From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 159 The Elixir is Within Reach

Elder Xuanfeng slowly raised his hand, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze, a powerful pressure locking me firmly in place. I gritted my teeth, desperately resisting this pressure, but it felt as if my body was being crushed by a mountain, making it almost impossible for me to move.

"Little girl, obediently hand over everything you have, and I might consider leaving you a whole corpse." Elder Xuanfeng's chilling voice was like a demonic sound from hell, piercing my eardrums.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. "If you want what's mine, let's see if you have the ability!" I shouted sharply, while pushing my spiritual power to its limit, and the sword in my hand emitted a crisp ringing sound.

I know I am no match for Elder Xuanfeng, but it won't be that easy for him to take my life!

Just then, I felt my footing give way, and my body began to fall uncontrollably. "Oh no, a trap!" I cried out inwardly, frantically swinging my sword at the surrounding vines, trying to stop my descent. However, these vines were as tough as steel; my sword couldn't cut them at all.

"Haha, little girl, you're still too green!" A rough voice came from above. I looked up and saw Lei Hu standing on the edge of the cliff, looking at me smugly. Beside him, Zi Ling also revealed a sinister smile.

It turns out they had been observing me in secret all along, and while I was confronting Elder Xuanfeng, they secretly set a trap around me!

My heart was filled with anger and resentment, but now was not the time to dwell on those things; I had to find a way to escape first. I struggled to control my falling body, trying to grab onto the surrounding rocks or branches, but the cliff face was incredibly smooth, offering no foothold whatsoever.

The speed of the fall increased, the wind whistled past my ears, and my heart sank deeper and deeper.

Just when I was about to despair, I suddenly felt a gentle force envelop my body, and my falling speed abruptly slowed down. I looked up and saw that Ling'er had somehow flown out of my sleeve and was supporting me with her small body.

“Ling’er, you…” My heart was filled with emotion, but also with even greater worry. Although Ling’er had broken free of her restraints, her strength was limited and she couldn’t hold on for long.

"Don't worry, I will protect you!" Ling'er's voice was weak, but full of determination.

However, at that moment, Elder Xuanfeng appeared on the edge of the cliff. He looked down at me, his eyes filled with mockery. "Little girl, it seems you're quite lucky; someone is actually willing to die for you. However, this won't change your fate!"

As he spoke, he raised his hand again, and an even more powerful surge of spiritual energy emanated from him, pressing down on Ling'er and me... "Ling'er, be careful!"

Ling'er's small body emitted a soft glow as she desperately resisted Elder Xuanfeng's oppressive aura. I knew she had done her best, but her strength was like a firefly in a storm, so weak as to be almost negligible. Elder Xuanfeng's spiritual power pressed down like a mountain, and the spiritual energy shield around me cracked and showed fine cracks.

"Ling'er, run!" I screamed, my heart aching. I would rather die than let Ling'er be hurt.

Ling'er stubbornly shook her head, her small face full of determination: "No, I want to protect you!"

Her voice, though faint, flowed into my heart like a warm current. My eyes welled up, and I almost cried. In this moment of crisis, this frail little spirit displayed courage stronger than anyone else.

Elder Xuanfeng's attacks grew increasingly fierce, and the cracks in my spiritual energy shield widened, threatening to shatter at any moment. I felt a sense of suffocation, and the shadow of death loomed over me.

"Hmph, overestimating yourself!" Elder Xuanfeng sneered, his eyes full of contempt.

I gritted my teeth and desperately channeled my spiritual energy, trying to repair the cracks in the protective shield. However, my efforts were futile and utterly ineffective against Elder Xuanfeng's attacks.

"Xiao Yao!" Lei Hu and Zi Ling stood on the edge of the cliff, looking at me with schadenfreude and mockery in their eyes.

My heart was filled with anger and resentment. Was I really going to die here like this? I refused to accept it! I hadn't achieved my goal, I hadn't found my family, I hadn't…

With a loud bang, my spiritual energy shield finally shattered.

A powerful force slammed into me, and I felt as if my internal organs were about to be shattered. I spat out a mouthful of blood, and my body fell uncontrollably downwards.

"Xiao Yao!" Ling'er exclaimed, desperately trying to grab me, but her small body was no match for my fall.

I felt my consciousness fading, and everything before my eyes became distorted. I seemed to see a familiar face—my mother's face—smiling gently, reaching out her hand to me…

"Mother..." I murmured, then everything went black and I lost consciousness.

"Hmph, it's good that he's dead, saves me the trouble." Elder Xuanfeng snorted coldly and turned to leave.

“Wait,” Lei Hu suddenly said, “She still has elixirs on her body, we can’t just let her fall like this.”

Elder Xuanfeng stopped in his tracks, a greedy glint in his eyes.

“That makes sense,” he nodded. “Then let’s get her out of there.”

Lei Hu and Zi Ling exchanged a glance, both revealing sinister smiles... I felt my body being supported by a force, slowly rising upwards.

I struggled to open my eyes, only to find myself being held by a large hand, suspended in mid-air.

I looked up and met a pair of cold, indifferent eyes… “You…”

"You..." I said weakly, only to find that the person holding me was Elder Xuanfeng! His eyes gleamed with greed as he stared at me intently, as if I were some rare treasure.

