Martial Dao: Starting from the Village Fungus God

The group was talking and laughing, but their intention was perfectly clear.

They weren’t going anywhere.

But that was to be expected. If they left now, these prodigies would likely feel terrible about it.

Of course, that was just what they said, but Zhu Ge understood.

By not leaving this time, he would owe them all a favor.

After all, he had foreseen all of this.

Everyone present was a piece in the grander scheme, so he was indebted to them.

Just then, the Wood Daoist suddenly spoke.

“Zhu Ge, I’ve grown too old.”

At his words, the expressions of everyone present instantly turned grim.

“Wood Daoist, you…” Zhu Ge was taken aback, then shook his head. “There’s no need for this.”

The Wood Daoist continued, “It’s no matter. I am a native of Yunjiang. I once founded a Sect, but it was annihilated by a Third Realm Ghost.”

“After I reached the Third Realm, I eliminated that Fierce Ghost. Since then, I have wandered all over Yunjiang and seen far, far too much.”

“The more I’ve seen, the more I’ve come to love this land…”

As he was speaking, the distant Plague God Sparrow suddenly threw its head back and screeched at the sky.

“Hahaha! I never imagined there were so many members of the Human Race in Red River Prefecture! Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!”

The Plague God Sparrow’s voice shook the heavens and the earth. Even the mycelial threads seemed about to snap, unable to contain it.

The group’s expressions grew even more solemn.

Seeing this, the smile on the Wood Daoist’s face widened. “You see? This little bird slaughters my people, the Human Race. It slaughters the memories I’ve left behind while walking this land.”

“Tell me, if the disciples of my Giant Wood Sect saw me just standing here, doing nothing, wouldn’t they laugh me to scorn?”

As he spoke, the Wood Daoist rose to his feet. His Dao Heart began to beat with a thunderous roar.

“No, Wood Daoist.” Zhu Ge took a deep breath. “I still have moves left to play…”

“No, Zhu Ge.” The Wood Daoist waved his hand, his smile unwavering.

He glanced around at them all and smiled. “We prodigies of the Human Race… on any other day, we might fight for power and profit, or battle to the death over a Spiritual Object. But at a critical moment like this, look how we’ve all come together.”

“If only the world had more prodigies like you.”

“Zhu Ge, I’ve always known you have something up your sleeve. But using those trump cards might harm you as well. So, let this old man step up instead. Let me take some of the pressure off you.”

The Wood Daoist smiled, then turned to face the distant Plague God Sparrow. His entire Immortal Dao Cultivation surged.

“Prodigies, prodigies…” He sighed. “If only I hadn’t left the Sect back then. Would things have turned out differently? I miss you so much, Huan’er…”

The Wood Daoist let out a sigh, and the figure of an infant sitting cross-legged materialized above his head.

It was a Cultivator’s Nascent Soul!

The next moment, the Nascent Soul opened its eyes. It gave a fist and palm salute to the others present, then reached down and grabbed at its own physical body.

POP…

With a soft sound.

The Wood Daoist’s physical body, Spiritual Artifacts, and Origin Artifacts were all destroyed, dissolving into motes of light that surged toward the Nascent Soul.

‘Burning his Nascent Soul…’

Su Feibai and Guan Julan were both visibly shaken.

They had guessed what he intended from his words, but to actually see the Wood Daoist immolate his own Nascent Soul was still a profound shock.

For the Confucian Family, it is the shattering of jade; for the Immortal Dao, it is self-immolation.

Both were techniques of ultimate sacrifice, ensuring mutual destruction.

But while many from the Confucian Family would shatter their jade, what about those of the Immortal Dao?

After stepping into the Third Realm, as long as one’s Nascent Soul remained intact, their path on the Great Dao was secure.

Whether through possession or starting their Cultivation anew, nothing was too difficult as long as the Nascent Soul survived.

