My Master’s Daoist Heart is Unstable - Chapter 11

In the Mortal Realm, the group couldn’t fly on their swords and had to travel on foot.

They trekked through lush green mountains and fragrant wildflowers until they reached the halfway point up the slope.

Suddenly, the Fierce Beast Demon Core tucked in Li Shangyuan’s sleeve began to glow with an increasingly intense, blinding red light. Almost simultaneously, the Golden Bell at Dian Chao’s waist erupted in a frantic, rapid ringing, like a sudden downpour of rain.

“Whatever is in this valley must be incredibly powerful,” Li Shangyuan said as he pulled out the demon core. He watched its color deepen from a pale red to a piercing, vivid crimson, his expression turning grim.

Since leaving their Sect, the core had only flared up once before, in Zuxian Town. But he remembered that light being a brilliant, dazzling white, nothing like this ominous crimson glow.

Clap!

A sharp sound echoed from beside him. Dian Chao had impatiently slapped his palm over the Golden Bell, forcibly silencing its incessant ringing.

Only after the bell fell completely quiet did Dian Chao speak. “So noisy! Is this damn thing supposed to warn me, or is it just alerting the demons?” The Golden Bell remained still, its silence now absolute.

Li Shangyuan glanced at Dian Chao, a hint of helplessness tugging at the corners of his lips. The mortals who had entered the valley earlier were likely already dead.

Chen Miao watched the two men and their demon-detecting treasures with a calm, unruffled expression.

Who didn’t have a magical artifact? Especially not disciples of a Sect.

Chen Miao keenly caught Li Shangyuan’s fleeting expression of surprise and suddenly asked, “Is there a problem?”

Only then did Li Shangyuan, seeing him ask, bring up the matter of the demon core’s changing colors.

Dian Chao, however, didn’t find it strange at all. No matter what color it was, wasn’t it all just the work of demons and devils?

Hearing this, Chen Miao softly said, “Is this demon core the inner core of a Fierce Beast?”

The records of demonic beasts on the Donghua Continent all had entries on this, so there was nothing difficult to identify. He nodded.

Chen Miao didn’t ask about the origin of the demon core, but directly explained, “When the Fierce Beast’s demon core encounters a demon aura, it turns white. If it’s a devil, it turns black. If it’s red, then it’s a ghost.”

Only then did Li Shangyuan suddenly understand. His Master hadn’t told him, probably because he had left in a hurry and hadn’t had time to instruct him.

“What did you say? A ghost?” Dian Chao’s tone even carried a hint of eagerness. He had descended to the mortal realm for short training several times before, but he had never encountered a ghost, without exception, they were all demons and devils.

Ghosts were formed from the obsession of dead mortals after death. But not everyone could become one after death. The necessary conditions for becoming a ghost were that the resentment and hatred were deep enough, and there was enough of it, deep enough to soak into the heart, and so much that it couldn’t be filled.

“And it’s a malevolent ghost.” Chen Miao spoke solemnly, seeing the dead air of every blade of grass and every tree around him.

“And all the plants on this mountain are tainted with ghostly energy.” Chen Miao scanned their surroundings before speaking again. “The closer we get, the deeper the corruption. It seems we’re nearing Corpse Burial Valley.”

Li Shangyuan’s tone turned grave. “We must be extra cautious. Malevolent ghosts are masters of concealment.” If you aren’t vigilant, they can vanish without a trace. Once they go hidden, even a formation cannot detect them.

The other two nodded in agreement.

Before they knew it, Dian Chao had already moved ahead of them, frowning as he urged them on.

Hurry up! I’m in a rush to see a ghost!

Chen Miao watched Dian Chao’s nearly invisible figure in the distance before saying softly to Li Shangyuan, “He truly is a free spirit.”

Li Shangyuan chuckled bitterly. “Indeed.” Fearing Chen Miao might worry, he added, “Let’s quicken our pace and catch up.”

The two walked side by side, their steps quickening.

After about fifteen minutes, they reached the edge of the valley. There, they found Dian Chao looking as if he were about to vomit from disgust.

Just as Li Shangyuan was about to ask what was wrong, a wave of putrid corpse stench hit them, making him stumble.

Even the ever-composed Chen Miao suddenly furrowed his brow, his lips pressing into a pale line as he endured the overwhelming stench. Though he said nothing, Li Shangyuan could read the clear desire to turn back on his face.

The three of them immediately held their breath. The moment the stench vanished, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

“Wait,” Dian Chao suddenly said, his face twisted in a grimace as he forced the words through gritted teeth. “We can’t smell it anymore, but we still need to talk, right? The moment we open our mouths, won’t that smell just waft right back in?”

