Chapter 18: The Villain Suddenly Realizes the Truth While Sharing a Bed at Midnight (Sprinkling Red Envelopes)...
18
In the midst of laughter and conversation, the villain vanished into thin air.
Falling into the icy lake beneath the Flowing Clouds Pavilion, even if you manage to pick up all the dust, you'll be frozen solid for a while. If you can make the villain lose consciousness and miss the Crimson Cloud Sect's secret realm, then everything that follows will become incredibly smooth.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye. The girl in the green dress waved to Dongfang Yaotian as if nothing had happened.
"We'll each have our own room, so we don't need to worry about him."
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Yaotian could only smile indulgently and shake his head: "Brother Jinshi has always been like this, always unpredictable and elusive—so let's just let him be."
The trick: "Mmm."
The shopkeeper naturally had no objection and bowed as he led the two into the building.
As the jade crystal wind chimes were turned on, a gentle, melodious breeze wafted towards them.
The ice sculpture of the Flowing Cloud Tower is already quite extraordinary from the outside, but the interior is even more icy white, a hidden paradise. Miao Jue has never seen such a creation before, and he can only feel that the Southeast Region truly deserves to be called the richest and most enjoyable place on the entire continent.
The carved railings, corridors, and steps are all connected by ice clouds, yet the interior is not cold, but rather pleasantly cool. The incense burners placed at the corners of the corridors emit incredibly refreshing icy energy, creating a dynamic beauty reminiscent of flowing mist and haze. Touching it feels like touching silky ice clouds; it's hard to imagine how much spiritual energy is needed to maintain this.
The first floor was a seating area for wine, while the upper floors were rows of rooms. The cultivators coming and going were dressed in fine clothes, and at a glance, they were all high-class people with high-purity spiritual bones. Their magical artifacts were also of the highest quality.
From the moment they entered the hall—or more precisely, from the moment Dongfang Yaotian entered—countless eyes were fixed on them.
Many beautiful women cast admiring glances at the male protagonist, who possessed the Heavenly Wind Spirit Bone, but even more cast hostile, probing looks. Miao Jue looked over and noticed that the group was dressed in matching Golden Sun disciple robes.
Most of the talented individuals present came from major sects and aristocratic families. Before the unexpected appearance of the Netherworld Clan's Winning Fish, they had never even heard of this small place called Tianyan Kingdom.
He also managed to ambush and kill Dongfang Yaotian by sheer luck, obtaining a piece of Nether Bone and earning praise from the Langhuan Immortal Court, making him the most prominent figure in the entire realm for a time.
The Heavenly-level Wind Spirit Bone is indeed exceptional, but which major sect or aristocratic family doesn't have a few Heavenly-level individuals?
Not to mention, a closely guarded secret circulated among these aristocratic families—not long ago, a hundred high-level spiritual cultivators suddenly disappeared without a trace.
Therefore, the Crimson Cloud Sect is determined to win this Immortal Competition.
Amidst the probing gazes of all sides, Dongfang Yaotian slowly curled his lips into a wicked smile, exuding an aura of domineering power.
The clever trick moved aside on its own.
From this moment on, the Immortal Competition of Ten Thousand Sects had already begun. Since the representative of the largest sect, Jade Void Sect, was the female protagonist, the main enemies of the male and female protagonists were actually the disciples of the organizer, Crimson Cloud Sect.
From the moment she entered the Flowing Cloud Tower, Miao Jue sensed an incredibly strong metal-elemental spiritual energy. The Crimson Cloud Sect disciples who were casting unfriendly glances at her were all high-level metal-elemental bones—a truly rare sight.
Miao Jue couldn't help but think of the Netherworld Clan that would suddenly appear in the Crimson Cloud Sect this time... It was a silver fox.
Metal element, Netherworld race.
Just as he was lost in thought, a voice broke the delicate standoff. It wasn't directed at Dongfang Yaotian, but rather whistled at Miaojue.
"A low-level Earth-grade Wood Spirit Bone? Not bad." A tall, thin disciple from the Crimson Cloud Sect stood up, wearing at least seven or eight magical artifacts that accentuated his extraordinary spirit bone aptitude.
