Chapter 778: Enlightenment (Two-in-One)
Looking at Xu Lingwei, Gu Yun asked in a low voice.
"Confidence... I wouldn't say I'm a hundred percent sure, but it's worth a try."
She took a deep breath, knowing in her heart that this was actually a test for herself—a test of whether she could become Zhong Lingyu's disciple.
Gu Yun would definitely evaluate her value based on her expression, so she absolutely could not mess up.
"Follow me."
As she spoke, she began moving in a certain direction.
The others followed her with some skepticism.
Not until they returned to the starting point for the third time did Flame Princess finally lose her patience: "No, can you actually break this array or not?"
"Haven't we just been going in circles? This is already the third lap. If we keep this up, there's no point in venturing into the rest of the secret realm; we've already lost the initiative."
Beads of sweat broke out on Xu Lingwei's forehead as she anxiously scanned her surroundings.
"No, that shouldn't be right. I clearly saw the pattern of this bewildering array."
She murmured to herself, her voice carrying a hint of panic.
Flame Princess frowned and was about to say something more when Gu Yun raised his hand to stop her.
"Let her continue."
Gu Yun said indifferently, his expression calm as if this were not surprising at all.
"Aren't you afraid of losing the initiative?"
"The initiative?"
"Even if they manage to get a supreme emperor weapon, do you think they can actually keep it?"
Gu Yun said coldly.
"That's right, Sister Flame Princess. Didn't we just snatch things all the way here?"
"This entrapment array is indeed a bit troublesome, but that's all the more reason for us not to rush."
Moon Dance also chimed in to persuade her.
Flame Princess nodded: "Fine, then let her try again."
Feeling the weight of everyone's expectations, Xu Lingwei felt an immense amount of pressure.
But a Protagonist of Fortune was a Protagonist of Fortune; she quickly converted that pressure into motivation.
"I found it!"
As time ticked by, she finally spoke excitedly, pointing in a direction to the front-left.
"The array eye is over there."
"Then what are we waiting for?"
Flame Princess said, rushing out immediately.
Xu Lingwei followed close behind, however—
Everything before them shattered like a dream or a bubble. When everyone opened their eyes again, they found themselves back at the starting point.
The familiar scene enveloped them, and a sense of helpless despair welled up in their hearts.
"How... how can this be? Why are we back again..."
Xu Lingwei's face turned pale instantly: "That... that place was clearly where the array eye was. Why did this happen?"
Refusing to believe it, she performed the Array Observation Technique again. Sure enough, she found the location of the array eye once more, but this time, she didn't rush out recklessly.
"What, are you scared?"
Gu Yun looked at Xu Lingwei, whose legs were trembling, and asked with a smile.
"I... I'm afraid we'll just end up back where we started again."
Xu Lingwei's voice trembled; she didn't dare to gamble, not wanting to disappoint everyone again.
Seeing her like this, Flame Princess couldn't bring herself to say any words of reproach.
She could only comfort her: "It's alright, just look carefully."
"This Great Emperor Xuanji must be related to your Xuanji Sacred Sect, so the arrays preserved here likely have a deep connection with you."
"If even you are struggling to find it, then the others will certainly achieve even less."
This was a classic "if it's hard for you, it's hard for everyone" line of reasoning, but it served well to boost Xu Lingwei's confidence.
Her eyes lit up, and her voice became firm: "Alright, Miss Flame Princess, thank you."
"Are you sure now?"
"Yes, Big Brother, I'm sure it's in that direction!!"
Xu Lingwei spoke righteously and strode forward.
And then... they were back at the starting point.
Xu Lingwei fell into a state of self-isolation.
She felt as if all the time she had spent studying arrays had been wasted.
With this level of skill, she still wanted to be Zhong Lingyu's disciple? She might as well just give up and go to sleep.
"What, giving up already?"
Gu Yun stepped forward, came to her side, and said indifferently.
Xu Lingwei was startled, then said dejectedly: "I... I really am no good after all."
"I'm not some array dao genius at all... *sob sob*..."
She lowered her head, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Those beautiful eyes, which were once bright, were now clouded with a layer of mist.
She bit her lip, her tone quite dejected, yet her eyes were full of unwillingness.
Under the insight of the Array Observation Technique, the veins of this array were clearly visible.
She also thought she had found the correct direction and was full of confidence.
But every single time, it ended in failure.
"If Zhong Lingyu saw you like this, she would never accept you as her disciple."
"I can call her out right now. Do you want to meet her in this state?"
Seeing Xu Lingwei's appearance, Gu Yun spoke indifferently.
"No... no, don't let me see Senior Lingyu... I... I..."
Xu Lingwei grabbed the corner of Gu Yun's clothes and said tremblingly.
"Then pull yourself together. Where do you think this place is?"
"This is the tomb of Great Emperor Bailian. The arrays here were all set up by the top array master of the Three Thousand Dao Domains at the time, Great Emperor Xuanji."
"If you could break it so easily, then Great Emperor Xuanji wouldn't have been able to achieve such a illustrious reputation at the peak of the Nine Tribulations."
"Failure isn't scary, as long as you can learn from it."
"The methods left by Great Emperor Xuanji are indeed fearsome, but this array is ultimately a dead thing. Even if it changes, it cannot escape your eyes."
"Do you really think you've... given it your all?!"
Gu Yun's words seemed to have some sort of magic, gradually giving Xu Lingwei confidence.
She looked at the young man in surprise, feeling as if an infinite power had been stirred within her heart.
"Alright, I'll try one last time."
Seeing her stand up again, Gu Yun breathed a sigh of relief.
Without the help of a Child of Destiny, he had to play the role of a life mentor himself.
What should have been a plot point for a Child of Destiny to show off had now become a whetstone for Xu Lingwei.
Gu Yun's intention was for these heroines to become capable of standing on their own in the future.
Previously, Flame Princess and Moon Dance had made Han Sanqian's life miserable, which barely met his requirements. As for Xu Lingwei, Gu Yun planned to start with arrays to let her enter the Dao.
Her spirit restored, Xu Lingwei took a deep breath.
She closed her eyes, no longer looking at the chaotic golden patterns.
The spiritual power of the Array Observation Technique spread out once more. The array eye... was still there.
She found the location of the so-called array eye very quickly again, but this time, she did not choose to act rashly.
She stood still, feeling every trace of spiritual power flow and every vein's path within the array.
Xu Lingwei felt as if she had entered a brand-new state. She was completely immersed in it, conversing with this great array.
"What's wrong with Sister Xu?"
Moon Dance asked softly, her lively eyes full of curiosity.
"She has entered a state of meditation."
A faint smile played on the corner of Gu Yun's mouth: "No matter what Dao one practices, the opportunity for such meditation is rare. Some people search for it their entire lives and never find it."
"After today, Xu Lingwei's array dao will truly be considered established. Her array heart will be refined, and only then can she truly open the final door of this secret realm!"
"You planned this from the very beginning?"
Flame Princess looked at Gu Yun and asked.
"Of course, I must be responsible for our safety."
"The Xuanji Sacred Sect was born from Great Emperor Xuanji, and the various oddities in this secret realm are all because of Great Emperor Xuanji."
"Don't you all think there's some connection here?"
Gu Yun looked at the three women and said solemnly.
"But, won't this be doing exactly what he wants?"
Snow Thousand Years immediately understood Gu Yun's meaning. Before the shackles of longevity, everyone is equal.
But not everyone can face death calmly. Great Emperor Bailian built himself a luxurious tomb and buried all the treasures of his life.
Yet no one knew the final resting place of his friend, Great Emperor Xuanji.
The current situation couldn't help but make one wonder.
"So what if it's what he wants?"
"My only fear is that he feels he has no certainty of success and remains hidden, unwilling to make a move!"
