Chapter 118 – Dongjun. Bitao felt a tingling sensation at the back of her head. ...

Bitao rode in her spirit boat, traveling until late at night, and arrived at the place where these banished immortals resided.

However, the scale here was quite different from what Bitao had imagined. This group of immortals lived halfway up a dangerous peak, which was also towering into the clouds and shrouded in mist, giving it the atmosphere of a "blessed land of immortals".

However, the formation for entering the mountain here is not very sophisticated, and the protective formation within the mountain is of insufficient level.

Even without Bi Tao's sect, the Supreme Sword Sect, which had declined for hundreds of years and seemed to have a profound foundation, during the second competition.

There were no mountain guardians here, and even after entering the formation, there were no gatekeepers.

Those active within the sect addressed each other as fellow Daoists, but while they appeared polite, they couldn't hide the scrutiny and assessment they were giving each other. Clearly, they were only superficially friendly, each with their own pride and arrogance.

In such an environment, there should be no strict, hierarchical system of governance.

Fox Eyes and the others, along with the Jade Peach Spirit Boat, landed on the platform in front of the inlaid mountain plaque called "Guan Suo Xing Tai".

Bitao silently counted in her mind that she had seen fewer than two hundred people active in the mountains along the way.

This place cannot be called a sect; even the Supreme Sword Sect, which has declined so much, still has thousands of disciples.

At most... well, calling this a rabble would be a bit unworthy of someone of your status as a banished immortal.

To put it bluntly, it could only be considered a bandit's den.

Those kinds of bandits in the mortal world who make a living by robbing and plundering, relying on natural barriers to occupy the mountains and forests.

Bitao was sent to the Guansuo Star Platform, a prison carved out of the mountain.

The confinement formations were overlapping and far more sophisticated than those outside, and they held a considerable number of people.

Fox Eyes and his gang, pulling at Bitao, swaggered through the prison corridor, their manner quite ostentatious.

The ever-burning lamps within, burning brightly day and night, illuminated even the most cruel aspects with exquisite detail.

The weasel with thin eyebrows and narrow eyes lowered its voice and pretended to be sinister, saying to Bitao: "I advise you to stay here obediently. In a couple of days, we will make you look presentable and then send you to the Nine Heavens Palace to enjoy happiness."

The weasel walked beside Bitao, pointing to the people imprisoned in the cells on both sides: "Do you see the people imprisoned here? If you don't obey, this will be your fate."

“If someone like you, who has been punished for your immortal status, cannot be used as a furnace or vessel, then the immortal pearl in your body will be removed, and you will become a mortal.”

Bitao looked around at the people in the cells on both sides; each of them was covered in blood and gore, seriously injured and on the verge of death.

Perhaps it was because Bitao had remained too calm throughout the journey, without attempting to escape or kneeling down to beg for mercy in a disgraceful manner, with tears streaming down her face.

Now, entering this hellish prison, there is none of the fear and cowering they expected to see.

Fox Eyes seemed to think that the miserable state of these people was not enough to intimidate Bitao.

He tugged at Bitao's chain, pressing her head against the door of one of the cells.

Pointing to a man sitting cross-legged inside, but with no spiritual energy and two dark, bloody holes in his eyes, he said, "See him? He used to be the Heavenly Master who controlled the clouds and rain in the Nine Heavens, following the Thunder King as he traveled through the myriad realms, turning clouds into rain. How majestic he was!"

"But look at him now, he has lost the Immortal Pearl and become a mortal, and that's not all, he can't even keep his eyes."

"He was born with the element of water, and his innate skill was that his eyes could see through the abyss. So his eyes were gouged out and sent to the Nine Heavens Palace to be used as magical artifacts."

Fox Eyes pinched Bitao's chin, leaned closer and asked her maliciously, "What is your innate skill? You must keep this secret until you completely lose your role as a furnace."

Bitao pursed her lips and remained silent.

