Mirror Lake Moon

Yu Mo stood with his hands behind his back, and after a moment he slowly said, "Since we've come this far, we might as well go all the way. How can we give up halfway?"

Yan Dan looked at him in surprise and blurted out, "Yu Mo?"

Yu Mo raised his hand and gently pushed her shoulder: "Let's go." Yan Dan understood perfectly, smiled slightly at him, and a shallow dimple appeared on her right cheek.

Tao Ziqi rowed the small boat to the center of the lake, then suddenly pushed off with the oar and plunged into the water with a splash, rippling the calm surface. Yu Mo, bracing himself against the gunwale, said calmly, "I'll go down first." With that, he followed her into the water.

It was nearly dusk, and the pale red sunset dyed the clouds on the horizon crimson, even rippling the emerald lake with a faint red glow. Yan Dan leaned over the side of the boat and peered into the water, then looked up at the sky, and couldn't help but say, "On a night with stars and a moon, wouldn't it be like a mirror reflecting the moon on the lake?"

Tang Zhou looked at her porcelain-like face, her eyes crinkling slightly when she smiled, clear and innocent, and couldn't help but sigh softly, "Why did you all have to come along?"

Yan Dan shook her finger and said with a smile, "Please don't misunderstand, I'm not doing this for you. First, it's to help you meet that girl of your dreams as soon as possible. Second, life is really boring, and it's good to have something to do now and then." She turned to look at the sunset on the horizon, then looked at the water, and murmured, "Strange, why is Yu Mo taking so long?"

She slowly reached into the water, splashed around a couple of times, and suddenly water droplets splashed in front of her. Yu Mo emerged from the water, stretched out his arm to rest on the gunwale, and let out a long breath: "Come on down, I'll lead the way."

Yan Dan jumped off the boat and waved to Tang Zhou, "Come quickly." She reached out and grabbed his wrist, whispering, "Just hold your breath and follow me." She watched Yu Mo dive into the water first, then slowly lowered herself down. Looking up from underwater, the lake water was a crystal-clear light blue, the bottom was covered with white sand and pebbles, and water plants grew everywhere. Occasionally, slender, soft fish would flick their tails and swim past.

Yu Mo waded forward across the water, and after a full three incense sticks' time, he suddenly burst upwards from the water. Yan Dan followed him up, and saw a magnificent palace not far ahead, with marble steps extending into the water. After taking a few steps up, wisps of mist slowly drifted over, swirling around them.

All of this seemed both real and illusory, as if we were walking on a layer of misty clouds.

Outside the palace stands a stone tablet with four ancient seal characters: Mirror Lake and Moon.

Yan Dan turned her head to look at the lake behind her. She saw a bright crescent moon reflected in the lake, its silvery reflection swaying gently with the ripples.

Tang Zhou said in a low voice, "This is the Divine Firmament Palace..."

“The first two times I entered the Divine Firmament Palace, someone guided me, but this time there was none.” Yu Mo turned his head, his brows slightly furrowed. “Since the Palace Master of the Divine Firmament Palace wants to borrow your power to break the seal on the divine artifact, he must have set up traps inside…” Before he could finish speaking, a figure dressed in simple hemp clothing and wearing wooden clogs suddenly appeared at the palace entrance. A wisp of mist drifted by, enveloping the figure in the vast sea of ​​clouds, making it possible to vaguely see the person lifting their robes, moving lightly and gracefully.

Yan Dan couldn't help but exclaim, "That's... Wu Shun?! Didn't he fall into an underground cave? How come he's here?" She took a couple of steps, but found that the distance between them hadn't shrunk; instead, it was getting wider. The herb gatherer, Wu Shun, seemed to be being led by something, his steps quickening.

Tang Zhou looked at her and asked, "What if you've mistaken me for someone else?"

Yan Dan also had some doubts, and could only say, "Perhaps I saw it wrong."

“Yan Dan is always meticulous, and she hasn’t made a mistake before. That person is very likely Wu Shun,” Yu Mo said calmly. Yan Dan was flattered: “Actually, I’m not as meticulous as you say. You’re too kind.”

The Divine Firmament Palace was now in sight, and everything in sight was pitch black and silent.

The three walked slowly into the darkness, their footsteps making soft thuds. After walking for a while, Yan Dan finally couldn't help but say, "Why is it still so dark here? They haven't even lit a candle." She was just complaining casually, but as soon as she finished speaking, there was a hissing sound, and candles suddenly lit up all around them.

Yu Mo's expression was somewhat complicated. He said decisively, "Let's go quickly, lest something unexpected happens..." Before he could finish his sentence, a series of hissing sounds came from both sides, and large clusters of flames surged up, instantly turning the ground slightly red. Tang Zhou couldn't help but exclaim, "The ground here is actually made of iron!"