"That would be the true venomous snake hiding in the shadows, very difficult to deal with."
Gu Yun said indifferently, his tone quite confident.
"But... that was once a Nine Tribulations Great Emperor."
Flame Princess was a bit nervous.
"No matter. Within this All Beings Are Equal array..."
"Both he and I are only at the Quasi-Emperor Ninth Layer."
"At the same realm, I am invincible."
Gu Yun's words overflowed with matchless confidence, as if in his eyes, his opponent was not a Great Emperor expert who once shook the world, but an ant that could be crushed at will.
And that was indeed the case. Such a heaven-defying array as All Beings Are Equal naturally came with a price.
The price was that Great Emperor Xuanji himself could not deactivate it!
To set up such an array required the alignment of heaven, earth, and man—all three elements were indispensable.
Once it was finally assembled and activated, deactivating it was no easy task.
In the past, Great Emperor Xuanji would usually make ample preparations.
Illusion arrays hiding entrapment arrays, entrapment arrays hiding killing arrays—one ring linked to another, killing invisibly.
Because of this, he also had the reputation of being invincible in arranged battles.
As long as he was given enough time to prepare, in principle, he could ambush and kill anyone in the Three Thousand Dao Domains.
Of course... the drawback was also very obvious. If there was someone who could exert power far beyond what the world could imagine at the Quasi-Emperor Realm, then all his preparations would be useless.
The current Gu Yun could do just that.
Therefore, his only concern was that Great Emperor Xuanji would keep hiding and not come out... and nothing more.
In the void, the golden patterns still floated quietly.
Xu Lingwei had been standing with her eyes closed for a full stick of incense's time.
Her breathing had become steady, gradually merging with the surrounding environment.
"I understand now!"
Suddenly, she snapped her eyes open, her lively eyes shining with a different light.
"Where is the array eye?"
Flame Princess inquired.
Xu Lingwei raised her hand and pointed in the same direction as before.
Flame Princess frowned: "We've clearly already been over there."
"We can't go there."
"What do you mean?"
"Literally."
Xu Lingwei said indifferently: "This space is a special place deliberately created by Great Emperor Xuanji. Although we've identified the target and are moving toward it..."
"Under the shift of hidden space, we are actually just running in place."
"It's what they call'seeing the mountain and riding the horse to death.' The array eye is right there, but if we move forward, we can never reach it."
"'Seeing the mountain and riding the horse to death'?"
Flame Princess's brow furrowed slightly. "Then you mean this array eye can't be reached at all?"
"It's not that it can't be reached, but that we can't go there directly."
Xu Lingwei shook her head, her fingertip tracing an array rune, and struck out forcefully toward the direction of the array eye.
The array rune vanished into the void, like a pebble thrown into a calm water surface, creating ripples.
"Did... nothing happen?"
Moon Dance tentatively asked.
"That's not it. It's just that Lingwei's attack was too weak and didn't affect the array."
Gu Yun said indifferently.
Xu Lingwei scratched her head: "I'm sorry. Although I've seen through the tricks of this array, the task of breaking it might have to be left to you all."
"As long as we don't leave this spot and completely destroy that array eye, we should be able to leave this entrapment array."
"Then let me try!"
Flame Princess channeled her spiritual power. The departing fire tassel swayed gently in her hand, and crimson light gathered into a ball of blazing fire.
She waved her hand, and the fireball, trailing a tail of flame, shot toward the direction of the array eye.
Boom—
The fireball entered the void and exploded into a brilliant burst of fire.
The golden patterns shook violently, like a lake surface into which a stone had been thrown, sending out layers of ripples.
However, as the ripples faded, the patterns remained, and the array was not broken at all.
"Not enough power." Xu Lingwei shook her head. "The array eye seems close at hand, but it's actually separated by layers of folded space. When a normal attack hits it, its full force is scattered into hundreds or thousands of parts. By the time it reaches the array eye, there's almost nothing left."
Flame Princess frowned, and the departing fire tassel in her hand rose again. This time, she infused it with even more spiritual power.
But this time, Gu Yun reached out and pressed it down.
"Let me try again, I can do it!"
Flame Princess said stubbornly, the departing fire tassel in her hand still burning with raging flames.
"It's not a matter of power. Even if you apply ten times the spiritual power, it will be to no avail."
"You must use space to defeat space."
"So, let me do it."
Gu Yun raised his hand, and the origin divine spear slowly emerged in his palm.
The spear's body was as black as ink, and its tip glinted with a cold, eerie light.
Spiritual power gathered in his palm, and then he thrust it out directly.
The spear shot out like a dragon.
Carrying the power of the Law of Space, the origin divine spear transformed into a bolt of black lightning that pierced through the void.
The layers of space tried to take effect, but they were all like—
Before the spear tip, those layers upon layers of folded space were easily pierced through as if they were made of paper.
One layer, two layers, three layers... wherever the spear tip passed, the void shattered. The golden array runes flashed wildly, emitting a groan of being overwhelmed.
The women all watched this scene with wide eyes.
Everyone could see clearly that those folded spaces were not torn apart by brute force, but were precisely smoothed out one by one by the Law of Space attached to the tip of Gu Yun's spear.
Like untangling a mess of yarn, every strike landed on the most critical node, causing the layers of space to return to flatness once more.
Boom—!!
Without any surprise, the final layer of folded space also shattered. The origin divine spear, carrying the momentum of ten thousand tons, slammed heavily into that array eye.
//779//
Chapter 779: The Vermilion Blood Fruit Tree
Boom!!!
Accompanied by a violent impact, the golden patterns trembled violently, then shattered like a broken mirror, with cracks spreading in all directions from the formation eye.
Crack, crack, crack—the cracks grew more numerous and dense.
The entire void was trembling, as if it would collapse at any moment.
"Retreat!" Gu Yun shouted low, his figure instantly backing away.
The women reacted extremely quickly, following him one after another.
The moment they backed away, that formation eye exploded with a bang, and violent spatial power swept out in all directions.
Golden fragments flew across the sky like countless golden butterflies dancing in the void.
Then, they slowly dissipated.
The golden patterns in the void completely vanished, replaced by a clear, transparent void.
"The formation... is broken..."
Xu Lingwei murmured, her eyes full of disbelief.
The way she looked at Gu Yun had also completely changed; the youth's mastery over the Dao of Space had long reached a level of perfection.
The trapping formation before them perhaps meant nothing to him at all.
But even so, he was still willing to wait—wait for her to see through its intricacies and truly achieve a breakthrough.
In this instant, Xu Lingwei seemed to understand Gu Yun's painstaking efforts.
Those bright, sparkling eyes lowered, her expression unreadable.
"What are you standing there for? Let's go."
"Although the first two formations have been broken, that sacrifice formation shrouds the entire building, and there's no way to find its source yet. We need to race against time now."
Flame Princess walked up and patted her shoulder: "It's all thanks to you this time."
Xu Lingwei snapped out of it and nodded vigorously.
"Mm!"
She looked up and peered ahead.
The original boundless space had turned into a long corridor. At the end of the corridor was a bronze gate, exuding an ancient and weathered aura.
Without the obstruction of the trapping formation, the group moved very quickly.
They soon entered that room, and the surrounding air fell silent in an instant.
Everyone looked solemn as they surveyed their surroundings.
The previous minor episode had already put everyone on high alert; this seemingly ordinary tomb actually hid lethal intentions.
As a Grandmaster of Formations, Great Emperor Xuanji could have laid killing formations anywhere to lure intruders like them in and wipe them out.
"That's... a vermilion blood fruit."
With Xu Lingwei's soft exclamation, everyone's attention was drawn to the spiritual plant in the center of the room.
It was a spiritual plant that was entirely crimson, about three feet tall. Its branches were like carved blood jade, the veins on its leaves were clearly visible, and faint light flowed through them.