Fox Eyes continued, "But you don't need to worry too much. We don't kill people no matter what. Killing people will create karma. We will cure him to the point of being no longer in danger of dying, and then send him back to the human world intact."

"Well... Logically speaking, even if you're just blind, you could still survive by begging on the street."

Fox Eyes deliberately made people relax their guard because of the promise of "not killing".

The pause was like giving a dying beast a moment to breathe, so that the deception could continue.

Then the tone suddenly shifted again: "But there are also some in the mortal realm who, after losing their immortal pearls, are unwilling to remain mortals in their immortal positions, and have gathered together to form an organization. They always fantasize about obtaining immortal pearls and returning to the realm of banished immortals."

"After this guardian deity is thrown into the mortal realm, he will be captured by those people and put to good use."

"The high-ranking officials and nobles in the mortal world, having eaten and drunk their fill and with nothing to do, like to keep cats, dogs, immortals, and the like."

Bitao walked through the cell and saw the man who, despite his dire situation, still stood upright like a pine tree, calm and composed as if he were sitting on a Buddhist altar.

His eyes were gaping, terrifying black holes filled with blood. He turned his head toward Bitao when he heard the sound.

Those eyes must have just been gouged out; blood was still oozing from the two bloody holes.

Even though he was filthy, his hair was disheveled, and he looked terrifying, if you ignored his eyes, you could not hide the fact that he was an elegant and beautiful man.

Bitao has experienced all the beauty of human nature, and she also knows all too well how wicked it can be.

It's unnecessary to ponder what a miserable life this banished immortal, stripped of all ability to resist and blind, would ultimately lead.

She gripped the cell door tightly with both hands, her knuckles turning white. Her shoulders trembled slightly.

If a celestial being in the heavens is not directly sentenced to death, it must be because they made a mistake in their official duties and were punished by being sent to the mortal realm as a minor punishment.

How could a celestial being who once toiled for the common people end up in such a state?

The fox-eyed man seemed finally satisfied with Bitao's reaction, thinking that she had finally shed tears upon seeing the "coffin" and had become afraid.

He then grabbed her chain, causing her to stumble, and continued walking forward.

The clanging of chains attracted the attention of some of the prisoners.

Many people looked in the direction of Bitao. Not only had their immortal pearls been dug out, but most of them had also lost a part of their limbs that carried their innate skills.

Their expressions were numb and pained. When they saw Fox Eyes and the others, some of them showed hatred in their eyes, but none of them showed any pleading.

All those who hold the nine heavenly ranks, if they do not abandon their humanity and collude with the world for bloody gains, are all true gentlemen who have broken their bones and spines, even if their eyes are gouged out, they can still look down on all evil and filth.

Bitao gripped the chains around her neck with both hands to ease the pulling force, staggering as she took in the miserable state of these people.

Bitao was also locked in a stone cell without windows. The cell door was made of thick iron pillars, as thick as an adult's arm, embedded in the mountain rocks.

The cell door was fastened with heavy chains, and someone placed a bowl of water on the floor of her cell.

Bitao didn't drink it. After being pushed onto the damp bedding in the cell, she didn't move again.

She needs some time to process the information, recover her strength, and find a way to break free from the magical artifact binding her.

But her lifeless appearance made her seem to others as if she had no other choice.

At least some of the immortals watching from above the Milky Way believed this.

"What to do, what to do? This is such a disastrous start! Bi Tao Xuan Xian is really in a terrible situation!"

"There's nothing we can do. Who could have imagined that the Star River Rotating Yin-Yang Sundial would malfunction! It has condemned all the sinful immortals of so many years to the same realm! It has also mistakenly identified the contestants as sinful immortals, including the immortal masters who accompanied them, and sentenced them all to this realm..."

"Hey, have you heard... It's said that people from the Shangqing Realm have come to hold the Azure Emperor, who has been controlling the sundial for years, accountable!"

"Aaaaaah, I don't want to watch this competition! It's too cruel! Why don't the Heavenly Dao of the Myriad Realms and the Emperors pull these contestants out? I think even the Ancient Desolate Star Realm would be better than this!"