He openly scrutinized the girl's pretty features, saying, "There are so few of you. You won't survive in the secret realm. Stay by my side, and I'll protect you until the second round of the competition."
The secret lies in raising your eyebrows.
The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the girl in the green dress had a straight back, a calm expression and a handsome face. She was not like a parasitic vine clinging to someone else's fence, but rather like a resilient pine tree.
"His spirit is so-so, but his temperament is quite remarkable..." someone muttered quietly.
Miao Jue didn't respond, and the Crimson Cloud Sect disciple, feeling a bit embarrassed, laughed loudly, "People from small places are just uncouth, they don't even dare to answer?"
He pointed at everyone at the Liuyun Tower banquet, "You lot, don't pretend to be reserved with me. Didn't you all come to participate in the Immortal Competition for that final grand prize?"
The Crimson Cloud Sect is the organizer of the Ten Thousand Sects Immortal Competition, so they naturally know more inside information.
That ultimate prize, an opportunity from the Langhuan Immortal Court, is now protected by ten layers of restrictions and stored in the most secret and highest-security Immortal Trapping Array Pavilion of the Chixia Sect.
Ordinary people who cannot survive the first round of the secret realm will never see even a trace of it in their entire lives!
Do these mortals know what is being worshipped in the Immortal Trapping Formation?
Only the ultimate victor can obtain that... coveted treasure of heaven and earth, which people yearn for day and night and are obsessed with!
Dongfang Yaotian frowned and arrogantly shouted, "How dare you be so arrogant?!"
The male protagonist's arrogant demeanor immediately attracted the attention of a female knight-errant, a tea lady, and a masked woman in the corner.
This time, however, Miao Jue didn't focus on the brewing torment. She looked at the tall, thin Crimson Cloud Sect disciple's fanatical, almost ferocious face, and saw a hunger she was already familiar with—an addiction to the flesh and blood of the Netherworld Clan.
But... a brilliant idea.
The last person to show that expression...
They've all been killed by someone.
…
At this moment, deep within the Crimson Cloud Sect.
Gold and stone rolled, spiritual energy surged, and within the Immortal-Trapping Giant Array, a long black box was placed on a sunken stone standing in the center.
The lid of the box trembled silently, and a broken bone emitted a dazzling mystical light. Then, endless ashes flowed out like smoke. It was as if a leisurely person had strolled out of the Immortal-Trapping Array.
He transformed into a figure in white.
However, the transformed garment reflected the original body's current situation, so the dark daylily-patterned hem was wet and had a few inches of ice shards on it.
Chen Jinshi looked down and waved his sleeve expressionlessly.
Then, with his hands behind his back, he swaggered into the deepest and most secret area of the Crimson Cloud Sect.
Ash and mist swirled around his spotless shoes, one black and one white, as if reaching out and sensing the surrounding air.
The Immortal Trapping Array Pavilion had been reinforced with ten layers of arrays, but this was not difficult for Chen Jinshi. After all, he had learned these things from them.
He lightly tapped the jade compass with his fingertip, and sure enough, he found a small room with the same sealing array behind the Immortal Trapping Array Pavilion.
A vibrant golden spiritual energy was faintly seeping out from the door, which was sealed with forbidden spells.
The dust settled in front of the door.
He closed his eyes slightly.
Then the ashes completely seeped in.
Inside the gate, eight giant gold and stone chains bound a silver fox from all directions, according to the divination positions.
With a cold gaze, Chen Jinshi gently raised his hand, and all eight gold and stone chains snapped in an instant.
The spreading ashes gently cradled the broken chains, without disturbing any formations.
He then slowly raised his long eyes.
"I'm late, sorry."
"It's not too late."
The silver fox's voice belonged to an older sister. She slowly pushed herself up from the ground with her folded forelimbs, her voice slightly hoarse but joyful: "Little Ten, you've already done a great job."
Chen Jinshi stared blankly at the dried bloodstains on the ground.