Three fist-sized fruits hung from the branches, entirely vermilion and crystal clear, as if blood was slowly flowing beneath the skin.
Rich spiritual energy radiated from the fruits, filling the entire room. Taking a single breath made one feel refreshed.
"The legendary vermilion blood fruit that can bring the dead back to life and grow flesh on bones... To think such a divine object would appear here."
As a genius of the Sword Sect, Snow Thousand Years naturally had a certain understanding of the compendium of immortal plants.
"According to rumors, the Vermilion Blood Fruit Tree feeds on blood."
"It has been kept here for over millions of years and shouldn't have been touched by blood, so why is it still so full of life?"
Xu Lingwei spoke with some doubt. As soon as she said this, everyone felt a chill in their hearts.
"Watch out!"
Moon Dance's voice exploded in her ear. Xu Lingwei felt her scalp tingle, and her body instinctively retreated rapidly.
But it was too late.
The ground beneath her feet suddenly cracked, and a blood-red root shot out from the crevice, instantly wrapping around her ankle!
"Ah—!"
Xu Lingwei cried out as she was dragged downward by the root.
Flame Princess reacted extremely quickly, swinging her departing fire tassel and sending a blade of flame slashing toward the root.
Sizzle—
The flame burned, and the root recoiled in pain, shrinking back violently.
But its toughness was far beyond imagination; the flames failed to cut it, only leaving a charred mark.
It only hesitated for a split second before whistling toward Xu Lingwei again.
Fortunately, this brief interruption gave Xu Lingwei a moment to catch her breath.
She pinched a hand seal, and a loud cry of a Luan bird rang out.
A phantom of a green Luan bird immediately flew out from her chest, its wings spreading. A sharp and violent wind force instantly blew Xu Lingwei's figure away, and she landed steadily in Gu Yun's arms.
Meanwhile, the full power of the Green Luan Formation Pattern converged and slashed fiercely at the root.
Sizzle—
The root broke at the sound, and dark red sap sprayed out, emitting a pungent smell of blood.
Leaning in Gu Yun's arms, Xu Lingwei's face was pale as she panted heavily.
She looked down at her ankle; where the root had wrapped around it, the skin had turned an eerie dark red, and there was a faint, needle-like stinging pain.
"Be careful."
Gu Yun tightened his arm around Xu Lingwei and pressed his other hand against her ankle.
As Myriad Transformation Power surged in, the dark red toxins were instantly forced out of her body like they had met their natural enemy, dissipating into a wisp of black smoke.
Xu Lingwei let out a long breath, and some color returned to her face.
"Thank you, Big Brother..."
She somewhat sheepishly pulled away from Gu Yun's embrace and stood up straight.
"This thing is very wrong."
The three women gathered around now, looking solemnly at the Vermilion Blood Fruit Tree.
Before the words even fell, the entire room began to shake violently.
The ground split open, the walls cracked, and countless blood-red roots surged frantically from the crevices like venomous snakes choosing their prey, dancing wildly in the air.
The Vermilion Blood Fruit Tree seemed to have come to life; its branches expanded rapidly, growing from three feet to over ten feet tall in the blink of an eye.
The originally crystal-clear fruits now turned dark red like blood, and something was surging violently beneath the skin, as if it would break through the shell at any moment.
"Get behind me, then we strike together!"
Gu Yun shouted low. The origin divine spear appeared in his palm, and with a shake of the spear's body, a silver-white spear glow swept out.
Wherever the spear glow passed, those frantically surging roots were cut as if by a sharp blade, snapping cleanly.
Dark red sap sprayed everywhere, emitting a pungent smell of blood that was so strong it almost made it impossible to keep one's eyes open.
However, these roots actually had regenerative abilities; as soon as the first batch was cut, the next batch surged from deeper down, dense and layered, filling the entire room to the brim.
Fortunately, Gu Yun was by no means fighting alone.
Flame Princess shook the departing fire tassel in her hand, and the flames turned into fire dragons, crashing through the mass of roots.
Under the scorching flames, the roots let out ear-piercing shrieks like a baby crying, making one's scalp tingle.
Moon Dance's figure moved like a ghost through the gaps between the roots, her every move accurately cutting off the roots that were about to entangle the group.
Snow Thousand Years stood with her sword. Every time the frost snow divine sword swung, large patches of roots were frozen into ice, then shattered and dissipated.
Xu Lingwei stood in the middle of the group, her Green Luan phantom constructing an unbreakable wind barrier that firmly blocked the root systems outside.
"How can this be..."
A figure in the shadows frowned and let out a confused murmur.
"Who's there?!!"
Gu Yun narrowed his eyes and looked directly toward where that person was hiding...
//780//
Chapter 780: Unforeseen Change
Several hours ago, within the Tomb of Emperor Bailian, Perfected Jiugong supported the heavily injured Mo Wuya as they fled the Heavenly Tier Arena in a sorry state.
The two fled blindly, constantly looking back in tension to see if any pursuers were coming.
Mo Wuya's injuries were severe. Although the wound on his chest, torn open by Han Sanqian's Qiongqi Array Pattern, had been temporarily stopped by the secret medicine of the Chaos Imperial Dynasty, the ferocious power of the formation path had already invaded his meridians, devouring his vitality like maggots on a bone.
"Damn it... damn it..."
Mo Wuya's face was deathly pale, his lips purple, and every breath he took carried a heavy scent of blood.
He gripped Perfected Jiugong's arm tightly, his nails almost sinking into the flesh.
"Jiugong!"
"Take me back, leave this place, and return to the Chaos Imperial Dynasty."
"That damned bastard, I will gather the army of the Imperial Dynasty to turn him into ashes!"
Perfected Jiugong supported him expressionlessly, moving swiftly through the void. "Please rest assured, Your Highness. This subordinate will not fail your trust."
While his words were respectful, a fleeting coldness flashed through his eyes.
The Tomb of Emperor Bailian contained more than just divine weapons and heavenly treasures; it also held formations laid down by Great Emperor Xuanji. To him, it was an exceptionally rare and precious treasure land. Mo Wuya asking him to leave now was no different from asking him to give up these easily attainable opportunities.
However, he did not refuse, nor did he dare to.
Behind Mo Wuya stood the entire Chaos Imperial Dynasty. If he defied him, his future path would be fraught with difficulty.
The two traveled through the void for about half an hour before finally stopping in a remote asteroid belt.
Silence reigned all around, broken only by the occasional drifting rubble and the faint nebulae in the distance.
Only when no sign of pursuers could be seen did the two finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Perfected Jiugong settled Mo Wuya on a large asteroid, took out several healing pills from his robe, and handed them to him. "Your Highness, take these first to stabilize your injuries."
Mo Wuya took the pills and stuffed them into his mouth without even looking.
As the pills entered his stomach, they transformed into a warm medicinal power that began to circulate through his body.
Finally, Mo Wuya let out a long breath, and his complexion slightly improved.
Perfected Jiugong's expression eased slightly. Mo Wuya could die, but he could not die in front of him; otherwise, he would be held responsible.
He never expected things to develop to this point, so he could only take things one step at a time.
"Jiugong..."
Suddenly, Mo Wuya's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"This subordinate is here."
"The last time I awakened, it seems it was also you and I."
"Yes, this subordinate accompanied Your Highness as you reigned supreme on the Emperor Road. Calculating it, that should have been a hundred thousand years ago."
"A hundred thousand years."
Mo Wuya murmured, "That is truly not a short time."
"I owe today's matter to you. I will not forget your contribution. Once we return to the Imperial Dynasty, I will surely reward you handsomely."
Perfected Jiugong lowered his head. "Your Highness, you are too kind. This is merely my duty."
"Merely your duty..."
Mo Wuya repeated the words and suddenly laughed.