"Don't worry, isn't Immortal Master Sui Sai here? Although this realm was brought about by an accident, it is also very suitable for competition. Look at those vacant positions of the six ministries on the Yin-Yang Sundial of the Star River, and even the Emperor of Luofeng Mountain. If they can't even resolve the crisis of this realm, how can they assume the post of commander of the six ministries?"

"I looked around among the immortals, and even the Peach Blossom Immortal wasn't the worst off. The worst off was that his immortal pearl was dug out the moment he landed... It was the Thunder God Immortal of the Thunder Department. Although he was a fire spirit, he was naturally gifted with lightning. When he released his lightning and fire, he didn't even need to draw talismans; he could release it with a flick of his finger, and the power was immense. Originally, his position in the Heavenly Realm was that of a general in the Thunder Department, a key figure being groomed by the Thunder Department. This time, he descended to the mortal realm to compete for the position of Thunder King."

"As a result, the Immortal Pearl was dug up, exposing his talent. Now both his hands have been cut off and sent to make artifacts... He was also captured by the Immortal Alliance in the mortal realm. Thunderbolt True Immortal tried to commit suicide by biting his tongue but failed, and his tongue was also cut off. Now he is locked up and we don't know what he will be used for. He is simply living a life he cannot live or die."

"This star realm is too terrifying, I dare not look at it at all... So far, all the immortals have been hunted down as prey after falling to the ground. The only ones who are a little better off are Mingguang Xuanxian and Yunchuan Tianxian, because their martial arts are high and they can find each other quickly and gather some people, so they have not been captured and harmed by these banished immortals."

"Waaaaah, my Fairy Bitao! My Fairy Bitao! Please save yourself!"

"How can she save herself in this situation? She can only wait for Mingguang Xuanxian to find her and save her. Mingguang Xuanxian, please come quickly, your beloved woman is in such a terrible state..."

"Speaking of which, aren't you all wondering why there's a banished immortal with the exact same face as the Bright Light Immortal? If it weren't for him, the Peach Blossom Immortal wouldn't have been captured!"

"We've already discussed this once. I reckon it's some sinful immortal who was sentenced to death, using magic to transform himself into the appearance of the Bright Light Mystic Immortal, trying to deceive his supporters with his identity. Disgusting!"

"But wasn't it because Bitao Xuanxian was captured because she panicked and ran into the mortal realm, and was captured because she couldn't use her spiritual energy and was physically exhausted?"

"Aaaaaaah... What do we do? What do we do? The situation is extremely dire this time. Even Zhan Kui Tianxian is seriously injured!"

“Bitao Xuanxian can lie low for now. Perhaps she will have a chance to escape once she is sent to that Nine Heavens Palace. She has been lying there without moving for an hour in the mortal realm. She must have fallen asleep from exhaustion.”

...

Bitao was not asleep.

She had used her meager spiritual energy and □ to forcefully squeeze out most of the magical artifact on her right shoulder, leaving only a hook inside the flesh.

It cannot be squeezed out by brute force, because these magical artifacts that are fastened to the acupoints all over her body are connected by magical power, and getting out most of it is already the limit.

However, Bitao has already found the key to this magical artifact. Destroying the key requires disassembling the joints of her bones and manually shifting the pierced acupoint.

However, Bitao was in no hurry to get it done. The cell was patrolled every now and then, and she needed to wait until the fourth or fifth watch of the night, when the patrolmen were sleepy and lacked energy, before she could take action.

She has now temporarily relieved most of the suppression of spiritual energy in her right arm.

But just as Bitao was trying to mobilize the celestial spirits, she discovered an even more serious problem.

She could clearly smell the abundance of spiritual energy on the mountain and even in the prison, but she couldn't draw upon it at all.

She could draw spiritual energy into her arms, but once it was channeled into her meridians, it couldn't be retained at all.

She was like a leaky basket thrown into a well, unable to draw a single bowl of water.

