Thunder rumbled across the heavens and earth, and horses' hooves trampled the earth.
The war drums atop the high walls seemed to resonate in Xie Shuci's heart, layering his emotions until they threatened to burst forth from his chest and break free of his flesh.
A flag stood atop the city wall, fluttering in the cold wind.
The horses' hooves pounded the war drums, making the earth seem to tremble.
Xie Shuci took a deep breath. He was a very impulsive person, and at this moment he couldn't think about whether his identity would be exposed. He jumped down from the carriage, untied the reins on the king, and said in a deep voice, "Take me to the city wall."
"Awooo!" The king's voice choked with emotion as he transformed into a red snow wolf, half the height of a human.
Xie Shuci flipped himself onto the wolf's back and turned to Xiao Xun in the carriage, saying, "Wait for us here."
Before Xiao Xun could reply, the king leaped up from the ground, his sharp claws landing on the city wall, and in a few quick movements, he climbed up the city tower.
Xiao Xun watched Xie Shuci's retreating figure quietly, hesitated for a moment, but still did not chase after him.
Who are you?
The guard exclaimed in surprise upon seeing the sudden appearance of a man and a wolf.
Xie Shuci jumped off the wolf's back and said, "They are my friends."
"friend?"
A man next to him stopped him and explained, "He came with Song Jiuying."
Xie Shuci walked to the edge of the city gate and looked down.
The city tower was several meters high, offering a wide view. With a glance, one could see a large troop of people standing on the ground a mile away. The troop was so large that it seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see, as if it were connected to the sky, or as if the sky had collapsed and dark clouds had fallen to the ground. This made Xie Shuci feel as if a huge boulder was pressing on his heart, making it impossible for him to breathe.
Seeing that they were fully prepared and ready to go, they could return to the capital as soon as Song Jiuying approached.
Outside the city, Fang Xunxue rode his iron horse at the forefront, with the others following slowly behind him. They slowed down, raised their weapons, and approached the enemy who lay prostrate on the ground like a giant beast without hesitation.
The cold wind whipped at their robes and long hair, stirring up dust that blurred their receding figures.
Xie Shuci walked to the side, borrowed a drumstick, wrapped it with spiritual power, and struck the drum hard. A dull thud echoed from the city tower, like a boulder falling into the water, creating ripples.
The deafening drumbeats, carried by spiritual energy, drifted melodiously towards the crowd, like ancient bells, stirring their hearts.
Fang Xunxue, walking at the very front of the group, turned around and glanced at Xie Shuci from several feet away, a slight smile playing on his lips. When he saw the person standing not far from Xie Shuci, his smile froze for a moment, but his eyes suddenly softened considerably.
Xie Shuci was stunned for a moment, then turned his head to look at his side, only to find that in addition to the soldiers, there was a man wearing a black cloak standing on the city wall.
The man was tall and imposing, and even though he was shrouded in a cloak, his extraordinary bearing was still evident, suggesting he was no ordinary person.
The black hood covered most of his face, and Xie Shuci could only see his slightly trembling lips, which were as pale as paper.
"Surrender and you will be spared!"
Outside the empty city gate, Xie Shuci heard someone shout from Dongli's ranks.
Being so far apart, no one except Xie Shuci on the city tower could hear what they were saying.
The man seemed to sense something, turning his head slightly to reveal half of his face hidden behind his cloak. His features were deep, and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked at Xie Shuci, seemingly already knowing Xie Shuci's identity, but didn't care, and asked, "What did they say?"
Xie Shuci was a cultivator, and his hearing and eyesight were much better than ordinary people. He had already guessed the man's identity and said in a deep voice, "Surrender and you will not be killed."
The man's body trembled slightly, his breathing became disordered for a moment, and his voice trembled as he asked again, "What did he say?"
Xie Shuci knew who the "he" in his words referred to, and after a moment of silence, he said, "He said he would not surrender."
