SWDnovel Chapter 101 Prohibition
Chapter 101 Prohibition
Inside the mine.
Chen Bai walked carefully along the mine tunnel, with Lingya Xiao Liu perched on his shoulder, occasionally letting out a very soft murmur, as if reminding him of the fork in the road ahead.
The marks on the ground gradually became clearer.
It was a series of shallow tiger claw prints, each about the size of a bowl, etched into the gravel, with the claw tips pointing deep into the mine tunnel.
Chen Bai slowed his pace and extended his spiritual sense forward.
This fork in the road was deeper than any of the ones we had taken before, and it took almost the time it takes to burn an incense stick to pass through.
After rounding the last bend, the view suddenly opened up before us.
This is an incredibly vast cavern. The ceiling is tens of meters high, and looking up, you can't see the top; there is only a deep, dark expanse.
In the center of the cave hall grows a towering tree with cracked bark like dragon scales and countless aerial roots hanging down from its branches.
Beneath the giant tree lay the skeleton of a dragon, several tens of feet long. The bones were a deep, inky black, each rib was over ten feet long, and the vertebrae were interlocked like chains.
The skull leaned against the tree trunk, its jaws wide open, revealing two rows of sharp, white teeth that gleamed coldly.
Two thick dragon horns on its head slanted towards the sky. Although the horns were covered with cracks, they still exuded an awe-inspiring and inviolable aura.
Also, the egg-shaped nest in the tree canopy.
Before he could take a closer look, a deep tiger's roar came from under the tree.
Mo Yunhu —
The bright yellow beast eyes had lost all their luster, becoming as murky as a stagnant pool. However, the fangs protruding from the tiger's mouth were still as white as daggers, and the tiger's tail swung slowly behind it, striking the dragon's bones with a dull thud.
"Yao Ye's mount..."
Chen Bai's gaze sharpened slightly, as if he noticed that Mo Yunhu's condition was not right.
Just as he was wondering where Yao Ye had gone, a hurried and hoarse cry for help came from the nest.
"Who is that fellow cultivator outside?!"
Yao Ye's voice came from the nest, hoarse and broken, carrying a sense of ecstatic joy and eagerness after surviving a catastrophe.
"I am Yao Ye, an inner disciple of the Spirit Sword Sect! My mount has been controlled by the mountain nun using sorcery. That beast is currently guarding under the tree."
The mountain maiden is right there in her lair! She has no other allies left, fellow Daoist, act quickly, there's no time to lose!
No sooner had she finished speaking than, with a "slap," Yao Ye was slapped by the mountain girl.
Chen Bai recognized Yao Ye's voice, but remained standing still.
"So it was you, you little thief."
A hoarse female voice came from the nest, carrying a hint of cold mockery, "Was it you who repeatedly used your spiritual sense to spy on my nest on the hillside earlier?"
Chen Bai's expression remained unchanged, but a slight chill ran through him.
He did not respond to the mountain girl's mockery, but instead carefully probed his spiritual sense into the nest.
After penetrating the thin wall of the nest, the spiritual sense clearly reflected the scene inside the nest into the sea of consciousness.
Then his expression turned strange.
There, Yao Ye lay on his back on a bird feather mattress, completely naked, his robes torn into strips and scattered around him.
Half of his face was swollen and purple, a trace of blood remained at the corner of his mouth, and his bare chest was covered with red marks and bruises from sharp claws.
His legs were entangled by several thick vines, and his hands hung limply at his sides, like a plucked chicken.
The mountain girl was straddling his waist.
Saliva dripped from that gaping mouth, and its dark yellow eyes were filled with naked greed as it scrutinized his naked body inch by inch, as if admiring a delicious meal about to be devoured.
Chen Bai's lips twitched slightly.
His gaze passed over the appalling scene and landed on the upper level of the nest.
It was separated from the lower level by only a thin partition, yet it felt like two completely different worlds.
