Old folks always like to tell little stories.
That day, when Pavilion Master Chen was clearing up a matter for Zhang Ze concerning a small sphere, he told such a story.
In ancient times, there was a tree called Sword Wood in the East Sea, which absorbed the Yin and Yang Qi of the sun and moon, becoming a spirit through fortune.
The tree bore a hundred branches, the branches bore a thousand leaves, and the leaves fell and turned to mud.
The mud absorbed the Earth Vein's Yin Qi and, over time, became a demon known as Decaying Leaves.
Decaying Leaves liked the shade and avoided the sun, often lurking in underground caverns, shaping like tangled fungi, feeding on Spiritual Qi, but loathing Fire Yang Qi.
Because Sword Wood was the most benevolent wood, Decaying Leaves did not mingle with other beings.
Therefore, its nature was lazy and kind; although it was neither perishable nor indestructible, it was difficult to become a Great Demon.
Because of similar nature, where the Stone Pill was often hidden, Decaying Leaves frequently accompanied it.
Looking at the fungus above gradually gathering into a woman's shape, Zhang Ze felt deceived again.
How is this not supposed to be a Great Demon? The aura this sister released was almost akin to that of the Spiritual Snake Taoist.
It was at least a Half-Step Nascent Soul of Tenth-Layer Great Perfection.
How did this sister sneak so close to the Sword Pavilion?
"I hope Old Mr. Chen didn't lie to me, and this sister is truly lazy and kind."
This time, Lily did not hide behind Zhang Ze as usual. She turned the Thousand Mechanism Cocoon into a Golden Shield as tall as a person, protecting the two of them.
The woman looked at the two of them and had her own way of discerning people, seeing they bore no evil intents and felt relieved.
The woman leaned down, her form constantly shrinking, finally transforming into a normal size, suspended by a few strands of fungus before Zhang Ze.
"I am Fuji, who are you?" she asked.
"I am a disciple of the Sword Pavilion," Zhang Ze replied.
Fuji didn't understand. Sword Pavilion? She didn't recall a place named Sword Pavilion in the sea.
But it didn't matter; such things were not important.
What was important was the thing deep within the cave, it must not be disturbed by these two little ones.
Since Fuji gained self-awareness, she had never been to the ground.
All the enlightenment she received was from some fragments heard from a Venerate during her time floating beneath the sea.
The Venerate said, "A demon should be kind."
The Venerate also said, "Those capable should seek happiness for the living beings."
Fuji remembered it well, "I am a demon, so I must do good deeds, I am very powerful, so I must protect the living beings."
"How did you get here?" Fuji asked.
Lily looked at the big sister Rasi, who indeed seemed to have no malice, so she bravely poked her head out from behind the shield and explained their arrival.
Fuji closed her eyes and sensed, showing an apologetic expression.
"I couldn't control myself while sleeping; part of my body crawled here and corroded that pothole, causing you to fall in."
"I will block the entrance after you leave."
"Remember not to come back here again; it's very dangerous."
Fuji withdrew her body, revealing an opening to the surface, letting down two strands of fungus without mucus.
"Be careful when you leave, and remember not to touch me there again."
"Boss, when she says there, does she mean..."
Lily received a light step from Zhang Ze, grimacing but saying no more.
Zhang Ze really wanted to ask the demon Fuji what she meant by danger.
Although his cultivation was low, he couldn't handle much; just seventy miles ahead was the Sword Sect and Sword Pavilion where Golden Cores roamed around, and Nascent Souls lined up.
Many senior brothers and sisters were probably bored.
However, Lily had stayed underground long enough and was eager to breathe the air above ground. After bowing to Fuji, she began to climb toward the opening via the drooping fungus.
Zhang Ze, having no choice, had to return to the surface first to report to the master about Fuji.
Only by understanding Fuji's origins could he register the big sister Rasi.
But halfway up, something went wrong again.
A black mist surged out from a nearby crevice.
The black mist had a vile odor and carried an evil aura, making anyone close to it feel a chill through their body.
Seeing the black mist coming, Fuji's laziness vanished in an instant, as her enormous body shrank and crawled toward the cave's depths, seemingly attempting to block the source of the black mist.
Before leaving, she swung the fungus, tossing Liu Lili and Zhang Ze toward the ground.
However, the fungus Zhang Ze held in his hand became brittle from the black mist's erosion, unable to bear Zhang Ze's weight, and broke in mid-air.
Fortunately, Zhang Ze's basic skills were solid, with excellent Light Body technique; he kicked against the cave wall and leapt back to the ground from a height.
At this moment, the figure of Fuji was no longer visible, but the black mist had not dissipated.
The black mist seemed to have intelligence, splitting into two halves. One half rushed towards Zhang Ze, while the other adhered to those petrified Coral Sea Trees within the cave.
