Danger in the Painting

Xu Shulou smiled brightly at his fellow apprentices and sisters: "Why did you come here?"

"Thanks to Fifth Senior Brother," Bai Roushuang looked at Jiang Yan, "He has a lot of experience... of going out with you."

Xu Shulou dusted off the little foxes. Bai Roushuang could only barely guess from this detail how fierce the situation of their being chased in the painting was.

"Is there anyone guarding outside?"

Bai Roushuang nodded: "There are many people, more than you can imagine."

"There are even some in the sky, as if they are afraid that you will break through the roof and escape." Jiang Yan crossed her arms and looked at her, "The Flying Eagle Sect hasn't encountered such a provocation in many years. They must capture you and bring you back to serve as a warning to others."

"I guess so," Xu Shulou sighed and comforted the fox in his arms, "By the way, I met your third senior brother."

Jiang Yan was slightly startled: "Where is it?"

"He works as a painter here," Xu Shulou said with a smile, "I'll take you to see him now."

"Painter? That seems to suit him," Jiang Yan laughed. He obviously knew his third brother very well. "How many jobs has he had over the years? Could it be that he has been bankrupted by his spirit pets again?"

As they headed towards the 20th floor, they chatted casually.

"Yes, he also got a new Shuyan."

"Shu Yan? That thing is useless, few people keep it."

Shu Yan has a nice name, but he looks just like a goose in the human world. His skills are just like those of a goose in the human world - he can peck people. He flies higher than a goose, and his teeth are sharper. When fighting an enemy, if he pecks a monk, the wound will be so painful that it will not heal for a hundred days, and even the best elixir will not work.

But it was useless because the monks were not made of wood. They could fly and hide, so it was difficult for it to catch up with them.

“Abandoned by others.”

"No wonder, with Third Senior Brother's character, he dared to plot against the Merciless Dao? I really don't know what he was thinking." Jiang Yan couldn't help but sigh. Those spirit pets that had never signed a contract with the monks lived freely, but for the sake of cultivation, many of them would voluntarily sign a contract with the monks, but there were risks. Once they were abandoned after signing a contract, their spiritual power would gradually dry up, their spiritual intelligence would be blocked, and they would become ordinary animals, unless another monk signed a contract with them.

Fortunately, there are not many cultivators in the world of cultivation who would abandon their pets. After all, even a guy like Wei Xuandao, who had a good character, did not say that he would abandon the Chifeng bird with a small bald spot on its buttocks after witnessing his Chifeng bird giving its tail feathers to Xu Shulou.

A contract can guarantee the loyalty of a spirit pet, but there are also those that do not have a contract, like the spirit pets around Feng Yi. Many of them have not signed a contract. They are just kept by his side and can leave at any time, but they are unwilling to leave.

"The good news is that he has given up the ruthless path." Xu Shulou was very pleased for his third junior brother.

The group came all the way to the 20th floor. Feng Yi was still busy with the landscape painting, with a touch of bamboo green paint accidentally stained on his face. He was quite surprised to see Jiang Yan: "Fifth Junior Brother, are you also being hunted down with Senior Sister?"

"No, she was the one being hunted. I was just passing by."

“…”

Xu Shulou introduced Bai Roushuang to Feng Yi: "This is the last junior sister to join. Her surname is Bai and her name is Roushuang. You should have heard about her when you were traveling abroad."

"Junior sister." Feng Yi greeted her with a smile.

Bai Roushuang smiled politely: "Hello, Third Brother."

Feng Yi is a solemn and dignified person, cheerful and upright, who makes people like him at first sight.

"Brother, I have nothing of my own. How about you pick one of my pets as a gift?"

"This... How can I take away someone's wishes?"

Feng Yi said sincerely: "It really doesn't matter, you can even pick a few more."

"Ah..." Bai Roushuang looked at her senior sister blankly.

Xu Shulou had no choice but to come out and smooth things over: "Let's forget about the gift for now. The most urgent thing is to think about how to avoid the pursuit of the Flying Eagle Sect. Do you know which is the most hidden painting in the Taixu Realm?"

"Speaking of the most hidden one," Feng Yi pondered, "it would probably be the painting on the top floor. If we can find a way to trick the senior sister from the Flying Eagle Sect into entering the painting, they will definitely not dare to chase in."

Bai Roushuang asked curiously, "Why?"

"Because the painting is extremely dangerous, over the years, many people have entered but few have come out," Feng Yi explained. "If we can make them mistakenly believe that Senior Sister has entered the painting, the people guarding the door might disperse, because they will think that you will never come out again."

"What's so special about this painting?" Xu Shulou asked, "Can I really enter the painting to avoid being hunted down?"

"That painting was not created by the painter in the building, but was obtained by the owner from somewhere. It is extremely dangerous," Feng Yi warned, "Few people can walk out alive, so I suggest you don't try."

Xu Shulou frowned: "In this case, let's forget it for now."

Everyone looked at her in surprise.

"What are you guys surprised about?" Xu Shulou was puzzled. "Do I look like someone who likes to die for no reason?"

The fellow students all said in unison: "Yes."

“…”

Bai Roushuang asked curiously, "Sister, if you like to look for...well, I mean, the painting is so dangerous, why would anyone want to go in? Is it just for the thrill?"

Feng Yi shook his head: "Not really, after all, everyone is here to have fun, not to die."

