Chapter 121 What's your name? And you kicked his butt! ...

With Bitao vouching for him and saying that she and Dongjun were old friends, no one dared to raise any objections.

Among the group, a few were selected by the guardian celestial master, who then consumed celestial pearls that matched their spiritual attributes, thus restoring some of their spiritual energy and combat power.

However, the Dharma Protector himself did not consume the Immortal Pearl. Bitao asked him, "Why didn't you keep one for yourself? Even if it doesn't fit the spiritual attribute, you can still use it temporarily."

The five elements are mutually generating and mutually restraining, but since they can coexist in the world, they must have something in common.

To put it simply, they are all mediums for absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Even if one takes a counteracting immortal pearl, the absorption of spiritual energy will be twice as difficult, but it is still much better than a mortal body.

The Dharma Protector had gentle features, while Yunmeng's eyes, which appeared cunning and treacherous on Yunmeng's face, were like two clear amber beads on the Dharma Protector's face.

His appearance, demeanor, words, and actions, whether as a prisoner or now free, remained calm and composed, like still waters running deep.

Hearing Bitao's question, he turned his eyes to look at her seriously. There was no more blood in his eyes. Someone had cast a cleansing spell on him, and now his eyes were clean and clear.

He smiled and replied, "It's not that there are no Water Spirit Pearls, but rather that they would be useless to me even if I ate them."

The guardian celestial master looked ashamed: "I have been an immortal for hundreds of years. I have followed the generals of the Thunder Department to travel among the mortals, summoning clouds and rain to benefit all living beings, but I am not good at fighting."

“From birth, my elders taught me the ability to summon wind and rain, but they were not strict with the techniques. Most of the ancient immortals specialize in one skill, and everyone does so, so I felt that it was enough to be good at summoning wind and rain.”

"The responsibility of guarding the human world and the heavenly realm rests with the generals of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Thunder."

"I never expected..."

The Dharma Protector's voice was calm and unhurried, yet filled with remorse: "Never did we ever imagine that we would one day fall into such a state. The skills we were once so proud of are now unable to protect ourselves, so how can we talk about protecting all living beings?"

"Even if I were to consume the Immortal Pearl, I could only summon a few clouds and let a few drops of rain fall. It would be better to give the opportunity to those skilled in battle; our chances of victory would be much greater."

The others largely agreed with the Dharma Protector's words. If they hadn't specialized in one skill while in the Heavenly Realm and hadn't diligently cultivated other skills and abilities outside of their official duties, how could they have ended up in such a predicament?

For a moment, everyone was filled with sorrow.

Bitao didn't say anything, but patted the Dharma Protector Master on the shoulder to comfort him.

Standing behind Bitao, Dongjun, who had been staring at her, finally looked at Bitao's hand that was patting the guardian master's shoulder.

She seemed to really like this guardian deity.

They specially gouged out a pair of eyes for him and put them in his place. They also entrusted him with the task of distributing the immortal pearls. They wanted to promote him to be the leader of this group.

Dongjun examined this guardian celestial master and saw him as nothing more than a good-for-nothing.

He didn't think the Dharma Protector in front of him was a coward; Dongjun thought that all the Dharma Protectors in the entire Nine Heavens were cowards.

Following behind the generals of the Thunder Department, they stirred up trouble and looked imposing, but in reality, they were just a bunch of weaklings.

They could be beaten to a pulp in a single encounter.

Dongjun looked left and right, and probably the only good thing about this crispy chicken in front of him was its good looks, right?

Thinking back to how the female fairy had touched that fox-eyed man's eyes and even disemboweled him, she still remembered to praise his good looks.

Going back further, she was captured in the mortal realm, and even though she was covered in spirit-suppressing magical artifacts, it didn't stop her from staring at her own face endlessly.

Dongjun's long eyebrows, reaching his temples, twitched slightly.

Based on numerous clues, he concluded that this female fairy had a fondness for colors.

It is likely that the crimes she committed included the murder of her fellow immortals and the crime of promiscuity.

Ordinary women, even if they admire a man's looks, will only shyly steal a few glances.

Throwing a handkerchief or a piece of fruit, perhaps, would be the limit.

Even when facing life and death, this female immortal didn't stop staring at handsome men, and even went so far as to bestow favors upon them, creating opportunities to pat and touch them in a seemingly reasonable way.

She was not only intelligent, but also had a forthright and unconventional personality.

