Chapter 2, Tragic Transformation

Tang Jie had long heard of all this, but he never expected to encounter it this time

Tang Jie coldly said: "What are you looking at? Beast!"

Ya Ya then hugged Tang Jie and asked, "Brother Jie, have you encountered an immortal?"

The horse bandit let out a painful grunt as the machete in his hand viciously struck Tang Jie’s back. The machete requires a certain range of motion to exert its power, and in such close combat, it could not be very effective. However, Tang Jie, with a heart resigned to death, allowed the blade to fall upon his back, yet he clung to the horse bandit's throat, refusing to let go.

The work in the fields has long been completed, yet Tang Jie still goes up the mountain every day

As Tang Jie watched him stride forward, he suddenly raised his hand, throwing a cloud of dust that blinded the bandit. With all his strength, he lunged forward fiercely. The bandit, injured at the waist and unable to move properly, naturally leaned down, and was unexpectedly bitten by him on the throat.

However, whenever he had free time, Tang Jie would go alone to Cuiwei Mountain, sitting quietly there, gazing blankly at the sky above.

A month has passed in the blink of an eye

He no longer hesitated and leaped away, leaving behind a parting remark: "Xu Mu Yang, you cannot escape! When the Master arrives, you will undoubtedly meet your demise"

Little Jie, it is not that I am criticizing you, but you should really restrain yourself and stop thinking about the matters of cultivating immortality. Opportunities for immortality are hard to come by, and entering the immortal sect is even more difficult. Seeking immortality and achieving enlightenment is not something that families like ours, who are impoverished, can attain.

Don't come out!" Tang Jie shouted urgently

The little girl's bright eyes looked at herself, softly whispering, "Did you go to the mountain again?"

Only there can he reach the immortals in the sky and have the opportunity to converse with them

The originally bare summit of Cuiwei Mountain suddenly emitted a brilliant light, forming a celestial net that enveloped the entire space, also encasing the golden-armored celestial deity within it

The bandit, in a state of desperation, exerted all his strength and struck fiercely at Tang Jie, finally pushing him away; however, he did not anticipate that this action would cost him his own life

You ... ... '' Ya Ya was almost brought to tears by Tang Jie.

Upon arriving at his front door, Tang Jie saw Ya Ya waiting for him at the entrance

The two figures entangled in the sky have now reached the most intense moment of their battle

She suddenly raised her hand and slapped Tang Jie.

"It is good that you are not dead," Uncle Li said with a sigh of relief and a smile.

The bandit reacted swiftly, and with a casual stroke of his knife, he remarkably knocked the dagger away with precision. The horse's head collided directly with Uncle Li, and in a swift motion, the knife fell, killing Uncle Li instantly. He then turned to Tang Jie and laughed, "There is still one more!"

He stands like a statue, towering on the mountain peak

In the distance, a menacing troop has suddenly appeared, each person riding tall horses, unarmored, yet wielding sharp steel blades. The few individuals at the forefront, who are presumably scholars, have even raised their short bows, seemingly pointing directly at this direction

As long as one strives for their dreams, even in the face of failure, there will be no regrets

Although Tang Jie’s first journey to seek immortality ended in failure, he does not regret it

In this day and age, there are many people with dreams, but ultimately, there are too few who are willing to pay the price for their dreams

Accompanied by the lingering sound of the voice, the golden-armored celestial being transformed into a beam of golden light that soared across the sky

The sound of the arrow pierced through her chest, and Yaya's body shook entirely before she fell to the ground

Today, Tang Jie spent another day on the mountain, and by the time he returned, the sky was already turning to dusk

Uncle Li rushed out from the house next door, seeing his daughter lying in a pool of blood, and he cried out in horror as he rushed forward

The bandit is not yet fully dead, his pair of eyes glaring at Tang Jie

The vibrations of the air surged forth in waves like the sea, unexpectedly sweeping out in a great formation towards the outside of the array

Ah! With the tragic cry of the golden-armored celestial being, a splash of blood erupted.

"Tang Jie, you bastard!" Yaya shouted with all her might, then turned and ran out.

The massive net trembled, emitting a brilliant radiance, causing the entire space within the formation to quiver.

