From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 104 The Treasure Will Appear, Dawn is Coming

My fingertips traced the familiar symbols on the ancient tree, and a strange energy fluctuation emanated from the trunk, flowing into my body through my fingertips. I shuddered, and a scene suddenly flashed into my mind: golden light shimmering, the earth shaking, and a magnificent palace slowly rising from the ground… Could this be the treasure?!

I jerked my hand back, my heart pounding. The symbols on this ancient tree were the key to the treasure! A surge of excitement welled up inside me, but it was quickly replaced by wariness. This forest was so quiet, unnaturally quiet.

"Hehehe, little girl, you really found it."

A chilling voice came from behind me. I turned around abruptly and saw the Blood Demon's pale and terrifying face appear before me, his scarlet eyes staring intently at me as if he wanted to devour me.

"It's you!" I gripped my sword tighter, staring at him warily. "You came out too?"

"Thanks to you," the Blood Demon licked his lips, his greedy gaze sweeping over the symbols on the ancient tree, "I never imagined that a piece of trash like you could reach this point. However, this treasure is destined to be mine!"

As soon as the words left her lips, a purple figure descended from the sky, landing gracefully beside the Blood Demon. It was Youyue! She was still wearing a veil, obscuring her expression, but her exposed eyes gleamed with a cold light.

"Blood Demon, how about we cooperate?" Youyue's voice was as cold as ice. "This girl has quite a few secrets."

"Cooperation?" Blood Demon sneered. "Are you sure you can get a share of the profits?"

"Whether it's possible or not, we'll find out by trying." A curved blade appeared in Youyue's hand, its edge gleaming with a faint purple light, sending chills down one's spine.

My heart sank. I hadn't expected them to join forces! In my current state, I was no match for them. I had to find a way to escape!

Just as I was pondering a solution, a whooshing sound came from afar. I looked up and saw several figures flying towards me on swords, landing in front of me in the blink of an eye.

Leading the group was an elderly man in a blue robe, with an air of otherworldly wisdom; he was none other than Elder Feng, the guardian of the secret realm.

"What's going on?" Elder Feng's gaze swept over Blood Demon and Youyue, his brows furrowing slightly. "Why are you fighting here?"

"Elder Feng, this girl has discovered a clue to the treasure, we just wanted to..." Blood Demon was interrupted by Elder Feng before he could finish speaking.

"Nonsense! The secret realm has opened, and everyone relies on their own destiny. How can you forcibly seize it!" Elder Feng shouted sternly. "Retreat immediately, or don't blame me for being impolite!"

Blood Demon and Ghost Moon exchanged a glance, a hint of apprehension flashing in their eyes. They had witnessed Elder Feng's strength firsthand.

"Hmph, let's go!" Blood Demon snorted coldly, turned and left. Youyue gave me a deep look, then disappeared into the forest as well.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, Elder Feng appeared in time; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

"Thank you for saving me, Elder Feng," I said gratefully.

Elder Feng nodded slightly, his gaze falling on the symbols on the ancient tree, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"This...could it be..."

Before he could finish speaking, a commotion arose in the distance, growing louder as it approached. The ground began to tremble slightly, and the leaves rustled.

A sense of foreboding rose in my heart. I turned my head and saw a large group of people walking towards us. The leader was a burly man with a face full of menacing features—it was none other than... Chief Huang! He carried a huge axe, his eyes gleaming with greed, and strode towards me... "Little girl, hand over what you have in your hand!"

My heart sank to the bottom. Chief Huang, the notorious bandit leader of this area, was known for his ruthlessness and insatiable greed. Now that he had appeared with so many men, he was clearly here for the treasure. I was surrounded, like a lamb to the slaughter.

Elder Feng stepped forward, blocking my way, and said in a deep voice, "Chief Huang, what do you mean by this?"

Chief Huang grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth: "Old Feng, this has nothing to do with you. What I want today, no one can stop me!" His gaze greedily fell on the ancient tree behind me, the secret of the treasure hidden there was clearly no longer hidden from his eyes.

"In the secret realm, everyone relies on their own destiny. What you are doing is plundering by force!" Elder Feng rebuked righteously.

"Enough with the nonsense!" Chief Huang waved his hand impatiently. "I don't care about any kind of opportunity or anything like that. I'm taking this treasure today!" His henchmen behind him shouted and brandished their weapons, looking fierce and menacing.

