Chapter 22 Part 1

Shen He walked through a patch of abandoned spirit fields.

The spirit fields were barren, with the remaining seedlings and the spirit stones buried beneath them long since taken by others. Even the soil that still held some spiritual energy had been scraped away.

It was less a spirit field and more a patch of parched, empty ground.

The fences around the perimeter had loose spots where spirit stones had once been embedded, and the original structure of the formation was no longer discernible.

Shen He entered the storage shed beside the spirit fields.

Inside the shed sat a damaged table and chairs, flanked by an open cabinet that stood empty. A few jade slips lay scattered on the table.

Shen He was about to check what information was on the jade slips when he suddenly sensed something amiss.

The protective formation on this side of the spirit fields had long failed, so why was the entire room so clean?

Had other cultivators been here before? If so, why had they left the jade slips behind?

The next second, Shen He flicked his hand, sending forth a flash of verdant light. The Emerald Jade Sword transformed into a barrier in front of him as his body shot flat toward the door.

Just a second after he moved, an enraged voice rang out.

“Stop him!”

Three strands of golden runes materialized at the doorway, weaving together into a net that seemed to block the exit.

Shen He slammed straight into the net, his body freezing for an instant, but he hovered in place and countered by slapping the Black Bone Bell behind him.

Buzz—

The enemies who had closed in behind him were suddenly hit by the soundwave attack at such close range. Their charging figures stuttered to a halt, and the cultivator manipulating the three golden runes from the shadows let out a muffled grunt.

Seizing the moment, Shen He pinched a sword art. The Emerald Jade Sword slithered like a nimble snake—not forward, but backward, grazing his elbow as it thrust toward the rear!

This feint was executed flawlessly. The ambusher behind him saw only a green shadow flash before his eyes, and he seemed on the verge of death by the sharp blade. But a delicate jade pendant emerged on the ambusher’s body.

The pendant emitted a soft white glow, blocking Shen He’s strike.

Seeing this, Shen He mimicked Xie Linlang’s move. He grabbed the Black Bone Bell in reverse, and the bell grew with the wind, turning into an enormous mallet.

Shen He gripped the ring at the top of the bone bell with both hands and swung fiercely at the glowing white shield behind him.

CLANG—

The next moment, Shen He smashed both the shield and the ambusher inside straight into the nearby wall, which then collapsed with a deafening crash.

The other cultivator seemed frightened and cried out, “Senior Brother Wang!”

Shen He took advantage of the opening, merging man and sword into one. He kept the Black Bone Bell at his back to ward off further ambushes while slipping through the gap in the broken wall and vanishing in a flash.

After swiftly passing several more abandoned buildings, Shen He finally slowed down.

Once he was certain no one was pursuing, he bitterly smiled and pulled a bottle of Qi Gathering Pills from his robes to replenish his demonic qi.

A three-story pavilion stood before him, its front collapsed amid a heap of fake mountains surrounded by dense woods, like a spot for leisure and viewing scenery.

Shen He simply burrowed into the fake mountains, set up a protective formation, and quickly restored his strength with the Qi Gathering Pills.

About half an hour later, Shen He was fully recovered.

He dismantled the formation and was about to step out from the fake mountains when his spiritual sense stirred—he sensed someone nearby.

Shen He immediately activated the Illusion Light Technique to hide.

After waiting a few minutes, he saw a somewhat familiar cultivator drop down from the wall, accompanied by a sparrow that fluttered up to the cultivator and chirped noisily.

Shen He’s brows twitched. It was Zhang Daoyou, the one who had previously taught him how to get along with avian demons.

Zhang Daoyou seemed to be searching for something. Upon entering the area of fake mountains and the pavilion, he didn’t act right away. Instead, he looked around cautiously and directed his little sparrow to scout from the air.

Shen He noticed the sparrow circling overhead above the fake mountains and wondered: Was Zhang Daoyou looking for him?

With that thought, Shen He pinched his sword art, preparing for combat at any moment. Then he flashed out and appeared not far from Cultivator Zhang.

“Zhang Daoyou?”

“Ah, Shen Daoyou!”

Seeing Shen He eyeing him suspiciously, Zhang Sizhe realized he had been exposed long ago and gave an awkward smile.

“S-Sorry, I-I saw you get ambushed earlier, I… I wasn’t there to pick off the scraps. You’re really strong.”

He beckoned his sparrow back, looking a bit embarrassed and sheepish.

“I know of a hidden treasure spot here, but I can’t get in alone. Would Shen Daoyou be interested?”

Shen He pondered. He had chatted with this cultivator before—Zhang Sizhe was reserved and not much of a talker, but he became animated when discussing taming spirit beasts. He didn’t seem skilled at socializing.

Shen He was waiting for Jade Pendant Master to revive and wanted to avoid Senior Sister Le and that youth. Traveling alone made him vulnerable to ambushes. Teaming up with Zhang Daoyou…

His gaze fell on the little sparrow perched on Cultivator Zhang’s shoulder.