Chapter 222 Jinling is Uncrossable (Mountains of Corpses and Seas of Flesh) You saw him?! ...
Lin Feiran could hardly describe the shock she felt at that moment.
One person after another was piled up in this secret room, stacked on top of each other, forming a not-so-organized mountain of flesh.
The shadows loomed over everything, and mountains of flesh lay scattered about.
They lay or slumped, their eyes wide open in anger, their limbs twisted, their eyeballs seemingly out of control, drooping slightly in their sockets, and coincidentally all staring blankly at the door.
Even someone as bold as Lin Feiran felt a jolt in her heart when she first faced him, and instinctively took a half-step back.
She quickly calmed herself down and looked around.
Apart from the mountain of flesh in front of them, the interior furnishings were hardly as ordinary as they appeared from the outside.
White walls stood all around, and no lights were on, only the faint light from the magic circle that occasionally passed by. There were several low cabinets at the bottom, which seemed to contain something.
This place resembles the boundless land opened up by the white dew.
That glimmer of light is the "vent" needed for the magic array to operate; the faint light inside is reflected through it, and it is extremely brief.
If she hadn't been familiar with "The Great Sound is Silent," she would never have found this place today.
Lin Feiran's gaze sharpened slightly as he suddenly noticed something amiss in the mural.
Setting aside the bold strokes, if you look at the vermilion brushstrokes alone, if you connect the broken parts, it is clearly the spirit-gathering array drawn by Bai Lu for the Human Emperor. However, the simple and crude version in front of you looks more like a poorly made imitation.
Why gather spirits here?
Just as she was pondering, a creaking sound rang out, and a severed arm rolled down from the mountain of flesh, landing in front of Lin Feiran. She immediately took a half-step back.
Instead of the dull thud of flesh hitting the ground, a lighter, more delicate thud could be heard.
It was like a piece of wood falling to the ground.
Lin Feiran immediately squatted down, picked up the severed arm, and examined it, feeling a slight sense of relief.
This mountain of flesh is not real.
It appears to have distinct textures, with every detail visible, and even has the same temperature, yet it doesn't feel heavy like flesh and blood when you touch it.
But it is not a puppet or spirit doll either.
No matter how well a doll is made, it cannot replicate such a realistic skin texture and translucency.
Lin Feiran felt a sense of familiarity, but couldn't quite put her finger on it.
She gently lowered the severed arm, formed a hand seal, and a soft spiritual light appeared in her palm, illuminating the rather gloomy secret room.
She stepped forward, and light slowly crept over the mountain of flesh, casting chaotic shadows on the surrounding white walls, instantly creating a heavy atmosphere.
Only when he got closer could Lin Feiran see each body clearly.
Surprisingly, their faces were also incredibly lifelike, with no two faces alike, making them almost indistinguishable from real people.
An unspeakable doubt arose in her heart. She continued to examine the mountain of flesh, but suddenly bumped into a somewhat familiar face, and her eyelids twitched.
evergreen.
The disciple of an elder of Daohe Palace, who was three years younger than them, was an exceptionally diligent disciple.
She used to consult Lin Feiran and Wei Changzai from time to time, so she had some impression of them.
Lin Feiran subconsciously reached out to check his breath and pulse, and only felt relieved after confirming that it was a dummy.
How come there's a puppet that looks just like Chang Qing here?
Lin Feiran's heart stirred, and he immediately threw up his spiritual light and began to search along the edge of the mountain of flesh.
She picked up and put down one hard yet light body after another.
As a result, more and more faces were revealed.
Chang Qing, the Slender-Waisted King, the young master of the Wolf Clan, Pei Yu, and even Qing Yao.
Almost every face is so realistic that it can be mistaken for the real thing.
Lin Feiran's brows furrowed more and more, and her movements became faster and faster, until she saw a certain body deep inside. Suddenly, she stopped and looked stunned.
That was her face.
That was another Lin Feiran.
They were simply piled up inside, their hands and feet curled up, their faces expressionless.
Lin Feiran immediately pulled her out; she was also a light and lifeless prosthetic body.
However, there are subtle differences among them.
This one made by Lin Feiran is not as complete as the others; it looks like it was just made recently.
She held the mannequin, her gaze involuntarily drifting to the familiar clothes on its body.
