CHAPTER 84: CHAPTER 83 TRYING MY BEST WITH MY LITTLE KNOWLEDGE

In the southwestern territory of the Great Wilderness, within a desolate and uninhabited dense forest.

Wu Wang was hidden atop a treetop, vigilantly scanning all directions. His Spiritual Sense also spread out into the distance, as he tried his best not to listen to the sound of water behind him.

This...

A few washes should suffice.

Behind Wu Wang, in the forest, a multitude of Mana barriers had condensed into a translucent sphere. A figure had been immersed within it for an hour.

The moisture in the forest air was almost completely absorbed by the Barrier sphere!

If it weren’t for the several precious ’disguising’ Crystal Balls he had deployed, the anomalies here would have long been discovered by the enemy!

Speaking of which, Fairy Ling’s technique for purifying water-elemental Spiritual Energy is indeed quite ’unique’.

Wu Wang admired this greatly. He thought that after the conflict settled, he would like to try bathing in ’Fairy Ling Purified Water’ to experience the wonderful feeling of pure, clean water devoid of any impurities.

Many unforeseen events had taken place in the past hour.

First, lightning flashed incessantly. Droves of figures fell from the sky, plopping down like dumplings into the mountains and forests for hundreds of li around. Amidst them were the silhouettes of dozens of Immortals. These included masters from the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion and military commanders—all of whom, without exception, had been teleported here by the incarnation of the Evil God Ming Snake.

After discerning the situation, they quickly rallied. But before they could fully regroup, they were intercepted by villains from the Ten Evils Hall, who had also been sent to this location.

In that hour, dozens of skirmishes had erupted.

Wu Wang had not acted rashly, observing secretly the entire time.

Both sides suffered heavy losses. The Human Domain cultivators paid a heavy price, losing sixty percent of their troops. The remaining cultivators congregated in a part of the forest.

The villains of the Ten Evils Hall left behind over a hundred corpses and were forced to temporarily retreat. They vaguely encircled that area of the forest and sealed off the gloomy sky.

If Wu Wang’s guess was correct, those villains from the Ten Evils Hall used the Evil God’s blood for their transformations, which, like his own Golden Dragon Transformation, had a time limit.

If it dragged on too long, their bodies wouldn’t be able to withstand it.

But the crisis for the remaining Human Domain cultivators had not been lifted.

At the edge of Wu Wang’s Spiritual Sense detection, a large Beast Horde was already rushing towards this place.

The aura of the Evil God Ming Snake permeated Heaven and Earth, and the Dao Rules of this place had been disrupted.

Judging by several Spirit Grasses noted in the Hundred Grass Scripture, this place should be the southwestern territory of the Great Wilderness, one of the lairs of the Beast Hordes, the domain of the gods who opposed the Human Domain.

"The Ten Evils Hall’s tactic of reversing the roles of host and guest is truly brilliant."

Wu Wang rubbed the spot between his eyebrows, inadvertently glancing back at the Barrier sphere.

Cough, I need to be serious. If our eyes meet now, it’ll be impossible to explain.

Finally, after a little while longer...

The Barrier sphere slowly dissipated. Ling Xiaolan slowly stepped out from within. Her long hair was coiled up, and she wore a light green short skirt. The tops of her cloth boots reached just below her knees. A slightly wide belt further accentuated her slender waist. Above the tight white fabric covering her chest, her swan-like neck couldn’t help but draw one’s gaze, sparking reverie.

She had regained her previous composure. Floating over to Wu Wang’s side, she hovered there and softly asked about the situation.

Wu Wang looked down, only to feel that her skin was as luminous as jade, her face so delicate it seemed a mere puff of wind could break the skin.

So radiant, isn’t she? All the water-elemental Spiritual Energy for several li around was used for that!

The grass and flowers around here are almost withered!

"The situation is deadlocked for now. The Ten Evils Hall lacks a decisive expert, which can be considered good news," Wu Wang explained via voice transmission.

"Commander Zhong Lin is also here. They have already set up a simple defensive Formation.

The bad news is that a Beast Tide is approaching from afar. I’ve already sensed the presence of a Ten-Thousand-Year Ferocious Beast, and we cannot rule out the appearance of minions of the gods.

