Chapter 61: Didn’t I serve fate well?
Qi Qing wanted to retort him, but when the words came to his lips, he suddenly changed his mind.
The young man unbuttoned his outer robe slowly, narrowed his eyes, and hooked his finger at Yue Ji.
The person in front of him had bright eyes, with candlelight flickering in his eyes, and he walked towards him step by step.
"It's so boring with the lights on..." Qi Qing held his hand and blew gently.
The candlelight flickered twice and then went out suddenly.
In the darkness, the sound of the Adam's apple rolling was particularly clear. Yue Ji put down the candlestick and reached out to touch Qi Qing's face, but was grabbed by the other party.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" Qi Qing held his hand and said with a smile, "Wait for me to make preparations, okay?"
He half pushed the person onto the couch and quietly touched the ring.
Yue Ji bit a strand of black hair that fell on his shoulder and pulled his hand to his waist.
The man deliberately exerted force, flexing his well-defined abdominal muscles as if to show off. His body temperature was high, and it felt like an iron, warming Qi Qing's palm.
Qi Qing followed his wishes and touched him twice, then pushed him onto the couch: "Lie down."
His voice was extremely soft, and Yue Ji really fell for it. He lay down obediently, and even took off his hair crown and outer shirt on his own initiative.
"Master."
He left the space on the inside and tugged at Qi Qing's sleeve expectantly.
Qi Qing leaned over to cover him with the quilt and tucked in the corners. He was so considerate that it was almost abnormal.
Yue Ji sensed something was wrong and was about to lift the quilt and get up, but Qi Qing was quick-witted and quickly stuck a talisman on the quilt.
The quilt instantly became a cage, wrapping Yue Ji tightly inside the quilt, covering even his head tightly, not allowing even a breath to escape.
"Go on, why don't you continue?"
Qi Qing sneered, watching the figure in the quilt struggle a few times but unable to break free from the shackles of the spell, and said viciously: "I let you touch me twice, and you're addicted, right? Do you really think that your master and you are in love with each other? Yue Ji, can you understand this - you are my disciple, not my Taoist partner."
Yue Ji quickly poked his head out from under the quilt. Hearing this, he didn't get angry but blinked instead.
"Am I not serving you well?"
Without hearing Qi Qing's answer, he smiled softly and said meaningfully: "Master, weren't you also feeling very comfortable earlier?"
Thinking of the absurdity of a few hours ago, Qi Qing's ears felt hot. Without saying anything, he pushed him back into the quilt and gritted his teeth and said, "...No matter where you learned it, I will deal with you when we return to the sect!"
He strengthened a talisman until he could no longer hear Yue Ji's voice, then he clapped his hands, turned around, sat cross-legged, and began to regulate his breathing and practice qigong.
When the sky of the secret realm lit up again, Qi Qing slowly exhaled.
Thanks to the abundant spiritual energy in the secret realm, the remaining poison in his body was finally cleared away, and he felt refreshed.
There was a rustling sound coming from the tent next door. The young man straightened his appearance, opened the curtain, and Yue Ji also sat up.
The little girl poked her head out from the tent and asked, "Are you guys up yet? The fog over there has cleared."
Hearing this, Qi Qing looked towards the lake.
I saw that several tents were removed over there, and the monks were walking towards the lake in groups of three or five like ants. No one noticed them for the time being.
Most of the fog on the lake had dissipated, and in the bright morning light, the small building on the island in the middle of the lake finally revealed its true appearance.
To be exact, it was not the pavilion as I thought last night, but a unique three-story stone tower.
The entire stone tower is grayish white, as if it was built with some special stone bricks. There are densely packed stone tablets standing around it, like white bones sticking out of the ground, all of which are also grayish white, making people feel inexplicably cold behind their backs.
What’s strange is that although the lake surface is reflecting the drifting mist, the stone tower does not leave any reflection, as if someone had dug out its shadow out of thin air.
"What's written on the plaque?" Qi Qing put his fingers on his brow and squinted his eyes to try to recognize the words on the tower entrance.
But after all, they were too far away, so they looked at each other and tacitly decided to put away the tent and move over there.
According to the original novel, after Yue Ji killed the Sky Lion Beast, he should have found a mural of a blooming Fire Lotus and obscure instructions in its lair, from which he should have deduced the news of the Ten Thousand Years Fire Lotus, and found the underground lava where the Fire Lotus was located through the guidance of the mural. This tower was not mentioned at all.
As soon as they walked down the slope, a monk discovered them.
A monk in white came over quickly, holding a fan and bowing, and asked, "Where are you from, fellow Taoists?"
The burly man said, "Of course it came from above."
The monk in white had a polite smile on his face: "You misunderstood, I meant that there are formations blocking this area, how did you get in?"
