Chapter 188: Chapter 187: The Master of the Immeasurable Cave Falls into a Trap

Changping Prefecture, Changye County, Stone King Cave.

Taoist Ming Yu sat on a large rock in front of the ruins of Stone King Cave. He held a piece of red paper in one hand and a pair of scissors in the other. In the space of a few breaths, he had cut out a beautiful paper window decoration.

He held the paper cutting up to the sunlight to admire it, then nodded in satisfaction. Taoist Ming Yu smiled and said, "The Master of the Immeasurable Cave is a hegemon in Bai Shi Prefecture. He can fly through theair, coming and going without a trace. What’s more, he possesses a formidable Poison Technique. If he were to turn on the common people, he could slaughter entire cities and towns in the blink of an eye."

"If he learns our secrets first—that we protect the common folk and gather Incense—he might avoid a direct confrontation. Instead, he could run rampant in Changping Prefecture, and finding him would become incredibly difficult."

Taoist Ming Yu stroked the paper cutting and continued, "If he hides back in the Infinite Cave, we would have to go to Bai Shi Prefecture to make a move, which would attract the attention of the Yellow Heaven Altar."

Taoist Qingyuan understood. "So, we deliberately leaked the news that Rong Wen died in Stone King Cave, luring him here to investigate and drawing him into our chosen battlefield."

"Precisely." Taoist Ming Yu put down the paper cutting and gazed into the distance. "Stone King Cave is already in ruins. It isn’t a Daluo Palace headquarters, so it won’t arouse his suspicion."

Taoist Qingyuan asked again, "Then why are we waiting out here? Couldn’t we just lie in ambush with the others?"

"If there was no one here, he might just circle around in the sky and fly away. If we fail to trap him, the future trouble would be endless," Taoist Ming Yu explained. "We have to lure him down to ensure we can trap him here."

As his voice fell, a message from Taoist Yan Song echoed in the Seas of Consciousness of both Taoist Ming Yu and Taoist Qingyuan: "He’s here."

The next moment, a streak of jade light flashed across the sky. Rong Xuan hovered above Stone King Cave. With a sweep of his Divine Thought, he spotted two elderly men in blue robes—one sitting and one standing—in front of the ruins.

Taoist Ming Yu and Taoist Qingyuan felt the Divine Thought wash over them. The Magical Power within their bodies reacted instinctively, revealing that they were no ordinary mortals. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Looking up, the two saw a dwarf less than 1.2 meters tall descending from the sky. He casually tossed a two-meter-tall man aside.

The dwarf had a large head and a small body. A mop of messy, fluffy green hair sprouted from the top of his head, completely unkempt. Paired with his rather snug, brownish-yellow short clothes, he looked like a thumbtack.

Rong Xuan looked at the two old men. One had a tranquil expression, his eyes pure and deep. The other, though slightly nervous, possessed a calm and steady demeanor. While their Dao Practice wasn’t high, their origins were clearly anything but ordinary.

But Rong Xuan couldn’t care less. He just grinned, reached out to grab them, and his Magical Power surged forth.

Taoist Ming Yu and Taoist Qingyuan felt a weight descend upon them. A heavy Magical Power pressed down on their shoulders, as if trying to force them to their knees.

"I’m not used to looking up when I speak to people," Rong Xuan sneered.

"And I’m not in the habit of kneeling," Taoist Ming Yu huffed. He stood up from the rock, and a golden light erupted from his body, making him seem like a divine being.

Taoist Qingyuan said nothing, but with a shift of the Magical Power in his body, the crushing pressure on his shoulders was neutralized by the flow of Yin Yang and channeled into the earth beneath his feet. His shoulders didn’t even tremble.

"Hmm?"

A sharp glint flashed in Rong Xuan’s eyes. He hadn’t expected two Mages with a mere three hundred years of Dao Practice to resist the suppression of his Magical Power. A wisp of colorless, odorless, and imperceptible poison gas spread out along with his Magical Power.