When she was first pierced by the magical artifact, she thought it was the artifact that was suppressing her.

However, Bitao has thoroughly studied this magical artifact over a long period of time.

It was made from the bones of some unknown beast. When it penetrated the meridians, it blocked the flow of spiritual energy. There were no difficult-to-solve formations that restrained or blocked spiritual energy on the beast bones. It seemed that the beast bones themselves had the effect of blocking spiritual energy.

Bitao used her teeth to knock some of the array runes on it out of shape, so theoretically it no longer had the additional effect of blocking spiritual energy.

However, despite several attempts, Bitao's right arm was unable to utilize the surrounding spiritual energy...

That's terrible.

If a cultivator cannot control spiritual energy, what difference is there between them and an ordinary person?

Bitao's mind raced, and she went through the words of those who had captured her before, trying to find the reason for her current situation.

However, before Bitao could figure it out, she suddenly heard footsteps coming from outside the cell.

The patrol came again.

Using her shoulder to brace against the magical artifact, Bitao returned her shoulder blade to its original position.

Since pulling it out is useless, it's better to put it back first, so that those people won't misunderstand that she's trying to run away and then give her other magical artifacts.

Soon the patrolman stopped beside the cell.

Several groups of people have already stopped outside her cell tonight.

After all, she was a woman, and she was to be sent to be a furnace cauldron. She was subjected to filthy language and verbal abuse, and Bitao had already been subjected to it all in one night.

Thanks to Xu Xingshen, whom she had never met before, who, like Mingguang, had a fastidious obsession with cleanliness, these people only hurled insults at her, and no one dared to actually harm her.

Bitao doesn't need to risk her life.

But this time, the people standing outside her cell seemed to have been standing there for an unusually long time.

No foul language was heard, but there was the sound of heavy chains being opened.

Bitao tensed up instantly. The moment the sound of the chains being opened reached her ears, she immediately twisted her shinbone out of place, causing her large breast to shift briefly. She then quickly destroyed part of the restrictions on the magical artifacts on her body.

Then, she used her teeth to grip the crescent-shaped, sharp bone in her shoulder and pulled it out.

This series of movements flowed smoothly, and she had rehearsed them countless times in her mind.

From an outsider's perspective, it looked as if she suddenly got up from the ground, stumbled and broke her leg, and then, like a severely wounded beast driven to a dead end, ran to the corner of the cell furthest from the door.

Stand with one leg against the two stone walls at an angle for support.

This is the most advantageous position that Bitao has observed for a long time in this cell.

Given that escape is impossible, at least from this position, she doesn't need to worry about being attacked from behind; she only needs to face the people coming from the opposite direction.

After she stood still, a ruthless glint flashed in her peach blossom eyes, which quickly returned to the fear and dread befitting a weak person.

She looked toward the person who had unlocked the cell and entered.

He gripped the sharp, curved bone artifact he had just pulled from his own body tightly in his hand.

A moment later, Bitao's eyes twitched imperceptibly. The person who came was not one of the prison guards patrolling the cells, but Tingni.

He looked at Bitao, somewhat surprised that she had moved so quickly from her unconscious state to the corner of the wall.

Tingni didn't rush to approach. Instead, she stood at the cell door and raised a long, slender finger to her lips, signaling Bitao to keep quiet.

The moment Bitao saw him, she weighed the pros and cons in her mind and quickly came up with several countermeasures.

Tingni touched her lips with her finger and slowly approached Bitao, afraid that she would be frightened, and even showed a gentle smile.

In Bitao's eyes, it seemed as if "Mingguang" had been possessed by something unclean.

He walked to a spot not far from Bitao and stood still, raising his other hand, his fingertips clutching a small... key that was also made of bone.

He pointed to the magical artifact on Bitao's body, his meaning clear: this small key was the key to unlock the magical artifact on Bitao's body.

Bitao pulled out the shoulder of the curved bone artifact and pressed it against the wall. Her long hair fell down, obscuring her view, so that it was impossible to see that she had broken free unless you were very close.

