The sound of galloping hooves was urgent, arrows rained like a storm.
Under the barrage, the Green Forest Heroes brought by Xuan Tong fell one by one.
More martial artists surged up the mountain, but this time, they were Song Lin's people.
Yangg Xing stood beside Song Lin, holding a fine steel crossbow, brimming with smugness.
Years of effort, utilizing the master's Hidden Dragon Breath Divine Medicine, had drawn in the majority of Jianghu's factions.
These people weren't just capable of attacking Lao Mountain; even if sent to conquer the land, they could at least become warlords who dominated several provinces.
Three thousand elite soldiers surrounded Lao Mountain, their torches illuminating the pitch-black night sky.
"This..." Xuan Tong stared at Song Lin in disbelief. What had his ninth junior disciple done exactly? How could he have so many people on his side?
Three thousand men—no matter their spells, they certainly didn't possess Vajra Bodies.
"Haha, Miasma Demon, let's see where you can flee now." The Lao Mountain Taoist laughed, "Well done, Song Lin!"
"Do not panic! Keep an eye on Changjing, and I'll deal with them myself."
The Miasma Demon, full of confidence, stepped out of Lake Heart Pavilion.
Glancing at the surrounding heavy shadows of people, the corners of its mouth revealed an unconcealed mocking sneer.
Outnumbering him? If there was one thing the Grey Immortal feared least, it was being outnumbered.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, the Miasma Demon's face stretched long, its fangs protruding beyond its lips.
This demon's transformation threw the crowd around it into panic and commotion. For most, it was their first time seeing a live demon in the flesh.
Seeing chaos teeter on the brink of control, Song Lin stepped forward.
With a sweep of his sleeve, a bright moon rose above his head, its light spreading and illuminating the dark lakeside.
"Fear not, I am here!"
Song Lin's voice echoed in all directions, and the chaotic hearts of the people settled instantly.
"Haha, putting on airs!"
The Miasma Demon spat out a green bead the size of a fist.
Green mist spread from the bead, expanding outward in all directions.
This was miasma, imbued with centuries of deadly poison.
An all-encompassing wave with no gaps, unstoppable and pervasive—this was the Miasma Demon's ace to roam freely.
Not to mention three thousand people; even thirty thousand couldn't get close to it.
The miasma spread across the lake's surface, like a writhing giant beast, slowly advancing toward the surrounding people.
Yet everyone took out a package, from which they retrieved a black powdered medicine. They poured it into their water flasks, scattering it on the ground, drawing a line.
"Huh? Are they casting spells?"
The very next moment, the Miasma Demon's expression changed.
The miasma halted just beyond the drawn lines.
"Impossible!" The Miasma Demon was incredulous. Its miasma was something even the greatest physician in the world couldn't resolve.
"What's so impossible?"
Song Lin donned a mask and uncovered a cloth bundle, revealing an exquisitely crafted wooden sword. With a gentle swing of the sword—
Whoosh!
The wooden sword blazed with firelight.
With a single step, he traversed five zhang. In several bounds, he closed the distance.
The hazy green mist posed no hindrance to him at all. The Bat Night Brightness Technique granted him vision unaffected by the darkness.
"Die!"
From his sleeve, five Avoiding Filth Talismans flew out, gleaming with golden light. The miasma around the Miasma Demon dissipated entirely, and the wooden sword, enshrouded in searing flames, slashed down upon the demon's head.
Unfortunately, the green bead flew too high; otherwise, even its inner core would have been cleaved.
Panicking, the Miasma Demon transformed its hands into sharp claws, lifting them above its head to block.
Bang!
The Three Yang Fire Sword struck its arms, leaving deep, blackened scars.
But it wasn't over. Song Lin's left hand pinched five yellow talismans, which ignited into fireballs.
He ruthlessly launched the fireballs at the Miasma Demon, blasting it directly into the water below.
"Why?! How?!"
No matter how hard the Miasma Demon racked its brains, it couldn't fathom why its miasma had no effect on him.
Accepting its defeat, it acknowledged its shattered ambitions.
