Chapter 233 3v3 (Part 2)

Fine white spider silk, like a waterfall, fell from the dungeon and twisted into strands of spider silk rope, sweeping through the dungeon space, making Geng Hanfu and Wenren Xu dare not return to the dungeon.

The viscous venom was flung away, making a corrosive hissing sound. The dungeon bars, corroded by the venomous threads, softened and collapsed as if deflated.

A red spider, half the height of a person, slid down from the pillar using its long legs, shielding Yan Xiaochuan. Yan Xiaochuan tensed up as he looked at the giant red spider, trying to shrink back to create space and avoid contact with it.

His dark pupils revealed only the tall, thin figure standing in front of him, visible amidst the white hair filling the room.

Compared to Mei Liangyu and Zhonglishan, who were both skilled in military martial arts, Cang Shu appeared to be a bit thinner.

Because of his handsome appearance, fair skin, quiet demeanor in front of strangers, and tendency to think things through, he always acts according to the advice of Shi Yuezhen or his friends. Compared to Nian Qiuyan, who is not very skilled in physical combat, he appears even more innocent.

When Yan Xiaochuan was secretly keeping an eye on Mei Liangyu, he naturally also learned about the people around him.

In his words, Cang Shu is the kind of person that makes people unconsciously want to take care of him.

Sometimes he says surprising things, and other times he seems to know nothing at all.

They seem easy to get along with, but it's not easy to become close to them.

Yan Xiaochuan thought that the cultivation of the peasant school was very tedious. Every day, they had to fight with strange poisonous insects, poisonous plants and poisonous gu. Those who frequently went to the clinic were either disciples of the military school who were injured in fights or disciples of the peasant school who were harmed by poisonous insects, poisonous plants and poisonous gu.

Because Cang Shu had been playing with them, he stayed up all day for a while. Yan Xiaochuan was deeply impressed by his gloomy and listless appearance.

At this moment, Cang Shu stood in the spider silk doing nothing. The wind rippled and made his clothes and hair flutter. In Yan Xiaochuan's eyes, he was a very reliable figure.

Yan Xiaochuan, his voice trembling, cried out for help to his seemingly mature and reliable fellow farmer: "Cang..."

The moment it opened its mouth, it was entangled in spider silk and wrapped into a white cocoon.

Pulled by the other spider silk, the white cocoon rolled towards the feet of the half-person-high red spider, where it was protected by the large red spider.

Geng Hanfu was the first to dodge the giant frost python outside. He landed at the cave entrance, and the moment his toes touched the ground, he was hit by a stench of poisonous spider silk. The venom splattered, and even a single hair that touched it could invade your body through your breath.

The venom splattered against Geng Hanfu's protective aura, producing a sizzling sound, but it failed to break through his protective aura.

Geng Hanfu made a hand seal with one hand, and a wisp of golden five elements energy was drawn from his fingertip, forming a tangible rune.

Its name is Fire.

In the blink of an eye, sparks burst into flames, forming a massive fire tornado beneath Geng Han's feet, which burned away the spider silk attacking from all directions.

Geng Han, engulfed in flames, scrutinized the young man standing opposite him. The firelight illuminated his dark blue coat, revealing a hint of dark green. At the same time, Cang Shu glanced over, golden spiderweb patterns sprouting on the left side of his face, and his once bright black eyes transformed into bewitching blood-red vertical pupils.

Cang Shu was looking at the spirit beside Geng Hanfu, while Geng Hanfu was looking at the spider patterns on Cang Shu's face.

Disciple of a farming family.

Famous masters and diviners.

Outside the cave entrance, the Frost Python had frozen half of the beast bone ship. Wenren Xu used his Wind Riding Technique to float in the air. Just as he caught a glimpse of the brocade-clad youth standing on the ship's side, he heard a whooshing sound as frost piled up and surged upwards, climbing up his Five Elements Qi and freezing his ankles.

Standing on the ship's side, Xing Chun looked extremely focused, showing no sign of letting up.

Wenren Xu raised an eyebrow as he looked at Xing Chun's constellation array.

There is also a disciple of the Yin-Yang School.

The outer city, Songhua Tower.

Yu Sui stood on the street and looked up at the light. Inside the exquisite building, the lights flickered, and the elegant sounds of string and wind instruments could be heard from outside.

The waiter outside greeted people with a smile, his tone lively and his manner quite charming. Even towards those eavesdropping outside who didn't want to pay, he showed no displeasure, instead engaging in lighthearted banter and answering their questions with a smile.

With just a few well-intentioned words from him, some people were tempted and stepped into the building.

Yu Sui listened to the servant praising the girls' skills in the building, blinked, and said to Xue Mushi, who was hesitating beside him, "This seems to be a very happy place. Would it be bad if we went in and caused trouble?"

