Chapter 314 The Person Who Cannot Be Divined
Mei Liangyu stepped forward and blocked Yu Sui's way. Before he could remind him again, Yu Sui turned and ran into the gate of the Ming Family Mansion.
However, she had only taken two steps when she was attacked from all directions by the spirits of the famous calligraphers, forcing her to retreat.
Mei Liangyu reached out and supported Yu Sui's shoulder as he was pushed back. There were too many people in the sacrificial ground; one move from each of them could overwhelm them.
However, people didn't just attack Yu Sui for stealing the golden key; some also recognized Mei Liangyu and attacked him in the chaos.
A master ice arrow grazed Mei Liangyu's throat, leaving streaks of blood. Upon impact, it exploded with ice, sending countless ice shards flying like water splashing from a stone thrown into water.
The exploding icicles flew towards Mei Liangyu again.
Fortunately, Yu Sui reacted quickly, placing his hand on Mei Liangyu's shoulder. A wisp of ink flowed from his fingertips, transforming into lightning patterns that adhered to the man's neck. As the second ice arrow shot over, it was shattered by the lightning strikes surrounding Mei Liangyu.
There were too many people; Yu Sui couldn't use any of the nine-class arts other than those of the Ghost Daoist school in front of so many people.
Now that the sacrificial flames have been extinguished, Xiang Feifei can cast Shadow Devouring again. However, just as she enveloped the group in darkness, before they could even take two steps, the Heavenly Secrets Shadow Devouring Technique was instantly broken.
Su Xingchao formed a hand seal, and golden spirit characters flew away from Xiang Feifei. He said to Yu Sui, who emerged from the Shadow Devouring Realm, "Hand over the key, and you will..."
Before she could finish speaking, Yu Sui formed a hand seal, and the fire patterns quickly spread and dissipated from her wrist.
The Blazing Sun Formation reappears.
Su Xingchao felt a temperature different from the flames during the sacrificial ceremony. The sacrificial fire brought warmth and light, but now, standing within the range of the Blazing Sun Array, he felt a violently high temperature that seemed to melt everything. As he swallowed unconsciously because his throat was dry, his temples became wet.
My body truly felt the threat posed by the Blazing Sun Formation.
Those closest to Yu Sui froze under the intense, burning sensation. The heat felt like it was melting their skin, like the scorching sun of midsummer hitting their eyelids, or like being engulfed in flames.
A few individuals stared warily at the girl standing in the center of the formation, their eyes reflecting the fire patterns spreading across the ground.
Just as Su Xingchao recalled the news from the dormitory, he felt a hot wind brush against his cheek, his skin burning hot and the burning sensation made his heart tremble.
A series of crackling and popping sounds exploded in his ears, and someone shouted urgently, "Back off!"
However, it was too late. The raging flames rose up in the Blazing Sun Formation, forming whirlwinds that engulfed everyone in the formation, including those who tried to kill Yu Sui, who screamed in pain and shock.
Su Xingchao felt a wave of energy explode on his face without warning, coming with overwhelming force and unstoppable force. His eyes were engulfed by the raging fire that completely swallowed the girl reflected in them.
Gu Gan and Xiang Feifei, protected behind Yu Sui, stared in disbelief ahead. The fire and wind whipped up the girl's clothes and hair, and the flickering flames danced on her fair cheeks, their light like shimmering gold foil, dazzling and radiant.
At this moment, Gu Gan understood what it meant to see something in person rather than hear about it a hundred times.
Standing at the center of the Blazing Sun Formation, Gu Gan could clearly sense the Five Elements Qi flowing around him. The whirlwind fire within the Blazing Sun Formation was incredibly powerful, suppressing more than ten enemies who were about to approach Yu Sui in the blink of an eye, instantly reversing the situation and expanding its range.
The second burst of energy erupted, flames shot into the sky, and the resulting wind and energy forced Gu Gan to turn his face away.
His heart was pounding, and all he could hear was the rapid sound of his own heartbeat.
In his memory, the girl's back was thin and fragile, and her eyes, when she looked up at him, were always clear and bright, full of smiles, mixed with gentleness and harmlessness. The memories of spending so many years together were too deep, so much so that at this moment, Gu Gan could not imagine what kind of expression the girl with her back to him would have.
Only her enemies could see that the girl standing in the center of the Blazing Sun Formation had a calm expression, but her slightly upturned eyebrows and eyes showed a flamboyant madness, creating an extreme contrast in her appearance.
The whirlwind of fire swept everything, exploding several times, the flames flickering so brightly that those on the outside couldn't see them clearly.
On the sacrificial altar, the three Taiyi Academy deans had not yet left.
Liang Zhen asked Changsun Zi, "Was there a mistake in choosing the Golden Key this time?"
"Are you doubting me?" Changsun Zi moved her eyes and looked at the man beside her.
