Moonlight Mystique

Chapter Sixty-Five

Under the moonlight in the Abyss Marsh, a figure in green darted swiftly through the forest, their steps unsteady. The eerie rustling of leaves followed like a shadow, and several withered branches pursued the green figure like venomous snakes.

With a swift movement, the figure raised a hand, conjuring an immortal seal to conceal themselves beneath an ancient tree.

The chasing branches lost their target, hovering aimlessly in midair. The person in green—none other than Qing Yi of Daze Mountain—let out a relieved sigh, revealing a familiar face. As the chief disciple of Daze Mountain, he had never been in such a sorry state before. Frowning, Qing Yi glanced back at the dark, towering forest behind him.

What in the world was hiding in there…?

Suddenly, the rustling of leaves crescendoed into a piercing screech. A leaf, appearing out of nowhere, sliced through Qing Yi’s protective barrier, leaving a crack. The tree behind him seemed to come alive, sprouting countless vines that wrapped around him without warning.

Not good! Qing Yi’s pupils constricted. The withered branches hovering nearby detected him and immediately turned, sharpening into deadly spikes aimed straight for his forehead—

Boom!

A heavy thud resounded as something crashed beside the tree, crushing the spikes meant for Qing Yi beneath it.

Both Qing Yi—who had braced for death—and the branches froze in shock, their gazes snapping downward to the squirming, pitch-black lump on the ground.

“What the hell?! That hurt like hell!” The lump scrambled up, flailing as it shook off the sharp thorns stuck to it.

In the forest, the eerie rustling abruptly ceased, plunging the area into dead silence.

Bai Shuo, still dizzy, lifted her head and met a pair of stunned eyes.

“Hey, fellow immortal, where is this?”

What a handsome young Daoist!

Bai Shuo blinked innocently. “Huh? Why are you tied up?”

“Watch out!”

Before Qing Yi could answer, his expression darkened. Bai Shuo turned to see countless withered branches lunging at her from behind.

This scene was way too damn familiar! Had all the trees in the Three Realms gone mad?!

“Holy—!” Bai Shuo hastily summoned her immortal Sword and swung it backward. The branches snapped the blade in half and instantly coiled around her arm. But just as they thought her defenseless, Bai Shuo’s blood dripped onto the branches—and to her surprise, they trembled and recoiled in fear.

Bai Shuo was stunned, but she reacted quickly. With her left hand, she pulled out a handful of Heavenly Thunder Talismans from her Qiankun Bag and hurled them at Qing Yi. With her right, she yanked the jade flute from her chest and flung it at the branches behind her.

Boom! Boom!

Two deafening explosions shattered the vines. Bai Shuo grabbed Qing Yi—who was now equally dazed from the talisman blasts—and slapped two Flight Charms onto them, launching them skyward!

Mid-flight, she even managed to snatch back her flute, now split in two by the branches.

Below, the enraged branches shot upward like living creatures. Bai Shuo shuddered, slapping on two more charms and fleeing at top speed.

Deep in the forest, a barefoot figure emerged. Wherever she stepped, the creatures of the Abyss Marsh prostrated themselves, not daring to look up. She gazed curiously at Bai Shuo’s fleeing figure in the sky, the leaf between her fingers crumbling to dust.

“Fellow immortal—” Oblivious to the scene a hundred meters below, Bai Shuo turned to speak, only to find the person she’d just rescued had already passed out.

Bai Shuo rolled her eyes and collapsed onto the cloud, wiping cold sweat from her brow.

What kind of karma was this?! She was just a half-immortal, yet somehow her life was more exhausting than the full-fledged immortals of the Nine Heavens!Ever since the news spread that Chong Zhao would be entering the Heavenly Palace to receive spiritual empowerment, the number of Immortal Lords who claimed brotherhood with him suddenly multiplied. The once-desolate Pine Crane Pavilion became bustling with visitors, though most were disciples from minor sects. If not for Er Yun using Chong Zhao's closed-door healing as an excuse, the gates of Pine Crane Pavilion would have been trampled flat.

