From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 452 Joining Forces to Defend Against the Enemy and Displaying Brilliance

I suppressed the metallic taste rising in my throat, and the soft sword vibrated with a "hum"—the horizontal slash from before finally tore open a foot-long wound under the monster's ribs.

Black blood splattered onto the back of my hand, burning my skin, but listening to the rapid yet orderly breathing of my disciples behind me, I smiled instead.

"Senior Brother Lin!" I threw out three lightning talismans, which blasted the monster back two steps. "Take Wang Erniu to fill the gap on the left flank!"

That beast just smashed through a dead tree that's pressing down on the corner of the teleportation array; we need to clear away the rubble!

Senior Brother Lin's sword tassel brushed against my hair. He responded with a "Good," and the Xuan Tie sword twirled in his palm, the resulting gust of wind sweeping away the bead of blood from my forehead.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him turn around, and the osmanthus sachet I gave him last year swayed at his waist—it was made from the laurel he planted in the training ground, and now, soaked in blood, it looked like a flower withered in the mud.

"Senior Sister Xiao!" Chu Qing's voice drifted from the tree hole. She was wrapped in Xiao Tao's coat, with a blood-soaked bandage wrapped around her left wrist. She was stuffing the last half bottle of Bone-Healing Pill into Afu's hand. "I've tried it. The moss on the back wall of the tree hole can stop the bleeding!"

Ah Fu, remember this: if someone breaks a leg... "She was interrupted by a cough before she could finish speaking. Xiao Tao quickly helped her up. I saw that the blood seeping from between her fingers had stained the medicine bottle red.

The monster suddenly let out a piercing scream.

Its originally curled tail snapped straight with a "whoosh," snapping off three vines as thick as bowls—the defensive net that Zhou Qing had just wrapped with wood-based magic.

Zhou Qing stumbled and fell into Wang Erniu's arms. The wooden hairpin in her hair broke in two, but she ignored the pain and gritted her teeth to make a hand seal: "Wood grows!" Green vines grew wildly from her fingertips, weaving a new barrier at the broken end.

"Tighten the defensive circle!" I spun around to avoid the monster's sweeping front claws, and used my soft sword to cut away the black blood dripping from its claws. "Xiao Tao, take the wounded and retreat three steps!"

Ah Fu is guarding the teleportation array; if the array patterns dim...

"Xiao Yao!"

Zhao Tangzhu's voice was like a shard of ice, piercing into the ears along with the smell of blood.

When I turned my head, I saw him standing with his arms crossed behind a boulder twenty paces away. His black Daoist robe was spotless, not even a single leaf stuck to the brim of his hat. "Tell me," he said, "bringing a bunch of Qi Refining stage kids to the trial realm, only to be hunted down like this by demonic beasts, is it because you're too stupid, or do you think the Elders' Hall hasn't lost enough face?"

My back molars are aching from clenching them.

Three days ago, he slammed his fist on the table at the elders' meeting, saying, "Xiao Yao's disciples always get first place in theory classes, but they're all show and no substance in actual combat." He insisted on changing the trial location from the safe Qingzhu Peak to this monster cave.

At this moment, he twirled the jade thumb ring between his fingers, and with each word he spoke, the jade reflected a cold light: "Now look what's happened, can you bear the loss of two disciples?"

I still have to explain to their parents that I'm the Immortal Venerable's personally taught eldest disciple...

“Ah—”

The roar of the monster drowned out his words.

This time, instead of charging into the defensive perimeter, it arched its back, and the scales on its neck stood up straight.

I saw a hint of... madness in the green light surging in its eyes.

It was as if something was urging them on, determined to fight to the death.

"Watch out!" Senior Brother Lin's sword pierced out before I could react.

He was clearing away the rubble from the teleportation array, but now he darted over like a dragon, his Xuan Tie sword precisely deflecting the demonic beast's claws aimed at my back.

The clanging of metal made my eardrums ache. He grabbed my wrist with his other hand, the warmth of his palm seeping through the blood: "It's killing us. The poison in the spiritual vein is about to explode."

I suddenly remembered what Wen Chen had said—once the earth vein poison blood is forcibly expelled by a demon beast, it will erupt within three breaths before death, with a power equivalent to the full-force attack of a Core Formation cultivator.

"Everyone retreat to the teleportation array!" I pulled Senior Brother Lin towards the edge of the array, my soft sword drawing a golden arc above my head, forcing the demonic beasts to retreat temporarily. "Afu!"