Liang Zhen nodded, seemingly expressing his apology. He smiled slightly and said, "According to the rules, it does seem like there's a mistake. Isn't Nangong Sui a disciple of the Ghost Daoist sect?"
Changsun Zi said, "For the specific rules of the masters, you should ask Dean Zhu."
Standing between the two, Elder Zhu smiled helplessly upon hearing this and said with a chuckle, "Dean Liang, rest assured, the rules for selecting people with the Golden Key are absolutely infallible. The fact that Nangong Sui was selected shows that she also has the talent of a master, or perhaps... she has learned the Nine Schools of Famous Arts."
After saying this, Old Zhu himself had some doubts.
Of the three people present, Liang Zhen couldn't interfere with the Golden Key of Famous People, Changsun Zi disdained doing such a thing, and she herself didn't control the Golden Key to select people; it did indeed randomly select Nangong Sui according to the rules.
But why Nangong Sui of all people? She is not a disciple of a famous family.
Liang Zhen wouldn't be too surprised if Nangong Sui had learned the Nine Schools of Yin-Yang, but he was somewhat taken aback to learn that this girl had also learned the Nine Schools of Famous Schools.
Liang Zhen gazed at the distant firelight, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
“Her father is Nangong Ming, one of the Three Yama Kings of the Famous School, and her ancestors were mostly from the same lineage. It’s not surprising that she has the talent of a master of the Famous School.” Changsun Zi’s tone was neither cold nor warm, and her dark eyes were also looking at the center of the chaos. “What’s strange is that her father never noticed Nangong Sui’s talent of the Famous School.”
Nangong Ming truly did not know, otherwise he would not have allowed his daughter to serve as a clerk for eighteen years.
Old Master Zhu pondered for a moment and said, "Back then, her talent test results were not comparable to those of renowned experts..."
"Looking back now, Elder Chang took on his disciple a bit too quickly," Liang Zhen interrupted casually. "Nangong Sui had just entered Taiyi, and his talent test score was the lowest, on par with everyone else. Yet Elder Chang seemed to have a premonition and directly took on this disciple, not giving others a chance."
Old Zhu didn't show it on his face, but in his heart he agreed with Liang Zhen's words. Now that he thought about it, he really felt that the Sage Chang Gen had known something all along when he took Nangong Sui as his disciple.
Liang Zhen said, "Perhaps the acceptance of disciples was at the behest of the Nangong family head. What do you think, Dean Zhu?"
Old Zhu was just agreeing with Liang Zhen when he was startled by Liang Zhen's question. He composed himself and chuckled, "How would I know these things?"
Liang Zhen looked at him with some surprise: "I thought Dean Zhu and the head of the Nangong family had a close relationship."
Zhu Lao remained expressionless and said, "I have had a few exchanges with the head of the Nangong family on the Nine Schools of Famous Arts. Apart from that, it is a family matter of the Nangong family. How would I know about it?"
Liang Zhen smiled after hearing this, glancing at Changsun Zi out of the corner of his eye, and said jokingly, "That means Elder Chang's divination skills are becoming more and more unpredictable. There must be something about Nangong Sui that he has his eye on, which is why he treats him this way."
He had already noticed that Changsun Zi's fingers brushed against the sacred wood talisman several times. The woman's dark eyes did not reveal anything, but her face under the veil seemed to be filled with contemplation and inquiry.
As soon as Liang Zhen finished speaking, Changsun Zi drew a line on the sacred wooden divination stick with her fingertip. Golden runes flashed across the dark surface of the stick, and the twisted characters vaguely revealed the shape of the three characters "Nangong Sui".
To outsiders, it would not be difficult for Changsun Zifang, a master of martial arts, to uncover the secrets hidden deep within a young girl.
No matter how Changsun Zi divined, everything was in flux, except for Nangong Sui, who remained unmoved. The result was unremarkable, which also showed that she had not discovered any secrets.
That familiar feeling
He is not a person who can be divined.
Nangong Sui was the third one she met.
Changsun Zi lightly tapped the sacred wooden divination stick with her fingertips, restoring calm to the surface of the stick.
Liang Zhen asked at just the right moment, "How is it?"
The woman's dark eyes slowly swept over him. Dean Liang... from the beginning until now, she had been waiting for him to perform divination on Nangong Sui.
“When I first arrived in Taiyi, I performed divination on Elder Chang, but to no avail, and it remains so to this day.” Changsun Zi’s cool voice reached Liang Zhen’s ears, her tone flat. “She was Elder Chang’s disciple, and her fate was the same as Elder Chang’s.”
Liang Zhen said, "Elder Chang's strength is unfathomable. He may have lived longer than my master. If he has the ability to avoid being occupied, then why is Nangong Sui doing this?"
Neither he nor Changsun Zi believed that Nangong Sui was powerful enough to evade the attacks of a master of martial arts.
If we exclude this one, the rest is quite obvious.
Either Chang Gen Sheng Zhe used underhanded means, or Nan Gong Sui himself had a problem.