Not far away, on a stone pavilion, a group of noble Immortal Lords accompanying Nan Wan witnessed the scene at Pine Crane Pavilion. Nan Wan cast a faint glance and frowned.

"North Kunlun, South Cloudpeak"—among the young disciples of the Three Realms, aside from Qing Yi of Great Marsh Mountain, only he and Bei Chen had always stood at the pinnacle. This time, an unknown disciple from a remote sect had won the Phoenix Martial Banquet, truly a blow to their pride.

Shou An noticed Nan Wan's expression and hurriedly said, "They're just a bunch of blind fools. What's so impressive about a down-and-out minor sect producing an Upper Lord? If Senior Brother Nan Wan hadn't been framed by evil spirits in the Strange City, that brat wouldn't have had a chance to show off."

Nan Wan's expression eased slightly, but another Immortal Lord nearby remarked, "Senior Brother Shou An, you should be cautious with your words. Though Chong Zhao is currently just a disciple from a minor sect and has only recently ascended to the rank of Upper Lord, Immortal Lord Jin Yao has already chosen him to receive spiritual empowerment in the Heavenly Palace. No matter which Immortal Lord he becomes a disciple of there, he will be far more esteemed than us in the future."

This was an undeniable truth. Shou An paled as he recalled his past grievances with Chong Zhao in the Strange City.

Nan Wan's face darkened, his mood soured. He flicked his sleeves and stood to leave, leaving the group of disciples exchanging uneasy glances. Shou An glanced at the entrance of Pine Crane Pavilion, gritted his teeth, and chased after Nan Wan.

"Senior Brother Nan Wan! Senior Brother Nan Wan!" Shou An panted as he caught up.

Nan Wan looked displeased. "This Lord is going to meditate and cultivate. Junior Brother Shou An may do as he pleases."

"Senior Brother, Shou An has urgent news to report."

"What is it?"

Shou An leaned close to Nan Wan's ear and whispered a few words. Nan Wan's expression changed. "Is this true?"

"Absolutely. That day in the Strange Race's stone hall, Shou An saw it with his own eyes."

"This matter is grave. This Lord will report it to Master and verify its truth before acting." Without another word, Nan Wan hurried off.

A hint of smugness flashed in Shou An's eyes.

Not far away, Fu Ling observed the scene and raised an eyebrow. With a flick of her hand, a letter adorned with demonic flowers appeared.

"Deliver this to the Cloud Wind Hall in the Heavenly Palace."

"Yes." A purple-clad demon general accepted the order and departed.

Fu Ling glanced toward Pine Crane Pavilion, a meaningful smile playing on her lips.

Under the scorching sun, Qing Yi opened his eyes and instinctively raised a hand to shield them. A robust voice sounded beside him.

"Immortal friend, you're awake?!"

Qing Yi realized he was lying on a piece of wooden plank, tattered and tied with a rope. As he looked up, Bai Shuo was already crouched beside him, eagerly offering a wooden gourd.

"Good, you're awake. You must be thirsty—here, have some spring water."

Qing Yi looked at the bandages wrapped around his body and couldn't help but laugh. "Miss, you—"

"I'm Bai Shuo, a pharmacist from South Sea City. I saved you."

"I am A-Yi. Thank you for saving my life, miss." Qing Yi could tell the girl before him was only a half-immortal and smiled warmly.

A-Yi? I wonder which Daoist from Great Marsh Mountain he's a disciple of? Bai Shuo was overjoyed. The moment she landed in that accursed place, she had recognized Qing Yi's Daoist robes as belonging to the ancient Great Marsh Manor of the Immortal Realm. This was truly a stroke of luck—now she had a way into Phoenix Island!

"Brother A-Yi, what kind of monster attacked you in the forest?"Qing Yi frowned. "It seems like a tree demon, but ordinary tree demons shouldn't possess such formidable power."

Bai Shuo recalled the evil Bodhi on the Fire-Ice Island and felt a pang in her heart.

"That demonic tree grew in the Abyss Marsh, so its extraordinary nature makes sense."