“We didn’t go there to cause trouble.” Xue Mushi looked troubled. “Why would she come to a place like this?”

"What's so strange about people coming here to listen to music to cheer themselves up when they're feeling down?" Yu Sui looked at Xue Mushi with a puzzled expression. "Haven't you been here before?"

“I don’t want to hear any of that,” Xue Mushi shook his head.

Finally, she asked with some curiosity, "You've heard of it?"

Yu Sui nodded and said, "I've heard of it."

Xue Mushi could hardly believe it: "With your status, would they dare let you go to a place like this?"

“Of course not, so these girls are invited to the Prince’s mansion openly for banquets and performances.” Yu Sui said, then stepped inside. “What do you think it is, just a place for entertainers to perform and listen to music?”

Xue Mushi followed her and said in a low voice, "Jiayue is not a person who likes to listen to music either. When the manor holds a banquet and a theater is set up, she is the first one to slip away from the theater."

Yu Sui: "It's obvious that she started to like these things after coming to Taiyi."

When the servant saw the two of them enter, he stepped forward to greet them warmly. Yu Sui, as if she knew the place well, ordered a superior room. Xue Mushi followed her without daring to say a word, just keeping his head down and following her.

They were right next to Xue Jiayue's private room.

Xue Mushi stood against the wall, listening intently to the music coming from next door, trying to glean some useful information from it.

Compared to his worries and anxieties, Yu Sui sat down on the low couch and flipped through the book of entertainers on the table. The servant stood behind the screen, vividly explaining the skills of the entertainers in the building to her.

Yu Sui said casually, "I think the musician next door plays quite well, so let's invite him over."

The waiter, clearly not hearing this request for the first time, didn't even flinch, and still smiled, saying, "Please wait a moment, sir. Once the time is up next door, I'll immediately send someone over. Would you like to order something else first?"

“When have I ever waited for anyone in a place like this?” Yu Sui immediately closed the booklet, feigning a cold face, and said, “I’m going to call him over now. Are you going or not?”

Seeing her so assertive and determined to do this, the waiter's expression changed, and he quickly bowed and reassured her, "Sir, this is the rule of the restaurant; it's all based on first come, first served. Please wait a moment; the next table is about to finish. I'll go over and keep an eye on things for you, and I'll make sure to bring you over as soon as they're done."

When Yu Sui played the angry, stern face, she captured the right amount of intensity.

She used to help Gu Gan fight against other forces in the capital and support him. She had also observed how her concubines managed the affairs of the Prince's Mansion and the clan. So dealing with a servant in the building was no problem for her.

The servant was still trying to dissuade her and avoid offending anyone, but Yu Sui had already casually tossed a few gold beads onto the table, stood up and said, "In the end, it's just a matter of money. I have plenty of money, it's on the table. I don't believe the neighbor will contribute more than me."

"This... Oh dear, sir, we'll just wait a little while. The next room will be finished soon!" The waiter had already noticed that Yu Sui was dressed in an extraordinary manner and was a distinguished guest. Now, seeing that she casually held out three or five gold beads, he dared not offend her even more.

"I'm too lazy to listen to your nonsense. If you won't go and invite us, we'll just go and listen." Yu Sui strode outside and gave Xue Mushi a wink.

"This won't do, sir, let's wait a bit..." The waiter was sweating profusely and followed to stop them. After leaving the house, he frantically gave the guards waiting in the corridor inside the building a signal to stop them.

Yu Sui continued to act like a spoiled guest, glaring angrily at the guards who surrounded her: "Get out of the way, you dare touch me and see what happens."

She had already given him a reason to barge in, so Xue Mushi naturally didn't dare waste it. He used his Wind-Riding Technique to dodge the guards and kicked open the door next door. Hearing the exclamation, he frowned and took two steps forward. He looked past the wide, thin, pink and green gauze screen and saw Xue Jiayue, who was about to raise her cup to drink.

The beauty holding the pipa cried out in surprise, while the beauty playing the zither was both shocked and angry.

The woman in red sitting next to Xue Jiayue stood up angrily and said, "Who are you? Get out of here now!"

"Cousin?" Xue Jiayue called out in a daze, quickly putting down the wine glass in her hand.

Qiu Cang, the medical disciple who brought Xue Jiayue out, was about to curse when he heard Xue Jiayue's voice and was stunned: "Is this your cousin?"

The woman in red, Yu Qiao, was also a disciple of the medical school and Xue Jiayue's senior sister. Upon hearing this, she frowned and sized up Xue Mushi.

He was dressed like a Taoist disciple.

I have indeed heard that Xue Jiayue has a cousin, who is the Taoist disciple who was rumored to have been rejected by the Holy Maiden.

