Chapter 60 The Gabion Trap "Good, very good."...

Startled by her sudden movement, the creature transformed into a jade ring around her wrist, its two beady eyes staring straight at her, and it began to murmur, seemingly saying something unintelligible.

She raised her hand to comfort her, her gaze slightly somber.

Since Lin Feiran met Ru Xian, he either slept soundly during the day or wandered around at night. Although he was a bit arrogant and willful, he was by no means a bloodthirsty person. She had never seen him act viciously or violently.

In addition to the various events that have occurred during this period, and the fact that he had to recuperate due to the removal of the curse and the sealing of his meridians, leaving him to rely on her for many matters, Lin Feiran naturally developed a protective instinct towards him.

These were feelings she herself had never realized.

Although there are many rumors about the Demon Lord in the Demon Realm, they are ultimately just rumors and lack real-world relevance. She finds it difficult to connect Ru Xian with the ruler of a realm.

Therefore, she did feel somewhat worried at this moment.

Lin Feiran closed his eyes and tried to connect with the Tai Chi Yin-Yang fish.

A faint light shone from the etched lines beneath her eyes, where a black fish was submerged. Hearing her call, it floated up, creating ripples—this was the meaning of their connection.

After waiting a few breaths, there was no echo except for the soft sounds of white fish leaping into the water.

"..."

At least the fact that Baiyu was unharmed meant that his life was not in danger at the moment.

Having done all this in just a few breaths, Lin Feiran calmed his mind and focused on looking around.

This was an extremely strange stone cage. It was not airtight, but rather carved with openwork patterns, enveloping the two people like a crisscrossing stone bead.

A blue lamp was lit on the top of the stone chamber, but the light was limited, illuminating only the area inside; beyond that, it was all darkness.

Lin Feiran looked at the scholar who was covering his head and asked, "Fellow Daoist, we meet again. When did you wake up? Is there anything unusual?"

He paused for a moment, then bowed again: "May I ask your name, fellow Daoist?"

Lin Feiran raised his hand in return: "My name is Wenran, an ordinary rogue cultivator."

The scholar bowed again: "So it's Fellow Daoist Wen. I am a student of the Imperial Academy during the sinking period. It is an honor to be trapped here with you. Um, I am not skilled in martial arts, so please let's keep things peaceful!"

Lin Feiran: "...Of course."

Before the two could exchange more than a few pleasantries, a bell rang out, its sound deafening and clearing the mind from the altar, causing the blue lamp above their heads to tremble.

As soon as they finished speaking, two scrolls about half an arm's length appeared in front of them. They were made of brocade with jade labels hanging below them, and each scroll depicted a different kind of flower for the month. They were the "Compendium of Flowers" that they had obtained when they entered the city.

In an instant, the two of them simultaneously grasped the jade pieces engraved with their real names. When they looked at each other, they both saw a fleeting look of surprise and embarrassment in each other's eyes.

When Shen Qi realized that his lie had been exposed, he blushed and looked away first. Lin Feiran also shifted his shoulders uncomfortably and turned to look at the spectrum in his hand.

On the chart, twelve kinds of flowers appear as if painted with dry ink, their colors light yet lifelike. A glimmer of light flashes by, the flowers and leaves remain still, and only a line of wild cursive script appears on both sides of the scroll, the brushstrokes extremely fast, the words few.

[Opening the book will summon the Flower Chart; disciples must not kill each other. The first to collect all twelve seasonal flowers wins.]

The ink faded, and silence fell all around; there was no other sound.

Shen Qi moved his satchel aside, drew a bamboo pen from his waist, and touched the brocade. He leaned closer to Lin Feiran and said, "Fellow Daoist Wen, you only said a few words? But you didn't explain how to collect the flowers, or what the flowers are for..."

Lin Feiran lowered her eyes in thought, stroking the jade token in her palm. Suddenly, she remembered that when she received the Book of Beauties, she had a quarrel with Hanshan Jun. She had even drawn a summer lotus and exchanged a few moves with him.