A silver robe with vermilion patterns, made of soft silk.
It was clearly a nighttime stroll, and the robes that Ru Xian had chosen for her even had the same array patterns drawn on them.
Why this one?
Lin Feiran's mind raced, and he almost immediately connected the assassination attempt by Ye Youri and the actions of Chi Ya and his men.
And Qiu Tong had once tearfully told her that she suspected that Prince Qingping had been replaced.
Although this question has not yet been confirmed, Lin Feiran is somewhat surprised and uncertain at this moment.
Is the replacement really possible?
Could these people be those who have already been or will be replaced, and their previous assassinations were originally intended to replace her?
But why did they give up after the daytime night tour?
What variables are involved?
Or is there some kind of obstacle?
Lin Feiran suddenly realized that it was impossible to separate himself from the cult, and immediately began to plot their several deadly attacks on him, as well as their inexplicable cessation of action.
The first time I came was the most inexplicable.
The subsequent cessation was also quite abrupt.
A flash of light appeared, and the shadows on the wall began to move, further entangled the already chaotic projections.
Lin Feiran's pensive expression was hidden within his eyes, yet it flickered uncertainly.
Qiu Tong is taking action, and the question of whether Qingping King has been replaced may soon be answered.
However, she preferred that Prince Qingping remain Prince Qingping.
As for the "Lin Feiran" in front of her, she also tended to replace her, with the same clothes and makeup, which was made to replace her.
These mannequins were not made randomly; there must be some connection between them.
Lin Feiran immediately looked up and memorized every unfamiliar face he could make out.
As she searched and memorized, she was so engrossed that she failed to notice the sounds coming from outside the array. It wasn't until the array patterns connected and a brighter spiritual light flowed through that she suddenly snapped back to reality.
There was nowhere to hide!
Lin Feiran made up his mind, immediately extinguished the spiritual light, lifted up the pulled-out dummies, and filled the empty space in the dug-out mountain of flesh with himself. Then he covered the bodies with them, leaving only a narrow slit to look out.
She calmed herself down and looked outside, holding her breath.
These mannequins are covered in dust, indicating that they have not been moved for a long time. If they are here today to move the mannequins, then we can only assume that they are just unlucky and have the worst of times!
Even with these thoughts in mind, she couldn't help but silently pray and even became unusually nervous.
With a creak, as if she had sneaked in, a figure stepped in slowly, then calmly turned around and closed the door.
The figure turned around, and in the dim light of the secret room, Lin Feiran saw a somewhat familiar mask through the crack.
Unlike Xun Feifei, who only covered her lips and nose, this person covered her entire face.
It was a pure white piece with two curved cracks at the eyes, as if it were smiling, but there was nothing else, which made it seem a bit eerie.
It wasn't until the person had taken two or three steps that Lin Feiran suddenly remembered where she had seen him before.
In Spring City, at the Flying Flowers Gathering, when Fu Yin and her companions infiltrated to steal the spiritual vein, this person was among them, and even exchanged a few blows with her.
What was it called again...?
Lin Feiran couldn't remember for a moment.
The man was wearing a mask, so his expression was not visible. He walked slowly toward the mountain of flesh, as if he had a pre-existing goal and was not just casually checking things out.
Lin Feiran held her breath, her hands clenching involuntarily, her gaze fixed, her muscles slightly tense, but she was still waiting, and would not make a move rashly until the very last moment.
The man raised his hand and pulled away the first prosthetic body; thankfully, it wasn't one of the ones piled up on her body.
"Where is it?" he suddenly spoke, his voice unusually rough for his physique. "I remember leaving it here before, so I came back specifically to retrieve it..."
One body after another was peeled off, getting closer and closer to her. Lin Feiran could even feel a wisp of air blowing across her neck.
Finally, he turned to Lin Feiran and lifted the first body.
She was trying her best to control her heartbeat.
The second body was also opened, and a sliver of light shone in, illuminating her slowly blinking eyes.
Third, fourth...
Until the fifth body was picked up.
Lin Feiran saw the familiar silver silk dress; it was her prosthetic body.
But at the same time, her eyes were also revealed, and the airflow brought a cool sensation from the thin layer of sweat seeping through.
Lin Feiran calmed down and thought about his previous fight with him, figuring out how to kill him with one blow.