Activate the array core!

quick!"

Afu's hands trembled as he worked on the array patterns.

He was only at the third level of Qi Refining, and normally he couldn't even draw a fire-starting talisman steadily, but now he bit his lip and pressed his fingertips into the core of the formation: "Activating... activating the formation requires three breaths!"

The monster's pupils suddenly contracted into thin slits.

Its hind legs slammed into the ground, and the resulting shockwave overturned the rattan net that Zhou Qing had just woven.

Wang Erniu lunged forward with his Xuan Tie sword, but was swept away by its claw and crashed into a tree stump with a muffled groan.

Chu Qing rushed out of the tree hole, holding the healing medicine that Xiao Tao had given her, and shouted as she ran: "Senior Brother Wang!"

then!"

"Don't come any closer!" I shouted, the golden light from the soft sword almost burning my eyes.

The spiritual energy surged wildly through my meridians, causing me so much pain that my vision blurred—this was an attempt to forcibly draw upon my most treasured spiritual essence.

But when I saw Chu Qing stumbling, when I saw Zhou Qing kneeling on the ground re-tying the vines, when I saw Senior Brother Lin protecting me, his sword tassel soaked in blood yet still standing straight, I suddenly smiled.

"Master Zhao!" I flung out seven immobilization talismans, momentarily stunning the demonic beast. "Didn't you always say that real combat is where the true test lies?" I wiped the blood from my face, gazing at the ever-calm forest behind him—Elder Li was leaning against a tree, panting, his spirit-gathering flag drooping listlessly, clearly having tried to use magic to support him, only to have it thwarted by the demonic beast's poisonous blood. "Why don't you teach us how to deal with these dolls now..."

"boom--"

The monster's back exploded into patches of black light.

I was thrown by the blast wave and crashed into Senior Brother Lin's arms.

His black iron sword fell to the ground with a "clang," but he used his arms to shield me completely.

All around were gasps of alarm, Xiao Tao's cries, and Zhou Qing's urgent shouts that "the vine is about to break!"

I looked up from inside Brother Lin's arms.

The blood from his forehead was dripping onto my nose, warm, like a ball of fire about to ignite.

Meanwhile, Master Zhao had retreated further back at some point, his black Taoist robe stained with a fallen leaf, and he was frowning as he brushed it off.

Elder Li slowly moved this way, supporting himself against the tree. The Spirit Gathering Flag swayed in his hand, but there wasn't even the slightest fluctuation of spiritual energy.

The black light gradually dissipated. I propped myself up and gripped the soft sword back in my palm.

This time, even if it means sacrificing my last drop of spiritual energy—

Looking at the children in my arms, covered in wounds yet still supporting each other, looking at Senior Brother Lin's blood-stained sword tassel, looking at Hall Master Zhao's furrowed brows, I suddenly smiled.

"Ah Fu," I wiped the blood from my face, "how many breaths has the array's core activated?"

Afu lifted his head from the pile of rubble, his face bruised and battered, but he grinned, revealing his white teeth: "Second breath!"

“Okay.” I gripped Senior Brother Lin’s hand tightly; the calluses on his palms hurt me. “Then let’s hold on for one more breath.” I held Senior Brother Lin’s wrist; I could feel his pulse pounding like a drum.

Before the last syllable of Afu's shout of "Second breath" at the center of the formation had faded, several wisps of green mist suddenly shot out from the black light that exploded on the back of the demon beast—it was the earth vein poison blood mixed with demonic energy. My throat felt sweet, and I almost fell into Senior Brother Lin's arms.

"Senior Sister Xiao!" Elder Li's voice was choked with sobs.

He knelt down beside Chu Qing at some point, his withered hands applying ointment to her arm. Half of the powder was scattered, and he trembled like falling snow. "Xiao Qing's bone-breaking pills are gone... This girl insists on giving the last half bottle to Wang Erniu..." When he looked up, there were beads of blood in the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. Only then did I notice that the front of his Taoist robe was covered in dark red medicine stains. He must have been splashed with medicine while feeding it to the wounded.

Chu Qing leaned against the tree stump, her braids disheveled like tangled weeds, yet she was still smiling.

The bandage on her left wrist was already soaked with blood. At this moment, she was stuffing hemostatic herbs into her mouth with her right hand. The juice of the herbs dripped down her chin onto Elder Li's hand: "Grandpa Elder, I'm not in pain... Please go and see Senior Sister Zhou. Her vine net has broken again..." Before she could finish speaking, she choked and coughed, and blood splattered onto Elder Li's gray beard.

