Wen Yan looked at Tuoba, who was full of pride, as if he looked down on everyone a little, and curled his lips. Glancing at the time, there was a little more than an hour left until the first of the month.

Alright, I won't expose you now. We'll see if your mouth is still tough enough to block bullets after an hour or so.

Tuoba stood still, bare-chested. The minor skin trauma on his chest had already healed on its own, his entire body radiating like a source of radiation, ceaselessly emitting terrifying Yang Energy.

If it weren't for the fact that Wen Yan's strongest aspect after his Martial Training was his Yang Energy, he would have had difficulty even standing next to Tuoba.

Didn't you notice that Lord Zhu, despite wearing a Python Robe that's considered a treasure, kept his distance? The rumors that he forced a large number of demons, ghosts, and monsters in Yu State to move without doing anything seemed to be no exaggeration.

Wen Yan took out his phone and tried to return Cai Heizi's call, but it wouldn't go through. The interference was too strong. After walking away a bit and hiding behind King Guilong, he barely managed to send a text message, telling Cai Heizi that he could prepare to wrap things up.

"How are you doing?"

"I've fallen in Grade, but I shouldn't die. If I end up on the Beheading Dragon Platform, can you not come?"

"Hmm?"

"If my mother revives one day, tell her I didn't bring shame to our name, it wasn't I who willingly stirred up trouble, and I blame no one." King Guilong sounded somewhat dispirited but also very calm, without any of his usual hotheadedness. He had already prepared himself for any outcome.

Wen Yan opened his mouth, intending to say something, but didn't know what to say.

In the end, he could only take out most of the remaining food and stuff it into King Guilong's mouth. Then, taking the little chocolate that was left, he crossed over the mountaintop to see the Taoist priests of Dragon Tiger Mountain.

Originally, these two Taoist priests weren't supposed to set up their altars so close, but time was of the essence, and the two nearest half-finished Dharma Altars were on this side.

Moreover, within the range of their sight, the potency and precision of their spellcasting would significantly increase. They didn't dare to be overly confident, unlike the Old Celestial Master, who utilized ultra-long-range techniques.

While it was true that the ability to set up an altar and exert Power was related to their status, it wasn't an exact correlation.

Among the Purple Robe Taoists of Dragon Tiger Mountain, some were indeed skilled at lightning-summoning techniques, while others were not proficient in protective methods.

Furthermore, although the Purple Robe Taoists were nominally ranked just below the Heavenly Master, it didn't mean the Old Celestial Master was only one tier their superior.

The disparity between Taoist priests of the same level could be very large.

For instance, of the two Taoist priests who came this time, one specialized in offense while the other provided support, much like the relationship between a sniper and a spotter.

How to strike, when to strike, when to stop, what could and couldn't be done—all these decisions depended on the other Taoist priest, who wasn't skilled in offensive techniques.

Without him, had they just charged ahead recklessly, they might have killed Hu Yuan by now but also allowed the Nether Soul Realm to manifest directly in the mortal world, creating a Yin Realm here. That would have been an almost irreparable catastrophe.

Wen Yan arrived at the mountaintop. One of the Taoist priests had already collapsed on the ground, sleeping soundly on a coat that had been laid underneath him.

Hit by a Technique of Slaughter, given this Taoist priest's constitution, he hadn't been killed instantly only because Wen Yan had fed him something beforehand. Within its effective period, he was certain not to die.

But not dying didn't mean he wasn't suffering; he still hadn't regained consciousness.

Upon seeing Wen Yan, the other Taoist priest immediately stood up to pay his respects.

He was experienced and knowledgeable. The talisman he had received was not one that excelled in combat power but rather in perception. He understood clearly that his senior brother, having no way to avoid the Technique of Slaughter, had survived not due to good luck or his own strength. The only reason he could find was Wen Yan's earlier insistence on feeding them.

"Thank you, Daoist Friend, for protecting my senior brother's life."

"Taoist Priest, you're too kind. Just call me Xiao Wen or Wen Yan."

"No, no, no. Daoist Friend, you are a disciple of Fuyu Mountain. You risked your own safety to come here and used a Secret Technique to protect our lives in advance, yet you claimed no credit. I dare not be so presumptuous. You truly deserve the title 'Daoist Friend'."

The Taoist priest spoke very earnestly. To have performed such a monumental good deed without uttering a word about it... It was only when he, the Taoist priest, was on the verge of death that he discovered their lives had been preemptively protected. The experience of such a dramatic turn of events was profoundly different. He didn't care what Wen Yan looked like or how he appeared on the surface; based solely on his actions, he felt he absolutely had to show him the proper respect.

"Taoist Priest, what should we do next? How do we conclude this?"

"How is King Guilong doing?"

Wen Yan blinked and said, "He was hit by the Technique of Slaughter two or three times and has already fallen in Grade. He probably won't last much longer."

The Taoist priest gazed into the distance, observing the clouds and mist in the mountain pass. They had indeed shrunk severalfold. He had just extended his hand to attempt a divination when, upon seeing Wen Yan, his fingers paused slightly. A thought flickered through his mind, and he slowly withdrew his hand, abandoning the effort.

"If King Guilong still has the strength, please ask him to guide the river back to its course. The Nether Soul Realm has stabilized and won't undergo any further major changes.

Given his current state, being hit by the Technique of Slaughter twice is already his limit.

Even with his dragon body, I fear he won't last long before dying suddenly.

If he is willing, please ask him to guide the waters one last time and restore everything to normal.

The Dragon Mother indeed taught him well. From my observations, he guided the river entirely through uninhabited mountain valleys."

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