Li Shangyuan realized he had a point. He immediately sent a mental message: Dian Chao, let’s communicate via spiritual energy once we enter the valley.

Dian Chao’s world went dark. Why didn’t I just use a mental message for that last sentence?! He quickly turned to Chen Miao, who hadn’t yet established a spiritual connection with him, and covered his mouth with his hand. “We’ll use mental messages in the valley!” he said, his words rushing out like a gale.

Hearing this, Chen Miao and Li Shangyuan exchanged a silent glance.

Li Shangyuan turned to Dian Chao and sent another mental message: You could have just told me that, and I would have relayed it to Chen Miao. There was truly no need to speak aloud again.

Dian Chao’s world went dark once more. This time, his mental message was laced with irritation: You’ve already linked your spiritual energy with him? How was I supposed to know if you didn’t tell me!

The truth was, Li Shangyuan and Chen Miao had always been subtly radiating their spiritual energy. Only Dian Chao had kept his spiritual energy tightly contained, making it impossible for others to initiate a mental connection with him.

After Dian Chao finished speaking, he released his spiritual energy and never retracted it again. Chen Miao had already consciously connected to him. Now, the three of them were linked without hindrance, able to hear each other’s voice transmissions clearly.

Only after sensing the connection was complete did Chen Miao speak softly, “I thought Fellow Daoist Chu Cheng simply disliked using voice transmissions.”

Dian Chao swore to himself that from now on, he would always keep his spiritual energy open and never hold it back again!!!

The moment they stepped into the valley, the sight before them made them shudder.

Withered trees with gnarled branches were all choked and shrouded in a thick, grayish-black ghostly energy. On the dead, lifeless boughs, countless crows perched densely. Their feathers were as black as ink, blending almost seamlessly with the background of the miasma.

Sensing their presence, the hundreds of motionless crows suddenly turned their heads in unison, their crimson eyes flickering dimly within the ghostly miasma.

Then, Chen Miao accidentally stepped on a bleached bone beneath his feet, and a sharp crack echoed through the air.

The entire withered forest seemed to ignite instantly. The successive sounds of wings beating rose like a torrential rain hitting roof tiles. A black wave of feathers surged toward the sky like a burst dam, leaving behind a few downy feathers that still seemed to cling to scraps of rotting flesh.

“Did we alert the enemy?” Dian Chao shrugged, though his voice transmission betrayed little tension.

“Not necessarily.” Li Shangyuan’s gaze swept across the surroundings, his expression grave. “Perhaps they’ve known we were in the valley from the very beginning.”

The group stepped over the carpet of bones, heading deeper into the valley.

The deeper they ventured, the thicker the piles of white bones became. It was clear the people here had been dead for a long time, so much so that even the stench of decay had faded.

Above them, a dozen or so crows had silently returned to the branches, perched still as if waiting for something.

Chen Miao followed slowly behind the other two. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glint of light from the bushes—the mace. So that’s why the crows are circling here, he realized. His gaze drifted over the object as if it weren’t there, and he continued forward.

“Huh?” Dian Chao’s voice crackled in their minds, tinged with surprise. “Isn’t that the weapon those men in the teahouse were using?”

Li Shangyuan quickened his pace to investigate. After a moment, he nodded. “It is.”

Chen Miao, still trailing behind, sent a mental message: “Are we not moving forward?”

Li Shangyuan, who had been scanning the area, replied, “Let’s check first. What if they’re still alive? There might be a slim chance.” As soon as he finished speaking, he spotted the blood-stained mace in the bushes and immediately doubled back, passing Chen Miao.

Another golden figure blurred past. Chen Miao’s gaze remained as still as ancient water as he followed them.

He pushed aside the withered branches to reveal a body lying beneath. It was Scarface, the leader from the tea shop.

He wasn’t completely dead yet.

Li Shangyuan immediately knelt down, channeling spiritual power into the man’s heart to briefly pull him back from the brink of death, barely sustaining his fading life force.

Scarface’s eyelids fluttered open. His lifeless eyes flickered with a faint spark of light as they fell upon the three figures. With immense effort, he raised his left hand. Only then did they see what he held clenched in his fist: a common herb glowing with a dim green light.

“Everyone…” he wheezed, his voice as thin as a thread. “Please… take this… to the Sihai Escort Agency… in Yunzhou… I beg you…” His arm dropped mid-air, and his breath ceased completely.

Li Shangyuan stared at the ordinary mortal herb in the man’s hand, its lack of any magical properties making his gaze flicker with uncertainty.