Dongjun disliked women who were coy, weak, and hesitant, but he found the frank and unrestrained nature of the female immortal in front of him extremely interesting.

Bitao's hand fell to her side, and Dongjun's gaze followed her hand as it fell.

Her fingers are smooth and supple, yet not overly slender, resilient and strong like green bamboo.

He gripped the large knife tightly, his fingers tapping the hilt casually, yet a fierce intent lurked beneath.

The bloodstains on it had dried, and the blood of the person who had humiliated her was still clinging to them.

Dongjun thought it was extremely beautiful.

She is like a vine that grows around an ancient tree in the Shangqing Realm. She looks delicate and weak, but she is extremely fierce. She can pierce the tender buds on the vine into the trunk of the ancient tree and drain all its ten-thousand-year-old spirit.

This vine is known as the "Demon King's Tentacles" in Shangqing Realm. It has become rampant, and ancient trees that are entangled by it are doomed to die. Even burning with true fire cannot extinguish it.

The flowers blooming on it are the same color as the fairy's fingertips right now, a dark red that's almost black, and the stamens are as pure white as the back of her hand that has never been stained.

It's absolutely breathtakingly beautiful.

Dongjun slowly looked at the female immortal's face again.

He found himself standing right next to her, but her eyes were no longer fixed on him as before; instead, they were looking at the guardian deity.

Bitao was indeed very satisfied with the Dharma Protector.

The reason why she specifically chose to gouge out the eyes of the fox-eyed guardian master was not only because Bitao was vengeful, but also because the guardian master was indeed a pitiful figure.

Furthermore, when they all thought there was no chance of victory, the Dharma Protector, despite being blind, resolutely stood up to protect Bitao.

Furthermore, his calm demeanor and composed manner inspire a sense of trust and demonstrate his ability to lead others.

Bitao needs some "people from her own team", but she's too lazy to talk to them too much.

The Dharma Protector Heavenly Master Association is a very useful mouthpiece and assistant.

Now that he himself has not consumed the Immortal Pearl, but has instead left it for those with combat power, this action has obviously temporarily suppressed the resentment of those who previously questioned him.

It should be easier for him to manage these people after that.

Bitao spoke, breaking the somewhat somber atmosphere: "Everyone, the past cannot be retrieved, let's focus on the present."

Everyone knew that their safety was the most pressing issue at hand, and they began to discuss how to escape.

Bitao crossed her arms, holding the blood-stained broadsword in her hand, leaning against a pillar in the cell, patiently listening to their various opinions without rushing to speak.

Dongjun listened to the group of idiots discussing how to escape, and reached up to pick at his ear.

They wouldn't even spare a mocking smile.

With these schemes, they think they can escape?

Although Dongjun had not spent long in these mountains, he had already thoroughly explored every place.

If he wanted, he could take everyone away from the mountain without bloodshed or even without passing through the formation.

But why did he do that?

These Nine Heavens Sinful Immortals, whatever their reasons for falling into this Star Realm, are destined to suffer this calamity.

Whether it's a complete annihilation or a fate worse than death, it doesn't matter to him as long as he didn't personally cause it.

His master taught him to respect cause and effect and reincarnation, and not to interfere with the fate of others.

Dongjun looked at the female immortal beside him, waiting for her to speak.

He was genuinely curious about what the female fairy would do next.

She is very clever. Walking alone in the realm of immortals is like a child carrying gold in the marketplace. No matter how capable she is, she will eventually be caught.

She needs some companions.

So what method will she use to get this group of people out of the mountains next?

In order to cross the mountain, who will she choose to sacrifice? Who will she take with her?

The group was still discussing, but every time a route was proposed, someone would point out its dangers and impracticality.

Some of them, in order to escape, no longer even concealed that they had once been in cahoots with the banished immortals in the mountains.

After several rounds of discussion, the group realized that it was impossible for them to leave the mountain on their own, and the situation reached a stalemate.

Someone growled dejectedly, "Nothing works, nothing works, are we going to be trapped here and die?"

The expressions of everyone changed from excitement to worry.

After things calmed down, they realized that the fairy who had saved them had never spoken.

So everyone looked at Bitao.

Dongjun also looked at Bitao, his eyes filled with such interest and anticipation that they seemed to burn through the peach.

Just as Bitao was about to speak, she noticed Dongjun's gaze and turned her head to look at him in confusion.

Then she looked down at herself—her disheveled clothes and her slightly messy hair that had been rolling around in the wind.

With Mingguang not around, Bitao didn't bother to groom herself at all.

