CHAPTER 53: CHAPTER 52: GUARDIAN

Inner Sect Task Hall, Senior Brother Ouyang and the Fox Demon lay unconscious on a warm jade stone bed.

Senior Brother Ouyang was covered in frost, his skin snow-white, his hair had turned into ice threads, emitting a piercing chill.

His pet beast, the Fox Demon, was in a similar state, with white fur, unconscious.

No matter how the Task Hall elders used mana to warm or called them, Senior Brother Ouyang and the Fox Demon showed no response.

Next to them, the task-giving songbird spirit was crying, blaming itself for not bringing good fortune to the disciples executing the task.

"How is Senior Brother Ouyang’s condition?"

Many Inner Sect Disciples knew Ouyang Hao, and seeing his state, they asked repeatedly, "Elder Ming Niao, what task did Senior Brother Ouyang undertake? Given his strength, how did he end up like this?"

Lin Jing also arrived at the Inner Sect Task Hall at this time, only to hear the songbird spirit say angrily, "Great Wilderness Domain, Snow Moon City, our Beast Taming Sect has a beast valley in this city, raising many snow rabbits as a core industry of the sect.

Months ago, disciples from the beast valley reported snow rabbits disappearing inexplicably, and besides that, many ice beasts in Snow Moon City also mysteriously vanished. To investigate this matter, the sect issued a related task."

"Many disciples went to Snow Moon City for investigation, Ouyang Hao among them, but who would have thought he would encounter such misfortune shortly after arriving in Snow Moon City!"

"Stealing our sect’s spirit beasts, injuring our sect’s disciples, this vengeance will never be forgotten!"

...

"This injury is extremely mysterious, not knowing what cultivation technique caused it, my powers can’t resolve it. If not for their inner yang energy being strong, they might have already become ice corpses by now." Golden Core Elder Shen from Danxia Peak also arrived. She was proficient in the Alchemy Dao and medicine, but after examining them, her brows furrowed.

In addition, Elder Mo hurried over, even though Lin Jing brought back important information from the Demon Town Tower, he put it aside temporarily and came over first.

"Elder Shen, is there no solution for this ice injury?" Elder Shen had already given Senior Brother Ouyang and the Fox Demon each a red pill, but after taking the pills, they showed no change. Seeing this, Elder Mo asked with a somber face.

"If I had time, I could research a bit, but as they are now, I’m afraid there isn’t enough time." Elder Shen shook her head.

"I’ll go find the Sect Ancestor!" With that said, Elder Mo took Ouyang Hao and Fox Demon Hong’Er to seek help from the sect ancestor Wang Batian, who guards the Buddha Tower.

Currently, most sect ancestors are out with the Sect Leader, only the Turtle Ancestor remains in the sect.

Seeing Senior Brother Ouyang being taken away, the Inner Sect Disciples dispersed, their hearts filled with fear over the "investigation of the missing beasts task."

Injuries that even Golden Core elders are helpless against... best to keep away from Snow Moon City.

"Let’s go take a look too," Lin Jing, with a heavy heart, followed. Senior Brother Ouyang was one of the few friends they had in the sect, and Lin Jing was greatly worried about his condition.

The Pine Leaf Rat nodded, recalling how it was indeed Senior Brother Ouyang who rescued Lin Jing and brought him to the Beast Taming Sect.

At Qingtang Peak, Lin Jing and the Pine Leaf Rat saw that the sect ancestor was also at a loss facing Senior Brother Ouyang’s strange condition.

"Sect Ancestor, you also have no solution?"

"This injury is mysterious; it seems to be caused by a Demon Cultivator technique. For example, the ghost fire injury from the Nether Hall is difficult to heal with normal means, and this seems similar."

The Sect Ancestor was also helpless, and Elder Mo was anxious, unwilling to see Ouyang Hao perish like this, as he was the genius excavated by his own hand and a disciple favored by the Sect Leader.

At this moment, Lin Jing climbed the peak. The Sect Ancestor had actually noticed long ago but did not stop Lin Jing from entering.

"Greetings, Sect Ancestor, Greetings, Elder Mo." Lin Jing looked at the already ice-sculpture-like Senior Brother Ouyang and asked, "Is there really no way to heal Senior Brother Ouyang?"

"He can still hold onto life because he has the Longevity Body, with strong yang energy opposing the mysterious ice injury. The fox too, because it feeds on yang energy and has a blood covenant with him, retained its life, but this situation... won’t last long, the ice injury... is still spreading!" said the Sect Ancestor.

Lin Jing walked to Senior Brother Ouyang and the Fox Demon, holding them: "Elder Mo, could you send me to Celestial Capital Peak, I want to seek help from the one atop Celestial Capital Peak!"

"Hmm?" Elder Mo looked at Lin Jing, then at the Pine Leaf Rat, and said, "Did you succeed?"

Lin Jing nodded, the Pine Leaf Rat had just acquired powerful cultivation techniques from Elder Tiandu Shen Song, and now troubling this Guardian God... it’s uncertain if it’s good or bad, but he couldn’t just watch Senior Brother Ouyang lose his life.