He raised his hand and pointed to the center of the lake: "This area has been blocked by our factions. If you don't have an introduction, I'm afraid you will have to leave."
Qi Qing raised his eyebrows and asked in confusion: "Who are you? Can you block it just like that?"
The monk in white robes smiled unchanged and asked, "Which sect do you follow?"
"Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, He Chong." The burly man puffed out his chest.
"Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, Fu Ling!" The little girl followed suit and raised her head proudly.
"So you are a disciple of the Myriad Beast Sect. I have heard of you for a long time."
The white-robed monk cupped his hands and turned his scrutinizing gaze to Qi Qing and the other two.
Qi Qing gritted his teeth and announced the name of Tiandu Sect.
Sure enough, a trace of surprise flashed across the monk's eyes, and then he laughed again: "This... could it be a small sect in Xiwuzhou? Forgive my ignorance..."
"Of course you are inexperienced." He Chong retorted on behalf of Qi Qing.
The white-robed monk shook his head disapprovingly, his tone still gentle, but revealing a condescending arrogance: "In that case, I won't hide it. I am an inner sect disciple of Xuantian Pavilion, and the fellow Taoists behind me are from Yunxiao Sect and Yuqing Sect respectively."
Seeing the faces of several people change slightly, he waved his sleeves and casually revealed the sect jade token on his waist: "The three major sects have jointly decided to seal off this place. Do you have any objections?"
The status of these famous sects in the world of cultivation is indeed very important, and their disciples are also mostly outstanding. Ordinary cultivators will most likely give in when they hear these titles.
He Chong frowned, weighing whether to withdraw or not, when Yue Ji, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up: "Does Daoist friend know where this is?"
“It’s a secret place, naturally.”
Qi Qing understood and sneered, "So you also know that this is a secret place? Looking at your behavior, someone who doesn't know would think that you have established a dynasty in the past few days and become the local emperor of this place."
The white-robed monk's face darkened. He Chong had already lost his patience and said to him, "Alright, stop putting on airs. I don't care what sect you belong to. The strong ones in the secret realm have the final say! If you don't agree, fight with your own hands!"
He pounded his solid chest and squinted at the other man's body: "With your skinny arms and legs, don't let me break them when we fight!"
As soon as these words came out, the monk in white was also provoked and said with a changed face: "Good words cannot persuade the damned ghosts. If you want to suffer for yourselves, don't blame me for being rude!"
He swung his fan and slapped it at He Chong's face. He Chong was not to be outdone and smashed his temple with his casserole-sized fist.
The little girl shouted at the side: "Come on, senior brother! Beat him up!"
Although He Chong didn't know why he couldn't do anything when facing Yue Ji, he was able to handle this cultivator with ease and they fought back and forth.
The fight between the two soon attracted the attention of other monks by the lake. Several monks hurried over. When one of them saw Qi Qing's face clearly, his expression suddenly changed.
"Stop! We're one of us!"
Qi Qing was startled by the familiar voice. He turned his head instantly and was about to blurt out "Senior Brother, why are you here" when he saw his senior brother wink at him.
The senior brother hurried forward to separate the two people who were fighting, and continued to wink at Qi Qing: "Master... ahem, cousin, why are you here?
"..." Qi Qing followed suit: "I'm lost."
The white-robed monk looked at them suspiciously and asked, "Fellow Daoist, since you are from Yuqing Sect, how come you have a cousin from a small sect?"
"Everyone has their own aspirations!" The senior brother grabbed Qi Qing's shoulder and said with a smile: "My cousin likes the quietness of a small sect, right, cousin?"
Qi Qing nodded in agreement, and Yue Ji calmly pushed his brother's hand away.
The senior brother persevered and took the opportunity to pat Yue Ji: "Although my cousin is stubborn, he is very good at breaking formations and has a good heart. Let him come with us."
The monk in white looked confused for a moment, and said doubtfully, "Wait a minute, I'll go ask the senior brother for instructions."
As soon as he walked away, Qi Qing couldn't wait to lower his voice and said, "Brother, why are you here? And you've become a member of Yuqing Sect?"
“…It’s a long story.” The senior brother wiped his face and winked at Yue Ji.
After Yue Ji set up the soundproofing array, he continued, "After Junior Brother Jiang and I got separated from you, we encountered a murder and treasure hunt on the way. I accidentally killed two people from Yuqing Sect, and ended up running into their large group. We had no choice but to use their trick to sneak in."
"Isn't that dangerous?"
The senior brother looked around and said, "Fortunately, I have an old friend in Yunxiao Sect who can help cover it up."
After saying that, he pouted at Qi Qing again and said, "Would you like to introduce these two to me?"
He Chong clasped his fists and said in a voice as loud as a bell: "I am He Chong from the Ten Thousand Beast Sect, and this is my junior sister Fu Ling."