"Come with me." Xue Mushi didn't look at anyone else, only staring at Xue Jiayue, unusually serious.

Xue Jiayue was alarmed and hurriedly got up to walk towards him. Just then, she saw Yu Sui, who had entered a step later. The guards and servants also rushed in, trying to persuade him as they walked.

Yu Sui looked impatient. When she came in and saw Xue Jiayue, she paused for a moment and asked in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

The servant's face also betrayed his displeasure. So you two know each other?

Xue Jiayue instantly calmed down, looked at Yu Sui, then at Xue Mushi, and suddenly shoved Xue Mushi aside and ran outside.

"Junior sister!" Yu Qiao called out to her hurriedly.

Xue Mushi immediately chased after him.

Yu Sui stepped aside, then calmly blocked Yu Qiao, who was chasing after someone, and exclaimed in surprise, "And there are senior brothers and sisters from the medical family too? What a coincidence!"

The two men clearly recognized Yu Sui, and their expressions subtly changed when she stopped them, so they dared not rush forward to chase after her.

The street was brightly lit at night and crowded with pedestrians. Xue Jiayue felt a little embarrassed and ran downstairs with her head down. She didn't care when she bumped into people and was cursed all the way.

Xue Mushi apologized while chasing after the person.

Just as Xue Jiayue was about to leave Songhualou, she was stopped and asked if she had paid the bill. Her face turned red and white, and she was about to get angry when Xue Mushi caught up and pulled her away, saying, "The bill has already been paid."

"It's settled, it's settled!" The servant who had caught up quickly gestured to the guards to let the person go.

Xue Mushi pulled Xue Jiayue away, and the two walked against the flow of people on the street. Xue Jiayue struggled and said, "Let go of me! Did you secretly follow me here? What's it to you!"

Xue Jiayue struggled with all her might, and Xue Mushi had no choice but to walk out of the crowd and stop at the quiet, dark alley entrance. He turned around, wanting to have a proper talk with his cousin.

"I'm worried about you. You deleted me from your contacts, and I'm afraid of you..."

Xue Jiayue forcefully shook off his hand, her eyes red with anger and her breathing rapid. She glared at Xue Mushi with wide eyes, her emotions running high: "You haven't cared about me for so long, why are you asking me now? I can handle my own affairs, I'm not a child anymore!"

"What do I have to worry about? Cousin, you should worry about yourself!"

She turned to leave, but Xue Mushi stopped her: "Your senior brother and sister have ill intentions. Don't continue to associate with them."

Xue Jiayue was so angry at his words that she got a headache. She glared at Xue Mushi and said, "What gives you the right to talk about them like that? When I first came to the Medical School, I couldn't learn anything. It was my senior brothers and sisters who guided me to where I am now. When I was injured and discouraged, it was my senior sister who comforted me. What about you?!"

"All you can think about is that Tu Miaoyi who broke off the engagement and humiliated the Xue family!"

Xue Mushi was stunned by the anger in her eyes and the sharpness in her words. He slowly released his hand that was holding her, pursed his lips slightly, and suppressed his emotions.

“I know you’ve been troubled by your training at the academy lately, and it’s because I haven’t been paying much attention to you lately that I haven’t been able to comfort you in time, but these things have nothing to do with Miao Yi.”

Yu Sui had just reached the alley entrance when she heard Xue Mushi's words, and she knew that they could not continue their conversation.

Sure enough, when Xue Jiayue saw Xue Mushi still speaking up for Tu Miaoyi at this point, she completely lost her temper: "Yes, it has nothing to do with her. The annulment of the engagement has nothing to do with her, the humiliation of the Xue family has nothing to do with her, and your being banished to Taiyi has nothing to do with her either. She is a high and mighty, exceptionally talented Yin-Yang School Saintess, how could we possibly be worthy of her! You deserve to be ridiculed and insulted by those people in the academy! If I say another word for you, I'll..."

"Forget it, what's the point of me telling you all this? From now on, we'll each live our own lives at the academy. Don't try to control me just because I'm your cousin!"

Xue Jiayue took a few steps back, but out of the corner of her eye she noticed Yu Sui standing not far from the alley entrance. Her expression changed slightly, and she smiled with a hint of self-deprecation: "My talent is not good, I'm just barely passable. It was only by shamelessly pestering you that I was able to come to Taiyi. Taiyi is a magical place where even a person with mediocre skills can become a ninth-rate sorcerer. It is also a cruel place where people can recognize their own strength."

The little girl seemed to be filled with resentment; her voice trembled as she spoke, wiped away her tears, turned and ran away, disappearing into the crowd.

Yu Sui didn't stop her. She just moved her eyes, looked at Xue Jiayue who had run away, and then at Xue Mushi who was standing still. She said slowly, "It seems that asking me to come along has had the opposite effect."