I knew that I had no chance of winning by confronting them head-on; I could only outsmart them. I stepped forward and said to Chief Huang, "Chief Huang, I know you want the treasure, but have you considered that this treasure is so well hidden, it must be full of traps and mechanisms? If you force your way in, I'm afraid you'll only lose more than you gain."

Chief Huang narrowed his eyes and looked me up and down: "Little girl, what do you mean?"

I smiled mysteriously and said, "How about we cooperate? I know some clues about the treasure that can help you find it faster. And once you get the treasure, you can share some with me. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation?"

Chief Huang's men began to whisper among themselves, clearly my suggestion had made them waver. Chief Huang remained silent for a moment, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.

I pressed my advantage and continued, "Chief Huang, as you know, Elder Feng is here, so it won't be easy for you to forcibly take it. But if we cooperate, Elder Feng will have nothing to say. What do you think?"

I glanced at Elder Feng; though his face was expressionless, I could sense a hint of approval in his eyes. My plan was to first appease Chief Huang, and then find a way to escape.

Chief Huang stroked his chin, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes: "Little girl, you're quite clever. But how do I know you're telling the truth?"

"I swear on my life, I'm not lying!" I said firmly, my tone full of confidence. Actually, I wasn't sure myself, but I had to appear confident to convince them.

Chief Huang laughed loudly: "Fine! I'll trust you this once! If you dare to play any tricks, I'll make you regret it!"

I secretly breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed the first step of the plan had succeeded. Just as I was about to continue, a clear, cold voice suddenly came from behind the crowd: "Chief Huang, you should think carefully. This girl is cunning and treacherous. Aren't you afraid she'll use you?"

My heart sank. It was Youyue! She was still observing from the shadows! I tried to remain calm, turned to Youyue, and said in a forced composure, "Miss Youyue, cooperating with Chief Huang is beneficial to everyone. Why are you interfering?"

Youyue gave a cold laugh and slowly walked to the front of the crowd. Her gaze, fixed on me, seemed to see right through me. She leaned closer to Chief Huang and whispered a few words. Although I couldn't hear what they were saying, judging from the gradually changing expression on Chief Huang's face, things were probably not going well…

Youyue took a step back, looking at me with a half-smile. The smile on Chief Huang's face gradually disappeared, replaced by a sinister ruthlessness. He raised the giant axe in his hand, pointed it at me, and said, word by word, "Little girl..."

"Little girl, do you really think I'd believe you?"

My heart sank to the bottom. Youyue was indeed ruthless! What exactly did she say to Chief Huang? I forced a smile and tried to remain calm: "Chief Huang, what do you mean by that? I sincerely want to cooperate with you."

"Cooperation?" Chief Huang scoffed disdainfully. "Do you think I'm stupid? You think a mere greenhorn like you is worthy of talking to me about cooperation? I've seen through your little tricks long ago!"

I gritted my teeth inwardly. What exactly had Youyue told him? How could she make him so certain that I was deceiving him? I took a deep breath, trying to remain calm: "Chief Huang, you've misunderstood..."

Before I could finish speaking, Chief Huang suddenly roared, "Enough nonsense! Take him down!"

His henchmen immediately swarmed forward, brandishing their weapons and charging at me. A chill ran down my spine; it seemed my chances of survival were slim. I quickly dodged, clutching the clue tightly to my hand—my only hope.

Just then, a blood-red figure suddenly darted out from the crowd, moving with lightning speed, heading straight for me. It was the Blood Demon! He was here too! I was shocked; this guy was even more dangerous than Chief Huang!

The Blood Demon's attacks were fierce and ruthless, and I was completely unable to parry them, only able to barely dodge. His blood-red longsword swung with incredible speed and power, each strike carrying a chilling killing intent. While dodging the Blood Demon's attacks, I also had to be wary of Chief Huang's men, and for a time, I was in grave danger.

"Little girl, obediently hand over the treasure clues, and I might give you a quick death!" The Blood Demon's chilling voice rang in my ears, sending shivers down my spine.

"Dream on!" I gritted my teeth, desperately dodging his attacks. I couldn't hand over the clues; they were my only hope!

Seeing my tenacity, the Blood Demon's eyes flashed with anger, and his attacks became even more ferocious. I felt like a small boat in a storm, about to be swallowed up at any moment.

