"Elder Dao Ming, others can ascend to immortality, transcending life and death, and enjoy everlasting youth. Yet you alone must remain at Dragon Tiger Mountain, serving as an unnoticed gatekeeper. Are you truly content with this?"
Harnessing the concealment of Dark God Power, Duge flitted through the shadows of the forest, evading the search of those Integration Dao True Men in the sky while fully activating his Spiritual Power, he shouted aloud.
"Found him."
The moment Duge spoke, he heard a sharp cry, and a dozen beams of golden light simultaneously targeted his hiding spot.
Duge had no choice but to dodge again within the shadows.
Although he was suppressed by the Black Tortoise Pearl, the innate properties of his Divine Power did not disappear; as long as there were shadows, even the Integration Dao True Men could not see his form.
"Thief, hand over the scriptures, and you shall not die." Elder Dao Ming pinpointed Duge’s location, flashing above him.
Anger was written all over his face, his beard and hair bristling with fury, countless flying swords behind him circled like meteors, as if they were searching for Duge’s true body, ready to strike him down instantly.
"Elder, Heavenly Master Xu’s Cultivation Technique is on me, do you really dare to strike?" Duge asked with a laugh, "And all the treasures of Dragon Tiger Mountain—you fear your flying swords would turn them to ash if they strike, don’t you?"
"Somewhat clever? But a monster is still a monster, only capable of petty tricks that cannot stand the light of day." Even though Dao Ming could not locate Duge’s true body, he was certain that Duge had not escaped Sky Sun Peak and breathed a sigh of relief.
He clasped his hands together, reciting the incantation.
The trees around Duge seemed to come alive, shifting their positions, and a thin layer of mist formed between them, obscuring his vision.
...
Damn it!
Another formation?
Duge cursed inwardly.
I was careless!
Those at the Unity Stage were indeed different from those with a Golden Core; they had too many methods.
The cultivators from the first Alien Battlefield were nothing compared to them, mere brute fighters lacking finesse.
Charging in without understanding the enemy’s way of fighting was utterly foolish.
I’ve had it too smooth up until now. I’ve let it go to my head. Deserved to stumble this time—can’t have that big shot attitude!
As Duge reflected on himself, he transformed his body into a transparent state, like a man made of water.
Water is formless.
Even if pierced by a thousand swords through the heart, it would not kill him instantly.
Invisible in light, shadow, and water, his true confidence lay in his tri-elemental Divine Body.
...
Having cast the formation, Dao Ming had bewildered Duge’s vision; his art of concealment had become ineffective because even he could not tell where the shadows lay anymore.
Several Peak Masters and the Unity Realm cultivators who had heard the news and arrived used their golden light to pin Duge down, preventing him from escaping and clearly witnessing the process of his body turning into water.
"Heavenly Master Xu was right, indeed a water monster. Its cultivation is not low either, but its true form is not discernible," remarked Zhou Jinping, the Peak Master of Sky Sun Peak, with interest as he gazed at the nearly transparent Duge below.
"Big Brother, if it had low cultivation, how could it have emptied the Scripture Library right under our uncle’s nose, and even forced our uncle to use the Black Tortoise Pearl?" laughed Jin Lu, the Peak Master of Sky Pine Peak, "Such a being of this realm falling into our nets is a sign that Dragon Tiger Mountain deserves another Guardian Beast of the Mountain."
"Fourth brother, watch your words," Sect Leader Xu Jinkui scanned Jin Lu and reprimanded him.
Guardian Beast of the Mountain?
Hearing the conversation, Duge’s mind raced, and with a mocking laugh, he said, "Elder Dao Ming, the man speaking just now repeatedly calls you ’uncle,’ but he clearly does not regard you highly. What does it mean that I emptied the Scripture Library under your watch if not to blame you for negligence..."
"Silence!" Sect Leader Xu Jinkui and Sky Pine Peak’s Master Jin Lu called out in unison.
"Although they publicly honor you as ’uncle,’ behind your back, don’t they actually regard you as nothing more than the real Guardian Beast of the Mountain?" Duge said with a light chuckle.
Upon saying this,
everyone’s faces changed dramatically.
Elder Dao Ming had already had the barb of Duge’s Tirelessly Ruinous words planted in his heart. Upon hearing "Guardian Beast of the Mountain," his body shook violently, his face turned instantly hideous, and he glared fiercely at Jin Lu.
"Silence!"
Several voices rang out simultaneously, and numerous sword glows slashed towards Duge, trapped by the formation.
In the instant they spoke, Duge had already used his Dark God Power to wrap around hundreds of cultivation secret manuals, forming a barrier above his head.
Seeing Duge actually use secret manuals as a shield, the Peak Masters turned pale with shock, hastily retracting their attacks, but it was already too late.
Hmph!
A cold snort.
It was Elder Dao Ming who intervened, blocking a few sword glows for Duge.
Elder Dao Ming looked angrily at the crowd.
"Elder Uncle, please forgive us," Sect Leader Xu Jinkui quickly bowed to Dao Ming, "Elder Uncle has protected Dragon Tiger Mountain for a thousand years, your contributions are undeniable, we juniors have no intention of belittling you."
"Elder Uncle, I too meant no disrespect," said Jin Lu, terrified, "It was all the monster’s provocation. Please forgive us, Elder Uncle."
"Provocation?" Duge continued in an unconcerned manner, "Who would want to waste a thousand years at Dragon Tiger Mountain if they could ascend to immortality? Elder Dao Ming, after your juniors ascend, will they even bother to call you ’Elder Uncle’ anymore?"
Nobody was better at creating discord than Duge.
Even without witnessing it, Duge knew well that someone who had ascended to immortality would not pay their respects to a cultivator from the Mortal Realm.
After all, once immortal, their statuses would be almost reversed.