Chapter 326 The Chosen One
Ji Meng had thought they were doomed and was on tenterhooks, but to his surprise, Wan Qi suddenly emerged from the sea of stones. Apart from being covered in water, with his hair sticking wet to his face and his sleeves constantly dripping, there was no sign of petrification on his body.
It makes one wonder whether he actually fell into the sea of stones.
Wan Qi leaned against the maple tree branch, panting, his hands supporting his knees as he bent over. After listening to Ling Jian and Wei Ren's explanation, he finally understood and looked at the figure in the distance: "So now Lu Pengpeng is blocking our way, and if we want to go to the Lake of the Dead, we have to defeat her first, right?"
No sooner had she finished speaking than Lu Pengpeng shot a long black arrow into the sky. It wasn't an attack; it seemed more like she was sending some kind of signal.
Ling Jian said, "It's over, she's trying to call her accomplices."
Ji Meng couldn't help but speak up, saying, "Lu Pengpeng can hold off the four of us by herself. If we call in more people, wouldn't it be even worse..."
Ling Jian turned and glared at him and Wei Ren: "I was just about to say, who are you two? What's your purpose in sneaking around and following us to Shihai?"
Ji Meng immediately shut up and looked at Wei Ren.
"What's it to you?" Wei Ren was too lazy to waste any more words.
"Fine, it's not like we're the ones who insist on going to the Lake of the Dead. Now that there are obstacles in our way, you can figure it out yourselves. Don't think you can take a shortcut by relying on us. We're not going to be the ones to suffer the consequences." Ling Jian stopped Wan Qi, who was about to speak, and decided to send Wei Ren and Ji Meng to the front lines so that he wouldn't have to work himself to the bone with Lu Pengpeng and let others benefit from it.
Just now, they were the ones walking in front, which led to Wan Qi being shot into the water by Lu Pengpeng's arrow.
"Are you mistaken? It's you who insist on going to the Lake of the Dead, isn't it?" Wei Ren glanced at Wan Qi, who was still panting, with a half-smile. "I can back out at any time. I just came this way to join in the fun."
Ling Jian sized up Wei Ren and said, "You look unfamiliar. You just arrived in Taiyi this year, right?"
Wei Ren glanced at him sideways but didn't say anything.
"Joining the fun? Hmph, only those who know what happened in the Lake of the Dead would come to join the fun." Ling Jian saw through Wei Ren's lie at a glance.
"Hey, stop arguing." Wan Qi finally caught his breath and said, "We're all going to the Lake of the Dead anyway, so why don't we work together to get through it? It would be even more troublesome if she really called for reinforcements."
Ji Meng then interjected, "What are you going to do? She has the Hidden Dragon Lock, so no matter how we hide, she will find us. Moreover, her Word Spirit Arrow can accurately lock onto our location, and the speed of her Nine Streams Technique is also determined by her."
“Didn’t you just knock people into the water?” Wan Qi said. “There’s still hope.”
Wei Ren rolled his eyes: "I almost fell into the water, but you saved me, didn't you?"
Wan Qi chuckled dryly, "Even if I hadn't saved her, she would have had her own way."
"I'm more curious about how you survived the Stone Sea," Ji Meng said. "Is the legend of the Stone Sea false? That it doesn't petrify and kill people when it gets wet? Is it just something the academy released to scare people?"
After speaking, he scanned the water's surface and, apart from the duckweed, all the maple branches and leaves that had fallen during the fight were nowhere to be seen.
"Are you two that close? Why should he tell you the secrets of his cultivation?" Ling Jian rolled her eyes at Ji Meng.
Ji Meng shut up again, but kept his eyes fixed on Wan Qi.
Wan Qi said to Wei Ren, "I can lead the charge; I can withstand her spirit arrows."
Wei Ren asked, "How are you going to withstand it? If her spirit arrow really hits you, you could die."
They recognized Lu Pengpeng's abilities quite well.
