From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 49 The Trial Intensifies

The chilling killing intent was like an invisible giant net, tightly enveloping us. Stepping out of the cave, the scene before me made my heart tighten.

A dozen or so cultivators dressed in black, their faces contorted with rage, blocked the cave entrance, their various magical artifacts gleaming coldly, clearly indicating their hostile intentions. The leader, a tall, imposing figure with a face full of scars, stared at us with a sinister gaze through his triangular eyes, a cruel smile playing on his lips.

"Want to leave? Too late! Leave behind the legacy of Immortal Chen, and I might consider leaving you with a complete corpse!" The burly man's voice was like a booming bell, making people's eardrums go numb.

"Hmph, you heretics dare to claim to be inheritors of immortality? Today, I, Wu, will act on behalf of Heaven!" Wu, the hero, was hot-tempered and immediately drew his sword, pointing it directly at the burly man.

"Master Wu, don't be impulsive!" I quickly grabbed him. These people were well-trained and coordinated, and they were clearly not ordinary people. We had no chance of winning if we fought them head-on.

“Miss Xiao Yao is right, we must outsmart her!” Fairy Meng also spoke up, her beautiful eyes darting around as if she were pondering something.

"Hmph, a bunch of cowardly rats, daring to play tricks on me!" The burly man clearly had no patience for our nonsense, and waved his hand, "Kill them all! Leave no one alive!"

"Everyone, break out separately and head to the nearby villages to regroup!" I made a quick decision, drew my Azure Cloud Sword, and a sword aura shot straight at the burly man's face. Taking advantage of the gap in everyone's dodging, I took Fairy Meng and rushed into the depths of the dense forest.

In the dense forest, the trees towered and blocked out the sun. Relying on our familiarity with the terrain, we moved quickly through the forest, evading the enemy's pursuit.

"Xiao Yao, there's a cliff ahead. We can go down from there!" Fairy Meng said, pointing ahead.

I looked up and saw that the clouds and mist in front of me were swirling and the bottom was not visible. It was indeed a steep cliff.

"No time to think, jump!" I gritted my teeth, grabbed Meng Xianzi, and leaped off the cliff.

The wind whistled past my ears. I gripped Meng Xianzi's hand tightly, silently chanting incantations and using all my spiritual power to slow our descent. Finally, we stabilized ourselves a few feet from the ground and landed safely.

"Phew... that was close!" Fairy Meng said, still shaken.

I looked up at the towering cliff that seemed to pierce the clouds, and secretly rejoiced. Luckily, we had made the right gamble; this shortcut had allowed us to successfully escape the enemy's pursuit.

"Let's go, we must get to the village as soon as possible!" I said, and together with Fairy Meng, we ran towards the village.

However, when we arrived at the village, the scene before us left us stunned. The once peaceful and tranquil village was now shrouded in an eerie atmosphere. A heavy stench of blood mixed with a nauseating stench assaulted our nostrils, making us want to vomit.

Several villagers' corpses hung upside down from a large tree at the village entrance, their faces still bearing the marks of terror and despair, clearly indicating they had suffered immense torment. My heart sank, and a sense of foreboding washed over me.

"It seems we're still a step too late. These evil heretics are so cruel!" Fairy Meng said through gritted teeth, her beautiful eyes burning with rage.

"What should we do now? Should we just charge in?" I asked in a low voice, my heart filled with worry and anger.

"Don't act rashly!" Fairy Meng grabbed my arm and pointed to the seemingly peaceful road at the village entrance, saying, "Look, something strange is happening there!"

I followed her gaze and saw that along the road at the village entrance, there were seemingly ordinary stones placed at intervals. However, upon closer inspection, I found that these stones were slightly different in shape and color, and faintly emitted a faint spiritual energy fluctuation.

"These are... a formation!" I suddenly realized that these stones were clearly a carefully arranged formation, which would lead to my death if triggered.

"It seems these evil spirits were prepared. We must be careful and proceed with caution!" Fairy Meng said in a deep voice, her beautiful eyes gleaming with wisdom.

We carefully avoided the rocks and ventured deeper into the village, only to find that the entire village was shrouded in a strange array filled with deadly traps and mechanisms. I was secretly alarmed; these evil cultists would stop at nothing to obtain the inheritance of Immortal Chen.