The silver fox spread its forelegs on the ground and stretched its hind legs high, finally stretching out a free yawn after many years.
She didn't care about the rustling fox fur falling from her body; she just smiled and licked her paws before looking at the young boy who had already grown up.
"Have you found Miaomiao yet?"
…
Miao Jue was pulling the raging Dongfang Yaotian up to the second floor.
It's like they're sick in the head. They insist on fighting to the death before venturing into the secret realm. Why don't they save that energy for tomorrow?
As Dongfang Yaotian climbed the stairs, he craned his neck to confront the Crimson Cloud Sect disciples:
—"Remember my name, those four words will become your lifelong nightmare!!!"
The brilliant idea made him close his eyes, and when he turned his head, he heard several admiring female voices, including a very familiar voice.
"He's still so charming..."
Miao Jue opened her eyes, trying to find Gong Yuqiu in the crowd. But according to the plot, after leaving without saying goodbye, the female lead would participate in the immortal competition with her face covered, save the male lead only to have the credit taken by someone else, and share a dangerous situation with him without being recognized...
Miao Jue looked around and couldn't find Gong Yuqiu in disguise.
"My master has ordered me to win the championship. I know that she is currently unwell and is showing signs of the five signs of decay in a celestial being. If I, her disciple, fail to live up to her expectations, she will have even less chance of recovery..."
Miao Jue paused, then quickly concentrated all his spiritual energy into his ears, listening intently. Unfortunately, the female lead seemed to have only glanced at the male lead from afar through the crowd before being led away by others.
But even from these few scattered sentences, the guess about the secret has already been confirmed.
The immortal body, crafted from a complete set of underworld bones by the Immortal Queyang, has developed a severe rejection disease.
Therefore, she needs the tenth person's Nether Bone, that power that can encompass all attributes and melt everything. ...
Unfortunately, the male lead didn't notice until the female lead disappeared.
Those eyes are truly like a chamber pot.
Upon reaching the upper floor, Dongfang Yaotian and Miaojue's rooms were adjacent, and the corridor was very quiet.
Miao Jue leaned against the doorframe, thought for a moment, and then emphasized the key point for this beautiful woman: "After Gong Yuqiu returns to the Jade Void Sect, he will also be participating in the Immortal Competition. Judging by the date, it's almost here, and he might even be staying in this little building—"
"Surely no one would fail to recognize their Daoist partner just because they're wearing a mask, changing clothes, or having a different hairstyle, right? Really?"
"Of course not!"
Mentioning Gong Yuqiu, Dongfang Yaotian's eyes flashed with pain, and his sharp jawline tightened with a wicked glint: "Even if she turns to ashes, I will still recognize her!"
Miao Jue slammed his door shut.
If you can't use metaphors, then use fewer metaphors.
…
Midnight.
In the cool and quiet room, a fair-skinned and elegant figure lightly pushed open the window. The spreading ashes suppressed the wisps of smoke rising from the ice platform, and the figure swept in like a ghost.
After landing silently, the hem of the dark daylily's dress was dry and dust-free, rustling across the ground.
Chen Jinshi, expressionless, slowly walked towards the bedside.
By the dim moonlight outside the window, he saw a human figure sleeping peacefully inside the pearl tent, curled up in an ice silk quilt, nestled in a soft, cloud-like waterbed.
Yingyu dejectedly raised his head from his sleeve and finally spat out two mouthfuls of water: "Why was it me who was soaking for so long when you fell into the lake?"
The instant he fell into the icy lake, Chen Jinshi closed his eyes and sealed his consciousness. Yingyu knew that this meant his soul had left his body and gone to find the Silver Fox Xianba, who was trapped in the Crimson Cloud Sect.
An unexpected fall, ironically, provided them with a most secluded space. The snail could only sigh and dutifully fend for him underwater, protecting his body.
However, even now, Yingyu Guiliu still doesn't understand how he suddenly fell into the icy lake.
Dust settled, and he looked at the wonderful technique.
It's certain that she's involved.
