140: The Immortal's Freedom

In just one month,

the lost territories in the Eight Prefectures were successively recovered, and billions of fierce ghosts were expelled and slain.

Only Chong Prefecture remained.

At this moment, on a barren mountain in Chong Prefecture.

Over a hundred surviving Mortals were hiding in a cave, with a grinding-stone-sized breathing hole left at the entrance, fearing to attract fierce ghosts.

"Brother, I'm hungry..."

A disheveled little girl with pigtails said with difficulty.

Her face was sallow, her lips pale, and she looked malnourished.

These days, they couldn't make a fire in the cave, and could only eat sorghum cakes they brought from home during their escape, moistened by rainwater that seeped through the cave's crevices.

The sorghum was coarse grain, and swallowing it raw scratched their throats.

Even so, the last bit of food was completely gone three days ago.

Li Cheng looked troubled, swallowed, and glanced around, his eyes seeking help.

However, at this time, no one was well-off; almost everyone was on the verge of running out of food, so how could they care about others?

As if sensing Li Cheng's gaze, they all shied away.

Li Cheng sighed softly, only able to pat the little girl's back and comfort her, "Yinyin, be good. You won't be hungry if you sleep..."

When he tried with his hand, he realized the girl's body was burning hot.

He quickly touched her forehead.

Indeed, she had a fever.

Immediately, Li Cheng was anxious.

Ignoring his pride, he quickly walked to Old Man Li in the corner and knelt down with a thud: "Old Li, please save my sister. She has a warm illness and needs treatment... When she gets better, I, Li Cheng, will be your ox and horse for the rest of my life, without a second thought."

Old Man Li looked troubled and shook his head, "It's not that I don't want to treat her, but I lack herbs..."

"Herbs..."

Li Cheng's eyes lit up; he used to go up the mountain to gather herbs to supplement his family's income.

"Old Li, just tell me what herbs you need. I'll risk my life to gather them."

Old Man Li sighed and listed the necessary herbs and their identifying features one by one.

Just as dawn broke, tinged with a hint of fish-belly white, Li Cheng carefully pushed aside the bluestone at the cave entrance and cautiously scanned his surroundings.

Safe!

He hunched his body and quickly walked out.

Half a day later.

A look of joy appeared on Li Cheng's face, clutching a handful of emerald green herbs in his arms.

"They're all here..."

Suddenly, he looked up and saw a basin-sized chunk of clear yellow honey hanging conspicuously from a verdant branch.

"Honey... Perfect, my little sister is still hungry..."

Li Cheng's face showed surprise. He turned to look around, and there was only silence.

Immediately, he steeled his Heart-Nature, took out a flint, and lit a handful of verdant branches in front of him. Thick white smoke rose, and the unique scent it emitted drove away the bees.

Thump—

A piece of honey, about half the size, was broken off.

Li Cheng's Heart-Nature swelled with joy. He tucked it into his arms, and just as he was about to stroll away, a chilling aura came from behind him.

Not good!

He didn't dare to look back and ran frantically.

However, how could a Mortal's running speed compare to that of a fierce ghost?

Moreover, the mountain path was muddy and uneven, and he accidentally fell to the ground.

Whoosh—

A chilling ghost claw appeared before his eyes.

It's over!

Li Cheng's eyes were filled with despair as he watched the ghost claw continuously enlarge in his pupils.

Clang—

A streak of azure Sword Qi swept from the horizon, annihilating the fierce ghost.

Gu Changsheng floated down, looking at the half-piece of honey in Li Cheng's hand, a hint of admiration in his eyes.

"His Heart-Nature is firm, and he knows how to make choices. He's a good candidate for cultivating the Dao."

Li Cheng, however, was stunned speechless.

"Flying... an Immortal..."

Gu Changsheng tossed out an azure wood token, which landed in Li Cheng's arms: "The fierce ghosts in all prefectures have been slaughtered and expelled. Hold this token, and one day, if you can go north and enter Yuanlian Island, you can become my Named Disciple."

"Named Disciple?"

Li Cheng didn't understand what this meant, but seeing that the Immortal intended to leave, he quickly called out, "Immortal, please wait."

"Hmm? Is there anything else?"

Gu Changsheng frowned slightly.

It was merely an act of convenience; if the other party sought gratitude, it would diminish some of the goodwill.

