Chapter 57
The two continued to wait inside, and the second layer of illusion finally appeared, but at this moment neither of them knew what to say.
Everyone had a slight understanding of Gu Qingci's identity from Shen Junning's explanation just now, but this time they were in a certain sect, so Gu Qingci's previous life was also a cultivator.
However, their location seemed a bit off; it looked more like an enforcement platform. Lin Jichen had never even seen Tianyu Mountain's own enforcement platform, let alone those of other sects. Looking around, she felt completely unfamiliar. "So, which sect is this?"
Shi Yunzhou knew even less. He had only ever lived in Tianyu Mountain in the Immortal Sect, and the Enforcement Platform in Huanhai didn't look like this. He shook his head and said, "I can't tell."
Each sect has its own uniform, and these people's clothes are ones they've never seen before. They've met many sect leaders and elders at the Immortal Alliance Conference, but they don't recognize any of the people present.
Before the two could go to other places to observe, a woman was dragged to the law enforcement platform. Judging from her appearance, it was definitely Gu Qingci.
The two stood side by side, looking at Gu Qingci, who was wearing a white undergarment on the enforcement platform. She had a calm expression and was very cooperative with the enforcement disciples.
Lin Jichen frowned and asked, "Was she punished by her sect?" It seemed she had committed a serious mistake, otherwise why would they want to kill her!
No sooner had he finished speaking than a bolt of lightning struck Gu Qingci, leaving a blackened wound. No blood flowed out, but the charred flesh inside was visible, deep enough to expose the bone.
"What kind of immortal sect punishes its disciples like this?" As he spoke, two more bolts of lightning struck down. "This... our Tianyu Mountain doesn't have such severe punishments."
The white robes worn by "Gu Qingci" were now stained crimson with blood, yet she remained kneeling there, her back straight. Those around her looked at her with expressions of pity and regret.
"What did she do wrong?" Lin Jichen kept talking. In the two hundred years she had been in Tianyu Mountain, she had never seen anyone being forced onto the enforcement platform, nor had she heard of any disciple from any immortal sect being punished. So she kept talking, trying to calm herself down.
"She saved a man, which resulted in the deaths of dozens of mortals. That man was her lover, and their sect forbids romantic relationships. Both crimes will be punished together." Shi Yunzhou crossed his arms in front of his chest. He had no interest in punishment and went to the elder in charge of law enforcement to read the contents of the paper.
Upon hearing this, Lin Jichen went to the Elder of Law Enforcement's side. When she saw the words on the document, she was quite surprised, "She's actually from the Jade Purity Sect." The Jade Purity Sect can be said to be the first immortal sect to appear since the creation of the world by Pangu. At that time, the demon race had not yet been driven to the Boundless Realm, nor did the Ten Directions Barrier that separated the mortal world exist. It was they who stood up to fight against the demon race and against the monsters.
Upon hearing Lin Jichen's words, Shi Yunzhou raised an eyebrow slightly. The Yuqing Sect was wiped out by the Demon Clan 20,000 years ago! He looked at Gu Qingci, who had been struck by lightning, and asked, "So this was more than 20,000 years ago?" No, it was even more distant.
Looking at the written explanation in front of the elder of law enforcement, Lin Jichen sighed, "Well, that man was also from their sect, but now..."
Suddenly, a blinding white light appeared before their eyes, so intense that they couldn't open them. Lin Jichen closed his eyes and covered them with his hand. Shi Yunzhou turned his back and closed his eyes as well. When the two opened their eyes again, they found that they had emerged from the dream.
Zhou Xuanzhi sighed, looking at Shi Yunzhou who had already woken up, unsure of what to say for a moment. After a while, Shi Yunzhou finally couldn't hold back and said, "Senior brother, I..."
Zhou Xuanzhi patted him on the shoulder, "You've grown up, you know that in your heart."
Meanwhile, Lin Jichen, who had already woken up, turned her attention to Gu Qingci. After a long silence, she found Shen Junning and asked, "Senior Brother Shen, I have a question I'd like to ask you."
"Speaking."
Lin Jichen recalled the scenes he saw in Gu Qingci's dream and asked, "Are the things seen in the dream real?"
