Lingxi Descends the Mountain

Gu Changge did not answer directly. Instead, he lightly flicked the sleeve of his robe.

In an instant, the cloud-like mist before the two of them gathered and swirled, quickly forming a vivid scene—

Xiao Ruobai wielding a battle halberd, Fang Hanyu with his aura restrained, protecting Fatty Wang, whose face was pale but eyes sharp as a thief’s, all racing through the vast, misty mountains.

Ling Xi’s cold, clear eyes fixed on the image, and she blinked in surprise.

“Is this Senior Brother? Why does he look different again?”

Then, she recalled the usual way of Purple Bamboo Peak—when traveling outside, they must avoid causing trouble for the sect.

Multiple identities, multiple paths.

A trace of understanding flashed through her eyes, and a faint smile appeared in her heart.

Not far behind them, several extremely subtle streams of light radiated a decaying and terrifying aura, clinging to them like boneworms that refused to let go!

Those auras were ancient and gloomy, filled with a madness born from an obsessive desire to extend life at any cost. Their strength… was shockingly far beyond that of ordinary kings.

Ling Xi’s pupils contracted slightly.

She immediately understood what her master meant by “a little trouble.”

This was no mere rivalry among peers—it was a group of ancient monsters, who had lived for who knew how long and whose lifespans were nearly exhausted, targeting them!

“But why are they so relentlessly hunting Senior Brother and the others?”

“They believe your Senior Brother holds clues to the Elixir of Immortality!”

“Elixir of Immortality? So that’s it.”

The surprise in Ling Xi’s eyes quickly faded, replaced by a profound calmness. “Just some old relics who have caught the scent of blood and refuse to transcend the mortal realm.”

Gu Changge dispersed the cloud vision, his tone still calm: “Go. Descend the mountain and undergo some trials. The Tower of Talents is excellent, but it also requires balance—tension and relaxation. True life-and-death struggles will likely benefit the tempering of your Dao body’s power more.”

As he spoke, he casually raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

Three invisible, intangible streams of light, each imbued with ineffable Dao resonance, instantly entered Ling Xi’s body.

One transformed into an extremely subtle mark of chaos, sinking deep into the Sea of Consciousness at her brow, steady as Mount Buzhou.

Another became a gentle current, merging into the core of the whirlpool in her Dantian, brimming with endless vitality.

The last wrapped around the root of her Dao body, elusive and unfathomable.

Ling Xi couldn’t fully perceive the exact forms or power levels of these three marks; she only felt an unprecedented, absolute sense of security enveloping her, as if it could isolate her from all laws and transcend the world itself.

She vaguely sensed that the level of this protective force was so high that… even if a Great Emperor personally appeared, they might not easily shake it!

Her master’s methods once again exceeded all her expectations.

“Master, this…” Ling Xi’s heart trembled as she looked at Gu Changge.

But Gu Changge merely waved his hand indifferently, as if it were a trivial matter: “Go. Everything has its limits. Survival is the top priority.”

Before his words had fully fallen, and without any visible movement from him, Ling Xi suddenly felt a slight distortion in the space around her. The scene before her blurred instantly, and an indescribable sensation of time-space displacement swept over her, accompanied by a faint dizziness.

When she steadied her mind and focused her eyes, she found herself no longer atop Purple Bamboo Peak, but hovering over a desolate and unfamiliar mountain range.

Below stretched a series of rolling brown hills. In the distance, faint traces marked the path of Xiao Ruobai and his two companions’ fleeing light, while even further behind, several elusive auras pursued relentlessly.

“Master’s methods are truly unfathomable, like the work of gods and ghosts.”

Ling Xi swiftly retracted her aura, vanishing into the clouds. Recalling the “ordinary” appearances of her two senior brothers in the earlier vision, her thoughts shifted.

“Since my senior brothers have all changed their identities, my current appearance would stand out awkwardly.”

She activated her cultivation technique; the subtle creaking of her bones accompanied a slight shrinking of her figure.