The only sound in the room was the girl's soft breathing; it was quiet and peaceful. His gaze was indifferent as he looked at the Flowing Cloud Tower, which was maintained by the Heavenly Ice Spirit Bone.
The golden spiritual energy of the Crimson Cloud Sect is extremely vigorous.
Metal generates water, and water transforms into ice. The Ice Spirit Bone here has evolved to an extraordinary level of strength through the interaction of the five elements; otherwise, it would be impossible to maintain this level by human effort alone.
After looking at the figure on the bed for a while, Chen Jinshi smiled warmly again.
"Still not awake?"
The secret is to fall into a deep sleep.
To show his sleep quality, he even snored a little.
She had been awake since the man climbed in, but hadn't opened her eyes because she felt guilty. She hadn't expected the villain to return so quickly; it seemed even the lake frozen by the Heavenly-level Ice Spirit Bone couldn't hold him for long… How infuriating!
Chen Jinshi looked down at her, his originally heavy aura suddenly rising again, and he smiled as he turned into a gray mist, enveloping her in the air, his long eyes sparkling with a smile.
"If you don't get up now, you'll get arrested."
Miao Jue didn't immediately understand what he meant.
But soon, she heard stumbling footsteps outside the door.
The rhythm was very familiar, carrying a sense of fragmentation, a particular kind of heartbreak and hesitation, accompanied by a few stubborn sobs suppressed in the throat.
"No, I don't believe it..." The newcomer's hand was already on the door of her room.
Miaojue opened her eyes and met a pair of peach blossom eyes that were very close to her. Her eyes widened little by little.
The woman was about to push open her bedroom door.
The female lead's story is filled with a heartbreaking and tragic romance.
If it were anyone else, they wouldn't even be able to react to what this villainous scoundrel had casually done.
But Miaojue's years of experience as a victim of sadomasochism made her realize the truth instantly—
Did you switch my and Dongfang Yaotian's nameplates, you son of a bitch?
The villain seemed to understand her question perfectly from her clear, almond-shaped eyes, and nodded with a smile: "Yes, yes."
The system was a step too late in sending a notification: "A heartbreaking moment has occurred! The female lead is told that Dongfang Yaotian is behaving intimately with other women in the building, and that there are other people in his room. When she opens the door, her heart breaks, the misunderstanding escalates, and it leads to multiple trust crises in the subsequent secret realm."
The secret: ? ? But what does that have to do with me?
Now, when Gong Yuqiu pushes open the door, she not only misunderstands that the male lead has someone else, but she also discovers that during the days she was away, the female supporting character's younger sister had already slept with the male lead—and she was going to rot and stink along with him.
Looking at the Buddha-like, refined, and compassionate face before her, Miaojue asked in shock, "How could you be so vicious?"
"Really?" Chen Jinshi looked down happily, carefully examining her expression in the dim light. "I've always worried that I'm not wicked enough. I started too late in this area."
You're being far too modest.
"Squeak—"
The door was hesitantly pushed open a crack, reflecting the female protagonist's unwillingness to face and disbelief.
Chen Jinshi watched her with a calm and collected expression, as if to see how she would change her situation. She still maintained the same demeanor as someone who would disappear at any moment after killing someone, leaving behind a trail of bloodshed.
Just as the female lead was about to take a step, Miaojue acted decisively, grabbing the villain's belt with practiced ease and pulling him onto the bed.
The waterbed slid in with a springy feel, and the two sources of weight began to move closer to each other. In the warm and cool embrace, the body temperature of their bodies pressed together became increasingly clear, and the person who had been so arrogant just moments before suddenly stopped.
Miaojue used her body and the blanket to hide behind him, her fluffy head poking against his spine.
"Dongfang Yaotian, you actually...you actually—Chen...Chen Daojun?"
The female lead's voice went from broken to surprised, and finally revealed a faint hesitation.
She breathed a sigh of relief, then said softly and shyly, "So Daojun is also staying here. I didn't expect you and Yaotian to be so close."
Dust settled: "
I feel like I was scolded.
The secret behind it: Hmm.
