Medical Sage

On the other side of Five Peaks Mountain, within the courtyard where Chen Fei’s master, Ming Daochuan, resides in seclusion.

An elderly woman with white hair sits cross-legged on the ground, her mouth inhaling and exhaling mottled spiritual energy, expressionless, as if she’s cultivating.

But what’s terrifying is that a snake, entirely dark green, is coiled around her body, curled into a mass.

Opposite her sits an equally gray-haired, thin old man on the fence wall. From afar, he looks dressed in a Qing cloth jacket, cotton shoes, wearing a hat, resembling attire from the Republic of China era.

Beside him are placed three coffins, straight and eerie, making one’s scalp go numb at the sight.

”What!?”

”Pfft!”

At this moment, the old man suddenly shouts loudly, his expression changes, and a rush of blood surges up his throat, he’s spitting it out madly.

The next moment, his face turns pale directly, his entire aura hauntingly chilling, filled with weakness and powerlessness.

”Zhang Zibai, what are you doing!?”

The white-haired old woman is also startled, springs up like a spring to dodge the backward spurt of blood, her eyes coldly fixated on the white-haired old man.

At this point, the dark green snake under her feet also rises, hissing continuously.

Its sinister pupils locked firmly onto the old man.

”My two little zombies were disposed of by someone.” The white-haired old man, known as Zhang Zibai by the old woman, wipes his mouth viciously, glaring at the person before him, his face twisted in anger as he speaks.

”What?” The white-haired old woman’s complexion changes upon hearing this.

This Zhang Zibai is like her; both are cultivators of Qi Refining Seventh Layer, and she knows his two little zombies, even a peak Qi Refining Sixth Layer cultivator finds it challenging to deal with them.

To destroy them easily, likely, only cultivators of Qi Refining Seventh Layer like them could do it directly.

”Who did it?” Thinking of this, the white-haired old woman couldn’t help but appear grave.

Could it be the dead old man inside has called for help!?

”I don’t know, but my two little zombies died almost at the same time... A person of Qi Refining Sixth Layer couldn’t possibly do this! It must have been someone more powerful. Damn it, who dares to disrespect me, Zhang Zibai, and destroy my corpse refining!?”

Zhang Zibai initially controlled his emotions but later spoke through gritted teeth. His murderous intent surged.

Though these two little zombies were just backup for his corpse refining, they took him twenty to thirty years of effort, and now, all gone, how could he not be furious, not seething with rage!?

”Could it be the old man inside called for help?” The white-haired old woman frowned and spoke coldly.

”Hmm... Go! Let’s go inside and see.” Zhang Zibai took a deep breath, his face twisted, carried the coffin, and walked towards the courtyard.

Ming Daochuan’s rural courtyard resembled a traditional landlord’s mansion, high walls with green tiles, a bright red small gate with door nails, but now it was enveloped entirely by a thin layer of light.

This was the formation that Chen Fei requested Zhen Jingkong to set in this courtyard when he left, barely considered a Four-Layer Human Formation. If someone were to host it, unless Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivators came personally, others don’t even think of breaking it.

Within the light shield, a figure sits quietly on the ground, none other than Chen Fei’s master, Ming Daochuan.

However, at this moment, he appears in bad shape, his face pale, aura extremely weak and chaotic.

To fend off those outside, he has been continuously hosting the formation for over half a month.

Over half a month without eating or drinking, plus the need to expend spiritual energy to host the formation, even at his current Qi Refining Seventh Layer level, he’s inevitably weakened to the extreme.

If he had to hold out for another half month, he probably wouldn’t be able to endure.

”You old thing, you really can hold on!” As soon as he walked in and saw that damned turtle shell, Zhang Zibai’s inner fire inadvertently burned brighter! He cursed wickedly.

Ming Daochuan opened his eyes, glanced at him, and followed with a look of surprise, but also a mocking smile.

”What happened, you are this weak, got served by someone? Haha, serves you right!”

”You...” Zhang Zibai was boiling with rage, but was stopped by the white-haired old woman beside him. Her voice was like a night owl’s, her aura chilling and terrifying as she looked at Ming Daochuan and spoke.

”Ming Daochuan, haven’t you considered? All our White Snake Sect wants is your cultivation method; if you hand it over, from now on, we’ll be friends! Even our Sect Leader, the White Snake Sect leader, has spoken and promised you a favor. Isn’t that enough? Don’t be so oblivious to the situation!”

”Adapt to the situation? Ha, what does that mean!? Your White Snake Sect really has a cunning plan. Do you think I don’t know the value of my cultivation method?”

