Chapter 278: 1000-Year-Old Peach Tree Spirit

"Damn... I didn’t expect this guy wouldn’t even dare make a move and just flee directly." Lu Zheng couldn’t help but frown and said.

If the person hesitated slightly, Lu Zheng was confident he could take him down, but the opponent was so decisive, that he fled immediately.

More importantly, given Shen Ying and Lu Zheng’s strength, they really let him escape.

This person, although his Dao Practice is less than two hundred years, is still strong and managed to escape their pursuit with numerous techniques.

"The opponent is very cautious," Shen Ying said, "My presence here indicates my deep Dao Practice, plus you, Lu Lang, being by my side; he didn’t dare make a move without confidence."

"But he clearly harbors ill intent towards you, and judging by his behavior, he’s likely not acting alone. He probably has fellow disciples or stronger experts."

Lu Zheng felt things weren’t simple; the opponent’s target was clearly Shen Ying, and the spells shown were all related to peach trees.

"Peach Talisman, Peach Blossom Miasma, Peach Wood Escape Technique, and Peach Wood Substitute Technique..."

Lu Zheng looked at Shen Ying, "And that spell resembling a towering peach tree just now, though brief, its power and nature aren’t simple, more like..."

Shen Ying nodded, "Indeed, from the peach talisman spell he used, I sensed another type of Demon Qi."

"Peach Tree Spirit?" Lu Zheng’s eyes flashed.

Shen Ying nodded, "Moreover, it’s a millennial Peach Tree Spirit."

Lu Zheng took a deep breath, "Millennial Peach Tree Spirit?"

"In terms of pure aura, it’s less than mine, but when it comes to thick Demon Qi..."

Shen Ying pondered for a moment, "Additionally, this is only the qi left on the peach talisman; its true form may be more formidable."

Lu Zheng suddenly looked up, his face serious, "If this Peach Tree Spirit comes for us..."

A mere potential zombie with millennial Dao Practice, and yet not achieving its divine abilities, it took two Daoist Sect masters, leading five people, to defeat it.

If a demon with millennial Dao Practice came for them, they were definitely not its match.

"Damn!" Lu Zheng felt frustrated and guilty for letting the person escape.

"Don’t blame yourself, Lu Lang. There’s a force behind this person, and since the target is me, even if we kept him this time, his fellow disciples will come sooner or later." Shen Ying comforted him, "There’s no escaping it."

"Hmm." Lu Zheng nodded, then decided firmly, "I’ll go find the Yizhou Town Anomaly Suppression Bureau!"

Currently, Shen Ying is, after all, an officially appointed Peach Blossom Fairy, and being targeted by a millennial Peach Tree Spirit, naturally she should seek backing.

"Don’t rush, Lu Lang. I’m just a minor Incense and Candle Land God, even being targeted by a millennial old demon, the Anomaly Suppression Bureau surely won’t dispatch such experts to stay long-term."

"Then you..."

Shen Ying quickly replied, "Don’t worry, Lu Lang, the Peach Tree Spirit won’t come."

"Hmm?"

"Peach trees possess spirits but are the hardest to become spirits. The stronger the plant spirit’s true form, the harder it is to move, like the millennial peach tree I’ve fused with; it even struggles to birth intelligences, which I took advantage of."

Shen Ying explained, "This millennial Peach Tree Spirit too, though it has thick Demon Qi, it’s somewhat mixed, likely absorbed a lot of Blood Qi for cultivation, making its True Spirit more disparate, constrained by its form, difficult to transform into Pure Yang Primordial Spirit to roam freely."

"So..."

"So it can’t go far; though I don’t know where it is, it’s surely not coming to Tonglin County." Shen Ying smiled, "At most, it relies on the person just now as underlings, perhaps using some secret technique to scheme against me."

Lu Zheng nodded but was not entirely convinced, "Could there be experts among these people?"

Shen Ying shook her head, "The Peach Tree Spirit’s cultivation method is extremely chaotic, relying on its true form’s astonishing heritage for millennial Dao Practice.

And these people lack profound inheritance, using the techniques passed by the Peach Tree Spirit with human cultivation belongs to unorthodox paths, not the Xuanmen Orthodox Sect, difficult for longevity and seeing forever, merely reaching two or three hundred years of Dao Practice is their ceiling; how could there be true experts?"

"Ah? Is that so?" Lu Zheng asked.

If only possessing three hundred years of Dao Practice, with his and Shen Ying’s strength, there was no need to fear.

Shen Ying couldn’t help but smile wryly, "Do you think every force has an inheritance of the White Cloud Temple’s caliber?"

Lu Zheng blinked, he truly hadn’t considered these things.

"So it really can’t come?"

"My life is its target; can I still joke with my survival?"

"That’s good!" Lu Zheng breathed a sigh of relief.

Shen Ying took Lu Zheng’s arm, "Since we’re out, I’ll return to town with you, Lu Lang, and have dinner with Little Sister Qingyan."

"Alright." Lu Zheng nodded, and the two headed back to Tonglin County together.

As they walked, Lu Zheng recalled Shen Ying’s last encounter alone against three ghosts, he urged again, "That person knows your strength now, if he appears again, it means he’s fully prepared, don’t try to be brave, make sure you tell me."

Shen Ying took Lu Zheng’s arm, smiling, "Okay, okay, I’ll listen to Lu Lang. If he comes again, I’ll immediately inform Lu Lang."

After hearing Liu Qingyan sent Lu Zheng a sachet that could summon her anytime, Shen Ying also gifted Lu Zheng a peach wood pendant.

The peach wood pendant was a pair, Shen Ying and Lu Zheng each had one, within a hundred miles, if one inputs True Qi into the pendant, the other pendant will respond.

Thus Shen Ying can summon Lu Zheng while defending herself, and he could perceive it immediately.

"Plus, even if he’s fully prepared, I’m not to be trifled with; with the old peach tree’s true body in Taohua Village, the Eighteen Celestial Maidens have progressed rapidly since retraining in the Incense and Candle Divine Dao, soon achieving hundred years of Dao Practice; once forming the Peach Blossoms Array, even with higher Dao Practice, success isn’t assured." Shen Ying said with a smile.

"Peach Blossoms Array?"

Shen Ying smiled and nodded, "This array method was realized from combining the Paradise Heavenly Maiden Array from the Mental Confusion Realm with the usual Peach Blossom Evil for the Eighteen Celestial Maidens; if you’re interested, Lu Lang, you can come experience it and provide feedback."

"Brilliant!" Lu Zheng gave a thumbs-up.

He was still gathering resources diligently, and Shen Ying had already started creating arrays.

"Lu Lang just knows how to tease me." Shen Ying said with a joyful smile.

...

The two returned to Tonglin County, meeting Liu Qingyan and Elder Liu after their clinic work.

After bidding Elder Liu farewell, the three returned to Lu Zheng’s house, where Aunt Liu prepared a lavish dinner for them. As they ate and talked, they discussed the Eighteen Celestial Maidens, bringing joy to Liu Qingyan.

As night deepened, the aroma of wine filled the air, with the room’s brazier emitting slight warmth, adding a hint of blush to the two women’s faces.

The saying goes ’wine does not intoxicate, people intoxicate themselves,’ Shen Ying didn’t mention returning to Peach Blossom Plain, and Liu Qingyan naturally had no intention of returning next door.

Thus...