“Should we deliver it?” Dian Chao asked, frowning.

Li Shangyuan fell silent for a moment. Fine, he thought, I’ll consider this repayment for the kind warnings he gave me in the tea shop. With a nod, he agreed.

Dian Chao’s frown remained, but he offered no further objection.

Chen Miao stood quietly beside them, his gaze lowered toward the youth crouching on the ground.

The mountain breeze had momentarily dispersed some of the valley’s mist, allowing a few thin shafts of sunlight to pierce through the foliage. The light illuminated the youth’s deep, sharp features, making them appear clear and luminous. It even seemed to penetrate his eyes, reflecting a gentle, benevolent glint.

Only after Li Shangyuan rose and carefully stored the herbs did Chen Miao discreetly avert his gaze.

“Let’s go,” Li Shangyuan signaled.

The three continued deeper into the valley.

They encountered no more living beings.

The further they ventured, the thicker and more suffocating the ghostly energy became. Strangely, however, the putrid stench of decay vanished completely. The area even seemed brighter than the valley’s edge, imbued with an unsettling, eerie “cleanliness.”

The three exchanged glances, their alertness sharpening to its peak.

After walking a little further, the path suddenly opened up. A colossal tree stood abruptly in the center of a clearing. Its gnarled branches coiled like dragons, and its canopy spread wide like an umbrella, its lush foliage jarringly out of place amidst the surrounding desolation and death.

Something was wrong, terribly wrong.

Alarm bells blared in Li Shangyuan’s mind.

Just as he was about to investigate, a bone-chilling, ghostly energy erupted without warning, spreading through the air.

“Are you… here… to find treasure too?” A woman’s voice, wet, cold, and cloying, drifted through the air as if it were caressing their ears. Each word stretched out into a long, lingering echo.

Chen Miao’s voice suddenly echoed in his mind, “We should play along with her.”

Li Shangyuan’s eyes flickered. He had been thinking the same thing.

“Who are you?” he asked, his voice deep and guarded.

“Ah… Hehehehe…” A sharp, ethereal laugh rang out, its trailing notes laced with a sickeningly sweet, hair-raising quality.

Dian Chao was already losing patience. “Come out and show yourself!”

Hurry up! I want to see you!

“Don’t be in such a rush… Don’t be in such a rush…” The voice, now dripping with temptation, rippled through the air. “Are you here for spiritual herbs? Or perhaps a cultivation method? I have… everything you could possibly need.”

Li Shangyuan feigned a greedy, delighted expression and quickly replied, “We want both! What do we need to give you in exchange?”

Seeing the three men eagerly take the bait, the malevolent ghost’s voice grew even softer and more seductive as she continued to entice them. “All you need to do is help me tend to some spiritual herbs and collect a few demon cores, then deliver them to the valley at the appointed time. With just these two conditions, I will gladly grant you everything you seek.”

“Come out first!” Dian Chao demanded again, his voice tinged with impatience.

“…It’s just that my appearance is so hideous, I’m afraid I’ll frighten you all.” The malevolent ghost suppressed a flicker of displeasure, instead adopting a strategy of feigned retreat. “If you don’t want them, then you may leave.”

These hypocrites, she thought. They only entered the valley for these very things.

“Wait, of course we want them,” Li Shangyuan interjected immediately, playing his part perfectly.

The malevolent ghost sneered inwardly. As expected, playing hard to get is most effective against these self-important cultivators.

“May I ask… what kind of cultivation method is it, and what are its effects?”

“This method will allow your cultivation levels to advance at an incredible speed, with a solid foundation. In a very short time, you can gain years of power. And even better…” The voice trailed off, laced with temptation, “…it can be practiced without spiritual energy.”

“Oh?” The three men all feigned surprise. “If it doesn’t rely on spiritual energy, then what does it depend on?”

The malevolent ghost let out a wet, low chuckle. “It relies on malevolent energy. All you need to do… is slay demonic beasts and use their inner cores for cultivation.”

Just as they had suspected, the three of them understood.

“However,” the malevolent ghost continued, “I will only share this cultivation method with two of you. One of you must stay behind to keep me company.”

A sudden chill swept toward Chen Miao as several strands of hair, black as night and thin as spider silk, slithered toward him. The ends flickered like venomous snakes, slowly coiling upward.

“I’ll take… this gentle, jade-like gentleman.”

Chen Miao glanced down at the writhing hair, his expression as calm as still water. He even nodded with polite courtesy. “Very well.”

The writhing strands froze instantly, as if choked by his unexpectedly compliant answer. They remained motionless for a long moment.

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