Changsun Zi remained silent. Zhu Lao stroked his beard and joked, "If you're curious, why don't you just ask Elder Chang?"
Absolutely impossible.
Liang Zhen and Changsun Zi both understood that even if they asked, Saint Changgen would not respond.
In the silence, Elder Zhu continued, "Although Nangong Sui has obtained the golden key, it is unknown whether he can hold on until the end and successfully reach Xiaoyao Pool."
The three deans on the stage did not leave, but the disciples below ignored them. Most of them would not actually kill someone in front of the three deans, but they would do anything as long as they did not kill.
Although Yu Sui's Fiery Sun Formation was amazing, it couldn't withstand the sheer number of people. The range of the Fiery Sun Formation was twice as large as it was at the dormitory. With more than ten people attacking at the same time, and those on the outside casting spells to interfere, it was quite troublesome for her.
While fending off the second wave of people, Yu Sui frowned and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
This really lets her experience what it's like to fight the whole world alone in advance.
Amid the chaos, Pu Heng kept a close eye on the girl in the formation, but said to Dong Xiude beside him, "Let Su Xingchao go. Our goal is not the golden key, but to make him announce the location of the fragment before tomorrow."
Dong Xiude accepted the order and left, blending into the crowd to approach Su Xingchao.
Pu Heng was still watching Yu Sui.
His location was neither too close nor too far from the Blazing Sun Formation. He could feel the hot winds moving around in the air, but the scorching heat was much less intense.
Looking at Yu Sui, Pu Heng couldn't help but recall the scenes of seeing Nangong Sui on Yueshan Mountain.
From daytime until now, Pu Heng has not heard anyone spread the news that Nangong Sui knows the Yin-Yang Nine Schools of Arts. How long does she intend to keep it hidden?
He absolutely refused to believe that Yu Sui hadn't learned any of the Yin-Yang School's Nine Schools of Arts from Wu Huaiwei while she was at Yueshan. However, Pu Heng couldn't tell anyone, dared not test Wu Huaiwei, and even had to pretend he didn't know in front of Yu Sui.
Wu Huaiwei wasn't stupid either. Many times, Pu Heng didn't even know what Dean Wu was trying to do or what her purpose was.
Dean Wu allowed him to enter and leave Yue Mountain, but did not accept him as a disciple, and treated him no differently from other students attending the lectures.
If I'm not special, then what makes her special?
Pu Heng calmly watched the girl at the center of the storm, concealing himself in the chaotic crowd, quietly leaving the gates of the Ming family and heading towards the direction of the Gui Dao family.
There were too many people around the main gate of the famous family. The altar was surrounded by layers upon layers of people, a dense crowd. Yu Sui was on the outermost edge, the furthest from the main gate, but there were hardly any people behind him.
Yu Sui didn't run away at this moment because he was worried about Mei Liangyu, who was still bound by the True Spirit Chain.
If we let her run alone, there is still hope.
While Yu Sui was still hesitating, Mei Liangyu said, "You go ahead, nothing will happen here."
Xiang Feifei disagreed: "How could nothing happen! If I were to take you away with Tunying, we would be..."
Gu Gan also spoke up, "Sui Sui, you go first!"
Yu Sui glanced at Mei Liangyu, who remained calm behind her, and gently raised her head. Mei Liangyu took out a jade ring from her sleeve. The ring was luminous and had different longswords carved on its surface.
This was stolen from Sui Tianjun in the underground city. Later, Mei Liangyu gave the jade ring to Nian Qiuyan to save his life, and now Nian Qiuyan has returned the jade ring to him.
Nian Qiuyan seemed to have foreseen this scene. When she returned the jade ring, the note also read: "From now on, you need it more than I do."
Yu Sui entered the house before Mei Liangyu, and although Mei Liangyu saw it, she did not interfere.
Now it has actually come in handy.
Mei Liangyu flung out his sword ring, releasing the thirteen sword souls. The sword energy was murderous, intimidating everyone who tried to approach, and countless afterimages of sword energy rose from behind him.
He shouted, "My Five Elements Qi is sealed, and I cannot accurately control these thirteen sword souls. Your lives will be in your own hands, so be careful!"
Gu Gan turned his head and glanced at the several sword spirits behind him. Suddenly, he remembered that Mei Liangyu had killed Wen Yanghui. His face instantly darkened, and his murderous gaze swept over Mei Liangyu. However, he was then suppressed by reason. He took a deep breath and took out the Listening Wind Ruler to send a message to Huo Xiao and the others, telling them to go and protect Yu Sui first.
In front of them was the Blazing Sun Formation, which allowed Yu Sui to devour the five elements' energy, and behind them were thirteen sword souls brimming with killing intent, forcing the crowd to retreat a considerable distance.
Seeing that Mei Liangyu indeed had a way to protect herself, Yu Sui extinguished the Blazing Sun Formation and flashed to the back amidst the raging flames.