Zhou Qing's rattan net was indeed shaking.

She knelt on the ground, her hands supporting her on the soil, her hair stuck to her face, but her fingertips were still oozing with greenish wood spirit.

I saw sweat trickling down the back of her neck, staining her Taoist robe a deep blue—a sign of forcibly overdrawing her wood spirit.

Wang Erniu scrambled to his feet, clutching his ribs, his Xuan Tie sword clanging against the stone. "Junior Sister Zhou, I'm here to help you!" Before he could finish speaking, the demonic beast's front paws slammed down, the resulting gust of wind sending Zhou Qing's wooden hairpin tumbling to my feet.

"Get behind me!" I flicked my sword to deflect the claw-like wind, and my spiritual energy surged through my meridians like molten iron.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Afu's hand trembling as he worked on the array patterns. The second burst of light had just passed, and the array eye hadn't even fully lit up by the third.

Master Zhao had somehow moved to the other side of the boulder. A withered leaf clung to his dark Taoist robe. He was frowning and patting his sleeves when he saw me looking over. He immediately turned away and coughed, "What kind of behavior is this...?"

"Senior Sister Xiao!" Zhou Qing suddenly called out to me.

She suddenly stood up, the fallen leaves clinging to her hair falling down in a flurry: "I... I remember that the 'Covenant of All Spirits' says that wood and fire elements can form 'Azure Flame Entanglement'!"

Xiao Tao has a fire elemental root, Senior Brother Wang has a metal elemental root, and although A Fu's spiritual power is weak... She was panting heavily, but she gripped my sleeve tightly, her nails almost digging into my flesh: "Let's try a combined spell!"

As long as he can hold off the monster for three breaths, Afu can...

"Okay," I blurted out.

The light in Zhou Qing's eyes reminded me of the way she looked three years ago when she first came to ask me, "Can someone with a wood spirit root learn beast taming?"—she looked just like that then, her eyes shining like they held stars.

I took her hand in return and felt the calluses on her palm, the result of practicing vine techniques every day: "Xiao Tao!"

Wang Erniu!

Ah Fu!

Listen to Zhou Qing!

Xiao Tao was holding Chu Qing and wiping away her tears, but when she heard me call out, she immediately wiped her face.

She pulled out a tinderbox from her bosom, and a tiny flame ignited at her fingertips—it was her most proficient technique, "Spark Ignition," which was usually only enough to light an incense burner. But now, she gritted her teeth and pressed the flame against Zhou Qing's hand: "Senior Sister Zhou, I'll give you all my spiritual power!" Wang Erniu dragged his sword over, planted the Xuan Tie sword in the ground, and the cold spiritual power unique to the Golden Spirit Root surged into the soil along the sword, like a silver snake crawling into Zhou Qing's feet.

Afu suddenly laughed at the center of the formation: "I, I'll give you a boost with a fire-starting talisman!" He pulled out a crumpled talisman from his pocket, and as soon as his fingertip touched the talisman, blood seeped out, staining the character "fire" dark red.

A blue flame began to emanate from Zhou Qing's fingertips.

Unlike ordinary fire spirits that leap and dance, the flames coiled around her wrist and climbed upwards like a living thing, turning her entire hand into a bluish-gold luster.

Xiao Tao's flame was swept in, first turning orange-red, then slowly fading to blue; Wang Erniu's golden spirit followed, drawing silver threads in the flames; Afu's blood talisman sizzled and burned, the dark red blood light wrapped in the talisman ash, actually blooming into a tiny flower in the blue flames.

"Azure Flame Entanglement!" Zhou Qing screamed.

The ball of blue flame shot out with a "whoosh," like a snake that had come to life, and "snap" wrapped around the monster's forepaws.

The monster let out a heart-wrenching roar, and black blood flowed down the blue flames, sizzling and corroding the ground.

Its tail thrashed wildly, snapping three large trees in half, but the azure flames tightened their grip, climbing up its claws onto its body—Zhou Qing's hair was whipped about by the spiritual energy, Xiao Tao's face was as white as paper, Wang Erniu's Xuan Tie sword clattered to the ground, and A Fu collapsed in a ball at the center of the formation, yet their hands were still tightly clasped together.

“Afu!” I shouted.