What is Gu Qingci's true identity? Even if the first layer of illusion was meant to deceive the enemy, she was so young at that time, and even "died," so how could she have the subsequent memories? She was killed more than 20,000 years ago..., why would she still have the memories?
Before one problem was solved, a series of other problems arose.
Shen Junning gestured for Lin Jichen to continue, and Lin Jichen glanced at Gu Qingci, who was still unconscious, and said directly, "We saw that she was a member of the Yuqing Sect and was punished for making a mistake. The Yuqing Sect was destroyed 20,000 years ago. Even if she was reincarnated, she should have reincarnated many times. Logically speaking, she should have lost her previous memories long ago!"
“Logically speaking, what one sees in a dream is what one thinks, and naturally, it is also what she has experienced.” Shen Junning looked at Gu Qingci, who had just woken up, and said, “As for Miss Gu’s past life or what you saw,” he pointed to the sky, “that is a matter of the will of Heaven, and we can’t say anything about it!”
Attributing everything to fate is somewhat acceptable.
Everyone woke up, and the people of Qingxu Sect also came up with a new way to break the formation. It didn't require spiritual power, only talismans and a few drops of blood.
The magic circle was broken just like that. The outside remained exactly as it had been when we entered.
A group of people suddenly appeared and then suddenly disappeared, and then reappeared, making some people think that these cultivators were not smart enough, and were doing these fancy things in the capital.
The phantom demon that had trapped everyone had long since disappeared.
"What should we do now?" The women were starting to get scared. This demon was everywhere, and they had no one in their homes who could deal with it.
"The Exorcism Division, you may stay here temporarily," Murong Jing said. "Although it has not been established as long as the Qingxu Sect, our Exorcism Division still has various formations and is overseen by our sect leader and several senior uncles and elder brothers."
Going to the Exorcism Bureau at this time is also a good option.
After discussing with the families of the noble ladies, the girls moved into the Exorcism Division. Su Liyue and a group of female disciples began patrolling the area, while several others remained inside the rooms.
Back at his residence, Shi Yunzhou felt a sense of unease as he reflected on the day's events. He sensed that the outcome of the various factions' discussions was likely more complex than what he had observed.
Recent events made Shi Yunzhou realize that things weren't as simple as they seemed. Gu Qingci was shrouded in mystery, such as her master. Furthermore, the Illusion Demon didn't seem to intend to kill; it appeared to be testing him. It should have already tested his generation's strength in Yunzhou; it didn't make sense that its repeated attacks hadn't caused much damage.
Could it really be as I thought before? If I test Gu Qingci, then there must still be aspects of Gu Qingci that I don't know.
How could a cultivator from over 20,000 years ago, who knows how many times he has reincarnated, still have value to be used by the demon race? There must be some undiscovered clues. What could they be?
There are also various factions deliberating; it can't be as simple as it seems on the surface!
He lived with Xiang Yi, the high priest from Huanhai. The place where the exorcist had arranged for them was quiet. Suddenly, a ghostly figure flashed by, and a few hanging beaded curtains swayed gently. There was no other evidence. The waiter in the inn thought he was seeing things and didn't pay any attention.
The man entered Shi Yunzhou's room and treated the person inside with great respect: "Young Master, it's time to go back."
"The matter hasn't been resolved yet, so we can't go back for the time being."
"When does the young master plan to return?"
"At least we need to find out Gu Qingci's true identity, and why my master died."
The man in gray straightened up and looked at Shi Yunzhou, saying, "Shi Wanqing died two hundred years ago when her spiritual palace shattered while resisting the invading demons. As for that Gu Qingci, she was just a mortal; she had plenty of ways to know what she wanted to know."
"Chu Ren, back then, my master, and no one else could mention the Search for Gods in front of cultivators." Shi Yunzhou looked at his subordinate kneeling before him, his imposing demeanor quite different from how he appeared before Zhou Xuanzhi.
Chu Ren looked at Shi Yunzhou for a while and said, "I will wait another month. I hope that the young master can return with me after a month."
"I certainly won't let you down."