Wan Qi took a deep breath and said, "It can't be any more troublesome than Shi Hai, right?"
After hearing this, Wei Ren glanced at the seemingly calm water below, then looked back at Wan Qi with a meaningful look in his eyes: "Alright, I'll leave it to you. I won't be responsible if you die."
Ling Jian scolded, "Wan Qi! Are you stupid? Was it really necessary to go to this extent?"
He truly didn't want Sheng Fei to die, but he didn't necessarily intend to risk his life for him. If it were anyone else blocking his way, Ling Jian would have agreed to let Wan Qi join the fight, but it was Lu Pengpeng, who truly showed no mercy when she attacked.
If it weren't for Wan Qi's special physique, he would have died long ago from Lu Pengpeng's spirit arrow.
But Lu Pengpeng didn't think there was anything wrong with it.
"We can spread the word and get the Nangong family to come and rescue us!" Ling Jian said. "They're the ones who would risk their lives for Sheng Fei!"
Wan Qi thought to herself, "I'm not risking my life for Sheng Fei."
I just finally found something to do after a long period of confusion and bewilderment.
“I can withstand all of Lu Pengpeng’s attacks, so you have a chance to get close and control her,” Wan Qi said to Wei Ren and the others. “There’s no reason why the four of us can’t beat one of us, especially since you’re a top-tier disciple.”
The last sentence was a nod to Ling Jian.
Ling Jian said irritably, "Lu Pengpeng is also a Class A disciple."
"And what about you two?" Wan Qi turned to look at Wei Ren and Ji Meng.
Just as Ji Meng was about to reply, Wei Ren said, "Are we that familiar with you? Why should I tell you my disciple rank?"
He glanced sideways at Ji Meng, who was about to speak, silently indicating, "Did I ask you to speak?"
Ji Meng raised his hand and made a shushing gesture.
Wan Qi then said, "Alright, I won't say anything then, as long as we can control Lu Pengpeng to go to the Lake of the Dead."
After saying that, he ignited his protective aura again, so intense it was like a golden flame that it blurred his face: "I'll go first."
Wan Qi took the initiative, using his Wind Control Technique to dash forward. In Ji Meng's eyes, Wan Qi at this moment looked more like a charging fireball; being hit by it would be disastrous.
When Lu Pengpeng saw Ji Meng emerge from behind the maple tree, her expression remained calm, her dark eyes showing no emotion. She removed the green ribbon binding her hair and blindfolded herself again, entering the Dragon Eye state of the Hidden Dragon Lock once more. As she drew the string, the red light bursting from her fingertips transformed into a sharp arrow that shot towards Wan Qi.
Wan Qi met the attack head-on without any intention of dodging.
With a wave of his hands, the arrow reached Wan Qi in the blink of an eye, even faster than before. The force of the arrow snapped the branches of the surrounding red maple trees, and the swirling maple leaves obscured Wan Qi's vision, preventing him from seeing Lu Pengpeng. However, Lu Pengpeng could see him.
The arrow failed to break through Wan Qi's protective aura; instead, it disappeared into it without a sound. Wan Qi took a deep breath and continued forward.
"Swallowed it?" Ji Meng stared in disbelief at the scene. "His protective aura swallowed Lu Pengpeng's spirit arrow, didn't it?"
No one could answer him; Wei Ren and Ling Jian were both attacking Lu Pengpeng from different directions.
Lu Pengpeng was clearly drawn to Wan Qi. She paused in her string-playing motion and ran two fingers across her eyes, activating her Golden Eye.
A pair of golden vertical pupils opened on the green ribbon, filled with a fierce intent. Wei Ren and the others felt an invisible staring power that locked onto their senses and delayed them indefinitely.
It's just a blink of an eye, but it feels like it would take ten thousand years to complete.
Apart from Wan Qi, the other three all thought to themselves: Oh no!
Lu Pengpeng fired another arrow at Wan Qi. With the Golden Eye locking onto his sensory power and delaying it indefinitely, the arrow was still swallowed up by his protective aura, causing no harm to Wan Qi whatsoever.
