Chapter 40 I'm going. "I'm going. You can't go."

This group of people looked much more disheveled than Zhou Fuling and him.

The rogue cultivator was covered in blood, and the woman behind him trembled, holding the corpse of a child who looked to be four or five years old and weeping.

"There's no way to hide! How can I hide?!"

Beside them stood a wandering monk, clutching a blood-stained robe, weeping bitterly.

"Now we are either members of the Second Part, or members of the Cold Party, or members of the Demon Party! We are just playthings in the eyes of those cultivators. It's better for us all to die here than to be captured, indiscriminately killed, and humiliated!"

The woman said, "Yes, my sister clearly did nothing wrong. Just because her life-saving money was taken away and she cursed, she was humiliated and burned alive... Those big shots just wanted to kill us and claim credit for our achievements!"

"Ning Chenghan and Ning Chaoxue, that mother and daughter, have lost their minds! They'll hire anyone as long as they flatter them!"

The old man said, "Indeed, there's no way to survive now, but really, really must I die such a miserable death? I, I refuse..."

The rogue cultivator said, "Father, now the Yun Ning Southern Continent is just waiting for Ning Chaoxue to ascend to the position of sect leader."

"Isn't there a second part?"

"Bah, the second part?" the rogue cultivator said. "The second part is the dogs of the Central Continent! This hunting game originated from the second part! Now, they have no way to survive in the Southern Continent either!"

Puff puff—

Several rogue cultivators drew their swords and swiftly slit their own throats.

In dire straits, all I wish for is a peaceful death.

Their deaths all happened in the blink of an eye.

Upon seeing such a horrific scene, Xu Qingning's eyes widened in shock.

His hands and feet were ice cold, yet he could neither speak nor move.

Zhou Fuling remained indifferent, observing the situation calmly, her breathing becoming rapid.

Then the woman, holding the child's corpse, whispered, "Heavens above, I only wish that after my death, Heaven will bestow upon me a new sect leader as fiery as Liang Huo, to save the people of Southern Continent from their suffering."

The woman started speaking, but then burst into tears, "Nonsense, nonsense! How could this be!"

She struck her own chest with her palm and vomited blood, dying as well.

Only one rogue cultivator remained.

The rogue cultivator had lost one hand and was barely clinging to life.

"I, Liang Xiu, once lived in the fourth part with trepidation, as if walking on thin ice. I never argued with anyone and avoided calamities. However, I dared not touch the sharp edge of the Cloud Candle Tower. After escaping the fourth part, I actually encountered this evil spirit from the first part!"

The rogue cultivator laughed through his tears, "Since I'm going to die anyway, I'll take these villains down with me!"

He then spread out a string of red beads and a stack of fire talismans.

Then, he bit his finger and drew a talisman on the ground with his blood.

Rumble—

etc……

Xu Qingning raised her head and reminded Zhou Fuling, "Get out of the way! This fire formation is a sacrificial formation!"

"The Life-Sacrificing Array?" Zhou Fuling naturally knew about the Life-Sacrificing Array as well.

The Sacrifice of Life Formation is a formation used by immortal cultivators to perish together with their own lives. It uses living beings as sacrifices to create a killing formation that can far surpass their own cultivation level.

Zhou Fuling had seen many people during her time as a wanderer.

She sensed something was wrong and was about to move away—

It's too late.

The cultivator laughed loudly, then exploded and died, rolling into a crevice in the rocks.

Bang! The grotto was simultaneously smashed open.

Several Yun Ning disciples flew in, their spiritual energy somewhat scattered and disordered, colliding with the fire array.

Boom—

The fire array exploded.

Zhou Fuling tried to get away with Xu Qingning, but it was too late.

She could only hold onto Xu Qingning tightly, and then rolled into a puddle to the side.

Fearing to attract attention, they dared not use any overt magic, barely managing to conceal their presence.

But during the explosion, rubble and metal fragments rained down like a storm.

It piled up on them with a rumbling sound.

Zhou Fuling still managed to cast a protective spell to prevent them from getting hurt, but she didn't dare to use any more conspicuous spells.

When Xu Qingning saw Zhou Fuling covering her, her heart fluttered and her long eyelashes trembled.

Why... when you hate him so much...

But Zhou Fuling embraced him, her breathing becoming increasingly rapid.

Xu Qingning slightly raised her head.

Another outbreak?

Zhou Fuling didn't see Xu Qingning's gaze; her eyes were fixed on the cave.

A group of people walked in aggressively.

The leader was tall and composed, with narrow eyes and a beard like fine grass dampened by rain, draped listlessly over his Taoist robe.