The man's breath hitched.
"He said he forced you to make that decision?" Xie Shuci asked.
The man's throat was dry as he said, "Yes, I disagreed with Dong Li's conditions. He and the Song Jiu Camp knelt outside the palace for three days. On the fourth day, I still disagreed, so he took it upon himself to bring the Song Jiu Camp to the Southwest Pass. If I don't issue an imperial decree, they will have sacrificed themselves in vain. He always says I'm indecisive, but in fact, he's more suitable to govern the world than I am."
Xie Shuci closed his eyes and said softly, "His choice was correct."
They sacrificed their nine lives to bring temporary peace to the State of Qi.
But how could a man not know that Fang Xunxue's choice was correct?
Xie Shuci gazed at the distant, dark cloud-like formation that seemed to have fallen to the ground. They had already set up their bows and arrows; if the nine men of Songjiu Camp did not lay down their weapons, they would likely be met with a hail of arrows.
Watching their calm and resolute backs, Xie Shuci's heart also calmed down.
"Awoo!"
The king leaped onto the city wall, his tall figure standing on the edge, and let out a mournful cry.
Its voice was no longer empty and devoid of anything; it was filled with sorrow and anger, resounding throughout the entire sky.
In that instant, Xie Shuci knew that in the short few days they had spent together, the King had learned something from Xing Tie that he would never forget.
"Awoo!"
The howls of wolves echoed in the air, sorrowful, desolate, and lonely, yet also filled with reluctance.
Upon hearing the king's voice, Xing Tie paused, slowly turned around, and looked at the majestic king atop the city wall.
"Awoo!"
The king howled tirelessly, as if he wanted to accompany them on their final journey with his cries.
"Do they like snow?" Xie Shuci suddenly asked.
The man was stunned.
Xie Shuci took out a bronze medicine cauldron from his small pouch and used his spiritual power to lift it into the air. Through the connection he had established with the bronze cauldron, he absorbed its continuous spiritual power and used his own body as a medium to send the bronze medicine cauldron's spiritual power into the sky.
The spiritual energy entered the dark clouds, and in just a moment it turned into snowflakes that drifted down from the sky.
Xie Shuci didn't care whether his identity would be discovered, nor did he care whether his behavior would attract the attention of others.
He didn't interfere in the affairs of mortals; he just wanted to see snow, so he created a heavy snowfall for himself.
"Awoo!"
Xie Shuci looked at the man beside him and asked, "May I borrow your sword?"
"please."
Xie Shuci channeled his spiritual power into his sword, and with unstoppable momentum, he swept towards the Songjiu Camp.
Without warning, heavy snow began to fall from the sky.
Fang Xunxue looked up in confusion. He reached out and caught the snowflakes falling from the sky. He watched the snowflakes land in his palm, but he didn't feel cold at all.
“It’s not snow…” Fang Xunxue murmured.
"We're so lucky to have seen the first snow of the year."
"Idiot, this isn't snow."
"Huh? What is this if not snow?"
Fang Xunxue looked up in a daze, and snowflakes fell on his face but disappeared immediately. "This is... spiritual power."
The pure white spiritual energy fell on everyone like snowflakes, as if countless white fireflies were dancing around them.
Fang Xunxue stared in fascination at the pure white spiritual energy. "This is spiritual energy... It's so beautiful."
"Whoosh!"
A longsword manipulated by spiritual power flew to the group, its blade gleaming coldly. It circled around them, its edge grazing their skin, sending shivers down their spines.
"How impressive!"
"Is this the legendary sword flight?"
"This life is enough. This life is enough."
"Hey, you know what, we guys were really lucky. We even met a few benefactors before we died."
Fang Xunxue's smile widened, her eyes sparkling like stars. "Brothers, are you satisfied?"
"I'm content!"
With such beautiful scenery, it's time to hit the road.
"Time to hit the road!"