Although many people were stopped at the back, some still chased after Yu Sui without fear of death.
Far from the main gate of the famous family, it was pitch black everywhere after nightfall. Wan Qi didn't know why he had followed and chased after Yu Sui; before he could even react, his body had already acted.
Yu Sui used her Wind Control Technique to run around the vicinity of the famous masters. When there were too many people, she would just run without fighting. When there were only two or three people, she would exchange blows.
Because the location of the person holding the golden key is public knowledge, she can be found no matter where she runs; it's just a matter of time.
Yu Sui did not leave the Ming family, and even wanted to find an opportunity to run into the Ming family. After all, the golden key was in her hands. If she could run all the way to Xiaoyao Pool, things would be much easier.
There's no reason to hand over a prize that's already in your hands.
However, after the terrain changed, Yu Sui was a little unsure which way to go to reach the famous family.
In the pitch-black jungle, the sound of rustling leaves came from behind. Yu Sui turned around and saw Wan Qi's figure.
"What are you doing here?" Yu Sui asked in surprise.
Wan Qi never expected that she would actually catch up with Yu Sui. She was startled when they unexpectedly met face to face.
He raised his hand and scratched his head: "I just ended up here while I was walking."
Yu Sui stared at him and asked, "Are you going to steal the golden key too?"
"I'm not a disciple of a famous master, so there's no point in stealing it," Wan Qi said, shrugging.
Yu Sui said, "I am not a disciple of a famous master, but I just don't want to hand it over."
Wan Qi thought to himself, "If you don't want to hand it over, can you stop so many people from snatching it?" Before he could finish speaking, he heard a sharp whistle sound from behind.
The whistles sounded in succession, from every direction—east, west, south, and north—sometimes near, sometimes far. Yu Sui looked up at the dark sky, and the sharp sounds seemed to be falling from the sky, about to hit her head, bringing her inexplicable fear and a sense of oppression.
Wan Qi trembled upon hearing this.
Countless oddly shaped branches trembled, their leaves rustling. As the frequency of the trembling increased, the sound became even more piercing.
These usually silent trees seemed to be summoned at this moment, baring their teeth and claws at the two people on the ground. Their ugly, twisted, dark brown bark trembled and squeezed, forming human faces with eyes and noses.
The bark-faced figures stared at them angrily, their writhing lips seeming to be shouting curses, which made Yu Sui and Wan Qi feel irritated and fearful.
Yu Sui heard a rustling sound in her ears, like countless long snakes crawling and slithering on the ground. When she turned around, she saw countless thick tree roots breaking through the soil.
"Stop looking! Stop looking!" Wan Qi exclaimed, covering his eyes with his hands. "Someone is using the Thousand Faces Technique on us! We're trapped in the Thousand Faces Illusion! Those are human-faced trees! Run!"
He wondered why he was the one who found Yu Sui first. It turned out that those treacherous and cunning guys had all gone to hide and set traps beforehand!
Seeing Wan Qi running forward without turning his head, Yu Sui paused for a moment before saying, "You seem to know quite a lot; you can even recognize all sorts of techniques."
Wan Qi, who was running ahead, had excellent hearing and heard this too. Without turning his head, he loudly replied, "Because studying medicine is equivalent to studying all schools of thought!"
No sooner had Wan Qi finished speaking than he was whipped away by a human-faced tree that had suddenly shifted its position and was blocking his path.
Wan Qi was sent flying through the air, still covering her eyes. As she activated her protective aura, she shouted to Yu Sui, "Don't look at those faces!"
"What if I see it?" Yu Sui nimbly dodged the tree roots that were trying to knock him away.
After landing and regaining her balance, Wan Qi said, "I've fallen for you the moment I saw you!"
Then, two slender purple leaves were flung out of the mechanism box and sent to Yu Sui: "Sacred Tree Leaves! They're good for clearing the mind and preventing illusions!"
After Yu Sui got the purple leaf, Wan Qi added the last sentence: "One leaf is worth three gold coins, two leaves are worth six gold coins!"
Yu Sui: "..."
She glanced to the side and saw that Wan Qi had already slapped the sacred tree leaf onto his eyelids with a snap.
The master of the Thousand Faces, hiding in the illusion, is Ling Jian, a top-tier disciple of a renowned family. He blends into the Human-Faced Tree, concealing his presence, and observes and manipulates the changes in the Thousand Faces Illusion.
Ling Jian thought it was just an accident when he discovered Wan Qi's involvement. He originally wanted to throw him far away to avoid accidentally hurting him, but who knew that this kid would give Nangong Sui the Divine Tree Leaf!
To prevent Yu Sui from being affected by the illusion with the help of the divine tree leaves, Ling Jian had no choice but to speed up and use ruthless tactics. He hid in the human-faced tree, opening his mouth to emit a silent shout, but commanding the other human-faced trees to attack Yu Sui.