The person following behind this man was an acquaintance of Zhou and Xu, Elder Ning Chengsong of the Eastern Continent!

Following the previous incident in Nanzhou, Ning Chengsong, as the First Elder, was recalled.

However, in Dongzhou, Zhou Fuling had often seen Ning Chengsong act arrogantly and make things difficult for her. Now, Ning Chengsong was following the leader, bowing his head and lowering his ears, trembling with fear.

"The leader is the Rain Master."

Xu Qingning's breath brushed against her face.

Zhou Fuling turned around and saw Xu Qingning's mouth movements: "Yu Shi is one of the three masters of Yun Ning. The three masters are the true confidants of the first branch, while Ning Chengsong is just a collateral branch."

"He is a second-rank master, suspicious and cunning. He once defeated a strong opponent with the weak and won two victories in the last Cloud Candle Tower martial arts competition. If you go to the Cloud Candle Tower competition, you will most likely face him."

Zhou Fuling held her breath and continued to watch, her hand resting on the nearby pebbles.

As Xu Qingning lay on her back, her hand, bound behind her waist, suddenly touched a shard in the cold water.

He was taken aback.

—This fragment of the magical artifact is incredibly sharp.

However, its spiritual energy is contained, as if the cultivator who made the magical artifact did not want others to see its sharpness and hid its spiritual edge.

You can't feel its spiritual energy unless you touch it in your hand.

It seemed to be an artifact left behind by the cultivator who had just exploded and died.

Judging from what that man said, he was a cultivator who had escaped from the fourth division. Deserters would prepare such magical artifacts.

It was probably because the fireballs hit him.

Xu Qingning held it in her hand.

Seeing that Zhou Fuling hadn't noticed, he quietly pressed her onto the Immortal Binding Rope.

For some reason, perhaps because Zhou Fuling was somewhat weak, or perhaps because there was something strange about this fragment of magic weapon, Xu Qingning secretly gathered his spiritual power and cut a hole in the spiritual aperture of the Immortal Binding Rope. Zhou Fuling's Immortal Binding Rope loosened.

He immediately hid the fragment in his palm.

In the center of the cave, Ning Chengsong suppressed his anger.

Seeing the miserable state of the disciples in the cave, he slowly squatted down and forced an ugly smile.

The smile had a hint of obsequiousness.

"Lord Rain Master, since you already have magical artifacts, why... why do you insist on using my disciple to scout ahead?"

The man called Yu Shi said, "Heh. Everyone knows what kind of background your Ning Chengsong lineage has. Born of a dog mother, naturally your disciples... are also dogs."

Ning Chengsong glared and puffed out his cheeks, his hands clenched into fists.

Yu Shi said, "Your lineage has two mistakes. The first mistake is that you, Ning Chengsong's mother, were once the concubine of the eleventh generation sect leader, Ning Wuqing, and once killed Elder Ning Chenghan's mother, so you are regarded as a witch."

"Your second mistake is that most of the disciples in your lineage are remnants of Elder Poison. During the Grand Competition back then, Elder Poison almost killed Elder Ning Chenghan, but fortunately the main force of the former sect turned the tide! You should know that it is deserved to die."

The disciples behind Ning Chengsong were indignant and shouted, "Shut up! First, Elder Ning Chengsong's mother did not kill the late sect leader's wife! Second, we were unaware of Elder Du's scheme back then, and were personally pardoned and accepted as disciples by the sect leader! Why are you, Yushitai, making such baseless accusations and insisting on holding onto this matter?!"

Snap!

Elder Ning slapped the disciple so hard that he saw stars and fell to the ground.

"You wicked child! How dare you speak to the Rain Master like that? Get out! Get out!!" Ning Chengsong roared.

Unexpectedly, the Rain Master chuckled softly.

The disciple was held down by the person behind the Rain Master, and his arms and legs were broken in an instant.

The disciple screamed in agony.

Rain Master: "Go out? Where can you find something so cheap? Since everyone here is dead, how about turning this blind fool into a human urn? Maybe he's a spy."

Ning Chengsong was drenched in cold sweat: "Rain Master, we all need to go back and report, why are you so determined to kill us all?"

The Rain Master snorted coldly.

"You and your disciples have probably gotten used to being restrained by that aloof Xu Qingning in the Eastern Continent. You've been hesitant and timid all the way, only daring to record strange occurrences but not daring to take action. This sight disgusts me! Ning Chengsong... tell me, what should I do with you?"

Elder Ning's legs went weak, and he suddenly bowed down to offer his respects.

He took out a square treasure box from his mustard seed bag and held it high.

