Chapter 264: There is no Bodhi tree, nor is the mirror a stand

As soon as Li Yunlong's words fell, it was as if a stone was thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples. The members of the Hall of Heroes whose names were called stood up without hesitation, as if they were pushed by an invisible force. Their eyes were firm and resolute, revealing an absolute obedience to orders and a desire to fight.

Everyone stood straight, like a sculpture made of steel, exuding an indestructible aura. Their voices were so powerful that they seemed to penetrate the sky, announcing their determination to the whole world:
"We follow the arrangements!"

These few short words contain endless power and faith.

Among the group, three extremely tall men stood out. They had obvious Hu features, with high nose bridges, deep eye sockets and thick beards, which exuded a unique charm. The three men were as tall as pine trees, with a majestic temperament, as if they were born with a warrior demeanor. Their muscles were well-defined and full of strength, which made people imagine their heroic postures when charging on the battlefield.

The first Hu man: He was more than seven feet tall, with a strong physique and solid muscles. He had a rough face, thick beard, and sharp dark brown eyes. He was wearing leather armor and thick leather boots, and a wolfskin cloak on his shoulders, which made him look particularly majestic. There were some tattoos on his arms, symbolizing the glory and courage of the tribe. He held a huge battle axe in his hand, and the blade of the battle axe flashed with cold light. It was Ashina Tuoshe.

The second Hu man: He is slightly shorter than the first, but more muscular, with muscles as hard as rock. He has long black braids and several deep scars on his face, showing his experience in the battlefield. He wears heavy leather armor and a long sword hangs from his waist, with a scabbard inlaid with shining metal ornaments. His expression is firm and his eyes are as sharp as torches, as if they can penetrate all obstacles. It is Zhishi Tianyi.

The third Hu man: He was about the same height as the first one, with a well-proportioned body and well-defined muscles. He had thick brown curly hair, a neat short beard, and his eyes shone with wisdom and courage. He wore an exquisite chain mail and a heavy cloak with exquisite embroidery patterns on the edges. He carried a longbow on his back and several beautifully carved arrows on his waist, showing that he was not only a master of close combat, but also an expert in long-range shooting. It was Qibi Huiyong.

"In that case, you should follow Deputy Commander Diao to Yulin Street as soon as possible!"

"Yan Bing, considering this long journey, can I ask you a question?"

Cao Yanbing and Xia Ling were walking on the way to Yulin Street, when Xia Ling suddenly asked Cao Yanbing shyly.

"Just say whatever you want to say. There's no need to beat around the bush!"

Cao Yanbing glanced at Xia Ling indifferently and said lightly.

"Why do we have to walk there instead of driving there?"

Xia Ling asked Cao Yanbing in confusion why he couldn't take a car there.

“I can’t drive!”

Cao Yanbing responded indifferently.

“But I can drive!”

Xia Ling seemed to have discovered some blind spot and was extremely excited.

"Oh? Then why don't you find a car nearby?"

Cao Yanbing looked at the excited Xia Ling and poured a basin of cold water on her without hesitation.

"This is probably not realistic."

Xia Ling looked at the surroundings and found that it was impossible. She could only sigh in frustration.

"There, something seems to be moving!"

In the silent forest, the shadows of the trees swayed, as if countless pairs of eyes in the dark were staring at the intruder. A little girl with white hair ran on the forest path, her face full of fear and fatigue. She was wearing a white dress that had been torn by branches, revealing bloodstains. The grass under her feet made a slight rustling sound because of her hurried steps.

Behind her, several evil spirits were chasing closely. These evil spirits were hideous and horrible, their bodies were shrouded in darkness, and only their flashing scarlet eyes shone with a fierce light. Their bodies seemed to be made of smoke and shadows, sometimes condensing and sometimes dispersing. The evil spirits let out a low roar, like the echo of hell, which made people shudder.

One of the evil spirits opened its huge mouth, which was full of sharp teeth, as if it was ready to devour the little girl at any time. Another evil spirit stretched out its arm like a black whip, trying to grab her ankle. Their speed was amazing, and every leap shortened the distance between them and the little girl.

The little girl's breathing became more and more rapid, and she knew she couldn't stop. The warm smiles of the villagers and the happy times in the past flashed through her mind, and tears couldn't help but slide down her cheeks. But at this moment, the only thing she could do was to keep running, looking for a glimmer of hope.

