Immortal Taoist

Meng Lin flew in the air, dense fog covering the area, her spiritual consciousness was spread out, picking up the slightest change in the surroundings.

By her side, Luo Mei and Chen Wei kept pace, their eyes scanning the dense forest below. They had been traveling for almost two hours, and they finally left the rocky terrain and entered a massive forest.

The fog was thick, almost tangible, making visibility nearly zero, but their spiritual consciousness could see through the mist like an open field, keeping them on a course.

"Stay alert," Luo Mei whispered, her eyes narrowing. "I sense something ahead."

Chen Wei's fingers twitched, dark energy swirling around his palms as he prepared for any sudden attacks. "Is it another beast?"

Meng Lin interjected, shaking her head. "No, it's different. More like a formation."

"That's right, there is a powerful formation up ahead," Luo Mei said as they continued.

The fog began to thin out, and a large, ancient structure loomed into view. It was a towering pillar, its dark, weathered stone walls covered in vines and strange runes that glowed faintly.

"We need to be cautious," Luo Mei advised, her voice steady but tinged with concern. "This place feels... Ancient and powerful."

The group descended, landing silently on the ground. The air around the pillar was thick with spiritual energy, but there was an underlying sense of danger, everyone in the group felt it, especially from the entrance of the pillar which was covered in runes.

Meng Lin approached the entrance, her hand tracing the intricate runes. "This is definitely some kind of ancient formation," she murmured. "But there's ruins there too, is this also an array"

Chen Wei stepped closer, examining the runes with a critical eye. "Formation and Array, I've never heard of that before" he turned to one of the other disciples and said " Luo Wu, you practice both Formation and Array right, what have you found out"

A young man with a small smile stepped forward, His expression serious as he examined the runes. "Yes, I specialize in both formations and arrays but this is quite unusual. It seems like the formation is designed to protect whatever is inside the pillar, while the array might be enhancing its power or concealing it."

Meng Lin nodded thoughtfully. "Can you deactivate it, Luo Wu?"

Luo Wu's eyes narrowed as he studied the intricate patterns. "It's complex, I don't think I can." He looked closer and pointed towards several different runes. "There are weak points in the array. If you channel a large amount of energy at these specific runes, you should be able to disrupt it temporarily"

Chen Wei nodded, his dark energy coalescing around his hands. "Let's do it then."

"Wait," Luo Wu said as he pointed to the formation, "I don't think you should do it. After the array runes are disrupted we would only have a few seconds, so we need a powerful attack that can break through the formation at that time, that's where you come in"

"Understood," Meng Lin said, turning to Luo Mei. "We'll focus on disrupting the runes. Chen Wei will be ready with his most powerful attack."

Chen Wei nodded, his expression weird. "Just give me the signal."

Luo Mei and Meng Lin moved into position around the array, their spiritual energy converging as they prepared to disrupt the runes. The air around them crackled with qi as they focused their energy on several small points, the weak points Luo Wu had identified.

"Ready?" Meng Lin asked, her gaze turning to Luo Mei's, who nodded with slight excitement in her eyes.

In perfect synchrony, Meng Lin and Luo Mei channeled large amounts of their energy into the weak points of the array. The runes flickered and pulsed, their glow intensifying as the array began to destabilize.

Chen Wei's hands were covered in Armor and glowed with a sinister, dark energy, his Soul Shattering Palm technique charging to its fullest. The tension in the air grew as the array's defenses weakened.

"Three... two... one... Now!" Luo Wu counted down, giving the signal at the most opportune moment.

Crack!!

With perfect timing, Chen Wei unleashed his Soul Shattering Palm, the dark energy surging forward with devastating force. The attack struck the formation just as the array's enforcement faded, the combined impact forming cracks in the protective barrier before shattering into pieces.

The entrance to the pillar was now exposed, the runes dimming and the spiritual energy around them dispersing. The group wasted no time, rushing inside before the defenses could reactivate.

