Jiang Jiusi smiled faintly, saying nothing. Such a beautiful and delicate foot, like flawless white jade. If this was considered bullying — Li Lanxiu could bully him all he wanted, and he would never retaliate.
Chu Yue frowned and looked away, his gaze drifting to the side. Chuxuan's actions weren't inappropriate, but for some reason, he found them irritating.
After applying the ointment to Li Lanxiu's ankle, Chuxuan dutifully helped him put on his shoes and socks.
The way the senior disciple acted was as if he were Li Lanxiu's servant, causing Lian Jianqing to frown.
Chuxuan took Li Lanxiu's wrist, feeling the red mark on his wrist bone. Li Lanxiu pulled his hand away and took the ointment, applying a bit himself. "I can do it myself."
Jiang Jiusi looked around at everyone and coughed lightly. "The Azurerain realm is full of dangers. Since we've met here, it's fate. As fellow sect disciples, why don't we temporarily form a team and look out for each other?"
Lian-shixiong nodded in agreement. Both Chuxuan and Jiang Jiusi were reliable people, and although Chu Yue's cultivation was inferior to theirs, he had heard that he was exceptionally talented and had a promising future.
Chuxuan asked Li Lanxiu with a smile, "What do you think, Shidi?"
Li Lanxiu thought for a moment. The black jiao lord was powerful, and before Chu Yue broke the seal, if they encountered him, they would be completely helpless. With Senior Brother Lian and Jiang Jiusi, they could at least delay the black jiao for a while. He smiled lightly. "Alright."
Seeing that everyone agreed, Jiang Jiusi asked Chu Yue, "Chu-shidi, would you be willing to join us?"
Chu Yue glanced at him and nodded silently.
Jiang Jiusi clapped his hands together and said, "In that case, let's all work together and face our enemies as one."
Lian-shixiong looked slightly displeased. Both he and Jiang Jiusi were top disciples of their respective peaks, and when they went on missions, they were usually the leaders of the team. Jiang Jiusi's words made it seem like he had already appointed himself as the leader.
He took the initiative and said, "Let's keep moving. This place is dangerous and we shouldn't linger."
"Everyone, please wait a moment."
Li Lanxiu said as he applied ointment to his wrist, took out a map from his spatial ring and spread it out on a flat rock. "We are currently on the outskirts of the illusory forest. Not far from here, there is a patch of herbs."
The group gathered around to look at the map. Chu Yue stood at the farthest position away from him.
Each person carried a map of the Azurerain realm issued by their sect, which outlined the general locations of dangerous areas. Li Lanxiu’s map had many of his own marks, making it clearer and more intuitive than the sect's version.
The map marked a medicinal herb patch in a canyon not far from here.
Jiang Jiusi studied the map. Li Lanxiu had circled areas where yao beasts might appear. "How did you know about these areas, Li-shidi?"
Even Lian-shixiong and Chuxuan turned to look at Li Lanxiu, equally curious about the question.
Li Lanxiu glanced at Chu Yue and asked Jiang Jiusi in return, "I’ve heard that Jiang-shixiong’s sword turns invisible, transforming his body into the sword sheath. Where did you learn this?"
This was Jiang Jiusi's unique technique. His sword could turn invisible, as if he had turned himself into the sword sheath, and it only became only visible when he drew the sword.
The secret behind this skill could not be revealed to others.
Jiang Jiusi understood his meaning and smiled lightly, gazing into his beautiful eyes. "Alright, then let’s go together to this place."
Li Lanxiu scanned the group, took out the Coldiron Fan and pointed the fan's tail toward the herb-growing canyon. "We’ll split into three groups. Xiao-Hei, you go to the western part of the canyon to collect ghostmother’s heartgrass."
"Jiang-shixiong and Lian-shixiong, you two will be responsible for the eastern area. Over there are the most valuable flameheart lotuses and dragonblood vine fruits, so it’s the most dangerous. We’ll leave it to you two."
"Chuxuan-shixiong, you and I will go to the northern area to collect darkyin flowers and purple orchid hearts."
He pointed the tail of his fan, which glowed faintly, at the map. His voice was leisurely and unhurried, calm and composed, as if he were accustomed to giving orders.
Lian-shixiong opened his mouth, intending to retort, but found himself unable to say anything.
Chuxuan wore a smile that seemed to hide something, his gaze probing as he looked at him.
This was the Li Lanxiu that Chu Yue knew well. He spoke indifferently. "Alright, I’ll ensure the task is completed."
Jiang Jiusi glanced at him and then at Li Lanxiu. Ghostmother’s heartgrass was the favorite food of golden-eyed spiders, and wherever it grew, there were sure to be spiders. The western area that Chu Yue was headed to was more dangerous than the eastern area.
Li Lanxiu met his gaze, tilted his head and raised an eyebrow.
It seemed as if he were asking: “I can use my slave however I want. What’s your problem with it?"
Jiang Jiusi thought to himself that Xue Wujiu’s remarks about Li Lanxiu’s viciousness were not wrong. He said meaningfully, "Chu-shidi, be careful."
The group passed through the dense forest and came to a sudden opening, revealing a deep canyon with no visible bottom.
The cliffs on both sides of the canyon were steep, and the rocks were dark red, faintly emitting a chilling aura.
Mist filled the canyon, and several glowing herbs could be seen growing in the cracks of the cliffs.
At the entrance stood a stone tablet, inscribed with ancient runes, that seemed to warn intruders of the dangers ahead.
As they were about to begin the task, Lian-shixiong cleared his throat, preparing to say a few important words to reclaim his position as leader. But before he could speak, a lazy and relaxed voice interrupted—
"We need to complete the task within three hours and then gather in front of the stone tablet. If we encounter any danger, prioritize safety and retreat immediately. Understood?"
