Chapter 61 Bloodstained Like a Startled Swan in Flight, A Flowing Wind and Returning Snow (Part Two...)
As the four pillars descended and spiritual energy transformed into petals that filled the Spring City, Ru Xian stood up and looked out over Lin Feiran's shoulder.
At that moment, the formation was fully activated, and an oppressive spiritual pressure suddenly swept by, startling everyone. He could sense the changes in Spring City, but due to the limitations of his realm, he could not discern the clues as he had when he was in the Divine Travel Realm.
However, he recognized the bitter fragrance emanating from the scattered flowers.
Bitterness turns into fragrance, a famous work by the ancestor of medicine. It makes people dizzy and numb all over when they smell it, but this is only secondary. Its real effect is pain relief.
At first, it tastes extremely bitter and sour, as if one tastes all the bitterness in the world in an instant. But after a while, the pain dissipates, and the wound feels as if it is soaking in honey, sticky and soothing, making one feel intoxicated by it.
Just one burning pill is enough to make one willingly endure the agony of being torn apart by chariots.
He used to use this kind of incense often, but after using it for a long time, the incense pills became less effective, so he replaced them.
Bitter incense has excellent analgesic effects. Apart from its complicated preparation method and the scarcity of its ingredients, it has no other drawbacks and is a very precious elixir. However, the sages only used it as a drug to induce sleep. Those who know the ropes would probably beat their chests and cry out in regret.
Ru Xian's gaze shifted and landed on Lin Feiran. Just as he was about to warn her, he saw her swaying, clearly having been affected. As she fainted and collapsed, he instinctively reached out and caught her.
Lin Feiran has a slender figure and usually looks like a silent, solitary figure, but when you actually put your weight in your arm, it is quite substantial.
She lay quietly in my arms, her lips slightly pursed, and a faint smile appeared on her face, as if she had seen something.
Ru Xian remained silent for a moment, then looked away at the clasp connected on their wrists. She then glanced at the dark night outside the window, and after a moment's thought, she turned the clasp into a jade ring and slipped it onto her wrist.
If we're talking about weapons, this solid weapon is far more reliable than that disciple's sword.
After doing all this, he carried her to the bed, then sat half-upright on the edge of the bed, leaning against the railing, his left hand gently stroking the jade ring on her wrist, his eyes closed, lost in thought.
For him, the bitter fragrance nowadays has little analgesic effect, but after smelling it for a long time, he still finds it hard to resist the drowsiness and sweetness that come with it.
He wasn't actually worried about the separation; whether or not Lin Feiran was with him, she would handle things well.
...
Her thoughts returned to the present moment. Ru Xian sat leaning against the corner, her gaze fixed ahead, her expression uninterested.
Before them lay an octagonal prison with long talismans hanging on the railings, their light flickering. Outside the prison, eight silver wolves patrolled, but unfortunately, they were not guards; rather, they were hunters, drooling and poised to pounce.
When the long talisman melts away, that will be the time for them to break through. At that time, the more than twenty people in the prison will fall into the wolf's mouth and be feasted on by them.
Ru Xian was the first person to awaken in this octagonal prison. He watched as one cultivator after another regained consciousness, screamed, panicked, and became flustered.
Almost everyone is like that, which made him find it somewhat boring.
If Lin Feiran were here... never mind, she's not here, and the Yin-Yang Fish isn't responding at all, so it's probably still not awake.
In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, everyone in the prison regained their senses. After a period of fear, they began to discuss escape strategies, but again, in less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, disagreements arose frequently.
Besides some independent cultivators, there were also quite a few disciples from sects and aristocratic families present, totaling about twenty people.
Some suggested a united front, defeating the enemy one by one, while others felt that this was merely a test from a sage, with no real danger to life or death, and that they should seek another solution rather than engage in a bloody battle that would lead to their deaths.
During the argument, someone else stepped forward and brought up the matter of Silver Wolf's small appetite.
The reason why the silver wolf is always drooling and hungry is because its stomach is small. If it eats a few more bites, it needs to leave a day to digest.
If we can feed them first, escaping will not be difficult.
After all, cultivators who cannot use spiritual power are almost equivalent to mortals, so asking them to fight eight silver wolves is simply a fantasy.
Rather than fighting to the death and risking one's life, it is better to sacrifice oneself for righteousness and die for a noble cause.