Not only did he fail to persuade Xue Jiayue, but he also reminded her of how a person skilled in magic had become a low-level sorcerer and how the other party had become a disciple of a sage of the ghost path, making her even more resentful.

Xue Mushi frowned. He had only been in Taiyi for a few months, so how could his cousin have become so obsessive?

“She was angry and said things she didn’t mean. I apologize to you on her behalf,” Xue Mushi said.

Yu Sui shook her head, seemingly unconcerned about what Xue Jiayue had just said.

"I chased away those two medical disciples. I asked Sister Yuezhen to keep an eye on her. She will go to see her when we get back to the academy, so that she can at least calm down for a while."

As Yu Sui spoke, she took two steps inside. She could understand why Xue Mushi couldn't control his emotions when Xue Jiayue mentioned Tu Miaoyi.

After all, his situation was special; it was a secret that even his parents couldn't tell him, and only Tu Miaoyi could understand him.

Xue Mushi wasn't good at comforting or reassuring people, so even if the person was his cousin whom he had grown up with, it would be difficult for him.

People who are not good at expressing themselves verbally often find it difficult to have their goodwill and concern understood.

Yu Sui added, "I will have the Nangong family send her back."

Xue Mushi frowned, troubled: "What should I do? Should I go and kill those two people?"

Yu Sui: "..."

They may seem silly, but their way of solving problems is very direct.

“Killing them both won’t stop others from coming. If this organization…”

Yu Sui frowned suddenly halfway through her sentence.

Xue Mushi noticed the change in Yu Sui's expression and looked at her with a puzzled expression, asking, "What's wrong?"

Yu Sui didn't speak, but turned to look in the direction of Taiyi Academy in the distance.

She no longer sends light cores to Mei Liangyu much. Today, because she was leaving the academy, she left a Five Elements Light Core next to Mei Liangyu when she left.

But I never expected to see him leave the academy.

Qin Chongxue had waited many days for this opportunity.

On the day he arrived in Taiyi, after withdrawing some people back to Qingyang, he began to deal with Mei Liangyu.

Tonight's main force includes not only Qin Chongxue and the other three thirteenth-realm masters, but also quite a few other ninth-rate sorcerers.

They lay in ambush near Dongfenghai. Even if the Beast Bone Ship made a mistake, or Mei Liangyu managed to escape by chance, no matter which direction he left from, someone would block his way.

The Five Elements Light Cores were affected in the Fog Sea and could not keep up with the people monitoring them. Whenever Qin Chongxue and the others entered or left the Fog Sea, the Five Elements Light Cores that Yu Sui left with them would be lost.

That's why she didn't know in advance that Qin Chongxue had captured Yan Xiaochuan.

Yu Sui's furrowed brows relaxed slightly when he saw that Mei Liangyu hadn't gone to rescue people alone. His senior brother knew to send a message to Ren Gui to help, but he didn't know to send one to him first.

She knew who Ren Gui was, and she also knew that Ren Gui didn't rely on the Wind Listening Ruler for everything; cracking and modifying the Wind Listening Ruler was more like a hobby he had in his spare time.

Because Ren Gui deciphered the Listening Wind Ruler, he did not conduct multi-faceted monitoring of people like Yu Sui did. The modification of the Listening Wind Ruler did not involve sensitive matters such as map coordinates. Instead, he used the Listening Wind Ruler to remotely play chess and have fun with people.

Collect the diagrams and formations from various families, input them into the Listening Wind Ruler, and then invite Mei Liangyu to play a game to distinguish between true and false incantations, etc.

The transmission of messages between Ren and Gui relied on agricultural methods.

The mosquitoes flying in the summer night, the black cicadas hiding under the eaves, the spiders in the corners, the unknown little insects on the edges of the wooden pillars—the farmers' mastery of insects and beasts is unfathomable.

The more knowledgeable someone is about the wind-listening gnome, the less likely they are to rely on it to convey important messages.

Seeing that Yu Sui had suddenly fallen silent, Xue Mushi did not dare to disturb her. He could only keenly sense that she was somewhat displeased, but he did not know what was bothering her.

After a while, Yu Sui finally spoke: "The people from Qingyang kidnapped Yan Xiaochuan to threaten my senior brother. Although he brought his men, he didn't know that there were still people lying in ambush in Dongfeng Sea. I'll go take a look. You can handle Xue Jiayue's matter yourself."

He then walked out.

Xue Mushi chased after him: "Are you alone?"

Yu Sui: "You're going too?"

"What are you going to do?" Xue Mushi asked, a little worried. "Are you sure you can win?"

Yu Sui replied directly, "I can accept other people, but if these people can really kill my senior brother, I cannot accept it."

