Chapter 22: The Thousand-Year Ginseng and the Toad Demon!

He had wondered how his aunt’s claim about tracking corpse aura would actually work; now he understood.

"A thousand-year-old ginseng has profound cultivation and can take on human form. Its strength likely reaches the late stage of the Spirit-Channeling Realm, or perhaps even the Out-of-Body Realm. To be safe, we must secretly set up a formation to surround the cave."

"It's not just the thousand-year-old ginseng; there might be other powerful demonic entities inside. Such treasures of heaven and earth are often accompanied by guardian beasts. These beasts, nourished by the essence of the sun and moon and the spiritual energy of the world, have awakened their intelligence and possess formidable strength."

"No matter, let's set up the formation first. If they are too strong, we'll just run."

"Agreed!"

The group reached a consensus. Led by Daoist White Crane and several other veteran priests, they began to secretly deploy the formation. They produced small, palm-sized yellow flags from their robes, planting them in specific locations according to the principles of Yin-Yang, the Five Elements, and the Eight Trigrams. A moment later, one of the old priests pulled out a red cord to connect the flags. It took over ten minutes to complete the formation.

Qin Feng watched from the sidelines. He had seen talisman arrays before, but this was his first time witnessing a formal Daoist formation. So this is what a Daoist formation looks like, he thought. I wonder how powerful it is, and what specific formation they are using. I must learn more about Daoist knowledge from my aunt when I have the chance. Otherwise, I’ll remain as ignorant as I am now, unable to even recognize what they are doing.

"Fellow Daoists, who shall enter the cave first?" one of the old priests asked.

"I will go," Daoist White Crane volunteered, leading the way into the cave. The others followed closely behind, and Qin Feng trailed at the back. By now, none of the Daoists were paying attention to him; their focus was entirely on the thousand-year-old ginseng and the potential demonic threat.

"This cave seems very deep," Qin Feng murmured, sniffing the air. He couldn't detect the scent of the ginseng or anything else. If the ginseng were truly inside, he would surely have smelled it. The only explanation was that the cave was vast, far beyond the range of his senses.

He was right. The group walked for over half an hour without reaching the end. The deeper they went, the more humid the air became, carrying a faint, musty odor. Suddenly, a refreshing, invigorating scent wafted toward him, accompanied by a medicinal fragrance. It was a steady, seasoned aura, no weaker than that of Daoist White Crane and the others. This must be the aura of the thousand-year-old ginseng. As expected of a plant that has lived for a millennium, its power was indeed impressive. If he were alone, he might not be a match for it.

Beyond the ginseng, Qin Feng sensed another powerful presence—cold, foul, and distinctly non-human. It was, without a doubt, demonic aura.

This demonic energy was even stronger than that of the ginseng. It seemed a fierce battle was imminent. He wondered if Daoist White Crane and the others could handle it.

"Fellow Daoists, I have sensed the presence of the ginseng and the demonic entity. Prepare for battle!" one of the old priests warned in a low voice. Qin Feng was secretly impressed; the old priest had sensed it just moments after he had. His perception was almost on par with his own—and he was a zombie, while the priest was a human.

*Splash!*

A sound of flowing water echoed through the cave, which had widened into a vast underground river. They had arrived at a dry riverbed, an area of about two or three hundred square meters. The ceiling was thirty or forty meters high, adorned with strange, hanging stalactites that caused their voices to echo hollowly.

Sitting on the dry bed were two figures: a man and a woman. The woman wore a red dress and possessed breathtaking, peerless beauty. The man, however, was covered in acne, short, stout, and hideous to behold. The sight of them together was jarring, like a toad sitting beside a swan.

"Quick, seal the ground! Don't let the ginseng escape into the earth!" one of the priests shouted, brandishing a yellow talisman. The others followed suit.

*Whoosh! Whoosh!*

Over a hundred yellow talismans flew in all directions, sealing off the entire underground chamber.

"Daoist mages?" A cold, sharp look crossed the woman's elegant face.

"Ginseng-er, it seems they have come for you." The acne-ridden man’s expression turned grim, his brow furrowed with malice. "You bunch of long-nosed priests, how dare you covet Ginseng-er! Go to hell!"

Ginseng-er belonged to him. He had guarded her for five hundred years; they had relied on each other and supported one another. Although she treated him only as a brother, he believed that one day she would accept him. It was all because of those two Daoists from last time, who had shattered their peaceful, happy life. He had killed one and the other had escaped; he knew the survivor would bring a crowd back. He had brought her here to hide, but they had found them anyway. Since that was the case, he would show no mercy.

"Wah!" The man opened his mouth, which tore open all the way to his ears, and spewed a torrent of thick, green, viscous liquid.

"The liquid is poisonous, retreat!" Daoist White Crane’s pupils constricted as he pulled his group back.

*Sizzle!*

Where the liquid touched the ground, it emitted a harsh, corrosive sound, instantly pitting the floor.

*Damn, that’s powerful,* Qin Feng thought, stunned. *If a drop of that fell on me, even I might not be able to withstand it.*

But the next second, a yellow talisman umbrella flew out. It opened automatically, inscribed with runes both inside and out. As it unfurled, a dazzling golden light shone down upon the acne-ridden man.

*Sizzle!*

The golden light began to corrode the man's demonic aura. "Seal!" a middle-aged mage in the group shouted, his hands weaving seals rapidly. The umbrella spun violently.

"Arghhh!" The man let out a shrill scream. His body began to swell and contract, undergoing a grotesque transformation. His mouth became a toad’s maw, his arms turned into short, stubby forelegs, and his legs became muscular, powerful hind limbs. Finally, a giant toad the size of a calf appeared. It crouched on the ground, baring its fangs, and began to stand up, pushing against the golden light with its powerful hind legs.

*No wonder he was so ugly; he's a toad demon,* Qin Feng mused.

"Wah!" The toad demon spat, its scarlet tongue shooting out like a sharp arrow, piercing through the talisman umbrella. The umbrella shattered, and the golden light vanished instantly.

"My artifact!" the middle-aged Daoist roared in anguish.

*Whoosh!*

The toad demon’s tongue swept across the chamber with blinding speed. Caught off guard, several Daoist disciples were struck.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

They were sent flying, spitting blood as they sailed through the air. Qin Feng watched, sighing with regret. *If only that blood were mine. That’s the blood of Daoist mages!*

*Wait,* he thought, *could I find a chance to sneak a little bit?*