As soon as these words were spoken, someone objected. It was a young cultivator dressed in the robes of a sect disciple, about seventeen or eighteen years old, with a round topknot on his head, who did not look very bright.
"Absolutely not! Our imprisonment here must be a test from the saints. They want us to learn to cooperate and break out of this prison together, not to kill each other!"
A rogue cultivator stood up; he had slanted eyes, high cheekbones, and a distinctly mean appearance: "Who are you?"
The young man, with his neck stiff, said, "I am Chang Qing, a disciple of Daohe Palace."
The rogue cultivator sneered, "So you're a disciple of the soon-to-be-declining First Palace, how arrogant! Why don't you kill one by yourself first, and we'll follow!"
Some people laughed mockingly, while others looked sadly out of the prison. During the argument, two long talismans on the railing fell apart.
Upon seeing this, the silver wolf growled, and one of them charged forward, causing the railing to shake violently. Although a long talisman shone brightly in the next moment, repelling it, the railing still loosened somewhat.
Upon seeing this, the crowd erupted in a frenzy, like oil being poured onto a hot fire, and the prison instantly became abuzz with excitement.
The independent cultivators on the main road had seen too many of these situations. Their eyes gleamed, and they immediately began to win people over.
"Everyone should think carefully. If we launch a direct attack, once the prison gates are opened, there will be no turning back. At that time, if two or three people fight against a silver wolf, the entire army will be wiped out and certain death will be inevitable."
But if one sacrifices oneself for a noble cause, saving many lives single-handedly, that is what makes a hero!
"Absurd!" Chang Qing immediately retorted, but he was not good with words and after pausing for a long time, he couldn't come up with a reasonable argument. He just said dryly, "Isn't one person's life also a matter of fate? Why don't we fight our way out together and leave our lives to fate!"
The rogue cultivator sneered upon hearing this: "Who doesn't know that the disciples of Daohe Palace are extremely skilled in physical combat? When everyone rushes out, you may escape, but those who can't outrun you will have to take your place!"
Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked, and even those who had initially disagreed were now filled with doubt.
In a life-or-death situation, it is natural for people to be suspicious, but it is also a major taboo. Chang Qing repeatedly said that he would never run away, but no one believed him.
As Ru Xian gazed at the scene before her, she couldn't help but wonder, if Lin Feiran were here alone, would she be devoured alive by this group?
Was this the same thing that happened to her?
He lowered his eyes and tried to activate the Tai Chi Yin-Yang symbol several times, but there was still no response. For some reason, he felt a slight sense of anxiety.
Ru Xian looked up with displeasure and saw that the rogue cultivator and the disciple named Chang Qing had started fighting and were locked in combat on the ground. People around immediately stepped forward to help, but it was to help the rogue cultivator.
During the fight, Chang Qing was at a disadvantage and was kicked away, sliding straight to Ru Xian's front.
At this moment, everyone noticed that there was another monk in the corner.
The leading rogue cultivator seemed to have become the one in charge. He walked forward, and the others made way for him. He straightened his back and said in a sinister voice, "So there was someone hiding here. Could it be that he was planning to reap the benefits without lifting a finger..."
The unfinished words stuck in his throat, and he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
The person before me resembled a true immortal, far from being an ordinary mortal. His sharp, bright eyes were captivating, yet contained not a trace of warmth. He was clearly sitting against the corner of the wall, positioned below, but when he looked up, he appeared to be scrutinizing with his eyes lowered.
That was the arrogant demeanor typical of those in power; just one glance made him feel a sense of submission and begging for mercy.
He was a rogue cultivator who, by chance, learned the art of meditation and entered the realm of mental fasting. However, due to a lack of talent, he was rejected by the sect. But after years of cultivation and hard work, he developed an indescribable keenness.
Just like now, a chill ran down his spine, and he instinctively wanted to back down. But then he suddenly remembered that no matter how strong this person was, he was just like them at this moment and could not use his spiritual power.
The rogue cultivator looked more closely and saw that the man's lips were slightly pale and he was just leaning against the corner of the wall. Suddenly, a brilliant idea came to his mind, and he laughed out loud.
"And which sect or faction are you a disciple of?" he asked cryptically.
As Ru Xian looked at him, how could she not know what he was plotting?
He glanced at the crowd and said, "No sect or school, just a rogue cultivator."