Later, she casually stuffed the lotus flower into her mustard seed bag.

Lin Feiran's eyes lit up slightly, and he immediately took out a pink lotus from his mustard seed bag. There were still a few pieces of ice on its stem.

Shen Qi raised an eyebrow and said happily, "Fellow Daoist Wen, you actually have flowers! Quickly, give them a try!"

Lin Feiran nodded, took the flower, and examined the scroll. For a moment, she was at a loss as to where to begin. After the two pondered for a while without success, she simply picked up the flower branch and swept it randomly across the chart.

Suddenly, a delicate fragrance wafted by, and the pink lotus in my hand melted into a handful of clear water, which dripped into the painting, first swirling on the lotus leaves before flowing into the lotus petals.

With a light stroke, a touch of rouge spreads down from the tip of the petal, instantly adding color to the ink painting.

Shen Qi exclaimed in surprise, "They actually got inside!"

Lin Feiran moved her empty hand, somewhat regretting it: "But how do we take it out? If spiritual power can only be generated through flowers, wouldn't we have lost one?"

A smile froze on her lips. After a long silence, she smiled bitterly again and said, "It's probably my fault. I've been unlucky since birth. Maybe I'm too close and have dragged you and your flowers down with me."

Seeing him take several steps back, Lin Feiran couldn't help but say, "You change your expression very quickly."

There was an indescribable undertone in his words, as if he was deliberately trying to elicit pity for him.

Shen Qi stumbled and accidentally stepped into the carved crevice. His right leg fell straight down, and his buttocks slammed into the hard stone. He gasped in pain, "Fellow Daoist Wen, you're so quick to speak your mind! I've just become accustomed to the ups and downs of life, so I blame myself before others criticize me!"

Lin Feiran was just saying it casually, she didn't mean anything by it. She was just a little impressed because it was the first time she had seen someone change their expression so smoothly.

"A very clever habit."

She made this assessment, then, supporting herself with her longsword, knelt on one knee beside him and looked down.

She had initially thought the gabion was standing on the ground, but when Shen Qi stepped into empty air, she realized that the gabion must have been hanging from the ceiling.

Why bother hanging him up?

Shen Qi had been speaking eloquently and logically until Lin Feiran squatted down beside him, exuding a calm and collected aura, at which point he immediately fell silent.

The girl had a deep and serene expression, and her movements were slow and composed. Her head was slightly turned to the side, as if she were listening intently to something.

A few breaths later, Shen Qi asked, "Fellow Daoist Wen, what are you listening to?"

Lin Feiran shook her head: "I'm just feeling it."

In the darkness, one cannot rely on the eyes, nor can one completely trust the ears; what one can trust is the intuition honed through countless battles.

"There's something watching us from below, slowly approaching."

Shen Qi abruptly pulled his leg back, causing a bruise to appear. He held his breath, his voice growing lower, "What was that?"

Lin Feiran pondered for a moment, then decisively drew her longsword. Shen Qi immediately fell silent, pressed against the cage wall, and silently watched her leap up. A flash of light swept across, and she actually picked out a candle flame from the lamp and lit it on the tip of her sword.

She said, "It's a living thing; you'll know once you see it."

Lin Feiran walked to the cage wall, held her sword horizontally in front of her, and the candlelight was only a finger's distance from her lips. The dim blue light reflected in her eyes could not block out the clear light in them.

She moved her lips slightly and blew out a breath. The blue flames on the sword fell, and in an instant, the fire spread like wildfire.

"Ah!" Shen Qi exclaimed in surprise, trembling as he protected Lin Fei and took two steps back, his eyelids twitching wildly.

A huge viper was coiling around the pillar, its greedy eyes fixed on the two of them, drool dripping from its snout, its tongue outstretched, almost licking the stone cage.

