"Still haven't left the instance!" Guhan opened his eyes and saw the old face of Ruwei. Looking at his own body, his clothes had been burned to ashes, but there was no need to worry about being exposed, as Guhan's entire body was charred black, resembling a lump of coal... Guhan even took a special look at his little brother, who was gone, now just a pile of carbon powder, like salt, scattered on the ground, probably knocked off when Ruwei moved Guhan's body. Anyone who has burned firewood knows that dry firewood crumbles at the slightest touch.
Guhan couldn't even move his body now; except for his head, which could move slightly, he had lost control over the rest of his body.
Guhan used his mind to bring up his attribute interface, and his health was stuck at 5 points. After waiting a moment, it was still at 5 points. This was a very unscientific phenomenon; in online games, health either gradually increases or decreases, and unless it's at full, it won't stay at one number without moving.
"Right, how is the Sword of Yuewang?" Guhan brought up the sword maiden page. The first page was the Poor Sword, with green numbers, in a dormant state, indicating she was fine inside the scabbard. The Sword of Yuewang, on the other hand, was a deep red, with all values reduced to their minimum. If it weren't for the 1% durability remaining, Guhan would have thought the Sword of Yuewang was already dead.
Guhan vaguely remembered that in the last second before the Sword of Yuewang was damaged, he subconsciously forced it back into the scabbard. Thanks to the two seconds the Sword of Yuewang held out, Guhan would have left the instance and been reborn if not for that.
"Boundless Heaven! Sir Admiral, you have survived a great calamity and will surely have good fortune!" Ruwei, the old Taoist, offered a symbolic comfort to Guhan. Xiu Naida was still outside the Chao Tian Palace, and Guhan was just a matter of dying sooner or later... but not entirely. If Guhan could just hold on for ten more minutes, the reinforcements from Yanjing City would arrive in 10 minutes.
Guhan had been unconscious for about five minutes. He wondered why Xiu Naida, instead of destroying the Chao Tian Palace, was lingering outside. Looking at the mission prompt, the number of survivor deaths was still one. This was strange; in the five minutes Guhan was unconscious, not a single survivor had died. What was Xiu Naida doing?
"Master Ruwei, with Wudang Mountain about to be destroyed, why don't you escape with the others and instead stay to save me, a cripple?" Guhan asked curiously. He couldn't understand why Ruwei, the Taoist, would save him. Guhan was already a lump of charcoal, having lost his fighting ability, and had even killed his great-uncle. Logically, Ruwei could leave without any moral condemnation, and even killing Guhan would be justified as revenge for his seniors.
"Though I am only the acting leader of Wudang, I must share the fate of Wudang. It is enough that Yuan Kong and the others have escaped. Wudang needs someone to stay behind. Otherwise, our 800 years of glory would be a disgrace if we had no one to sacrifice for the cause." Ruwei smiled, clearly having decided to die with Wudang. The old Taoist had probably made up his mind to die heroically when he led his disciples to break through the blockade.
"Master Ruwei, you are not afraid of death, but I, Guhan, am very afraid. Just now, in my dream, I remembered that I promised some people I would never die!" Tears formed at the corners of Guhan's eyes. He hadn't dreamed of that scene in a long time, and he didn't expect to dream of it again in the game.
"Guhan? Isn't your name Admiral?"
"When traveling, one must be cautious. Since Master Ruwei saved my life today, I must reveal my true name!" In fact, Guhan's brain had spasmed, and he hadn't reacted in time.
"Ha ha, I see. Guhan, since you don't want to die, perhaps I can help you!" Ruwei pulled out a delicate jade bottle from his chest and shook out a pill. "In the past, my Wudang founder, Qingxu Yuanmiao Zhenjun, traveled to the celestial realm and visited the Palace of the Jade Purity, where he met the Supreme Deity of the Three Purities, the Great Supreme Deity of the Primordial Beginning, the Supreme Deity of the Daoist Heaven, and the Supreme Deity of the Mixed Origin. The name is too long, but you know him as Laojun."
"Laojun said that my founder had a karmic connection with him, and his earthly lineage was of the Great Supreme. Therefore, he bestowed a bottle of Six-Transmutation Immortal Pills to prepare for the end of the world. After the founder's soul returned, he had this bottle of pills. He instructed us that these pills should only be used in the event of the end of the world, otherwise, they would surely cause death. After that, the founder ascended to heaven."