The rogue cultivator was overjoyed. He crossed his arms and took a few steps back, saying to the crowd, "This person is rude and arrogant. He must be a domineering person. Have you ever killed anyone?"
Ru Xian glanced at them one by one, but didn't take them seriously: "You've killed them, so what?"
On the path of spiritual cultivation, one often sees killing. Not to mention him, how many of you here have not killed?
Even so, after hearing his confession, many people's faces showed righteous indignation: "He who kills will be killed by others!"
The rogue cultivator laughed and said, "Then you can fill the wolf's belly to atone for your sins!"
Some hesitated: "How to proceed is still undecided. If we decide to cooperate in the end, wouldn't it be a waste of one person's effort if he's not there?"
"Since someone has to be sacrificed, if not him, then who among you? Who is willing to sacrifice themselves!"
At this moment, there were already five or six people standing behind the rogue cultivator. It wasn't a lot, but compared to the other cultivators who stood alone, they exuded a sense of oppression.
Chang Qing coughed as he got up, insisting, "Heaven and earth are benevolent and cannot bear to see a life lost. You are all cultivators. How can you leave the demon beast unattended and instead harm your fellow cultivators?"
As Ru Xian watched, a sudden, inexplicable surge of anger arose in his heart.
If there were only demonic beasts around, he would naturally trust Lin Feiran, but if everyone around her was attacking her, how could she protect herself?
When I painted her portrait, I should have suppressed my reluctance and depicted her as extremely sharp-tongued!
While his mind was in turmoil, the rogue cultivator gave a signal to the people behind him. Dozens of people stepped forward without hesitation, their hands forming claws, tightly binding Ru Xian and Chang Qing, and pushing the two out of the prison gate!
"Better to die than my fellow Daoist! I've cultivated for so many years, and if I didn't do something like this backstabbing, they would have died eight hundred times over!" The man was about to be thrown out, but things had come to this point. Several people stepped forward to block the door, preventing them from pushing him back.
The silver wolves that were patrolling all around moved at the first sign of trouble. As they quickly circled around, Ru Xian directly pulled off the outer robe of the person who had touched him, and in doing so, drew Chang Qing's longsword and kicked the person back.
Outside the prison, he showed no fear whatsoever!
To everyone's surprise and disbelief, they saw him slightly raise his chin, and because he was taller than everyone else, he looked down at them with a condescending gaze, as if they were ants.
A moment later, he suddenly laughed, then wrapped the long robe embroidered with gold thread around the opening of the prison gate, inserted the long sword into the robe, spun it a few times, and actually broke the long sword in two!
Having been left with only a broken sword, the prison gate was now locked shut by his robe and sword, making it impossible to open again.
"What...what does he mean by this? Are there really such kind people who would rather die than let Silver Wolf break down the door?!"
The rogue cultivator stared intently at Ru Xian's retreating figure, without replying. Even he couldn't fathom the man's true intentions at this moment.
Ru Xian ignored what was behind him and simply pulled out a long spear from his mustard seed bag. It was twelve feet long, with a serpentine spearhead, double-edged, and a purplish-copper red color. It felt slightly cool to the touch.
Before he encountered the hot commodity, this was the item he usually used.
"It's been a long time."
He gently stroked the gun and slowly closed his eyes.
Eight silver wolves charged forward, their claws striking the ground like a sudden, dense rain pattering on banana leaves.
One shot and the wolf's head fell to the ground.
The crowd gasped in surprise.
Such a swift, accurate, and ruthless move is truly amazing. Who would have thought that such a long and heavy spear would be wielded by such a divine figure!
Silver Wolf was still leaping when his head was severed from his body. His spilled blood soaked half a wall, chilling the hearts of everyone in the prison.
Just now, it was they who pushed such a person forward!
The crowd's emotions suddenly became complicated; they both hoped he would win and didn't want him to win. Ideally, both sides would be severely injured, otherwise...
Outside the prison, the wolf's body landed on the ground, its bent front paws still twitching. Like a shotgun holstering its gun and turning around, the swirling hem of its coat resembled a gently blooming golden peony, with wisps of light shimmering, and the bloodstains on its bronze blade were fully exposed.
He opened his eyes, stood before the prison gate, and raised his finger to wipe away a drop of blood from his cheek, suddenly adding a touch of crimson to his slightly pale face. He looked less like an immortal and more like a demon seeking death.