Li Lanxiu finished speaking and scanned the group.
Chu Yue replied calmly, "Understood."
Chuxuan smiled slightly, his gaze fixed on Li Lanxiu. "Understood. I will protect Xiao-Shidi well."
Jiang Jiusi had nothing to add. If it were him giving orders, it would be the same. "Understood."
Lian-shixiong, feeling forced by the situation, could only say, "Understood."
They all wore heart-protecting mirrors. In the illusory forest, the mist had blurred everything, and the mirrors couldn’t reflect anything clearly. Now, this scene was projected onto the giant mirror in Conundrum Sect’s Dao inquiry plaza.
Thirteen floating islands hovered in the plaza, surrounded by swirling spiritual energy, with cranes dancing through the air. Disciples from each peak sat on their own floating islands, watching the mirror intently.
Elder Shen from Cloudwater Hall, who was currently acting as the sect leader, sat surrounded by peak masters and elders. Everyone’s expressions were varied and full of intrigue.
Elder Shen smiled and asked, "Which disciple from Violetstage Peak is this?"
"That’s my son." Li Yanbi’s expression remained calm, but his eyes and slightly raised brows revealed a hint of pride and satisfaction.
Elder Shen appeared surprised but quickly smiled. "He truly is the spitting image of you."
A steward approached him and whispered a few words to him.
Elder Shen's face changed abruptly. A mix of confusion, astonishment, delight and excitement played across his features. He straightened his robes and addressed everyone on the floating islands. "Bai Zhenchuan has just sent word. He will join us in watching the competition."
"White Bai Zhenchuan!"
The crowd was stunned. The peak masters and elders, all having lived for over three centuries, had never once seen this Bai Zhenchuan.
They had only heard the sect leader mention this person in passing, confirming that such an individual indeed existed within the sect.
No one had expected that today they would have the chance to see this legendary figure.
"Why would Bai Zhenchuan come to watch the competition?"
Someone voiced the question that lingered in everyone’s mind.
Elder Shen looked thoughtful as he glanced at the giant mirror in the plaza and speculated. "I suspect that Bai Zhenchuan is interested in someone participating in the Azurerain realm trial."
As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd erupted into speculation. The most prominent participants in this trial were none other than Lian Jianqing and Jiang Jiusi. Both were extraordinary in their own right. Which one had caught Bai Zhenchuan’s attention?
Meanwhile, the tree yao remained rooted in the white mist of the illusory forest. Beneath the surface, unseen by the naked eye, its roots stretched like tentacles, extending hundreds of zhang in length.
The roots' ultimate destination was a majestic palace nestled deep in the Azurerain realm.
Unlike humans, yao and demons lived far less meticulously. Their abodes were often hastily constructed. Even a simple mountain cave could serve as the lair of a mountain king.
This palace was exquisitely built, resembling the imperial palaces of human rulers. Intricate carvings adorned its beams and pillars, and its grandeur was overwhelming.
The grand hall was packed with captured cultivators. Iron chains bound their bodies, and their pale faces showed terror as they stared at the surrounding yao.
A yao with a tiger’s head and a human body grabbed a cultivator. Its sharp fangs gleamed as it bit down before the cultivator could scream. The head separated from the body, landing in the tiger yao’s mouth. It chewed greedily, blood splattering everywhere as the stench of iron filled the air.
Nearby, another yao proved equally savage. Its claws plunged into a cultivator’s stomach, ripping out a blood-soaked heart, which it devoured with relish.
The black jiao lord sat high on a throne. Unlike the yao in the hall who retained their beastly features, his appearance was strikingly refined. His face was handsome, crowned with a jeweled headdress, and he wore an opulent black-and-gold brocade robe.
In front of the throne stood a delicately crafted brazier, burning reddish-brown charcoal. On the brazier, slices of meat as thin as cicada wings sizzled, the juices crackling as the aroma filled the air.
The monarch’s gaze swept across the yao in the hall, noting their crude table manners. He paused his white jade chopsticks. "Unseemly, unseemly. A refined act like dining—why must it be done so crudely?"
A nearby yao stared hungrily at the meat on the brazier, his drool dripping to the floor. "True Lord, what is refinement?"
The lord picked up a slice of roasted meat with the jade chopsticks, dipped it in seasoning and placed it on a small white porcelain plate. He handed it to the yao. "Try this."
The yao devoured it in one bite, swallowing it whole. It mumbled, "Delicious! Delicious!"
The lord smiled faintly and leaned back gracefully in his throne. Tapping the armrest, he spoke with leisure. "This meat is sliced from a cultivator. Only four cuts of meat can be taken from a single body. The plum blossom cut from the shoulder has the best chew. The meat from the lower back is the most tender. The neck meat offers the crispest texture."
"And the fourth cut?"
"The fourth cut…" The lord used the chopsticks to lift another slice of meat. He tasted it, closing his eyes as he savored the flavor. Swallowing, he continued, "It is the newly regrown flesh around their wounds. It is the freshest. That is what you just ate."
The yao tilted its head back, gazing at the lord with awe.
The roots of the tree yao extended underground into the grand hall, undulating until they reached the feet of the black jiao lord. They climbed up to the table in front of him, and a small opening appeared at the tip of the roots and spoke. "True Lord, I have urgent news to report."
The black jiao lord wiped the dirt brought by the tree yao off the table with a cloth. "Speak."
The tree yao recounted its encounter with Li Lanxiu in full detail, still shaken. "He carries the reverse scale of a yao king!"
A dragon's reverse scale—touch it, and one shall die.
How could it not fear when it had brushed against such a thing?
The black jiao lord remained silent for a moment before suddenly sitting up, his interest piqued. "Hmm? Did you say he’s beautiful?"
Oooo drama
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