Born as an ant, I was summoned to ascend to immortality.

Chapter 90 The Ugly Taoist

A chilling wind swept across the vast expanse.

On the deserted mountain path, a thin figure was staggering along, one step at a time.

This person was Zhou Li. Half a month ago, Yang Yang sent him into the rift. Even though his ant-like body was desperately trying to fly, the suction force still held him firmly, allowing no resistance whatsoever. In an instant, he and his human body disappeared into the void.

There is always a way out. After wandering around in the void for a while, he finally found a gap and squeezed through, settling into an unfamiliar world.

When Zhou Li first arrived at this place, he felt that the spiritual energy was depleted and the yin energy was pervasive, making it seem like a dead land. Fortunately, there were still human settlements and cities, so it was not a dead end.

Having experienced the Netherworld Realm, Zhou Li knew that this should be a small world, but without a sect anchor point, there was truly no way to return.

Moreover, even if they found a gap, without the sect's protection, the unpredictable void might not lead to Donghuang, not to mention the spirit explosions and turbulence that could be seen everywhere in the void. It would be lucky if they survived.

"In any case, I still have to thank Yangyang for her quick thinking that allowed me to escape with my life, but if we want to go back, we need to think about it carefully."

At this moment, Zhou Li had already learned that there was a Taoist temple hidden deep in the mountains, so he decided to come to the temple to ask if there were any places for cultivation nearby.

As the sun approached its zenith, Zhou Li stood before the gate. A plaque hung askew above the gate, bearing the three characters "Guanchao Pavilion," its paint faded and covered in cobwebs.

He raised his hand and gently knocked on the door knocker, saying, "I am a humble person and would like to ask if it would be convenient for me to rest here?"

A moment later, a soft voice answered from inside the door: "This Taoist temple has been abandoned for a long time. Please come in, honored guest. I have come to pay respects to my deceased husband and am also resting here."

Zhou Li thanked him, pushed open the door and entered. The sunlight followed his figure into the room, illuminating the dimly lit hall.

"what?"

Upon seeing the scene inside the hall, Zhou Li let out a soft exclamation, his raised foot hovering in mid-air, unsure whether to go forward or backward.

There were three stunningly beautiful women in the hall, all with their breasts half-exposed and leaning against the table with their chins on their hands. They turned their faces and their three pairs of beautiful eyes fell on him.

What a beautiful spring scene! If it weren't for the desolate ancient temple, anyone would probably be confused.

In the eyes of the women, the young Taoist priest had a hunchback and wore shoes with the ten directions on his feet. He was handsome and upright, but his attire made him look old-fashioned.

A woman drawled out her words and sneered, "Oh, so it's a hairless Taoist priest."

A burst of laughter filled the hall, flowers trembled, and spring light danced in the air.

The word "hairless" was clearly a mockery of his lack of hair and shallow understanding, yet he pretended to be mature.

Caught up in the laughter, Zhou Li became even more flustered and was about to leave when he suddenly heard a soft rebuke from the hall:

"Stop making such a racket, lest you frighten this junior fellow practitioner."

It turned out that there was a Taoist priest sitting at the head of the table. Perhaps he was displeased with their teasing earlier, because as he spoke, he deliberately or unintentionally stepped on a clump of fur on the ground.

"Awoo!"

A cry of pain rang out, and the woman who had been laughing the loudest curled up into a ball. The sound was like that of a wild fox whose tail had been stepped on.

As soon as the Taoist priest spoke, all the women lowered their heads and held their breath, falling silent. They seemed to be extremely afraid of him, and the hall instantly became quiet.

There sat an ugly Taoist priest in a high position. A fleshy tumor the size of a bowl grew on his left cheek, squeezing his eyes into slits. His appearance was quite frightening.

Zhou Li could tell at a glance that this person's aura was distinctly different from the pervasive yin energy, indicating that he must possess cultivation. Since he was a cultivator, it meant that cultivation was still possible in this world, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

So he stepped forward, bowed, and said, "This humble Daoist Zhou Li greets this fellow Daoist."