Several little ghosts, under Zhang Ze's command, blasted the black mist apart. Before Zhang Ze could use the Golden Armor Soldiers technique again, a Rock Spear thrust straight at his face.
He sidestepped to avoid the thrust, and Zhang Ze saw clearly that the attacker was a Black-armored Wooden Man. Behind it, more Black-armored Wooden Men were being peeled off the petrified sea trees by the remaining black mist.
Fortunately, the cultivation of these Black-armored Wooden Men was not too high.
The long spear pierced repeatedly. Zhang Ze retreated several steps, shaking out the Thousand Mechanism Thunder from his sleeve, but the effect was minimal, only leaving a few scratches on the Black-armored Wooden Men.
He spun to dodge the second wooden man's black wooden long spear thrust, patting the Hundred Treasures Bag at his waist. The Dragonwood Sword Gall, which Zhang Ze had left in the corner for a long time, appeared in his hand.
Steel in hand, he swept aside the long spear. Zhang Ze advanced instead of retreating, using the Sword Gall as a whip, striking repeatedly until the black energy on the two Black-armored Wooden Men in front of him dimmed.
The Dragonwood Sword Gall is a supreme Yang treasure. Although it has not been forged into a Spirit Sword nor has a Cultivation Technique aspect, its presence inherently restrains evil.
At this time, Zhang Ze freed his hands and used the Golden Armor Soldiers to blast the remaining Black-armored Wooden Men, which had not yet completed their transformation, into powder.
Only three Black-armored Wooden Men remained in front of him. The leader threw a long spear and lunged at Zhang Ze.
Zhang Ze twisted his waist and turned, leaping up. The Dragonwood Sword Gall glowed with a layer of cyan light. As the Black-armored Man lunged, he stepped on its head with one foot, pinning it to the ground.
He cleaved down with the Sword Gall, splitting the wooden man into two parts.
Before Zhang Ze could gather his breath, he heard a gust of sinister wind by his ear. He dodged sideways, narrowly avoiding a sword.
The two wooden men had merged into one at this moment, with two heads and four arms. Their cultivation level increased, and they came at Zhang Ze with swords made from broken spears.
"What on earth are these things?"
Before Zhang Ze could ponder, a rumbling sound came from the depths of the cave.
Fuji's gigantic body was thrown out by something. Although Zhang Ze dodged desperately to avoid being smashed like the wooden man, he was still swept away by Fuji.
Fortunately, his position was good, and he fell into Fuji's arms without injury.
"Why are you still here?" Fuji looked down at Zhang Ze in her embrace and asked.
"A minor mishap, you..." Fuji's body was so soft that Zhang Ze needed considerable effort just to stand straight.
"Ah, don't touch there, it's ticklish..."
Fuji let out a soft hum, then swallowed Zhang Ze into her body.
She wasn't angrily devouring him, but rather, she was protecting Zhang Ze.
A Black Sword slashed down, cutting through many mycelia.
From the end of the black mist emerged a mummy in black armor, with the head of a dog and eyes of a snake.
The black mist swirled around him, and it was evident those Black-armored Wooden Men had been transformed by his evil technique.
Fuji soared to the top of the cave with Zhang Ze in her protection, her mycelia whipping towards the Black Dog Demon.
"Sister, what is that thing?"
Inside Fuji's belly, Zhang Ze looked out through her semi-transparent body. He dared not move his hands or feet for fear of touching something sensitive and affecting her battle.
"A primordial demon, a scourge of the world. I've suppressed it for a long time, but..."
Zhang Ze felt a bit embarrassed, guessing that Fuji's unfinished words were implying how Zhang Ze and Lily's intrusion had caused a major disruption.
"Ha, a stupid creature made of mud? You dare suppress me?" The Dog Demon stomped the ground and roared.
Though Fuji's cultivation was superior, she lacked skillful techniques, relying only on brute strength. While she wasn't defeated, she was continuously forced to retreat by the Dog Demon.
Though puzzled by how these two ended up at the back of the Sword Pavilion, feeling the Demon Qi emanating from the Dog Demon, Zhang Ze came up with an idea.
"Sister Fuji, quickly release the Demon Qi, as much as possible."
"I can't," Fuji's voice carried a hint of grievance.
The Dog Demon sneered upon hearing this, "You stupid creature are truly a disgrace to our Demon Race."
"Watch closely, this is how you use Demon Qi."
The Dog Demon roared towards the sky, black air spreading, and a surge of Demon Qi burst from the ground.
The momentum was so massive that even the Sword Pavilion, seventy miles away, could catch a whiff.
At this moment, two elderly voices sounded behind the Dog Demon.
"Old fool, how did something like this end up under your nose?"
It was Pavilion Master Chen, carrying a Sword Box.
"Shouldn't be?"
Sitting in a wheelchair, Zhengyi's voice was filled with doubt.
"Elder."
"Senior Brother!"
Mei'Er, together with Chen Qin and Lily, flew down from the cave's entrance.