Yan Dan was now quite certain that she had encountered some nemesis these past few days. At first, she didn't feel anything after running a few steps, but after a short while, she felt as if her feet were on fire. Both sides of the passageway were engulfed in raging flames, their tongues flickering and constantly engulfing them. Yan Dan only smelled a burning odor and didn't bother to figure out where it was coming from; she could only keep running forward. Her only consolation was that she was a demon, which made her experience in this fiery hell somewhat easier than that of a mortal.

In the blink of an eye, the path came to an end, revealing a vast expanse of plum blossom stakes. The stakes were more than two people tall, their bases covered with dense, gleaming iron spikes, sharp enough to be unmistakable without even testing. If one were to accidentally fall onto a plum blossom stake, a thousand spikes would pierce one's heart; even the most skilled person, who could land steadily, would surely have their feet pierced.

Yan Dan hesitated for a moment, unsure whether she should look for another way out. Yu Mo had already leaped onto the plum blossom stakes without hesitation. Seeing her still in a daze, he said impatiently, "What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and get on!"

Yan Dan had no choice but to use her demonic energy to ride the wind upwards, stepping onto the stakes. Looking down, she felt a chill run down her spine. The fact that the Palace Master of Shenxiao Palace could come up with such a method of cultivation showed that he must have something wrong with himself.

Tang Zhou walked across the plum blossom stakes without even changing his expression, as if walking on flat ground. Yan Danqi said, "Tang Zhou, you seem to be very good at this..."

Tang Zhou turned to look at her and replied casually, "Most martial artists have practiced plum blossom stakes, and my master also favors them."

Yan Dan suddenly realized what was happening. A loud boom echoed behind her, followed by a massive heatwave and a strong smell of sulfur. Startled, she quickly moved forward, the heatwave following closely behind. She didn't need to look back to know what had happened: the Palace Master of Shenxiao Palace had laid gunpowder at the entrance, and lit the fuse as soon as they entered.

The explosions were deafening, and small flames kept shooting towards her. She could even smell the burning odor emanating from her own hair, but the plum blossom stakes in front of her showed no sign of ending.

Hearing the wind whistling behind her, Yan Dan decisively dodged several flames, then immediately stepped onto a stake. Before she was fully steady, she leaped forward to another stake. Such agility was something she had never even imagined in most of her life; every movement was absolutely clean and swift.

As she was getting into the swing of things, she was beginning to understand why mortals always liked to use such strange and unusual things when practicing martial arts. Suddenly, a figure flashed before her eyes. In less than the blink of an eye, a tall, slender, and elegant figure stood on the plum blossom stake she had her eye on. It was none other than the Palace Master of Shenxiao Palace!

Yan Dan was in mid-air and could clearly see his face: she had seen many good-looking humans and demons, but this was the first time she had ever seen someone who looked like this. If the Palace Master of Shenxiao Palace was ugly, his features were incredibly handsome, but if he was handsome, then there was no one in this world who was ugly.

She watched helplessly as that face drew closer and closer, until their noses were almost touching, and finally let out a long, choked breath: "Ahhh, get away from me! Ahhh—"

As she spoke, the demonic aura emanating from her body instantly dissipated, her body sank, and she immediately fell to the ground. Fortunately, she reacted extremely quickly, reaching up and grabbing onto the edge of the post. She swayed in mid-air for a moment, occasionally glancing down and immediately seeing the gleaming iron spikes below, causing her heart to tremble involuntarily.

Tang Zhou's voice was still far away at first, but before he could finish speaking, it was already right in front of him: "If you dare to step on it, I will make sure you can never break the seal on the divine artifact in this lifetime!"

Yan Dan was deeply moved. Although Tang Zhou hadn't always treated her well, he was reliable in this crucial moment. She struggled to reach out her other hand to pull herself up from the stake, only to see a pair of dark green satin boots poised to strike at any moment. Yan Dan struggled with herself. Should she hold on no matter what, or let go immediately? After all, if the Palace Master of Shenxiao Palace were to stomp down, and she couldn't hold on any longer, it would be better to jump down herself from the start to avoid losing face.

After a few moments, there was still no movement. Yan Dan felt her arms starting to ache. Looking around, she saw that the Palace Master of Shenxiao Palace was still standing there, with Yu Mo and Tang Zhou in a standoff with him. Yan Dan sighed. If they continued to stand like this, she didn't know if she could hold out until they were pulled up.

Humans really do have to rely on themselves; relying on others is mostly unreliable, even for demons. Yan Dan spoke gently, "Palace Master of Shenxiao Palace, may I ask you a question? Are you planning to stomp down or retract your foot? Tell me first, then we don't need to stand here, do we?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Yu Mo glanced at her with a fierce look in his eyes.

The Palace Master of Shenxiao Palace said slowly, "I haven't decided yet."