The sound of hooves quickened, and they galloped away, never to return, facing the arrows aimed at them.
"Release the arrows—"
In that instant, a barrage of arrows was unleashed.
"Awoo!"
For Xie Shuci in the past, the scene before him was too cruel, but now it seems insignificant.
The snowflakes formed from spiritual energy fell on their bodies, washing away the blood and grime from their skin.
The outcome is decided.
Dongli sent men to check the breathing of the nine men and, after confirming that they were dead, withdrew his troops and returned home.
Perhaps out of some respect for their deaths, they did not take their bodies with them.
The spiritual energy fell around them, washing away the bloodstains on the ground. From a distance, they looked as quiet as if they were asleep.
The Great King transformed into a tiny puppy and buried itself motionless in Xie Shuci's chest. Warm tears soaked Xie Shuci's clothes, but surprisingly, it didn't make a sound of sobbing.
"Farewell." Xie Shuci nodded to the man.
The man turned around, revealing his handsome face beneath the cloak. "Thank you."
Xie Shuci shook his head. "I didn't do anything. Goodbye."
Xie Shuci carried the king down from the city wall and back to the carriage.
He looked at the king in his arms, pondered for a moment, walked to the city gate, and asked the guard for a horse.
Since Dongli has kept its promise and withdrawn its troops, Xie Shuci has no intention of staying any longer.
He tied the reins to the horse, sat in the carriage, and Xiao Xun leaned against the carriage wall watching him.
“Let’s go to Tianzhu City,” Xie Shuci said.
He stroked the king's fur, his expression remaining indifferent.
Xiao Xun's throat bobbed, and he looked at Xie Shuci as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't say anything.
He felt that Xie Shuci was different from before, but he couldn't remember what Xie Shuci was like before.
Led by the crane, the carriage gradually drove out of the city and headed in another direction.
If you leave the southwest gate and travel west for three days, you will arrive at Tianzhu City.
After leaving Southwest Pass, Xie Shuci became noticeably more silent.
Xiao Xun sensed something was wrong, but whenever he took the initiative to talk to Xie Shuci, Xie Shuci would immediately revert to her old self.
Xiao Xun didn't know if he was still angry with Xie An or for some other reason. Even if he asked, Xie Shuci wouldn't say. Nevertheless, he still kept his promise to Xie Shuci and kept Xie An from waking up for the past few days.
It wasn't until they entered Tianzhu City and arrived at Wanhua Tower, seeing Luo Xianlan and the other person, that his smile broadened. "Brother Xiaoci!"
Upon seeing Xie Shuci suddenly appear at Wanhua Tower, Xiao Xianlan ran directly from the other side of the corridor and threw herself into Xie Shuci's arms.
"Slow down, you brat!" someone shouted from the side.
Xie Shuci caught her as she lunged at him, a smile appearing on his face. "Did you miss your little brother Ci?"
"Of course!" Little Fairy Orchid stepped back a few paces from his embrace, a little embarrassed, then looked at the listless king in his arms, "Your Majesty! Why have you shrunk?"
She picked up the king and carried him over. The little guy had been even more depressed than Xie Shuci these past few days. When he saw Sister Xianlan, he finally perked up a bit, wagged his tail, and licked Xianlan's hand with his tongue.
"Awooo!" The Great King jumped down from Xiao Xianlan's arms and transformed into its original form, which was much larger than before. Xiao Xianlan was startled and jumped again, but after realizing what had happened, she smiled and went to rub its neck.
The king raised his head and squinted his eyes with enjoyment.
"Where's Brother Xie An? This is..." Xiao Xianlan looked at Xiao Xun beside her, somewhat dumbfounded, "How come he looks exactly like Brother Xie An?"
Xiao Xun glanced at her, pursed his lips, and said, "I am Xie An."
Little Fairy Orchid opened her mouth wide, "...Huh?"