The trees destroyed by battle have begun to grow again, and in this world rich in spiritual energy, life appears particularly strong and resilient

So ... ...

"Senior! Wait for me!" Upon witnessing this scene, Tang Jie hurriedly rushed out, chasing after the white figure.

A bandit saw Uncle Li and, with a sinister grin, charged towards him on horseback

A chorus of calls echoed through the village, and everyone rushed over, surrounding him with questions. Seeing that he was mostly unharmed, albeit a bit dusty and disheveled, they finally felt relieved.

A burning pain

The Eight Gates Locking Heaven Formation! Xu Mu Yang, it turns out you were prepared all along!" The Golden Armored Celestial God roared fiercely, and the shadow behind him suddenly struck out a punch, hitting the Luo Tian Net.

The white figure in the sky did not pursue, merely watching as the opponent vanished. It suddenly swayed its body, spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, and then flew towards the other end.

The golden-armored celestial deity swayed in the air a few times, nearly falling from the clouds, clearly indicating that this sword strike had inflicted severe damage upon him

Bandits! Tang Jie rolled over and leaped up, rushing towards the back of the house, while shouting loudly: "The bandits are coming! It is the bandits from Yeguyuan!"

to go so far as to die

An ideal should be something that is worth your relentless pursuit despite countless failures

The strike from the Golden Armored Celestial, which was astonishingly powerful, obliterated the so-called Eight Gates Locking Heaven Formation, reducing it to nothingness, and even shaved off a significant portion of the peak of Cuiwei Mountain. The terrifying might of this attack is evident.

The bandits howled and laughed, leaving no one unscathed, be it the elderly or the children with books, wherever they went

Tang Jiao's secret passage

Tang Jie was taken aback, no longer able to care about anything else. He turned and ran, suddenly lunging forward and landing behind a large rock.

Even though the hunter raised his knife and fork, he could not withstand the galloping horse bandits. The bright blade, aided by the momentum of the horse, struck down, and one hunter was severed in body and head by the bandit.

The further he charged forward, the greater the power of the aftermath of battle became. By the time he reached halfway up the mountain, he felt that a fierce wind was raging everywhere, with swords flashing like electric currents, and the world was filled with flying sand and rolling stones.

The golden-armored celestial deity continues to swing his strong and powerful arms, each strike against the empty space generating a resounding roar of wind.

It is Tang Jie, he is still alive

I am simply striving for what I wish to attain

In just a few short days, a patch of green has once again spread across the mountain peaks, and the hazy golden glow shines anew upon this land, casting its light upon Tang Jie and reflecting a faint golden shadow.

No matter what difficulties and obstacles the future may hold

Tang Jie looked hopelessly at the sky

Bold thief, indiscriminately killing the innocent, meet your death

Hiding behind the house, Tang Jie watched as one villager after another perished, his heart filled with a rage akin to madness

Tang Jie shook his head and smiled, saying: "I cannot catch up with them... it is even difficult to get close... I have failed."

He runs against the wind, leaps amidst the lightning, weaves through the mountains and forests, and jumps between the boulders, agile as a monkey, racing towards the summit of Cuiwei Mountain

Therefore, I believe he may not have gone far. For him, the best course of action should be to immediately find a nearby place to treat his injuries on the spot

Watching her running away, Tang Jie sighed and could only silently say sorry in his heart

He was struck by a knife on his back, previously knocked by a horse, and then forcefully hit by a palm from the horse bandit, sustaining severe injuries. Nevertheless, he still walked up to the horse bandit and seized the sabre from his hand

In comparison to an atomic bomb explosion, this power is certainly much weaker, but it is likely equivalent to several thousand tons of high explosives

Once again, that group of bandits had charged into the village, raising their slaughtering knives against the unprepared villagers, and the bloodshed immediately spread across the entire sky

The battle in the sky continues, as the overwhelming magical power transforms the air into a swirling hurricane, darkening the entire horizon

Yaya has caught hold of him: "Brother Jie, what exactly are you doing? The people in the village say you have gone mad. The immortal is no longer here, yet you still run up the mountain every day. What are you hoping to achieve?"

Uncle Li directly reprimanded, "You little rascal, are you willing to give up your life just to seek immortality?"

