Chapter 48 Legend, Map of True Skill

The very first moment Fang Wang laid eyes on the woman in white, he immediately accelerated, once again deploying the White Rainbow Escape Technique. His right hand smoothly sheathed the Azure Lord Sword, then conjured the Celestial Palace Halberd—only with its reassuring weight in hand did he feel truly secure.

He glanced back once more, only to find the woman in white had vanished, but he did not dare pause.

Ten breaths later.

“Have you ever heard of the Great Sage’s Heavenslay?”

Her voice rang out again. Fang Wang did not answer, wary of some hidden trap; after all, he had read Journey to the West.

A sidelong glance revealed she had reappeared behind him, this time even closer.

Without hesitation, he whirled and thrust his halberd. The blade pierced straight through her body; yet no blood spattered, and even her garment remained unscathed.

A ghost!

No wonder there was no trace of her aura.

Fang Wang’s gaze sharpened. Mysterious Yang True Flame flared from his right hand, racing along the halberd’s shaft to engulf the woman in white in an instant.

Mysterious Yang Flame—the bane of spirits and souls.

As expected, she halted abruptly, distance opening between them at once. With a slight frown, she swept her sleeve, banishing the True Flame from her form, and vanished into thin air.

Fang Wang dared not relax his guard. This ghostly figure was unpredictable—he had to be careful.

From then on, Fang Wang kept his speed at maximum. The woman in white neither appeared nor spoke again. He glanced back again and again, but never glimpsed her silhouette.

Half an hour passed.

Fang Wang alighted by a riverbank. The land here was wild and open—perfect for rest and vigilance.

Planting the Celestial Palace Halberd into the soil, he gazed into the distance for a long while. Only when he was certain the woman in white would not reappear did he finally breathe easy.

He wondered what had become of the black-robed man who’d been hunted earlier.

He tossed the green snake he carried onto the ground, then drew the Azure Lord Sword and stabbed into its belly.

A delicate, feminine cry rang out. The green snake’s eyes flew open, but Fang Wang’s left hand seized its head, forcibly suppressing it with his own spiritual power.

The snake’s demonic energy was formidable, but not to the point of making Fang Wang afraid—otherwise, he would never have dared bring it along.

“Don’t kill me… don’t kill me… I can lead you to treasure!” the green snake pleaded in a voice that could melt most men’s hearts. But Fang Wang was unmoved.

He could never feel pity for a snake. His grip tightened, making the serpent cry out even more miserably.

“I know where the inheritance of the Great Sage’s Cave Heaven is hidden!”

Fang Wang paused, his left hand halting. Narrowing his eyes, he asked, “What inheritance?”

The Great Sage’s Cave Heaven had once belonged to the Supreme Hao Sect; perhaps it still concealed the sect’s legacy.

Even now, Fang Wang coveted the Heavenly Gang Sacred Body True Art.

It was said the Heavenly Gang Sacred Body True Art was at least as powerful as the Nine-Dragon Divine Transformation, a technique even Zhou Xue had failed to obtain in her previous life.

The divide between immortals and mortals was absolute; after her ascension, Zhou Xue could never return below, and many regrets became eternal.

“There are many places of inheritance…” the green snake sobbed as it answered.

Fang Wang narrowed his gaze. “Does the Great Sage’s Cave Heaven have the Heavenly Gang Sacred Body True Art?”

“That’s the Supreme Hao Sect’s strongest technique—no, it doesn’t, but I’ve seen a map showing where it is!” the green snake replied hastily, terrified he might strike again—the superior magic weapon was still embedded in its belly, after all.

After some thought, Fang Wang decided to give it a chance.

Monster cores could be found again, but a guide was rare.

Still, he had to guard against treachery.

He withdrew the Azure Lord Sword, stepped back, and took the Celestial Palace Halberd with him. The green snake rolled over and curled up, flicking its tongue at Fang Wang with a pitiful expression most unusual for a venomous serpent.

Backing away until he was five zhang distant, Fang Wang sat down to meditate and draw in spiritual energy. He appeared to have closed his eyes, but in truth, his spiritual sense never left the green snake; should it attempt escape, he would strike, and if it succeeded, it would be no great loss.

Soon, Fang Wang sensed some of the ambient spiritual energy flowing toward the green snake—it was healing itself.

The riverside fell silent.

Time flowed by.

The mysterious woman in white did not return; it seemed she feared the Mysterious Yang True Flame.

Twilight gradually fell.

The stream sparkled in the fading light; tiny fish darted beneath the surface.