Lin Qi and Ji Mo are now right beside Commander Zhong Lin. Their target should still be Lin Qi. However, you and I are likely on their assassination list now, so we cannot confront them directly at this time."

Ling Xiaolan nodded slightly, carefully observing the nearby environment.

To be safe, Wu Wang shifted half a foot to the side, to avoid his peculiar ailment being exposed.

This small half-foot movement, however, caused Ling Xiaolan to frown slightly.

She calmly put on her veil and said softly, "I know Brother Wuwang is a gentleman, but I am also not... like the State Preceptor of the Women’s Country. Brother Wuwang, you can rest assured."

"Just call me by my name. ’Brother’ always feels a bit awkward."

"Mm, then you can call me by my name. There’s no need for the ’Fairy’ title," Ling Xiaolan said, a hint of seriousness in her eyes. "I have not yet become an Immortal, so such a title isn’t quite right."

Wu Wang readily agreed. Together with Ling Xiaolan, they observed for a moment, retrieved the few Crystal Balls used to conceal their tracks nearby, and then quietly retreated more than ten li.

"What should we do?" Ling Xiaolan asked softly, her trust in Wu Wang evident.

Wu Wang leaned against a tree trunk, pondered briefly, carefully weighing his options, and did not respond immediately.

Soon, he sat down under the tree, took a wooden stick, and began to sketch on the ground, roughly outlining the topography within a thousand li. Then he fell into thought again.

Ling Xiaolan stood by quietly, holding her Longsword, waiting for a while.

Wu Wang slowly exhaled and said, "If I were alone, without any concerns, I certainly wouldn’t hesitate right now. But I also bear certain responsibilities. I must be responsible for my clan. Without absolute certainty of survival, I cannot recklessly put myself in danger."

Ling Xiaolan said, "As long as you and I return alive to the Human Domain, no one will blame us for it."

"But I don’t want to abandon my friends," Wu Wang said with a serious expression. "Right now, I have a sixty percent certainty of rescuing Ji Mo and Lin Qi, or holding out until Transcendent masters from the Human Domain find this place."

"The Heaven and Earth here have been disrupted. There might be an Evil God lurking," Ling Xiaolan shook her head. "A direct confrontation would be unwise."

Wu Wang said, "Senior Shen Nong has probably already sent masters. If that Evil God intended to appear, it likely would have by now. These so-called Divine Spirits are all incredibly arrogant. They probably feel that appearing to deal with insignificant figures like us would itself be a defeat."

"But I think..." Ling Xiaolan looked at Wu Wang and switched to voice transmission, "The safety of the Little Golden Dragon is far more important than the life of one of the holders of the Yan Emperor Order."

Wu Wang blinked. Were all my previous subtle actions exposed?

No, that can’t be right. The Fairy Immortal might be trying to trick me.

"What Little Golden Dragon?" Wu Wang’s face showed a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

Ling Xiaolan hummed thoughtfully for a moment but chose to believe what Wu Wang said. She whispered, "Was my deduction incorrect? With only a Nascent Soul Realm cultivation base, yet possessing such formidable Divine Thought and physical strength—this is certainly not normal for a member of the Human race... My apologies, I was overthinking."

Wu Wang smiled and transmitted back, "I am indeed the rumored Little Golden Dragon. However, I asked Senior Shen Nong to release that information, and it contains much exaggeration and false publicity. I’m not the savior of the Human race; Senior Shen Nong is just deliberately messing with me."

Ling Xiaolan’s lips parted slightly. She was stunned for several breaths before she could process his words. Then she asked softly, "Are you very familiar with His Majesty?"

"Ah," Wu Wang said solemnly, "It’s a bond of deep affection, like that between a father-in-law and his son-in-law."

"Forgive me, I didn’t realize."

The two exchanged glances and, for some reason, laughed out loud at the same time.

Wu Wang continued to study the topographic map. Ling Xiaolan lightly tapped the ground with her toes, her hands behind her back clutching her Longsword. She tilted her head, looking on, and discussed feasible strategies with Wu Wang via voice transmission.

Though they spoke of leaving, their discussion revolved around how to provide support and rescue, to help the group of cultivators in the distance survive the upcoming Beast Tide.

Before long, a flash of Spirit Light crossed Wu Wang’s mind. He looked up at Ling Xiaolan.

"I think I have an idea."

"What is it?" Ling Xiaolan asked, somewhat perplexed.