"My sister... my sister has a warm illness... I implore the Immortal to bestow medicine and save her..."

Li Cheng kowtowed repeatedly, his head thudding like garlic being pounded.

He was worried.

Even with herbs, it wasn't guaranteed to cure the illness.

This was common knowledge in the countryside.

'So that's it...' Gu Changsheng nodded, and with a casual toss, a clean white porcelain bottle landed in front of Li Cheng.

"Inside is a Hundred Ailments Pill.

It can treat all kinds of intractable diseases in the world."

"Thank you, Immortal, for bestowing medicine."

Li Cheng was overjoyed, carefully holding the clean white porcelain bottle. He opened it and saw a round white pill inside, exuding a faint fragrance.

By the time he looked up, there was no one to be seen.

"Immortal... this kindness, I, Li Cheng, will surely repay..."

Li Cheng clutched the azure wood token in his hand, seeing the two characters 'Yuan Lian' carved on its back. He recalled what Gu Changsheng had said, looked north, and murmured to himself, "Yuanlian Island..."

...Gu Changsheng flew through the mountains, and fierce ghosts along the way were successively annihilated by his Sword Qi.

Just now, saving someone and bestowing medicine was merely an act of convenience, not even a casual move.

It was a whim, done effortlessly.

All in a single thought.

This was the carefree nature of a long-lived being.

Half a day later, a dark ghost mountain appeared before his eyes.

The surrounding Yin Qi was as dense as a tide, and the eerie wails of fierce ghosts could be faintly heard.

This mountain was precisely the stronghold of the Eight Great Ghost Kings.

Since the news spread that many Ghost Kings were successively Sealed and slain by Yuanlian Island, the surviving Ghost Kings hastily fled back to Chong Prefecture to band together for warmth.

"Eight Great Ghost Kings... If they all attack at once, it would take some effort.

Fortunately, I was prepared."

Gu Changsheng threw out an ancient scroll, which spread out like a giant curtain, covering the sky and sun, and countless Yin Qi surged into it.

The scrolls used to Seal Ghost Kings were specially made from spiritual materials.

Otherwise, even if a Ghost King was Sealed, the scroll itself would not be able to withstand it.

For example, this scroll before him, its paper was taken from the heartwood of a five qi gathering tree, having undergone dozens of processes such as pulping, draining, and Alchemy boiling before it was barely made.

At this moment, the ghost mountain shook violently, and countless fierce ghosts and specters wailed eerily as they were sucked into the scroll.

"Damn it! That person really came!"

The One-Horned Ghost King's eyes widened in astonishment as he looked at the doomsday-like sky.

"Such Divine Ability methods are simply unheard of."

"First, send out a general to negotiate. If this person retreats, I am willing to never leave Chong Prefecture.

Otherwise..."

"This is the only way to try..."

A True Core Peak hanging ghost flew through the Void Realm, straining against the power of the scroll, and transmitted a message: "Please spare our lives, Old Ancestor.

If the Old Ancestor is willing to retreat, we ghost cultivators are willing to never step out of Chong Prefecture."

Clang—

A thick Sword Qi pierced through the Void Realm, instantly annihilating the hanging ghost.

Gu Changsheng's expression was cold: "When the situation looks bad, you seek peace. How can things be so easy in this world? Besides, if I spare you, did you ever spare them...?"

The Yin wind howled, and more than half of the myriad ghost shadows were the living souls of Mortals.

Each was filled with towering resentment, dying with unclosed eyes.

Inside the ghost mountain.

"Damn it, the hanging ghost was slain.

It seems this person truly wants to fight us to the death."

The Long-Bearded Ghost King's eyes were about to split.

"Let's fight!"

"Since this person, relying on his Divine Ability, gives us no way out, then let's go for a mutual destruction."

The Eight Great Ghost Kings, filled with indignation, plunged into a withered well.

After a few breaths.

Boom—

The ghost mountain suddenly trembled, and amidst the rolling black smoke, it transformed into a gigantic eight-headed ghost shadow, enveloping the mountains and actually stopping the trend of being swallowed by the scroll.

A terrifying pressure emanated.

Profound Cave Middle Stage!

Gu Changsheng frowned, then revealed a hint of a smile: "Eight ghosts Fusion into one, is this your trump card...? Unfortunately, in front of me, it's still not enough."