Is it not possible to even get close?

... ...

He had never hurt a girl's heart so deeply, especially that of a young lady who had feelings for him. He felt quite conflicted, wondering whether he should go after her to offer some comfort, yet fearing that she might become even more attached to him. Just as he was hesitating, he suddenly heard the faint sound of hooves outside. In the distance, he could vaguely see dust rising, accompanied by the sound of thundering hooves, indicating that quite a number of people were approaching.

However, today, Tang Jie hesitated for a moment and finally said: "During that battle, I saw that man in white was injured. He was severely wounded..."

"En." Tang Jie responded and was about to return to the house

One day, I will traverse this world just like they do

The immense wind pressure danced like a tornado, forming barriers of wind that made every step forward for Tang Jie feel exceedingly difficult

He let out a muffled groan and spat out a mouthful of blood, then suddenly jumped up, grabbing a vine hanging down from a large tree and swinging forward.

Because he tried, he made an effort, and he even fought desperately

However, the young girl did not possess the quick reflexes of Tang Jie. Upon seeing the sudden appearance of the bandits, she was already so frightened that she stood there in a daze

At this moment, Tang Jie spat out a mouthful of blood and weakly leaned against the tree

He had practiced martial arts for many years, and even three to five strong men could not do anything to him. Unexpectedly, today he was injured by a young brat, and his anger flared up. He had already made up his mind to tear this kid apart.

Tang Jie could hardly control his impulse to kneel in worship, when suddenly, the white figure shouted: "Rise!"

In Anyang Prefecture, bandits have risen in swarms, plundering everywhere. Among them, those with particularly brutal temperaments are prone to killing and slaughtering entire villages. Wherever they go, not a single tile is left intact, with the wild valley horse thieves being the most ferocious among them

Pounce

Tiger, Aunt Hu, Uncle He

"Because he did not pursue the other person... I think it is not that he does not want to do it, but rather that he is unable to do so," Tang Jie replied

The bandit has pulled out a rake, jumped off his horse, and menacingly approached Tang Jie: "You little brat, you are doomed today!"

Indeed, one must still adhere to their own duties and responsibilities

At the moment he was evading the shouts, another string twanged, and the approaching bandit shot an arrow at Ya Ya.

How do you know that he is seriously injured

With this thrust of force, Tang Jie had bitten out the entire trachea of the horse bandit, and a fountain of blood gushed forth. The horse bandit clutched his throat and staggered a few steps before finally collapsing weakly to the ground

At the entrance of Xiahe Village, the villagers are eagerly looking forward.

If failure is inevitable, then so be it; living is what matters

The smoke of battle in the distance has cleared, the traces of the immortal have vanished, leaving only a scene of devastation, as a figure approaches from afar

Tang Jie still goes out early and returns late with everyone every day, and it seems he has given up on his previous unrealistic fantasies.

Damn it, is this an atomic bomb explosion? Tang Jie cursed under his breath

His tone was calm, and his smile was sincere, yet everyone still detected the underlying resentment hidden beneath that outward smile

Tang Jie never responded

The howling air currents swept over his head, stirring up large swathes of clouds, and the force continued for several seconds before dissipating, causing even the massive rocks to sway precariously, nearly crushing Tang Jie.

Riding swiftly in pursuit

No! Watching Ya Ya die tragically, Tang Jie cried out in pain

For Tang Jie, a continuous month of ascending the mountain in pursuit was merely another failure in seeking immortality

Then Tang Jie stopped his footsteps

Indeed, what could be more important than being alive

Since he was stabbed to death in his previous life, Tang Jie instinctively reacted whenever he encountered someone pointing a sharp blade at him

Suddenly, the sky flashed with light again. Tang Jie instinctively lunged forward, while behind him, a streak of lightning in the form of a sword descended, striking the large rock where he had just stepped. The impact shattered the stone into pieces, and the shockwave sent Tang Jie flying away.

The sabre has already swept across the throat of that bandit.