The light at the center of the array had already begun its third rotation, with pale blue patterns flickering among the rubble.

Senior Brother Lin suddenly let go of my hand, and gripped the Xuan Tie Sword back into his palm: "I'll go protect the array eye!" As he rushed over, the osmanthus sachet on the sword tassel was smoking from the green flames, but he seemed oblivious, swinging his sword to deflect the tail spikes that the demon beast had swung at him.

The monster's pupils turned completely blood red.

It suddenly shook its head, tearing off half of the blue flame, which still sizzled and stuck to its neck.

I saw a large bulge in its throat—a sign that the venomous blood of the earth veins was about to burst.

Elder Li suddenly pounced over and shoved Chu Qing into my arms: "Take Xiao Qing away!"

I...I used the Spirit Gathering Flag to stall for time! "His Spirit Gathering Flag had long since lost its spiritual power, but now it was waving around like a madman. The flag was torn to pieces by the claws of the demon beast, and he was swept away and crashed into a tree. The blood he coughed up splattered on Chu Qing's hair.

"Senior Sister Xiao..." Chu Qing murmured in my arms.

Her hand suddenly gripped my collar, her nails digging painfully into it: "That...that 'Beast Taming Technique' you taught me...the last line is 'Those who are of one mind will be invincible,' right?" She tilted her head back, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, yet she smiled like a flower blooming in the mud: "We...we did it..."

"Third breath!" Afu's scream pierced through all the noise.

The light at the center of the array suddenly shone brightly, with blue light wrapped in golden radiance, drawing a complete teleportation array diagram in the pile of rubble.

Senior Brother Lin rushed over and grabbed my arm. Zhou Qing and the others stumbled and ran into the formation. Xiao Tao cried as she carried Elder Li on her back, while Wang Erniu dragged the Xuan Tie Sword to protect the rear.

The roar of the monster shook the leaves, causing them to fall to the ground.

It arched its back, and black blood gushed out from the gaps between all its scales, even its eyes were covered in blood.

I could see the venomous sac in its throat throbbing, and with each throbbing, a small crack appeared in the ground—it was a posture of mutual destruction.

"Go in!" I pushed Chu Qing into the formation, and as I turned around, I bumped into Senior Brother Lin's arms.

His black iron sword was still bleeding, but his arm around mine was throbbing painfully: "You go first!"

"We'll go together." I hugged him back, and I could hear his heart pounding like a war drum.

The light from the teleportation array had already reached their feet, and Zhou Qing and the others' figures began to blur. Xiao Tao was still calling out, "Senior Sister Xiao, come in quickly!" Elder Li's fragments of the Spirit Gathering Flag fluttered in the wind, like a few faded clouds.

The monster's poisonous blood pack exploded with a "bang".

A black light, carrying a foul stench, rushed towards me, and everything went black. But then I heard Senior Brother Lin shout in my ear, "Hold on tight!" The light from the teleportation array suddenly enveloped us, like a lifeline.

At the last moment, I saw the monster's eyes—the madness within them suddenly dissipated, leaving only a kind of murky light, like a flickering candle forcibly lit by something.

Its claws twitched, as if it wanted to pounce again, but the light from the teleportation array had already swallowed everything.

When I opened my eyes again, I was already standing on the bluestone slabs of the training ground.

Chu Qing coughed violently in Xiao Tao's arms, Zhou Qing collapsed on the ground, Wang Erniu held the Xuan Tie Sword and panted, A Fu lay on the array eye and grinned foolishly, Elder Li was surrounded by his disciples feeding him medicine, and there was still blood on his white beard.

Senior Brother Lin's hand was still gripping my wrist, his palm was sweaty.

He looked down at me; only half of the osmanthus sachet remained on the sword tassel, yet it still emitted a very faint fragrance.

"Xiao Yao!" Zhao Tangzhu's voice came from behind.

He had also appeared at the edge of the training ground at some point, his black Taoist robe now covered in dust, and a piece of leaf still clung to his jade thumb ring.

He was about to speak when I heard a clear, resonant sword cry from afar—it was Wen Chen's voice, tinged with anxiety: "Yao Yao?"

I turned my head and looked over.

The setting sun bathed the training ground in a golden-red hue, and Wen Chen's figure was silhouetted against the light, his robes fluttering in the breeze.

His gaze swept over our blood-stained Taoist robes, then landed on my face, his brows furrowing slightly.

The monster's final blow finally arrived.