Wu Wang narrowed his eyes and smiled, looking Ling Xiaolan up and down a few times. "You definitely won’t like it, though."

"Hmm?"

The Fairy Immortal was full of doubt and had a bad premonition.

「Nearly a hundred miles away, where the Human race cultivators were trapped.」

The atmosphere within the Protective Array was somewhat oppressive. The over two thousand remaining cultivators, most of them injured, still had fire flickering in their eyes, their gazes filled with ferocity.

Even trapped beasts will fight to the death, let alone them.

Even if they were to die in battle here today, they would kill more evil demons and slay more ferocious beasts. This too was fulfilling their duty to protect the Human Domain.

Behind the large Formation, on a gentle slope, Ji Mo and Lin Qi stood quietly before two simple wooden boards.

Ji Mo was in a black robe, and Lin Qi wore white. Both had solemn expressions. Each took out a jug of wine, poured half before the wooden boards in front of them, and only then tilted their heads back to take a couple of swigs.

"Brother Wuwang! Fairy Ling!"

"Teacher!"

Ji Mo said resolutely, "We will definitely avenge you!"

Lin Qi sighed, "I only regret this body is not that of a Heavenly Immortal, I only regret this sword is not Transcendent!"

Ji Mo glared at him and scolded, "We agreed to offer a few words of condolence together. How did you end up reciting poetry?"

Lin Qi calmly took the Yan Emperor Order in his hand, then solemnly returned it to his Storage Magic Treasure.

"Brother Ji, if I am captured by the enemy later and don’t have time to detonate my Nascent Soul, remember to kill me."

"I will."

Ji Mo replied thus, gazing at the wooden boards before him. "If I don’t die today, I will one day exact a bloody vengeance upon the Ten Evils Hall."

"Whether it’s the Flower Tower or the Ten Evils Hall, count me in." Lin Qi nodded in agreement.

"Alright!"

Ji Mo raised his left hand and clasped Lin Qi’s hand firmly. Their fighting spirit had not diminished.

「After a short while, deep in the woods a hundred miles away.」

Wu Wang and Ling Xiaolan sat facing each other. Ling Xiaolan held a brush, delicately painting on Wu Wang’s wrists and elbows.

Looking closely, one could see patches of golden scales where her brush landed. These golden scales had been painted black and fixed with Mana.

Soon, Wu Wang’s wrists and ankles were covered in ’black scales’.

Ling Xiaolan found it somewhat strange. She didn’t know why Wu Wang had repeatedly warned her not to touch his body with her fingers.

She didn’t try to poke him out of curiosity but endured her own discomfort and quickly painted the golden scales on these parts of Wu Wang’s body black.

Brother Wuwang truly is a proper gentleman.

Wu Wang was not fully transformed at this moment; he had only used the power of the Stars to strengthen certain areas of his hands and feet.

This way, with his clothes to cover them, he could give the impression that his body was covered in black scales.

More importantly, he could maintain this partial transformation for a long time, whereas a full-body transformation could only last for an hour at most—his endurance was about the same as those from the Ten Evils Hall who consumed Evil God blood.

"It’s done." Ling Xiaolan said softly.

Wu Wang jumped up, restored the Ice Crystal film around his body, and his gaze fell on the distant jungle. He whispered, "Follow me from behind, staying hidden. If things go wrong, we immediately split up and flee for our lives."

Without waiting for Ling Xiaolan’s response, Wu Wang ducked down and sprinted forward close to the ground, his figure quickly disappearing into the woods.

Ling Xiaolan packed away the brush and ink, concealed her aura as much as possible, and distantly followed him.

Within a few breaths, Ling Xiaolan stopped. Her Spiritual Sense locked onto an open area ten li away.

There, several villains were sitting on the grass, resting. Their faces still bore the imprints of scales, and a sense of weakness emanated from them.

Wu Wang took a light breath, pulled up the wide hood of his cloak, concealed his cultivation, and simulated the faint aura of someone injured. With heavy steps, he walked from the woods towards these few villains.

The villains opened their eyes at the same time. Seeing Wu Wang’s wrists and neck, they relaxed slightly. Only when Wu Wang drew near did one of them shout, "Which unit are you from? How did you end up here?"

Wu Wang’s voice was tinged with weakness. "I chased a few cultivators too far. Now I’m barely holding on."