"Xiao Yao, look!" Fairy Meng pointed to a thatched hut not far away and said, "Those villagers are all being imprisoned there!"

I looked closely and sure enough, I saw several men in black guarding the thatched hut. Through the window, I could vaguely see figures moving around inside; they were the villagers they had captured.

"We must rescue those villagers!" I clenched my fists, my heart filled with anger and worry.

"But how can we rescue those villagers without triggering the formation?" Fairy Meng frowned, lost in thought.

I looked around, and my gaze suddenly fell on the dry well in the center of the village. I had been to that well before; its water was sweet and clear, and it was the source of water that the villagers relied on for survival.

“I understand, we can…” I whispered my plan into Fairy Meng’s ear.

After hearing my plan, Fairy Meng's beautiful eyes lit up, and she nodded, saying, "Great idea, let's do it that way!"

We looked at each other and saw determination and resolve in each other's eyes.

As night fell, the village fell silent, save for the occasional chirping of insects, which only added to the eeriness and dread. Meng Xianzi and I lay in ambush at the village entrance, waiting for the perfect moment.

"They've arrived!" Fairy Meng said softly.

I looked up and saw several men in black walking towards the thatched hut; it seemed they were changing shifts.

"Now!" I shouted, and together with Fairy Meng, we leaped into the air...

"Hero Wu, watch out!" I shouted, but it was too late. A dark shadow flashed past, and Hero Wu groaned, staggering back a few steps, clutching his chest, his face instantly turning pale. "Hero Wu!" I cried out in alarm, my heart leaping into my throat. His clothes were stained crimson with blood, a horrifying sight. The dark shadow was incredibly fast; I hadn't even seen what it was, only feeling a chilling aura wash over me.

"Don't worry, he's still alive." Meng Xianzi's calm voice rang in my ears. She quickly took out a white jade bottle from her bosom, poured out a crystal-clear pill, and fed it to Wu Daxia.

Wu Daxia's originally pale face gradually regained some color. He struggled to get up, but was gently pressed down by Meng Xianzi. "Don't move. You have injured your heart meridian. You need to recuperate as soon as possible."

“But…” Wu Daxia wanted to say something, but was stopped by Meng Xianzi’s sharp gaze. “Don’t worry, leave this to us.”

As expected of the successor of the Valley of Healers, Fairy Meng's every move exuded composure and confidence, which gradually calmed my initially flustered heart.

"Chief Zhou, those men in black are in your hands now!" Fairy Meng said in a deep voice while healing Hero Wu's injuries.

"Don't worry, Fairy Meng, dealing with these petty villains is more than enough for me, Old Zhou!" Chief Zhou laughed heartily, brandishing his giant axe and charging into the group of men in black like a tiger descending a mountain.

Although Chief Zhou appeared rugged, he was surprisingly meticulous in battle. His giant axe moved with impenetrable precision, forcing the men in black to retreat steadily. Meanwhile, Doctor Zheng moved along the edge of the battlefield, his silver needles flashing like cold light. With each strike, he precisely sealed the enemy's acupoints, relieving much of the pressure on Chief Zhou.

"Watch out!" Suddenly, Doctor Zheng exclaimed in alarm. A man in black took advantage of Chief Zhou's momentary lapse in attention and launched a sneak attack from behind, his gleaming dagger aimed straight for Chief Zhou's back.

In the nick of time, I saw a dark shadow flash by, followed by a scream from the man in black as he dropped his dagger. I looked closely and saw that it was none other than the previously injured Master Wu. He had somehow gotten up, and although his face was still pale, his eyes were unusually determined.

"Thank you so much, Master Wu!" Chief Zhou patted his chest, still shaken.

Master Wu shook his head without saying a word, but gripped his longsword tighter and rejoined the battle.

Looking at everything before me, a warm feeling suddenly welled up in my heart. In this perilous world of cultivation, we are like rootless duckweed, drifting with the current, but fortunately, we have met each other and become partners we can rely on.

However, at that moment, I suddenly sensed a powerful surge of spiritual energy emanating from the depths of the village. The energy was cold and malevolent, sending chills down my spine. Immediately afterward, a sinister voice echoed through the night sky:

"A bunch of ants, how dare you be so insolent before me!"

