cultivation level, finding the Saint Spirit energy of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements would surely be easy for him. He had no reason to, nor would he bother, to use someone like me. In his eyes, I’m probably just a minor cultivator with decent luck and a sense of loyalty. Perhaps he had taken in many cultivators like me, nurturing us to follow him in accomplishing great deeds in the future. For such a transcendent expert to take notice of me was a blessing earned over several lifetimes. How could I doubt him? That was truly inexcusable.
Shui Miao cut short his suspicions about the middle-aged scholar.
In that case, he had to find a way to obtain the Metal Saint Spirit inside the Nine-Ringed Staff.
Shui Miao already possessed the Water Saint Spirit, the Dragon-Finding Ruler contained the Wood Saint Spirit, and he had just obtained the Yin Saint Spirit from the Ghost Mother. Now, he had discovered the Metal Saint Spirit. To encounter so many rare Saint Spirit energies in such a short time made him wonder if he had already obtained the Purple Saint Spirit long ago—otherwise, how could his luck be so good?
Moreover, Shui Miao had always harbored a question: how exactly had he obtained his Water Saint Spirit?
※※※
Shui Miao, entangled by many doubts, unconsciously delayed using his spiritual sense.
In one of the carriages, a young man in white Taoist robes suddenly appeared without a sound. He was imposing and exuded a heroic aura, with a token hanging from his waist inscribed with the word “Lingxu.” In a flash, he transformed into a middle-aged Taoist with a lean face. The token turned into a gourd of wine, and he carried a sword on his back. Stroking his mustache, he smiled and walked toward the carriage where Master Wubian was.
Shui Miao, with his spiritual sense extended, didn’t notice the Taoist’s appearance.
Suddenly, Shui Miao sensed a surge of dark energy erupting from the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl.
What’s going on?
Shui Miao snapped back to attention and focused his spiritual sense, discovering that the formation inside the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl had suddenly broken. The Spirit-Devouring Force he had unleashed had grown significantly stronger—originally the size of a grain of rice, it was now as large as a broad bean. Fierce ghosts and demons were escaping from the bowl, scattering in all directions.
Master Wubian suddenly opened his eyes and looked urgently at the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl.
At that moment, the young man disguised as a middle-aged Taoist brandished his sword and began slaying the demons and ghosts right inside the carriage.
Seeing the middle-aged Taoist, Bai Feng grabbed the black snake demon that had just escaped from the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl and quickly fled. As a female ghost who had existed in the mortal world for centuries, Bai Feng had her own survival rules: if she could sense the other party’s strength and cultivation level, then they weren’t stronger than her. If she couldn’t sense it, then the other party was undoubtedly a master not to be underestimated—it was best to avoid them if possible.
“Huh? Who is this?”
Shui Miao finally sensed the middle-aged Taoist. When his spiritual sense reached out, he couldn’t detect the Taoist’s strength or cultivation level, which shocked him.
The aura around the middle-aged Taoist grew increasingly distinct.
Could he be from the immortal realm?
A thought struck Shui Miao, startling him. He quickly withdrew his spiritual sense.
“Shui Miao, trouble! A powerful Taoist suddenly appeared in the carriage. I suspect he’s an immortal. Let’s hide for now. Be careful!” Bai Feng, bringing the black snake demon with her, flashed to Shui Miao’s side. Without waiting for his response, she immediately teleported off the train with the black snake demon and hid in a nearby forest.
“This is bad!”
Shui Miao was filled with regret—he shouldn’t have acted on impulse and used his spiritual sense. But then, he suddenly calmed down and muttered to himself, “What am I doing? Didn’t that super-powerful middle-aged scholar from beyond the Three Realms give me five stone tablets? Why should I fear some minor Taoist? Even if he’s a scout sent by the Jade Void Sect, how strong could he be? Why not use the power of the five stone tablets to suppress him, then loot his belongings? He must have some good treasures!”
Shui Miao truly dared to think—as a mortal, he was actually considering killing an immortal.
“Haha, where do you think you’re running, little demon!”
The middle-aged Taoist raised his sword and chased a fox spirit that had just escaped from the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl down the corridor.
Bai Feng had said that the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl could turn the black snake demon into pus within two hours, which was true. However, the bowl also had a subduing function. Monks, compassionate by nature, did not kill indiscriminately. Master Wubian enjoyed capturing demons but never killed them recklessly. He always subdued them in the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl, releasing them only after their malicious nature had been worn away. If Master Wubian fully activated the formation inside the bowl, he could kill any demon captured within it in just half an hour.
At that moment, Master Wubian suddenly stood angrily in the corridor, holding the Nine-Ringed Staff. He glared at the middle-aged Taoist and hurled the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl at him. The Taoist, caught off guard, quickly pierced the bowl with his sword and pointed at Master Wubian, demanding, “Old monk, why did you throw something at me?”
“Scoundrel! Damned demonic Taoist! How dare you use evil magic to break the formation inside our temple’s treasured Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl! Heaven may tolerate you, but I will not!” Master Wubian was furious. His spiritual sense told him that this suddenly appearing Taoist was the only one on the train with profound spiritual power—who else could have broken the Golden Yang Evil-Suppressing Formation inside the bowl? He waved his hand and ordered, “Seize this demonic Taoist and make him pay for the damage to the Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl!”
At Master Wubian’s command, more than twenty young monks in the carriage immediately moved into action, capturing the middle-aged Taoist.
Just as the Taoist was about to use magic to escape, Shui Miao entered the carriage.
The Taoist had come for Shui Miao, intending to approach him in mortal guise to gather information before capturing him.
Now that Shui Miao had appeared, he abandoned the idea of using immortal power.
“Damn demonic Taoist, take this!”
While the Taoist was momentarily distracted, a young monk produced a pair of women’s underwear from somewhere and threw it over the Taoist’s head. Women’s underwear was considered extremely unlucky, and the moment it touched him, the Taoist’s immortal power became chaotic. Even if he wanted to use immortal techniques, he couldn’t.
Immediately after, fists and feet rained down on him like a storm.
His precious sword was also seized by a monk and handed over to Master Wubian.
“Scoundrel! Wicked Taoist! You dared to use evil techniques to break the formation inside our temple’s treasure—the demon-sealing golden bowl! Today, even if heaven may forgive you, I will not!” Master Wubian was furious. His spiritual senses told him that among all the passengers on the train, only this sudden intruder possessed high spiritual power. Who else could have broken the golden bowl’s Golden Qi Killing Formation? Without hesitation, Master Wubian waved his hand and commanded, “Seize this evil Taoist and make him pay for the damage!”
At Master Wubian’s command, more than twenty young monks in the carriage leapt into action and immediately grabbed the middle-aged Taoist.
The Taoist was about to use his immortal powers to escape when Shui Miao entered the carriage.
He had come for Shui Miao, planning to approach him in disguise, gather some intelligence, and then capture him.
Now that Shui Miao had appeared, he immediately abandoned his plan to use immortal power.
“You wicked Taoist! Take that!”
As the middle-aged Taoist hesitated, a young monk suddenly appeared from nowhere, wielding a woman’s underwear and striking the Taoist across the head with it. The underwear was extremely inauspicious, and the blow caused the Taoist’s immortal energy to become chaotic. He couldn’t even begin to use his immortal techniques.
Immediately afterward, punches and kicks rained down on him.
His sword was seized by another monk and handed over to Master Wubian.
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