"Fellow Daoist?" A woman sneered, "You dare to call yourself a True Daoist? True Daoist was one of the Twelve Golden Boys who served the Immortal Lord in the past. You are already doing me a disservice by calling him Immortal Master."

Zhou Li looked alarmed and quickly bowed again: "This humble Taoist was blind, I have met the Immortal Master."

The ugly Taoist waved his hand, and Zhou Li consciously retreated to a corner. As he turned around, the Yin-Yang Bell hanging diagonally on his waist swayed slightly, emitting a barely perceptible ringing sound.

The women remained calm, but the ugly Taoist priest's eyes twitched upon hearing the sound, and he secretly made a hand gesture to the women.

Immediately, two women moved subtly and silently blocked the palace gate, cutting off Zhou Li's retreat.

The ugly Taoist priest scrutinized Zhou Li for a moment before asking in a slow voice, "Where do you cultivate, young Taoist priest?"

Zhou Li respectfully replied, "Reporting to the Immortal Master, I have been traveling around since childhood, practicing medicine and helping the world, and have no fixed abode."

"Your demeanor is quite remarkable, I imagine your master is no ordinary person," the ugly Taoist said, narrowing his eyes. "May I ask what his Taoist name is?"

Zhou Li looked somber: "My master was a man of simple tastes and had no Daoist name. I'm afraid we'll never see him again."

Upon hearing Zhou Li's words, the ugly Taoist's expression became somewhat subtle. He suddenly straightened his face and shouted, "You brat, how dare you mock me! If you have no lineage, how do you possess such a treasure? Present your magic bell so that I may have a look."

Zhou Li bent down as instructed, took the yin-yang bell, the size of a sparrow's egg, from his person, and held it in his palm: "Is this the one the Immortal Master spoke of?"

As he spoke, he flicked his wrist, and a series of melodious bell sounds immediately filled the hall.

"Zheng—!"

As the bell rang, the women in the hall screamed in unison, clutching their heads and rolling around, as if Zhou Li had struck them hard on the top of their heads.

The ugly Taoist priest was completely unaffected; upon seeing this, he was overjoyed. He rose and strode towards Zhou Li, reaching out to grab it: "This is the treasure! Hand it over quickly!"

Zhou Li honestly handed it forward, and just as the ugly Taoist's fingertips were about to touch the bell, Zhou Li's lips curled slightly, and he softly uttered a single word:

"Certainly."

As soon as he finished speaking, the ugly Taoist priest's body suddenly stiffened, and his hand, which was raised in mid-air, could no longer move an inch.

The ugly Taoist priest looked horrified, his lips trembling as he stammered, "How could this be? This... this is... words becoming law?!"

This is certainly not some kind of divine intervention; it's just a simple trick from the Zhou Dynasty, involving conjuring qi and drawing talismans.

Just now, when he bent down to pick up the bell, he had already used his sleeve to conceal it and used his finger as a pen to draw the "Immobilization Talisman" in his palm in advance. Now that the Ugly Taoist has come here, it is just the right time to activate it.

Zhou Li was somewhat disappointed. The cultivators in this small world couldn't even recognize a small immobilization talisman, and their combat abilities were almost nonexistent.

He didn't explain further, but simply smiled and said, "As one of the Twelve Golden Boys, you are indeed very knowledgeable."

The ugly Taoist was terrified. When he was practicing with his master in his early years, he had heard that "words become law" was a divine ability that even his master himself could not attain. How could his half-baked Taoist skills be a match for this little Taoist?

He immediately put on a fawning expression and said repeatedly, "Young Taoist priest... oh no, immortal master, this humble Taoist priest was talking nonsense and boasting. I was blind to recognize a true dragon. Please forgive me, please forgive me!"

Zhou Li remained noncommittal, walked straight past the stiff-standing ugly Taoist priest, and sat down in the main seat at the head of the table, glancing at everyone in the hall with a half-smile.

The previous reserved and shy demeanor of Zhou Li had completely vanished. At this moment, his gaze was as heavy as a thousand pounds, making everyone feel breathless.