https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-596-The-Battle-Begins-Happy-New-Year-/13113017/
Chapter 597: Skin and Shadow
Chapter 597: Skin and Shadow
In the stillness of the night, within the Qingyu Garden, a wooden hut where disciples rested, a door quietly opened, and a figure emerged, stepping towards the ancient evergreen tree.
The moonlight, shrouded in a hazy glow, illuminated the figure—a stout and sturdy servant woman, none other than the Medicine Garden Elder, Huaqing!
"The ancient evergreen tree... Its wood is incredibly tough, and it's nearly impossible for Dao Ji and below cultivators to cut it down... But wood-type spiritual plants are inherently vulnerable to fire toxins. Just pouring a bottle of Xuan Yuan Poisonous Fire Liquid would destroy its root system... Even medicinal herbs can't save it."
Huaqing seemed to be talking to herself, and from her bosom, she took out a jet-black jade bottle.
"Sigh..."
Suddenly, a low voice sounded.
"Who's there?"
Huaqing was startled, and her eyes flashed with sinister lights. A shadow transformed into a demon fox, landing on the ground and walking forward.
Puff!
The ground cracked, and thorny vines, like giant pythons, tightly bound the shadow fox.
A figure emerged from the darkness, his skin dark and his features honest. Surprisingly, it was Fei Changqing!
However, Fei Changqing was now surrounded by a killing aura, and he seemed to have activated some secret technique, making his spiritual power abundant and powerful, even comparable to a Gang Qi realm cultivator.
"Fei Changqing? Impossible... I clearly put 'Ou Tan Fragrance' in the food..." Huaqing seemed to realize something, and her face turned extremely ugly.
"You added Ou Tan Fragrance to the food. This spice is non-toxic to humans and even aids sleep... That's why even an old herbalist like Meng Tiandong didn't suspect anything. But unfortunately, you couldn't hide it from me..."
Fei Changqing shook his head, "Are you a spy from the Xue Ying Clan? It seems the real Huaqing is already dead... What a pity. But why did you come to harm this ancient evergreen tree? This is my... the foundation of my Dao cultivation."
His voice trailed off, becoming inaudible, and with a flick of his hands, he planted several strange small flags around him.
These flags were made from spiritual wood and silk from spiritual silkworms, fused into a single entity, forming an array.
Green tree shadows appeared, providing effects like enemy repulsion and soundproofing, completely enveloping the area.
"Is this... an array?"
"No, this is the 'Twelve Greenwood Controlling Divinity Flags'. Although their quality is average, they are definitely not something an ordinary Qi Sensing disciple can refine and deploy... Who... who are you?"
Huaqing's expression changed drastically, and she took out a skin mask, covering her face with it.
In an instant, she transformed into a demon!
This demon stood two meters tall, with three heads—a goat's head, a bull's head, and a pig's head—and a human body below, covered in black fur and scales. Its hands resembled bird claws.
It looked like a haphazard amalgamation of various demon beasts and human parts.
"Hundred-Form Shadow... You're considered a core disciple in the Xue Ying Clan."
"Quickly!"
Fei Changqing tapped his hands, activating the 'Twelve Greenwood Controlling Divinity Flags', and illusory green vines appeared, coiling around the Hundred-Form Shadow Demon like chains.
At the same time, he reached into his Flying Mouse Sack and took out a handful of bean seeds.
These seeds took root in the ground and quickly grew into bean puppets.
Boom!
Within the array, the Hundred-Form Shadow Demon roared continuously, but not a hint of it leaked outside.
After a moment, a pitiful scream echoed.
"You... you're not Fei Changqing!"
"You're 'Blackwood Immortal'!"
Two of the Hundred-Form Shadow Demon's heads were severed, leaving only the pig head, which let out a mocking laugh, "Haha... You were killed by our clan's immortal, yet you managed to escape with a shred of Yinshen and reincarnate... But you dare not return to the sect, which clearly indicates that the internal strife in Qingmu Mountain has escalated beyond imagination. Our clan will surely win this battle, and I'll be waiting for you below..."
Puff!
Before he could finish, a green wooden flying sword sliced through the air, beheading the pig head.
The entire shadow collapsed like a deflated balloon, turning into a stinking pile of skin.
Thin strands of blood seeped out from the skin bag.
Fei Changqing sighed, collected the array flags, and skillfully cleaned the battlefield, leaving no trace.
"Blackwood is already dead. I'm just Fei Changqing now."
He approached the ancient evergreen tree, caressing its massive trunk, and silently circulated his cultivation technique.
Mysterious strands of energy were absorbed by him.
"This body's aptitude is still too poor. Even if I cultivate diligently, I can't break through to Dao Ji..."
"Only by cultivating the Ten-Thousand-Year Technique, absorbing the 'Ring of Years Energy' from this ancient evergreen tree, can I have a chance to forge an upper-grade Dao Ji—'Year-Wood Autumn'. Then, by using the 'Way-snatching and Essence-devouring Technique', I can devour a cultivator who has forged a 'Water-China' Dao Ji and achieve the 'Water-China's History' divine ability, regaining my immortal status..."
Fei Changqing had taken this risk because the ancient evergreen tree was crucial to his cultivation.
There were too many abnormalities about him, and he dared not inform the local Dao Ji manager.
After a round of daily cultivation, he whistled, and a green hummingbird landed on his arm.
"Hmm... That person has been in the treehouse and hasn't come out. Good..."
Fei Changqing fed the hummingbird a pill, his face showing satisfaction, and he returned to the wooden hut to rest.
A moment later, a flash of light appeared on the ground, and a pangolin emerged.
The emerald bird didn't seem to mind and instead approached the pangolin amicably, rubbing against it as if greeting a new friend.
