Chapter 167 The Realm of Trials (18)
The second realm, Linhua City.
Compared to the remote and desolate Wu Family Village, Linhua City is obviously more prosperous. The city is bustling with mortal spirits, and apart from the fact that all inanimate objects are transformed from spiritual power, it is almost no different from a real mortal city.
Jiang Gu concealed his spiritual power and cultivation level, transformed into Luo Fan's appearance, and entered the city disguised as a mortal.
He followed the address Jiang Xiangyun gave him and finally stopped in front of a brothel. The woman in front of the door was dressed in gorgeous clothes and had a beautiful face. She smiled at him and called out in a sweet voice, "Young master, come in and have some fun."
"Young master, I've been waiting for you for so long." Another woman's eyes lit up when she saw him, and she whispered to her sister beside her, "Finally, a handsome guy has arrived. Nobody can compete with me for him later."
“Sister, I want to try it too, let’s try it together.” Another woman put her arm around her and acted coquettishly.
Jiang Gu brushed past them expressionlessly.
"Young Master~" The women hurriedly chased after him, trying to entangle his arms, but Jiang Gu dodged them without leaving a trace.
Undeterred, they pressed on, vying with each other. Jiang Gu quickened his pace and reached the second floor before they could catch up.
"Tsk, what a stinky man." The woman curled her lip in displeasure. "What's with the act of being a respectable person? Who would come to a brothel if they were a respectable person?"
“Exactly, just pretending to be high-minded.” Another woman sighed sadly, “But I like it that way.”
She was sighing when her eyes suddenly lit up as she stared at the handsome young man who had entered through the door. "This one looks good too."
So they immediately changed their target.
The sounds of music and laughter mingled together, and the air was filled with a sweet, cloying scent of perfume. Jiang Gu pushed open the door and saw a handsome man lounging on the couch. He was wearing loose clothes, with bright red lipstick marks on his front and neck. Sensing the movement, he smiled and looked up at her, a flash of scarlet demonic energy passing through his eyes.
It's Lu Liyu.
No longer dressed as a disheveled beggar, this thing could actually barely look like a human being.
Lu Liyu looked him up and down. "You were trained by Shunlou, so why would you want to get involved with Fentai Palace?"
Jiang Xiangyun's network of connections in Wangyue is indeed not to be underestimated. It seems that he has really made contact with the people of Fentai Palace, and his identity has not been discovered by Lu Liyu.
"I don't want to risk my life for others," Jiang Gu said. "Wasn't that the reason you defected from the Eight Pavilions, senior?"
Lu Liyu's smile remained unchanged. "That's true, but you'll be risking your life for others no matter where you go. Fellow Daoist, take it easy. The Burning Platform Palace isn't necessarily a good place either."
Jiang Gu was too lazy to waste words with him. If it weren't for the fact that the time wasn't right, he would have preferred to kill the other party. "I have news about the Jade Steps."
Lu Liyu's smile faded slightly. "I'd like to hear the details."
“I noticed him when I was in the first realm. His cultivation level and aptitude were not high, but he was able to pass the trial realm smoothly and easily. He also jumped to forty-seventh place in the assessment competition.” Jiang Gu said in a deep voice, “Moreover, Chu Guanshan tested him many times. I know where Jiang Gu is.”
Lu Liyu's gaze towards him became serious.
"He killed my elder brother Yan Huairan, and before that, he killed my companion Qiyi in Wujia Village. I managed to escape from him, but he was also hit by my tracking talisman. Unless he dies, I will definitely be able to find him." Jiang Gu said with great seriousness, "I know you don't believe me, but if I enter the Eight Pavilions, and Jiang Gu is a Jade Rank, I will never have a chance to avenge Brother Yan and Qiyi. I will provide you with information about Jade Rank members, and you will help me take revenge."
He revealed his hand directly, perfectly expressing his eagerness and resentment, vividly portraying Luo Fan as a vengeful but foolish man.
Lu Liyu raised an eyebrow, and as expected, started to raise the price, "Helping you get revenge is certainly possible, but—"
"I'm willing to do anything as long as you can help me avenge myself by killing Jiang Gu!" Jiang Gu said through gritted teeth.
Lu Liyu laughed out loud, "Sit down, Brother Luo Fan."
As Jiang Gu sat down, two soft, boneless women pressed themselves against him and clung to his arms.
Jiang Gu remained unmoved, only a hint of disdain showing in his eyes.
Lu Liyu laughed and said, "I heard that Fellow Daoist Luo has a fondness for beautiful and alluring women, so I specially chose this place. What, these two beauties don't meet Fellow Daoist Luo's standards?"
They still suspected his identity.
Jiang Gu chuckled and reached out to pinch the chin of the woman next to him, examining her closely. "They're just ordinary people, not even a fraction as good as Qi Yi."
Lu Liyu laughed heartily, "So that's how it is. No wonder you're so eager for revenge."
He raised his hand, and a surge of spiritual energy swept over, intending to crush the women's primordial spirits. However, another spiritual energy condensed into a shield that enveloped the women's primordial spirits. They were terrified, and the two closest to Jiang Gu hid behind him, tightly gripping his sleeves.