Upon opening it, one finds a black iron compass inside, its jade core shimmering with silver light, moving like a living creature, as if searching for something.

The silver tassels on the plate hummed.

Zhou Fuling was taken aback and looked at Xu Qingning.

The array on this compass looks somewhat familiar.

Xu Qingning's expression also changed.

Elder Ning said, “Rain Master, our argument is pointless. We should instead investigate the whereabouts of the remaining demons. This is the Eastern Continent's tracking artifact, the ‘Tracking Pivot.’ It is said that it was recently made by the young sect leader, Xu Qingning, to evade evil spirits and was given to the cultivators at the foot of his peak. I found a way to seize it.”

"Everyone knows that Xu Qingning is skilled in formations. Using this artifact, one can use the method of seeking Qi to find the creatures hidden here. I'm afraid not even a mosquito could escape."

Elder Ning paused for a moment, then continued, “In the future, Young Master Chao Xue will likely want to take over the Eastern Continent. After the Southern and Central Continents divide the Eastern Continent, I, as a member of the Huan Ci, am very familiar with the places where the Eastern Continent’s gold, silver, precious objects, and rare flowers are located. At that time… I am willing to guide Lord Yu Shi.”

Elder Ning's words implied that all the magical treasures he obtained in the Eastern Continent could be offered to the Rain Master.

Zhou Fuling and Xu Qingning exchanged glances, their expressions changing.

What made them change color was not the magic treasure of the Eastern Continent, but the tracking magic tool offered by Elder Ning!

Zhou Fuling: "How did it end up in his hands?"

"..." Xu Qingning remained silent.

"How can this magical artifact be broken?"

"I don't know."

Zhou Fuling: "..."

The Rain Master nodded, said "Yes," put down the Tracking Pivot, and was about to use his spiritual power to activate the Jade Pivot.

Xu Qingning looked up and immediately broke out in a cold sweat, her arms stiffening.

This artifact was indeed created by him and his subordinates after studying the Qi-seeking talisman.

This was so that the Tianji Sect cultivators could avoid Zhou Fuling's sneak attacks and ambushes while they were hiding, for fear that they would encounter Zhou Fuling's vicious hands again.

Therefore, he had to design the ritual implements with utmost care and try every possible method to make them perfect, without ever considering how to break the curse.

The reason he was captured by Zhou Fuling was twofold: firstly, the elder hadn't had time to receive the item, and secondly, it was practically as if he had offered it up voluntarily.

However, if the Southern Continent were to use this magical artifact here, given the confined terrain, they could discover Zhou Fuling's whereabouts.

Zhou Fuling is capable of making a move, but she must participate in the Cloud Candle Tower Grand Competition.

We shouldn't make a move now.

Xu Qingning observed that this place was heavily fortified, and Yun Ning had set up multiple encirclement formations.

This gauntlet attack naturally counters Zhou Fuling's poison. Even if Zhou Fuling manages to break through without showing it on her face, her internal organs will certainly be damaged.

The grand competition will be held in a few days... Xu Qingning had heard of the intensity and cruelty of the Yun Ning Sect's grand martial arts competition.

He still hasn't figured out how to break through the martial arts testing mechanism of this grand competition, coupled with Zhou Fuling's poison.

If Zhou Fuling gets injured again, it will be adding insult to injury.

Bloodshed...

In Xu Qingning's mind,

The word flashed through my mind again in a daze.

He closed his eyes.

Zhou Fuling was also pondering it.

She stared intently at Yu Shi and Ning Chengsong, let out a strange laugh, pressed her hand on the dagger, but gritted her teeth and hesitated to pull it out.

However, a cold hand suddenly pressed down on her hand.

Zhou Fuling opened her eyes, and this shock was no small matter.

Xu Qingning had somehow managed to untie the Immortal Binding Rope and pressed down on her hand.

Zhou Fuling wanted to make a move, her figure and demonic magic moving like lightning, and she tried to subdue him.

Xu Qingning seemed to have accurately guessed her thoughts and moves, and blocked them precisely every time.

The two men fought in the puddle, not daring to make a sound.

Despite being constrained, Zhou Fuling's actions were ruthless.

As she grabbed Xu Qingning by the throat, she saw Xu Qingning place something across her chest.

There was ruthlessness in his eyes, but no murderous intent.

Zhou Fuling was taken aback.

It turned out to be the "Changming" sword, which was not drawn from its sheath.

Xu Qingning's natal sword, "Changming".

She held the sword and looked up, puzzled.

Suddenly I realized...

Xu Qingning's expression and posture at this moment... were very similar to those in the past.

