Chapter 644
The morning mist was like a veil, and Fu Shaoping stepped on the dew and left Lailong Mountain. The purple mist at the foot of the mountain came suddenly. The mountain scenery was clear a moment ago, and in the blink of an eye, purple miasma seeped out from the ground like a living thing and wrapped around his boots. The mist had a sweet and fishy smell. As soon as he inhaled it, he felt as if his lungs were pierced by thousands of needles, and his spiritual power stagnated in his meridians.
He immediately held his breath, and the black iron sword was unsheathed with a clang. Where the sword passed, the purple mist actually made a slight hissing sound. However, the surrounding scenery began to distort and deform, and the familiar way home split into countless forks in front of him. A dead tree changed its position left and right, and the soil under his feet was sometimes hard as iron, and sometimes soft as cotton.
"Soul-bewitching miasma!" Fu Shaoping frowned, his knuckles turning white from exerting too much force. He tried to use his sword energy to clear the way ahead, but saw the sword light disappear into the mist like a drop in the ocean. His left leg suddenly sank, and when he looked down, he saw several purple vines wrapped around his ankles, greedily sucking his spiritual power.
At this moment, the sound of dead branches breaking came from the fog. A hunchbacked old man came slowly with a peach wood cane, his hair was white as snow, and his wrinkles were embedded with the frost of years. The old man's cloudy eyes rolled, and he tapped Fu Shaoping's feet with his wooden cane: "Young man, don't struggle, just follow me."
Where the peach wood stick touched the ground, the purple mist retreated as if it had seen its natural enemy. Fu Shaoping noticed that the old man took every step in a strange direction, and the dead leaves crushed by the soles of his boots were arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper. When passing through the last wall of fog, the old man took out a wrinkled green fruit from his arms, and the peel was still stained with morning dew: "Put it under your tongue, and you will be protected from miasma for three hours."
When Fu Shaoping took it, he felt the old man's fingertips, which were as cold as corpse bones. He bit through the peel calmly, and the sour juice slid into his throat, and he felt clear-headed. Just as he was about to thank him, he saw the old man's back disappear into the mist, and only his hoarse voice drifted to him: "The road ahead is dangerous, take care of yourself"
-
The sun was blazing at noon, and Fu Shaoping came to the Black Water Stream. The water was as black as ink, and there was a suspicious oily sheen floating on the surface. He had just stepped onto the shaky wooden bridge when he heard a strange "gulp" sound from underwater.
Three black shadows broke out of the water, bringing up a foul splash. The demon cultivator in the lead had half of his face still covered with green scales, and sticky saliva dripped from his fangs: "Black Iron Sword Fu Shaoping? The Demon Lord is offering a reward of a thousand gold for your head!"
Before he finished speaking, the three demons had already formed a triangle and surrounded him. The demon cultivator on the left had two arms that turned into claws, which made clanging sounds when they opened and closed. The one on the right had eight spider legs extending from its back, and each bristle was glowing with a dark blue poisonous light. Fu Shaoping swept his sword across, cutting off the spider demon's two long legs, but his claws grazed his shoulder blade, and purple-black blood immediately oozed out from the tear in his black robe.
"The blood of a sword cultivator is indeed sweet!" The first demon licked his lips and rushed over, his nails growing three inches long. Fu Shaoping resisted the urge to strike with his sword, but saw a green light breaking through the air -
The bronze umbrella surface "swished" and spun like a full moon. The sharp blades on the umbrella edge pushed back the demon cultivators who rushed over. The white clothes of the umbrella holder fell down, and a corner of the veil was lifted by the wind, revealing a lotus-shaped red mark on the chin.
"Green Umbrella Fairy!" The spider demon's voice trembled, and all eight legs retracted at the same time. The three demons looked at each other, and said "We'll fight again another day", and then jumped into the black water.
The woman folded her umbrella and turned around. The ribs of the umbrella made a clear sound like a jade chime. Her eyes lingered on Fu Shaoping's wound for a moment, and she took out a small celadon bottle from her sleeve: "Bone-rotting poison, enters the heart in half a minute." Her voice was as cold as the sound of a mountain stream.
