Chapter 54 Little brother, you're overthinking it, that's why you got your face stepped on.
As soon as the three left, Zhu Shibai rushed towards Ji Mingran's direction. The two met and immediately asked:
"What happened?" "What happened?"
Upon hearing the question, the two answered in unison:
"I don't know either."
"have no idea."
Zhu Shibai frowned and said, "So, I heard the Shen family mention it in the last illusion, saying that they were preparing for a happy event soon. I didn't expect it to be Qingluo's happy event."
But they had never heard Shen Qingluo mention such an important matter.
The two racked their brains trying to recall if they had missed anything Shen Qingluo had said. Ji Mingran suggested, "Perhaps it's a rumor?"
Zhu Shibai cautiously replied, "We should ask her directly."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a fiery red shadow rushed across the sky with lightning speed, causing the wind it stirred to ripple through the green sea of trees.
A long sword was held horizontally in front of the two of them. Shen Qingluo leaped down from the sword, her tone icy: "It's not a rumor."
"Qingluo!" Ji Mingran cheered and jumped forward, "You're in this illusion too!"
When Shen Qingluo saw Ji Mingran approaching, her cold expression softened, and she said gently, "Yes, I haven't been here long. I happened to find a demon wolf and was chasing it when I found the two of you here."
Zhu Shibai then said, "It's a good thing to be reunited, but what do you mean by 'it's not a rumor'?"
Upon reuniting with her companions, Shen Qingluo simply stopped chasing the demon wolf, sheathed her long sword, and walked alongside them, explaining, "Not long after I joined the Dingsheng Sect, I received a letter from my grandmother informing me that she knew I had also come to Lingxiu and said she had arranged a marriage for me."
Shen Qingluo's fingertips, gripping the knife tightly, turned white from the force. She paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and said, "I have already replied to refuse. I didn't expect that in the last illusion, the disciples of the other ten sects I met all came to congratulate me. Only then did I learn that she was still holding the engagement ceremony as scheduled."
Originally, Ye Wentang, the young master of Xiaosu Pavilion, was also unwilling and planned to discuss breaking off the engagement with the pavilion master after ranking in the top ten of the spiritual cultivation competition. However, after seeing Shen Qingluo from afar in the Wanli Canyon, his attitude changed completely, and he directly declared himself Shen Qingluo's fiancé. As a result, the participating disciples who were allied with Xiaosu Pavilion had already recognized the two as a couple and congratulated Shen Qingluo upon seeing her.
Ji Mingran: "Since you are unwilling, no one else is trying to force you. Next time I see him, I will make sure he doesn't talk nonsense."
“He doesn’t know my stance.” Shen Qinglu shook her head, her tone heavy: “After I meet with him, I will personally tell him about breaking off the engagement.”
Zhu Shibai pondered and said, "I have indeed heard that the Shen family clan is keen to form alliances with other clans through marriage, but I did not expect them to disregard people's wishes."
Shen Qinglu lowered her head and looked down, her tone complicated: "Grandmother is a woman of her word, and her methods are ruthless, but it is not easy for her to manage the Shen family."
Ji Mingran recalled Shen Ting, who was taciturn and conservative in the first-class seats; her personality was indeed strong. Seeing Shen Qingluo's gloomy expression and increasingly soft voice, unwilling to talk more about her grandmother, Ji Mingran changed the subject.
“Do you know?” she exclaimed dramatically, “In the last illusion, I was with Guan Wangzhen, and he turned into a bird! He’s a birdman!”
Shen Qingluo's attention was indeed diverted, and her beautiful eyes widened in surprise: "Birdman?"
Zhu Shibai naturally picked up the conversation and explained, "Did you encounter an evil spirit's illusion? It usually doesn't show its true form."
"Is he really a birdman?" Shen Qingluo exclaimed in surprise. Like Ji Mingran, she came from a small world, and her understanding of the spiritual cultivation world was no better than that of Zhu Shibai, who was born and raised there.
Zhu Shibai and Guan Wangzhen have known each other since they were young and know a lot about him: "There are different spiritual races in the spiritual cultivation world. It is said that they are the descendants of ancient divine beasts, such as fire phoenix, golden roc, tailed fox, white ape, etc. Each race lives in different parts of the six continents. Among them, the former patriarch of the fire phoenix race was a close friend of the founder of Dingsheng Sect. Their race has been with Dingsheng Sect for thousands of years."
"Three hundred years ago, Dingsheng Sect suffered a calamity. The patriarch of the Huofeng Clan at that time perished while helping Dingsheng. Wang Zhen was still young and did not have the ability to protect his clan. Therefore, Uncle Feng took him as a nominal disciple and taught him carefully. After he passed the sect entrance examination, he was formally accepted as the last disciple. In other words, Dingsheng supported him."
With this history, it's no wonder that Guan Wangzhen knows the past of Dingsheng Sect like the back of his hand and is more protective of the sect than ordinary disciples.
As the three were talking, they sensed something was amiss and stopped in their tracks, looking up at the sky above the forest. They saw flocks of startled birds flying and the dense green forest swaying incessantly.