Those were the years they spent wandering the mortal realm together, when the town was struck by a demonic calamity.

Despite Xu Qingning's spiritual power not having fully recovered, she packed their meager belongings and stuffed them into her arms.

He shoved her into a stone temple and said forcefully, "I'm going. Wait for me."

Later, he was dragged out of the demon land by her, covered in blood and looking disheveled.

Beside him lay the corpse of a minor demon, whom he could have killed with a mere flick of his finger.

Xu Qingning became withdrawn for a long time as a result, pretending to be nonchalant for several days but barely speaking. Zhou Fuling was deeply impressed by this.

Xu Qingning's gaze now is the same as when she was shoved into the stone temple.

He frowned and silently mouthed, "I'll go. You can't go."

"What?"

Zhou Fuling had no idea what he was up to.

"See you at the Cloud Candle Tower." Xu Qingning stuffed another item into her arms.

Zhou Fuling assumed he was going to play tricks like he did at Yinyao Village, and instinctively went to attack, but she touched a cool, soft cowhide and was stunned again.

A quick glance revealed a geomantic map of the Southern Continent.

“You owe me one,” Xu Qingning said.

Then, Zhou Fuling's spiritual power was blocked by Xu Qingning's scattered spiritual power.

However, the technique he used was not from the Eastern Continent, but a mortal cultivation method. When Xu Qingning was wandering in the mortal realm, he had practiced a mortal cultivation method to facilitate his disguise.

The moment Xu Qingning jumped, Zhou Fuling gripped "Changming" tightly.

—She almost understood what Xu Qingning was going to do.

Her heart skipped a beat for no reason.

Although she didn't know why Xu Qingning did this, she didn't hesitate and turned to run away in the opposite direction.

"There are still two living people here! Capture them!"

Boom—

The tracking device in the palm of the Rain Master absorbed spiritual power, and the silver light suddenly dispersed into rain and mist, forming a net that shot towards the four continents.

As Xu Qingning rolled down the stone platform, he shot out a talisman.

In the blink of an eye, he leaped into the crevice and rolled away into the distance.

The talisman crashed into the crack in the rock, disrupting the operation of the tracking artifact.

Before long, Xu Qingning was captured and brought before Yu Shi and Ning Chengsong.

The charred, exploded corpse of the cultivator in the crevice appeared alongside Xu Qingning.

Seeing Xu Qingning's face contorted with anger, tears streaming down her face as she gazed at the corpse, Yu Shi sneered:

"Your accomplice is certainly tough. Why don't you die with him?"

Xu Qingning raised his head, his fingers clenched into fists as if he were suppressing his emotions, but he glanced down at the token at his waist:

"My lords... he accidentally triggered the fire formation; it was all a misunderstanding. We are both cultivators from the Fourth Division, here to survey the terrain. We had no intention of offending the Yunyi Division, so... we did not come out to acknowledge him."

Zhou Fuling fled in the opposite direction, but due to the numerous restrictions in the area, she could not break out immediately.

When Xu Qingning was brought before the Rain Master again, and the Tracking Pivot was destroyed, Zhou Fuling gritted her teeth, squatted behind the stone wall, and silently watched the situation in the cave.

She stared intently at Xu Qingning.

It was as if they wanted to stare a flower into his face.

The Rain Master took Xu Qingning's token and examined it carefully.

"This is truly the fourth token."

Yun Ning cultivator: "Rain Master, this corpse also had a fourth-level token! However, it was burned, so we don't know its specific identity, but the spiritual power flowing through its spiritual veins is precisely the fourth-level Yun Si Division technique!"

The Rain Master remained silent.

Zhou Fuling was puzzled.

The dead monk was from the fourth department; she had heard it just now.

But where did Xu Qingning get the fourth token?

The Rain Master seemed to be considering something, looking at Xu Qingning.

Xu Qingning readily agreed and gave two names and identities.

The Rain Master hesitated and asked his subordinates to confirm whether such a person truly existed.

The subordinate nodded, and the Rain Master said coldly again:

"You want to go to Yundu with us?"

"yes."

He handed Xu Qingning a pill.

"Unfortunately, your identity is currently uncertain, so we cannot fully trust you. Take this poison-stabilizing pill and come with us."

Zhou Fuling: "..."

She had seen this poison before. Ning Chengsong had used it in Dongzhou to restrain inner disciples, administering it every seven days.

Therefore, due to its toxicity, Xu Qingning had ordered all disciples of Dongzhou not to touch it.

Unexpectedly, as if sensing something, Xu Qingning tilted her head slightly in her direction.

However, he took the poison-stabilizing pill and swallowed it without hesitation.