Does it not require the active control of Wanqi?
Or is it that his protective aura can devour all beings that take form from qi?
Lu Pengpeng moved swiftly, appearing in front of Wan Qi in an instant, and drew the short knife from her waist to attack him.
The four of them, including Wan Qi, were locked onto by the golden light, which slowed down their thinking. Even though Lu Pengpeng's image was reflected in their eyes, it took their brains a long time to process the information.
The short sword, which was not imbued with the Qi of the Five Elements, could not penetrate Wan Qi's protective aura to touch him. Lu Pengpeng raised the sword and slashed at the protective aura, as if a sword had struck hard black iron, producing a short, crisp sound.
The short sword struck and rebounded, causing Lu Pengpeng to flinch as her protective aura recoiled. Wan Qi's protective aura also clung to the short sword, and a flash of golden light blew away the ribbon covering Lu Pengpeng's eyes.
Before Lu Pengpeng could even see the scenery before her, her wrist was grabbed and twisted behind her shoulder. Her dark eyes moved slightly, but she couldn't make out the face of the person protecting her.
Wan Qi twisted Lu Pengpeng's hand and snatched her dagger. Just as he was about to activate his charm technique, Lu Pengpeng kicked him in the leg.
This kick carried the power of a master's blessing, weighing as much as a thousand pounds. Even if someone else had protective energy, their leg would break and they would fly away, blood splattering on the spot.
Wan Qi only let out a muffled groan, instantly kneeling on one knee, but not letting go of Lu Pengpeng's hand. Taking this opportunity, Lu Pengpeng grabbed Wan Qi's wrist and twisted his back. With a crisp sound, Wan Qi raised his head and hissed, his head covered in cold sweat.
Wan Qi only defended and did not attack, but Lu Pengpeng showed no mercy when she attacked.
Her right hand was still being held by Wan Qi. Lu Pengpeng realized from the previous probing that the technique of materializing qi was useless against Wan Qi, so she gave up on controlling qi and directly grabbed Wan Qi's neck with her left hand.
Wan Qi felt suffocated. Just as Lu Pengpeng was about to twist his neck, Wei Ren and Ling Jian, who had emerged from the golden light, finally caught up.
Wei Ren flung out two Flying Sun Gu, which landed in Lu Pengpeng's eyes. It was as if her eyeballs had been slashed by a blade, and blood splattered, injuring her eyes and causing her to lose all sight. Ling Jian cooperated perfectly and immediately snatched Wan Qi from Lu Pengpeng's hands.
Lu Pengpeng staggered back two steps using her Wind Control Technique. The Flying Sun Gu caused her eyes to ache and bleed. For the first time, her fair face furrowed its brows.
Wei Ren grabbed Lu Pengpeng's hands and subdued her, landing with her on the maple tree below. Just as he was about to throw her into the sea of rocks, Wan Qi called out, "Wait! Don't kill her!"
Wei Ren said without changing his expression, "I won't kill her. I just want her to go into the water and see if the rumors about petrification are true or false."
Wan Qi: "Isn't this just killing her?!"
Wei Ren sneered, "So you're showing mercy to women now?"
Without waiting for Wan Qi's reply, he kicked Lu Pengpeng in the shin, causing her to fall.
Wan Qi shouted, "No! They have accomplices! The others can't just ignore Lu Pengpeng's life or death; we can use her as leverage to negotiate!"
Lu Pengpeng, who was about to fall into the water, was tied up by her hands with transparent spider silk and hoisted up. She raised her head slightly, but because the Flying Sun Gu had devoured her eyes, she could not see anything.
Wei Ren looked at the chess pieces for a while, then had the spider silk wrap Lu Pengpeng into a cocoon and threw it to Ling Jian: "You carry it on your back."
Ling Jian was forced to catch the spider cocoon, her eyes widening: "Me?! Why me?"