Who is it for?

Her blood-red appearance is even more intimidating.

But why is Dongjun looking at her with those eyes?

Bitao thought to herself, "Could it be that Dongjun, like Mingguang, has some kind of obsession with cleanliness?"

Bitao, clutching the knife, took two steps, moving slightly further away from Dongjun.

If you think I'm dirty, I'll stay away from you, okay?

Bitao said, "I think we shouldn't rush to leave here."

"As you all have probably noticed, the few of us who have recovered our spiritual energy are simply unable to break through the numerous barriers and enchantments."

"In this cell, conservatively speaking, we are safe for at least the next day."

"Since it's still dark, we might as well take this opportunity to launch a surprise attack and seize more Immortal Pearls to restore our strength."

After hearing Bitao's words, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, as if cold water had been poured into boiling oil, and then began to express their opinions enthusiastically.

Bitao can certainly suppress others forcefully, but that won't bring her teammates with good teamwork, and it's easy for those who can't bear the oppression to defect at crucial moments.

Only by making them feel important, that they have a place in this team, and that they have a voice, can we truly empower them.

Only then can they avoid being easily betrayed, and only then can the team be united.

Moreover, there is still plenty of time. Bitao said that, conservatively speaking, the area will be safe for at least one day tomorrow.

Based on what she had seen and heard before being imprisoned, Bitao deduced that she would be absolutely safe for at least two or three days.

Most of the sinful immortals in this realm are ancient immortals, which is normal, since ancient immortals make up eight or nine out of ten of the entire celestial realm.

These ancient immortals specialized in one field when they were in the heavens, and were accustomed to only sweeping the snow in front of their own field. They would only cooperate when necessary, like interlocking chains.

After Bitao saw them descend to the mortal realm, they were forced to gather together, and nothing had changed from when they were in the celestial realm. They were outwardly harmonious but inwardly estranged, dividing tasks and cooperating without interfering with each other.

The people in charge of this prison are all lying on the floor now.

If they don't appear for a day or two, the people in the mountains will only assume that this group has gone out to capture other immortals.

After Bitao finished speaking, she leaned back against the pillar and waited for them to continue their discussion.

Anyway, the situation isn't urgent right now.

Meanwhile, Dongjun, who was waiting for Bitao to reveal her escape plan, looked intently at Bitao.

He hadn't expected that she had no intention of running away at all!

Every decision she made was unexpected by Dongjun, yet perfectly reasonable.

After thinking about it for a moment, Dongjun realized that it was indeed better to quietly devour this place than to run away.

After all, the entire Immortal Realm is fraught with danger, and their escape from here does not mean they will not encounter other pursuers.

Most of the immortals in these mountains, apart from the two who guard the mountain, don't actually possess much ability. They usually gather in groups to avoid being prey for others, and they don't have any deep friendships among themselves.

Even if they discover that their companions are in danger, the chances of them offering a helping hand are very small.

Surprise attacks in the dead of night can really kill a lot of people.

Most of those people had stored Immortal Pearls in their possession, and with Immortal Pearls, everything would be much easier.

Perhaps it was because Dongjun's gaze was too direct, too naked, and too intense, that Bitao finally couldn't help but lean in and whisper to him, "Why do you keep looking at me?"

Just tell me what's on your mind.

Bitao felt that Dongjun had been hiding in these mountains and suppressing his cultivation level so low because he couldn't reveal his strength and identity.

Even if he showed his face on the Silver River, it wouldn't matter. No one would think that the person who looks like Mingguang is Dongjun.

If Dongjun needs her help for the mission of the Heavenly Dao of Myriad Realms, Bitao can help within the scope of her abilities.

Dongjun slowly smiled.

He blinked his beautiful golden eyes, lowered his voice as if whispering, walked to Bitao's side, leaned over and asked, "Since we're going to cooperate, we should at least get to know each other a little."

"My name isn't actually Tingni. I made that up to fool those idiots before."

"My real name is Dongjun."

"I was once a person of the Taiqing Realm, but I left the Taiqing Realm hundreds of years ago. Judging from your young age, I wonder if you have ever heard of me in the Taiqing Realm?"

"When you tricked those people into revealing information about this realm, the lover of the Heavenly Prince you made up, Mingguang, is actually my younger brother."

When Dongjun mentioned his age, he finally realized that he was already considered an "old man," while the female immortal in front of him looked very young.

His voice softened as a result, and all the gloom in his eyes was replaced by a pure golden light.

