From cute to empress

Chapter 218 The Changes in the Heavenly Book

Deep in the passage, the flickering firelight illuminated a series of ferocious faces. They were dressed in black, wielding gleaming swords, and approached with murderous intent.

"Damn it, they're catching up!" Zhen Youcai cursed, drew the long sword from his waist, and protected me behind him, "Mengmeng, don't be afraid, I'm here!"

I clutched the Heavenly Book tightly, my heart pounding. These people were clearly coming for the Heavenly Book. Who could have sent them?

"What should I do? Master..." I looked at old man Mo Yin in panic, but saw that his face was pale and there was a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth. It was obvious that he was injured in the previous fight.

"Ahem...it's too late..." Old Man Mo Yin shook his head weakly and leaned against the stone wall powerlessly. "You guys go quickly, I'll hold them back!"

"Master!" Zhen Youcai and I exclaimed at the same time, unwilling to leave him and escape alone.

"Don't be silly, you are no match for them!" Elder Mo Yin shouted sternly, "Hurry up! Protect the 'Heavenly Book'! This is our last hope..."

"Hahaha, you want to leave? Not that easy!" The leading man in black laughed wildly, waving the big knife in his hand and slashing towards us!

At this critical moment, a green figure appeared in front of us like a ghost and easily blocked the attack of the man in black.

"Master Qingfeng!" I exclaimed in surprise.

The man who arrived was none other than our target—Daoist Master Qingfeng. He had white hair and a youthful face, dressed in a green Taoist robe, and possessed the air of an immortal. With a flick of his whisk, an invisible pressure emanated, forcing back the surrounding men in black.

"You go first, leave this to me." Taoist Qingfeng's tone was calm, but with unquestionable majesty.

"But..." I wanted to say something, but Zhen Youcai grabbed me.

"Let's leave here first. We can't let our master and the Taoist priest down!" he said in a deep voice with a firm look in his eyes.

I gritted my teeth and finally nodded. Under the protection of Taoist Qingfeng, the two of us turned and fled from this narrow passage.

……

Taoist Qingfeng was not only a martial arts expert, but also a master of the art of Qimen Dunjia. He took out an ancient Bagua mirror from his sleeve, muttered something, and threw the Bagua mirror into the air.

The Bagua Mirror emitted a soft light, shining on the "Heavenly Book", and the originally restless energy fluctuations gradually stabilized.

"With this 'Fixing Heaven Mirror,' we can temporarily suppress the strange phenomena in the 'Heavenly Book,' buying us some time." Taoist Qingfeng put away the Bagua Mirror and looked at Zhen Youcai and me. "Now, can you tell me what exactly happened?"

I took a deep breath and told the whole story...

After listening to my story, Taoist Master Qingfeng frowned and fell into deep thought. He remained silent for a long time, and we didn't dare to disturb him, so we could only wait anxiously.

"I see. It seems the secret of this 'Heavenly Book' is even more complex than I imagined." After a long while, Taoist Qingfeng finally spoke, his tone solemn. "It will probably take some effort to decipher it."

My heart sank, and I pressed on, "Master, don't you have any other solutions?"

"There is a way," Taoist Qingfeng stroked his beard and said slowly, "it just takes time."

"Time..." I muttered to myself. What we lack most right now is time. Those men in black are extremely vicious and will definitely not give up. No one knows how much longer Taoist Qingfeng can hold out.

"Mengmeng, don't worry. Let's hurry up and decipher the ancient books. Maybe we can find a way to crack it." Zhen Youcai held my hand and gave me strength.

I nodded, suppressed all my worries and fears in my heart, cheered myself up, and started studying the ancient book with Zhen Youcai.

Taoist Qingfeng's "Fixing Heaven Mirror" is truly magical. Ever since he set up the formation, the surroundings have become quiet, and no more men in black have appeared. We can concentrate on our research in peace in the cave, and occasionally discuss and exchange ideas with Taoist Qingfeng.