Just as Yu Sui picked up the sacred tree leaf and waved it in front of her eyes, seven or eight wild tree roots fell from above and lashed at her.
The tree roots that were moving on the ground were suddenly ignited by the gas, and sparks flew as they were waved.
Wan Qi stood to the side, unfortunately imprisoned by the burning tree roots, and the flying sparks were disintegrating his protective aura.
"Be careful of this..." Before Wan Qi could finish speaking, he saw Yu Sui, who was standing in front, being swallowed up by the burning tree roots.
However, he was not worried, because he immediately recognized that this was the Ghost Daoist's Soul-Fixing Illusion. Ling Jian had failed to catch Yu Sui, but had only caught a residual image of the Soul-Fixing Illusion in place.
So fast that even Ling Jian couldn't tell, thinking he had trapped Yu Sui and feeling smug, when suddenly a hand hovered above his line of sight, and a girl asked in a puzzled voice, "Do you think a tree bark face is prettier?"
What?
Ling Jian suddenly looked up and saw Yu Sui using her Wind Control Technique to reach out towards his eyes. Those fingers were slender and white, yet they were about to poke his eyeballs.
How could Nangong Sui possibly discover him when he was hiding among countless distorted and hideous faces made of tree bark?
Ling Jian felt a chill run down her spine. She was about to move away when she found herself frozen in place, unable to move.
The Soul-Stabilizing Technique of the Ghost Daoist School?!
The moment Ling Jian thought of this move, he felt a sharp pain in his eyes, cried out in alarm, and exited the illusion.
The terrifying and eerie environment suddenly changed. Although the forest remained eerily quiet, it quickly became lively with the man's cries of pain.
Ling Jian fell from the tree, clutching his eyes and howling in pain. Wan Qi was startled to see the person who had landed right in front of him, and jumped two steps to the side before saying, "Ling Jian? It's you!"
"I was just wondering why it was you! Why did you help Nangong Sui!" Ling Jian covered his eyes as he got up from the ground. "If you hadn't given her the Divine Tree Leaf, how could she have broken through the Thousand Faces Illusion!"
Wan Qi was so startled by the shout that he hesitated to speak, and couldn't help but look at the girl next to him who was also rubbing her eyes.
Was it the sacred tree leaf I gave her that helped? She didn't even need it!
Soon, Yu Sui came over and returned the two sacred tree leaves to Wan Qi: "I didn't use either of them, so you don't need to pay me a penny, right?"
Wan Qi: "..."
Ling Jian: "..."
The heir of the prestigious Nangong family, the young princess of the royal palace, flaunts herself in gold and silver every day. The jade pendant on her clothes and the hairpin in her hair are more valuable than this sacred tree leaf of mine! How could she be so reluctant to part with a mere six gold pieces!
Wan Qi took the sacred tree leaf with a complicated expression. Yu Sui then asked, "Do you two know each other?"
"I don't know them." Wan Qi shook his head, while Ling Jian angrily blurted out, "We're from the same hometown!"
Wan Qi looked up at the sky, clearly indicating that he didn't want to continue this topic.
Yu Sui looked at Ling Jian in surprise: "So that's what kind of relationship you two have. Are you still going to try and take the keys from me?"
Ling Jian opened her eyes with a hiss and saw a blurry outline in front of her. Still shaken by what had just happened, she stammered, "I admit defeat. You go first, I won't chase after you."
Yu Sui asked him, "Then do you know which way the masters are headed?"
Ling Jian pointed to the left: "This way."
"Thank you." Yu Sui thanked him politely and was about to leave when Wan Qi pointed to the other side, "He lied to you, the famous ones go this way."
Ling Jian felt like strangling Wan Qi. He could feel Yu Sui looking at him, her face red and white, angrily walking towards Wan Qi, trying to push him. Wan Qi dodged to the side, causing Ling Jian to miss.
"How could I lie to her? You can go to the Famous Leisure Pool the same way!" Ling Jian almost fell over and turned around angrily.
"Then you can come with me." Yu Sui walked towards Ling Jian. Although he kept backing away, Yu Sui still managed to bind his hands and feet with a chain spell that flew out with a single stroke of her hand.
"Me...me?" Ling Jian couldn't believe it. "How can I be with you..."
Before he could finish speaking, a girl's voice came from beside him in a chilling tone: "Otherwise, I'll gouge out your eyes and then trap you in the Blazing Sun Formation and burn you into a dried-up corpse."
The second half of the statement may be false, but the first half is very likely true.
Ling Jian couldn't help but swallow hard, regretting his earlier attack on Yu Sui: "Alright, alright! I'll take you there. I promise I won't lay a hand on you before we reach the Free and Unfettered Pool, okay?"
He heard the girl reply in a light tone: "Then thank you to this renowned senior brother. By the way, what's your name?"
Ling Jian was almost overwhelmed by the sweet "senior brother".