Her stunning beauty seemed veiled by a thin mist, transforming into a delicate, charming visage—still imbued with spiritual grace but far less breathtaking than before, no longer intimidating to behold directly.

Her moon-white Taoist robe shifted into a common blue female cultivator’s outfit, and her cultivation aura was perfectly suppressed to the early Foundation Establishment stage. To any onlooker, she looked like an average disciple from a mid-tier sect, with decent potential, embarking on her first journey down the mountain.

Having completed these changes, Ling Xi conjured a water mirror in midair. Gazing at the completely unfamiliar reflection, a novel sensation quietly blossomed in her heart.

Disguise... and transformation...

For Ling Xi, the former Empress in her past life, this was an almost unprecedented experience.

In her previous lifetime, she had dominated the world with absolute power, crushing all obstacles in her path—never once needing to conceal her movements or assume another identity.

She had always been the center of attention, revered or feared by all. Never had she blended into the vast sea of ordinary people like this.

This feeling was strangely refreshing, a subtle blend of unspoken ease and secret excitement spreading through her heart.

Without further delay, she shifted her form, becoming an unremarkable streak of blue light, chasing after those ahead.

At the peak of Purple Bamboo Summit.

Gu Changge stood motionless, his gaze fixed on the departing Ling Xi and the group led by Xiao Ruobai further ahead.

Beside him, the void rippled slightly as a figure clad in dark robes, aura restrained like a deep abyss, silently appeared—it was the Lord of Annihilation.

At this moment, he had concealed all traces of his imperial might, appearing as a taciturn elder of the inner sect.

The Lord of Annihilation looked toward the direction where Ling Xi had vanished, a faint trace of solemnity flickering in his eyes. He bowed slightly and respectfully said to Gu Changge, “Master, the journey of the three young masters is fraught with great significance. Shall I secretly accompany them to provide protection against unforeseen dangers?”

Gu Changge did not respond immediately but absentmindedly tapped his fingers against the void.

After a moment, he gave a slight nod. “Very well. What you say is not without reason.”

Though he was confident that the contingency he had set would render even the arrival of a great emperor powerless to harm his disciples, one can never be too careful.

These three disciples were his precious treasures; it was better to be safe than sorry.

“You may follow them in secret,” Gu Changge instructed.

“Unless it is absolutely necessary—unless they face a life-or-death crisis—do not intervene. Let them handle it on their own. This trial will be a rare opportunity for them.”

“Understood!” The Lord of Annihilation nodded gravely. “Unless the three young masters encounter truly insurmountable calamities threatening their lives, I will not interfere. I shall only serve as the last line of defense.”

“Go,” Gu Changge waved his hand dismissively.

The Lord of Annihilation bowed once more, then his form seemed to dissolve into the shadows, vanishing without a sound.

Gu Changge withdrew his gaze, his divine sense spreading out like an invisible net, sweeping over the entire battlefield again.

Ahead, Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu were fiercely escorting Fatty Wang as they sped forward, with the old monster relentlessly pursuing from behind.

A little further back, Ling Xi—having assumed a new identity and feeling intrigued—was quietly following along.

Even further behind, Shi Wanshan was concealing his aura, blending into the earth itself, trailing closely.

Far above, in the vast and distant heavens, Little Black circled leisurely, but the terrifying power dormant within its body—capable of overturning mountains and rivers in an instant—had already locked onto everything below. Should any force beyond the norm appear, it would descend in the most violent and overwhelming manner.

In the void, the Lord of Annihilation, this great emperor who had returned to his peak, was silently guarding the path.

Moreover, within Xiao Ruobai, Fang Hanyu, and Ling Xi, there were absolute life-saving trump cards personally planted by him—ones that even an emperor could do nothing against.

Safe and sound!

This lineup... used as guardians for these three young disciples’ “trial by fire,” is probably unparalleled throughout history.

Chapter Three!

Thank you all for the gifts—they are the powerful motivation behind my writing…