Time passed day by day, and our efforts finally paid off. I discovered that the text in the ancient books wasn't random, but rather a kind of ancient magic. I tried to match it with the energy fluctuations of the "Heavenly Book" and actually managed to decipher a small part of the content.

"Look!" I was ecstatic, pointing to the words on the ancient book, "I think I found a way!"

However, before I could share this joy, a powerful aura suddenly descended, accompanied by a silver bell-like laughter.

"Haha, it looks like you guys are making good progress."

I suddenly looked up and saw a woman in a purple gauze dress appear out of thin air at the entrance of the cave. She had a beautiful face and an extraordinary temperament, like a fairy from heaven.

"Are you... Fairy Zi Ling?" I recognized the person and was extremely surprised.

Fairy Zi Ling, a renowned figure in the world of immortal cultivation, possessed unfathomable strength. But why was she here?

"Yes, it is I." Fairy Zi Ling smiled slightly, her beautiful eyes swept over me and Zhen Youcai, and finally landed on the "Heavenly Book". "This ancient book is of great importance. I would like to ask you two to accompany me on this journey."

Although her tone was gentle, it carried an undeniable sense of pressure. Alarm bells rang in my heart, and I subconsciously protected the "Book of Heaven" behind me, watching her warily.

"What do you mean, fairy? Why should we follow you?" Zhen Youcai stepped forward and blocked me behind him.

"Haha, there's no need to be nervous, the two of you," Fairy Zi Ling chuckled, a cold glint in her eyes, "Since I'm here, I won't return empty-handed. If you know what's good for you, hand over the ancient book obediently, otherwise..."

She didn't say anything else, but the threat she was making was clear. The atmosphere in the cave instantly reached a fever pitch. Taoist Qingfeng also stood up, blocking our way and confronting Fairy Zi Ling.

"Zi Ling, are you sure you want to be my enemy?" Taoist Qingfeng's tone was calm, but with a hint of warning.

"Haha, Qingfeng, are you sure you want to go against me for these two juniors?" Fairy Zi Ling asked back, unwilling to be outdone.

"They are my friends, so I naturally have to protect them." Taoist Qingfeng said in a firm tone, without any concessions.

"If that's the case, don't blame me for being polite!" Fairy Zi Ling's face darkened, and a long sword flashed with a cold light suddenly appeared in her hand... As Taoist Qingfeng finished speaking, Fairy Zi Ling launched a merciless attack. The sword flashed like a rainbow, aiming directly at Taoist Qingfeng's face. Taoist Qingfeng didn't dare to be careless, and waved his whisk, sending a beam of white light rushing forward.

"boom--"

There was a loud bang, and the cave shook violently, sending debris flying everywhere. I was so frightened by this sudden change that my face turned pale and I clutched Zhen Youcai's sleeve tightly.

"Don't be afraid, Mengmeng, I'm here." Zhen Youcai protected me behind him, looking forward with a firm gaze.

"Just you?" A cold voice suddenly came from the cave entrance, making people shudder.

Then, a middle-aged man in a black robe and with a sinister face slowly walked into the cave. He exuded a powerful aura, like a messenger from hell, and was intimidating.

"Black Evil!" Taoist Qingfeng's face changed and he said in a deep voice.

"Haha, Taoist Qingfeng, long time no see." Heisha smiled sinisterly, his eyes greedily falling on the "Heavenly Book" in my hand, "If you know what's good for you, just hand over the thing obediently, and maybe I can spare your life."

"Don't even think about it!" I refused without hesitation.

"If you don't accept my toast, you'll be punished!" Heisha's face darkened and he waved his hand. "Come on, grab the things!"

As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of men in black rushed into the cave like a tide and surrounded us.

"Protect Mengmeng!" Zhen Youcai shouted, drew out his sword, and rushed out first.

