A burst of black mist emerged, gradually transforming into something neither human nor ghost. As for the puppet old man, he had already disappeared.
"Hehehehehe... This stinky old man even wanted to enslave me, but in the end, he became my food..."
A sharp voice echoed within the formation, sending shivers down one's spine, accompanied by gusts of eerie wind.
"I didn't expect it to be a Ghost Puppet. That old man from Lie Huo Sect fiddled with puppets all day, enslaving such an evil thing, and in the end, he reaped what he sowed," Yun Ning Shuang sneered.
"Immortal, this... Is this a ghost? It... It's coming over," Zhou Peng stammered, trembling with fear.
"Such fresh blood food, perfect to be my meal. That old man's bones were too hard to chew, hehe... Such pure spiritual energy..." The Ghost Puppet stared at Yun Ning Shuang, its evil aura becoming violent. It transformed into a giant Ghost Shadow three zhang tall, overwhelming them with oppressive force.
"Just a newly born ghost," Yun Ning Shuang flicked a finger with her other hand. A golden bead flew out, instantly transforming into a barrier that protected the space within a one zhang radius.
The Ghost Puppet's evil palm struck the barrier, causing ripples but failing to break through. However, it scared Zhou Peng and Wang Feng quite a bit.
"Immortal, what do we do now?"
Yun Ning Shuang didn't respond. With a wave of her fair hand, a golden talisman slowly appeared. The talisman didn't have special runes carved on it; instead, it had a small golden sword that looked substantial.
With the talisman suspended before her, she simultaneously removed the fire poison from Wang Fu with one hand and formed hand seals with the other to activate the talisman, pouring spiritual energy into it, using her mind for two tasks at once.
Outside the barrier, the Ghost Puppet was still attacking frantically, and the cracks on the barrier became more numerous. It was clear that it would be broken through by the Ghost Puppet in no time.
Fortunately, the light of the small sword on the golden talisman became increasingly vibrant. The next moment, a three-chi golden sword broke through the air.
"Wasting the power of one of my talisman treasures..."
Yun Ning Shuang pointed two fingers like a sword, gesturing from a distance. The barrier dissipated, and the golden sword pierced through the clouds. In an instant, it grew to three zhang in size. The Ghost Puppet instantly vanished into thin air under the powerful sword qi.
The three-zhang golden sword's momentum didn't stop, soaring straight into the sky.
Bang!
The sound of glass shattering rang out, and the light shield, like a large bowl, instantly shattered. The enemy-trapping formation that the four Lie Huo Sect members had rented at great cost was instantly torn apart by the golden sword.
Four small flags emerged from the void, broken and severed, losing their spiritual power.
The small boat rose and headed towards the horizon once again.
...
After a long time, the mountain range ahead suddenly became towering, and the speed of the small boat also slowed down.
What came into view was an endless stretch of mountains, covered in layers of mist. Only the scenery within the mountain range was vaguely visible, with pavilions, towers, birds, beasts, rivers, and streams faintly discernible.
"Immortal, have we arrived?" Zhou Peng rubbed his sleepy eyes. After being scared, he had slept the whole way.
"We've arrived. This place is called the Fallen Feather Mountain Range, and our Luo Yu Sect is located here," the white-robed woman cast a spell. The mist in front of them automatically parted, creating a passage just wide enough for the small boat to pass through.
As soon as the small boat entered, the mist behind it automatically closed up, instantly blocking the view.
"Once inside the sect, do not call me 'Immortal' anymore. My name is Yun Ning Shuang. From now on, you can call me Senior Sister Yun."
"But everyone in our village calls you that," Wang Feng tilted his head.
Yun Ning Shuang shook her head, "Mortals speak carelessly, but you cannot do so once you enter the Immortal Sect. Only those who ascend and become Immortals can be called 'Immortal'. We can only be considered Cultivators seeking the Immortal Dao."
The three of them seemed to understand, yet not fully.
After a while, the small boat finally passed through the dense mist, revealing a scene like a paradise before their eyes. The mountains were green and the waters clear, birds sang and flowers were fragrant, there were flying rivers and waterfalls, and colorful clouds filled the air. Perhaps this was the Immortal Realm.
A mountain peak soaring into the clouds filled their entire vision, with layers of peaks and ridges, and clouds and mist swirling around it. Vaguely visible were winding paths leading to the clouds. The mountain was dark and black like iron, solemn and majestic. Under the setting sun, the red sun covered its face, like a painted scroll.
Ancient buildings were carved onto the mountainside, with streams flowing around them and birds and beasts soaring. Looking up, at the peak of the mountain, within the faintly visible clouds and mist, a dark hall seemed to stand tall, vast and imposing, like an ancient beast submitting, naturally exuding an aura of dominance.