"Fellow Daoist Wen! There's a demonic beast!" Shen Qi exclaimed in fear, his voice trembling. "But don't be afraid. I'm so unlucky, I'm bound to twist my ankle while escaping. When that happens, don't worry about me. Just overtake me and run southeast. There's a stone gate there. I just saw it!"

Lin Feiran looked at him silently, then stood in front of him, her voice steady: "Calm yourself down first, then just stand behind me."

Seeing her so calm, Shen Qi's frantic heartbeat suddenly calmed down. He blinked and looked closer, then asked, "Fellow Daoist Wen, since spiritual power is currently unusable, do you already have a way to deal with such a huge viper?"

“A little.” She pressed down on the heavy weapon on her wrist and picked up only her disciple’s sword. “In the past, when I went down the mountain, I killed many vipers and snakes, so I know them very well.”

She leaped down and took the only green lamp, handing it to Chen Qi: "They live underground all year round, their eyesight is very poor, and they can't stand strong light. When the gabion falls, you run to the edge and wait for orders. Once you get my command, immediately blow out the candle."

"Yes, yes, I will obey!" Shen Qi took the green lamp and examined it thoroughly, turning it over and over. It looked very familiar. "This is... this is..."

"Blue flames and a green core, the fire is nine centimeters long, and the chill is faint. This is the Azure Netherfire." Lin Feiran stared intently at the darkness, still having the strength to answer.

Shen Qi suddenly realized that this was a breath of life, and the Azure Nether Flame that rose from the Half-Sea Floating Pagoda!

No wonder it burned so brightly with just one breath!

The time of reckoning was drawing ever closer: "But how are we going to get down?"

"Wait." Lin Feiran suddenly took two steps back with him. "Although the pillar is tall, it is not wide enough. As it goes higher, it will only get further and further away from us. So it will definitely spray out poison to corrode the gabion and cause us to fall into the arena."

Sure enough, a hoarse, chilling trill came from the darkness.

"Turn around!"

Lin Feiran immediately pulled him back and squatted down. Both of them were wearing magic robes, which could temporarily resist the poison, but the stone cage was different. In just a moment, the top of it began to loosen.

As the gabion swayed, Lin Feiran stood up to steady himself, grabbed Chen Qi by the back of his collar, and kicked the cage wall. With a sudden jolt, the gabion plummeted to the ground.

The viper coiled around the pillar, watching helplessly as the cage fell. Caught off guard, it hurriedly turned and scurried down.

Shen Qi was a true disciple of the Imperial Academy, following the path of the wondrous brush. The hand that held the brush never held a sword, nor was he skilled in martial arts or movement techniques. As he fell, he threw all notions of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame back to his teacher, clinging tightly to Lin Feiran and holding onto the green lamp, suppressing his gasps of surprise.

Just as they were about to land, Lin Feiran leaped out of the stone cage with him, flipping over in mid-air. The satchel hanging on Shen Qi's body was flung away by the speed and disappeared without a trace.

Is this how all sword cultivators are?

Lin Feiran couldn't hear his inner cries. As soon as she landed, she put down Chen Qi and disappeared into the darkness.

With a lamp in his hand, Shen Qi was a natural target. He dared not delay for a moment, immediately got up from the ground and ran to the left. As his heart pounded, he heard a terrifying rustling sound approaching and the stench of saliva came, making him want to vomit!

"Blow the fire!"

As the loud voice rang out, Shen Qi immediately picked up a piece of Azure Netherfire, turned around and blew on it fiercely. In an instant, the scorching flames burst open, forcing the viper to stop and burning out a bright area as bright as day.

In that bright instant, Lin Feiran strode out, leaping from the side of the serpent. With a cold blade, he skillfully and cunningly pried his disciple's sword under the scales, dodging its armor and piercing its tender flesh. A series of slashes followed, and blood gushed forth.

The snake's belly bled red, and in extreme pain, it lashed out with its tail and charged at Lin Feiran in a fit of rage. But she vanished again, and it could not be found anywhere. So it could only vent its anger on the lantern boy!

Shen Qi was terrified. He muttered Confucian classics and ran forward with his head down.