The two walked one after the other through the bustling street.

Again, they were walking against the flow of people. This time, Xue Mushi carefully avoided them and asked, "What's different about this group of people?"

“I have an elder sister, who is in charge of Xuan Kui.” Yu Sui didn’t turn her head, but her words were clear and carried by the night wind into Xue Mushi’s ears. “Now she has sent people to kill my senior brother.”

Xue Mushi felt as if he had heard some earth-shattering secret. He was stunned for a moment before he came to his senses and quickly walked up to Yu Sui, walking alongside her.

"Didn't you only have three older brothers?" He was still trying to recall information about the Qingyang Nangong family.

Yu Sui: "Now you know, I have an older sister."

Xue Mushi couldn't help but sigh inwardly, realizing that besides the strange fire, she also faced considerable threats from family conflicts.

"You're not going to go like this, are you?" Xue Mushi said. "You'll be easily recognized."

Yu Sui stopped and turned to look at him thoughtfully. "Then what do you suggest?"

Fifteen minutes later, two young men wearing black trench coats walked past the outer city gate.

Both of them wore trench coats with hoods that covered their faces, so even if they stood in front of each other, you could only catch a glimpse of their black skin and not even an inch of their skin could be seen.

Xue Mushi went to several general stores before he finally bought these two black windbreakers.

He lowered his voice to explain to Yu Sui, "The boss just said that this black wind robe incorporates Taoist wind talismans. Unless you take it off yourself, it won't be disturbed by external forces. It will reshape your body regardless of your height or weight, making it very concealing. That's why it's so expensive."

Yu Sui pulled at his wide sleeves and said expressionlessly, "It's not about the money, it's about being ugly."

Once you put it on, you can't see anything at all; it's like a moving, pure black ghost shadow.

Xue Mushi: "Ugliness is not a problem, as long as it can be covered up."

Yu Sui glanced at him.

Xue Mushi said seriously, "Xuan Kui is even more shameful than us. Do you believe that the people ambushing on the other side of Dongfeng Sea are just like us, each wearing a black wind robe?"

Yu Sui said with a half-smile, "You seem to have a lot of experience with this kind of thing. You must have worn this kind of clothing quite a few times back in Taiyuan."

“…I had no choice.” Xue Mushi’s face was somewhat embarrassed. He didn’t say much, but instead asked, “Since we know they are Xuan Kui’s men, can’t we notify Yu Lansi to bring people over?”

"The Imperial Orchid Master of Taiyi listens to the Sage of Taiyi," Yu Sui said. "The Sage is also a member of Xuankui, so what's the use of summoning them?"

If Ou Rushuang tells Yu Lansi that Xuan Kui, the leader, is in Dongfeng Sea, she will instead have Yu Lansi go and surround Dongfeng Sea, preventing anyone else from entering.

Yu Lan Si acts openly and aboveboard, and no one dares to stop him.

"What should we do then?" Xue Mushi began to worry. "You said the people who came are masters of the thirteenth realm, and there's more than one. Can Mei Liangyu handle it?"

Yu Sui looked up towards the direction of Dongfeng Sea: "Senior brother also knows the difference in strength, his goal is to save people first."

Xue Mushi followed her towards the East Wind Sea: "What should we do with Xuan Kui's people?"

Are we just going to let them leave like that?

I feel a little unwilling to accept it.

Because of Xue Jiayue's matter, Xue Mushi became somewhat impatient with Xuan Kui.

We cannot place our hopes on the Sage regarding Xuan Kui's matter.

Zou Qian's previous conversation with Li Qiuwen made Yu Sui realize that the saints tend to turn a blind eye to each other's affairs; they know the truth but may not necessarily take action.

Even Wu Huaiwei didn't necessarily want to expose the other party's attitude and make it a fight to the death.

Although Wei Xizhen was serious about reinvestigating the orchid poison, it seemed that no one was willing to help him. Wu Huaiwei was also watching Wei Xizhen fiddle with things on his own, seemingly thinking that Wei Xizhen wouldn't be able to find anything useful.

Many of the academy's disciples are involved with the Orchid Poison, and some have already been controlled by Xuan Kui. These people are all wealthy and powerful, and they will definitely do their best to protect Xuan Kui in order to prevent the Orchid Poison from being exposed.

“This is a difficult matter even for a sage, but only a sage can contend with it.” Yu Sui explained the situation of Xuan Kui to Xue Mushi. “The twenty-four sages of Taiyi can be divided into four factions: Shui Zhou, Lan Du, Fu Tu Ta, and Neutral. The Lan Du faction already knows two sages, Ou Rushuang and Wan Guiyue, but it is not yet certain whether there are others.”