When Fu Shaoping took the medicine bottle, he noticed that there were fine needle marks on her fingertips, as if she had been pounding medicine for many years. When the powder was sprinkled on the wound, wisps of green smoke rose immediately, and there was a strange cool feeling in the severe pain. He was about to clasp his fists to thank her, but he saw the tip of the woman's umbrella lightly touch the ground, and she had floated three meters away, leaving only a wisp of medicine fragrance in the wind.
-
As dusk fell, the familiar village was already in sight. Fu Shaoping suddenly stopped - the Tianlong grass in his arms felt strangely hot, and the scenery in front of him swayed like water ripples.
When he opened his eyes again, he was standing in a devastated yard. The pear tree was scorched, the wing house collapsed, and Nangong Wan was kneeling in the ruins, her moon-white nightgown soaked in blood. The baby in her arms cried as weakly as a kitten, and the umbilical cord was still connected to the spiritual light that had not been cut off.
"Why didn't you come back earlier?" Madam Zhou walked out from the shadows, holding the bloodstained swaddling clothes in one arm, and black gas was gushing out of the wound on her left leg. Her questioning turned into thousands of silver needles, piercing Fu Shaoping's temples and making them throb.
The black iron sword fell to the ground with a clang. He staggered to hug Nangong Wan, but saw her turned into ashes the moment he touched her. A sinister laugh rang in his ears: "The sword cultivator's heart is just like this"
"jingle--"
The clear bell sound was like a revelation. Fu Shaoping suddenly woke up and found himself kneeling on one knee on the official road, with the tip of his sword three inches deep in the ground. In the tea shed, the bronze bell in the hand of the blind Taoist priest was still trembling slightly, with vague Sanskrit engraved on the bell tongue.
"When a monster strikes back before dying, the most poisonous thing is the evil in your heart." The Taoist priest fumbled and pushed a bowl of coarse tea over, "Drink it, there is a crack in your Taoist heart."
The tea soup was turbid, but it reflected Fu Shaoping's scarlet eyes. He raised his head and drank it all. It was bitter with a taste of rust, which must have been mixed with the Taoist's blood. When he looked up again, the old Taoist had put away the copper bell, and his empty sleeves fluttered in the wind: "It's three quarters past midnight. If you don't leave now, someone will be worried and crazy."
-
In the moonlit courtyard, Nangong Wan was clutching the pear tree bark tightly. She didn't even notice her nails were cracked, and a few strands of her hair, which were combed meticulously in the past, fell out of her bun, wet by the night dew and stuck to her neck. Madam Zhou was sitting on a stone bench, the pregnancy-preserving medicine in front of her had already cooled, and the silver needle turned into a residual shadow between her fingers.
The door opened with a creak, and they both looked up at the same time.
Fu Shaoping appeared under the moon cave door, with hastily wrapped bandages showing on the torn parts of his black robe. His left arm hung unnaturally, but he held the jade box in his intact right hand. The night lilies in the corner of the courtyard bloomed at this moment, and the fragrance was mixed with the smell of blood and herbs.
Nangong Wan's lips trembled. She walked forward quickly but suddenly stopped three steps away, her fingertips suspended in the air, as if she was afraid of shattering a dream. The moonlight revealed the traces of tears in her eyes and tiny drops of water hanging on her eyelashes.
"It's just a flesh wound." Fu Shaoping said hoarsely, and gently placed the jade box in her palm. The moment the lid of the box was opened, the golden light of the three Tianlong grasses flowed, illuminating the tears on Nangong Wan's face.
She suddenly grabbed his collar and pressed her forehead against his bloody chest. Through the cloth, Fu Shaoping could feel her violent heartbeat and the slight trembling of her shoulders. He raised his intact right arm, ran his fingers through her scattered hair, and touched the cold skin on the back of her neck.
Madam Zhou, who was standing under the eaves, turned away and packed the medicine box with one arm. Her movements were heavy, and the silver needles made a crisp sound, but she couldn't hide the sob in her throat. When she turned around again, her face had changed to the usual teasing expression: "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and bandage the wounded!"
The night wind blew by, and a few petals fell from the pear tree, gently covering the hair of the two people hugging each other.
The Longyuan Cold Pond is located under the cliffs of the northern border. It is frozen all year round. The water is as black as ink, but a layer of dark blue ice crystals condenses on the surface. The cold air is like a knife. If ordinary cultivators get close to it, their meridians will be frozen and cracked. There is no grass growing by the pond, only a few frozen corpses, maintaining the posture of struggling in their last moments.