"Ten Thousand Beast Sect?" The senior brother looked him up and down in surprise, and suddenly asked quietly: "Those few dead bodies washed down in the stream yesterday... Could it be you, brother, who did it?"
He Chong showed a confused look.
Qi Qing keenly grasped the key information: "What dead person?"
"Look, it's right there," the senior brother pointed to a stream not far away, "Several corpses washed down yesterday evening, one of them was a Nascent Soul with a breath left. He muttered something like 'Ten Thousand Beast Sect', 'Transformation into a Spirit', 'Revenge' before he died. His corpse is buried by the stream."
Hearing these words, Qi Qing was slightly stunned, and a guess immediately emerged in his mind.
Yue Ji interrupted, "Are you going to ask the Ten Thousand Beast Sect to avenge them?"
The senior brother shrugged: "Who knows, fighting and killing, anyway, we'd better be careful."
Before they could say a few words, the monk in white had already turned back.
He unfolded his folding fan and glanced at Qi Qing calmly: "Senior Brother said that we are in need of someone to break the formation. You, come with me."
Qi Qing was out of breath and coughed violently several times - his senior brother was just talking nonsense and actually tricked him into it right away!
Seeing that the white-robed monk's introduction did not seem fake, he suddenly broke out in a cold sweat and glared at his senior brother.
How could I solve any formation? There was obviously someone else who could do it.
When they arrived at the lake, the last tent was being cleared up, and Qi Qing saw the "senior brother" mentioned by the white-robed monk.
This man was over forty years old and quite mature and steady. The aura around him was unfathomable. It was believed that he had cultivation at least above the Spiritual Transformation stage. The cultivators surrounding him were all at the Nascent Soul stage and the Spiritual Transformation stage. Qi Qing's heart tightened when he saw this.
The middle-aged man's eyes were like lightning, and he glanced at Qi Qing a few times: "You are really capable to be able to break through my formation blockade and come here."
Faced with undeserved praise, Qi Qing tactfully remained silent.
Unexpectedly, this silence made the middle-aged man nod slightly and said approvingly: "People with ability are inevitably arrogant... Since fellow Taoist has extraordinary attainments in formations, why not try to break the restrictions on the lake?"
He made way, and the lake was exposed to everyone.
The water surface seemed calm and clear, but when Qi Qing tentatively reached out to touch it, an invisible force suddenly bounced him away.
There was a cultivator in the crowd who couldn't stand it anymore and shouted, "Big Brother, no one has been able to crack a formation like yours. Do you really want to let a Nascent Soul try?"
As soon as these words were spoken, they attracted people to echo them.
"That's right, why don't we try the high-level array-breaking talisman again? Maybe the direction of our spiritual power just now was not right. We must be more careful this time!"
"Be patient." The middle-aged man raised his hand to stop him: "Why not wait and see what this fellow Taoist does first? Maybe it will work?"
Seeing Qi Qing was hesitant to move, the man urged, "Why don't you take action, fellow Taoist?"
Qi Qing was immediately lifted up by the middle-aged man and became the focus of the crowd.
He felt like he had a thorn in his back, so how could he dare to act rashly?
There are many formation masters present here, and if you make a few random moves, you will be exposed on the spot.
The monk in white seemed to have noticed something, and waved his folding fan, saying in a sarcastic tone: "If you can't solve it... I don't mind sending you off right now."
As to whether he was "sent" out or killed to silence him, it is unknown.
Just when Qi Qing was secretly considering whether to turn on the live broadcast to cheat, Yue Ji suddenly stepped forward and stood in front of him.
He said calmly, "My master suffered internal injuries yesterday and was unable to use his spiritual power. I am not talented enough, but I am willing to take action on his behalf. Is that okay?"
The middle-aged man was slightly surprised. After a moment's hesitation, he agreed, "In that case, please go ahead."
Yue Ji turned to Qi Qing and said respectfully: "Master, rest assured, I will do my best and will never bring disgrace to the sect."
Qi Qing didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but he was also relieved. He pretended to be serious and said, "Don't be too stubborn. Just do what you can."
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Yue Ji stood by the lake, closed his eyes and concentrated for a few breaths, condensing spiritual power from his fingertips.
A ray of golden spiritual power was emitted, and the moment the spiritual light touched the restriction, it was immediately bounced away, causing ripples on the restriction.
“Looking at the fluctuations of his spiritual power, he has only reached the Nascent Soul stage. How dare you speak so arrogantly?” There was a sneer from the crowd.
Yue Ji turned a deaf ear to him, flipped his hand seals, and condensed spiritual power again.
The spiritual power he condensed this time was very weak. He approached the restriction tentatively a few times but did not make another move.
The water was so calm that there was not even a trace of wind. He looked at the gray stone tower from afar and did not move for a long time, as if he was in a daze.