They seemed to know what the other was doing, but tacitly refrained from intervening. As long as the secret wasn't completely exposed to the public, they would continue to pretend they knew nothing.

"In other words, it's useless for us to know now that Ou Rushuang and Wan Guiyue are Xuan Kui's people. No one will believe us even if we announce it directly."

"Do we need to provide evidence?" Xue Mushi pondered, following her words. "Didn't Wei Ren find the orchid corpse in the outer city that was still getting goods from Xuan Kui? That could prove that there were some who escaped during the last sweep of the outer city."

“The man is already dead,” Yu Sui said, “on the same day Wei Ren was arrested.”

Xue Mushi frowned and said, "Should we let the Saint discover them when they're tempting other disciples to use the Orchid Poison?"

Yu Sui said, "At that time, only the disciples who took action will be in trouble. They will not dare to, nor will they have the opportunity to, expose more information."

Ou Rushuang and Wan Guiyue will not give them the opportunity to expose themselves.

Xue Mushi hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Yu Sui: "Then how did you..."

Yu Sui lowered his head and pressed down the brim of his hat: "The way I got the information wasn't exactly honorable, so I can't say it outright."

If she cannot provide a reasonable explanation, then the information she provides will not be believed.

However, if she obtained information by monitoring others through the Five Elements Light Core, then what would shock everyone would not be the Saint's involvement in the Orchid Poison Organization, but rather Nangong Sui's Five Elements Light Core.

Whether it's the Wind Listening Ruler or the Five Elements Light Core, they are secrets that Yu Sui cannot reveal.

"The more people who know of Xuan Kui's existence, the better; the more people who doubt the Sage, the better," Yu Sui said. "Besides Taiyi's students, we should also get Taiyi's instructors involved. There will always be more people who won't be tempted by the Orchid Poison than those who will be."

Xue Mushi looked up at the road ahead, his lips slightly pursed in thought. He and Yu Sui had many things to solve because of the existence of the strange fire, and now there was Xuan Kui to deal with as well.

He couldn't turn a blind eye to Xuan Kui's seduction of Taiyi students.

Xue Mushi asked, "How many people are there in Dongfenghai?"

Yu Sui replied, "Three of them are at the thirteenth realm, but they are all dealing with my senior brother on the beast bone ship. There are about seven or eight others who are lying in ambush in the East Wind Sea Mountain Road."

Xue Mushi then asked, "How many people did Mei Liangyu send?"

“We don’t need to worry about those three thirteenth-realm masters,” Yu Sui said lightly. “In Taiyi, there is no shortage of thirteenth-realm masters.”

After a moment's hesitation, Xue Mushi understood her meaning, scratched his head, and asked, "How do we deal with the other low-level sorcerers lying in ambush?"

Yu Sui wanted to take this opportunity to test Xue Mushi's abilities, so he smiled and said, "Just do as you say. As long as they are not Taiyi's students, just kill them."

East Wind Sea, Beast Bone Ship.

Qin Chongxue noticed the commotion on the boat and recognized the two Taiyi disciples from a distance. The disciples of the Farmer's School and the Yin-Yang School were likely Cang Shu, a Farmer's School disciple who was on good terms with Mei Liangyu, and Xing Chun, a Yin-Yang School disciple, as reported in the intelligence.

Cang Shu was a stateless person, while Xing Chun was a member of a prominent Legalist family in the Zhou Kingdom.

The former's life or death is of no concern, but the latter requires careful consideration.

Qin Chongxue withdrew his gaze, gripped his knife again, and assumed a fighting stance, mocking, "I understand that you lack courage and need to ask for help."

Mei Liangyu changed the horizontal blade to a vertical one to grip the hilt, his words showing no sign of anger: "I don't think the person behind you has much guts, that's why you sent three thirteenth-realm masters to take my life. I think it's a pity that you're following such a cowardly and incompetent master as a dog."

A hint of anger flashed across Qin Chongxue's face: "How dare you judge my young lady?"

Miss?

Before Mei Liangyu could think further, Qin Chongxue's sword energy, unleashed from a wrist strike, came straight at his face, forcing him to raise his sword to parry.

Qin Chongxue gripped the sword with both hands, the blades falling downwards, and the armored formation unfolded beneath his feet.

The wind was fierce, sweeping across the ground and stirring up fine mud and debris.

A large, monochrome painting unfolds behind Qin Chongxue, with sword energy entering the painting and bringing the figures holding weapons in the scroll to life one by one.

Mei Liangyu's eyelids twitched, and the surrounding scenery changed instantly amidst the distortion of the five elements.

The cold raindrops pelted his face, creating splashes of rain. His dark pupils reflected the solemn and majestic royal palace in front of him, with densely packed soldiers in armor standing on both sides of the high imperial road.