"What a cute little guy..."
Fang Xing casually waved his claw, and a green glow the size of a soybean disappeared into the hummingbird's body.
If Fei Changqing were to witness this, he'd probably be appalled.
The hummingbird he had secretly cultivated using a secret method, specifically to monitor Fang Xing, seemed to have turned on him...
'If it weren't for this hummingbird... I would've only sensed that something was wrong with Huaqing. I never expected that Fei Changqing, no, Blackwood Immortal, would be an even bigger problem... Yinshen Immortal's soul occupying another's body for rebirth? What kind of storybook plot is this?'
Fang Xing arrived at the base of the Ten-Thousand-Year Evergreen Tree and, with a Druid's natural affinity, sensed the ancient tree.
Then, the scenes that unfolded beneath the tree replayed before his eyes like a movie.
'Hmm... This Fei Changqing, no wonder he's the reincarnation of a Yinshen Immortal. He actually crafted a set of array formations for protection while in the Qi Sensing Realm?'
'And this Bean Puppet, flying sword... His methods are truly astonishing. Ordinary Primordial Qi cultivators would stand no chance against him.'
Without a single mistake, he sang a song, shot an arrow, and hid within the 69th book!
'He actually absorbed the Ring of Years Energy to cultivate? The Dao Foundation he forged must be extraordinary... So, this person came to Qingyu Garden for this purpose?'
Although Fang Xing couldn't discern much, he knew that Fei Changqing's cultivation method seemed to require absorbing a special energy from the Ten-Thousand-Year Evergreen Tree, likely related to the passage of time. In other words, he'd have to stay in the medicinal garden for a long time.
He didn't know that the 'Year-Wood Autumn' Dao Foundation was a secret of Qingmu Mountain, and in the initial and middle stages of Qi Sensing, one could cultivate by absorbing the energy of a hundred or thousand-year-old Changqing Tree.
But upon reaching the later stages, especially when breaking through the Dao Foundation, one must absorb the Ring of Years Energy from a Ten-Thousand-Year Evergreen Tree.
More critically, the Ring of Years Energy couldn't be acquired overnight; one had to experience a complete spring and autumn, and only then would the tree's rings expand by one.
And once a Ten-Thousand-Year Evergreen Tree was chosen, it was difficult to change.
Otherwise, Fei Changqing wouldn't have been so anxious and furious when the Xue Ying Clan's spy tried to destroy the Ten-Thousand-Year Evergreen Tree.
"There's no need to rush things..."
"Let's thoroughly investigate first, then find a few soul-searching and interrogation techniques and cultivate them to a high level before making a move..."
Fang Xing lay down on the ground, and the pangolin instantly disappeared.
...
Several months later.
"Recently, it seems that spies from the Xue Ying Clan have infiltrated our sect. Fang Shidi, you must be extra vigilant."
Fei Changnong personally escorted a batch of supplies and conveyed this message solemnly during the handover.
"Thank you for your concern, Shixiong. After the incident with Huaqing, we've been conducting thorough inspections," Fang Xing replied with a salute.
A few months ago, when Huaqing went missing, Fang Xing naturally reported it.
Then, Fei Changnong came to investigate but found nothing. He could only conclude that Huaqing had encountered a spy from the Xue Ying Clan and died without a trace.
In reality, it was a lucky coincidence.
After Fei Changnong left, Fang Xing looked at his disciples, who seemed nervous and uneasy: "Why are you still standing there? Get back to work! Learn from Fei Changqing's example of remaining calm in the face of a collapsing giant mountain."
As he lectured, Dong Meier secretly mocked in her heart: 'That Fei Changqing is just a fool...'
At that moment, Fei Changqing, who was weeding in the field, looked up and smiled innocently.
For some reason, when his gaze swept over Fang Xing, Fei Changqing felt his heart skip a beat...
As usual, Fang Xing lay in his armchair, with spiritual tea and snacks by his side, overseeing his disciples at work.
After finishing his tea and snacks, he picked up a traditional book and pretended to read it.
The book's cover boldly displayed the title, "The Legends of Qingmu Mountain," which narrated the stories of Qingmu Mountain's outstanding talents.
Fang Xing flipped through the pages and landed on Blackwood Immortal's section:
"Blackwood Immortal, whose secular name is Ye Xuanqing, was born with extraordinary signs. He joined Qingmu Mountain at a young age and forged his Dao Foundation at 46, ascending to the rank of Immortal at 157..."
"Since his debut, he has slain countless evil demons and monsters and is proficient in array formations. He crafted a set of 'Twelve Greenwood Controlling Divinity Flags' of Immortal-level quality as his primary treasure, possessing overwhelming might..."
As Fang Xing read further, he found nothing but praise for this ancestor, with no mention of his downfall.
Previously, when he indirectly questioned Fei Changnong, the latter only spoke of the sect's frontline situation, claiming that things were going well, with continuous victories and few casualties, let alone any mention of Yinshen Immortals.
'Sigh... If I had believed it, I might have been deceived...'
Fang Xing secretly ridiculed in his mind and picked up another miscellaneous book.
This book introduced various sects from beyond the mortal realm, even including some from the Greater Zhou Divine Court.
Among them was the 'Kill-Life Cult'!
'According to the hierarchy of the beyond, the Greater Zhou Divine Court is considered the best... So, the longer a sect can endure, the stronger it is...'
'In other words, the weakest sects are the ones that were forced to relocate first, while the Kill-Life Cult, which has survived until now, is even more powerful than the Flying Sword School!'
'As for Qingmu Mountain? Well, this sect has always boasted about its long history... It seems to be one of the first sects from the Ten Great Clans to relocate to the beyond...'
(End of Chapter)
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