Shen Qingluo recognized the direction: "I was originally chasing the Golden Core Wolf King in that direction, but it seems that it has been caught up by the other participating disciples."
The key to the illusion is most likely the wolf king.
"I'll go take a look. It would be best if I could capture him." She thought for a moment and said to Zhu Shibai, "There is also a disciple of the Zhu family who is chasing me. Judging from his cultivation level, I estimate that he is no match for the Wolf King."
Although the battles within the illusion will not actually kill, the injuries and near-death experiences suffered by cultivators are real. Even if they are sent out of the illusion, they may be left with a shadow that hinders their future cultivation.
The Zhu family disciples participating in this test are all around twelve or thirteen years old. Although they are at the Foundation Establishment stage, they are the youngest among the participating disciples and their minds are not as mature as the others. As the next head of the Zhu family, Zhu Shibai will inevitably care about them.
"Is that so?" Zhu Shibai replied, "I will go with you."
He turned to Ji Mingran and said, "There aren't many illusions left in the secret realm. The closer we get to the end, the more dangerous it becomes. Grandma, try to conserve your spiritual energy. It will be very useful later."
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the two Beast Taming Sect disciples and the young master of Xiao Su Pavilion were also on their way to pursue the demon wolf. With so many participating disciples vying to kill the demon wolf, there was no need for Ji Mingran to get involved.
After all, the fewer illusions that remain unsolved, the higher the probability of them encountering them. Sooner or later, everyone will gather in the last illusion, at which point they will not only face the illusion crisis, but also the attacks from other participating disciples.
The more participants a team retains, the better.
Ji Mingran had the same idea: "Okay, you guys go first. If it really is the key to the illusion, we'll meet again in the next illusion."
After the three agreed, Shen Qingluo carried Zhu Shibai and flew away on her sword, as fast as lightning. Ji Mingran continued onward, looking for a quiet place to wait for the illusion to change. If the demon wolf was not the key to the illusion, they would wait for them to come back to find him.
The forest was vast, so Ji Mingran left the path and headed towards a secluded spot to avoid encountering other disciples participating in the test.
However, fate had other plans, and she heard someone call out to her: "Is that Fellow Daoist Ji from the Dingsheng Sect?"
A figure stood up from the bushes ahead. Ji Mingran looked closely and recognized the boy's features, who was about the same age as her. He smiled and bowed, saying, "I am from Chen Ning Manor. I have met Fellow Daoist Ji."
Shen Ningzhuang, Shen Qingluo's younger brother.
He winked playfully: "Are you also here to hide? I saw my sister ride her sword towards the demon wolf. So were the rest of us Shen family disciples."
So, was he also left behind to "preserve his strength" and hide here?
Ji Mingran did not answer. Shen Ningzhuang approached her familiarly and said, "Perfect timing. It's boring to just wait here. Let's talk, and the time will pass faster."
When Shen Qingluo met Shen Ningzhuang, although her attitude was stiff, it was still relatively mild, indicating that the two had a decent relationship and could be considered allies who would not attack each other and could stay together.
Ji Mingran then found a spot with a good view, where he could see in all directions, and sat down to rest. "What do you want to say?"
"My sister, I haven't heard from her since we parted ways when we were young," Shen Ningzhuang said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "I wonder how she's doing at the Dingsheng Sect?"
Ji Mingran: "That's good. She's exceptionally strong and is the personal disciple of Peak Master Yaofeng. She's highly regarded."
“I knew it. With her strength, she could have done well anywhere.” Shen Ningzhuang’s eyes shone, but then she recalled the past and said bitterly, “Back then, my sister had a big fight with my father and left without saying goodbye. I thought I would never see her again after coming to the spiritual cultivation world, but I never expected to meet her again.”
Ji Mingran asked in confusion, "Leaving without saying goodbye?" Shen Qingluo has a cold personality, but she is by no means cold-hearted. On the contrary, she is extremely patient and friendly to her companions.
Shen Ningzhuang sighed and said, "In our small world, the list of cultivators who cross the Heavenly Gate is determined by the Shen family, so there is no competition or contest. Every year a month before the Heavenly Gate opens, the elders of the family will prepare a list of clan members who will cross the Heavenly Gate. But for some reason, she was not on the list this time, so she left."
This completely overturned Ji Mingran's understanding of spiritual cultivation, which he had only reached through fierce fighting and struggle: Is this what an ancient family is like? While cultivators in other small worlds were fighting to the death to cross the Transcendent Array, the main family of the small world connected with the Shen family in the spiritual cultivation world had already monopolized the channel for crossing the Heavenly Gate in their small world, directly deciding who could go and who could not.
If she remembered correctly, Shen Qingluo was a transmigrator from another small world. At that time, Fu Daolan even scolded the transmigrators from other small worlds for coming to seize the opportunity. So, Shen Qingluo was actually forced to do so.
Shen Ningzhuang was somewhat sullen. "My sister left without even saying goodbye to me, only taking Yingxue with her. Well, after all, it was a memento left to her by Mother, so of course she would take it." As he spoke, he noticed something amiss: "My sister and Yingxue used to be inseparable, but this time it seems like Yingxue is nowhere to be seen."
