Chapter Thirty-five: The Drunken Sword Immortal

"Fatty, why did you bring the speaker again? We're fighting here—can we be a bit more serious?" 

"You don't understand, Brother Chen. I'm just helping the master get into the zone. Look, after listening to my music, doesn't our master seem to have gotten stronger?" 

Just as the chubby bird finished speaking, Master Ge was blasted away by Mo Nezha, flying a good ten feet. 

"Hehe, everyone slips up sometimes. Don't worry, our master's cultivation is powerful, a little injury like this isn't worth mentioning." 

"Pfft~" Master Ge spat out another mouthful of blood. Zhao Gu was about to jump down to help. 

"Xiao Gu, stay put. Don't come down. Damn it, this thing is really tough. No wonder it's made with a god's foundation." 

When Zhou Yihe saw the situation worsening, he quickly tossed three red paper figures onto the ground, which were quite different from the ones he usually used. 

As the paper pieces landed, they transformed into three gigantic figures, looking imposing and mighty. 

Although they had the advantage in numbers, the giants were far weaker than Mo Nezha in terms of strength. 

Mo Nezha, with his six arms each holding a different weapon, effortlessly fought against the three giants. Seeing that the red paper figures couldn't suppress Mo Nezha, Chen Fan grew worried and turned his gaze towards Master Ge. 

At that moment, Master Ge suddenly tilted his head back and took a large gulp of wine from his gourd. Just as Chen Fan was about to complain, he noticed that Master Ge had suddenly become motionless. Then, a strange gust of wind began to blow through the sealed tomb, which felt very unusual. 

"Master Ge encountered another tough opponent, huh? Oh, it's Mo Nezha. Impressive. I'm sure this time's treasure is no ordinary one." Suddenly, Master Ge's voice changed—it was now a different person's voice altogether. 

"Zhao Gu, who is he? He doesn't sound like Master Ge." 

"That's the Drunken Sword Immortal. It seems there's some kind of contract between him and the master. Every time we face a tough opponent in the tomb, he's the one who handles it." 

"Is he really an immortal?" 

"I'm not sure. To be honest, I've never seen a true immortal." 

"I've got other matters to attend to, so I won't talk too much." The Drunken Sword Immortal said, then took down his long sword, which he rarely used. 

Mo Nezha didn't seem to think much of the figure before him, charging toward him at full speed. Despite Mo Nezha's three heads and six arms, all attacking at lightning speed, the Drunken Sword Immortal didn't seem bothered at all. He defended with his sword while casually sipping wine. 

His sword technique appeared soft and weak, yet it forced Mo Nezha to retreat repeatedly, which was truly impressive. 

"You're far from the original, haha." The Drunken Sword Immortal taunted, then lightly kicked Mo Nezha away. Before Mo Nezha could get up, another follow-up strike landed. 

"Sky Turning Forty-Nine." 

The speed of this move was so fast that no one could catch the intricacies. By the time Chen Fan came to his senses, Mo Nezha's head had been severed. 

After dealing with the enemy, the Drunken Sword Immortal reached for the wine in his gourd again, but suddenly seemed to remember something. He turned to the group and said, "Little ones, make sure to take good care of this fool's sword for Master Ge. Oh, and this wine's terrible." 

With that, he drank it all in one go, and Master Ge returned to his usual silent state. 

"Done, let's go. There shouldn't be any more obstacles ahead." After recovering, Master Ge said, and they continued on. 

Sure enough, after passing through nine bends, the main tomb chamber appeared before them. It was grand in scale, and beneath it was an endless abyss, with the small chamber seemingly suspended in mid-air, its foundation an unsolved mystery. Chen Fan noticed many bloodstains nearby, likely left by the recent group from the Cloud Opening. 

"Master, you've worked hard. Let me, Fatty, handle the treasure." Little Flying Elephant seemed particularly eager. 

"Sure, if you can make it through." Master Ge smiled. 

"This is nothing," Little Flying Elephant mumbled, then spread his wings. However, he immediately crashed into something invisible, falling down. 

"Hahaha, little fatty, judging by the floating space here, it's clear that the tomb master set up another layer of space. You just ran into it. What a fool." Zhou Yihe laughed. 

"The tomb master really put a lot of thought into this—beasts, traps, and strange arrangements. Who knows what he's plotting? Alright, let me break your formation. Two lifetimes as an immortal, this isn't in line with the heavenly principles." 

"Master, this barrier seems quite strong. How can we break it?" Jiang Liuyu touched the barrier, a hint of hesitation in his eyes. 

"Dao of Fifty, Sky Turning Forty-Nine, all things have a sliver of opportunity. Thus, all things carry yin and bear yang, both fierce and gentle." 

"So, Master, you mean this barrier has a flaw?" 

"Xiao Gu, the Dragon Yuan." Master Ge didn't directly answer, instead turning to Zhao Gu to ask for the Dragon Yuan. 

Zhao Gu searched through his bag and handed it over. Master Ge took out a small flag from his own bag and began casting a spell. 

Zhao Gu, seeing this, asked in confusion, "Master, why are you taking out the Spirit-Calling Flag? We haven't even seen the main entity yet." 

Master Ge didn't respond, continuing his chant. 

"Zhao Gu, the Spirit-Calling Flag is something that makes the immortals find Dragon Yuan more delicious. It's like chicken essence for humans, do you understand?" 

"Got it." Chen Fan suddenly became interested in the item and patiently stood by, observing closely. 

The others didn't dare interrupt and silently watched as Master Ge cast his spell. Soon, the fragrance of the Dragon Yuan filled the tomb. Chen Fan initially tried to resist but couldn't help but take a few deep breaths, feeling utterly intoxicated by the scent. 

"Chen Fan, what's going on with you?" Zhao Gu was the first to notice something was off. 

"It's nothing, just the Dragon Yuan smells so good. Didn't you guys notice?" 

"Smells good? It's alright. You probably don't have enough self-discipline." 

At this moment, Little Flying Elephant shook his head and sighed, "Fools will always be fools—greedy for food, and unable to achieve the great task of cultivation." 

"Wow, Fatty, you're still talking? Look at your bloated belly." Jiang Liuyu walked over and couldn't help but pat his round, white belly. 

"Oh, almost forgot, we need to get rid of that belly when we get back. You, a bird without appetite, might be able to help me achieve my goals better." 

"Gu, you wouldn't really do that, would you? You're the best in all of Tiangong Village. You wouldn't harm such a pitiful, weak, and chubby little bird, right?" 

"Alright, enough arguing. The main entity is here." 

With Master Ge's words, everyone's attention was immediately drawn to the front. It seemed the immortals really did love Dragon Yuan—its fragrance could even reach the dead. 

Within the confined space, a thin, withered hand slowly rose, and the entire figure stood up. Yet, its eyes remained empty and glazed. 

It walked in circles inside the barrier, then stopped in a corner, remaining there without moving, merely wandering in place. 

"Hmm, the source of life is here." Master Ge nodded, then took out a celestial artifact and pointed it at the spot. 

In an instant, the vast abyss before them disappeared, replaced by solid ground. Within the space, strange, brilliant light began to glow…