Lu Liyu narrowed her eyes.
"She may not be beautiful, but she is still worthy of being cherished." Jiang Gu said in Luo Fan's voice, "Fellow Daoist Lu probably doesn't know that my mother was just an ordinary woman."
This was something he discovered through the Bone Eye when he was refining Luo Fan's primordial spirit. Although Luo Fan's primordial spirit was powerful, it was not as pure as Qi Yi's, and it also contained some of the impurities unique to mortals.
Lu Liyu slowly withdrew the spiritual power and clapped her hands. "Look at me, I almost forgot about this."
He had already thoroughly investigated Luo Fan; what he had just done was merely a series of tests. His bloodshot eyes were fixed on Jiang Gu. "Xiao Jiu, did you hear everything?"
From behind the screen emerged a slender figure. She looked no more than eight or nine years old, dressed in a dark blue ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), and holding a fluffy, snow-white spirit beast in her arms. She looked up at Jiang Gu, her white double pupils reflecting the different colors of the primordial spirits in the room. Her childish voice rang out in the luxurious room, "Fellow Daoist Luo is not quite what I imagined."
Before she could finish speaking, someone swooped down from the rooftop, a long sword aimed directly at Jiang Gu's vital points. Jiang Gu quickly took a step back, grabbing two curved swords, each about half a person's height, and crossed them to block the opponent's sword.
Jiang Gu looked up and saw a familiar face.
Lu Ziming's face was grim. "Do you know where Jiang Gu is?"
Jiang Gu glanced at him, then turned to the little girl, feigning anger, and said, "Since you don't trust me at all, let's not do this deal. Farewell!"
He braced his arms against the curved blade and rammed it hard, forcing Lu Ziming back half a zhang.
"Hey, Fellow Daoist Luo, please wait." Lu Liyu quickly stepped in to smooth things over and stopped him.
“Lu Ziming, come back,” Luo Xiaoyuan said.
Lu Ziming lowered his head and returned to her side. Luo Xiaoyuan stroked the spirit beast in her arms, her double pupils staring straight at Jiang Gu. "Excuse me, now take us to find Jiang Gu."
Jiang Gu bit his cheek and snorted coldly, "Jiang Gu is cunning and unpredictable. Even if you know where he is, you can't underestimate him. Last time, Qi Yi and I fell into his trap just like that. If I hadn't been lucky—"
Lu Liyu and Luo Xiaoyuan exchanged a glance, while Jiang Gu pretended not to notice and walked towards the door.
However, before he could reach the door, he suddenly felt a chill down his back. He instinctively dodged to the side, and the door was kicked open in an instant, shattering into pieces. The powerful energy shredded the furnishings inside. Before Lu Liyu could react, Luo Xiaoyuan raised her hand, and an arc-shaped spiritual energy shield directly blocked the attack.
The mortal spirits inside the house screamed and scattered in all directions.
The newcomer was a tall young man with a high ponytail and a magnificent hair ornament adorned with gold and jade on his forehead. He wore a red robe that fluttered in the wind, and bone-colored wrist guards covered most of his forearms. He was handsome and fair-skinned, with slightly downturned eyes that revealed a hint of nonchalant ruthlessness when he looked up. However, when he smiled, he revealed two sharp canine teeth, making him appear like a kind and gentle person.
"You little brat, you haven't grown an inch in five years." He looked down at Luo Xiaoyuan and sneered contemptuously and obnoxiously.
Luo Xiaoyuan is nearly four hundred years old, and this childlike appearance is her Achilles' heel. Normally, people around her don't even dare to mention it. When the other party comes up and touches her sore spot, her face instantly turns cold.
Jiang Gu looked at Wei Feng, who had appeared there, with some surprise. He was now hiding in the mixed primordial spirit, with no aura at all, and was wearing Luo Fan's appearance. He was not worried about his identity being exposed.
However, he still cautiously took a step back, put his hands behind his back to activate a teleportation array, and prepared to leave at any time.
"What, has your master finally lost his patience?" Luo Xiaoyuan asked in a low voice.
Jiang Gu, who was preparing the magic array, lifted his eyelids upon hearing the sound.
There was no trace of Jiang Gu here. Wei Feng glanced around and his mood worsened. He sneered, "He's busy with countless affairs every day. It's none of your business to worry about him."
Jiang Gu finished setting up the magic array and his gaze fell on Wei Feng's face.
The man's smile was sinister and wicked, and his aura was murky and bloody. With a flick of his wrist, a four-foot-long, four-sided, concave golden mace appeared in his palm, and surging spiritual power swept over it instantly.
Luo Xiaoyuan and Lu Liyu's expressions changed simultaneously.
Lu Liyu couldn't laugh. "Chu Guanshan actually gave you the Golden Spirit Mace?"
"If you don't give me a chance, how will I deal with you bunch of scum?" Wei Feng sneered, and the arm holding the Golden Spirit Mace twisted instantly, turning into countless Bodhi roots that wrapped around the mace. Crimson spiritual power clung to it like blood, and a bloody smell rose up. It was as if countless waves of blood were crashing down around them, blocking Luo Xiaoyuan and Lu Liyu's escape route.
