From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 45 Outwitting the Monsters

The mist swirled, and the powerful pressure drew ever closer, making it almost impossible for me to breathe. I gripped my sword tightly, my palms clammy with cold sweat.

"Roar--"

A deafening roar resounded, and then a colossal creature slowly emerged from the mist.

It was a gigantic monster, its entire body covered in jet-black scales, its scarlet eyes the size of copper bells, gleaming with a ferocious light. With each step it took, the ground trembled as if an earthquake had struck.

"What kind of monster is this?!" Chief Zhou asked, his face pale and his voice trembling.

“I have never seen such a powerful demon beast…” Even the usually calm Fairy Meng showed a solemn expression at this moment.

Master Wu shielded me behind him and said in a deep voice, "Miss Xiao, you go first, I'll hold it off!"

“Brother Wu, you…” I know he means well, but this monster is far stronger than all of us. Fighting it head-on will only lead to our deaths.

"Stop talking, it'll be too late if we don't leave now!" Wu Daxia suddenly pushed me away, then brandished his long sword and fearlessly charged towards the monster.

The monster roared and slammed down with its huge claws. Although Wu Daxia reacted quickly and dodged the fatal blow, he was still blasted away by the powerful force and crashed heavily to the ground.

"Brother Wu!" I exclaimed, wanting to rush over to help, but was pulled back by Fairy Meng.

"Don't be impulsive! With our current strength, we are no match for it!" Fairy Meng said in a deep voice. "We must think of another way!"

I suppressed my anxiety and carefully observed the monster. Although it was enormous and incredibly strong, it seemed somewhat slow in its movements and was extremely sensitive to its surroundings; even the slightest rustle would attract its attention.

Suddenly, a brilliant idea flashed into my mind.

"Brother Wu, where's your zither?" I turned to look at Master Wu, my eyes shining with hope.

Wu the Swordsman was taken aback, then realized what was happening and took the guqin he always carried on his back. "Miss Xiao, you mean..."

I nodded, not saying much, but just staring intently at him, my eyes filled with trust and expectation.

Master Wu took a deep breath, sat cross-legged on the ground, and placed the guqin across his lap. His slender fingers gently plucked the strings, and a melodious tune slowly rose… The beautiful music flowed like a clear spring, echoing through the valley. The previously frenzied beast gradually calmed down, its scarlet eyes softening. It shook its massive head, seemingly enjoying the beautiful music.

I secretly breathed a sigh of relief and gave Master Wu a grateful look. He smiled slightly at me, his fingertips plucking the strings more nimbly, playing a more soothing and peaceful melody.

"I'll distract it, and you all take the opportunity to set a trap!" Fairy Meng suddenly said.

"This is too dangerous!" I said worriedly, grabbing her hand. Although the beast had been temporarily calmed by the music, no one could guarantee that it wouldn't suddenly go berserk.

"Don't worry, I have a way." Fairy Meng smiled confidently, gently pushed my hand away, and walked step by step toward the monster.

Today, she wore a light blue dress, the hem of which fluttered as she walked, making her look like a fairy on water. A faint smile graced her face, and her eyes seemed to hold endless charm.

The demon beast, which had been sleeping with its eyes closed, was startled by Meng Xianzi's approach and slowly opened them. It looked at the beauty before it with confusion, seemingly not understanding what she wanted to do.

Ignoring the beast's gaze, Fairy Meng walked to a spot not far from it and stopped, then slowly began to dance.

Her dance was light and graceful, like a butterfly fluttering among flowers, or like a feather gently floating in the air. As she danced, the surrounding flowers, plants, and trees seemed to come alive, swaying gently to her rhythm.

The demon beast was completely captivated by Meng Xianzi's dance. It stared at her intently, the ferocious light in its eyes gradually fading, replaced by a look of confusion and infatuation.

"Quick! Now!" Fairy Meng said in a voice only we could hear as she danced.

I didn't dare delay and quickly called to Chief Zhou and Doctor Zheng to begin setting up the trap according to the plan we had discussed earlier. Chief Zhou took out various materials from his storage bag, while Doctor Zheng directed us to place these materials in specific locations.

"Here, place a bewitching herb..." Doctor Zheng said, pulling a herb with a strange fragrance from his robes. "Remember, don't touch its leaves, otherwise..."

Before he could finish speaking, a deafening roar suddenly echoed throughout the valley...

"Watch out!" I cried out in alarm. The demonic beast had somehow broken free from the control of the music and was lunging towards Doctor Zheng. At the critical moment, Master Wu plucked a string, producing a sharp, piercing note. The demonic beast visibly paused, shaking its head in pain, but still did not stop.