Xu Qingning lowered her gaze, as if she were enduring something: "May I take my fellow disciples with me?"

His gaze fell on the corpse on the ground.

So, Xu Qingning carried the unfamiliar corpse away with Yu Shi and the others.

At the command of the Rain Master, the grotto was engulfed in flames.

The layers of restrictions gradually dissipated.

[Villain's favorability +10%]

Xu Qingning did not turn back.

...

Zhou Fuling wanted to follow.

However, after only a few steps, she followed them around a corner, and Xu Qingning disappeared.

Only the Rain Master wore a gloomy smile.

He held a mirror in his hand, the bronze mirror radiating a chilling aura.

Yun Ning, a cultivator, whispered, "Lord Yu Shi, are we just going to put this cultivator from the Fourth Division into this Immortal Imprisonment Mirror like this? What if Minister Liang from the Fourth Division comes after us later?"

“He went in voluntarily, how can you blame us?” Yu Shi said. “I told him that if he wanted us to be at ease, he should enter this Immortal Imprisonment Mirror before we found out his identity. I didn’t force him, and he was obedient, going in without saying a word.”

The Rain Master stroked his chin. "Why do I always feel like he's hiding something?"

Unexpectedly, the disciple who was with the Rain Master turned pale and fell silent.

Looking at the Mirror of Imprisonment, a hint of fear crept into his eyes.

They never believed that anyone would willingly enter this Immortal Imprisonment Mirror.

This Immortal Imprisoning Mirror, also known as the Palm Imprisoning Array, must have been entered by this cultivator because he was no match for the Rain Master...

But as far as he knew, this Immortal Imprisoning Mirror was no different from the Cold Prison of the Central Continent; it would cause people endless suffering…

It can suppress the cultivation techniques of cultivators.

No light, no sound, loss of all sensation—it drives people mad.

In the end, every minute and every second felt like being slowly tortured to death.

There is also the bone-chilling cold.

However, for someone with an extremely strong will, perhaps it won't have much of an impact.

I heard that the young sect leader of Dongzhou spent ten years in the Cold Prison.

...

Inside the Mirror of Imprisoned Immortals.

Like a desolate, cold night where no light can be seen, utter darkness.

A chilling, oppressive atmosphere enveloped those in the formation.

[Congratulations, host! Villain's favorability increased by 20%!]

[Host, this is fantastic! The villain's favorability has already increased by 20% before the Cloud Candle Tower competition even started!!]

[Host, host?]

Xu Qingning did not react at all.

His face was pale, and he lowered his eyes indifferently, his eyes reflecting the darkness, his pupils seemingly somewhat unfocused.

"What time is it now?"

【What? 】

Xu Qingning, however, fell into a coma.

...

[Master, come and see, the host has fainted!]

Several sounds suddenly rang out above the sea of ​​consciousness.

Then, a female voice and a male voice rang out.

The female voice chuckled knowingly: "Ah, it's the Immortal Imprisoning Mirror. This Immortal Imprisoning Mirror is exactly the same as the Frosty Prison that imprisoned Xu Qingning back then. Xu Qingning hated this environment the most, so it's not surprising."

The male voice asked in a low voice, "What exactly is the Cold Prison like?"

Female voice: [A cold prison...]

[No light.]

[No specific time.]

[When Xu Qingning was imprisoned, he was still a privileged young man who had only just learned of the tragic deaths of his entire family and was completely unaware of the truth.]

[Every day, I am forced to repeatedly relive the scenes of my entire family's deaths.]

He was also forced to beg for food like a dog.

[His spiritual veins were locked, forcing him to endure the cold in his mortal body.]

[He was also frequently humiliated by jailers sent by the Zou family.]

His spiritual veins were also severed in the Frost Prison.

How could he not hate this place?

The speaker was a woman, and although she was sighing, her tone was quite smug.

It seems that recalling these things brings her great joy.

Then a male voice chimed in, letting out a sigh that sounded genuinely heartfelt.

[Then why did he willingly enter this Immortal Imprisonment Mirror? He could have easily escaped using Eastern Continent techniques.]

[It's all to avoid revealing Zhou Fuling's location. If he's recognized, Zhou Fuling will be exposed.]

Male voice: [But clearly, he knows that Zhou Fuling is a demon cultivator this week.]

The woman's voice paused for a moment, then chuckled: "He's truly in love with that vixen. But he stubbornly refuses to admit it, and then he runs into Zhou Fuling, who's even more stubborn and blind to his own feelings."

In their past life, he and Zhou Fuling suffered lifelong regret because of this.

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A note from the author: