Chapter 37: The White Jade Coffin

Unfortunately, his unique path of cultivation meant that no one could truly ever become his master.

Li Meng reached out and patted his Junior Sister’s head. “Don’t be afraid, Little Junior Sister. A mere Foundation Establishment cultivator is nothing. Within the Scarlet Forbidden Ground, your Senior Brother is invincible!”

Invincible Senior Brother? Qi Wei pursed her lips into a smile. “Senior Brother is boasting again!”

Li Meng withdrew his hand and chuckled. With a single-handed seal, he pointed toward the depths of the stone gate passageway. “Then let this Senior Brother show you his methods!”

As the words left his lips, a golden talisman flew from the storage pouch at his waist. it transformed into a streak of golden light, shooting deep into the darkness of the passage. It was a Spirit Attraction Talisman.

“Wait here, Little Junior Sister!”

After leaving those words, Li Meng transformed into a blur of golden light and burrowed into the ground.

“Senior Brother, take me with you!” Seeing her little old man Senior Brother go off alone, Qi Wei stamped her foot in frustration. “How infuriating!”

Qi Wei flung the purple gourd on her back into the air. Her small body leaped up, landing feet-first on the artifact. The purple gourd shot into the depths of the stone gate passage. Its speed was so great that it vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the passage…

Li Meng suddenly appeared out of thin air. The moment he materialized, a golden light barrier enveloped him.

“Fellow Daoist, impressive methods!” A clear, cold voice rang out from nearby.

Li Meng surveyed his surroundings. He found himself in a space resembling a cultivator’s cave abode. Within the cave were mountains and water—the mountains were artificial rockeries, and the water flowed from a small stream. Several intersecting corridors spanned the area, and at the end of one stood a pavilion.

On the rockery outside the pavilion stood a figure clad in green Daoist robes. Li Meng looked at the green-robed Daoist with a beaming smile. “Fellow Daoist, are you a disciple of the Qingxu Sect, or a Demonic Cultivator from the State of Yue?”

The green-robed Daoist looked at Li Meng with a faint, ambiguous smile. “Fellow Daoist’s Lifespan Limit approaches. Why seek trouble for yourself?”

Li Meng chuckled cheerfully, stroking his long beard. “What is there to fear in death? To drag a suppressed demonic Foundation Establishment cultivator to the grave with me before I die—that seems like a profitable trade!”

The green-robed Daoist observed Li Meng with keen interest. A mere Qi Condensation level eight—where did such confidence come from? “How can you be so certain I am a Demonic Cultivator?”

“We’ll know once we fight!”

Li Meng knew he was a novice at combat; sixty years of cultivation without experiencing a single battle. He could only rely on the best defense to protect himself and use the most powerful attacks to slay his enemies.

Li Meng formed hand seals with both hands. A golden talisman flew from his storage pouch, transforming into a streak of light that lunged at the green-robed Daoist. Mid-flight, the Spirit Sword Talisman suddenly erupted with dazzling Spiritual Power.

It transformed into a hundred-zhang golden spirit sword!

The massive blade emanated a boundless, imposing might. The spiritual energy of the entire cave abode was completely devoured by the sword.

“Div—”

The green-robed Daoist’s face contorted in terror. He only had time to utter the first syllable of “Divine” before his entire person was shredded into dust by the sword’s energy! The sword itself had not even arrived, yet its sheer pressure had already reduced the enemy to ashes.

The massive golden spirit sword continued its unstoppable momentum, crashing into the pavilion! The structure suddenly erupted with cyan spiritual light, forming a barrier—the pavilion’s Restriction formation.

The collision between the hundred-zhang spirit sword and the barrier created a two-colored tide of Spiritual Power that swept through the entire cave. after several breaths, the barrier shattered with a thunderous crash.

“Retrieve!”

Li Meng formed hand seals. At the moment the barrier shattered, he recalled the talisman. The hundred-zhang spirit sword dissipated, transforming into a sky full of golden spiritual energy that converged toward a single point. Finally, it reformed into a golden talisman and flew back to Li Meng’s storage pouch.

Li Meng stroked his beard with satisfaction. “The Divine Firmament Talisman truly is extraordinary!”

Powerful as it was, it demanded immense Spiritual Power. For one second-grade Divine Firmament Spirit Sword Talisman, Li Meng needed several days to fully replenish its reserves. An attack of this intensity could be used at most five times before exhausting the energy stored within the talisman.

“Senior Brother! Senior Brother!”

From within the passage behind him came his Junior Sister’s childish voice. Li Meng turned to see her riding her purple gourd, flying over at high speed. In the blink of an eye, she was close at hand.

“Little old man Senior Brother!” Qi Wei made a flying leap, latching onto him. The purple gourd circled once with spiritual awareness before settling onto her back.

Li Meng reached out to hold her steady. “‘Little old man Senior Brother’? Little Junior Sister, did you just speak your mind out loud?”

Qi Wei’s gaze drifted evasively, her lips pouting slightly. “S-Senior Brother is very old anyway!”

[+20 Affection] [+100 Sub-profession XP]

Li Meng chuckled and set her down. “Little Junior Sister, is this what you were looking for?” He turned to look at the pavilion whose barrier had been broken. Inside lay a coffin—white as jade and emitting waves of rolling cold air.

Qi Wei followed his gaze. When she saw the white jade coffin, her eyes lit up. “Senior Brother… what about that person?” She swept her eyes over the cave but found no trace of an enemy.

“He’s dead.”

“So quickly?!”

Li Meng patted Qi Wei’s head. “Go ahead and collect it.”

Qi Wei’s eyes curved into crescents. “Thank you, Senior Brother!”

She happily flew up, her small body soaring toward the pavilion. She formed a seal, and the purple gourd behind her detached itself to hover over her head. From its mouth shot a beam of yellow light, enveloping the white jade coffin. The coffin shrank visibly and was drawn inside the gourd.

Qi Wei hugged the purple gourd and shook it gently, confirming the coffin was truly inside.

Li Meng walked along the corridor and entered the pavilion. “Little Junior Sister, mission completed?”

Qi Wei slung the gourd back onto her back and nodded vigorously. “Mmm! What Master instructed has been accomplished!”

Li Meng did not inquire about matters unrelated to himself. Even if the white jade coffin contained a miraculous treasure capable of granting instant ascension, he would not harbor greedy thoughts. He had hope for his own Great Dao and only needed to follow his path diligently.

“This Senior Brother needs to refine spirit plants here to transform them into medicinal liquid. Little Junior Sister, if you have other matters, you may leave on your own accord.”

Li Meng waved his hand, and an alchemy furnace and a meditation mat landed on the ground. The furnace was a mid-grade magic artifact—barely usable for a second-grade Alchemist.

“Senior Brother! Senior Brother! Let me guard for you!”

Qi Wei also took out a mat and placed it near him. Her small body settled cross-legged, her face full of curiosity as she watched him begin his preparations.

Li Meng chuckled cheerfully and stroked his beard once more. “Fine then, I will trouble Little Junior Sister.”

With another wave of his hand, over a dozen spirit plants flew into the furnace. Li Meng formed hand seals, his whole body emitting five-colored spiritual light. Moments later, the furnace suddenly burst with blazing flames.