"What? That ghostly place last night was the Abyss Marsh?!" Bai Shuo's eyes widened.

Since ancient times, the Abyss Marsh had been a refuge for those who abandoned both the Immortal and demon clans. It was filled with countless strange beasts and evil spirits, making it the most dangerous place in the Three Realms.

Bai Shuo wiped cold sweat from her forehead, feeling a belated fear.

"Young lady, if you didn't know it was the Abyss Marsh, how did you end up there?"

Bai Shuo scratched her head and pointed skyward. "My flying technique isn't very good, and just then a bolt of lightning struck, so I fell there..."

Seeing Bai Shuo's embarrassed expression, Qing Yi laughed. "It seems fate didn't intend for me to perish. By the way, may I ask who crafted that jade flute you used to save me last night?"

The aura of that flute bore the same lineage as the Immortal who had assassinated the emperor in the human capital. Could this half-Immortal named Bai Shuo be connected to that person?

"Jade flute?" Bai Shuo was taken aback, pulling out the shattered flute from her Qiankun Bag. "You mean this?"

Qing Yi nodded.

"I saved an old woman while practicing medicine in South Sea City. This thing was her payment—she said it was a Low Grade Immortal Artifact that could save lives in critical moments. Do you like it, fellow Immortal?"

Seeing her innocent expression, Qing Yi relaxed and quickly shook his head. "That flute contained an extremely powerful aura, forged with soul energy. I thought it might have been a gift from your Master or family."

"Really? What a shame—it was my only life-saving treasure." Bai Shuo fiddled with the broken flute fragments, her face showing visible distress, though inwardly she grew suspicious.

Why was this young Daoist asking about the flute? Could he know A-Zhao?

"If you don't mind, this is a mountain talisman from my sect. It can also protect you in critical moments." With a flick of his palm, Qing Yi produced a rabbit-shaped stone, charmingly naive yet brimming with dense Spiritual Qi.

Holy crap! A treasure! This young Daoist from Great Marsh Mountain is way too easy to fool!

Bai Shuo's eyes lit up as she eagerly took it and stuffed it into her Qiankun Bag, then suddenly paused. "If you had such a powerful Spiritual Artifact, why didn't you use it last night?"

"This was a birthday gift from my Junior Martial Uncle. He... passed away many years ago. It's the only thing he left me."

Using a Spiritual Artifact for protection in battle would inevitably shatter it, just like the jade flute.

Bai Shuo glanced at Qing Yi and suddenly shoved the stone rabbit back into his hands.

"Young lady?"

"It was just a small favor—call it fate. The Dao has countless paths, so consider this me making a friend. Now that you're awake, I should be on my way."

As she spoke, Bai Shuo began packing her small cloth bag.

"Where are you headed?"

"Phoenix Island." She adjusted her straw hat.

"The Phoenix Island of the Wutong Trees?"

"Yep, that's the one."

"Phoenix Island is a Holy Land of the Three Realms. What brings you there?"

"To find a Master! I heard the Wutong Martial Banquet is being held there, gathering the greatest Immortals of the Three Realms. I've cultivated for years but am still just a half-Immortal. A fortune-teller said I won't live long, so I'm looking for a Master to help me survive a few more centuries."

"Wait!" Seeing Bai Shuo about to leave with her staff, Qing Yi quickly added, "I also need to go to Phoenix Island. Why not travel together?"

Bai Shuo hesitated. "Well..."Qing Yi stepped forward and said, "Phoenix Island is thousands of miles away, and the Martial Banquet will conclude in a few days. By the time you reach Phoenix Island, all the sects will likely have departed. My sect still holds some modest influence in the Immortal Realm. When the time comes, I will do my best to recommend you to whichever sect you wish to join."

"Really?" Bai Shuo exclaimed with delight, beaming as she clasped her hands toward Qing Yi. "Then I'll trouble you, my immortal friend!"

Qing Yi nodded slightly and casually waved his hand. A cloud descended from the sky, and the two stepped onto it, heading eastward.