She gazed at the small key with perfect cooperation, swallowed hard, and expressed her strong desire.

Yet, he subtly conveyed fear and vigilance in his eyes.

Tingni tossed the small key to Bitao from a distance.

Finally speaking, he said in a low voice, "Take off what's on you and come with me."

Bitao raised her hand slightly, pretending that she was too weak to catch it.

She caught a whiff of strong alcohol emanating from Ting Ni the moment he raised his hand.

They were complete strangers; perhaps he was just a deceptive illusion cast by the ancient immortals in this realm.

Wearing a bright, shining face, he was probably deceiving others, and perhaps also deceiving her.

During the day, he mingled with those people, calling them brothers, and his eyes were full of interest when he looked at Bitao.

Such a suspicious man, drunk in the middle of the night, ran to the prison cell and wanted to take her away.

What are we going to do?

Bitao looked down "anxiously" at the small key.

He tried to bend down to pick it up, but because his lower leg was broken, he stumbled and fell forward—

As she fell, she instinctively reached out her hand, her palm gripping the crescent-shaped magical artifact.

After finally managing to get those bastards drunk out of their own pockets by buying them good wine and food, Tingni rushed over to rescue them.

Seeing that the female fairy was about to fall, he quickly stepped forward to help her up.

The female fairy was clearly seriously injured and couldn't stand up, so she crashed headfirst into his arms.

The impact caused him severe pain in his chest and abdomen.

wrong!

He immediately pushed her away and looked down to see that his waist belt had been instantly undone and his front was falling apart—a crescent-shaped bone had pierced through his robe, which she had torn open when she pounced on him, and had gouged into his dantian in his chest and abdomen!

What respectable fairy could undress someone so skillfully?!

The binding and restrictive power of the magical artifact remained, and Tingni's spiritual energy was locked away for a moment.

At that critical moment, the person he had pushed away grabbed his arm, leaned back like a fully drawn bowstring snapping back, and charged at him again!

Tingni's counterattack was also swift, but she didn't dodge or evade, leaving her chest wide open and allowing him to strike her vital points.

Bitao possesses an immortal and indestructible heart for all living beings. As a wood spirit, she has extremely fast self-healing ability, and she will not die even if her heart meridian is shattered.

Her vital point was no longer in her heart meridian.

Tingni had never seen anyone who was unafraid of damage to their heart meridian.

He was stunned for a moment, then watched in disbelief as she swiftly pulled out the bone artifact that had pierced his anus and thrust it into the anus of his legs.

"Well--"

His strength was so fierce, it was as if he had an irreconcilable hatred for Tingni.

Her technique was so skillful that the bone instrument moved with the ease of her hands, even more deftly than when she undressed him.

If Tingni hadn't known that this set of bone artifacts was refined by a spirit-blocking immortal after death, he would have suspected that this spirit-blocking bone artifact was originally her natal magic weapon!

She quickly sealed off Tingni's inner chambers and legs, which were completely unguarded against her.

Then he pulled out the crescent-shaped bone device from his left shoulder and neck and pressed it directly against Tingni's throat.

He almost cried out to his master for help!

However, he dodged backward quickly enough, and only suffered a cut to the skin around his throat!

"I came to save you, and you want to kill me?!" He couldn't help but growl out.

Upon hearing this, Bitao paused, her fierce expression momentarily faltering.

Holding a crescent-shaped bone magic weapon in her hand, she asked with an innocent expression, "You...you've come to save me? Or to rape/humiliate me?"

"Of course not!" Tingni's voice rose a little as she became anxious.

Bitao hurriedly and anxiously covered his mouth: "Don't shout..."

Tingni, of course, didn't shout; he was afraid of attracting those people over.

After all, they were just drunk, not dead.

But just when Tingni thought that the female immortal had understood his meaning and his good intentions, and was about to lift his restriction.