“His name is Ling Jian, and he’s a top-tier disciple of a renowned family.” Wan Qi breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Since he’s going with you, then I…”
"You're coming too? Do you want to leave?" Yu Sui beckoned with her finger, the black curse thread wrapped around her fingertip pulled her forward, causing her to crash into Wan Qi's back.
Wan Qi took a few steps to the side, pointed at herself, and said, "Huh? I'm going too? I really didn't come here to steal the golden key from you! I just caught up to see what was going on!"
Yu Sui said, "Zuoqiu Shan came to cause me trouble before. Now that my location has been exposed, he will definitely come again. With you here, the misunderstanding can be cleared up."
"Did Zuoqiu Shan cause you trouble?" Wan Qi's expression changed slightly.
“Yes!” Yu Sui continued walking forward. “He suspects that I cooperated with you to frame Chen Jie. It’s strange, both deans have investigated Chen Jie’s case and there won’t be any wrongful punishment. There were so many people present that day, so why did he suspect me?”
"He also said he saw you and me eating in the dining hall. Isn't it normal for us to meet in the dining hall?"
Wan Qi remained silent, but Ling Jian spoke up: "Chen Jie is from the same village as us, and we grew up together. It was indeed unfair of you to identify Chen Jie that night. We've known each other for so many years. However, Zuo Qiushan is definitely targeting you, thinking that anyone who gets close to you is problematic."
Yu Sui then turned around and asked with amusement, "Who else grew up in the same village as you?"
Ling Jian said, "And the Qingyun Society too..."
Before she could finish speaking, Wan Qi covered her mouth with his hand. He looked up at Yu Sui and said, "Alright, I'll go with you. If we run into Zuo Qiushan, I'll explain everything to him."
"Let him finish speaking. Who else from the Qingyun Society is there?" Yu Sui asked, pointing at Ling Jian.
When Wan Qi withdrew his hand, he gave Ling Jian a warning look. Ling Jian said dryly, "There are also many people from the Qingyun Society."
No matter how much Yu Sui pressed them, the two refused to say who they were, only giving a vague answer or changing the subject.
Legalism, the Department of Admonitions.
Mu Mengbai stayed by Sheng Fei's side all day without leaving. Considering Sheng Fei's condition, he felt that Xia Feichen's decision to knock Sheng Fei unconscious and force him to rest and recover was acceptable.
He stood at the stone gate, glancing around from time to time. He had received news from Xia Feichen that the rumors circulating throughout the academy about the Ghost Daoist disciple Nangong Sui advancing eight realms overnight were true. He was so excited that he almost shook Sheng Fei awake.
But Mu Mengbai held back. After learning that Yu Sui had protected Mei Liangyu and Gu Gan and disappeared from the dormitory, Mu Mengbai fell silent again.
He clasped his hands together and bowed to Sheng Fei, who was sleeping soundly inside the stone gate, praying that this guy would continue to sleep and not wake up, otherwise he would be so angry that he would faint.
Xia Feichen still felt somewhat guilty about Mei Liangyu and Gu Gan being tied together, but Fang Tianchen didn't give him a chance to forgive him and forcibly took him to the Ghost Dao family.
During this time, Mu Mengbai maintained constant communication with them via telepathy, inquiring whether the two had successfully reached the Boundless Abyss.
Fortunately, the journey was uneventful, and after a day, Fang Tianchen finally arrived at the Ghost Dao Clan's Boundless Abyss.
Ahead stretched a continuous mountain range, with dark clouds pressing down overhead. Occasionally, a menacing purple lightning bolt could be seen through the thick clouds. The black rocky ridges were bare, devoid of any vegetation. The strangely shaped rocks climbed and intertwined, forming arched bridges that hung overhead.
A terrifying clap of thunder boomed ahead, sending shivers down one's spine.
Before even entering the mountains, I already felt extremely depressed.
While Xia Feichen hesitated, all three of them received the news that Yu Sui had obtained the Golden Key to the Master. Opening the map provided by the Communication Institute, they could see a clear red dot moving rapidly around the Master.
Mu Mengbai was stunned: "Why was my sister chosen by the Ming family's golden key? Isn't she a disciple of the Ghost Daoist family? This is the Ming family's sacrificial ceremony, how come..."
She paused at the end, then turned back to glance cautiously at Sheng Fei, who was still unconscious.
Fang Tianchen also found it strange: "She advanced eight realms in one night and was chosen by a famous family with a golden key. How did she do it?"
Are the disciples of the Ghostly Saint really that wicked?
Mu Mengbai lowered his voice and said, "The golden key of the sacrifice only selects disciples of famous families. My sister was selected, which means she is a disciple of a famous family. Either she has the talent of a famous family, or she has learned the Nine Schools of Famous Arts. It can only be that, otherwise it is..."
Fang Tianchen said, "Among the three deans present, someone deliberately manipulated the golden key to select Nangong Sui."
Mu Mengbai nodded: "That's right, I think Dean Zhu has a very high chance."