On the aerial roots that are coiled into the shape of a lotus platform, a skeleton sits cross-legged.
The bones were as white as jade, with a faint golden halo flowing over each bone.
A Foundation Establishment True Person who attained enlightenment through meditation.
Chen Bai's heart skipped a beat, and his pupils contracted slightly.
In that instant when his mind stirred, Mo Yunhu made his move.
The black tiger, controlled by the mountain nun's sorcery, thrashed its four paws against the ground.
The rubble exploded beneath its claws, and its massive body lunged at Chen Bai like a black lightning bolt. Its jaws gaped open, its fangs as white as daggers, and a stench wafted towards him.
After a burst of dark red flame, it rose up from behind Chen Bai. The flame condensed and did not dissipate, transforming in the air into a huge, crimson rhinoceros.
"Fiery Horned Rhinoceros".
As soon as the fire rhinoceros appeared, the temperature in the cave suddenly rose. Its four hooves pounded the ground, leaving charred hoofprints on the gravel floor.
The breath exhaled from its nostrils carried a sulfurous heat. The rhinoceros, its head lowered, aimed at the charging Ink Cloud Tiger and let out a deep, rumbling roar.
The two demonic beasts collided with a loud crash, and Chen Bai didn't even glance at the battle.
Although the Fire Rhinoceros had only recently been forged and its intelligence was still shallow, it had the advantage of thick skin and immense strength, making it more than capable of holding back a Black Cloud Tiger that was being controlled by demonic magic.
He bypassed the dragon's skeleton and walked towards the giant tree.
As he passed the enormous dragon skeleton, he paused slightly in his steps—
The aura emanating from the dragon's remains was extremely pure. Even after a hundred years of death, a faint trace of the true dragon's essence still lingered in the bones.
In his pouch lay the true dragon essence blood extracted from the little dragon's body, which was now slightly warm, as if it had some subtle connection to the skeleton.
Suppressing the slight heat in his heart, he climbed towards the tree crown, stepping on the drooping aerial roots.
At the entrance to the nest, on the bird feather mat, the mountain girl's movements suddenly froze.
It was Chen Bai, who walked in from the cave entrance with unhurried steps, his robes fluttering gently in the dim light of the cave hall.
Little Six the Crow perched on his shoulder, tilting its head and peering into the nest with its small, red eyes, letting out a curious low coo.
Chen Bai's gaze first fell on Yao Ye's naked body, then moved to the mountain girl next to him, and the corners of his mouth slightly raised.
"Fellow Daoist Yao..."
He smiled broadly and said jokingly, "What a great mood you're in."
Yao Ye's face darkened at first, then he forced a smile and said, "So that's it..."
He thought for a long time, and then seemed to remember the name. "So it's Fellow Daoist Chen! Quick! Save me! Kill this mountain girl!!"
"Fellow Daoist surely knows that I am the eldest son of the Yao family's direct line. Helping me return to my clan will surely be rewarded handsomely. What do you desire… cultivation techniques? Daoist arts? Or magical artifacts and elixirs? All are welcome!"
"Fellow Daoist, please calm down."
Chen Bai smiled, his tone still gentle, but there was no smile in his eyes.
With a slight thought, a ball of azure flame surged from his dantian, swirling around and flying onto his shoulder, transforming into the spirit crow Xiao Liu.
Little Six shook its feathers on his shoulder, tilted its head, and surveyed the nest with its bright red eyes before flapping its wings and taking flight.
However, instead of flying towards the mountain maiden, it flew straight towards the upper level of the nest.
Xiao Liu hovered for a moment below the partition, then continued upwards—
Until it hits an invisible barrier.
The barrier was extremely faint and thin. When Xiao Liu hit it, it created a faint golden ripple, which then disappeared without a trace.
Xiao Liu was bounced back a few inches, shook its head, flew around the barrier once, and let out a low groan of resentment.
A knowing glint flashed in Chen Bai's eyes.