"Little girl, I didn't expect you to have some skill, managing to hold out until now." Elder Xuanfeng chuckled sinisterly. "However, in the end, you still fell into my hands. Hand over the elixir obediently, and I might let you die a quicker death."

I endured the excruciating pain and looked at him coldly: "If you want the elixir, let's see if you have the ability!" Although I was seriously injured and my spiritual power was almost exhausted, I would never submit to him!

I tried to calm myself down and carefully observed my surroundings. This was deep within the Immortal Medicine Valley, filled with a rich spiritual energy, and various exotic flowers and herbs were blooming in profusion. I noticed that beneath Elder Xuanfeng's feet stood a spiritual herb emitting a faint golden light—the Golden Sun Grass!

Golden Sun Grass, supremely yang and strong, can absorb and reflect any spiritual energy attack. A bold idea emerged in my mind.

I took a deep breath, feigning even greater weakness, and whispered, "Elder, I... I hid the elixir in a place that only I know where..."

Elder Xuanfeng fell for the trap as expected, a greedy glint flashing in his eyes: "Tell me quickly! Where is it?"

I pointed weakly to a cliff face not far away and said, "It's...it's right there..."

Elder Xuanfeng looked in the direction I was pointing, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes: "There? What's there?"

A cold smile curled at the corner of my lips. With my last bit of strength, I activated the remaining spiritual power in my body and detonated the spiritual power of the Golden Sun Grass!

"boom!"

With a loud bang, the Golden Sun Grass burst forth with dazzling light, and a powerful shockwave of spiritual energy swept out, reflecting Elder Xuanfeng's attack back completely!

"Ah!" Elder Xuanfeng screamed in agony as he was struck back by his own attack and fell heavily to the ground, spitting out mouthfuls of blood.

I took the opportunity to break free from his grasp and staggered to my feet.

On the edge of the cliff, Lei Hu and Zi Ling watched this scene with schadenfreude, their eyes filled with mockery and greed.

"Xiao Yao, do you think you've won? The elixir will eventually fall into our hands!" Lei Hu grinned maliciously, conjuring a bolt of lightning in his hand as he attacked me.

I snorted coldly and went to meet them without fear.

Although my body was weak, my will was unwavering. I unleashed all the remaining spiritual energy within me, transforming it into a sharp sword aura that slashed towards Lei Hu!

"boom!"

The lightning and sword energy collided, unleashing a deafening sound.

Lei Hu's attack was thwarted by me, and he was sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground.

Upon seeing this, Zi Ling's expression changed drastically, and she turned to run away.

Why would I let her have her way?

I flashed and instantly appeared in front of Zi Ling, striking her chest with a palm.

Zi Ling screamed and flew backward, crashing heavily to the ground and losing consciousness.

I looked around, and the other herb gatherers, seeing how powerful I was, turned pale with fright and dared not compete with me for the elixir, silently retreating.

I took a deep breath and walked step by step toward the cliff where the medicinal herbs grew.

The elixir was within reach, radiating an alluring glow.

I reached out my hand to pick it...

Suddenly, a chilling aura came from behind me...

"You think this is the end?" A hoarse voice sounded behind me...

I stood on the cliff edge, coldly watching the once-aggressive herb gatherers, now relegated to their slumped positions, heads bowed, retreating like wilted eggplants. The tragic fate of Lei Hu and Zi Ling had undoubtedly terrified them. Greed, in the face of death, proved utterly insignificant. The allure of the elixir was immense, but one needed to be alive to enjoy it. They glanced at me warily, then silently turned and disappeared into the dense undergrowth.

Finally, only I and this miraculous herb, which was so close at hand, remained.

It was pure white, radiating a soft glow, and the spiritual energy permeating the cliff seemed to swirl around it, forming a small vortex. I could even feel its vibrant life force, as if it were gently calling to me.

I took a deep breath, calming my excited heart. How many hardships and how much effort I had endured for this miraculous herb! Now, it was finally going to be mine.

I cautiously approached the edge of the cliff, reached out, and gently touched the pristine white petal with my fingertips. A warm, soothing energy instantly flowed into my body, sweeping away my fatigue and replacing it with an unprecedented sense of comfort.

I closed my eyes, feeling this magical power, and my heart was filled with joy and gratitude.

"Thank you," I murmured, "thank you for choosing me."

Just as I was about to pick it, suddenly, a chilling aura came from behind me, making me feel as if I had fallen into an ice cellar.

This aura… so familiar, yet so strange. It wasn't like Elder Xuanfeng's, filled with greed and malice, nor was it like Lei Hu's, domineering and arrogant. It was more like… scrutiny, an investigation, as if from an ancient deity, carrying an ancient pressure.

I suddenly opened my eyes and slowly turned around.

There was no one behind.

Is it my misunderstanding?

My mind was filled with doubt, and I turned my gaze back to the elixir. Just then, I noticed that the surrounding spiritual energy began to become restless, and the originally soft light began to flicker erratically, as if something was about to emerge from its cocoon.

A mysterious force slowly rose from the depths of the cliff, enveloping me.

This power was unlike any spiritual energy I had ever felt before. It was ancient and mysterious, carrying a chilling pressure.

My heart started racing, and a nameless fear welled up inside me.

What exactly is this force?

Does it come from the elixir itself, or... is there another secret?

I instinctively took a step back, my eyes scanning my surroundings warily.

Suddenly, a deep voice rang in my ear:

"You...you've finally arrived..."