Fang Tianchen also suspected Dean Zhu. Neither Dean Liang from the Daoist school nor Dean Changsun from the Fang family seemed like the type to do such a thing, and they had no connection with Nangong Sui.
Dean Zhu is a renowned sage and a native of Qingyang, with children in Qingyang. It's not surprising that he has a good relationship with the Nangong family of Qingyang.
Yu Sui didn't need to explain her experience at the Ming family's sacrificial ceremony tonight; people could come up with countless "reasonable" speculations to explain it for her and believe that this was the truth.
Xia Feichen, who had been silent all along, suddenly turned around, only to be stopped by Fang Tianchen, who was quick to react: "Where are you going?"
Xia Feichen said, "Go back and find Nangong Sui."
Mu Mengbai asked in surprise, "You're going to fight with your sister for the golden key too?"
Xia Feichen was speechless for a moment, then simply said, "I'll go help her. She definitely can't guard the golden key by herself."
Mu Mengbai: "Why does my sister need your help?"
If anyone should be helping, it should be me, their "good friend and brother," who should do it! Who are you to offer help?
"What good would it do you go?" Fang Tianchen laughed as well. "She already has Gu Gan and Mei Liangyu by her side, what chance do you have..."
Xia Feichen: "Both of them were bound by the True Spirit Chain, and their Five Elements Qi were sealed."
“Since they’re at the Ming family, they must be looking for a way to break the True Spirit Chain. Besides, what will I do if you go? The Abyss of No Return is right in front of us.” Fang Tianchen advised, “It’s no use if you go. There are too many people trying to steal the Golden Key. Most of the Ming family and people from other courtyards are there. There must be at least a hundred, if not dozens. Besides, they only want to steal the key, not kill Nangong Sui.”
Xia Feichen suddenly recalled the scene when Mei Liangyu questioned him at the dormitory. His mistake had forced Mei Liangyu to be tied up with Gu Gan. The embarrassment made him feel uncomfortable all over and he kept thinking about it, wanting to do something to get rid of the feeling.
So he insisted, "I want to go back."
Fang Tianchen took a deep breath: "You really have to go back? This place is right in front of us! Even if we go back, we can't fight so many people!"
Xia Feichen was still leaving, and Fang Tianchen said angrily, "At this time, it would be more useful for Sheng Fei to go back than for you to go back!"
"Alright, you go save Nangong Sui, I'll go to the Abyss of No Return by myself!"
After Fang Tianchen finished speaking, he strode into the dark and terrifying valley.
Mu Mengbai advised from the Listening Wind Ruler: "My sister won't be in any danger here, she won't die, but if you let him go to the Abyss of No Return alone, that's a different story. People really do die there."
Xia Feichen paused after hearing this, frowned, and finally turned back to chase after Fang Tianchen.
Mu Mengbai hung up the telepathic message, savoring the conversation. He thought he had saved a life with just one sentence and was praising himself in his heart when he heard a commotion outside. The person who came in shouted loudly, "Sheng Fei!"
Isn't that the voice of Su Xingchao and his gang of idiots?
Mu Mengbai shuddered and immediately sent a telepathic message to Xia Feichen: "Wait! Forget about Fang Tianchen for now, come back and save me!"
He couldn't get through to Xia Feichen's telepathic message, so he tried calling Fang Tianchen.
Forget about finding the fragments of the Pagoda, come back and save your good friend first!
However, Fang Tianchen's Wind Listening Ruler also failed to penetrate it.
After they entered the Abyss of No Return, the chaotic Five Elements energy within severed the connection between the Listening Wind Ruler and the Counting Mountains.
Having failed to get help from outside, Mu Mengbai had no choice but to turn around and pounce on Sheng Fei, grabbing his collar and shaking him frantically: "Young Master, wake up! That idiot Su Xingchao is here!"
Taiyi, Snow Valley.
Below the snow-capped mountains lies a vast grassland, and at the foot of the mountains are clusters of houses of moderate size, but only two or three people live there.
The boy in the blue cloth robe tumbled down the snow-capped mountain once again, kicking up countless pebbles that crashed down with a crash. In the process, the boy's head was broken and bleeding, and he felt as if he was about to die.
An impatient woman's voice came from the mountain: "Didn't you say you were confident you wouldn't suffer a backlash? How come you almost got swallowed by the serpent every time?"
Wei Ren tumbled down into the ditch at the foot of the mountain, got up soaking wet, and looked extremely disheveled.
He pinched his nose, tilted his head back, and forced the blood down his nose, saying, "I used to control the Void Serpent just fine, but you insisted on making me train the Enchanting Serpent!"
Shen Tianxue on the mountain mocked, "If you're going to train, train the strongest Enchanting Serpent. Your Void Serpent is like a newly hatched cub; what's the use of learning it?"
Wei Ren cultivates on the top of the snow mountain. If there is any sign of backlash, Shen Tianxue will knock him down and make him reflect on his actions while he climbs back up to the top of the snow mountain.