Suddenly, the man stopped moving.
I thought he would discard the prosthesis as he had done before, but he didn't.
He simply stopped, presumably examining her prosthetic body, and after a few moments of observation, he asked, "Why did I add this garment to your clothes?"
These words seemed inexplicable, but he paused for a moment, as if he had just realized something, and let out a short "Ah": "I had forgotten about that matter. If that were the case, then of course I would have to change into this dress."
As she talked to herself, Lin Feiran became more and more like a taut bow, but even at this moment, she still maintained an astonishing calmness.
She didn't want to make a big fuss and couldn't act rashly until the very last moment.
The person lingered for a long time, merely gazing at her mannequin and muttering something, but at a certain moment, even his self-talk stopped.
He suddenly raised his hand, and Lin Feiran moved slightly. His hand landed on the dummy, brushing aside the dummy's hair, and he paused.
Suddenly, a glimpse of inky blackness appeared from beneath the thin seams of those masks.
He looked over.
Lin Feiran felt a chill run down her spine, not from the glance he gave her, but from the coldness in his gaze that pierced her back and ignited her fighting spirit.
"Huh?"
He suddenly spoke, the coldness in his eyes receding as if the tide were receding, replaced by a different, unreadable gaze.
"When was this made?"
He raised his hand and lifted the last piece of Lin Feiran's body, revealing her completely.
"Who made this? It looks so lifelike. The craftsmanship is amazing!"
His tone was tinged with curiosity. He held her mannequin in one arm and reached out with the other, causing Lin Feiran to immediately suppress her pulse.
Her appearance has changed, so she is naturally not afraid of looking like the "Lin Feiran" in his arms.
This is the main hall of the esoteric sect, and they are about to take action. Moreover, she had fought this person before and was not confident that she could kill him with one blow. If she were not forced to...
For now, she can only pretend to be a dummy.
The man's hand had already touched her, first pinching her cheek, then flipping her eyelids, and tapping her brow with his finger, while he said something in surprise and slowly moved closer.
The narrow slit in the mask met her unblinking eyes, and one could even see the slight movement of her gaze behind the mask.
He was only an inch away from Lin Feiran, then neither approached nor made any move, and simply stopped.
His expression was obscured by the mask, but she could sense that he was constantly scrutinizing her.
A cultivator can temporarily suppress their heart rate and conceal their pulse, becoming no different from a puppet, but they cannot hide it forever, since they are not truly dead.
Lin Feiran's level of skill is already quite impressive, but he can only hold on for another fifty counts at most.
She counted down in her mind, and at forty, the man finally got up and left, muttering as if exhaling, "Whose work is this? It's really well done, the skill is almost as good as mine."
He straightened up, still holding the dummy in his arms, and propped up its drooping head, saying, "This one is also quite pleasing, but it's poorly made and should be destroyed. Looks like I'll have to go into seclusion in the furnace room again for the next few days, won't I?"
The last three words were clearly directed at the dummy in his arm. He hummed a little tune, stepped over the body on the ground, and left the place in high spirits.
The moment the door closed, Lin Feiran counted down to ten, but she still dared not relax until her heartbeat was forcibly restored, and then she slowly exhaled.
She knew she couldn't stay there any longer, so she quickly got up, memorized a few more faces, and after confirming that no one was in the outer room, she turned and left.
Setting up an array for Aoxue was not difficult, but after the previous incident, Lin Feiran was more cautious and careful, yet she couldn't help but observe whether there were any other abnormalities. While on tenterhooks, she searched through many rooms.
So, in total, she didn't stop until almost midnight.
Qingque was still waiting for her near Mirror Lake, her nerves on edge all night. She only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Lin Feiran return.
"Why are you so late? Did something happen to you?"
Lin Feiran shook her head, not mentioning the mountain of flesh, but instead asked her, "Senior, I have a question. The seventh sword among the nine swords you mentioned earlier, is it covered by a mask, so its appearance is unknown?"
Qingque was shocked: "Indeed, you saw him?!"
Lin Feiran nodded, but said, "I only saw it from afar when I climbed up to the seventh floor, but we didn't meet."
Qingque breathed a sigh of relief again: "That's good. Although his cultivation is not as profound as Aoxue's, his moves are strange and unpredictable. If you had encountered him, you probably would have made a scene in the whole building before you could even defeat him."