Suddenly, a bright light appeared in front of her, like hope in the darkness. The little girl ran towards the light with all her might, praying in her heart that she could find a place of refuge. However, the evil spirits seemed to have sensed the existence of the light, and their roars became more intense and their pursuit became faster.

There was a street ahead. The white-haired little girl wanted to run onto the street, but the evil spirit was chasing her closely.

The little girl escaped from the forest and stumbled onto a narrow street leading to the town. The moonlight cast long shadows on the cobblestone road, and the street lamps emitted a faint yellow light, illuminating the way ahead for her. Her heartbeat was thundering in her chest, and every breath was filled with fear and despair.

The evil spirits followed closely behind, their figures appearing even more distorted and terrifying under the street lights. They seemed to be free from physical constraints, passing through walls and objects, appearing and disappearing from time to time, bringing endless fear to people. Screams and the roars of evil spirits echoed in the empty streets, making the tranquility of the night broken and chaotic.

The little girl ran out of breath, but she knew she couldn't stop. She caught a glimpse of lights flickering in the distance, the center of the town, where someone must be able to help her. She ran desperately towards the lights, hoping to find shelter before the evil spirits caught up with her.

The windows of the houses on the street were closed tightly, and the residents seemed to be too frightened to go out by this sudden terrorist incident. The wind whistled in the street, blowing the little girl's white hair, as if warning her that time was running out. The evil spirits were getting closer and closer behind her, their claws almost touching the corners of her clothes, and every time they pounced on her, she was terrified.

The little white-haired girl ran with heavy breaths and staggering steps. Her face was full of fear and her eyes were full of despair. Several evil spirits behind her, in different shapes and fierce looks, approached quickly like black mist. Their eyes flashed red and they had ferocious smiles on their mouths, as if they had already smelled the scent of prey.

The little girl ran past one store and house after another. The lights on both sides of the street blurred into strips of light in her running figure. She knew she couldn't stop, because stopping would mean being captured and swallowed. However, her physical strength was almost at its limit, and her legs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead.

Just when she thought she couldn't run any longer, suddenly, a golden light descended from the sky, illuminating the entire street. Li Xuanyuan, wearing a blue suit, exuding pure Yang spiritual power, appeared majestically in the air. His appearance was like a divine soldier descending from the sky, causing the evil spirits to stop in fear. Li Xuanyuan's eyes were like lightning, and he glanced coldly at the evil spirits, with a look of disdain flashing in his eyes.

The evil spirits screamed miserably and rushed towards Li Xuanyuan frantically, trying to suppress the hero who came from heaven with their numbers. However, Li Xuanyuan was not afraid at all. He swung his fists, and his pure Yang internal force was everywhere. The golden light tore the evil spirits into countless pieces. With every punch, an evil spirit turned into nothing in the light and disappeared into the air.

The little girl watched Li Xuanyuan fight bravely in front of her, and the fear in her heart was gradually replaced by hope. She knew that she was finally saved. The horror of the night seemed to come to an abrupt end the moment Li Xuanyuan arrived. As the last evil spirit was eliminated, the streets returned to peace, and the moonlight sprinkled on the ground again, as if nothing terrible had ever happened.

"you are?"

The white-haired little girl asked Li Xuanyuan who walked up to her in confusion.

"friend!"

Li Xuanyuan looked at the little girl in front of him and smiled slightly.

"Haha, how about it!?"

Xia Ling looked at Cao Yanbing with a smug look on her face.

"What else do you doubt about me?"

Cao Yanbing curled his lips speechlessly upon hearing this, and retorted:
"I have no doubt about the strength of your guardian spirit. What I am worried about is your own ability."

Cao Yanbing's worries are indeed reasonable. In many cases, the battle between spirit hosts does not only depend on the spiritual power and the power of the guardian spirit. In fact, the ability of the spirit host itself is also crucial.

Take the death god Saiyi as an example. He possesses the top divine martial spirit Anubis and has the ultimate hell cultivation. However, he relies too much on the power of the guardian spirit, but has almost no actual ability. He does not know how to tap Anubis' potential more deeply, and is not good at participating in the battle personally. This over-reliance on the guardian spirit eventually became his fatal weakness, causing him to be defeated in the confrontation with Liu Yuchan and Xiang Kunlun. This example fully illustrates the fact that even if you have a powerful guardian spirit, if the spirit host cannot exert enough strength, you may still be at a disadvantage in a fierce battle. Therefore, it is crucial for every spirit host to continuously improve their abilities, master more combat skills, and have a deep understanding of the characteristics of the guardian spirit. Only in this way can they give full play to the power of the guardian spirit at a critical moment and win.