"Oh." Ji Mingran: "It's dead."
"Dead?!" Shen Ningzhuang exclaimed in shock. Seeing Ji Mingran's serious expression, she knew he was telling the truth. Her eyes were lifeless, and her shoulders slumped. "That was the only thing my mother left her, and now it's gone too."
Ji Mingran said softly, "Mm."
Shen Ningzhuang whispered, "It's alright, as long as my sister is safe, everything will be alright." As if remembering something, he grasped at a straw like a drowning person, and a hopeful smile appeared on his panicked face: "Grandmother has arranged a very good marriage for her. They will get married after the competition, and from then on, she will have her own home."
Getting married right after the competition? Ji Mingran asked in surprise, "Does she know?"
Shen Ningzhuang said, "Grandmother said she would tell her after the competition is over."
"...I only told her after the competition was over." Ji Mingran's voice turned cold. "She doesn't agree to this, and she will try to break off the engagement."
"How can this be!" Shen Ningzhuang, who had been dejected and hanging her head, sat up straight abruptly and said excitedly, "Because of her running away, the family is already dissatisfied with her. If she breaks off the engagement, wouldn't that be a slap in the face to the Shen family? The Shen family will definitely sever ties with her!"
“She doesn’t want to.” Ji Mingran frowned. “Are you going to force her? If she wants to break up, then so be it.”
Shen Ningzhuang was shocked, as if Ji Mingran had said something outrageous, and rebuked him: "She is a daughter of the Shen family. As a senior of the sect, you did not properly advise her, but instead said such words so lightly."
His tone was accusatory: "What's wrong with her getting married? If she gets married, she will not only gain the family's understanding, but also find a suitable husband to protect her. It's a win-win situation. From now on, she won't have to be all alone and drifting outside the family."
"You're being strange." Ji Mingran stood up, his dark eyes looking down at the puzzled Shen Ningzhuang, and calmly asked:
"She failed to make it onto the Shen family's list, so she has to find her own way. Why should she need the Shen family's forgiveness?"
"She is a natural-born military genius, independent, powerful, and with extraordinary potential. Why would she need a husband's protection?"
"She has the backing of a prestigious sect and is the prized disciple of Peak Master Yaofeng, with countless fellow disciples. How could she be all alone?"
Shen Ningzhuang looked up at Ji Mingran, who was staring at her. She opened her mouth for a long time, but finally insisted, "She is a member of the Shen family and should abide by the Shen family rules. Besides, what's wrong with that for her?"
Ji Mingran said, word by word, "She doesn't want to."
Shen Ningzhuang wanted to argue further, but then the bushes nearby rustled.
The two men facing off turned their heads at the same time, and a figure slowly emerged from the bushes.
With gray-blue fur, crawling on all fours, and a short build, its long face had a pair of clear, watery eyes that blinked and looked at the two of them with a bewildered expression.
This is a...
"Little Horse?" Ji Mingran blurted out.
"What?! This is clearly..." Shen Ningzhuang was furious, but then she realized that the person in front of her was incapable of distinguishing right from wrong, and there was nothing to say to her. So she simply vented her anger on the innocent animal: "Where did this stupid thing come from? Go away!"
These words had an unexpected effect. As if it were human, the little horse, upon hearing that Shen Ningzhuang was driving it away, instantly turned its bewildered eyes into fierce ones, pawed at the ground with its front hooves, snorted through its nostrils, and made a "grrr grrr" sound with its mouth.
Before Xiao Ma could finish speaking, he charged forward with lightning speed, crashing into Chen Ningzhuang with a single shot. The speed was so great that even Chen Ningzhuang, who was in the Foundation Establishment stage, couldn't dodge in time and was knocked to the ground, his head hitting the stone hard, and blood flowed everywhere.
So brutal!
Chen Ningzhuang hurriedly got up, but before he could even look up, a hoof kicked him hard, hitting him squarely on the bridge of his nose.
"Ah!" This time, Chen Ningzhuang finally stopped dodging. He gritted his teeth and made a hand seal, throwing a spell at the stupid thing that bumped into him. But the little horse dodged to the side and easily avoided it. With a flick of its tail, it jumped into the forest.
"Help me!" Shen Ningzhuang cried out to Ji Mingran beside her, asking her to help her up. As the stupid creature rushed towards the two of them...
As the silly thing pawed at the ground, she called out, "Hey, little horse."
When the silly thing bumped into him, she exclaimed, "Wow! A pony!"
As the silly creature ran away, she called out, "Hey? Little Pony?"
Now when he asks her for help, she remains quiet and doesn't respond for a long time.
Shen Ningzhuang called out again, but still no one came to help. He turned his head and looked around, but Ji Mingran was nowhere to be seen.
"Wait for me." Her voice came from behind.
Shen Ningzhuang looked in the direction of the sound and saw that Ji Mingran had left his spot at some point and was now a hundred meters away, in the place where the stupid creature had fled into the forest.
She chased after him without looking back, her figure disappearing into the woods.
Shen Ningzhuang was stunned. Could it be that she was going to avenge him?
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