One of the silver wolves howled to the sky. The seven wolves gathered together, staring intently at Rushan, their backs arched high and their fangs half-exposed. In an instant, howls of wolves rose up throughout the prison, making people tremble with fear.
When its back is tautest, the alpha wolf lets out a loud roar and charges forward like an arrow released from a bow!
Just then, a bell rang out, and the words of a sage came from afar. A chart suddenly appeared in front of everyone, but at this moment they had no mind to pay attention to it or care about it.
Their pupils constricted as they stared intently at the murderous figure outside the prison, feeling a chill run down their spines and retreating hastily.
Despite being unable to use spiritual power and having a body weaker than an ordinary person, he could slit a throat with one blade and decapitate with two. The twelve-foot-long divine weapon was as light as a feather in his hands, yet it moved with the force of a dragon. However, his movements were not clumsy; on the contrary, they were strangely graceful, like a startled swan flying by, or a swirling wind and snow.
The sticky blood seeped into the prison. Gradually, someone noticed something was wrong. Pointing at him, their voice trembled, "Is he... is he lost in the killing now?!"
The person inside the prison moved and looked directly at Ru Xian, only to find that there was neither anger nor fear on his face, but only a silent smile, a satisfaction that overflowed from his heart after enjoying himself.
Upon seeing this, even the somber atmosphere was dispelled by that vibrant color, making one want to die beneath the flowers.
It is unknown how much time passed, until the last silver wolf was killed, and the overflowing blood soaked through the railings and finally flowed to the feet of the people in the prison.
With a sudden splash of water, he stepped over the blood-stained ground and arrived at the prison gate. His robes, however, were not stained with a single drop of crimson; they still shone with a faint golden light.
He glanced down at the crowd, his pupils still trembling with excitement, then closed his eyes, exhaled slightly as if panting, and rubbed his temples with his fingers. He parted his lips slightly and said, "I'm too happy right now, so my mind isn't clear. Just now, who pushed me out?"
As soon as the words were spoken, someone looked at the prison gate as if enlightened. The gate was tightly sealed. Silver Wolf could not get in from outside, but those inside could not get out either!
"He closed the door because he was afraid we would run away; he wanted to trap us like turtles in a jar!"
Someone shouted this, and the men who had just started fighting immediately panicked.
With a slight flick of his wrist, a purple light flashed, and the robe fell to the ground along with the broken sword, disappearing into the blood-red hue. He didn't even glance at it, stepping inside, his twelve-foot-long spear held diagonally behind him, pointing straight at the prison gate.
The few rogue cultivators who had just attacked retreated silently, their throats tightening. Just looking at him, they couldn't muster the slightest thought of resistance; all they wanted to do was beg for mercy!
Just then, Chang Qing, who had been stunned for a long time, came back to his senses. While admiring the man, he also saw the cold killing intent in his eyes and couldn't help but say, "Senior's skills are formidable. You have taken down eight silver wolves without batting an eye. If you want to settle your grudges, you can punish them more severely. There is no need to take their lives!"
"That's because I'm strong enough that I didn't die." Ru Xian turned to look at him and said coldly, "For the sake of what just happened, I'll forgive you one more time."
The atmosphere suddenly became tense. Knowing that he still had some sense, everyone retreated and dared not get close to the men who were making the move.
Upon seeing this, the leader of the rogue cultivators was furious: "You scions of sects and aristocratic families are truly heartless! You didn't stop us when we were attacking, but now that things have gone wrong, you want to hide away and enjoy your good fortune!"
For a moment, no one spoke.
The group exchanged glances, their hearts hardening, and each drew their swords to meet the challenge.
Previously, they could have escaped without bloodshed by using others as shields, so why risk their lives? But now that a crisis was looming and their lives were at stake, they naturally dared not hide any longer.
In an instant, the glint of blades flashed within the octagonal prison, occasionally punctuated by low laughter.
A strange white fish suddenly rushed out, struggling and whipping its tail. It's unclear what it did, but the evil spirit stopped.
The spear struck the ground with a clanging sound. He straightened up, his eyelashes, damp with heat, drooping slightly. His chest heaved, and it took him a while to regulate his breathing.
Then, he spoke up inexplicably, his voice low and hoarse: "Good, very good."
Very good?
Not only were the people present puzzled, but Lin Feiran was also baffled. Could it be that Ru Xian's side did not encounter any monsters?