For him, going up the mountain seems to have become a habit, which the villagers observe and sigh about in their hearts

The sword energy, along with the omnipresent wind pressure, madly swirled and howled at the peak of Cuiwei Mountain, creating a devastating and overwhelming momentum that could annihilate the heavens and the earth. Advancing further would undoubtedly lead to certain death

I have never given up. Tang Jie said lightly: Even if I fail again this time, I will not give up. In another year, I will leave here, go out, see the world, and seek out immortals

After this matter passed, the villagers of Xiahe Village returned to their usual lives, plowing in the morning and planting in the evening, working tirelessly.

In the next moment, a large number of bandits, numbering in the hundreds, surged forward. At the forefront was a tall and robust man, wielding a nine-ring broadsword, who pointed ahead and shouted: "Kill! Kill all that can be killed, and seize all that can be seized!"

His yearning for immortality and the pursuit of the Dao not only did not diminish, but instead intensified.

"Yaya, get down!" Upon witnessing this scene, Tang Jie shouted hysterically.

It is Brother Jie, it is Brother Jie! Ya Ya, with her keen eyes, was the first to spot him and joyfully shouted out loud.

Suddenly, a blurred phantom appeared behind the Golden Armored Celestial Being, and the moment this phantom emerged, it instilled an overwhelming sense of pressure in Tang Jie. He realized that he could not see the face of this phantom at all; he only felt its presence towering above, with its feet on the ground and its head in the void, majestic and awe-inspiring, evoking a natural sense of reverence and worship in his heart

This reaction saved his life. Just as he lay down with the book, he heard the whoosh of a bowstring, and a sharp arrow flew past, grazing his scalp, and was now embedded in the wooden cabin behind him, the arrow's tail still quivering.

Tang Jie sensed the imminent danger and turned to flee towards the forest on the back mountain, specifically seeking out a secluded path. However, the horse was incredibly fast, and in the blink of an eye, it had charged right behind Tang Jie. The horseman swung his saber down once more, and just as it was about to strike, Tang Jie suddenly lunged forward, narrowly avoiding the blow. He swiftly turned around and swept his hand, revealing an object in his grasp, which was none other than a garden rake from the backyard

Although it was his first time killing, he felt not a trace of fear in his heart, only an endless hatred for these scum

So you go up the mountain every day, hoping to see if you can find him? You still haven't given up? Yaya's excited little face turned red.

Indeed, Xiao Jie, why don't you buy back those three acres of land? Go and talk to Old Zhang, he will agree.

He was defenseless, and nine sharp prongs deeply pierced into his body, causing him to cry out in pain. At the same time, the horse's head had already collided with Tang Jie, sending him flying. Tang Jie felt as if his ribs had been broken by the impact, and he fell to the ground in great agony

Two failures are still far from enough to make him give up

However, the illusory figure behind the golden-armored celestial being completely vanished under this strike, and the man in white seized the opportunity to swing his sword, striking directly at the chest of the golden-armored celestial being

Bastard! Tang Jie gritted his teeth and charged towards the bandit, drawing out the dagger he carried and throwing it at the bandit.

More villagers were in a state of panic and fled, but under the pursuit of the bandits, one by one they were caught from behind, pierced through their bodies with long spears, and had their heads severed with sabers

The white figure on the other side swiftly traversed through the wind, each swing of the sword delivering a powerful sword light that struck down like lightning. When it landed on the ground below, it left a deep fissure in the earth.

The villagers have already asked him this question many times

He cannot stop!

In a moment, everyone expressed their opinions, with some offering earnest advice, others mocking and ridiculing, some providing kind consolation, and still others displaying disdain and contempt

Tang Jie was greatly alarmed and suddenly threw himself down.

Yet that white shadow, like lightning, soared through the air; how could he possibly catch up? In the blink of an eye, it vanished from Tang Jie’s sight, leaving no trace of its whereabouts.

The rake struck the waist of the bandit, who, taken by surprise that a twelve-year-old boy could possess such skill, was completely unprepared and was hit.

Tang Jie had no choice but to carefully evade the attacks coming from the remnants of the heavens

Uncle Li did not expect that a child of such a young age could say something like this, and he was completely taken aback

A voice suddenly erupted like thunder, resonating through the heavens

At the same time, Tang Jie also fell heavily to the ground

... ...

As there are no trees obstructing the view ahead, the entire summit of Cuiwei Mountain has been completely stripped bare.