I didn't flinch either. The "Heavenly Book" in my hand shone brightly, and a powerful force surged into my body. I closed my eyes, concentrated my mind, and manipulated the power of the "Heavenly Book", transforming it into beams of light and shooting them at the men in black.

"what--"

Screams echoed one after another. Those men in black were no match for me and were knocked to the ground one after another. However, there were simply too many of them. After I killed one group, another group came, as if it were endless.

"Mengmeng, be careful!" Zhen Youcai's voice rang in my ears. Before I could react, I was hit by a powerful force. I flew backwards and fell heavily to the ground, spurting blood from my mouth.

"Mengmeng!" Zhen Youcai exclaimed, rushing to my side regardless of everything and helping me up. "How are you?"

"I'm fine..." I shook my head and struggled to stand up, but found that I was weak all over.

"Hmph, you don't know your own limitations!" Heisha sneered and approached us step by step. "Since you're looking for death, don't blame me for being rude!"

He suddenly raised his hand, and a black light condensed in his palm, emitting a suffocating and terrifying aura.

"Be careful!" Taoist Qingfeng exclaimed and wanted to stop Heisha, but was stopped by Fairy Ziling.

"Your opponent is me!" Fairy Zi Ling said coldly, and the long sword in her hand turned into a series of afterimages and attacked Taoist Qingfeng.

"Damn it!" Taoist Qingfeng roared angrily. He had to concentrate all his energy on dealing with Fairy Zi Ling's attack and had no time to take care of us at all.

Seeing the Black Demon's attack about to fall, I closed my eyes in despair. At this moment, the "Heavenly Book" in my hand suddenly became scorching hot, and a strange energy surged into my mind. I seemed to see a passage hidden in the darkness...

"Youcai, hurry..." I grabbed Zhen Youcai's hand and pointed to the last page of the "Heavenly Book," where a map suddenly appeared. "Mengmeng, what's wrong with you?" Zhen Youcai looked at me anxiously, his concern evident. He was ready for a desperate fight, but I saw that I had somehow opened the last page of the "Heavenly Book," and my slender fingers trembled as I pointed at a spot on it.

I didn't bother to explain. I used all my strength to close the "Heavenly Book" and stared at Zhen Youcai, saying word by word: "Youcai, take me away! Here!"

Zhen Youcai followed my gaze and saw a map had appeared on the cover of the "Heavenly Book." Mountains and rivers were densely packed on the map, but only a winding path, outlined in bright red cinnabar, led directly to a hidden valley.

There was no time to think, the attack of Heisha was already within reach!

"Believe me!" I held Zhen Youcai's hand tightly, feeling the warmth of his palm, and my heart calmed down a little.

"Okay!" Zhen Youcai picked me up without any hesitation, tapped his toes, and ran towards the path hidden in the darkness like a nimble cheetah.

"Want to run? Not that easy!" Heisha roared and chased after him relentlessly.

"What a talent! Look!" I pointed ahead and shouted in surprise.

At the end of the path, there was a cave entrance. The entrance was covered by vines and it was difficult to find without careful observation.

"Go in!" Zhen Youcai carried me into the cave without hesitation and quickly covered the entrance with vines.

The cave was pitch black, with no sight of our fingers, and only the sound of our rapid breathing echoing in our ears.

"Mengmeng, are you okay?" In the darkness, Zhen Youcai's voice trembled slightly.

"I'm fine," I shook my head, trying to hold back the pain in my body. "Are we safe now?"

"It's safe for now," Zhen Youcai said in a low and solemn voice, "but we must leave here as soon as possible."

"Yeah." I nodded, but my heart was filled with doubts. Why did a map suddenly appear in the "Book of Heaven"? Where did this hidden path lead to?

Just when I was puzzled, an old and hoarse voice suddenly sounded in the cave:

"Who are you? Why are you here?"

I was startled and subconsciously tightened the "Heavenly Book" in my hand.

In the darkness, a pair of green eyes slowly opened...