The female immortal grabbed his long hair, rolled it around in her hand, and then plunged a crescent-shaped bone into his throat.

Ting Ni: "..." He felt a sharp pain in his throat, but it was sealed shut, and he couldn't even groan in pain.

What kind of fairy is this?!

She is beautiful and pure, yet she is several times more cunning than those demons!

She didn't need him to save her at all.

But Tingni couldn't utter a single word.

Due to a moment of carelessness, most of his spiritual energy was sealed, and now his throat was also sealed. He raised his hand to form a seal, and several seals containing golden spirit were fiercely thrown out, this time without holding back at all.

To Tingni's astonishment, his dense and fierce spells and hand seals were easily neutralized and deflected by the female immortal in front of him.

It was as if she knew his moves before he even made a move!

How is this possible?!

His hand bones were cracking from the impact, and with the last bit of his immortal energy depleted, he couldn't lift his arm for a moment...

Then, the most important acupoints on both scapulae were mercilessly pierced by the bone.

In the blink of an eye, the prisoners' identities were reversed, and Ting Ni was now imprisoned in place by all her magical artifacts.

Bitao quickly finished all this, glanced outside to make sure no one was coming, gritted her teeth, stood up, put her feet on the ground, and then twisted her waist with a "crack," straightening her calf.

He didn't utter a single sound.

Ting Ni: "..." He wanted to swallow, but because his throat bone was pierced, he couldn't swallow it.

His neck bone spurs at least gave him a little breathing space.

He was panting like a wild dog that had just run eight hundred miles, relying on that tiny gap!

It was the most embarrassing moment of my life.

What does it mean to capsize in a ditch?

For the first time in his life, he showed compassion for a beautiful woman... only to encounter a stunningly beautiful but monstrous demon!

Bitao removed all the magical artifacts from her body, but she found that the spiritual energy she could retain and use was still very limited.

She looked down at Tingni, originally intending to study how he used spiritual energy.

The "immortal pearl" that those people mentioned before must have a great use.

It must be the key to drawing upon spiritual energy.

But where is the Immortal Pearl? We'll have to go through some serious trouble to find it.

Originally, Tingni was the best candidate for the experiment.

But... looking at Tingni, who was staring at her with eyes full of annoyance and disbelief but showed little fear or apprehension, Bitao ultimately did not make a move against him.

It wasn't because he looked like Mingguang that Bitao couldn't bring herself to do it.

To her, light is her heart and soul, but if it isn't, it isn't. Even if we looked alike, it wouldn't make a difference.

Rather... the hand seals that Tingni made in her haste were all orthodox immortal golden spirit hand seals.

This is not surprising. Everyone in this world is a banished immortal, so it is perfectly normal for them to know some orthodox immortal seals.

The reason why Bitao didn't make a move... was that Tingni was using a technique exclusive to the Nine Heavens Golden Crow clan.

Bitao and Mingguang had been together since childhood. Mingguang never held back any of his martial arts techniques from her. Bitao was too lazy to study them herself, so she simply copied his hand seals.

Later, during the second competition, she sparred with Meteor, and Meteor clearly developed a set of hand seals suitable for Wood Spirits for Bitao.

However, after practicing a few times, Bitao still found the correction troublesome and continued to use the same set of exercises they had when they were children. It was impossible for them not to recognize each other.

Bitao squatted down, reached out to activate the wood spirit, and touched Tingni's face.

They confirmed that he was not wearing any mask and captured a wisp of pure golden spirit that overflowed from his body due to his turbulent emotions.

Then look at his golden eyes, which are exactly like Mingguang's, and his extremely similar, almost identical, figure.

Bitao felt a slight numbness on the back of her head.

He is not some malicious, low-quality Mingguang imitator.

It was not a smokescreen placed by the ancient immortals to deceive people in this world.

If she wasn't mistaken... this person wasn't some sinful immortal who had been sentenced to descend to the mortal realm.

This person is Dongjun, Mingguang's older brother whom he has never met since birth in Shangqing Realm.