Ming Daochuan’s face showed anger as he spoke coldly, ”Zhang Zibai, we’ve known each other for over fifty years, haven’t we? It’s really ridiculous, I shared the first volume of the method with you in good faith. Who knew you would be so greedy, and now, you’re colluding with the White Snake Sect to harm me?”

”Zhang Zibai, you want the complete series of the cultivation methods? Fine, I’ll tell you now, stop dreaming! Even if I die, you won’t get a speck of it, understand? Hmph!”

Zhang Zibai’s face showed a hint of shame, but was soon replaced by greed and anger.

”Ming Daochuan, you know we’ve been friends for over fifty years, so why not give me all the volumes of that method? Clearly, you’re not treating me as a friend. Why should I still care about that old friendship?” he retorted.

”You, behaving like this, there’s nothing left to say.” Seeing his fifty-year friend so shamelessly, Ming Daochuan closed his eyes coldly and chose not to speak further.

”Ming Daochuan, do you want to continue this standoff with us? You must know, in no more than half a month, without food, you won’t be able to hold out. At that time, won’t you be at our mercy? What’s the point!?”

The white-haired old granny spoke viciously.

”At your mercy? Ha, don’t worry, if I can’t hold out anymore, I’ll commit suicide in advance. I’ve lived long enough anyway.” Ming Daochuan sneered and closed his eyes.

Suddenly, a mocking voice came from the entrance: ”Commit suicide? Ha, are you sure you have the guts to do so?”

”Who?”

Zhang Zibai and the white-haired old granny sprang up, all tense and staring intently outside the door.

The former even swiftly opened the coffin lid, releasing a corpse refining adorned in faint deep green, armored, with sharp, elongated nails, eyes filled with cruel aura, eerily hollow, making one’s blood run cold.

”Zhang Zibai, White Granny, it’s me.”

A person walked in leisurely.

This person was dressed in black, bald, with snake-like eyes, radiating danger and menace. Even more terrifying, a jade-green snake coiled around his arm, small in size, yet exuding a sense of lethal poison...

Seeing him, the white-haired old granny was surprisingly joyful, slightly bowing, saying, ”Right Protector, why have you come?”

The elder turned out to be none other than the White Snake Sect’s Right Protector, a Qi Refining Eighth Layer expert—Green Snake King.

”Heh.” The White Snake Sect’s Right Protector, the Green Snake King, clasped his hands behind him, ignoring the white-haired old granny, also known as White Granny.

Instead, he walked calmly toward the light shield with a cold smile, addressing Ming Daochuan, ”Do you really think our White Snake Sect can’t deal with your turtle shell!?”

”Hmph!” Ming Daochuan snorted coldly, saying nothing, but inwardly grew more cautious.

”Heh.” Seeing this, the Green Snake King sneered, and with a wave of his hand, a tattered scroll flashed with white light, floating in the air.

Before Ming Daochuan could react, the tattered scroll emitted a vast array of white light, the next moment, the light shield protecting the courtyard completely shattered... Suddenly collapsed, catching everyone off guard.

”What?” Ming Daochuan’s expression changed drastically, full of bewilderment. Before, not even the White Snake Sect Leader of Qi Refining Ninth Layer could break this formation, but now, what was going on? How is this possible!?

”Heh, worthy of the treasure the Sect Hierarch brought back from the Secret Realm, really useful. Zhang Zibai, White Granny, why are you standing there? Capture him, do you want me to do it myself?”

The Green Snake King muttered, then stared at Zhang Zibai and White Granny, speaking coldly and authoritatively.

”Yes!” White Granny reacted first, full of cold smiles, controlling a dark green snake with a flicking tongue, slithering towards Ming Daochuan. She sneered, ”Ming Daochuan, now what can you use to stop us?”

Though Zhang Zibai said nothing, the corpse refining behind him also pushed toward Ming Daochuan.

The air was filled with faint corpse qi, revolting and nauseating.

Seeing this, Ming Daochuan felt a twinge of despair.

”I’m back, old man! Missed me?” Just then, a calm voice cut through the night sky, freezing everyone’s expressions. The atmosphere suddenly grew tense.

”Who? Come out!” The White Snake Sect’s Green Snake King released terrifying spiritual energy, covering the courtyard, shouting coldly.

”This voice, could, could it be... that kid!?”

With shaky eyes, Ming Daochuan was incredulous.

But the next moment, a figure leisurely walked in, making his eyes brim with tears.

Because that person was none other than his vanished disciple for over three years, that damn rascal, Chen, Chen Fei?!