"I'll do it!" Chief Zhou roared, brandishing his longsword and unleashing a sharp blade of energy towards the demonic beast. The beast was struck by the energy and let out a painful howl, but it did not fall; instead, it charged even more ferociously.

"Xiao Yao, is the formation set up?" Doctor Zheng asked anxiously while dodging the attacks of the demonic beasts.

I took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the fear in my heart, and said in a deep voice, "The formation is complete, we're just waiting for it to fall into the trap!"

During this time, Chief Zhou and Doctor Zheng were responsible for setting up traps. They used the terrain and herbs in the valley to create a formation that could weaken the power of the demonic beasts. Doctor Zheng told me that this formation was called the "Dragon Trapping Formation," which was passed down from ancient times and was specifically used to deal with powerful demonic beasts.

Under the guidance of the illusory figure of Immortal Chen, I learned an ancient sealing technique. This sealing technique is called "Spirit Sealing Seal," and it requires special runes and hand seals to be cast. It is extremely powerful and can seal the spiritual power of demonic beasts, rendering them unable to move.

"Yao'er, remember, the key to the seal lies in speed and precision. You must strike the 'Spirit Sealing Seal' into the center of its brow the instant the demon beast steps into the formation, otherwise, once it realizes what's happening, it will be difficult to get another chance." The voice of the illusory figure of Immortal Chen rang in my ears, earnestly instructing me.

"I understand, Master." I nodded, staring intently at the demonic beast, my hands already prepared with the runes and hand seals.

"Are you ready?" Meng Xianzi's clear, cold voice reached my ears. She was still dancing gracefully, but her eyes had become incredibly sharp, like a drawn sword.

"Ready!" I took a deep breath, gripped the rune in my hand, and stared intently at the monster that was walking step by step toward the trap. My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would jump out of my throat at any moment.

Success or failure hinges on this moment! I held my breath, waiting for the perfect opportunity to arrive.

"Now!" Meng Xianzi's voice rang in my ears. At the same time, I saw the demonic beast's forepaw step into the range of the "Dragon Trapping Formation"...

The massive body of the demonic beast stepped completely into the "Dragon-Trapping Formation"! The formation activated instantly, the runes carved on the ground lit up with a dazzling golden light, and countless golden chains shot out from the ground, binding the demonic beast tightly. It struggled frantically, but could only roar in vain; its original ferocious aura was completely suppressed by the formation.

"Now, Yao'er!" Fairy Meng's voice was like a war drum beating in my ears. I took a deep breath and poured all the spiritual power in my body into the rune in my hand.

"Spirit Sealing Seal, go!" I shouted, slamming the rune against the demon beast's brow. The rune transformed into a golden light, instantly disappearing into the demon beast's forehead. At the same time, I rapidly formed hand seals, silently reciting the incantation taught by Immortal Chen.

"Roar—!" The monster let out a shrill scream, its massive body trembling violently. The ferocity in its eyes gradually faded, replaced by confusion and fear.

I dared not be negligent and continued to channel my spiritual power to maintain the operation of the "Spirit Sealing Seal." The beast's struggles grew weaker and weaker until it finally collapsed to the ground with a deafening crash.

"I succeeded!" I breathed a long sigh of relief, and suddenly felt weak all over, almost collapsing to the ground. Fortunately, Fairy Meng was quick-witted and reached out to support me.

"You did a great job." Meng Xianzi's usually cold voice carried a rare hint of praise. "If it weren't for you, we probably wouldn't have been able to escape unscathed this time."

"I just did what I was supposed to do." I shook my head and looked at the others, whose faces were filled with the joy of surviving a disaster.

"Xiao Yao, you're amazing!" Chief Zhou laughed as he walked over and patted my shoulder hard. "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed that a girl like you with no spiritual roots could seal such a powerful demon beast!"

I smiled but didn't say anything. I knew that my success in sealing the demon beast was due not only to my own efforts but also, and perhaps more importantly, to the guidance of Immortal Chen and the help of my companions.

"Alright, everyone, take a break, we still have a long way to go," Doctor Zheng reminded them. "The Immortal's Cave is not far ahead."

After a brief rest, our group continued towards the immortal's cave. Along the way, we encountered several more attacks from demonic beasts, but we easily dealt with them all.

Finally, deep within a dense forest, we came across a majestic mountain peak. At its summit, shrouded in mist, we could vaguely make out a magnificent golden palace—presumably the abode of a celestial being.

However, just as we were preparing to climb the mountain, a powerful pressure suddenly came from the summit, and then several figures descended from the sky, blocking our path.

"Who dares to trespass into the immortal's cave?" one of them asked coldly, his tone full of vigilance and hostility.