Even if you like thrills and excitement, you still like the feeling of being able to survive a thrill and the exhilaration of surviving a disaster. Not many people like to die after experiencing a thrill.

"What is that?"

Feng Yi sighed, "If you can successfully get out of that painting, you can get 100,000 high-quality spirit stones from the master of Taixu Realm. There will definitely be brave men under such a heavy reward."

"One hundred thousand?" Xu Shulou was somewhat tempted. "One hundred thousand can last a long time, and I can also redeem my beloved Third Junior Brother from the Grand Void Realm, and even let him raise hundreds more spiritual pets."

The beloved third apprentice brother was moved and said, "Senior sister, I am a painter, not a prostitute."

Bai Roushuang asked: "How many people have received these 100,000 spirit stones?"

"There were three in the past hundred years," Feng Yi said, "but later on, fewer and fewer people were willing to try, because it is very likely that one may earn the hundred thousand spirit stones but not spend them. Moreover, not everyone is qualified to enter."

"What qualifications? Does it depend on your realm?"

"Regardless of the realm, the master of Taixu Realm once hired a cultivator who was about to reach the Tribulation Crossing Stage with a large sum of money. When that person entered, he was full of confidence and said frankly that he was about to ascend to the immortal realm and that there was nothing in the world that could trap him. In the end, he was unable to come out," Feng Yi said, "There is a ferocious beast guarding the entrance to the painting. Those who want to enter the painting have to see the beast's mood. If it smiles, it allows you to enter. If it doesn't smile, it doesn't allow you to enter."

"There are such strange rules?" Xu Shulou thought for a moment and asked, "If it is so dangerous, why does the owner of this place pay a large sum of money to lure people in?"

"It is said that his close friend is lost inside, and he wants to find someone to rescue him."

"Save people?" Xu Shulou said seriously, "What is this painting about? Where is the danger?"

"This painting has no name. According to the people who came out of it, it tests one's state of mind."

"State of mind?" Xu Shulou said happily, "I'm familiar with this."

After all, she once used the Heart Demon Mirror as a way to visit her father and mother, and every time she entered the mirror it felt like going home.

"Sister," Feng Yi said seriously, "It is said that this painting can read your memory. It will quickly find your weakness and then set a most dangerous trap for you based on your memory. Have you heard of the name of Shen Qiulian, the lay Buddhist without desire, and Li Qu, who entered the Tao with kindness and was known as a great good man? Even people like that are lost in it."

“What happens to those who are lost?”

"Anyway, they are in the painting and can never get out. We don't know whether they are alive or dead," Feng Yi said, "but the owner of this place seems to firmly believe that these people are still alive, and there are people with strong wills who can bring them out."

Jiang Yan interrupted, "Hasn't someone come out before? Has he ever thought about paying them a large sum of money to go in again to look for someone?"

"Of course there have been," Feng Yi shook his head, "but those people flatly refused. They all said that there was the most terrifying nightmare there and they never wanted to experience it again in their lifetime."

Bai Roushuang was puzzled: "If that's the case, why does Taixu Realm have to set up ferocious beasts to guard the entrance? For the owner of this place, isn't it better for more people to enter?"

"It's for screening," Feng Yi shook his head. "He doesn't want to see people go in and die in vain. The beast can see through people's past. If someone has a past full of haze, he won't let that person into the painting. After all, going in is also a death. It seems that the more inexperienced and pure a person is, the easier it is for them to pass. But such people are hard to find."

"He still has some principles," Xu Shulou murmured, "Then I'll go and take a look. If I can help, I'll help. If I can't, don't let him harm other people again."

"This is too dangerous. Senior sister, there are so many things in your past that can be used..." Seeing Xu Shulou's expression, Feng Yi sighed, "Is it unnecessary for me to say this?"

"Don't worry, since it involves the state of mind, I have some confidence," Xu Shulou patted his shoulder, "I won't go to a situation where I will die. I can't bear to leave this world."

“…”

Bai Roushuang and the others followed their senior sister to the top floor. On the way, they hid from the searchers from the Flying Eagle Sect. When they passed by the pornographic painting, they stopped and looked at it curiously for a moment. As expected, there was no one on the top floor, only a ferocious beast guarding the entrance.

There is a sign not far away, reminding everyone that this painting is dangerous.

There is also a table and chairs next to the sign, on which are thoughtfully placed pens, ink, paper and inkstone. According to Feng Yi, these are used for the person who enters the painting to leave a last message.

“…”

Several people looked at it from a distance. The painting behind the beast didn't look special. It was more ordinary than other paintings in Taixu Realm. Its picture was still. There were gold and jewelry, fine wine and delicacies, official robes and jade seals, magical herbs and elixirs, famous swords and magic weapons, Langhuan Fairy Palace...

It seems that all the desires and aspirations of mortals and monks are reflected in this painting.

It doesn't look scary, but rather somewhat tempting.

Xu Shulou signaled his fellow disciples to stop, handed the fox to them, and stepped forward, exposing himself to the sight of the ferocious beast.

It looked very scary, with horns on its head and a completely black body. When it saw someone approaching, it opened its yellow eyes like copper bells and looked at Xu Shulou.

At a glance, it didn't smile, but looked more serious.

This means she is not allowed to enter.

Seeing the fierce beast's stern face, Bai Roushuang finally breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, fortunately...

Before she finished celebrating, Xu Shulou had already stepped forward, stretched out his hand and pulled the corner of the beast's mouth: "Smile, little darling!"

“…”