Lin Feiran pondered, "I heard him say that he would be staying in the furnace room recently. What does that mean?"
"Really?" Qingque's face lit up with joy, and she jumped up with delight. "It's heaven's help! The furnace room is his place, not in the building, but near the Cloud Ascension Platform. It seems he's in charge of burning something, but that's all top-down secrets."
But once he's in the furnace, he won't come out again.
Lin Feiran was still somewhat hesitant: "Perhaps not in the next two days, but in the following two days? He's going into seclusion, doesn't he need to prepare anything?"
"No need!" Qingque waved her hand and began to rub her hands together. "I heard Fuyin say that he doesn't go into seclusion when he enters the furnace room, but rather to burn something. The fire that burns is supported by his spiritual power. If he stops once, he has to start all over again, so he rarely goes out."
We'll steal the treasure inside the building; he's behind the Cloud Ascent Platform, not too close. As long as we're discreet enough, he won't notice.
Hearing this, Lin Feiran did not share Qingque's joy. She responded, and after the two discussed the formation setup, they parted ways.
Lin Feiran stopped halfway through, feeling uneasy, and immediately turned back.
The coincidences are too great. If that person is the Seventh Sword, could my disguise really fool him?
Was that one scene or two scenes?
Could it be that he was faking it too? Otherwise, why would he so casually release the information she wanted?
Stealing the fire was a matter of great importance, and Lin Feiran could not allow it to go wrong.
On the way back, she took the Golden Wave Sword out of her mustard seed bag.
Now, the only option is a sneak attack.
Even if we can't kill him outright, we must at least make sure he can't tip us off tonight!
"Senior." She took out the jade talisman and called out to Qingque.
The other end quickly responded, but in a very low voice, sounding somewhat guilty: "We haven't been apart for long, so let's not contact each other too frequently, lest we arouse suspicion."
What do you want to ask?
"Could you please check, senior, to see if the Seventh Swordsman has gone to the furnace room?"
There was a moment of silence on Yu Fu's side. After a short while, Qing Que replied, "He's gone. Don't worry too much. This is just an unexpected bonus. Even if he hadn't gone, we would have just proceeded according to the original plan."
Lin Feiran responded, and the two lost contact, but she did not stop walking.
According to Qingque, the furnace room is not in the main hall, but near the Dengyun Terrace at the back.
She walked through the dense forest, the cold wind whistling, and reached Dengyuntai at almost her fastest speed. It didn't take her long to see a house in the distance near the mudflats.
After observing for a moment, Lin Feiran leaped down and set up an extremely hidden and complex array around the furnace room. Then, he crouched far away among the branches and leaves, focusing intently on the only path.
The moon was high in the sky, and the shadows of the trees swayed in the silent forest. Lin Feiran, like a night hawk, crouched there, patiently and attentively waiting as time passed.
Finally, at some point, a figure appeared at the other end of the road.
He held the mannequin in his arms, his steps not fast. Every two steps, he would tidy the mannequin's hair. The night wind blew up his cloud-patterned Taoist robe, giving him a rather gentle and unrestrained air.
Lin Feiran had been watching intently, and after the night breeze passed, she vaguely saw a familiar figure in the person's relaxed and unaware posture.
Ji Changying.
Her hand holding the sword paused, and she focused her gaze again. The person finally approached slowly, and unlike before, she could no longer only see a rough outline.
Once you get closer, you can see the difference.
The person in front of him was clearly duller, lacking the ethereal grace of Ji Changying, but possessing a greater sense of weight and composure. It was as if, once the wind stopped, there was no resemblance between them whatsoever.
Seeing that he was about to step into the magic array, Lin Feiran immediately gathered his thoughts and stopped thinking about it.
Even if the person looks very similar, it can't be him.
She gripped the hilt of the Golden Wave Sword, and with a flick of her wrist, the silk cloth wrapped around it loosened.
Then a cold glint appeared in the dense forest.
Before the man could react, the chilling sword wind, carrying a hint of cold, descended upon him like a crescent moon.
Author's Note: This character appears in Chapter 79. If you guess what's going to happen, go back and read the chapter again. Please don't spoil anything in Chapter 79! [heart emoji][droopy-eared rabbit emoji]
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