"Hmph! Useless! Go rest at the back. If you delay the next offensive, careful the Elder doesn’t tear you apart!"

"Yes."

Wu Wang bowed his head in agreement and walked with heavy, uneven steps behind the group. He sat down with some effort and let out a slight sigh of relief.

The few villains continued to meditate.

Wu Wang: ...

This is even simpler than I expected. And I even prepared so many lines.

He had chosen these particular villains after careful consideration.

Firstly, their position was optimal: on the periphery of the encirclement formed by several hundred villains, yet not one of the guarded posts scattered about.

Secondly, their cultivation levels were moderate: one early-stage True Immortal, three at the Immortal Realm, and one at the Ascending Immortal Realm. Moreover, they were currently in a weakened state after using Beast Blood.

Wu Wang closed his eyes to regulate his breathing. Every insect, blade of grass, and tree within a ten-li radius could not escape his detection.

A moment later.

Without warning, a sharp glint of light flashed through the forest. Five heads flew into the air, their eyes still holding a hint of bewilderment.

Wu Wang’s figure flashed by. Golden light bloomed from his fingertips, shattering four glowing miniature figures. He restrained the Primordial Spirit of the early-stage True Immortal villain, snatched the other’s Storage Magic Treasure, and swiftly darted into the forest.

A Crystal Ball landed beside the corpses, rolling a few times.

Clusters of dark purple flames erupted from the Crystal Ball, consuming the corpses and bloodstains on the ground; not even the Crystal Ball itself was spared.

This remote, ancient forest instantly became lively as figures rushed towards the place where the black flames had erupted.

Wu Wang and Ling Xiaolan took advantage of the chaos to flee for dozens of li, hiding near the Protective Array of the Human Domain cultivators.

This black flame that incinerates both living beings and souls was a signature Praying Star Technique of Grandma High Priestess, personally sealed by her into the Crystal Ball.

As his Spiritual Sense watched the leaping flames, Wu Wang felt a faint pang of homesickness.

Sigh, if I’d known about this battle today, I... should have brought a few hundred more Crystal Balls.

Ultimately, I misjudged how dangerous the world can be.

Ling Xiaolan asked, "Should we go and join them?"

"What for? Right now, we are in the shadows and the enemy is in the open. This is our greatest advantage."

Wu Wang took out the Crystal Ball imprisoning the True Immortal’s Primordial Spirit and asked softly, "Fairy... Xiaolan, do you know any methods for interrogating a Primordial Spirit?"

"I know a little," Ling Xiaolan said, raising a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "But not much. Just some techniques I read about in books."

"Then you try first," Wu Wang said gently. "Don’t force yourself. If you can’t get anything out of him, I’ll shatter his Primordial Spirit and search the remnant soul. That should also yield some intelligence. It’s a pity that although my Divine Thought surpasses his, I can’t achieve absolute suppression."

"Alright, I’ll do my best."

Ling Xiaolan agreed and raised her hand, forming a complex mudra.

「After roughly the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea...」

"I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything! Just give me a quick death! I beg you!"

Listening to the wretched cries coming from the Crystal Ball, Wu Wang silently raised his hand to set up the tenth layer of the shielding Formation. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, and he scooted his bottom a little further away.

She calls that knowing ’a little bit’?

My understanding was indeed too shallow.

After their interrogation, Wu Wang acted. His Golden Dragon Claw directly crushed the Primordial Spirit.

"What do we do next?" Ling Xiaolan asked, frowning. "The Evil God Ming Snake is likely nearby. The Beast Horde will arrive soon. Other experts from the Ten Evils Hall are currently driving the Beast Horde and will appear alongside them shortly. If it’s impossible to succeed, perhaps we should retreat immediately."

Wu Wang glanced at the Yin-Yang Ring on his hand, looking at the Crystal Balls within it.

Forget it. Ultimately, they are just external possessions.

"Fairy, do you have an Image Projection Bead?"

"What do you need that for?"

Wu Wang smiled calmly and explained, "I’ll try to save Ji Mo and the others. But before I act, I need to leave behind some way to prove my own innocence, just in case."

Ling Xiaolan was somewhat perplexed but still took out several deep blue Treasure Beads as requested.

They were clearly of much higher quality than the ones Mao Aowu and his group used.

...