Therefore, few Cultivators were foolish enough to burn everything they had in a final, sacrificial blaze.

But few did not mean none.

The Wood Daoist before them was a native of Yunjiang. Not long ago, he had been competing with them for Spiritual Objects.

But now, as the Plague God Sparrow threatened to slaughter every living soul in Red River Prefecture, the Wood Daoist had stepped forward.

RUMBLE…

The Wood Daoist’s Nascent Soul shot into the sky, his Spiritual Power erupting with terrifying fluctuations that could almost rival the oppressive might of the Plague God Sparrow.

“The Wood Daoist reached the Late-Third Realm long ago. He never broke through because his Dao Heart was unstable,” Yan Liyuan sighed. “But his foundation was incredibly deep. What a waste…”

As Yan Liyuan spoke, the Wood Daoist’s Nascent Soul burst forth with a blindingly intense light.

A phantasmal image of a colossal tree suddenly manifested in the sky.

The tree blotted out the sky, its canopy completely covering the dark, greenish clouds.

The vibrant green of the tree replaced the unsettling gloom of the ink-dark clouds.

At the same time, the Wood Daoist’s Nascent Soul vanished. Only the phantasmal giant tree remained, standing tall in the sky, shattering the Plague God Sparrow’s technique for drawing power from fear.

“No, what is this?!” The Plague God Sparrow, still wrapped in mycelial threads, couldn’t perceive the outside world, but it began to struggle even more violently.

“No! No! My Power of Incense is about to break through! Damn it! Damn it all! Who is it?!”

“Who broke the momentum of my plague?! Who?!”

The Plague God Sparrow thrashed wildly, shaking loose many of the mycelial threads.

Zhu Ge and Hua Liusha had been taking turns maintaining control for a long time, as had Zhu Sisi and even the Bone Monster Avatar.

By now, they were all but spent. Yan Liyuan and the others were doing their best to recover their strength but were unable to help.

PTHOO!!!

Zhu Ge spat out a mouthful of blood. The fierce beat of his Martial Arts Heart began to fade, growing softer and softer.

They all knew Zhu Ge was reaching his limit.

Fortunately, with the Wood Daoist burning his Nascent Soul, the Plague God Sparrow’s breakthrough was halted.

“Zhu Ge, will you join my Sect?” Yan Liyuan asked hurriedly at this critical juncture. “The Wood Daoist can hold it off for a moment, but I’m afraid it won’t be for long!”

The others were also tense.

They all wanted Zhu Ge to join their respective Sects. That would give them a reason to summon their Sect elders.

Even if the elders couldn’t make it in time, it would at least make the Plague God Sparrow, the Locust Demon Crown Prince, and the Red River Dragon Python think twice before acting rashly.

Of course Zhu Ge understood.

He just didn’t want to place that burden on them.

After all, he knew the Sects backing them were all terrifyingly powerful forces.

Those major powers all had strict selection processes for new disciples.

If they broke the rules to recruit him—never mind his own talent—their rivals would surely seize upon this breach of protocol to cause trouble for them before he could even join.

He had already used Yan Liyuan and the others, inviting them here to face this enemy. If he were to use them again now, how could he face them as a friend afterward?

So, Zhu Ge simply shook his head. “There’s no need. None of you need to worry about me. Whether I live or die, I have no fear.”

Life?

Death?

He hadn’t feared it in his past life, so why would he fear it in this one?

“Brother Zhu…” Yan Liyuan and the others fell silent.

Inviting Zhu Ge would indeed bring pressure on them.

But they greatly admired Zhu Ge’s character and principles, so they felt it was a burden worth bearing.

They just hadn’t expected Zhu Ge to be so staunchly resolute.

Just then, Zhu Ge sighed and called out to the sky.

“Hongmi Immortal, your long-laid plans are truly astounding.”

“However…”

“However, this Plague God Sparrow is about to break free. If you don’t show yourself now, I’m going to let it go.”