Qin Chongxue stood in the center of the imperial road, the scroll behind him still in progress.

The rain was torrential, each drop pelting the ground and staining the grey earth with dark patterns. Inside the palace, soldiers, swords in hand, bowed respectfully, raising their weapons high to be washed by the rain.

Heavy rain washes away the soldiers, signifying a victorious return.

Thirteen Realms of Soldiers and Armor Formation: A Scroll of Soldiers Washing Their Armor.

Within this formation of soldiers, there is no defeat, no invincibility, and no victory.

Because the outcome was already predetermined, those standing in the middle of the imperial road were the victors, while those standing below the palace walls were the vanquished.

Mei Liangyu glanced behind him out of the corner of his eye and saw several archers on the palace wall, aiming their bows at him.

Inside the palace, the combined threat of killing intent and fighting spirit pressed down on him like an invisible force, making Mei Liangyu feel his breathing slow down.

He could sense that he was at a disadvantage within the armored formation; the power of the armored formation suppressed his divine soul core's power by half.

The sky was overcast, and heavy rain washed everything within the formation. Behind the towering palace, a huge phantom stood holding a battle axe.

The general guarding the city in the battle formation.

The Thirteen Realms Armor Formation and the Cleansing Weapon Scroll—how could such an obscure and unorthodox armor formation have fallen into the hands of someone like this?

Mei Liangyu glanced discreetly at the scroll behind Qin Chongxue in front of him.

The figures are rendered in a flowing, vigorous line, exuding a majestic aura. Amidst the clouds and mist, the celestial soldiers in the painting, wielding weapons, gaze at the enemy army, striking battle stances brimming with murderous intent.

Although the Cleansing Weapon Scroll is a thirteen-realm military formation, not everyone can learn it. Even if they do, they cannot unleash its full power because it needs to be used in conjunction with the military treasure, the Cleansing Weapon Scroll.

Legend has it that this painting depicts a scene of celestial soldiers going into battle, making them invincible. When used in conjunction with this military formation, one can receive the assistance of the celestial soldiers depicted in the painting, making their strength comparable to a special-grade military formation.

The "Washing Soldiers" painting originated in the Zhou state, but after a thousand years and several transfers to other countries, it was eventually lost.

Qin Chongxue raised his arm, his gaze icy as he stared at the young man trapped within the palace walls, and said in a deep voice, "How do you feel about having the good fortune to see the ancient military treasure, the 'Washing the Weapons Diagram'?"

As his words fell, the long sword in Mei Liangyu's hand hummed, struggling to escape and flying towards Qin Chongxue. It landed at his feet and was snapped in two by the force of the air.

Qin Chongxue added, "With the help of heavenly troops, the defeated will surrender."

Mei Liangyu glanced down at his empty palm. Even though he had tried to stop it with his magic, he couldn't withstand the power of the armored formation.

"The painting is quite good." Mei Liangyu appeared calm and composed, but her mind was racing. "The person, however, is not so good."

The Thirteen Realms Armored Formation could still buy some time, but the combined strength of the Special-Grade Armored Formation from the "Washing Weapons Diagram" would be much more difficult.

Even if a saint were to enter this armored formation, the power of the light core would still be suppressed by half.

Mei Liangyu moved his eyes; he didn't want to reveal his divine abilities to Qin Chongxue.

Qin Chongxue's body ignited with protective energy, his five fingers transformed into claws, and he said coldly, "I'd like to see how long you can keep up your stubbornness."

In the painting, a goddess holding a longbow flies out from the clouds, draped in colorful ribbons, dancing in the wind, her slender fingers hooking the longbow upright in front of her.

The lines in the painting have already depicted her lifelike. The goddess has a slender neck, her long hair is simply tied behind her back, and a long hairpin is placed horizontally near the back of her neck. The head of the hairpin is carved with a small lotus flower.

Even if it is a phantom formed from qi, it is still sacred and inviolable.

The celestial soldiers emerged from the painting, exuding immense power. The goddess remained silent, only drawing her bow and nocking an arrow, aiming at the white-clad youth before her.

Qin Chongxue's movements were synchronized with the goddess's, and he conjured a bow and arrow from the air, the golden arrowheads of which were incredibly sharp.

In the scroll depicting the washing of soldiers, his attack is unstoppable and sure to hit.

Qin Chongxue deliberately released a murderous aura, making Mei Liangyu believe that she was doomed.

Both Ou Rushuang and Yu Sui believed that he came to Taiyi to kill Mei Liangyu. He also lied to Zhang Xiangyun because Qin Chongxue was suspicious of Luo Fu's exposure of using Lan poison.

Nian Qiuyan and Zhang Xiangyun were right; it's best not to kill Mei Liangyu in Taiyi.

