Chapter 217: The Ruins

The Mount Mao Daoist’s primordial spirit Dharma form was arrogant beyond comparison.

A sea of crimson flame surged toward Li Yanchu! Using the Flight Technique granted by his primordial spirit’s Dharma form to attack Li Yanchu on the ground was the perfect strategy to him. He believed he had already secured an unshakable advantage.

But suddenly, a powerful surge of pure yang energy erupted into the air. Within the blazing sea of fire, a figure emerged. He wore armor etched with the aura of lightning and flame, his frame tall and commanding, exuding a wild and tyrannical might. His eyes were cold as ice.

It was none other than Li Yanchu, now fully unleashing the talismanic armor! At this moment, his blood and qi surged like a blazing sun.

The Daoist’s primordial spirit Dharma form, cloaked in flame, suddenly expanded to over twenty zhang in height. Battles between primordial spirits happened in the blink of an eye, and everything was lightning fast.

And at such an altitude, there was no fear of anyone reaching them from the ground.

𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

But, a flicker of disbelief appeared in the Mount Mao Daoist’s eyes. Li Yanchu’s figure was growing larger in his vision, and he was coming closer and closer.

Clang!

A brilliant saber light suddenly burst forth.

Boom!

The primordial spirit Dharma form forged from the Southern Heaven Crimson Flame was instantly obliterated. It was reduced to ashes and completely annihilated.

Li Yanchu stood clad in pure yang talismanic armor, wielding the Jiaoslayer that had been thrice-enhanced. He looked like a celestial divine warrior descended from the Celestial Court.

Ding Rou covered her mouth in shock, hardly able to believe her eyes. This scene had completely shattered everything she thought she knew!

Fellow Daoist Li... is... flying!?

Boom!

Then, Li Yanchu slammed into the ground like a falling meteor. Thousand-Jin Drop!

He landed directly on top of Zhu Fugui, and the impact created a massive crater in the earth, with shockwaves rippling outward like waves in water. The ground quaked, and the mountains trembled. Zhu Fugui was utterly crushed and killed on the spot!

Just as Ding Rou thought that everything was finally over, a faint, illusory figure slowly emerged from within the pit. It was a fierce and terrifying beast, its aura surging violently into the sky. It was a remnant soul fragment of Zhu Fugui!

Li Yanchu’s fighting spirit surged even higher, his expression growing even colder. "A demon was planted in the Dao heart! This must be tied to the demonic forces lurking in the Blissful Land of Mount Jinting!"

The vicious boar-shaped phantom soared into the sky with overwhelming momentum and charged at him in a savage, unstoppable attack.

Slash!

Li Yanchu struck out with all his might.

The phantom couldn’t withstand the saber's blazing pure yang force; it was instantly torn apart and obliterated by the saber qi!

"Hm?" Li Yanchu frowned slightly.

The phantom wasn’t invincible. Its strength was roughly the same as Zhu Fugui's just before his death. Perhaps because it was merely a heart demon buried deep in the soul, it lacked true power. Or perhaps this was just one of the many incarnations of that demonic entity.

Li Yanchu withdrew the talismanic armor, concealing it within his body. The surging blood and qi within him, blazing like a raging furnace, gradually calmed.

From killing these two individuals, he had earned a total of 13,000 merit points.

He had already realized that his body, tempered by the immortal's fruit, was becoming increasingly fused with the Daoist divine artifact, the talismanic armor. This allowed him to unleash even greater power.

With the situation here resolved, he and Ding Rou continued ascending the immortal mountain. The Jiaoslayer hung at his waist, while faded, dried bloodstains clung to his robes.

There was no sign of the awe-inspiring, heavenly warrior who had just vanquished demons moments ago. Now, he looked like nothing more than an ordinary wandering swordsman.

Ding Rou, however, was deeply shaken.

Back on the boat, she had seen Li Yanchu retrieve a magical artifact out of thin air. She thought he was using an advanced transport technique, or some celestial ability to summon objects across space. Even then, she had already been impressed by his methods.

“He can summon objects from a distance, ride the clouds, and soar through the sky...” She stared at Li Yanchu’s back. “Such a young immortal...”