That smile was somewhat eerie. "Jiugong, how much longer... do you think I can last?"
Perfected Jiugong was taken aback. "Your Highness is blessed by heaven. A mere injury like this can be healed in a few days."
"A few days?" Mo Wuya shook his head. "My injuries are extremely heavy. If a Great Emperor expert does not intervene, I will surely die."
Perfected Jiugong remained silent.
Mo Wuya continued, "Jiugong, I have never asked anything of you, but this time..."
Before his voice finished, he suddenly struck out. His withered palm clamped onto Perfected Jiugong's wrist like an iron vise.
Although he had been on guard, Perfected Jiugong never expected that Mo Wuya, in his heavily injured state, could explode with such tyrannical power.
"Your Highness—!"
His expression was one of shock. He instinctively tried to break free, but found that Mo Wuya's strength was astonishingly great, not at all like the strength a heavily injured person should have.
"Don't move."
"You won't be able to break free, Jiugong."
"From the very beginning, the cultivation method you practiced contained a hidden back door placed by my imperial family."
"Once we engage, you will be completely at the mercy of our Lesser Chaos Art, with no power to fight back."
"Did you think I was unaware of your little schemes?"
A cold sneer curled on Mo Wuya's lips. His eyes now glowed with an eerie gray light, and chaos seemed to churn deep within his pupils.
"Regrettably, from the start, you were never going to succeed."
"From beginning to end, you could only be a clown hiding in the shadows."
"So now, give your vitality to me!!"
"In this way... you can be considered as providing the last bit of use for this body of yours."
Before his words finished, a terrifying suction force erupted from Mo Wuya's palm.
Perfected Jiugong felt the spiritual energy, blood essence, and even his soul being frantically pulled by that force, pouring out through his clamped wrist.
"You damned bastard!!"
He roared, trying with all his might to break free.
But Mo Wuya's palm was like an iron vise, not budging an inch.
The eerie gray light spread from Mo Wuya's palm, climbing up Perfected Jiugong's arm. Everywhere it passed, the skin became gray and withered as his vitality was drained inch by inch.
"It's useless."
Mo Wuya wore a morbid smile. His hazy gray eyes stared at Perfected Jiugong with a mocking light.
"Just obediently become my nourishment. That way... your family might still receive favorable treatment from the imperial family."
"Rest assured, my brother. I will remember your sacrifice and live on with your share."
Perfected Jiugong's pupils constricted violently.
He could feel his vitality rapidly fading away.
His consciousness began to blur, and the world before him twisted and deformed.
Mo Wuya's face seemed to move closer and then further away. That face, which had originally been quite handsome, was now distorted like a greedy malevolent ghost.
"I'm not willing... not willing..."
Perfected Jiugong murmured, his voice growing weaker and weaker.
Witnessing all this, Mo Wuya's gaze was filled with coldness. The camaraderie of a hundred thousand years ago was not worth mentioning.
He felt his aura becoming peaceful and upright once again, as the life aura from Perfected Jiugong was continuously being funneled into his body.
"Jiugong, you never had a chance from the start."
A cold sneer curled on Mo Wuya's lips, but just as he thought victory was within his grasp, Perfected Jiugong's aura suddenly underwent a change.
//781//
Chapter 781: The Counter-Kill
At the moment his consciousness plummeted into the abyss, Jiugong saw a light.
That light was extremely faint, flickering within the endless darkness.
His consciousness was dissipating; the spiritual energy he had cultivated for so long, his vitality, and even his soul power were draining away, being devoured frantically by Mo Wuya's chaos power.
He was going to die.
But at that moment, that wisp of light brightened and exploded, tearing the entire darkness into pieces.
"This is..."
Jiugong was stunned.
He saw a mountain.
The mountain was incredibly high, piercing the clouds. Amidst the swirling mist, countless formation runes could be seen flowing across the mountain's surface, emitting a heart-palpitating pressure.
Atop the mountain peak, an old man sat cross-legged.
His hair and beard were completely white, his face was withered, and he wore a tattered gray robe.
His eyes were closed, and there were no fluctuations of aura around him, yet he gave off an unfathomable feeling.
Jiugong's pupils contracted suddenly.
"Who... who are you?"
It was a strange feeling; he clearly had never met this person, yet it felt as if he had.
It was ambiguous and mysterious.
"Have you forgotten? I am you!"
The old man slowly opened his eyes. Those cloudy eyes pierced through the barriers of time and space to meet his gaze.
The moment the words fell, Jiugong felt a torrent of memories as vast as the sea surging toward him.
Those memories were too massive and too ancient; they nearly caused his consciousness to burst.
He wanted to cry out and struggle, but he found that he couldn't move at all.
He could only watch helplessly as those memories merged into his soul bit by bit.
He saw it.
He saw a youth of humble birth struggling to survive in the mud of the lowest levels of the Three Thousand Dao Domains through his own talent and methods, eventually becoming a world-renowned grandmaster of formations.
He saw a madman who was nearly insane, exhausting all his strength to achieve the so-called 'All Beings Are Equal'.
Great Emperors... should be no different from mortals.
He wanted to ensure there was no more oppression in this world.
"The Dao of Formations is not meant to provide the icing on the cake for the strong,"
He heard himself say, "but to give the weak a chance to stand up!"
But—
No matter how grand the ideals he held in his heart, the shackles of lifespan always troubled him.
In the end... even as he reached the end of his life, he still hadn't been able to completely perfect his formation.
The All Beings Are Equal Grand Formation could still only suppress everyone's cultivation to the Quasi-Emperor Realm.
Furthermore, its range couldn't even cover a single star domain.
It wasn't enough; it was far from enough.
He sought out his old friend and shared his thoughts.
The old friend readily accepted and even... took out all his savings to set up such an enticing trap.
"You build a paradise for me after my death."
"And I will fight for a possible future for you."
The scene shattered abruptly at this point.
Jiugong snapped his eyes open and looked at Mo Wuya.
The latter immediately felt a chill run down his spine; those eyes were truly terrifying.
Alert, sharp, and indifferent.
He had only ever seen such a gaze in the eyes of his father, a supreme ancestor of the Chaos Imperial Dynasty.
"What... what on earth are you?!"
Mo Wuya rasped, his voice trembling.
He intensified his absorption, wanting to completely destroy Jiugong.
However, things did not go as he wished.
Jiugong's expression was calm as he lightly raised his hand and pressed it onto Mo Wuya's hand that was gripping his wrist.
The movement was very light, yet it made Mo Wuya feel as if he had been struck by lightning.
That hand was clearly still Jiugong's hand—slender, fair, and with distinct knuckles.
But now, pressing on the back of his hand, it felt as heavy as a thousand tons, as if an entire mountain were pressing down.
"Little fellow, your Chaos Imperial Dynasty is still as... insidious as ever!"
"I have already unraveled this back door for him. Now you should think about how your current weak, injured body will withstand this old man's offensive!"
Jiugong spoke with a hoarse and aged voice. Clearly, under the impact of Great Emperor Xuanji's massive memories, the original Jiugong's consciousness had taken a backseat.
The person before him could truly be called Great Emperor Xuanji's—
Reincarnated body.
"No, impossible. How could you possibly resist the power of the Lesser Chaos Art?"
Mo Wuya's pupils contracted violently. He yanked his hand away from Jiugong and turned to flee.
However... the roles of hunter and prey had switched.
The moment Mo Wuya moved, he found that his current body wouldn't obey him at all.
His legs felt as if they were nailed to the spot, and every inch he tried to move was incredibly difficult.
He looked down and saw that threads of formation runes had already wrapped around his ankles.
Those threads were as thin as hair but terrifyingly tough. They were crawling up his calves, and wherever they passed, dense, tiny patterns appeared on his skin.
"What... what is this?!"
Mo Wuya's voice cracked as he struggled desperately.
