Killing Dao Fruit
Chapter 67 - 65: Out of the Blue

Chapter 67: Chapter 65: Out of the Blue

Lady Peach Fairy silently exited the boudoir and arrived beyond the perceptive range of the Ganoderma clone, affixing a talisman upon herself to conceal her presence.

She left behind Wang Yuan, who was identical to herself, as if he were her reflection in a mirror.

In fact, Wang Yuan felt that when it came to capturing one’s demeanor, he could have done even better.

After all, there’s a saying that when a man gets ramped up, what business do women have there?

But it was just a thought, never to be repeated!

He quietly approached the box.

Wang Yuan took a deep breath and once again brought to mind both the cultivation knowledge Lady Peach Fairy had urgently tutored him in and all the intelligence regarding Master Ge.

The "Ganoderma Resurrection Immortal Technique" and the "Human-Faced Peach Immortal Technique" bore some similarity, both utilizing external objects in conjunction with the human body.

However, the former involved Ganoderma, commonly known as Tai Sui, and would completely preserve the original human form.

Medicinal texts say: "Ganoderma appears fleshy, attached to big stones, complete with head and tail, a living thing indeed.

Red ones like coral, white like fat, black like glossy lacquer, green like jade feathers, yellow like purple cakes... all are brightly translucent like solid ice."

The deep purple Ganoderma used by Ge Daoxuan and his disciples for practicing, known as "Purple Bearded Tai Sui," was also the namesake of Purple Ganoderma Temple.

Forming this Daoist skill after receiving a talisman and enlightenment allowed one to acquire a "Divine Power Dharma Seal: Ganoderma Prolonging Life Seal," with a very versatile set of abilities.

After combining with the Ganoderma, one’s constitution would be greatly strengthened, enabling easy limb regeneration and the ability to go toe-to-toe with the Dao General.

One’s own flesh and blood would become top-notch alchemy materials. Each Red Seal Magician practicing the "Ganoderma Resurrection Immortal Technique" doubled as a Pill Master, and using a segment of one’s own finger for alchemy was quite commonplace.

Furthermore, one’s body could selectively cultivate spores with various magical abilities, yielding a multitude of incredible effects.

Deadly poison, hysterical laughter, diseases, parasitism, nourishment...

Even utilizing spores to infect humans and livestock to drive dead bodies to "revive."

To kill such an enemy, one must be lethal in a single strike; otherwise, with persistent resilience and a thousand strange tactics, they would drive their foes to desperate madness.

And the most significant "Precept Taboo" of the "Ganoderma Resurrection Immortal Technique" was their only opportunity.

With Lady Peach Fairy as an inside traitor, the "Master Xingming" Yu Sanliang that Wang Yuan had was completely redundant.

There was no need for interrogation; under the drive of the desire to survive, the Female Sorcerer spilled everything she knew.

Precept Taboos:

"One, Ganoderma is considered an avatar of the Tai Sui God; therefore, it is also called Tai Sui. Sixty ’Presiding Tai Sui’ govern the fortunes and calamities of the years in a cycle of sixty years.

Only those who are in their birth year, or whose Chinese zodiac clashes, harms, punishes, or contradicts the ’Presiding Tai Sui’ of the year, in other words, ’Offending Tai Sui,’ are eligible to practice this Daoist skill."

"Two, one gradually prefers shade, and daily exposure to sunlight must not exceed three two-hour periods.

The only vulnerability is the fungal strain that combines with the brain marrow; it can parasitize any organ in the body. If the fungal strain is not killed, the body can regenerate."

"Three, every month one must offer a meat tribute in worship to the ’Presiding Tai Sui’ of their birth year."

"Four, Drunk Blood. After consuming quality blood meals, one may get blood-drunk, during which thought processes slow and desire to act decreases, with duration indeterminate."

Wang Yuan quietly added another rule to the list.

After achieving the "Ganoderma Resurrection Immortal Technique," one’s whole body is a treasure and can be used as a major cultivating medicine; be careful not to be targeted by one’s own mentor.

He glanced at Lady Peach Fairy in the courtyard.

She claimed her fellow brothers’ obsessions were most likely directed at her, which truly seemed an understatement.

In a Sect, such "Precept Taboos" should be strictly forbidden to be disclosed among fellow disciples, right?

Yet she had managed to clarify everything, her cunning truly remarkable.

’I’ll tell a joke: in Purple Ganoderma Temple... father and son show filial piety and love.’

After relaxing his mood, Wang Yuan stepped forward, removed the talisman, and lifted the lid.

Inside the moist soil was a purple-black Ganoderma that resembled a little old man.

He did not, like Wang Yunhu had initially done in contacting Master Ge, grimly sacrifice a chicken, but instead slapped a pre-drawn talisman from Lady Peach Fairy onto it.

Thump! Thump! Thump!...

The Ganoderma immediately began pulsating like a heart, and three slender fissures resembling eyes and a mouth split open on its surface.

For this attempt, Wang Yuan had already simulated it numerous times with Lady Peach Fairy, with over a dozen contingency plans committed to memory.

Following the Sect’s etiquette, he respectfully gave a salute.

"Master!"

Then Wang Yuan felt a gaze cast upon him from the Ganoderma clone, like a cold, slimy serpent filled with a hunger for feeding.

Although Master Ge instantly wrestled control over his instincts, adopting a kindly demeanor, it still made him feel nauseated.

Suddenly, a gentle voice emanated:

"Lady Immortal, how goes the destruction of the nine accompanying tombs of the Owl God Tomb?"

Wang Yuan had no trouble detecting the deep-seated eagerness hidden within, no different in essence from those bandits.