He went up and down the mountain every day, back and forth, until he felt like he was being marinated by the cold air of the snow mountain. He felt like he was made of ice, even his bones were ice.
Wei Ren tidied himself up and was about to climb back up the mountain when he suddenly saw a dark figure emerge from the snow-capped mountains.
He rubbed his eyes, stared intently, and confirmed that the dark figure had indeed emerged from the perfectly sealed snow-covered mountain wall. Feeling puzzled, he waited until he realized the figure was an elderly man before shouting loudly towards the mountaintop, "Dean! I saw a grumpy old man come out of the snow mountain!"
Shen Tianxue said impatiently, "Wei Ren, did you damage your brain from falling this time?"
"Dean, I'm not lying to you, there really is an old man, an old man in a Taoist robe, and he..." Wei Ren looked at the old man walking in the wind and snow. From a distance, he could only see that he was an elderly man with a hunched back, wearing a blue Taoist robe. But as he got closer, he saw a strange scene:
The kind-faced old man gradually transformed into an eleven or twelve-year-old boy, wearing a robe that was a bit too big for him, revealing his young, fair skin and childish face. He came over in a boisterous manner, rolled his eyes when he saw Wei Ren, pointed at Wei Ren, and said in a wild tone, "An old man is an old man, what do you mean by calling me a filthy old man!"
Wei Ren couldn't help but reach up and touch his head. He seriously wondered if he was hallucinating because he had just bumped his head.
Otherwise, how could you see an elderly man suddenly transform into a young child?
Wei Ren couldn't hold back any longer when the other person pointed a finger at his nose and cursed at him. He looked up and shouted, "Dean!"
"What are you shouting for?" Shen Tianxue and Pei Daiqing came down from the top of the snow mountain. They first glared at Wei Ren, then frowned at the boy who had rolled up his sleeves and trouser legs and was standing barefoot by the river.
"Here I am! I really didn't lie to you!" Wei Ren said with a straight face, "When I saw him just now, he really was an old man!"
Shen Tianxue remained silent, but her gaze towards the man held a hint of wariness. Pei Daiqing, however, stepped forward with a grin and greeted her, "Oh, isn't this Dean Zhang? So you've been in seclusion in this snow valley!"
you?
This was the first time Wei Ren had ever heard Pei Daiqing address someone in this way.
Dean Zhang?
Wei Ren's cold and stiff mind froze, unable to figure out who this person was.
The boy stepped into the icy river and said casually, "What's with the seclusion? I was taking a break from my busy schedule to sleep in this snow valley, but I ended up listening to you two teaching your apprentices day and night. You two aren't tired, but your apprentices are going to be exhausted."
Shen Tianxue: "He's not my apprentice. If you're not smart enough, then shut up. You have no respect for your elders."
The boy looked up in shock: "I'm disrespectful? You tell me, who's older or younger between us?"
Shen Tianxue sneered, "Don't you even look at how old you are? You're over a hundred years old, yet you still go out and fool around with a child's face all day long."
"I was just afraid that my age would make you afraid to speak up!" the boy said angrily, stomping his feet in the river water a few times with a splashing sound. "Besides, I had a bad temper when I was older."
Just as Shen Tianxue was about to speak, Pei Daiqing stopped her. He leaned close to his wife's ear and whispered something, which made Shen Tianxue stop.
Pei Daiqing smiled and asked, "Dean Zhang, you look like you've woken up. Where are you planning to go next?"
The boy rolled his eyes and chuckled, "I'm not telling you."
"Wherever you go, he's yours." Shen Tianxue casually pointed at Wei Ren. "Since you know he's learning forbidden techniques of the Farmer's School, then he's yours to deal with."
Wei Ren: "?"
ah?
Is it true or false?
He was completely stunned.
Pei Daiqing led Shen Tianxue across the river, glanced at the small white paper figure stuck to the boy's waist, and said with a smile, "Consider it a gift for Dean Zhang! We'll be going now."
"No! Deans!" Wei Ren had just shouted when an invisible hand grabbed his neck, preventing him from uttering a sound. He could only watch helplessly as the loving couple walked away.
He knew that Shen Tianxue was capricious and ruthless, but he never expected that she would sell him out so decisively!
We did spend some time together, after all!
He thought that even without a master-disciple relationship, things shouldn't be... shouldn't be so decisive!
Wei Ren realized that he had underestimated Shen Tianxue's eccentric temper.
Just as Wei Ren felt he was about to suffocate, the boy waved his hand and killed the phantom insect that Pei Daiqing had left on Wei Ren. Only then did Wei Ren, feeling weak all over, kneel down and gasp for breath.
"I can't be bothered with your petty farm affairs. Who do you take me for!" The boy angrily walked out of the river. "This water is freezing my feet. Hey kid, carry me back to Taiyi Academy, and I won't hold it against you for calling me an old man."
He added at the end, "Hurry up!"
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