Luo Xiaoyuan was not to be outdone. She turned around and stepped on Lu Ziming's shoulder, forming a hand seal. A string of silver bells shot out from her chest, and the silver light instantly pierced through the sea of blood. Her double pupils stared at Wei Feng, "You're just a dog raised by Chu Guanshan, how dare you bark at me!"
Lu Liyu hesitated for a moment, then summoned her natal magic weapon, and Lu Ziming, who was behind Luo Xiaoyuan, also rushed forward.
Wei Feng gripped his long mace tightly, showing no fear in the face of the three. The entire building was instantly engulfed by a sea of blood, and the mortal spirits scattered and fled, with screams echoing everywhere.
Luo Xiaoyuan was at the early stage of the Taiyi Realm, while Lu Liyu was already at the Great Perfection of the Golden Immortal Realm. Even so, they still couldn't gain the upper hand against Wei Feng and were forced to retreat step by step.
Wei Feng tore at his primordial spirit without a care, using it as a foundation to form hundreds of formations in the sea of blood as if his life depended on it. He held his long mace and looked at Luo Xiaoyuan and Lu Liyu with a smile, "Since you dared to enter this trial realm, you shouldn't have revealed your identities to me. This tenth realm is me, and I am this tenth realm. There should be a limit to your suicide."
Before he finished speaking, he transformed into black mist, instantly engulfing Luo Xiaoyuan's primordial spirit. However, Luo Xiaoyuan was no pushover. With the sound of silver bells ringing, she flew out of the black mist, but half of her body was entangled and torn apart by the mist. Wei Feng's primordial spirit fragments turned into snowflakes that fell into the sea of blood, only to be melted back into black mist, creating a strange and bewitching beauty.
Seeing the situation was bad, Lu Liyu grabbed Luo Xiaoyuan before Wei Feng could turn into mist. Then, she slashed down with her long mace, and the powerful gale instantly split the entire building in two. Amidst the deafening explosion, a crater dozens of feet deep was left on the ground.
Luo Xiaoyuan's expression became more serious. Lu Liyu gripped her arm and transmitted his voice, "He has the Golden Spirit Mace in his hand and is at the tenth level of the cultivation realm. He's extremely difficult to deal with. Let's retreat first."
Luo Xiaoyuan frowned and nodded.
Lu Ziming was instructed to delay and cover the retreat. Luo Xiaoyuan and Lu Liyu were about to leave after breaking through one end of the sea of blood when suddenly a dense black mist rose up in front of them. Wei Feng, carrying a golden mace on one shoulder, said with a sinister smile, "Where are you going? I don't mind if you get distracted!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the long mace came crashing down on Luo Xiaoyuan's head. The Bodhi roots wrapped around the golden mace seemed to come alive, tearing Luo Xiaoyuan's primordial spirit apart. Then, the black mist surged up and devoured all the fragments of her primordial spirit. Lu Liyu hurriedly retreated, almost having her primordial spirit caught by the tree roots. Seeing the situation was bad, Lu Ziming had already found an opportunity to leave. Wei Feng looked at the lone Lu Liyu, a hint of excitement in his eyes, "Luo Xiaoyuan's is a divided spirit, but yours is a complete primordial spirit. Lu Liyu, it's time for you to die!"
The black mist shrieked and filled the entire Blood Sea space. Lu Liyu's expression hardened. Just as he was about to take the hit head-on, Jiang Gu, who had been observing the situation quietly, suddenly appeared behind him. With a wave of his curved blade, he took Lu Liyu and they entered the teleportation array that had been prepared in advance.
"Trying to run away!" Wei Feng narrowed his eyes and immediately formed a battle formation to chase after them.
Inside the teleportation array, spiritual energy whistled past his ears. Jiang Gu, pulling the injured Lu Liyu along, asked, "Who is this person? Their cultivation is so formidable."
“Chu Guanshan’s disciple from Tiandi Pavilion,” Lu Liyu said.
As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed that the atmosphere around him suddenly dropped. He assumed that the other person was afraid, so he added, "But there's nothing to worry about. He can't get out of this trial realm. Just now, Luo Xiaoyuan was only distracted by him. I had some grudges with him before. As long as he doesn't find me, he will be powerless once we leave this place."
"What is the Golden Spirit Mace?" Advisor Jiang asked.
Lu Liyu was initially somewhat wary of him, but considering that he had saved her earlier, she generously told him, "The Golden Spirit Mace is the treasure of the Eight Pavilions used to restrain their disciples. It was originally a pair, and one of the maces was refined into the Sacred Pool. After you complete your trials, you will enter the Sacred Pool and form a pledge of allegiance to the Eight Pavilions, serving as their slaves for six hundred years. The one he is holding is the other mace, which has always been in Chu Guanshan's possession, used to torture and kill traitors."
He scoffed, "I didn't expect Chu Guanshan to actually care about this disciple. He dared to give him something so important—ouch!"
He felt a sudden pain in the arm that Jiang Gu was holding, and cried out unexpectedly.
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