Perhaps due to his higher status, greater strength, and the fact he held Lady Peach Fairy’s life in his hands, the old Taoist’s acting skills were frankly mediocre.

"Master, although we have suffered some casualties, since the last communication when we broke the ’Righteous Wealth’, there are only ’Judge’, ’Jishan’, and ’Construction Director’ left."

"Just because today the people from Luoyang Royal Mansion suddenly visited Daling Village, saying it’s to prepare for the centennial grand ritual, the progress had to be halted for a day..."

Wang Yuan, imitating Lady Peach Fairy’s way of speaking, reported in detail everything that had happened here.

Even the small habits that Lady Peach Fairy herself did not notice on normal days, he imitated to a tee.

Wang Yuan felt that after this real battle, even if he didn’t use Thief Cat Cui Tong’s disguise, he would be able to skillfully apply the ’Sound Mimicking’ technique.

In the end, he suddenly changed his tone:

"However, Master, the moon over Beimang Mountain has been growing redder these past few days.

Although we have nailed down the ’Weird’ with peach wood earth stakes, we still inexplicably lost over a dozen people yesterday, making everyone in Daling Village anxious and uneasy."

"It’s only natural, the closer we get to the day of the grand ritual, the more power will awaken from the Owl God Tomb, and the stronger the knowledge it spreads.

Given the position of the Owl God Tomb, without reaching the second realm of Red Seal, ’True Qi’, or borrowing the mana of Sect Venerable God, you won’t even be able to detect it.

In addition, the strength of the ’Weird’ in the subsidiary tombs will also grow stronger."

"I have already informed Wang Yunhu to organize manpower and be sure to take down the last three subsidiary tombs before I arrive at Daling Village.

This is part of the deal, and we also made a ’Taoist Contract’ in the name of the West Queen Holy Mother; he dares not slack off."

Wang Yuan pondered, this ’Taoist Contract’ was similar to ’Talisman’, both involving borrowing technique from a specific entity.

He could tell when he first saw Lady Peach Fairy using talismans.

It was clear that not only his ’Small Book of Life and Death’ could suppress the ’Weird’ Nightmare Suppressing Power.

If you add that volume of ’Heavenly Book’, the complete treasure essentially resembles a Sect Venerable God from the source of Taoist lineage, just without an independent personality.

The ability to break Abnormal Power is likely also from the suppression of a high position.

Upon hearing this, Wang Yuan secretly stirred up trouble between Ge and Clan Leader Wang:

"But Master, why are you giving ’that wine’ to Wang Yunhu?

This man has the eyes of an eagle and the ambition of a wolf; if he successfully steals a ’Killing Dao Fruit’, I’m afraid he will be difficult to restrain in the future."

These questions were not impromptu but had been repeatedly deliberated countless times by the two.

Now, the old Taoist essentially resembled a fan diagram—five parts for the fifth disciple, four for the fourth, three for the third, two for the elder brother, and only five parts for Ge Daoxuan.

His mental state was vastly different than usual; in such a state, he was like facing those flatterers, most easily gaining benefits.

As long as he didn’t rashly touch his own obsession—’Heavenly Book’—he was highly likely to tell all without reserve.

Indeed, as expected, he didn’t seem to notice Wang Yuan’s intentional provocation.

He explained kindly:

"Lady Immortal may not know this, but the Wang Family of the Tomb Guardians is not as simple as it seems on the surface.

Two hundred years ago when they relocated to Beimang Mountain, they were acting as the last check on the Owl God Tomb, their clan’s Qi Fortune, flesh, blood, and lives continually eroding against the Owl God Tomb day and night.

Especially the main branch, which has always been particularly thin in luck and almost passed on through a single lineage, barely surviving to this day.

Otherwise, after two hundred years of breeding without any families leaving, how could the Great Daling Wang Family, including women married into the family, possibly number less than a thousand?"

"What I need is exactly the ’eagle-eyed and wolf-ambitious’ Innate Strange Phenomena possessed by Wang Yunhu.

’Eagle-eyed and wolf-ambitious’ has an ability called ’Treasonous’, which is best at underdog victories and breaking the Nightmare Suppressing Power and Taboo.

He is a Tomb Guardian of the Yili King, so of course, he counts as a subject of that ’Weird’.

Having him on our side will greatly increase the success rate of our plan.

And actually, the technique of ’Tomb Raiding’ was not my idea, but came from Clan Leader Wang himself—according to him, the Wang Family tried it themselves fifteen years ago!

They were but a mantis trying to stop a chariot, ultimately failing and even losing the lives of the entire family of the previous Clan Leader."

Wang Yuan’s mind went blank in an instant.

The ’Tomb Raiding’ technique originally came from his own elders?

’I should have thought of this earlier.’

Now, there was no doubt as for the origin of his ’Small Book of Life and Death’.

The previous ’Tomb Raiding’ effort was clearly partially successful.

Master Ge, unaware of the turmoil inside his "disciple", continued:

"I also have good news for you: I have made preparations and will set out tomorrow, reaching Daling Village the day after tomorrow.

Prepare a fitted wedding gown in advance; I have a use for it."

His tone was unusually gentle, but he almost didn’t bother hiding his intentions anymore, obviously becoming impatient.

"The day after tomorrow?!"

Even though Wang Yuan’s acting skills were deeply ingrained, upon hearing this unexpected news, his heart involuntarily skipped a beat.

The originally anticipated period of over ten days was suddenly shortened to two, thoroughly disrupting their prior plans and making it much harder to steer the topic towards the ’Heavenly Book’.