Yan Dan hesitated for a long time, but still didn't have the courage to provoke him, so she could only resign herself to hanging there. The reason she dared to provoke Zi Lin or Yu Mo was because she knew that at most they would give her a little hardship and would never kill her. But she didn't have the courage to provoke the Palace Master of Shenxiao Palace. Besides, angering him would probably only show that she was different from others, but the consequences would be many times more miserable than others.

She clung to the post, gritting her teeth and refusing to let go. She possessed an innate pride that wouldn't tolerate anyone looking down on her.

A soft rustling sound, like the rustling of fabric, was heard, and suddenly her arm was grabbed. Yan Dan looked up and saw Tang Zhou holding her arm. She couldn't help but ask, "Has the Palace Master of Shenxiao Palace left?"

Tang Zhou nodded and smiled slightly, "You're quite lucky; he actually left just like that."

Yan Dan suddenly breathed a sigh of relief and murmured, "It's good that they're gone..."

Whether it was Yu Mo or Tang Zhou, she at least knew how much stronger they were than her, but when facing the Palace Master of Shenxiao Palace, she had no confidence at all, which made her afraid.

At the end of the plum blossom stake path stood a palace paved with cold marble, quiet, silent, and devoid of human presence. Soft, flickering lights reflected on the marble slabs, like will-o'-the-wisps.

Before them stood a large, intricately carved bronze door, its knocker a lifelike lion with its mouth open, baring its fangs. What awaited them beyond this door?

Tang Zhou glanced at his companions, then resolutely stepped forward and pushed open the bronze door. With a heavy creak, the door opened, revealing a room with extremely elegant and simple furnishings, almost identical to the one they had seen in the Niangniang Tomb Passage in Qing Shi Town. The only difference was that a stone tablet stood in the center, engraved with crooked characters and patterns.

Before the stone tablet stood a disheveled man in hemp clothing, his clothes stained with mud, looking thin and wretched. Hearing someone approach behind him, he simply stared blankly at the tablet, motionless. Yan Dan recognized him as Wu Shun, the herb gatherer, and took two steps forward, asking curiously, "What are you doing here?"

Wu Shun, however, paid no attention and remained standing motionless.

Tang Zhou also found it strange and wanted to go forward to investigate, but he had only taken a few steps when he suddenly felt dizzy and his vision blurred, as if it were the vast chaos before the creation of the world. There was no light, no vegetation, only endless darkness and helplessness. He didn't know where he was and could only let that mysterious force pull him along.

This force is completely irresistible.

He vaguely heard Yan Dan's voice, seemingly not far away. But he didn't panic, as if he vaguely knew this would happen.

Looking back one last time, he clearly saw the herb gatherer Wu Shun with a strange smile on his face, and his figure suddenly grew several inches taller. A human skin mask slowly fell to his feet, revealing his ugly yet refined face.

As the water ripples on the stone tablet gradually subsided, the Palace Master of Shenxiao Palace murmured to himself, "I hope they can reach the end of the Demon Realm smoothly..." He slowly reached out and untied his coarse linen robe, revealing a pale white outer robe underneath, completely unadorned, even the sash was white. Back then, only human sacrifices would dress like this.

He gently touched the strange inscriptions on the stone tablet, speaking slowly, word by word: "Chu Mo, demons arise from the heart..." Suddenly, he stiffened, immediately feeling a cold sword blade pressed against his back. Without even turning his head, he said calmly, "It's you?"

"My Lord, you never imagined you'd end up with someone pointing a sword at you, did you?" Tao Ziqi's tone was icy, filled with hatred. "I've been waiting for this day for a long time."

"I only remember that I have always treated you well." The Palace Master of Shenxiao Palace turned her head slightly, but unexpectedly saw that her face was full of resentment. This anger and hatred seemed to be irreconcilable.

“I was originally Zi Qi among the Nine Luminaries, and it was because of you…” Her face flushed, and a smile slowly bloomed in her eyes, “You don’t remember anything that happened during the battle between immortals and demons back then, do you?”

The Palace Master of Shenxiao Palace, whose breathing had been steady, suddenly froze for a moment.

"I know you can't remember now, and you never will." Tao Ziqi thrust her longsword forward. "You'll go down with them! No one in this world can tell you what happened back then. You'll be stuck with the past for the rest of your life!"

The Palace Master of Shenxiao Palace had no choice but to take two steps forward. He felt as if the world was suddenly spinning and he was dizzy. He suddenly turned around, reached out and pinched Tao Ziqi's longsword, twisted it with force, and with a clang, the sword broke off. The broken blade pierced Tao Ziqi's throat.

"So what if it's the Purple Qi of the Nine Luminaries? The consequences of betrayal are the same..."

The water ripples on the stone tablet suddenly subsided, leaving only a broken longsword lying on the ground with a clanging sound.

Zi Qi lay prostrate on the ground, tears streaming down her face. Her throat was injured, and she was on the verge of death, unable to speak clearly. She could only utter a name, mumbled and strained, "Ji Du..."