Fu Shaoping stood by the pond, with the black iron sword inserted at his side. The sword blade was as red as a branding iron, melting the ice under his feet to form a circle of puddles. Nangong Wan drew a light golden talisman on his palm with his fingertips and whispered: "The dragon's breath is extremely cold, you need to protect your heart meridian with the sword's will, and you must come back within three quarters of an hour."
She took out an ancient bronze lamp. The wick was not burning, but there was a faint dragon pattern flowing. "The soul-guiding lamp can point the way. If the flame turns green, retreat immediately."
Fu Shaoping nodded, held the ancient lamp tightly, and jumped into the cold pond.
The water was piercing, and instantly enveloped his entire body. The icy air was like thousands of fine needles, drilling into his pores, and even his blood seemed to be freezing. He circulated his sword energy, and a layer of red light appeared around his body, barely resisting the cold.
After diving a hundred feet, the light completely disappeared, and only the soul-guiding lamp dimly illuminated the small area. Suddenly, the water surged, and a pair of golden vertical pupils opened in the darkness, and the cold gaze pressed down like a substance.
"A mortal dares to set foot in the Dragon Abyss?"
The ice dragon appeared, its body was like a crystal sculpture, and every scale reflected a dazzling cold light. It opened its mouth and exhaled, and the water in the pond instantly condensed into ice cones and shot towards Fu Shaoping!
Fu Shaoping swung his sword to block, and the black iron sword collided with the ice cone, splashing dazzling sparks. The ice dragon's tail swept across, and the undercurrent at the bottom of the pool surged, slamming him hard against the rock wall. "Cough--" Blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, but he took advantage of the situation to turn over, and the tip of his sword pointed directly at the ice dragon's reverse scale!
The ice dragon roared, its claws tearing at the water. Fu Shaoping dodged sideways, but his robe was still torn. He took the opportunity to get closer, and pressed the soul-guiding lamp towards the ice dragon's nose.
The flame of the lamp suddenly became very strong, and it actually sucked a wisp of dragon breath into the lamp! The ice dragon was furious, and the entire cold pond was boiling and rolling. Fu Shaoping was blown away by the huge force, and countless ice pillars were shattered.
He gritted his teeth and gripped the ancient lamp tightly, using the recoil force to rush out of the water. When he landed, he knelt on one knee, his whole body covered with frost.
Nangong Wan hurried forward, placed his palm on his back, and continuously transferred spiritual power into him. "The lamp is full, let's go."
-
The Burning Sky Volcano spews magma all year round, the mountain is red as blood, and the air is filled with the pungent smell of sulfur. A deep abyss has cracked on the top of the mountain, in which golden red lava rolls, and occasionally fire spirits jump out, making sharp hisses.
Nangong Wan stepped barefoot on the hot rocks, the golden bells on her ankles jingling. Using the true fire of dragon breath as a guide, she set up the Nine-turn Spirit Gathering Formation in the crater, with eighty-one red copper pillars inserted into the cracks in the rocks, forming a complex formation pattern.
"The fire spirit hides deep in the lava, and we need to use dragon breath as bait to lure it out." She pinched her fingers and the array patterns lit up one by one, "No matter what happens later, don't step into the array."
Fu Shaoping gripped the hilt tightly, his eyes solemn: "What if the formation backfires?"
Nangong Wan chuckled, the cinnabar mole at the corner of her eye was as bright as blood: "Then collect my body for me."
The formation was activated, and the dragon's breath fire turned into a phantom of a fire dragon, which drilled into the lava abyss. A moment later, the entire volcano shook violently, the lava surged like a wave, and a giant fire beast roared out!
It was shaped like a unicorn, and its entire body was made of golden red flames. Wherever its four hooves stepped on, the rocks melted instantly. The fire dragon phantom was swallowed by it, and the fire spirit roared with satisfaction, and then stared at Nangong Wan in the center of the formation.
"Come." She formed seals with her bare hands and took the initiative to introduce the fire spirit into her body!
"Wan'er!" Fu Shaoping's eyes were red with anger, but were bounced away by the light of the formation.
The fire spirit entered her body, and Nangong Wan's seven orifices bled, and her skin cracked inch by inch, as if it would be burned to ashes at any time. She gritted her teeth and maintained the spell, and the golden lotus mark between her eyebrows bloomed, forcibly imprisoning the fire spirit in her dantian.
