Chapter 20 The Sorrows of a Model Youth in the Twenty-First Century

At the base of the Dragonfall Abyss, in the plains amidst towering ancient forests, lay the ruins of a vast structure, its broken walls and shattered remnants sprawled over several miles. Time’s relentless erosion, together with the rampant growth of wild grass and colossal trees, rendered the place all the more desolate and forlorn. Many collapsed stones were entwined by the roots of trees that had grown for centuries, lending an eerie atmosphere to the region.

Mo Bufan, carrying the mother and child Fire Marten on his back, stopped at the edge of the ruins. After a day of trekking, he was visibly weary, and soon found a spot that had not entirely collapsed, setting down his basket and sitting to catch his breath.

Journeying through the Dragonfall Abyss was a taxing ordeal; a single misstep could lead one into the domain of a savage beast or an ancient immortal’s array. Fortunately, he was cautious enough to arrive safely at this strange land.

The place was recorded in the archives of the Scripture Pavilion; it was once the Fufeng Pavilion of the Celestial Court. Its master perished in battle years ago, and though the array outside had lost most of its power over time, it posed no threat to him now.

The greatest danger here was the descendants of a beast called the Bloodscale Python, once raised by the pavilion master. According to the latest bamboo slip from the Scripture Pavilion, the strongest creatures here were a pair of Bloodscale Pythons, both at the ninth tier of the Void Refining Realm. Given their longevity, they should still be alive and remain the overlords of this territory.

Bloodscale Pythons were not particularly difficult to handle; aside from their feeding times, they tended to be docile, provided one did not trespass into the forbidden grounds of the Fufeng Pavilion.

Mo Bufan settled the Fire Marten mother and child, watching as the mother finished feeding her young and drifted into peaceful sleep. He took out some prepared dry rations, ate simply, and began to meditate and rest.

Outside, night had fully fallen, and the entire Dragonfall Abyss was about to be enveloped in darkness.

Night and day held little difference in the Abyss; neither was inherently more dangerous, but darkness always bred fear. After a brief contemplation, Mo Bufan decided to rest here for the night and resume his journey at dawn.

He meditated quietly until deep into the night, as beastly roars echoed outside. Occasionally, he sensed the aura of some demonic beasts approaching, but none dared come too close to this forbidden ground, soon retreating.

As for the Bloodscale Pythons, Mo Bufan sensed nothing of their presence, confirming the accuracy of his earlier judgment.

Time flowed like water; in the blink of an eye, the night was gone. Mo Bufan’s strained nerves gradually relaxed in the latter half, and he awoke refreshed from his rest.

Early in the morning, he was roused by the whimpering of the young Fire Marten feeding. Opening his eyes, he glanced at the affectionate pair, stretched, and said to the mother, “Rest a bit more; we’ll leave soon.”

The mother nodded in an almost human manner.

Mo Bufan stretched, stepped outside the cave, and breathed in the fresh air of the Abyss, feeling invigorated.

But just then, as his aura unfolded, he sensed seven distinct energies swaggering into the forbidden domain of the Bloodscale Pythons not far away. Alarmed, he thought, “Which fool is courting death? Don’t drag me into it!”

When the territory of Bloodscale Pythons was invaded, nearby beasts or cultivators were inevitably caught in the aftermath.

With that thought, Mo Bufan wasted no time, rushed back into the cave, scooped up the Fire Marten mother and child, and placed them in the bamboo building, muttering, “It’s dangerous here, let’s leave quickly.”

Sure enough, as soon as he stepped out, a thunderous beastly roar erupted deep within the ruins. Before his eyes, two towering pythons, each more than thirty feet long, raised their heads from among the debris.

“Good heavens!” Mo Bufan muttered, and dashed out of the forbidden zone, stopping beside a small hill. Climbing a giant tree, he curiously peered into the forbidden grounds.

He was eager to see which reckless fool had dared charge so arrogantly into the Bloodscale Pythons’ domain.

As his gaze swept the scene, he immediately recognized a familiar figure: Lu Feng.

Seven people had already ventured a hundred yards into the ruins. Upon seeing the two giant pythons, they immediately turned and bolted. Leading the group was an elderly man carrying a girl of eighteen or nineteen, with Lu Feng close behind, followed by four others of lesser cultivation.

“Seeking death!” Mo Bufan remarked dryly. “But why is that fellow here? Could he be chasing after me?”

…

The seven were indeed the royal princess of Yuelai and her entourage, who had pursued Mo Bufan all the way here.

Their pursuit had been relentless, thanks mostly to the princess's tireless enthusiasm. She was having the time of her life in the Dragonfall Abyss.

With a master at her side, there was little here that could harm her, not to mention the thrill of encountering exotic beasts and collecting treasures after her teacher slew them. For a princess cloistered in the palace all her life, this adventure was exhilarating.