The voice seemed to emanate from the deepest hell, carrying a chilling pressure that made it almost impossible for me to breathe. Chief Zhou and Doctor Zheng were both deathly pale, clearly also stunned by this power. Even the usually composed Fairy Meng couldn't help but furrow her brows, a hint of solemnity flashing in her eyes.

Only Wu Daxia, though severely injured, stood tall, his gaze fixed resolutely on the direction of the village, like an unshakeable mountain. His eyes gave me strength; I took a deep breath, trying to calm the surging blood within me.

"Could this be the mastermind behind it all?" I muttered to myself, a strong sense of unease suddenly rising within me.

Just then, I felt the jade slip left by Immortal Chen tremble violently deep within my consciousness. Streams of pure spiritual energy surged from the jade slip, flowing through my limbs and bones. Immortal Chen's words echoed repeatedly in my mind: "When you truly encounter danger, you will understand my good intentions..."

"Encountering danger..." I repeated the phrase softly, and suddenly, it was as if I understood something. The trials left behind by Immortal Chen were not just about the illusions and enemies, but also about enabling me to unleash my potential in the face of real danger!

I closed my eyes, emptied my mind, and let the pure spiritual energy flow through my body. Gradually, I felt an unprecedentedly powerful force awaken within me. I felt as if I had merged with the surrounding world, and could clearly perceive everything around me.

"Now!" I suddenly opened my eyes, quickly formed hand seals, and a powerful surge of spiritual energy erupted from my body, blasting all the men in black around me away.

"This...this is..." Chief Zhou and Doctor Zheng stared at me in disbelief.

I ignored their surprise and focused all my attention on the direction of the village. I could feel the evil force rapidly approaching.

"Take care of yourselves!" I said, then transformed into a streak of light and rushed towards the village.

I don't know how strong I am right now, I only know that I must stop this disaster!

I rushed into the village and saw a figure dressed in a black robe, his face obscured, standing in the center of the village. At his feet lay the corpses of villagers. The thick stench of blood filled the air, making one want to vomit.

"You killed them!" I roared, a dazzling sword light condensing in my hand as I slashed at the man in black robes.

"Overestimating yourself!" The man in black sneered, and with a casual wave of his hand, he neutralized my attack.

"Who are you? Why are you doing this?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"You're not worthy to know!" The man in black robes said coldly, his eyes filled with contempt. "An ant should have the awareness of an ant!"

"Die!" I roared, consumed by rage, and launched a reckless attack on the man in black. However, my attacks were like child's play in front of him, utterly incapable of causing him any harm.

Just when I was about to despair, I suddenly felt the spiritual power from the jade slip within my body surge once more. This time, the power was stronger and purer.

Images of Immortal Chen performing various magical arts flashed through my mind; those images were so vivid, as if I had personally experienced them.

I closed my eyes, imprinting those images deeply into my mind. Then, I slowly raised my hands and began to imitate Chen Xianren's movements, unleashing a set of immortal techniques I had never seen before.

As I moved, the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth rushed towards me, and behind me, a huge golden phantom actually condensed.

That golden phantom was none other than the appearance of Immortal Chen!

"Slash!" I roared, and the golden phantom swung down with its golden greatsword, carrying a world-destroying force, towards the black-robed man.

"No! This is impossible!" The man in black robes finally showed a look of horror. He tried to dodge, but it was too late.

The golden giant sword fell, and before the black-robed man could even scream, he was cleaved in two, turning into a cloud of black mist that dissipated into the world.

I looked at everything before me, my heart filled with awe. I had actually defeated this powerful enemy!

I took a deep breath, suppressing my excitement, and turned to look at the villagers behind me. They were all still alive, but had been knocked unconscious by the black-robed man's power.

I breathed a sigh of relief and was about to wake them up when suddenly, a violent tremor came from the sky. Then, a huge crack appeared in the sky, and a handsome man dressed in white, with a cold demeanor, walked out of the crack.

"Who...who are you?" I asked warily.

The man didn't answer my question, but merely gave me a cold look. Then, he spoke slowly, his voice clear and melodious like ice beads falling onto a jade plate, yet carrying an undeniable air of authority:

"Chen Changsheng, let me see if your chosen successor is truly qualified..."