"Blow the fire!"

With another clear shout, before Shen Qi could even think, his body stopped abruptly, and he flicked out a wisp of flame.

The light within the viper's vision was intensely bright and dazzling. For a moment, all it could see was a white blur. But it had learned its lesson before. During its brief blindness, it swept its tail across, preventing anyone from getting close.

But Lin Feiran was clearly not going to give it a chance to catch its breath. Taking advantage of its fury and rage, she darted out from the left side again, dodging left and right, and did the same thing again, her sword tip aimed straight at the snake's belly, leaving another long bloody mark.

The viper regained its sight, roared to the sky, and exclaimed, "There's one, there's two, but will there be a third?!"

It tensed its body, disregarded everything else, and rushed straight towards the green lamp!

In his moment of crisis, his bad luck did not disappoint him. Just as he inexplicably stepped on a pebble and fell to his knees, the pursuing viper also crashed into a stone pillar with a dull thud, which pleased everyone.

Shen Qi looked back and seemed to sense something. He quickly picked up a pinch of Azure Netherfire, and sure enough, he heard the command.

So he spoke before he thought, and once again exhaled a wisp of life force. As the light shone brightly, he saw Lin Feiran leaping up on a snake's body. Her calm features were like those of a goddess from a sacred mountain, and her clear eyes reflected the filthy blood.

She landed on the snake's head, her long sword piercing precisely in front of her. In an instant, the snake stopped moving, and its previously slashed belly exploded open, scattering across the ground.

Shen Qi held up the green lantern, his gaze slightly fixed, and he opened his mouth slightly to look up. That figure stood there like a sharp sword shadow, making it hard to look away.

The viper collapsed limply, and Lin Feiran stepped off its head. With a wave of his hand, the blood on his sword vanished.

She sheathed her sword and strode towards the small door in the southeast, saying cautiously, "I wonder if there are any more demonic beasts here. We don't have much Azure Netherfire left, so it's best to leave as soon as possible."

"Oh, oh!" Shen Qi, carrying the blue lantern, rolled up his sleeves, ran to the vicinity to pick up his satchel, and then ran towards Lin Feiran.

This person is truly superior in terms of decisiveness, temperament, and patience. He has decided that before leaving this strange place, he will follow her lead!

The two pushed open the small door in the southeast corner. Behind the door was a narrow passage that could only be passed by one person at a time. Shen Qi carried the lantern to the back and felt a chill in the wind. He couldn't help but rub his arms and move a few steps closer.

"Fellow Daoist Wen, could this be a dead end?"

Lin Feiran didn't turn his head, but his voice was not cold at all, but rather very gentle: "No, there is only one door to enter and exit the venue. The Sage has no grudge against us, so why would we create a dead end for him?"

Shen Qi muttered again, "But I'm unlucky, what if..."

Lin Feiran replied, "Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise. Your bad luck just now saved your life. Besides, if it weren't for your help with the lantern, I would have had a tough fight today by myself. Luck is luck, and you are you."

She quickened her pace a few more steps, only to find the surrounding lights dimming. She turned around and saw Shen Qi standing there, stunned.

He never imagined that such words would come from a stranger, someone they didn't even know the other's real name.

Just as his emotions were churning and waves were rising, he saw Lin Feiran frown and say something.

"What are you doing? This path is so narrow, it must be a passage for snakes. Hurry up..."

The commotion subsided, and before Lin Feiran could finish speaking, Shen Qi hurriedly left with the lantern.

As expected, the words spoken by the senior students were all wise and insightful; there was no need to discuss anything with those who were practicing swordsmanship.

Lin Feiran was puzzled and was about to speak when the black fish in his eyes suddenly moved, and he heard a few very shallow and light breaths, full of satisfaction, which made people feel hot.

She paused, then continued on without making a sound, sending a telepathic message: "My Lord? Are you alright?"

After a long while, his slightly hoarse voice finally rang out: "Great, very good."