Wei Ren said, "Because you are all disciples of famous masters."
Ling Jian: "What kind of reason is that?"
“Then just throw it in the water, I’m not carrying it anyway,” Wei Ren said decisively.
Ling Jian turned to look at Wan Qi, who said in disbelief, "You want me to carry you? My arm is broken, and she kicked my leg so hard I can't get up."
Ling Jian angrily shouted at Ji Meng, "Hey you over there! You've been hiding in the back the whole time, not showing your head at all, not lifting a finger, and you're the one carrying Lu Pengpeng!"
Ji Meng raised his hand and said, "I am a disciple of a medical family, I can heal his hands and feet."
Before Ling Jian could speak, Ji Meng continued, "If his hands and feet are inconvenient, how will he go up and fight off Lu Pengpeng's accomplices later, giving you an opportunity?"
Ling Jian's face darkened as he listened, and he could only endure it all while carrying the spider cocoon on his back, glancing back every now and then: "Is your spider silk binding secure? Are you sure Lu Pengpeng can't move? What if she punches me in the back of the head later?"
“She won’t punch you,” Wei Ren said. “She’ll only shoot you with an arrow.”
Ling Jian chuckled dryly twice: "Is it funny?"
Ji Meng stepped forward to treat Wan Qi's hands and feet, secretly trying to test his Five Elements Qi, but Wan Qi grabbed his hand, leaned close to him and whispered, "We're both doctors, there's no need to do this, is there?"
When his little trick was seen through, Ji Meng chuckled awkwardly twice: "Curious, curious."
Wan Qi leaned against the maple tree and looked Ji Meng over for a while, then said, "You entered Taiyi later than me, so you should call me senior brother."
Ji Meng paused for a moment: "It seems so."
Wan Qi: "Then call out."
Ji Meng: "..."
In order to uncover Wan Qi's secret, Ji Meng finally called him "Senior Brother Wan" and healed his hands and feet. Wan Qi ignored him for a moment and immediately continued on his way, heading towards the Lake of the Dead.
Lu Pengpeng had given a signal, which was received by Xu Dian and Shen Liu in the Styx Lake.
Beyond the sea of red maple trees lies a vast expanse of barren land, with undulating mountains dotted with snow and barren ground devoid of vegetation. The Styx Lake basin is expansive, and at the foot of the black mountains flows a similarly dark stream, its surface wide and difficult to cross.
After crossing the red maple area, you will be faced with this gloomy and cold black world, as if all vitality has been stripped away, leaving only death.
There were two figures by the water, one squatting and one standing. Shen Liu, who was standing, was gazing into the distance, while Xu Dian, who was squatting, pulled on the silk thread in the water and pulled Mu Mengbai out of the dark water.
Mu Mengbai's hands and feet were bound, rendering him unable to move. He could only shake his head frantically to shake off the water, cursing at Xu Dian on the hillside: "You dog!"
"You don't know what's good for you, and you're still being stubborn." Xu Dian raised his eyebrows, continued to let out the line, and cast the bait back into the water like a fisherman.
Mu Mengbai had just surfaced when he was plunged back into the turbulent black water with a splash.
Shen Liu whistled and laughed, "Pull the other one up and see if he's dead or not."
Xu Dian pulled on another line and caught Sheng Fei, who was pale and still unconscious.
Shen Liu stared at the dying Sheng Fei: "Everyone says that Sheng Fei is a genius of the famous school, with the best talent. If he can't fish out the Yin-Yang fish in the Lake of the Dead, I won't believe that he has the best talent."
Xu Dian asked in surprise, "This Lake of the Dead depends on talent?"
“According to the Yin-Yang School, it’s about luck.” Shen Liu pointed at Sheng Fei. “Talent is also included in luck. If someone has the best talent, family background, and appearance, that’s barely enough! Their luck is much better than others from the start. Sheng Fei is a chosen one of heaven. The Yin-Yang Fish likes to eat these lucky ones.”
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