He asked in a gentle voice, "What is your name? Which ancient immortal clan do you belong to?"

Bitao: "..."

The knife hilt that Bitao was holding slipped, and with a "clang," the tip of the knife stuck in the ground.

Luckily, she reacted quickly and spread her legs apart, otherwise her foot would have been pricked!

Why... why are you suddenly revealing your real name?!

The Heavenly Dao of the Myriad Realms sent him down to this Taiqing Realm to do his work. Shouldn't he keep it a secret?

Bitao lowered her head to hide the shock in her eyes, and stood there with one hand on the hilt of her sword, looking very imposing.

He rubbed his face with his other hand.

Dongjun was still waiting for her answer, tilting his head slightly as he looked at her with anticipation and great patience.

Bitao rubbed the dried blood on her face until it cracked, making her look like a bloody statue about to weather away.

In an instant, countless thoughts swirled through Bitao's mind like a storm.

Finally, he spoke firmly, saying, "My name is Zhan Kui."

Given that she had previously caused Dongjun several problems, and since Dongjun didn't recognize her, Bitao decided to keep him from recognizing her for the time being.

To avoid having to apologize out of politeness.

Besides, Bitao is only in love with Mingguang. Even if they get married, what does that have to do with Dongjun, who has been living a carefree life in Shangqing Realm for hundreds of years and has never even met him?

If they can't avoid meeting in person in the future, Bitao will reluctantly call him "brother" for Mingguang's sake.

Let's just forget about it for now.

"Zhan Kui?" Zhan Kui is a carp.

Dongjun thought for a moment and slowly said, "The ancient immortal clan doesn't seem to have any koi fish... Is it a koi fish immortal that has emerged in the last few hundred years?"

Bitao shook her head: "No, I am a wild immortal spirit, not an ancient immortal."

Dongjun blinked a few times, and after a moment asked, "But since you are a Koi Fairy, why are you a Wood Spirit?"

Once you tell one lie, you're destined to have to tell many more to cover it up.

Bitao remained unfazed: "Because I condensed my spirit under the roots of a rotten tree that was soaking in water, perhaps the Heavenly Dao made a mistake."

Dongjun: "..." Does he look like an idiot?

The little carp didn't want to tell him; it was just making things up.

Dongjun then asked, "So how old are you this year?"

Bitao: "Sixty years of spiritual energy."

In the celestial realm, those under one hundred years old are not considered adults.

They won't even tell their real age...

But a moment later, Dongjun smiled again. He liked the way this female immortal was "unpredictable" to him.

When Bitao saw him smile, she quickly looked away.

Mingguang never smiles with a crooked mouth!

Dongjun raised one corner of his mouth, his smile full of wickedness, making Bitao feel uneasy!

Bitao silently supported her broadsword and took two steps further away from him.

After discussion, everyone unanimously decided to follow Bitao's advice and go out to steal the Immortal Pearl under the cover of night!

In reality, there was no other way to go.

So Bitao ignored Dongjun's incessant laughter, which seemed to be a seizure.

Squatting on the ground, she used whatever was available, sticking some blood from a banished immortal whose immortal pearl she had previously dug out and who was still barely clinging to life on the ground.

They drew a simple map on the ground based on descriptions from people familiar with the terrain.

"So there aren't many people in this courtyard, and it's the closest to here, right?"

"Has anyone dealt with them before? What are their spirit attributes, and what are their innate skills?"

Some people say, "There is a fire elemental, whose innate skill seems to be 'suppressing evil'."

"There are two earth spirits in this courtyard. They are exceptionally skilled at building walls, and they do it very quickly..."

"I seem to remember there was also a Golden Spirit... who was skilled with a long spear!"

...

After everyone had finished speaking, Dongjun stepped forward again, casually flicked his robe, and squatted down directly next to Bitao.

Because the person was tall and the horse had long legs, when he squatted down, his knees jutted out a lot, almost knocking Bitao to the ground.

Bitao steadied herself by grabbing the arm of the person next to her. When she looked at him, she saw a fleeting hint of mockery in his eyes.

Bitao took a slight breath and silently told herself, "He's Mingguang's brother after all," and decided not to argue with him.

Squat down on the ground and move your legs around to keep your distance from him.

Putting everything else aside, Dongjun's temperament is far worse than Mingguang's.

"The life gate of the formation in this courtyard is in the Kan position, so we can break through from here."

Dongjun tapped the ground with his fingertip: "Their immortal pearls are hidden within the array, connected to their own life gates."