"Good!!" Thinking there was still a Guardian God in the sect, Elder Mo seemed to grasp a lifeline.

"That creature is willing to see people now?" Heaven-Dominating Ancestor Wang Batian looked surprised; the one atop Celestial Capital Peak, even the sect leaders throughout history found it difficult to meet...

...

At the Celestial Capital Peak, Lin Jing returned here with Senior Brother Ouyang in his arms without any obstruction.

Eager to see Elder Shen Song again, Lin Jing got straight to the point.

"Elder Shen Song, this is Ouyang Hao, the disciple of the current Sect Leader. They encountered an accident while performing a mission outside the sect, resulting in severe injuries that the sect elders are unable to heal. I had no choice but to bring them here, hoping you could lend a hand."

"I made a promise with your second Sect Leader to only assist when the Beast Taming Sect faces life or death within my capability and have no obligation to save disciples." Elder Shen Song replied.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak!!!" The Pine Leaf Mouse also pleaded.

However, Elder Shen Song remained unmoved.

"I understand..." Lin Jing nodded and said, "The most valuable thing I have is the Longevity Body. I am willing to exchange the blood of longevity for a chance for Elder Shen Song to help. Please... extend your hand."

Elder Shen Song was silent for a moment, then said, "You need not do so because I am powerless too. This is not caused by ordinary ice injuries but by a mysterious poison, which is extremely rare and cannot easily be eradicated by cultivation alone. Only by finding the poison’s source can we treat it effectively."

"The source of the poison?" Lin Jing pondered, sensing a bit of trouble.

Nevertheless, he felt Senior Brother Ouyang could not die like this.

Although the other party seemed unreliable, he indeed helped him a lot.

Most importantly... Senior Brother Ouyang was still his guide, who called people to save him from the demon cave, allowing him to cultivate!

Without him, he might have ended up as a dessert for the Demon King, although... saving him now might come at a cost.

This Celestial Capital Guardian God... didn’t seem like one who would help for free, at worst he would sell his blood!

Lin Jing sighed slightly; in his heart, he couldn’t sit idly by.

...

At Cloud Cultivation Peak, when Elder Mo saw Lin Jing carrying Ouyang Hao down, he hurriedly asked, "What did the Guardian say?"

Lin Jing shook his head and said, "The Guardian could not eradicate the poison wound, only suppress it. But it discerned that it was caused by a mysterious poison, and only by finding the poison’s source can we achieve the best treatment."

"Poison..." Elder Mo was startled and said, "There are quite a few cultivators in Snow Moon City who cultivate ice attribute techniques, but poison techniques..."

"This person must be the culprit behind the disappearance of demon beasts in Snow Moon City! Ouyang Hao must have discovered clues about him, which led to this accident! Damn it." Elder Mo was indescribably angry.

However, the next moment, he looked at Lin Jing, who was cupping his fists at him, and showed a look of astonishment.

"Elder Mo, I request to take on Senior Brother Ouyang’s mission, go to Snow Moon City, continue the investigation of this case, find the poison’s source, and rescue Senior Brother Ouyang." Lin Jing requested earnestly.

"No way!!" Elder Mo immediately refused upon hearing, "Afterwards, the Law Enforcement Hall and the sect elders will conduct the investigation in Snow Moon City. Why would a small cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Stage like you go to such a dangerous place? As someone with a Longevity Body, you should focus on cultivation safely at the back!"

Lin Jing shook his head and said firmly, "Elder, Senior Brother Ouyang saved my life. He rescued me from the Yin Corpse Sect, and within the sect, he has helped me a lot. I can’t remain indifferent to this matter."

"I know your good intentions are to prevent me from encountering danger, but this matter... I wish to undertake it personally."

"I also want to cultivate peacefully for thousands or tens of thousands of years, but some things, if not done at the time, will definitely leave regrets."

"If life is full of regrets, then what is the meaning of longevity?"

The Pine Leaf Mouse nodded slightly, agreeing that without enough storage bags, what is the point of cultivating immortality?

"You..." Elder Mo was speechless, for the Longevity Body type was most afraid of encountering stubborn personalities.

"Elder Mo, you need not worry, for I am not seeking death meaninglessly. Elder Shen Song from the Celestial Capital has already agreed to accompany me on this journey to Snow Moon City as my Guardian. With that elder’s cultivation level, they should be invincible within Snow Moon City. The elder said that the ice poison is extremely special, and it’s not something an ordinary cultivator can possess. Even if they find the source of the poison, they only have a certain chance of helping Senior Brother Ouyang eradicate it. If we only leave the investigation task to the Law Enforcement Hall, I truly cannot be at ease."

"Therefore, I wish... to go with Elder Shen Song to Snow Moon City to investigate personally and contribute my part! I already have a plan!"

"That elder is willing to guard you." Elder Mo couldn’t believe it. Then, he solemnly stared at Lin Jing and the Pine Leaf Mouse, seeing their utmost seriousness, and said, "Since that’s the case, then you may go. Ouyang Hao is fortunate to have such a friend like you."