"HISS—"

Taoist Ming Yu’s Protective Golden Light easily dissipated the poison gas.

But a flash of green crossed Taoist Qingyuan’s face, and he let out a muffled grunt. Then, the flowers and grass around his feet withered in a circle with him at the center.

Taoist Ming Yu praised, "Brother Daoist, you’ve practiced Tai Chi to your very bones! No technique can touch your body!"

Taoist Qingyuan was a little embarrassed by the praise. "Senior Brother, you flatter me. I’ve just been practicing for a bit longer, that’s all."

The two of them continued talking to each other, completely ignoring Rong Xuan.

But Rong Xuan was inwardly shocked. Although he hadn’t used his full strength, they had countered him far too easily. Moreover, each had revealed a Profound Mysterious Technique. These Cultivation Techniques were definitely not from some minor rural sect; they had to be from a major one.

"Who are you? Who is your master? What are you doing here? Is this related to Stone King Cave?"

Rong Xuan felt that by even asking, he was granting the two of them a great honor. Then he watched as they finally turned to him. The old man radiating golden light chuckled and said, "Master of the Immeasurable Cave, your time has come. It is fitting for you to be buried here with your brother."

Rong Xuan was startled. He reacted instantly, his body blurring as he shot into the air.

But a vast red glow suddenly appeared in the sky. Boundless Wind and Fire materialized and descended, and at its center was a figure wearing a red mask, a longsword in hand aimed straight for his face.

"DING!"

With a crisp sound, the tip of Taoist Yan Song’s longsword collided with Rong Xuan’s fist, creating the clang of metal on metal.

The longsword bent. Taoist Yan Song felt a corrosive Qi trying to invade his body through the blade. With a turn of his Magical Power, a fusion of water and fire elements swept the poison gas away completely.

From within the endless Wind and Fire, a Divine Dragon made of Wind and Fire suddenly surged forth. It pounced from behind Taoist Yan Song, swallowed Rong Xuan in one gulp, and slammed him into the ground.

"BOOM!"

Rong Xuan was dragged down. Just as he dispersed the Wind and Fire, he saw that he was now surrounded by four people. In addition to the two old men from before, there was another with a full head of white hair and a white beard, and one with an ugly face.

"THUD THUD THUD THUD—"

Following a series of heavy thuds, eighteen stakes of Purple Sandalwood were driven into the ground around them. Gu Zhao, hovering in mid-air, changed the spell in his hands and uttered, "Rise!"

A thin curtain of light instantly formed, enveloping an area several hundred zhang wide.

"This one has about five to six hundred years of Dao Practice. He uses a Poison Technique, his body is like a zombie’s, and he’s a formidable opponent." Gu Zhao looked at the old Daoists on the field. "Everyone, be careful. If you’re actually poisoned, use the Golden Light Curse or a Heaven-Reaching Treasure Light Talisman immediately."

The old Daoists all nodded, their gazes burning as they stared at Rong Xuan.

Taoist Yan Ling stroked his white beard, about to charge in first, but Taoist Jing Feng stopped him with an outstretched hand. "Senior Brother, your Divine Light is powerful. Wouldn’t it be a shame if you killed him outright?"

Although Rong Xuan’s Dao Practice was profound, his strange Poison Technique was suppressed by Taoist True Qi. Taoist Yan Ling’s Magical Power was immense, and with Rong Xuan’s ability to fly restricted, he might very well be able to defeat him.

Rong Xuan looked at the four old Daoists surrounding him, then at Taoist Yan Song hovering nearby, and finally at Gu Zhao, who was flying highest of all, having trapped him with the Array. His expression was exceptionally grim.

The next moment, his figure shot toward the sky. A jade-green bead appeared above his head, enveloping him. He then transformed into a streak of jade light and rammed straight into the Dragon-locking Light Curtain that surrounded the area.