Inside, the atmosphere was less intense and more serene, they were inside a giant hall filled with ancient scrolls, and spiritual weapons, some worn out due to time, each one radiating a strong aura. At the center of the room, a pedestal held a glowing crystal sphere.

"What is that," Meng Lin said, her eyes locked on the sphere. "Its aura is very unsettling" 

Luo Mei stepped closer, her brow furrowing in concentration. "I can feel it too. It's like a vortex of energy, pulsing with raw power. We need to be cautious."

Chen Wei’s dark energy crackled around him, ready for any threats. "We should take it. Whatever it is, it could help us," he urged, eyeing the sphere with greedy interest.

Meng Lin shook her head, her instinct cautious. "We don’t know what it could do. Let’s assess the situation first."

Luo Wu, still observing the surroundings, pointed to the scrolls, weapons, and items lining the walls. "The sphere can come last; for now, let's see what these are."

The group spread out, each member carefully inspecting the artifacts, scrolls, and items. Luo Mei picked up a delicate, ornate scroll, unrolling it gently. "This seems to be a record of cultivation techniques," she murmured, her eyes scanning the text. "But it's written in an ancient dialect. It might take some time to decipher."

Chen Wei's attention was drawn to a sword, it's aura dark and sharp, he reached for the dark blade, its edge gleaming with an ominous light. "This is a High-Grade weapon,  incredible," he said, admiring the craftsmanship.  

Luo Wu and the rest of the group found a set of shelves filled with various trinkets and talismans. "These items are imbued with strong spiritual energy," Luo Wu observed.

Meng Lin approached a stack of ancient texts, her fingers lightly brushing the covers. One scroll, in particular, caught her eye. It was black, with a faint, pulsating glow emanating from it. She opened it carefully, revealing an ancient language she somewhat understood.

She turned and approached another scroll, her fingers dancing over the faded text. The language was a different ancient text, but she could decipher fragments. 

“Power of the element… Spatial Boundaries… a choice,” she muttered, piecing together the cryptic messages. 

Suddenly, a low rumbling echoed through the hall. The ground trembled beneath them, and the crystal sphere began to glow brighter, casting eerie shadows on the walls. 

“Get back!” Luo Mei shouted, instinctively pulling Meng Lin away from the pedestal.

As they retreated, the sphere unleashed a shocking wave of energy, sending them sprawling backward. The room filled with a blinding light, and the scrolls fluttered violently as if caught in a tempest.

“Is it attacking?” Luo Mei yelled, struggling to regain her footing.

“No,” Luo Wu shouted over the tempest. “It’s gonna blow up, we have to leave now"

Panic surged through Meng Lin as she scrambled to her feet, storing away all the scrolls near her. Her heart raced, and she shouted. "Hurry, let's go" 

The vibrant light from the sphere intensified, casting an ominous glow that illuminated the ancient hall.

Chen Wei was already at the entrance, dark energy swirling around him as he prepared to shield them from any impending blast.

They reached the entrance, and Meng Lin cast one last glance at the pedestal. Her heart pounded as she saw the sphere begin to crack, lines of light spider-webbing across its surface. She turned away, following Luo Mei ahead of her.

The group burst out of the ancient structure and flew upwards, trying to put as much distance as possible between them and the imminent explosion.

Just as they reached 100 meters away from the pillar, a deafening roar echoed through the forest. The ground shook violently, and a brilliant light erupted from the structure piercing through the fog and illuminating the forest for miles around.

Meng Lin felt death looming over them and turned around and entered her Brute Qi state, Circulating the Brute Vortex Cultivation Method.

Her qi reached an overwhelming breaking point as she let it spread out, covering the group from the blinding light that was spreading.

Boom!!

Meng Lin heard the definite sound rip through her eardrums as she was blasted far away. Her vision blurred, and she saw the giant pillar of brilliant light fade away as her consciousness flickered and her energy drained.

Thud!

Meng Lin grunted from the impact, her body ached as she lay on the forest floor, the remnants of the explosion still ringing in her ears. She groaned, pushing herself up to a sitting position.