She listened intently, but heard no more strange sounds. The faint breathing she had just heard seemed like a hot breeze that passed by her ear and vanished without a trace.
She walked through the narrow passage, glanced ahead and saw what appeared to be light, and asked, "Didn't you encounter any demonic beasts? Are there any other cultivators with you?"
As if a hailstone were lightly tapping its barrel with its fingertips, it paused for a moment, then remained silent, only responding with its own thoughts: "I haven't encountered anyone, and I'm all alone here. What's wrong?"
Lin Feiran's heart sank slightly: "If I'm not mistaken, this trial requires us to find a way to escape. There will definitely be demonic beasts around, but there will also be a solution. You're alone there, so you must be careful. What's around you?"
She asked one more question.
"Around us is an octagonal prison with long talismans pasted on the railings. There is nothing else." Ru Xian raised his hand and rubbed his temples. Those around him looked and saw that the veins on the back of his hand were slightly wriggling, which was extremely strange.
Lanyu? Changfu?
Lin Feiran paused and pondered for a moment before saying, "The talisman can ward off evil and drive away all beasts. Although it is only used to drive them away, if there are really demonic beasts, one can take off the talisman and stick it on oneself to escape."
So it seems there's no danger on his end, and there's no need to worry too much.
Ru Xian responded with an ambiguous "...And you?"
Lin Feiran replied, "Encountering a viper with a fellow cultivator isn't too difficult. Would you like me to come and meet you?"
"A backup? You mean you're coming to rescue me?"
She paused for a moment: "You said it, I didn't use that word."
"But that's what you mean." Ru Xian was hearing this for the first time, which was quite novel. He had never been rescued before, and he was somewhat about to agree, but when he looked around, he frowned.
It smells so bad here that you can't stand it for even a moment.
"Maybe next time." The tone was quite regretful.
After he finished speaking, he glanced at the remaining people, stepped over the corpses, and walked out step by step.
Lin Feiran remained silent. It wasn't a holiday, so how could there be a next time?
"By the way, you don't have the Book of Beauties, so you probably don't know that cultivators are not allowed to kill each other at this Flying Flower Gathering. If you encounter anyone on the way, just ignore them and don't bother to fight."
As she raised an eyebrow slightly, Ru Shan stepped out of the prison, leisurely striding over the wolf's head, with an air of casual ease: "What would happen if we took action?"
Lin Feiran pondered for a moment: "I don't know."
As she spoke, the light from the exit grew brighter, but the voice transmitted through the yin-yang fish grew fainter. Realizing something, she could only hurriedly say "See you at the Northern Heavenly Pillar" before all other sounds ceased to be heard.
On second thought, even though Ru Xian was still weak and unarmed, he was alone there, and the railing was covered with long talismans, so he would neither be harmed by others nor injured by monsters, and he should be safe.
Lin Feiran put aside her thoughts and walked forward, but before she got close to the exit, she was stopped by Chen Qi, who was squatting by the door.
He pointed forward, signaling her to be quiet, then pressed his hand down. Seeing this, Lin Feiran bent down and squatted down. After glancing at him, she slowly poked half her head out and looked outside, her pupils slightly open.
Before them stood towering cliffs and jagged rocks, with crooked pine trees jutting out from between the stones and cascading down. Strangely, the cliffs, which should have been straight and sturdy, now curved inward into crescent-shaped arcs. The cliffs connected together, forming a cylindrical shape that enclosed the suspended dojo in the center.
The narrow passage they were in was just a tiny opening carved out of a cylindrical wall.
Lin Feiran turned his head and saw a chain about the thickness of a wrist embedded in the cave entrance beside him, which then dropped straight out, taut and connected to the Taoist temple in the center.
On the temple grounds, two groups of people were facing off, clearly divided.
Lin Feiran leaned forward a little further and looked closely, but unfortunately it was too far away and he could only catch a glimpse of the outline, which was not very clear.
Shen Qi also peered over and whispered, "This is the end of the road. If we want to leave, I think the key is this floating dojo. With it supporting us, we may be able to leave from above."
Lin Feiran looked up, but there was neither sky nor cliffs there, only a vast expanse of light that cast a bright, daylight-like glow upon the interior.
Shen Qi then asked, "Should we go down?"