Swallowing the green bead, the demon transformed into a green rat the size of a calf, attempting to flee down the mountain.
"Loose the arrows!!"
Yangg Xing had been lying in wait for this moment.
This time, the arrows were set aflame, coated with flammable oil. Though they didn't pierce the rat's armor-like hide, the oil clung to it, setting it ablaze and turning it into a Fire Rat.
Without its miasma, the Miasma Demon was a mere shadow of its former self.
Song Lin approached the thrashing Fire Rat and drove his sword straight into its skull, extracting the green bead.
The Miasma Demon perished on the spot.
"What a pity—you were up against the wisdom of another world."
Song Lin chuckled.
Using the knowledge of the real world to tackle a fictional one, then feeding the Taoist skills of the fictional world back to reality.
Holding the green bead—now a translucent orb suffused with swirling green mist—
Song Lin placed it carefully into a small box.
Next would be the remaining eight disciples.
The Yan Yun Eighteen Riders had long surrounded the Lake Heart Pavilion, their fine steel crossbows aimed at the eight individuals.
"Don't come any closer! One step more, and I'll kill him!" Xuan Tong's contorted face clutched the Lao Mountain Taoist.
They could never have imagined that their junior disciple had gathered such forces and even silently advanced to the stage of fetal breath cultivation.
But why hadn't he disclosed this? Had he already seen through them?
For a moment, Xuan Tong suddenly felt a wave of creeping dread, as though everything had been within someone else's grasp.
"Haha, Song Lin, don't worry about me," the Lao Mountain Taoist said cheerfully. "My life hasn't been entirely a failure."
Though I've raised an unfilial generation of disciples, at least this one surpasses me by far.
At that moment, the Lao Mountain Taoist saw Song Lin make a subtle signal. Understanding immediately, he jerked forward, knocking Xuan Tong aside.
Xuan Tong's head was exposed in plain view.
Whizz!
An arrow pierced the center of Xuan Tong's forehead.
Thud!
Falling to the ground, Xuan Tong died with his eyes wide open in defiance.
"Ninth junior disciple, spare us!"
The remaining seven knelt and begged for their lives.
"No problem," Song Lin said.
Whoosh!
The Three Yang Fire Sword swung in a circle, severing seven heads neatly. The searing flames sealed the wounds, leaving no blood to spill.
"This..." The Lao Mountain Taoist sighed heavily. "The Immortal Dao cherishes life. They too were swept along helplessly. Stripping them of their cultivation and banishing them would have sufficed. Such slaughter is unnecessary."
"Haha, Master, your ideals are outdated. It's true that killing isn't ideal, but some deterrence is necessary. Otherwise, why would Taoists cultivate spells? Wouldn't it be better to focus entirely on Qi cultivation?" Song Lin said with a laugh.
"Fine." The Lao Mountain Taoist lowered his gaze to his injuries.
With his kidney ruptured, internal bleeding, and so much blood lost already, he didn't have much time left.
Seeing this, Song Lin instructed his men, "Take Master back to rest. Summon the best doctor. Let everyone else leave."
The night deepened as Song Lin returned to his quarters.
Opening the *Monster Chronicles*, the first line of information read:
[World]: Lao Mountain Taoist
[Thirty-Six Heavens]: Mortal World
[Time Flow Speed]: One to 365
[Descent]: Spirit
[Category]: Southern Chu Land Mythology, Taoist Mythology, Middle Ages Mythology
[System]: Chu's Taiyi God System
[Karma Effect Cycle]: 90%
"Why is it still missing a little?"
Song Lin muttered in puzzlement.
Could there still be unresolved karma?
At that moment, someone knocked on the door.
"Master, the Lao Mountain Taoist seeks you—he... he's nearing the end," Yangg Xing's voice came from outside.
"Understood," Song Lin responded, his heart stirring.
He knew what the remaining karma was.
It was to conclude this lifetime's master-disciple bond with the Lao Mountain Taoist Changjing.
With this in mind, Song Lin tidied his robes and stepped out the door.