"To obtain the Immortal Pearl, we must break their vital point... We need to finish this quickly, and then we can sneak into the adjacent courtyard to launch a surprise attack... The vital point here is in the Kun position..."

Bitao was getting a little annoyed listening to him "giving advice."

His brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

Although he described the most efficient, concise, and rapid route, given his close-quarters combat style, even if he manages to obtain all the Immortal Pearls in the end, not many of these people will be left.

They all die on the way.

In fact, Dongjun didn't care whether these people lived or died. They were willing to risk their lives to fight for a chance to survive.

The law of the jungle applies to all beings, whether immortals, humans, demons, or beasts.

To be alive is a blessing, to die is fate.

Once you have enough Immortal Pearls, how many teammates can you not have?

Why must we keep these remnants of the army?

Although Dongjun had been away from Taiqing Realm for hundreds of years, he had been learning the art of emperors since childhood.

The deployment of troops is only about how to win quickly and how to gain the greatest benefit with the fewest casualties.

No commander-in-chief with troops would worry about the soldiers dying in battle; he only cares about whether they are brave enough to tear a gap in the battlefield.

Dongjun continued, saying that they had reached the stage of simultaneously fighting and recruiting those who had surrendered. The question was how to persuade them to surrender and use the enemy to control the enemy.

In the end, this brilliant deduction allowed them to turn this immortal land into theirs in just three days.

At that time, he will possess the mountains and forests, dominate the region, recruit immortals, and rise to great heights... becoming the one who holds the power of life and death in his hands.

However, after he finished speaking, the entire cell was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone looked solemn, and some even considered backing out.

They all realized that the vision depicted on the map was good, but it was actually built on their bones.

This is a battle where death is inevitable.

Hide in this prison cell and be sold to the mortal world, perhaps there is still a glimmer of hope for survival.

At worst, I can join the Immortal Alliance in the mortal realm and wait for an opportunity to return to the realm of immortals.

It's better than just watching someone go and die.

The atmosphere became extremely tense for a moment.

Given the strength of Bitao and Dongjun, no one dared to challenge them or refute them in the short term.

But before they could even go out and deal with the others, their internal structure was clearly on the verge of collapse.

Bitao quickly coughed.

Then he gave Dongjun a push and said, "Go and get the bone artifact from the cell I was in before."

Dongjun instinctively stood up, but after standing up, he met the wary and resistant gazes of these people and realized that they were considering retreating.

The female immortal sent him away, clearly out of concern for these cowardly rats who had just been saved but were already ungrateful and retreated in the face of battle!

Dongjun sneered, his throat filled with countless sarcastic and venomous words, which he opened his mouth to utter.

Bitao stood up and, before he could speak, summoned her wood spirit and patted the back of his neck.

Caught off guard, he was silenced.

Dongjun turned his head and glared angrily at Bitao.

He was clearly helping her. He boasted that his tactics were flawless and that he had already taken her kindness into consideration and minimized the sacrifices.

She actually side with this cowardly brat who wouldn't listen to orders?

Why save them?

Why don't he go and collect those immortal pearls and give them to her directly, so she can leave this place in the blink of an eye?

She actually attacked him, all for the sake of these good-for-nothings?!

A crimson glint flashed in Dongjun's eyes, like a volcano about to erupt, exuding a menacing aura.

Those who possessed the Immortal Pearls in the arena all sensed the terrifying and powerful force emanating from Dongjun, and retreated in fear.

The guardian deity silently stepped forward and stood to the left of Bitao, so that he could separate Bitao and Dongjun at any time.

Dongjun's gaze toward the Dharma Protector was even more ferocious.

But just as things were about to escalate, Bitao stepped forward, grabbed Dongjun's shoulder, turned him around, and kicked him in the lower back.

He was kicked so hard he staggered a few steps, managing to grab onto the side of the cell door to avoid falling face-first into the mud.

But he still had to kneel on the ground to steady himself, his knees aching from the impact.

Dongjun was so incredulous that for a moment the crimson in his eyes receded.

He is now over seven hundred years old, surrounded by admirers, a true prodigy.

When he was the "Crown Prince" in the Taiqing Realm, he had countless supporters. After he went to the Shangqing Realm and found a good master, no one dared to offend him in any way.

He is very capable himself, and for many years, no one has dared to touch him!

Even a single strand of hair!

This was the first time in his life that anyone had dared to treat him like this!

And kick his butt!