Xie Shuci chuckled, ruffled Xiao Xianlan's hair, and said, "It's a long story. Let's go inside first."
"Okay! Brother Xiaoci, where did you all go? I heard from Sister Xiaolian that..."
Stepping into Guanhua Building, the interior is as usual.
Xiao Xianlan led Xie Shuci and Luo Xianyu into a room. Luo Xianyu lifted the beaded curtain and came out, "Xianlan..."
Suddenly, her gaze froze, and she exclaimed in surprise, "Young Master Xie?"
Xie Shuci waved to her, "Long time no see."
Luo Xianyu nodded, then turned her gaze to Xiao Xun beside her, "This is..."
Xie Shuci chuckled dryly, "He is Xie An, it's a long story. Let us have some water and something to eat first, I'm starving."
Luo Xianyu chuckled, "Xianlan, go and have them prepare some food, and have Xiaolian come over. Don't tell anyone else about Young Master Xie's identity."
"Okay, Brother Xiaoci, please wait a moment!"
The little girl was probably too excited to have seen Xie Shuci, and she hurriedly went out with the king in her arms.
Hearing Luo Xianyu's instructions, Xie Shuci's heart sank slightly, and he asked, "Miss Luo, do you already know something?"
Luo Xianyu didn't shy away from the topic. She looked at Xie Shuci with a faint gaze and nodded, "Yes."
Before she could say anything more, she turned her gaze to Xiao Xun.
Xiao Xun looked back coldly.
Xie Shuci nudged him quietly from the side, telling him to tone it down and not scare people. He was planning to stay in Tianzhu City for a while to see where the Immortal Sect Selection would be held.
Xiao Xun glanced at Xie Shuci, then silently looked away.
Xie Shuci had finally regained some spirits, and he didn't want to make Xie Shuci unhappy.
Xie Shuci and Luo Xianyu chatted casually for a few minutes. Luo Xianyu had a rather aloof personality, but she still showed a few genuine smiles while talking to Xie Shuci.
Xiao Xun sat next to Xie Shuci with a stern face.
Before long, Xiao Xianlan and Xiao Lian came into the room, bringing Xie Shuci and the others a large table of food.
The king grumbled and whimpered as he carried his portion to a corner to eat.
"Oh dear, who do we have here? Isn't this Young Master Xie?" Xiao Lian, holding a palm-leaf fan, swayed as she slowly walked in.
Xie Shuci hadn't eaten much these past few days. Seeing a table full of food, he was incredibly tempted. He rolled his eyes at her and buried himself in the food, devouring it with gusto.
Xiao Lian sat down at the table and sneered, "Where did you flee from? Haven't you eaten for days?"
Xie Shuci swallowed the food in his mouth and said, "I fled from the State of Qi and haven't eaten for three days. I'm starving to death!"
Seeing him wolfing down his food, Xiao Xun patted his back and frowned, saying, "Eat slowly."
Xie Shuci mumbled something, which was hard to hear clearly. He put a few pieces of meat in Xiao Xun's bowl, gesturing for him to eat quickly. Anyone who didn't know better would think they had fled from somewhere.
"So you really did come here as refugees?" Xiao Lian teased.
"I...cough cough!" Xie Shuci ate too fast and choked before she could speak.
Xiao Xun frowned even more deeply and turned to glare at Xiao Lian.
Xiao Lian pouted and didn't say anything more.
Luo Xianyu said, "Young Master Xie said he came from Qi, so he must have traveled by trade route. He must have had a long and tiring journey. Let's talk about it after he finishes eating."
Xie Shuci nodded. Actually, he wasn't that hungry; he was just used to eating and his mouth felt tasteless, so he was craving something.
After Xie Shuci finished eating and drinking, Xiao Xun didn't even touch his chopsticks.
"Aren't you going to eat something?"
Xiao Xun shook his head, "No need."
"oh."