What Qin Chongxue was trying to do this time was not to kill Mei Liangyu, but to inject the orchid medicine into his body.

Ou Rushuang knew about tonight's operation; the low-level sorcerers lying in ambush outside Dongfeng were just putting on a show for her.

The choice is between letting Mei Liangyu die and injecting the orchid medicine into her body; one must be chosen.

Qin Chongxue chose the latter.

The golden arrow shimmered with a faint black light. As Qin Chongxue and the Heavenly Soldier and Goddess released their fingers in unison, the arrow flew off the bowstring, piercing through the rain curtain. In flight, it merged into one, pointing directly at Mei Liangyu!

Mei Liangyu instantly activated his protective aura, his gaze fixed on the golden arrow. Even from a great distance, the aura of the weapon arrived in the blink of an eye, shattering the rain falling around him.

The Five Elements Light Core that Yu Sui placed on Mei Liangyu was also affected and shattered at this moment.

In the blink of an eye, the arrow was already upon him!

Mei Liangyu formed hand seals, his feet resting on a rapidly spinning compass. The Nine Palaces and the Mysterious Gates were fully activated, and all sixty-four hexagrams corresponded perfectly. The hexagram most fitting the current situation appeared the instant the arrow approached:

The hexagram "Earth over Water" indicates that all six lines are in motion.

War is dangerous and perilous, but by taking risks and succeeding, misfortune can be turned into good fortune.

The hexagram "Shi" on the compass plate shone brightly, and the character "Shi" flew out and stood in front of Mei Liangyu, colliding with the tip of the arrow. The golden arrow was forced to stop and trembled.

The two forces collided, and within this formation of soldiers and armor, the golden arrows were unstoppable, shattering the compass plate with a whistling sound and launching another fierce attack.

Mei Liangyu reacted swiftly, immediately changing his technique and using the Heaven and Earth Universe Shield to protect himself, but it was still shattered by the arrow. Before the Heaven and Earth Universe Shield shattered, Mei Liangyu had already frowned and sidestepped, forced to rise into the air to avoid the burst of energy.

His divine soul core had half of its power suppressed, and at this moment, no matter what kind of low-level techniques he used, they would be vulnerable in the face of the heavenly soldiers' assistance.

The arrow automatically chased after him, giving him no chance to escape. The moment Mei Liangyu fell from the air and dodged to the side, the arrow's target shifted from his face to the light core on his chest.

The change happened in an instant, and Mei Liangyu had nowhere to retreat. The power of the arrow, which had been blocked by the Luo Jing Yi Gua, was reduced, and he reached out and grabbed it.

The arrow pierced Mei Liangyu's palm, and the instant it left his hand, he deftly raised his arm to avoid the light core. The arrow pierced through his protective aura and also pierced his right shoulder, drawing out a long trail of blood.

The delicate fragrance of orchids mingled with the smell of blood and dissipated, and a small orchid shape could be vaguely seen in the shattered protective aura.

Mei Liangyu groaned as he clutched his injured shoulder with one hand. Another force successfully invaded his body through his protective aura, rapidly and greedily devouring the wisps of Qi circulating through his limbs and bones, and surging towards the divine soul core that supplied the five elements.

The white clothes were soaked with water and clung to her skin. Blood slid down her injured right arm. Mei Liangyu felt the power draining from her body, but all she could hear was the pounding of her heart.

That power successfully entered his divine soul core and merged with the wisp of golden five elements energy within it.

At this moment, a subtle change occurred in the power within Mei Liangyu's body.

The seal hidden deep within the soul has cracked due to the drastic change in the master's five elements.

Like a box containing light, countless cracks appear in the darkness, letting out a blinding light.

Looking up from the rain, the face still showed no sign of panic or pain. Its calm demeanor was even enigmatic. The dark, deep eyes were not fixed on Qin Chongxue, but on the illusory figure standing beside him, the Heavenly Soldier Goddess.

He finally understood why the celestial warriors and goddesses looked familiar.

Because this "Washing Soldiers" painting was once in the possession of the Prince of Wangshu in the Yan Kingdom.

Princess Wangshu was a disciple of a military strategist and possessed extraordinary talent. She was very fond of the celestial warrior goddess drawing a bow in the painting "Washing Soldiers". So, on her birthday one year, she received a gift from her younger brother, a goddess hairpin carved from divine wood by a master craftsman.

[Author's Note]

"Washing Soldiers" by Wu Wei (Ming Dynasty)

Those interested can search for it online. Please don't take the fantastical descriptions in the article seriously QAQ

I can't finish writing, I'm too sleepy after taking medicine, let me sleep and then I'll write o(╥﹏╥)o Everyone be careful of catching a cold lately!

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!