But the more he struggled, the tighter those threads wrapped, like a spiderweb ensnaring prey—tightening with every movement.
Jiugong stood where he was, hands behind his back.
He didn't give chase, nor did he even spare Mo Wuya another glance; he just looked down at his own hands.
On those slender, fair hands, countless formation runes were currently moving beneath the skin, flickering in and out of existence.
"This body is too weak."
He clenched his fist and shook his head slightly, feeling the pitifully small amount of spiritual energy in his body.
If he were at his peak, he could have obliterated such a junior with a single glance.
There would be no need for such trouble.
But soon, he came to terms with it.
It was a bit weak, but it was young and its potential remained; there were always infinite possibilities.
"Jiugong! If you kill me, the Chaos Imperial Dynasty won't let you off!"
Mo Wuya roared, his voice filled with fear and indignation.
But those formation rune threads had already reached his waist. Wherever they passed, his skin became gray and withered, and his life force was being drained bit by bit.
The Sacrifice Formation was operating at full power!
"The Chaos Imperial Dynasty?"
"You can tell them to come find me and try. This old man hasn't fought anyone in a very long time."
Jiugong's voice remained incredibly calm.
"Who... exactly... are you?!"
Squeezing those words out from between his teeth, Mo Wuya finally fell silent.
His body instantly stiffened and, from head to toe, vanished into nothingness.
Jiugong withdrew his gaze. Feeling the more vigorous vitality within himself, a faint smile played at the corners of his mouth: "This way, it can be considered helping you complete an unfinished matter."
"Go in peace. Leave the rest of your life to me; it will certainly be..."
"More brilliant than your original one!"
He looked up into the depths of the void.
That was where the final burial chamber he had arranged was located.
Now, it was already blooming with a different kind of brilliance.
The temptation of the sun-shooting bow had ultimately attracted many uninvited guests.
These people filed in one after another, unaware that they were falling into a trap he had prepared long ago!
"Old friend, I'm back."
//782//
Chapter 782: The One Pulling the Strings
Returning to the Bronze Great Hall once more, Perfected Jiugong—
Or rather, Great Emperor Xuanji, as he should be called now—naturally felt as if he had returned home.
He was all too familiar with everything here; every formation, every mechanism, and every passage had been personally laid down by him.
The secret realm that others saw as fraught with danger was, in his eyes, like his own backyard.
Killing formations could not threaten him, trapping formations were practically non-existent, and even the sacrificial formation that troubled all intruders had no effect on him whatsoever.
"My current body's vitality is severely depleted."
"Dealing with a half-crippled Mo Wuya is barely manageable, but if I encounter those other Ancient Freaks, I'm afraid I won't come out on top."
"For now, my only plan is to retrieve the vermilion blood fruit from that room to recover a bit."
"Old friend, since you have already passed away, let the treasures you left behind... lend me a helping hand."
"I will always keep this in my heart."
Great Emperor Xuanji basically didn't hesitate at all and immediately began to move, his figure flashing through the void.
In just a moment, he arrived outside that stone chamber.
The door to the stone chamber was slightly ajar, and a faint red light leaked through the crack.
He could sense that the Vermilion Blood Fruit Tree was inside; the three fruits were intact and emitting a dense spiritual aura.
He raised his hand, and just as he was about to push the door—
Suddenly, he stopped.
His brow twitched slightly as he used the formations within the hall to mask his aura.
His investigative power delved deep, and he quickly discovered...
Five people.
Five people had actually beaten him to it and entered this secret chamber.
"How is this possible... did my trapping formation fail to trap them?"
He had originally thought he could use the advantage of his superior information to make more preparations.
The current situation was far beyond his expectations.
Soon, his pupils constricted slightly because he saw... those two women.
He had already absorbed Perfected Jiugong's memories, so he naturally had a deep impression of Flame Princess and Moon Dance, two women who were both highly skilled and exceptionally beautiful.
He remembered they were allied with that Han Sanqian at the time, but now, the man appearing beside them wasn't Han Sanqian. What exactly was going on?
"It's a pity about that youth; if he were still alive, he might have been a better choice."
Great Emperor Xuanji felt some regret, but now was not the time for such thoughts. Seeing that several people were about to make a move on the Vermilion Blood Fruit Tree, he could no longer sit still.
"Damn it... those are my vermilion blood fruits!"
His face turned ashen; using the vermilion blood fruits to restore his vitality was his most urgent need.
But this body was currently too weak, and facing them head-on was absolutely unrealistic. Fortunately... he was all too familiar with this place.
He had left many hidden tricks when he originally designed it.
"The only plan now is to drive the tiger to swallow the wolf."
He raised his hand and lightly pressed it against the door frame of the stone chamber.
An obscure formation pattern spread from his fingertips, creeping along the walls and floor before silently sinking into the roots of the Vermilion Blood Fruit Tree.
The Vermilion Blood Fruit Tree trembled slightly.
"Go, stop them!"
Great Emperor Xuanji whispered, his voice barely audible.
In the next instant, the Vermilion Blood Fruit Tree went on a rampage.
But soon after... it was completely held back.
Great Emperor Xuanji's eyes nearly popped out of his head. One must know that this Vermilion Blood Fruit Tree was a true ancient exotic species.
He had used a formation to activate its inner ferocity; it shouldn't have stopped until it had completely devoured all living things before it.
Yet, against the methods of these youths, its attacks seemed so laughable.
"How can this be..."
Involuntarily, he let out such a low murmur.
"Who's there?!!"
But that single moment of error completely exposed his position!
Gu Yun's gaze swept over. His vision was blocked by the branches of the Vermilion Blood Fruit Tree, but his divine sense had already discovered the other party's traces.
Although Great Emperor Xuanji reacted quickly and hid himself again, that split second allowed him to be locked onto by the great dao heavenly evolution diagram.
From then on, there was nowhere to hide.
[Ding! New Child of Destiny detected]
[Name: Qiu Jiugong]
[Cultivation: Quasi-Emperor Ninth Layer (Reincarnation of Great Emperor Xuanji)]
[Identity: Protagonist of "The Array Master Xuanji"]
[Halo: Child of Destiny Halo (Gold)]
[destiny value: 60,000]
[Associated Heroine: Yun Ruoyan]
A Child of Destiny?!!
Gu Yun's expression changed, followed by great joy.
Earlier, he was still feeling a bit down, thinking he had dealt with the Children of Destiny too quickly.
Zhang Chen, Su Chen, Han Sanqian, Qin Xiang—the originally grand army of Children of Destiny hadn't even had a single one enter the final room.
His secret realm journey was about to become dull and tasteless.
Who would have thought his destiny 'homie' restock speed was so fast? The reincarnation of Great Emperor Xuanji? It seemed he was a rebirth-type Child of Destiny, just like Zhang Chen.
However, within this Bronze Great Hall, the opponent was fighting on his home turf...
Whatever, let's test him out first.
Gu Yun made a decision in an instant. Without hesitation, he raised the origin divine spear high and blasted it directly toward the location where Great Emperor Xuanji was hidden.
Outside the stone chamber, within the shadows.
Great Emperor Xuanji's face changed drastically.
He never expected that a mere low murmur would allow the opponent to catch his trail.
"Damn it..."
He gritted his teeth and whispered, his figure retreating rapidly; his reaction was already extremely fast.
But... Gu Yun's movement was even faster. Before he could use his hidden tricks to move away, a silver-white spear light tore through the air and arrived!
The spear light carried sharp spatial power. Looking closely, it directly shattered the obstructing branches of the Vermilion Blood Fruit Tree, even tearing a pitch-black rift in the void.
Great Emperor Xuanji's pupils constricted, but he didn't dare pause his steps for a second.
While retreating, he raised his hand and tapped repeatedly in the void.