The green snake raised its head, watching Fang Wang and flicking its tongue, mustering the courage to ask, “Young master, how did you escape that evil spirit’s pursuit?”

Without opening his eyes, Fang Wang replied, “A small trick, nothing more. By the way, she kept repeating the question—had I ever heard of the Great Sage’s Heavenslay. What did she mean by that?”

Hearing the lack of murderous intent in his voice, the green snake relaxed and answered, “That evil spirit is no ordinary being—she was once the maidservant of an ancient Great Sage. In ancient times, the Heavenly Dao was cruel; gods descended to earth and ravaged mortals. The Great Sage stood forth, slew the gods, but in doing so drew calamity upon himself and perished. She asks that question to see if later generations still remember. If they do, she will let them live. If not, death awaits.”

Fang Wang arched a brow. At first, he had thought “Heavenslay” was the Great Sage’s name, but it turned out to be a legend.

“Since you know the legend, how were you captured?”

“I’ve been trapped here for over three hundred years. I’ve been caught by her several times—now, even if I answer correctly, it’s useless…” the green snake said plaintively, then launched into a torrent of grievances: “I was once a helpless little green snake. Three hundred years ago, I was snatched by an eagle, but midway through, the bird was shot by a cultivator and I fell to the ground, miraculously surviving. I accidentally slipped into a crevice and ended up here in the Great Sage’s Cave Heaven. Three centuries—I’ve tried everything, but I can’t escape. Young master, I know you don’t fully trust me, but please believe me—I want to get out too. Only by following you do I have a glimmer of hope.”

Fang Wang decided to test it. “For the next month, I’ll train here. You gather rare herbs and treasures for me. If you perform well, I’ll take you out.”

This place was open; if enemies approached, he’d see them coming—far better than hiding in a dead end.

The green snake asked timidly, “May I rest for a few days first?”

“Of course.”

At his reply, the green snake visibly relaxed.

Over the next few days, the green snake did not disturb Fang Wang, focusing on healing its wounds.

Six days later, the green snake left.

With his spiritual power restored, Fang Wang began to follow the riverbank, searching for treasures in the area.

Yet after traveling dozens of miles, he found nothing and had to return the way he came.

Rumble—

The ground suddenly quaked. Fang Wang looked up toward the horizon, sensing the direction of the tremors.

This time, he did not go investigate, but remained where he was, cultivating and awaiting the snake’s return.

If a month passed and the snake did not return, he would simply leave; if it returned, he could use it to seek treasures and inheritances.

Day turned to night. In the boundless wilderness, Fang Wang trained by the little river, absorbing the essence of sun and moon, feeling the gentle spiritual breeze—his heart was far more at ease than if he were cultivating inside a cave-dwelling.

Occasionally, a cultivator would pass by, but none dared disturb him. All disciples in the Great Sage’s Cave Heaven were exceedingly cautious.

In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed before the green snake finally returned.

Fang Wang glanced over, frowning as he saw it wriggling toward him.

It brought nothing!

Was this snake playing tricks?

The green snake quickly slithered to his side, opened its jaws, and spat out five fist-sized stones of various hues, each brimming with dense spiritual energy, then produced a scroll of paper.

Fang Wang’s brows lifted in surprise.

“Young master, these stones are all treasures containing potent spiritual energy, and this map—this is the map to the Heavenly Gang Sacred Body True Art. I worked so hard to find it. Now you can trust me, can’t you?” the green snake said, tongue flicking.

Fang Wang fixed it with a stare. “I nearly killed you—why not take the chance to run, find another cultivator, and beg them to take you out?”

“But you didn’t kill me. Besides, other cultivators aren’t necessarily as strong as you. To escape that evil spirit, you must be powerful. The Cave Heaven is crawling with evil spirits and fearsome monsters—I feel safer with you.”

The snake’s answer was honest enough. Fang Wang was barely convinced.

He drew the Azure Lord Sword, used its tip to unroll the map, and memorized it in detail. Then, summoning his Mysterious Yang spiritual power, he ignited Mysterious Yang True Flame and set it to the map.

The map caught fire, surprising the green snake, who dared not interrupt, though it didn’t understand.

Fang Wang did so to avoid any tricks—the snake might have poisoned the map.

A thick, acrid smoke rose, separating Fang Wang and the snake.

Suddenly, Fang Wang frowned. Why was the map so hard to burn?

Mysterious Yang True Flame was fiercely hot. After ten breaths, only a fifth of the map had burned, clear evidence of its unique material.

Just then, the rising smoke coalesced into a human figure. Fang Wang leapt up, conjuring the Celestial Palace Halberd, while the green snake was so startled it fled even farther than he did.