Xiao Lian waited for a long time, and when he finally put down his chopsticks, she leaned forward and said, "Can we talk now?"
Xie Shuci wiped his mouth twice. In the corner, the big king, with its round belly, climbed onto Xie Shuci, ready to take a nap in his arms. But as soon as it lay down, Xiao Xun grabbed it by the scruff of its neck and pulled it into his arms.
The king, however, was quite unfazed. He grunted and lay down to continue sleeping.
Xie Shuci nodded, "Alright, let's talk. Do you know about the Machine Reading City?"
Xiao Lian and Luo Xianyu exchanged a glance, their expressions gradually becoming serious.
Xiao Lian nodded and said, "That's right."
After saying that, she turned her gaze to Xiao Xun, her expression somewhat complicated, "He really is..."
Xie Shuci nodded calmly and said, "Yes, he is Xiao Xun."
Xiao Lian frowned, "Then what you did in the Machine Reading City..."
Xie Shuci hummed in agreement. "The Xiaoyao Sect forced Xie An to go mad and commit massacres. I killed the disciples of the Xiaoyao Sect's main branch and escaped with him."
Xiao Lian rolled her eyes at him. "Are you stupid? This matter had nothing to do with you. Why did you have to get involved? Do you know that the entire cultivation world is hunting you down?"
Xie Shuci stretched and leaned back in his chair. "This matter is inextricably linked to me anyway, so let's just pursue it. In any case, it's just a matter of dying."
He chuckled softly, as if remembering something, "Take life and death lightly, if you're not convinced, then fight."
Upon hearing his words, Xiao Lian and the other two were all taken aback.
Xiao Xianlan smiled and said, "Brother Xiao Ci, you've changed a lot."
Xie Shuci shrugged. "Really? Doesn't it look much better than before?"
"Brother Xiaoci is the most handsome!"
Luo Xianyu couldn't help but glance at Xie Shuci's face again. Although she hadn't spent much time with Xie Shuci, she could clearly sense that Xie Shuci had truly changed.
It seems like I've become... less happy.
Although he was laughing and joking as before, the smile in his eyes was no longer as clear and relaxed as it used to be.
Xiao Lian looked at him, seemingly wanting to say something but hesitating. "What?" Xie Shuci looked at him, puzzled.
Xiao Lian asked with a complicated expression, "What do you plan to do in the future?"
Xie Shuci lowered his eyes and said, "I plan to stay in Tianzhu City for a while. After all, this belongs to Dongli Kingdom. Even if the people from Xiaoyao Sect find me, they won't dare to cause trouble here. Besides, they don't remember what Xie An and I look like."
Upon hearing this, Luo Xianyu and Xiao Lian exchanged a glance and sighed simultaneously.
Xie Shuci looked at them in surprise, "What's wrong? You're not welcoming me? Don't worry, I won't do anything to you, and I won't implicate you..."
"Young Master Xie, please don't say such things. I will always remember your life-saving grace." Luo Xianyu frowned and interrupted him.
Xiao Lian also said, "You can't implicate us. Tianzhu City is the territory of mortals, they wouldn't dare to do anything to us."
“But…” Xiao Lian hesitated.
"What?"
Luo Xianyu sighed and said, "Young Master Xie, you probably don't know about the business route you've been taking recently. Not long ago, the Hundred Sects issued a notice that anyone who captures either you or Young Master Xiao, regardless of life or death, and hands you over to the Hundred Sects, can directly enter the Floating Pagoda Realm. Even ordinary people can be given an inner core to help them cultivate into a Golden Core."
Xie Shuci's eyes widened in surprise, "Wow, they've gone all out!"
Xiao Lian nodded and said, "It is said that the news came from the elder of the Si Ming Pavilion in the Fu Tu territory. Xie Shu Ci, you and Xiao Xun can be said to have no way to move an inch in the cultivation world."