Formation patterns took shape at his fingertips, turning into layers of barriers in front of him.
The Technique of Layered Formations was once one of his specialties.
Furthermore, he utilized some hidden methods integrated into the Bronze Great Hall as support; the effect was definitely superior to anything he had performed in the past.
"Regardless, under the suppression of the All Beings Are Equal formation, your cultivation is only at the Quasi-Emperor Ninth Heaven. The advantage is mine."
Great Emperor Xuanji was very confident. Here, he was fighting on his home turf; who could match him?
However—
The moment Gu Yun's spear light slammed into the first layer of the barrier, Great Emperor Xuanji's expression changed.
The protection he was so proud of provided no resistance whatsoever and was easily pierced through.
The spear light was like a hot knife through butter; wherever it passed, the formation patterns crumbled, dissipating into a sky full of light specks.
"Impossible!!"
Great Emperor Xuanji's pupils constricted as he frantically mobilized more formation power to reinforce the remaining barriers.
But it was still to no avail.
The spear light was unstoppable, and finally, it slammed heavily into Great Emperor Xuanji's chest.
Fortunately, the Technique of Layered Formations wasn't entirely useless; it did manage to wear down some of the power.
It didn't pierce through him in one go, but the massive impact sent Great Emperor Xuanji flying, slamming him hard against the stone wall behind him.
//783//
Chapter 783: Turning Heaven and Earth Upside Down (Two-in-One)
Boom—
Great Emperor Xuanji's body slammed heavily against the stone wall, pinned straight onto it.
His entire being was pinned in mid-air, his expression stiff as stagnant water.
Blood gushed from the wound, snaking down the stone wall and leaving startling marks on those ancient formation patterns.
He looked down at his chest.
There, a pitch-black long spear had pierced his body, the tip emerging from his back and pinning him deep into the stone wall.
On the shaft of the spear, spatial power was still faintly circulating like countless tiny blades, rampaging through his body and tearing his meridians apart inch by inch.
He reached out, wanting to touch it, but his arm was numbed by the terrifying spiritual power contained within the divine spear.
"What a terrifying weapon."
He murmured in a low voice, his tone full of shock.
Inside the stone room, Gu Yun retracted his throwing posture and stood with his hands behind his back.
Across the Vermilion Blood Fruit Tree, whose roots had been mostly severed, his gaze fell upon the figure pinned to the wall.
"Caught you."
His voice was incredibly calm.
Beside him, the four women instantly released their full power to suppress the already half-crippled Vermilion Blood Fruit Tree.
Flames filled the sky, and cold winds howled.
The Vermilion Blood Fruit Tree let out a piercing, mournful shriek, and the entire spiritual plant trembled violently.
It had been pushed to its limit; cracks appeared on its blood-jade-like branches, and the flowing light on its leaves dimmed.
Gradually, it lost its vitality and slumped down entirely, with only the three vermilion blood fruits still hanging from the branches, still overflowing with a plump luster.
After Flame Princess stepped forward to collect them, Gu Yun didn't pay any more attention to these priceless fruits, keeping his gaze fixed on Great Emperor Xuanji.
"Interesting. The formation patterns here are actually protecting you."
"It seems your identity is even more special than I expected."
Great Emperor Xuanji's expression shifted slightly. He hadn't thought that such a small action would allow the other party to detect a clue.
"Fellow Daoist is perceptive. I was merely lucky enough to have once obtained some of Great Emperor Xuanji's inheritance; it's not worth mentioning."
"Oh?"
Gu Yun approached with a smile: "Then it seems you are quite familiar with the layout of this place."
"I wonder if you would do me the honor of traveling together for a while?"
"Fellow Daoist must be joking."
A forced smile pulled at the corners of Great Emperor Xuanji's mouth, while his hands, pinned against the wall, were now quietly hooked backward.
His fingertips tapped lightly on the stone wall—three long and two short, one short and three long.
"I am but a mere rogue cultivator who was lucky enough to receive some legacy from my predecessors. How could I dare to travel with all of you?"
Gu Yun, however, acted as if he hadn't seen any of this.
He walked closer with slow, measured steps, the soft sound of his boots hitting the stone floor echoing in the empty stone room.
The origin divine spear was still lodged in Great Emperor Xuanji's chest. The spatial power on the spear shaft slowly retracted, yet it remained like a wedge, firmly fixing him to the wall.
"Lucky enough to receive some legacy from your predecessors?"
A smile curved Gu Yun's lips: "That's quite a coincidence."
"This Miss Xu beside me is also a disciple of the Xuanji Sacred Sect."
"Since you share the same lineage, it's the perfect opportunity to exchange insights."
Xu Lingwei, standing behind Gu Yun, couldn't help but look up at Great Emperor Xuanji upon hearing this, her brow furrowing.
"Exchanging insights is easy enough to say, but fellow Daoist, could you first remove this spear?"
"Being pinned here makes it quite inconvenient to speak."
"Fellow Daoist must be joking. When you were controlling the Vermilion Blood Fruit Tree to attack us just now, you didn't seem to have any intention of speaking civilly."
Gu Yun walked slowly, the smile on his lips deepening.
[Ding! Destiny Plunder Halo activated. Child of Destiny Qiu Jiugong's destiny value has decreased by 20,000 points.]
The young man's voice was very soft, but it made Great Emperor Xuanji's heart tremble.
He knew he couldn't hesitate any longer and forced a formulaic smile.
"What do you mean, fellow Daoist? I am just a rogue cultivator. How could I have the ability to control such a ferocious thing?"
"Is that so?"
"Then what are you trying to do with your hands hooked back like that?"
Having his inner thoughts exposed in a single word, Great Emperor Xuanji's expression instantly became extremely ugly.
Without any hesitation, his backward-hooked palm suddenly clenched. His fingertips dug into the stone wall, and blood seeped from between his fingers, but it wasn't flowing uselessly—the blood soaked into the ancient formation patterns on the stone wall like a key into a lock, instantly activating the power of the entire hall that had been dormant for ten thousand years.
Boom—
As the winds and clouds reversed, the entire space underwent a world-shaking transformation.
"What's going on?!!"
Flame Princess and Snow Thousand Years both sensed that something was wrong. One holding the departing fire tassel and the other the frost snow divine sword, they attacked Xuanji without hesitation.
But at the very moment their attacks were about to hit, his figure suddenly became illusory, like a reflection in water rippling after a stone is thrown.
The flames passed through, and the sword light missed.
"Damn it."
But the two had no time for frustration. The violent changes in the surrounding space forced them to protect themselves, and they didn't dare to continue any pursuit of Great Emperor Xuanji.
"Stay close to me."
Gu Yun said in a deep voice.
The four women obediently moved closer.
Flame Princess grabbed Gu Yun's right arm, Snow Thousand Years took the left, and little Moon Dance quietly shrunk in front of Gu Yun, reaching out to hug him around the waist.
With no spots left, Xu Lingwei simply leaped up, wrapped her arms around Gu Yun's neck, and hung onto his back.
Gu Yun was firmly surrounded by the four women. The girls' fragrance was refreshing, momentarily intoxicating.
His lips twitched slightly, but he didn't stop them: "Hold on tight."
As soon as he spoke, the ground beneath them suddenly shattered.
A pitch-black crack split open from the center of the stone room, as if torn apart by an invisible giant hand.
Everyone fell instantly, while Great Emperor Xuanji's triumphant shout echoed from afar: "Everyone, we shall meet again!"
The Heaven and Earth Overturning Array!
It was a miraculous formation specifically created by Great Emperor Xuanji for this place, capable of reorganizing space in an instant.
Although the original formation would shatter in this moment, his second world would unfold from here.
Now, the Bronze Great Hall could truly be described as fraught with danger, with killing intent at every step!
"Kid, in the end, you're nothing more than fish on a chopping block."