After a while, someone couldn't wait any longer and rolled his eyes and asked, "Is it going to work? Did he fall asleep?"
Time passed slowly in the tense atmosphere, so long that even the middle-aged man's face looked a little bad. When he was about to interrupt, Yue Ji finally moved.
He inexplicably put away the hand seals, and with a flick of his fingers, the golden spiritual power turned into thousands of threads, like reeds swaying in the wind, lightly imprinting the ban.
Unexpectedly, this time the ban not only did not reject, but instead emitted a faint light.
Many formation practitioners became interested and subconsciously focused their eyes on those slender and powerful hands, wanting to know his next move.
Yue Ji looked focused, manipulating his spiritual power to continue drawing.
The golden threads sometimes move like a dragon diving into the water, and sometimes gather and disperse like clouds in the sky. It seems to be random, but there is an inexplicable rhythm.
As he moved, something was activated. The restriction began to emit a slight resonance, and spider-web-like cracks appeared on the transparent barrier.
"...So that's it!" The middle-aged man suddenly clapped his hands and sighed, with a gleam in his eyes.
He finally figured it out - what Yue Ji was painting was actually the reflection of the mist on the lake!
The mist in the water is not blocked by the small tower, and its traces are clear and complete. The flowing posture is the fuse, and the curved gathering and dispersion are the runes.
It's their preconceived notions that made them think this restriction was just a sophisticated formation, but they ignored the fact that they were in a secret realm. The restrictions in the secret realm were closely related to the secret realm itself, without exception.
When the last ray of golden light dissipated, the entire lake surface suddenly became brightly lit.
...It was actually solved?
The previously noisy crowd suddenly fell silent, and the few monks who had made sarcastic remarks looked a little embarrassed.
They spent a whole day and night trying to solve the restriction but couldn't even find the introductory idea. Now it was broken so easily by a Nascent Soul. Could it be that they are not even as good as a Nascent Soul?
The senior brother secretly breathed a sigh of relief and whispered to Qi Qing: "Okay, nephew."
Not to mention him, Qi Qing was also very shocked.
It has only been a short time since Yue Ji taught himself the formation, but he has already mastered it. His talent is really too incredible.
Amid the astonished or jealous gazes of the crowd, Yue Ji calmly put away his posture and retreated to Qi Qing's side in a low-key manner.
The middle-aged man sighed: "Today I finally understand what 'real people don't show their true colors' means. There really are many masters among the people."
Many formation cultivators lowered their heads in shame, and even the white-robed cultivator stopped waving his fan.
They were proud of their status as disciples of a great sect, yet they were helpless against the restrictions. On the other hand, this master and disciple did not break through the impediment by ordinary means, but were observant and their performance was worth learning in every aspect. It was indeed true that one should not be ashamed to ask questions.
When the light faded, the restriction on the lake did not break as everyone expected. Instead, two lines of ancient characters slowly emerged.
"To cross this lake, you must have a destined person."
"What is fate? Throw a stone into the lake to ask."
Throwing a stone into the lake? What does it mean?
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. An impatient monk threw a stone, but just as it was about to fall into the lake, it bounced back.
It turns out not to be that simple.
This thought occurred to everyone at the same time. The monk in white frowned and tapped his palm with his folding fan: "Could it be that... this secret realm wants us to repay it with natural treasures?"
As he spoke, he took out a piece of valuable jade from his sleeve and threw it into the lake, but it still bounced back.
The monks followed suit, throwing all kinds of strange stones and white jades into the lake like raindrops, but without exception they were blocked by the restrictions.
Until there was a "bang" -
A spiritual stone actually passed through the restriction and floated on the lake.
Fu Ling exclaimed: "My money!"
Everyone fell into a strange silence, and then a commotion broke out.
A strange scene appeared. The monks scrambled to take out spirit stones from their storage bags. For a moment, the surface of the lake flashed silver light, as if money was falling from the sky.
Qi Qing: “…”
What is this? A wishing well in the world of cultivation?
What's even more outrageous is that every time a spirit stone is thrown, one person is able to pass the restriction, as if buying a ticket.
In less than an incense stick of time, nearly a hundred monks "bought" their way through the ban, and a group of people stepped onto the lake, all of them smiling and looking very cool.
The monk in white looked at the rain of spiritual stones and recalled how he and his companions had racked their brains to analyze the problem last night. He suddenly felt as if the sky was falling and the earth was cracking. "Are you here to defraud me?"
…Where do so many predestined people come from? ?
As if in response to his doubt, Yue Ji, who was walking at the end, had just thrown out the spirit stone when the restriction suddenly reappeared on the lake surface.
The next moment, the spirit stone was mercilessly bounced away, and a new line of prompts slowly emerged.
"No one can enter this lake unless they are destined to do so."
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