"Cut it off."

Xia Ling curled her lips when she heard this, but had nothing to say.

"But, the undead you just asked me to save looks like a human to me."

Xia Ling looked at the white-haired little girl in front of her and she didn't look like a ghost at all.

"Ah! You guys!! Are you the Soul Suppression Generals!?"

"Please help me!! Save the dogs in the village!!!"

There was a gleam in the little girl's eyes, as if she saw hope.

"What's going on here?"

Cao Yanbing asked the little girl in front of him.

The little girl brought Cao Yanbing and Xia Ling to a stone tablet.

"There is nothing here except a stone turtle."

Xia Ling looked at the empty surroundings and couldn't help but complain.

"No, there is a barrier around this stone tablet, if I am not mistaken."

"There must be a hidden world inside this stone tablet!"

Cao Yanbing carefully observed the stone tablet and explained slowly.

"That's right!"

The little girl confirmed Cao Yanbing's speculation.

"This place is called Bodhi Street. Originally, it was inhabited by a group of kind-hearted ghosts. But later, as the number of evil ghosts increased dramatically, everyone was forced to rebuild their homes. As long as you pass through this stone tablet, you can reach our village. But the evil ghosts full of evil spirits cannot enter!"

"But the spirit host and I can!"

After that, the little girl stretched out her tender little hands and gently placed them on the stone tablet. In an instant, circles of strange light appeared on the stone tablet, spreading outward like ripples. In the blink of an eye, a mysterious vortex quietly emerged, deep and dark, as if leading to an endless unknown world.

The little girl's figure gradually became blurred in the vortex, and finally disappeared completely. She left the two people's sight without any warning.

“Ah! He really went in.”

"I say, this can't be a trap."

Xia Ling suddenly became more intelligent and began to doubt.

"Come in quickly!"

At this moment, the little girl who had just entered stuck her head out and invited Cao Yanbing and Xia Ling.

"Well, maybe I'm overthinking it."

"Can't you resist her cuteness?"

Cao Yanbing asked nonsensically.

Then the two of them entered the stone tablet.

"Hey, hey, hey! It's just a door, why are you holding your breath?"

Cao Yanbing looked at Xia Ling who was holding her breath and complained speechlessly.

"Huh!! Huh!! I'm nervous!"

"You're still worrying too much, just take a look!"

Surrounded by mountains, the green mountains are stacked and undulating, like a vivid ink painting. The top of the mountain is shrouded in clouds and mist, sometimes lingering on the mountainside, sometimes flowing over the top of the mountain, giving people a mysterious and distant feeling.

A clear stream meanders through the valley, the sound of water gurgling like a symphony of nature. On both sides of the stream, peach blossoms are in full bloom, the pink petals swaying gently in the wind, exuding a faint fragrance, like a spring poem. Whenever spring comes, this place becomes a sea of ​​flowers, and the sea of ​​flowers and the blue sky and white clouds complement each other, making it breathtakingly beautiful.

The villages are scattered among the green fields. The wooden houses are simple and warm, and the roofs are covered with moss, which shows that the years are peaceful. In front of every house, there are bamboo fences, and various vegetables and flowers are planted. The breath of life and the beauty of nature coexist harmoniously. The villagers work from sunrise to sunset, with smiles on their faces, friendly and helpful to each other, and live a peaceful and satisfied life.

In the farmland, rice, wheat and vegetables are lush and green, and the golden wheat waves sparkle in the sun, showing the joy of a good harvest. Occasionally, you can see leisurely cattle and sheep grazing on the grass, or hear the sounds of chickens crowing and dogs barking. Everything seems so natural and harmonious.

This place seems like a paradise, a place away from the world, full of vitality and harmony. It is the ideal utopia in people's hearts, a safe haven to escape from the hustle and bustle and pursue spiritual tranquility.

There is a big gate in front with the words "Mingjing Village" written on it in big letters.

Cao Yanbing looked at these big words, remained silent for a long time, and murmured:

"No Bodhi tree, nor stand mirror!"

"Away from the secular world, can this place be considered a paradise? Haha."

"Hey, hey, hey! Wait for me!!"

Is it a paradise on earth or a false illusion?

(End of this chapter)