She realized that her brute qi was all but gone and there was only a small amount of Qi left within her dantian. The good news is that she didn't suffer any injuries, the immortal Lotus Robe took the rest of the blunt.

"Luo Mei? Chen Wei?" she called out, her voice weak but gaining strength. She extended her spiritual consciousness, searching for their auras.

Luo Mei was the first to respond, floating down from above the trees, her robes torn but otherwise unharmed. "Meng Lin! Are you alright?" she asked, rushing over.

Meng Lin nodded, although she felt drained. "What about the others?"

Chen Wei emerged next, a few scrapes and bruises visible, but his dark energy still crackled around him. "I'm fine. That blast was too powerful, if it wasn't for what you did at the end, I don't think we would have made it" 

Luo Wu staggered into view, slightly dazed but otherwise unhurt. "I... I'm here," he said, shaking his head to clear the fog. "That was insane. I didn’t expect the sphere to react like that."

The ground all came together, all with varying degrees of injuries, but not life-threatening. Luo Mei landed beside the group, her expression serious. "We need to rest and assess our situation. The others were more injured so we might have to rest for a while"

Meng Lin nodded, pushing herself to her feet. "You're right. Let’s move to a safer location and check anyone's condition. We still have all the scrolls and items we collected, and we need to figure out our next steps."

" Um.. " a disciple spoke up, Huan Lee, a young woman in the Late Stage of the Gold Core Realm, "I've found a special place. After the explosion, I landed near a giant tree that has several different types of fruits, but it's guarded by multiple peak stage Rank 3 beasts."

Meng Lin's eyebrows raised. "A giant tree with different types of fruits? That sounds promising. If it’s guarded by peak stage Rank 3 beasts, it shouldn't be a problem"

Chen Wei crossed his arms and nodded his head. "I'll just charge in. Even if they have a 4th-rank beast it shouldn't be a problem" 

"Alright, that's what we will do. Huan Lee, lead us to the tree." Luo Mei said.

The group quickly gathered their things, ensuring they were ready for any potential confrontation. Huan Lee took the lead, guiding them through the forest. After five minutes, they arrived at a clearing where the giant tree stood majestically.

Its trunk was thick and knotted, with vibrant fruits hanging from its branches. However, lurking around the base of the tree were several peak-stage Rank 3 beasts—large Monkeys with fierce eyes and sharp claws, each one radiating intimidating energy.

"Alright, I'll take care of the beasts," Chen Wei said, retrieving a black blade from his storage bag.

He stepped forward, his black blade gleaming ominously in the dim light of the forest. And without any suspense, one by one, the beasts fell under his blade, their roars of defiance turning into cries of pain. 

The ground was soon littered with their fallen carcass, and the oppressive energy around the tree began to dissipate.

Putting away his sword, the dark energy around Chen Wei faded and he turned to the group, a faint smile on his lips. "The path is clear."

Meng Lin, Luo Mei, and the others approached the tree, their eyes widening as they took in the sight of the vibrant fruits hanging from its branches. Each fruit was a different fruit and each radiated a potent spiritual energy.

"What tree is this," Meng Lin said, reaching out to pluck a fruit from a low-hanging branch. "This is a Core Purifying Fruit."

Luo Wu examined some of the fruits closely, his eyes shining with excitement. "There's Mystic Moon Peach, Spirit Jade berry, and even Vermilion Nectar Fruit; there are over 24 different fruits, and these could greatly enhance our cultivation."

Huan Lee nodded, her eyes alight with wonder. "I felt their energy when I first landed here. But because I wasn't strong enough I thought to tell Senior Sister Liu and the rest"

"We'll divide them evenly amongst each other. However, Meng Lin has to have more; she has saved us all, after all," Luo Mei said, her eyes tracing over everyone.

The group nodded in agreement, acknowledging Meng Lin's crucial role in their survival. Even Chen Wei also nodded, agreeing with the others.

Meng Lin sighed, slight appreciation appearing in the depths of her purple hue over her eyes.