Under the hazy moonlight, the man's pale complexion was like that of a jade carving, but his peach blossom eyes beneath his brow bone were like a pool of gently rippling water, making him truly resemble a male ghost.
Click.
The system detected that the difficult part had passed.
Although the problem has been resolved, her spiritual bones did not upgrade directly.
Miao Jue has also discovered in the past few days that after crossing the threshold of Earth level, the difficulty of each level upgrade is much higher than before, and several challenging points need to be resolved in order for the spirit bone to continue to grow.
This also more directly reflects the rarity of high-grade Earth-level spiritual bones.
No wonder these gifted individuals who roam the ground are so arrogant; the difference in their spiritual bones is greater than that between a person and a dog.
Using the blanket as cover, she fiercely grabbed the belt of the man in front of her, thinking that this scoundrel had become so strong by eating the Netherworld Clan, it was truly outrageous.
The villain slowly lowered his eyes.
He saw those slender, white fingertips clinging to him like vines, gripping him relentlessly.
—Below the cuffs of her light green silk skirt, her wrists were bare, tied with a familiar red ribbon.
That was Miao Jue, who took it from the top of his own tree when he left Tianyan Kingdom.
Tree.
What is her connection to the tree?
Why would he, ten years later, ask himself to pay attention to trees?
Ever since Chen Jinshi's voice came to his ear and said those words, a strange sense of regret haunted him like a ghost.
What exactly is he regretting?
This feeling of not even knowing where he went wrong made him extremely anxious.
Chen Jinshi looked at the delicate wrist bound with the red rope of the marriage tree, feeling his gaze uncontrollably locked onto by this person, and became even more helpless and anxious.
So he anxiously pulled the secret out of the messy blankets.
Miao Jue, with her hair and clothes disheveled, asked, "?"
He met the female lead's pupils, which were wide open in shock.
…
A moment later, the female protagonist ran out of the room, dumbfounded, like a kind-hearted saint who had stumbled upon someone's affair, repeatedly saying that she would not tell anyone.
The secret: "…………"
The villain casually propped himself up, his long hair spreading out like feathers. "Alright, now your reputation is tied to mine."
Miaojue finally managed to choke out, "Are you crazy? I'm serious?"
The villain said regretfully, "Not yet."
Miaojue stared at his face for a long time before realizing something.
Although the villain is actively stirring up the sadomasochistic relationship again, he didn't take revenge on her after he climbed out of the frozen lake, did he?
Didn't he realize that it was she who messed up the timing?
Undoubtedly, given the villain's documented record of brutality, if he discovered anyone was working against him, he would surely kill them without hesitation.
Why would he remember casting the divination sticks three times?
Miao Jue suddenly remembered the inverted terminal buds on the tree rings back then and suddenly understood.
When the villain from ten years in the future catches up, he retains consciousness after the time rewind, as if there is a kind of mutual cancellation.
Although Miaojue really didn't understand why he insisted on chasing after her from ten years in the future, she was going back in time because she was cut off and had no way to survive, and why was Chen Jinshi there?
Could it be revenge? Because he was doing a good job of destroying the world, but she interfered and ruined everything?
The clever trick is to make the almond-shaped eyes rounder; that makes sense.
This explains everything; he chased after the person who started this timeline disruption to bring them to an early end.
Fortunately, the villains are still completely unaware. That makes things much easier!
Miao Jue couldn't help but reveal a villainous smile.
Even as the dust settled, fragments seemed to flash before my eyes.
A sky filled with crimson ash, the power to incinerate everything, the resistance of the chosen ones, the collapse of a tree, and then… luminous rings of time emerge, carrying the power of history.
The fragments flashed by, but the girl's face and the red string of fate on her wrist remained before my eyes.
So, could it be...?
She somehow connected with the power of the "tree".
The reason why his future self would have difficulty catching up directly and why the information he was transmitting would be blocked is because time was being disrupted.
Time is like a rubber band; someone keeps snapping it, causing what was originally a straight line to turn into waves.
Therefore, those who chase the tide against time will lose their way countless times.