"There's nothing we can do. I killed a disciple from the main branch of the Xiaoyao Sect, and Xie An still holds a handle on the Xiaoyao Sect. They definitely won't let us go."
Xiao Lian shook her head and said, "That's not all, it's said that..."
At this point, she glanced at Xiao Xun with some apprehension.
Xie Shuci waved his hand and said, "To be frank, he doesn't remember anything now, only his memories from before he was nine years old."
Xiao Lian paused for a moment, then said, "I heard that not long ago, the elder of the Si Ming Pavilion deduced that the destiny of heaven was in reverse. Several disciples went down to the realm to investigate the matter and eventually found that the reversal of the destiny of heaven was related to Xiao Xun and Bi Xie."
Is the reversal of destiny related to Xiao Xun?
Xie Shuci frowned and turned to look at Xiao Xun, who was expressionless beside him. The one with the reversed destiny should be the Reincarnation Array of the Evil-Slaying Refinement. Xie Shuci had previously guessed that it might be related to Xie An, since the Reincarnation Array had appeared several times and been related to them.
The people who came down to investigate were Sikong Xin and Liu Dazhuang. How did they discover that this matter was related to Xie An?
But wasn't the Reincarnation Array created by Bixie? How could it be related to Xie An?
Xie Shuci asked suspiciously, "Do you remember the warding-off evil spirits?"
Xiao Xun said, "I've heard of it."
"Wait a minute..." Xie Shuci frowned, "You wouldn't happen to be Bixie, would you?"
Xiao Xun glanced at him quietly, "No."
He paused for a moment, then said, "If you're so eager to know, why don't you just ask Xie An directly?"
Xie Shuci's expression darkened, and he lowered his head. "No need."
Regardless of whether this matter has anything to do with Xie An, it would be even better if it did. Perhaps if Bixie refined the Book of Reincarnation, Xie An wouldn't have to perish completely after his death.
Anyway, it has nothing to do with Xie Shuci, so it doesn't matter whether I know it or not.
Xiao Xun looked at his expression, and his breath hitched.
He felt that Xie Shuci had been acting strangely lately, but he didn't know the Xie Shuci of the past and couldn't pinpoint what was wrong with her. He thought Xie An knew, but he had promised Xie Shuci that she didn't want to see Xie An.
Seeing Xie Shuci's indifferent expression, Xiao Lian glared at him with exasperation, "Are you out of your mind? This is a serious crime! Don't you understand what a serious crime is? And you're still protecting him?"
Xie Shuci laughed and said, "I'm not bewitched by a ghost, I'm bewitched by lust. Hey, I've never been chased like this before. You guys think if I went to Guiyi and the others to turn myself in, they could go straight to the Floating Pagoda Realm... But Guiyi and the others just want to win, not to go to the Floating Pagoda Realm."
Xiao Xun frowned slightly, as if remembering something, and said, "The Floating Pagoda Realm is not a good place."
Xie Shuci blinked, suddenly remembering what Chu Wenfeng had once said.
"I remember, when we came out of the Dragon Fang Secret Realm, Chu Wenfeng said that the senior of the Chu family had also said that the Floating Pagoda Realm wasn't a good place. But isn't the Floating Pagoda Realm a secret realm? It's full of spiritual energy, lush with spiritual herbs, and teeming with spiritual beasts. Everyone in the cultivation world flocks to it..."
At this point, Xie Shuci suddenly stopped.
The Floating Pagoda Realm is a secret realm, formed from the sea of consciousness of a cultivator after death. Generally, the gates of secret realms are only opened to the cultivation world under special circumstances.
The passage connecting the Floating Pagoda Realm to the cultivation world is open year-round, and it seems that one can enter the Floating Pagoda Realm from anywhere.
If so, the master of the Floating Pagoda Realm should not be dead yet, and he should be powerful enough to maintain the passage connecting the Floating Pagoda Realm to the cultivation world.
So, who will be the master of the Floating Pagoda Realm?
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