Their journey was nothing short of miraculous. Unlike Mo Bufan, they lacked any deep knowledge of the Abyss, nor could they sense the territories of demonic beasts or the flows of aura. They blundered through, stumbling upon many beasts.

Fortunately, the elder Shangguan was formidable enough to fend off threats, and by dawn, they sensed Mo Bufan was nearby.

Shangguan could roughly discern Mo Bufan’s direction thanks to his cultivation and keen observation, but inadvertently led them right into the forbidden domain of the Bloodscale Pythons.

Ultimately, it was their own lack of caution. They had already encountered two such forbidden areas, but each time, Shangguan had managed to fend off the beasts and even collect treasures, boosting the princess and her companions’ confidence to reckless heights. So, when faced with this forbidden zone, they charged straight in.

But they hadn’t expected to confront two colossal Bloodscale Pythons. The six immediately fled, but to their shock, the previously stalwart Mr. Shangguan was now running faster than any of them!

Lu Feng and the others were instantly chilled; this time, they’d really stepped on a landmine. Their lives were at stake.

“Old man, stop running, go fight them!” the princess shouted, waving her arms.

“Shut up! You’ve stirred up real trouble now!” For the first time, Shangguan scolded her, secretly regretting his past indulgence. If he kept letting her run wild, he’d pay the price.

Running, Shangguan glanced back; his heart instantly leaped to his throat. One of the Bloodscale Pythons was hurtling toward them, moving even faster than he, nearly upon them in a blink.

“Damn!” he cursed, only to realize he’d only seen one python; the other was nowhere to be found.

With that realization, Shangguan immediately expanded his spiritual sense to search for the other python. The moment his sense unfolded, he stopped dead in his tracks!

At that instant, a python over thirty feet long, covered in jewel-like scarlet scales, lunged at him from the side. Its blood-red eyes and gaping maw, armed with sword-like fangs, made a terrifying sight.

Luckily, Shangguan reacted in time. As the python struck, he summoned a shield shaped like a turtle shell from his waist pouch. With his aura reinforcing it, the shield expanded to a ten-foot diameter, blocking in front of him.

With a deafening crash, the python’s head smashed against the shield, sending a shockwave that felled several saplings nearby.

The princess had never witnessed such terror at such close range. Seeing the python’s crimson tongue, bloodlust-filled eyes, and those fearsome fangs, she shrieked, “Ah…”

Stunned, she struggled out of Shangguan’s arms, fell to the ground, and immediately scrambled away.

“Girl, come back!” Shangguan shouted, but had no hand free to rescue his apprentice.

The Bloodscale Python, missing its mark, twisted to attack from the side again.

Shangguan was not to be outdone; his hands formed seals, and a sword glowing blue flew from his waist, expanding several meters in length. It became a ghostly blue streak battling the giant python.

Meanwhile, as the princess fled, she only managed two steps before the scene behind her utterly petrified her.

The second Bloodscale Python, little different from the first, transformed into a streak of red light and crashed into Lu Feng and the others. With a mighty impact, sand and rocks flew, and the group was thrown aside, powerless to resist.

Worse, as they were hurled through the air, the python’s jaws opened wide and instantly swallowed two of them whole.

The princess was paralyzed with fear, retreating until she tripped and fell.

At that moment, the python fixed its gaze on her. With a roar, it lunged to swallow her head.

Had it bitten down, the princess would surely have perished!

She was so terrified she lost all sense, eyes wide with panic, forgetting even to dodge.

As the python was about to devour her, a streak of blue light flashed, slashing at the python’s vulnerable spot, knocking the thirty-foot beast to the ground.

“Girl, run!” Shangguan’s voice thundered in her ears. He had just endured a violent blow from the python, staggering back and coughing blood, his face deathly pale.

At last, the princess came to her senses, scrambled up, and ran forward, crying uncontrollably.

Behind her, Lu Feng’s voice rang out, “Protect the princess…”

Elsewhere, Mo Bufan watched the fierce, brutal battle unfold like a scene from a game, and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Good heavens!”

But then, a grave question arose: should he intervene?

It was a ridiculous question, especially in the survivalist world of cultivation. Anyone who thought it was a dilemma would be regarded as a fool.

Yet Mo Bufan came from the twenty-first century; as a modern youth, his deeply ingrained upbringing made him feel guilty for standing by and watching.

Most importantly, he truly had the power to stop or even kill the two giant pythons, though it would come at some cost.

He reached into his pocket, fingering a stack of Spirit Sword Talismans, torn by inner conflict.

“Spirit Sword Talismans are just material things; saving a life is worth more than building seven pagodas…”

“To save someone is a small effort; if you have the power and don’t act, your character is deeply flawed. One lapse leads to another, and you become the kind of person you once despised…”

“Mo Bufan, have all those years of education gone to waste? Do you really think you’re writing a novel? These are real lives…”

Voices thundered in Mo Bufan’s mind. At last, he sighed deeply, “Damn this cursed sense of justice!”