Lin Feiran no longer hesitated, stood up, pulled the chain on the cave door, and said, "Of course we have to go. Look carefully, the floating dojo below is slowly rising. If it surpasses our place, it will be as difficult as ascending to heaven to make our way there."
Shen Qi also made up his mind, tightly tying the satchel on his shoulder to his waist, as if entering a tiger's den: "Even if there is a hundred-foot abyss below, as long as I don't lower my head, it will all be flat ground."
Hearing his self-suggestion, Lin Feiran asked curiously, "Are you afraid of heights? Don't you guys at the Imperial Academy practice physical skills regularly?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Qi blushed and felt extremely ashamed: "I haven't even finished my studies of reading and writing, so I really don't have time to train my body. Besides, crossing such a series of iron chains with bare hands is not an ordinary way to train one's body."
Lin Feiran suddenly realized: "We practice this often. I thought that all sects trained their bodies in this way."
Shen Qi turned to look at her, his eyes shining brightly: "Us? You're not a rogue cultivator, are you? Which sect are you a disciple of? As far as I know, only Daohe Palace has a formidable barrier, could it be..."
“That’s right. I have exceptional talent and was chosen as a disciple by Daohe Palace when I was young.”
Her admission was so decisive and quick that it made Shen Qi hesitate. He suddenly realized something and immediately patted his mouth: "That was just nonsense. It is the work of a petty person to pry. Please forgive me, Wenran."
The two had a life-or-death bond, and Shen Qi considered himself a friend to her, so he skipped the "fellow Daoist" and addressed her by her name.
Lin Feiran didn't seem to care much. She tested the iron chain, looked back, and said, "You're afraid of heights, yet you have extraordinary luck. If I let you act alone, I'm afraid there will be problems. Why don't you come with me? There are ways to cross this kind of lock bridge quickly and slowly. How do you want to cross?"
Shen Qi was somewhat flattered and overwhelmed with emotion, so he chose to pass quickly.
Suddenly, gasps of surprise echoed between the cylindrical cliffs, and several people in the crowd immediately looked up.
On one of the iron chains leading to the cave entrance, there was a long sword lying horizontally, and on the blade stood two people. They were stepping on the sword and sliding down the iron chain at a very fast speed. From a distance, it looked like they were riding the wind on swords.
In front of her was a tall, slender girl with a calm expression. Clinging to her from behind was a terrified boy, who stood like a puppet, afraid to make the slightest move, lest they both perish in the abyss.
In just a few breaths, the two moved from the cave entrance to the training ground, where they bumped into the people inside.
Lin Feiran recognized several of them, his eyelids twitched, but he lowered his eyes without showing any emotion and bent down to pick up his longsword.
What an incredible coincidence!
The people on the left were dressed plainly, and judging from their appearance and demeanor, they seemed like ordinary people. She didn't know them well. But on the right, the people looking at her suspiciously, who else could they be but her "old acquaintances"?
Wei Changzai carrying a sword, Qiu Tong looking around, Pei Yu holding a sword in front with a naturally sarcastic look in her eyes, and of course, several unfamiliar cultivators. She picked up her sword, stood up, and looked at them one by one. She felt it was absurd. What kind of fate had brought them together here?
Lin Feiran's unique way of crossing the chains evoked memories for many present. However, her appearance had changed drastically, and her eyes held a calmer and more confident air than before. Even Qiu Tong dared not make any rash conclusions.
But Pei Yu was different. She stared straight at him, then suddenly sneered, rubbing her thumb against her longsword, and said, "Why are you everywhere I go?"
"Fellow Daoist, do you know me?" Lin Feiran looked puzzled, as if she didn't understand. Before Pei Yu could speak, someone patted her arm. She turned her head and saw that it was Shen Qi.
He leaned against the artificial hill on one side, trying to calm his racing heart: "Wenran, if there's a next time, I'll definitely ask you what's fast and what's slow. Listen to this, my heart is about to jump out of my throat!"
Lin Feiran: "I will definitely let you know next time."
Upon reflection, she realized he had indeed suffered a lot today. With a forgiving heart, she reached out and patted his shoulder to comfort him.
As he poured out his grievances, he suddenly felt a chill wash over him, which quickly calmed his frantic heartbeat, leaving only palpitations.