"In this Bronze Great Hall, I am the master!"
"Ouch..."
After much effort, he finally pulled the origin divine spear out of his abdomen.
Examining this miraculous weapon, a faint smile appeared on his lips: "Although I've suffered significant injuries, getting this treasure makes it all worth it."
He caressed the peerless divine weapon lovingly, his eyes filled with greed.
As a close friend of Great Emperor Bailian, he had seen many divine weapons and sharp tools in his past life.
But compared to this, those had all become scrap metal.
Even the sun-shooting bow seemed to have lost its luster.
Just as he was about to put it into his storage ring, he heard a hum.
The origin divine spear let out a booming vibration.
"What?!!"
Xuanji was shocked. To be able to arrange the singular spatial structure of this hall...
His expertise in the Dao of Space was naturally extraordinary, but it was precisely because of this that he was shocked by the anomaly occurring within his storage ring.
He fought with all his might but couldn't reverse it.
How could a mere mortal item withstand the power of the origin divine spear?
Under Xuanji's helpless gaze, the storage ring that contained most of his life's savings exploded.
Countless treasures scattered like flower petals in the wind—pills, spirit stones, formation plates, and various other collections poured out. Great Emperor Xuanji's pupils shrank, and he reflexively reached out to grab them—but because of the Heaven and Earth Overturning Array, these scattered treasures fell into other spatial grids in an instant. Even Great Emperor Xuanji himself couldn't reach them and could only watch as he completely lost them.
"No—!!!!"
Xuanji's voice was heart-wrenching as he reached out to grab the origin divine spear.
The storage ring was already destroyed; this divine weapon must not have any accidents.
But this time, the origin divine spear twisted slightly in the void with great sentience and slipped through Great Emperor Xuanji's fingers.
Xuanji was stunned, then turned pale with fright: "No, you can't do this."
"Come back, give it back to me now!!!"
He tried his hardest to reach out and grab it, but the origin divine spear would no longer listen to any of his commands.
It turned into a black stream of light and instantly sped away.
The disjointed space posed no obstacle to it; the spear tip moved with irresistible force, heading straight for its true master.
"Don't—!!"
[Ding! Qiu Jiugong's mental state has exploded. Reward: 10,000 villain value.]
After a bout of dizziness, Gu Yun and the others finally landed again.
Looking around, the pitch-black environment left everyone feeling a bit lost.
"Where the heck did this bring us? Is this still the Tomb of Emperor Bailian?"
Xu Lingwei felt her body swaying; only by firmly locking onto Gu Yun's neck could she barely maintain her balance.
*Cough, cough, cough.*
Gu Yun, annoyed, pulled her off his back: "Are you trying to strangle me?"
"Uh, sorry Big Brother, I was too scared, so..."
Xu Lingwei scratched her head, feeling very embarrassed.
"That guy escaped, and... it seems he caused quite a stir."
Flame Princess's brow was furrowed.
"That's a good thing."
Gu Yun said with a relaxed expression.
"Why is it a good thing?"
"An enemy who can manipulate the internal formations of the Bronze Great Hall is hidden in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity."
"And he used this bizarre technique. I don't know if your previous map is still useful."
"Even if it is, those cultivators who were originally trapped in the trapping formations have likely broken free."
"No matter how you look at it, this should be a very troublesome matter."
"Isn't that perfect? There are more people to test for errors for us."
"Moreover, that guy's move was an act of desperation. The final result might not necessarily develop as beautifully as he envisioned."
Gu Yun spoke with a cold laugh.
"What do you mean?"
Gu Yun took out the great dao heavenly evolution diagram, which now showed the positions of several nodes, flickering unsteadily.
They represented—
Luo Shui Xian, Holy Light Son, Long Yuan, Dragon Splendor, and... Qiu Jiugong.
At this moment, the four Ancient Freaks who had been silent for a long time finally began to move, which meant... they had also finally broken free from the constraints of the trapping formations and started their search journey.
"See, aren't there more competitors now?"
Flame Princess had a bitter look on her face.
"There are more competitors, but in the end, we all have to enter the final room to seize the sun-shooting bow."
"At that time, no matter what they obtained earlier, I am confident I can make them spit it out."
"And now... what we need to do is keep a close eye on our big treasure."
"Once he shows a tendency to move toward a certain room, I will immediately use Spatial Warp to get there ahead of him."
Gu Yun said. With the map, he knew exactly which rooms in this hall contained treasures.
Now, he was intentionally following the Child of Destiny's movements, naturally aiming to annoy him.
"Let's go, he's on the move."
Gu Yun said, a playful smile curling his lips.
...
Great Emperor Xuanji stumbled through the passage, blood still gushing from the wound on his chest.
The residual spatial strangulation power was like countless tiny blades, frantically tearing at his wound, preventing his spiritual power from penetrating it, making healing the wound out of the question.
He gritted his teeth and endured the intense pain, each step leaving a blood-red footprint on the ground.
"That damn bastard..."
He cursed in a low, raspy, and weak voice.
The vermilion blood fruits were gone, the origin divine spear was gone, and even his storage ring had exploded.
In this battle, he had lost completely.
Rubbed into the ground by that young man.
"Calm down... calm down..."
He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself.
Now was not the time for anger; the priority was to heal.
Although the vermilion blood fruits were gone, there were other precious medicines in this Bronze Great Hall.
He closed his eyes and searched his memory for the structural layout of Plan B.
After just a moment, he opened his eyes, a glimmer of light flashing in them.
"Spiritual Essence Fruit."
He murmured, a smile appearing on his lips.
Fortunately, he had made full preparations long ago. This was a spiritual plant he had brought back in the past, which had been planted in a secret room on the east side.
Although this item wasn't as heaven-defying as the vermilion blood fruit, it was more than enough for healing.
With this in mind, he immediately adjusted his direction and headed east.
Soon, he had avoided all dangers along the way.
The corridors that were fraught with danger for ordinary cultivators were no different from a game to him.
He was like a player who had completed countless playthroughs, knowing the exact location of every trap and skillfully avoiding them with narrow escapes.
Finally arriving at the door of the target secret room, he pushed the door open excitedly.
Then...
He was completely dumbfounded!
The stone room that should have been lush with green grass and branches full of spiritual fruits was now a mess.
The spiritual plants on the ground had been uprooted, and even the soil had been turned upside down.
The vines on the walls were torn, and withered yellow leaves were scattered all over the floor.
The Spiritual Essence Fruit Tree in the center of the stone platform was now just a bare stump, the cut smooth and even, obviously severed at the root by a sharp weapon.
"Who... who was it?!"
He stumbled inside, knelt down to touch the stump, and let out a sorrowful roar.
His rage aggravated his injuries once again, and with a 'wah' sound, he spat out a large mouthful of blood.
His aura... became even more withered and weak.
//784//
Chapter 784: Toying with Xuanji
[Ding! Child of Destiny Qiu Jiugong's mentality has exploded, villain value decreased by 1000 points]
Great Emperor Xuanji stumbled out of the Spiritual Essence Fruit chamber, the wound on his chest still seeping blood, his face already as pale as a dead man's.
Leaning against the wall, he took every step with extreme difficulty.
"Don't let me find out which bastard did this..."
He gnashed his teeth, his voice hoarse and weak.
This Spiritual Essence Fruit Tree was his last hope, and now it was gone too.
"No, it shouldn't be. There's definitely more than just these two treasure lands for restoring vitality in this mystic realm."
He closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down.
Memories surged in his mind, and everything inside the Bronze Great Hall surfaced clearly.
Suddenly—he snapped his eyes open, a flash of light appearing in his cloudy pupils.
"Undying Immortal Vine!!"