"Later, three leaders attempted to become immortals and secretly took these pills, but they died on the spot, their bodies turning to ashes. Over time, no subsequent leaders dared to take these pills."
"Two hundred years ago, the Cataclysm began. Although Wudang's terrain was advantageous, it could not withstand the invincible Yuan Kui. A large number of Yuan Kui attacked the mountain, and many Wudang disciples died protecting the villagers and tourists. The then leader, Zhi Jing, took the pill in a desperate attempt, and only then did he merge with the True Wu Lady, achieving the position of Celestial Master, saving Wudang from the crisis!"
"The situation Zhi Jing faced that day is very similar to today, Guhan. Are you willing to take this pill, and perhaps, like Zhi Jing, save the situation from the brink of collapse and rescue the people from the crisis?"
Ruwei's long speech left Guhan speechless. The idea of Laojun and the Six-Transmutation Immortal Pills seemed too fantastical! And this pill could directly create a Sword Emperor, which, if true, would mean humans wouldn't be trapped in the base cities, unable to leave.
"Guhan, do you not believe?"
"No, it's not that I don't believe, but I'm curious. If this pill can save Wudang, why don't you take it yourself?" Guhan countered. Indeed, if it were so miraculous, Ruwei had no reason not to take it himself and give it to an outsider.
"Master Zhi Jing said that no one on Wudang can take this pill. Without the proper fortune, one cannot bear the power of the pill, and would end up like the three arrogant predecessors, turning to ashes and never being reborn." Ruwei shook his head and placed the pill on Guhan's lips.
"Guhan, you decide! If you want to take a desperate chance, open your mouth and swallow the pill. If you want to die with me, blow it away!"
After saying this, Ruwei left Guhan and walked to the rear hall.
"Item: Six-Transmutation Immortal Pill
Level: Divine Ā· Legendary
Effect: 1% chance to immediately increase 1,000,000 Sword Essence points after consumption; 99% chance to die immediately after consumption. Once consumed, you will join the Human Sect and become a registered disciple.
Restriction: Can only be used in the instance; effects disappear outside the instance.
Description: An immortal pill refined by Laojun, only consumable by disciples of the Human Sect."
"Amazing, this pill can indeed instantly create a Sword Emperor! This pill is real!" Guhan looked at the pill's attributes and realized that despite spending twelve years on forums and thinking he knew everything about sword wielders, he was still naive. This world indeed had countless secrets buried by the upper echelons.
Without hesitation, Guhan opened his mouth, and the pill instantly fell into his mouth. The pill seemed to be made of water, dissolving immediately upon contact. This speed of dissolution meant that once it was in, it couldn't be spit out.
"Swallowed it!" Ruwei, standing in the rear hall, watched Guhan swallow the pill and shook his head. "Great power requires a great mind to match. The superficial strength cannot be borne by a weak mind. Sir, your intervention in his life is too excessive!"
Subtly, Ruwei's aged face seemed to become younger.
āā
Outside the Chao Tian Palace, Xiu Naida, who had been tightly hugging Tianxing, finally calmed down. He carefully examined Tianxing again, even using the Dragon Eye to see through her soul.
This woman had no soul, and she had no body. She could not be the three-headed gold dragon Ruyue.
"When did I start judging things like those foolish humans, relying on my eyes alone!" Xiu Naida mocked himself, pushing Tianxing away from his embrace with considerable force, sending her flying several dozen meters away.
"Listen, woman, from today on, you will be my breeding tool. Consider yourself lucky to have Ruyue's appearance, or you would have been a sweet snack for me like the other foolish humans."
After saying this, Xiu Naida flew into the air. Under the Dragon Eye, all the humans on Wudang Mountain were exposed. The group of survivors was still slowly moving on the mountain path near the summit.
"Trying to run?" Xiu Naida extended his left hand, and a dark black fireball instantly formed. This was a compressed version of his dragon flame, with no less power. Xiu Naida only needed to toss it lightly, and the humans would be burned to ashes like Guhan.
"Go!" Xiu Naida pushed his hand, and the fireball shot toward the crowd. Just as a series of fresh human kebabs were about to be created, a long sword flew out, blocking the fireball's path, and the fireball instantly vanished as if it never existed.
"It's you!" Xiu Naida turned and saw the sword that had blocked his fireball return to the hands of a naked man. This man was none other than Guhan.
"Pay no attention to the details!" Guhan noticed Xiu Naida's attention on his new, snow-white body and waved his hand. "I was planning to put on a Taoist robe before coming out, but you didn't wait for me!"