The anxiety only intensified when the dust was cleared away.
He gripped the key to the secret with restlessness, like a nocturnal beast, without the slightest sign of drowsiness or fatigue.
The clever trick: "Aren't you going to sleep?"
Dust settled, and he said with a heavy heart, "I don't need it."
He only falls into a coma whenever a part of his body falls off.
What if time keeps us constantly disrupted and our memories can't catch up?
Chen Jinshi looked at the girl in front of him with worry. Ashes began to spread silently on the waterbed, slowly encircling her slender neck.
"Should we kill her...?" the demon murmured.
The secret: "? I can hear you."
She angrily sprang to her feet, abandoned her room, and quickly got away from this lunatic, deciding to find a suitable opportunity to deliver a heavy blow to him.
With a sigh, Chen Jinshi withdrew his hand.
A moment later, Dongfang Yaotian cheerfully pushed the door open and came in, "This is my room number, that's right."
Dust gathers up: ? Get lost.
…
The following day, all the cultivators who participated in the Immortal Competition within the territory of the Crimson Cloud Sect got a night's rest.
The opening of the Ten Thousand Immortal Competition was conducted quietly.
When people emerged from their lodgings, they discovered that several vortex entrances had appeared throughout the entire realm.
"here we go?!"
"We don't know what kind of secret realm this year will be!"
"In short, it won't be easy—"
Dongfang Yaotian is poised for action.
His insightful gaze was unfathomable.
The young man in white stood gracefully in the wind beside him, possessing a kind of beauty that seemed to suggest he was about to kill someone.
"..." Miao Jue deeply sensed that this person was destined to become a great demon today, so he took the lead in crossing the vortex array and entering the secret realm.
Upon entering the secret realm, you are greeted by a fertile land.
The ground beneath their feet seemed to be a molten fluid, scalding hot, and the fluid reflected amazing images like a lake. Looking closely beneath the surface, it seemed as if all sorts of strange creatures were swimming around.
All the contestants were thrown into this swampy lake formed by melting rock, and after only a moment's hesitation, they found themselves sinking deep into the mud.
Not only that, a strange burning sensation began to spread up from his ankle and quickly attacked his heart.
The first level of the secret realm is clearly a threshold that reduces the number of players, with a large number being poisoned right from the start.
Theoretically speaking, such a restricted area is advantageous to the wind-type male protagonist, as his air superiority can overwhelm many other opponents.
Dongfang Yaotian hissed, "What a vicious method! It has paralyzed my legs!"
The secret: "..."
Dust settled: "
The male protagonist's appearance is inevitably accompanied by supporting characters competing with him, and the disciples of the Crimson Cloud Sect from yesterday quickly gathered around him.
The tall, thin disciple not only brought seven or eight magical artifacts today, but also had several female cultivators on his left and right, making quite a grand entrance.
Upon seeing the brilliant idea, he sneered smugly, "If you still want to follow me today, it's too late. I don't need your number!"
The villain's curious gaze followed them.
She looked him over with a smile.
Miao Jue noticed that the poison hadn't spread on the man's legs at all, and couldn't help but ask, "Why aren't you poisoned?"
The man instantly became extremely smug, and took out an inconspicuous withered grass in his hand, "This is the right thing to do when it grows by the swamp! I picked it up as soon as I entered the area, and now only my people are spared from the poison!"
Seeing the clever scheme in thought, he was overjoyed: "You little slut, are you regretting it now? Don't you wish you could kneel down and beg me to repent for not knowing what was good for you last night?!"
"If you kneel more gracefully, I might consider rewarding you with one—"
With a nod of approval, the secret was revealed, and time seemed to rewind.
Then she re-entered the entrance to the secret realm, and immediately took the withered grass, chewing it as she watched the other side burn and scream.
The arrogant disciple yelled at Miao Jue, "You... why are you unharmed?!"
With a knowing smile, Miao Jue said, "The antidote will surely be found within seven steps. Don't you know that?"
Behind her.
As the dust settled, he smiled slowly.
Now I know how she does it.
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