If not for the fact that his fighting style didn’t resemble that of a traditional Daoist, as he was more ruthless and sharp-edged like that of a deadly

jianghu

martial artist, Ding Rou would have thought Li Yanchu carried even more of that immortal aura.

She couldn’t help but glance at him again, and suddenly, a strange emotion stirred in her heart. With his handsome features and tall, commanding frame, Li Yanchu’s appearance alone was enough to attract women’s affection.

Even though he now restrained his presence and appeared plain and unremarkable, having witnessed his divine and domineering might with her own eyes, it only elevated his image in her heart.

There were no more corpses or slain cultivators along the mountain path, but there were still clear signs of battle. Cracked boulders, shattered cliffs, and deep craters scarred the ground.

“Astral saber qi... Buddhist Great Hand Seal... and long pears...” Ding Rou examined the traces carefully, calmly analyzing as she spoke.

Li Yanchu gave a slight nod. "Just what happened here, to make all these people join forces?"

A veil of confusion still hung over both of their hearts.

Suddenly, a strange, piercing baby's cry rang out, sounding shrill and unsettling.

It echoed right beside their ears, as if the sound came from something clinging tightly to their backs, its mouth pressed close to their faces.

Only this time, even after the two of them had reached the Daoist temple hall atop the mountain, the owner of that eerie cry still had not appeared.

Things remained oddly peaceful.

Standing before the palace, Li Yanchu couldn’t help but feel deep admiration for the predecessors who once resided in this Blissful Land. They had actually managed to construct a Daoist temple hall of such grandeur and scale!

"No wonder this place is the Blissful Land of Mount Jinting, guarded by a Land Immortal," Li Yanchu praised.

This Daoist temple hall was far larger than any he had ever seen. Even the largest palace he'd stayed in before paled in comparison to this mountaintop structure.

And yet, much of this vast immortal hall had already fallen into ruin. It seemed to have been forcibly destroyed by some colossal creature!

"Fellow Daoist Li, look over there, what is that!?" Ding Rou’s expression shifted slightly.

Li Yanchu followed her gaze and frowned. On one side of the palace ruins, there was a faint but massive imprint. It looked like a palm print!?

Li Yanchu said, "If that really is a palm print, then whoever left it must be large enough to rival a mountain in size."

Ding Rou sighed. "It’s hard to imagine just how catastrophic the disaster must have been when Mount Jinting’s Blissful Land was attacked..."

Li Yanchu’s gaze swept across the vast, ruined relic before them. "Could there really still be immortal fortune in a place like this?"

If Mount Jinting’s Blissful Land had merely gone into seclusion and vanished from the world... Then for such a vast immortal Daoist site, the likelihood of immortal fortune existing here would be extremely high.

There might even be a Land Immortal’s legacy left behind.

But, now that the Blissful Land of Mount Jinting had suffered such a rare and catastrophic battle, reduced to ruin... Not even a trace remained of the Daoist predecessors who once lived here. Only a few surviving rare spirit flowers and fruits, and the occasional divine artifact, hinted at the former splendor of this immortal stronghold.

Ding Rou spoke softly, “Didn’t the ferryman say something about immortal fortune and the Fusang Tree?”

Li Yanchu shook his head. “Even if what he said is true, that doesn’t necessarily mean the immortal fortune lies within these ruins.”

Ding Rou looked puzzled. She turned slightly, casting a glance at him. Her bright, gentle eyes focused on Li Yanchu.

Li Yanchu said slowly, “The so-called ‘immortal fortune’ was said to have disappeared at the Fusang Tree. That doesn't mean the immortal fortune has anything to do with the tree itself.”

He gave Ding Rou a faint smile. “We simply assumed that because this is a ruin, it must hold immortal fortune, so we naturally believed the mountaintop is where it lies. But if that fate isn’t real to begin with, then those two phrases could mean many different things.”

Ding Rou was quietly moved. Not just by Li Yanchu’s unique perspective, but by the calm detachment in his words when speaking of immortality, something others would shed blood for.

“You don’t seem all that interested in the immortal fortune everyone else is fighting over?” she asked softly.