Yunxia Gu simply introduced me and Old Mo to Yunqing Zhenren.
Upon hearing this, Yunqing Zhenren became visibly uneasy.
He looked at me and Old Mo with surprise.
He hadn't expected us, mere disciples of itinerant Taoists running a shop outside, to be so formidable.
Normally, it was disciples from major sects who dealt with such fiends.
For us, two young itinerant Taoist cultivators, to possess such skill and attainment, made him regard us with newfound respect.
However, as a senior practitioner of the mystic arts, he had seen his share of astonishing juniors.
His surprise flashed and disappeared.
He then calmly resumed, saying:
"Indeed, heroes emerge from youth!
Your future is immeasurable.
Very well, the rest shall be handled by this humble one.
Let us enter the mountain now!
If there is truly a Nine-Lifed Corpse Cat, it shall be exterminated.
Lest the common folk suffer further..."
Yunqing Zhenren displayed a demeanor of pity for the suffering populace.
If anyone else had spoken these words, it might have felt odd.
But coming from Yunqing Zhenren, with his bearing and tone, it felt genuinely fitting.
He seemed like an otherworldly master descending the mountain to vanquish demons.
Old Mo and I were eager to investigate, having wanted to explore for some time.
We simply nodded and said, "Good."
Then, we saw Yunqing Zhenren, Yunxia Gu, and Qiu Xi each produce an Eye-Opening Talisman.
The talismans ignited, turning to ash, and the three activated their Netherworld Heavenly Eyes.
With their eyes opened, Yunqing Zhenren turned and walked towards the mountain forest.
Yunxia Gu beckoned to us and said, "Let's go."
We all followed suit, finally entering the mountain woods.
The mountain forest by the path was thick with corpse energy.
Faintly, wisps of demonic energy were mixed within.
Additionally, occasional wild cats with glowing green eyes appeared around us.
They meowed and cried out erratically.
Once in a while, one or two corpse cats would block our path, ambushing us from the sides.
However, these minor nuisances were dealt with by Yunqing Zhenren with a mere wave of his hand.
With such simple gestures, one could see the unfathomable depth of Yunqing Zhenren's cultivation.
As we followed Yunqing Zhenren, we recounted what the old man had told us about Lao Zhu Gou that evening.
"Yunxia Gu, Senior Yunqing.
When we arrived, the locals mentioned a place called Lao Zhu Gou that is extremely dangerous.
In the mountain gully ahead.
I suspect that place might be the lair of those corpse cats."
Yunqing Zhenren and Yunxia Gu both nodded.
Yunqing Zhenren added:
"That direction also has the densest and strongest concentration of corpse energy, so it should be correct."
As soon as Yunqing Zhenren finished speaking, a low, resonant feline cry suddenly echoed:
"Meow!"
The sound was immense, reverberating through the forest.
With the appearance of this sound, a surge of corpse energy suddenly emanated from deep within the mountain.
It blew towards us with a "whoosh."
The aura was foul and oppressive, nauseating.
"Such dense corpse energy!"
Xia Qiu Xi exclaimed in surprise.
But before she could finish, Xiao Mei warned:
"Oh no, the yellow corpse mist is coming!"
Xiao Mei's night vision was even better than our Heavenly Eyes.
Hearing her, we quickly opened our eyes to look.
Indeed, at the edge of the forest, we saw a wave of yellow mist rapidly spreading towards us.
Wherever the yellow mist passed, the plants and trees in the forest were corroded and withered.
This yellow mist was far larger than anything we had seen before.
The entire field of vision was filled with this mist.
If we were engulfed by it, it would be exceedingly dangerous.
Seeing this, I immediately said:
"Yunxia Gu, Senior Yunqing, this corpse energy is highly corrosive..."
"Indeed! Should we retreat a bit?"
Old Mo also chimed in, well aware of the corrosive nature of the corpse energy.
Upon seeing this, Yunqing Zhenren calmly remarked:
"A petty trick..."
With that, Yunqing Zhenren walked directly towards the yellow mist.
His steps were slow, but his aura was indescribably powerful.
He exuded the presence of an otherworldly master, detached from the mundane world.
Seeing this, Yunxia Gu simply signaled us not to panic and to follow.
Then, she, along with Xia Qiu Xi, also walked towards the yellow mist.
"Qin Ze, should we follow them?"
Xiao Mei asked, as she likely trusted me the most here.
Seeing Yunxia Gu and the others proceed, I nodded and said:
"Let's go too! That Yunqing Zhenren likely has a way to deal with this mist."
With that, I led Old Mo and Xiao Mei to follow.
The yellow mist quickly swept over us.
Like a tsunami, it engulfed the forest.
It advanced relentlessly, and wherever it went, trees withered...
In an instant, it was about to consume us.
Watching the surrounding trees corrode and emit black fumes, I felt a flicker of apprehension.
After all, this substance could corrode car paint, let alone living beings.
Despite the tension,
Yunqing Zhenren indeed possessed true skill.
He stood alone at the forefront.
As the mighty yellow toxic mist approached, he simply formed a mudra with one hand.
He stepped forward, and with a tremor of his sword finger,
He let out a low shout:
"Vast heavens and earth, permeated with true Qi.
Wind comes and goes, unimpeded and unbound.
Hasten as the decree commands, Break Wind!"
As the incantation fell, a surge of protective energy erupted from Yunqing Zhenren.
Visibly, a whirlwind encircled Yunqing Zhenren, soaring upwards.
Finally, the whirlwind dispersed, like a tempest.
With a "whoosh," it swept through the mountain.
The surrounding trees swayed and rustled, leaves scattering everywhere.
It was like a typhoon, incredibly powerful, so much so that the entire forest seemed to tremble...
The yellow corpse energy was swiftly blown away by this gale, leaving not a trace.
Witnessing this, Old Mo and I were dumbfounded.
It was the first time we had seen such a display of Taoist magic.
Our hearts pounded.
It felt so surreal.
In a mere ten seconds,
This Taoist technique had dispersed the toxic mist, it was incredibly impressive.
The ability to control wind.
I looked at Yunqing Zhenren in astonishment.
Old Mo, dumbfounded, spoke with a touch of youthful melodrama:
"Wind Style: Great Typhoon Jutsu?"
Xia Qiu Xi, however, glanced at Old Mo and said:
"This is Senior Uncle Master's Wind Control Technique. Like your lightning magic, it's a relatively special high-level Taoist art.
It's a secret sect Taoist technique that only those with special spiritual roots can cultivate."
Secret Sect Wind Control Technique.
The name alone sounded impressive.
Old Mo and I, appearing unsophisticated, were certainly filled with admiration.
This display of Taoist magic was truly astounding.
That corrosive yellow mist had been so easily dispelled by Yunqing Zhenren.
At this point, Yunqing Zhenren turned and said to us:
"These are merely minor arts.
The future belongs to you young ones.
Alright, let's continue on our way!"