He looked sharply at the people opposite him, his expression slightly composed. Among the group of people with different expressions, there was a young man in a blue robe with a plum blossom hairpin looking at him quietly. His dark eyes were clearly calm and without light, yet they also had a unique quality that made people speechless.
Who is this person? Why is he staring straight at me? Has he seen through my identity, or is he suspicious of it?
Shen Qi was filled with doubt and apprehension, and dared not let the man see his guilty conscience. So he looked back straight at him, completely calm. But even so, he took two steps behind Lin Feiran, which made the man's eyes grow even colder.
"..."
Shen Qi subtly shifted his gaze to the crowd, composed himself, and feigned ignorance: "Are you all discussing a way to escape?"
“Indeed, but it wasn’t a discussion, it was a standoff.” Pei Yu looked at him, her gaze sharp. “What did you call her just now? Wen Ran? Is that her real name? Are you acquainted with her?”
Shen Qi was taken aback and turned to look at Lin Feiran. In his confusion, he suddenly remembered that she had also covered his jade pendant earlier. In a flash, he nodded and said, "She and I are old friends. Since we met, she has been called Wenran."
A friend you feel an instant connection with is naturally an old friend.
Pei Yu glanced at the two of them, gave a cold laugh, turned around and left without saying another word.
Even after the exchange of witty remarks, the atmosphere remained tense. One of the cultivators, whom they didn't know very well, stepped forward and briefly explained the whole story to Lin Feiran and the other person.
Like them, everyone escaped from the beast's mouth and walked out through the narrow path to this floating dojo, which was called Flying Island.
The reason why the surrounding cliffs are shaped like a scroll is because this world is located inside the Heavenly Pillar, hence the curves like a pillar. Their priority now is to stay on the flying island and leave from the celestial dome.
"But if you want to leave, you have to defeat us first!"
Lin Feiran turned around and saw that the people who spoke were the group of men and women standing on the opposite side. They were dressed in ordinary clothes, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that they were not cultivators.
She asked doubtfully, "How do I win? By sword?"
Pei Yu scoffed at this, a hint of ruthlessness appearing in her beautiful eyes. She crossed her arms and looked at the person opposite her, the purple-gold bracelet on her wrist jingling softly: "Sword duel? Haven't you realized yet? This Flying Flower Gathering isn't some child's play like the sect competition. Those who couldn't defeat the demonic beasts in the cave have long since become food for them."
They said they were going to fight us to the death!
Shen Qi, however, felt it was fair: "Right now, we're all just ordinary people, and all we can do is compete in martial arts. Winning or losing depends on our own abilities..."
Upon hearing this, the group opposite them burst into wild laughter: "So what if we're just mortals? Who can only compete with you in fistfights? Today, we mortals will definitely challenge you to a duel!"
As the sound faded, a scroll appeared before him. Judging from its shape, it was none other than the "Compendium of Flowers." The next moment, the illustrations unfolded, and he pointed to one of the flowers, looking at everyone with a sorrowful expression, saying, "Like a lotus emerging from clear water, naturally beautiful without any artifice."
He raised his hand, and a hibiscus flower painted in ink appeared between his fingers. As the ink swirled, the ink on the flower faded, revealing its true pink and white color. In the next instant, the petals fell off and blew towards everyone. There was no pain, only a warm fragrance.
The bearded man laughed loudly: "Weren't you arguing about who looked real and who didn't? I stepped in to help you, and made you all show your true colors, just like you used to, calling yourselves immortals, treating ants like objects, deciding things with a flick of your wrist! How wonderful, how wonderful!"
Lin Feiran's brow twitched upon hearing this, but he did not make any big moves. Instead, as everyone turned to look at him, he turned to look at Shen Qi first.
She didn't know whether the bearded man was telling the truth or not. If he revealed his true face, would it be able to withstand the ink pill given to her by her master?
Grandmaster had said that we must not reveal our true appearance on this trip, otherwise it would be disadvantageous. Although Lin Feiran was stubborn, he was also very obedient at times. If he were to be exposed before even leaving Tianzhu, wouldn't he die before even starting his mission?
Furthermore, at least Shen Qi had just covered for himself; it's uncertain whether he still has any other options...
Lin Feiran breathed a sigh of relief, but when she looked up, the breath caught in her throat, and she immediately started coughing.
In her astonishment, Lin Feiran couldn't help but think of herself. Could it be that her face, like his, was covered in darkness, her beauty completely faded?
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