Chief Huang's men also surrounded me. Although they were not as strong as the Blood Demon, their numbers were overwhelming, and I struggled to keep up. I was trapped in the encirclement, unable to advance or retreat.

"It seems I can't escape today..." A sense of despair welled up in my heart.

Just then, my gaze inadvertently swept across my surroundings, and suddenly I noticed something unusual. On the stone wall not far away, there was an inconspicuous protrusion, shaped like a bird's head. A thought struck me—this protrusion... I felt like I'd seen it somewhere before...

I racked my brains, and suddenly, a thought flashed through my mind. I'd seen this protrusion before, at the entrance to the maze! Back then, I'd found it strange that there would be such a carving there. Now it seemed it wasn't a carving at all, but a mechanism!

My heart started pounding. Could it be...?

As I dodged the attacks, I cautiously approached the protrusion. The Blood Demon and Chief Huang's men seemed oblivious to my movements; their attention was entirely focused on me.

I got closer and closer to the protrusion; my hand was already touching its edge. I took a deep breath, preparing to press it…

"Stop!" a voice suddenly rang out, tinged with anxiety.

"Stop!" The sudden voice startled me, and I paused in my movements. Who was it? Friend or foe? I dared not move rashly, only slightly turning my head to glance at the source of the voice out of the corner of my eye.

An elderly man in a long blue robe, with white hair and beard, exuding an air of otherworldly grace, was descending through the air. A powerful aura of spiritual energy surrounded him, clearly indicating his extraordinary cultivation. I recognized him; he was Elder Feng, the guardian of this secret realm! What was he doing here?

Elder Feng's appearance briefly halted the chaotic battle. Blood Demon and Chief Huang both looked at him warily, their eyes filled with apprehension. Taking advantage of this moment, I quickly placed my hand on the bird-head-shaped protrusion.

The protrusion sank slightly, and then I felt a slight tremor beneath my feet. On the stone wall, tiny cracks began to spread, rapidly expanding like a spider web.

"Not good! She's about to activate the mechanism!" The Blood Demon was the first to react, roaring as he swung his blood-red longsword at me.

It was too late! My heart sank, and I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the attack. However, the expected attack did not come. I opened my eyes and saw that Elder Feng had somehow appeared in front of me, casually waving his palm to neutralize the Blood Demon's attack.

"Elder Feng, what do you mean by this?" Blood Demon asked with a gloomy expression.

"This is a forbidden secret realm. Your trespassing is already a capital offense. Now you want to steal treasures, which is an even greater crime!" Elder Feng's voice was authoritative and cold, without a trace of emotion.

"Elder Feng, this treasure is ownerless. Whoever gets it can keep it. What right do you have to stop us?" Chief Huang said, mustering his courage.

"Hmph, ignorant brat!" Elder Feng sneered. "This treasure was left behind by an ancient immortal. How could you lowly wretch dare to lay a finger on it?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the crack in the stone wall fully opened, revealing a dark hole from which a powerful suction force emanated.

I felt my body being uncontrollably sucked towards the cave entrance, the wind whistling in my ears, and my vision blurring.

"Ah—" I heard gasps of surprise from behind me. I tried to turn around, but found that I had been completely swallowed up.

I gripped the clue tightly, feeling my body plummeting rapidly, as if falling into a bottomless abyss. All around was darkness, so dark I couldn't see my hand in front of my face; I could only feel the whistling wind in my ears and the feeling of weightlessness.

I don't know how much time passed, but the feeling of falling finally stopped. I crashed heavily to the ground, a sharp pain shooting through me, and I couldn't help but groan.

I struggled to my feet and groped around. It was still pitch black; I couldn't see anything, only feel the cold, hard stone beneath my feet.

Where am I? My heart was filled with doubt and fear. I tried to circulate my spiritual energy, but found that it was suppressed and unusable!

"Is anyone there?" I called out tentatively, my voice echoing in the empty space, but there was no response.

I felt increasingly uneasy. Was I trapped?

Suddenly, I heard a faint sound of footsteps approaching from afar, seemingly heading in my direction.

Who is it? Elder Feng? Or Blood Demon and Chief Huang? Or... someone else?

I held my breath, gripped the clue tightly in my hand, and listened warily to the approaching footsteps.

“Xiao Yao…” A deep voice rang in my ear, with a strange hoarseness.

My heart skipped a beat; that sound…

"Guess who I am?" the voice rang out again, with a hint of mockery.