Having received these words, the man in gray left.
After the gray-clad man had walked away, Shi Yunzhou muttered to himself, "I'm not someone who keeps his word." Besides, this trip to the capital was for serious business, and he was with High Priest Xiang Yi. Even if Wei Maitong came, he would still be in the right!
Zhou Xuanzhi, who was already asleep, heard the noise outside and quickly got up, dressed, and ran outside to see what was happening. The entire Exorcism Bureau was brightly lit, and the disciples of the Bureau had already picked up their magical weapons and were running towards the front.
He grabbed one of them and asked, "What happened?"
"The demons have invaded, and the capital is in danger."
Demons? Demons have even entered the capital? What about Tianyu Mountain?
He summoned his Sunset Sword and followed behind the Exorcist's disciple until he saw a familiar face.
"Sect Master Uncle!"
The sect leader Han Wenqing and the Qingxu Sect leader were talking about something when Zhou Xuanzhi called out to them. They turned around, looked at the person holding the sword, and sighed, "You should also go to the city to help!" Several demons have already infiltrated the Exorcism Division, let alone the city.
"yes."
Watching Zhou Xuanzhi's departing figure, the Qingxu Sect leader seemed to remember something, "Is this Shi Wanqing's disciple?"
"It was her disciple, Zhou Xuanzhi."
"Is that the child? I saw him once before; he was well cared for." He didn't seem to harbor any hatred.
Thinking of his short-lived junior sister, Han Wenqing felt a pang of sadness. "She was indeed taught very well."
"Let's not talk about that anymore. The Exorcism Division is all ready, so let's get ready too!"
The situation in the capital was indeed as bad as imagined. The bodies of the victims lay uncovered in the street. Screams erupted from a nearby courtyard, and Zhou Xuanzhi leaped inside. He saw a demonic creature, only two-thirds the height of an adult and barely human, holding up a newborn infant, seemingly about to drop it to its death.
His arrival caught the demons off guard. He had barely turned around when a long, red sword pierced his chest. He fell to the ground before uttering a single word. Zhou Xuanzhi caught the infant and handed the child to the parents standing nearby.
It wasn't easy for them to hide, as the demonic creatures could find them by their aura. He handed the couple a talisman and said, "Find a place to hide, and stick this talisman on; it should help you." It was a talisman that could conceal one's presence.
The couple accepted the talisman and thanked the talisman.
Zhou Xuanzhi left the courtyard after they had taken cover.
The disciples of various factions outside were already fighting against the demonic creatures. Seeing this scene, Zhou Xuanzhi thought of her master back then, who had faced a similar situation.
She had no help then, all alone with her sword, and in the end, her spiritual palace shattered. Actually, at first, he thought it wasn't worth it. Before arriving at Tianyu Mountain, most of the people and things he encountered were unfriendly. When he learned the reason for his master's injury, he also thought that if it were him, he definitely wouldn't make the sacrifice; he would protect himself in the crucial moment.
He took up the Moon Worship Sword and went into battle, fighting alongside disciples from various sects.
After killing all the demonic creatures around him, Shi Yunzhou couldn't help but curse. These demonic creatures had already broken through the Ten Directions Barrier and reached the capital. Where were the other demons? Why were they nowhere to be seen? And why was there no movement at all? Were the factions guarding the sea all dead? Why hadn't Huanhai sent him any news?
The people here need protection, and I can't leave for the time being. I also don't know how things are going with the Exorcism Bureau.
To outsiders, Shi Yunzhou was an extremely powerful cultivator, capable of killing a demon with an average of five sword strikes, suggesting he was a disciple of a major sect.
Shi Yunzhou was unaware of what the others were thinking, but he was feeling rather irritated. If this were a field of radishes, hacking at their thorns one by one would eventually become tedious. Let alone these weren't radishes. And yet, the more they were killed, the more there seemed to be. It seemed the demon race in the Boundless Realm valued reproduction quite a bit, but not so much quality.
A formation has been completed. Once most of the demonic creatures enter the formation, hell awaits them.
The raging flames burned these monstrous creatures, but the demons outside the formation seemed oblivious and launched another attack.
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