Fu Shaoping swung his sword with a red tip, slashing towards the edge of the formation, but Nangong Wan suddenly opened her eyes, with fire flashing in her eyes. She spread out her palm, and a golden-red fire essence slowly condensed.
"Enough to cast nine dragon shells." She smiled weakly and fell into Fu Shaoping's arms.
-
The ancient Tianji tree stood on the top of the sea of clouds. Its trunk was as thick as a city, and its bark was engraved with ancient dragon patterns. Each pattern was slowly flowing, as if it were alive. The tree canopy blocked out the sun, and countless spiritual lights fell from the branches and leaves, like a galaxy pouring down.
Mrs. Zhou was standing under the tree, holding her babbling baby. The child curiously reached out and caught a ray of falling golden light.
"The dragon scales are hidden in the heart of the tree, and they need the blood of a loved one to attract them." Madam Zhou pressed the child's hand against the tree trunk, "But if the blood is not pure, you will be punished by heaven."
Fu Shaoping and Nangong Wan looked at each other, and cut their wrists at the same time, with blood flowing up along the wood grain.
**Sudden change:**
The ancient tree trembled, and an old dragon roared from the treetop: "Humans, are you worthy of turning into dragons?"
A crack appeared in the trunk, and a dazzling golden light shot out, covering the three people. The baby suddenly giggled, and his chubby little hands penetrated the light curtain and reached directly into the heart of the tree!
"No!" Nangong Wan exclaimed, but saw the child grab a piece of dazzling dragon scale, with crystal sap on the scale.
The dragon's roar turned into a sigh: "It turns out to be the person who will be doomed."
The Fu family's ancestral home was decorated with lights and lanterns, and a vivid gilded dragon was perched on the nine-meter-high vermilion lacquered gate.
Nangong Wan was wearing a moonlit brocade robe with a pattern of birds paying homage to the phoenix embroidered on the cuffs. She gathered fire essence on her fingertips and drew on each eggshell. The silver bells on her wrists rang softly, resonating with the pulse inside the dragon shell. Fu Shaoping was wearing a dark blue suit, with a black iron sword hanging from his waist, which had not yet been sheathed. The tassel of the sword was tied with the scales of the ice dragon brought back from the cold pond.
When Lady Zhou appeared holding a baby wrapped in a golden dragon silk swaddling cloth, the spiritual lights in the garden suddenly lit up. The dragon scale on the child's chest, given by the ancient Tianji tree, was producing a subtle resonance with the altar.
When the midnight drum sounded, Nangong Wan suddenly cut his index finger and dripped blood on the central dragon shell. Fu Shaoping drew his sword almost at the same time, the tip of the sword picking up the cold pond dragon breath, leaving a scarlet golden light mark between the nine dragon shells.
“Crack—”
The black dragon's shell cracked first, and out came a black dragon with jade horns. It rubbed the baby's cheek affectionately, leaving a trail of cool water.
When the nine dragons roared, the baby suddenly floated three feet above the ground. The dragon scales on his chest turned into light spots and reorganized, and condensed into a pair of illusory dragon wings behind his back. Several old men among the guests suddenly knelt down: "This is the appearance of Yinglong!"
Nangong Wan's face suddenly changed, and she hurriedly made a gesture to seal the strange phenomenon. However, Fu Shaoping's sword was faster than hers. The black iron sword drew a circle in the air, and the sword wind swept the spiritual breath exhaled by the nine dragons, forming a light golden cocoon shell around the child.
After the guests left, Nangong Wan slumped down on the couch covered with phoenix feathers. Fu Shaoping silently rubbed her cramped right hand - that was the price of overdrawing her spiritual power when she triggered the resonance of the Nine Dragons.
"The phoenix marrow must be prepared in advance." She looked at the child sleeping soundly surrounded by the dragons, "The 'disaster' mentioned by the ancient tree of heaven may be more serious than we thought."
Fu Shaoping suddenly stuffed a candied fruit into her mouth: "Let's talk about it tomorrow."
Madam Zhou rushed in with a wine jar in her arms, and pointed out the window drunkenly: "Look at your son!" Nine little dragons were seen wrapping diapers with their tails, forming the Big Dipper formation under the moon. (End of this chapter)