Within the clouds and mist surrounding the mountains, thick chains stretched out in all directions, extending towards the distant giant mountain-shaped black shadows. Were there also such majestic and grand mountains there?
This was the Luo Yu Sect. Although only one peak was visible, it was enough to be called an otherworldly paradise. It was one of the six major Cultivation sects in the Great Xia Country, with profound strength. Although not the strongest, it was a holy land for Cultivation that countless San Xiu yearned to enter, even breaking their heads to do so.
The few of them landed. Yun Ning Shuang held Wang Fu with one hand and waved her other hand slightly. The small boat quickly shrunk and Drill into the small bag at her waist.
"Alright, the fire poison in your body has basically been cleared."
Yun Ning Shuang released Wang Fu's hand.
"Thank you, Senior Sister Yun..." Wang Fu was still a bit reluctant to let go. He had never touched the hand of any woman other than his Mother since he was born, let alone a woman like a fairy.
Just then, three figures floated down from the mountain peak.
"Haha... Senior Sister Yun, you've finally returned after your travels. How was it? Was the trip smooth?"
As a voice came, Wang Fu also felt a cold gaze sweep over him.
This was a young man wearing a blue robe with brocade trim. He was stepping on a large golden leaf. After landing, the golden leaf instantly shrunk and immediately Drill into the brocade bag at his waist. "It was just a trip to a small mortal village. If you ask me, such a small matter didn't need to trouble Senior Sister Yun to go personally. It could have been handled by others."
"Thank you for your concern, Junior Brother Zhao. Shishu Zhu had a past connection with Master, so Master instructed me to go," Yun Ning Shuang nodded calmly. Her cold voice was like an iceberg that had not melted for ten thousand years. Wang Fu and the other two were a bit surprised.
"So it was Shishu He who instructed you," the robed youth laughed, his eyes fixed on Yun Ning Shuang, never moving away.
The robed youth wanted to say something else, but the Middle-aged Man in the middle interrupted, "Alright, I see Senior Sister Yun's aura is a bit disordered. Did you encounter any trouble on the way?"
This man had a beard and stood with his hands behind his back. Compared to the robed youth, he exuded an air of Immortal elegance and Daoist bones.
"Yes, I encountered a few pests and dealt with them along the way," Yun Ning Shuang nodded.
"Pests?"
"Pests from Lie Huo Sect." Yun Ning Shuang didn't want to say more and stopped talking when she mentioned this.
"Lie Huo Sect? What a coincidence?"
Seeing that Yun Ning Shuang didn't want to elaborate, the Middle-aged Man seemed to have thought of something and didn't ask further. Instead, he looked at Wang Fu and the other two.
"These three are the youths from Wutong Village with spiritual roots, right?"
Yun Ning Shuang nodded slightly, her voice still cold as ice, "Yes, Master instructed me to bring back everyone who has spiritual roots, so I didn't specifically test what kind of spiritual roots they have. The subsequent matters will trouble Senior Brother Wu. Handle everything according to the rules and report to my Master after it's done."
"Report directly to Shishu He?" the Middle-aged Man asked casually, "Is Senior Sister Yun going into seclusion to prepare for Foundation Establishment?"
Seeing Yun Ning Shuang nod, the Middle-aged Man was immediately startled. This girl had only been in the sect for a few years, and she was already about to undergo Foundation Establishment. As expected of a genius who was snatched up by a Golden Core Elder as a personal disciple as soon as she entered the sect, her talent was truly terrifying.
"Senior Sister Yun is going to attempt Foundation Establishment? I wonder if you have enough Foundation Establishment Pills. I still have two Foundation Establishment Pills given to me by my Master," the robed youth offered eagerly.
Wang Fu, who had been observing their expressions, had long since noticed that this person was interested in Senior Sister Yun, but it seemed like the flowers were willing while the flowing water was not. He also guessed why this person showed strong hostility towards him the first time they met; it was simply because he saw Senior Sister Yun holding his hand.
But he was clearly only fourteen years old.
Just as expected, Yun Ning Shuang didn't even look at the other person. Instead, she turned around and looked at Wang Fu and the other two. Her cold voice came, "The three of you will continue the sect test. Afterwards, Senior Brother Wu will arrange your Cultivation."
"We understand, thank you, Senior Sister Yun."
"Goodbye, Senior Sister Yun."
Wang Fu and the other two nodded in response. Yun Ning Shuang nodded slightly, then lightly leaped onto the small boat she had summoned. In just a moment, she disappeared, leaving only a lingering fragrance.