How could he have forgotten that? If he simply wanted to treat his injuries, its effectiveness might not match the Spiritual Essence Fruit, but if he wanted to treat his injuries while also restoring some vitality, it was almost the best choice.
With that thought, Great Emperor Xuanji no longer hesitated. The environment within the Bronze Great Hall had undergone earth-shattering changes; although he had the first-mover advantage, there was no guarantee others wouldn't snatch the loot first.
The Undying Immortal Vine was his last hope; if he could obtain a few drops, his injuries would at least stabilize by more than half.
He had to set off immediately!
Stumbling along the way for an unknown amount of time, he finally found the location of the secret chamber from his memory.
The door was open.
Great Emperor Xuanji's heart sank abruptly. He rushed in with long strides, and then—froze completely on the spot.
The secret chamber was empty.
There was no Undying Immortal Vine; there was absolutely nothing at all.
"No—!!!!"
A heart-wrenching scream echoed through the area, directly attracting several rogue cultivators who came to watch.
"This mystic realm has a dense life aura; there must be treasures here."
"Kid, hand over the goods and we'll spare your life!!"
Those people looked at Great Emperor Xuanji, their eyes overflowing with greedy wantonness.
Xuanji turned his head; those eyes that were originally calm and wise were now bloodshot.
His chest heaved violently, and a rattling sound came from his throat: "Bastards, bastards!!!"
"What are you shouting for? Hand over the goods!"
One of the rogue cultivators frowned and rushed forward with swift steps.
In the end, Great Emperor Xuanji grabbed his head with a backhand and crushed it on the spot with a heavy squeeze.
The crowd was in an uproar, scattering like startled birds and beasts, but before the maddened Child of Destiny, they were all lambs waiting for the slaughter, wiped out in a short moment.
Great Emperor Xuanji leaned against a stone pillar and tossed the corpse in his hand aside.
The wound on his chest split open, and blood gushed out, forming a striking pool of red on the ground.
His aura was withered to the extreme, and every breath carried a heavy scent of blood.
The vermilion blood fruit was gone, the Spiritual Essence Fruit was gone, and now even the Undying Immortal Vine was gone.
The foundations buried in this Bronze Great Hall had been swept clean by someone, leaving him not even a single hair.
Xuanji felt so frustrated he wanted to vomit. He had always been the one plotting against others; when had he ever suffered such humiliation?
"One after another, there is absolutely no such coincidence."
Great Emperor Xuanji's expression was grim. The treasures hidden in this hall were not inanimate objects.
Like those few pieces of trash just now, even if the Undying Immortal Vine were right in front of them, they would find it hard to take away.
At the same realm, these ancient exotic species were not so easy to deal with.
Those capable of this could be counted on one hand.
In fact... Great Emperor Xuanji already had a candidate in mind. Gu Yun's face appeared in his heart, making his teeth itch with hatred.
"You like following me, don't you? Good, very good."
"Today, this old man will show you that greed is the stairway to death!!!"
Struggling to stand up, he leaned against the wall and headed step by step in another direction.
"Brother Yun, look, he's moving again."
Moon Dance, who had been observing Great Emperor Xuanji's movements through the great dao heavenly evolution diagram, noticed keenly. She quickly looked at Gu Yun and pointed at the movements in the diagram, speaking anxiously.
"Should we follow him?"
"Follow him? Follow him for what?"
"He wants to lead us into a ditch. Do you all want to follow him there too?"
A playful smile curled at the corner of Gu Yun's mouth: "Let's go. Let him play with himself for a while. I've already prepared a little 'big treasure' for him. We'll go get the true goal of this trip first—"
"The dragon tendon."
Gu Yun said, leading the women in the direction completely opposite to Xuanji.
...
Great Emperor Xuanji didn't know yet that he had designed a perfect trap for someone who didn't even exist. He was still thinking viciously in his heart.
"You like following me, right..."
"This time, I'll let you follow to your heart's content!"
Soon, he arrived at the entrance of a secret chamber and stopped.
He reached out and gently pressed against the door of the secret chamber, a bit of perception seeping out to sense the changes inside.
There was indeed a treasure inside the secret chamber, a Heart-Protecting Mirror at the High-Grade Emperor Weapon level.
However, the array guarding this mirror was a peerless killing array he had meticulously laid out. Under the restrictions of the All Beings Are Equal formation, it could barely erupt with a powerful attack comparable to a First Tribulation Great Emperor.
No matter how deep that man's foundation was, if he was hit by this attack, he would definitely suffer more than he could handle!
His body trembled slightly with excitement.
He carefully sensed everything inside, waiting for the prey.
Right at this moment, he suddenly sensed some fluctuations in the array inside, which made him overjoyed: "It's a success!!"
Great Emperor Xuanji's heartbeat accelerated sharply, almost jumping out of his throat.
He held his breath, staring intently at the door. His finger was already on the restriction of the door, ready to push it open and enter at any moment.
He imagined the scene inside—the image of that bastard being shredded by the killing array, flesh and blood flying, and screams following one after another.
He had even thought of the sarcastic remarks he would say.
"Young man, this is the price of greed."
He rehearsed silently in his heart, a cruel smile unconsciously curling at his lips.
However—
A soft sound came from inside the door, followed by dead silence.
Great Emperor Xuanji waited for a moment, his brow gradually furrowing.
He knew the power of that killing array very well, but given those people's strength, they shouldn't have been killed instantly.
"Could it be that my array is actually even stronger than I imagined?"
Separated by a wall, he ultimately couldn't see clearly.
Great Emperor Xuanji impatiently pushed the door open and entered: "Hahaha, kid, now you know how powerful I am!"
"In this place, I am the master!!"
Before his voice could fade, there was dead silence.
There were indeed several corpses lying haphazardly on the ground, but they were not Gu Yun and the others at all.
His killing array had actually only killed these few insignificant people?
A huge sense of shame surged into his heart.
He was like a clown, performing hard on a stage he built himself, but there was no one in the audience.
"Aaaaaah—!!!"
"Damned bastard!!"
Great Emperor Xuanji flew into a rage, but it seemed his voice triggered the second layer of the array.
The bodies of the dead cultivators suddenly exploded, and countless drops of blood turned into blood arrows, shooting directly at Great Emperor Xuanji's body.
Caught off guard, the already heavily injured Child of Destiny's situation worsened further.
Boom!
His massive body crashed to the ground; he could barely even move.
"No... this is impossible..."
On the wall, blood splattered, leaving behind a line of characters.
"Xuanji's clever schemes may settle the world, but he loses his treasures and his soldiers too.
//785//
Chapter 785: The Snipe and the Clam Fight
[Ding! Host forced the Child of Destiny Qiu Jiugong to be severely injured again, driven to a dead end, and seized countless opportunities from him. Qiu Jiugong's destiny value has decreased by 5000 points.]
[Ding! Child of Destiny Qiu Jiugong's mental state has exploded. Rewarding 10,000 villain value points.]
As the system notification rang in his ears, a smile couldn't help but curl on Gu Yun's lips.
Beside him, Snow Thousand Years was somewhat puzzled: "Why is Your Highness laughing?"
"With a beauty by my side, I feel refreshed and happy. Naturally, I should smile often."
Gu Yun pulled her into his arms and whispered in her ear, giving her cheek a light peck while he was at it.
Snow Thousand Years's ears turned crimson. She struggled twice but didn't truly resist.
She had waited for this moment for a long time. Having finally achieved her wish, she even wanted to spend some quality time alone with Gu Yun, the two of them being free and unconstrained.
Xu Lingwei pretended not to see, her gaze wandering aimlessly.
Moon Dance covered her mouth and giggled, skipping forward: "Brother Yun, Brother Yun, in your eyes, is Sister Millennium the only beauty?"
Gu Yun picked her up and kissed her cute little face: "Of course not, my Xiao Wu is also a beauty."
"Pah!"
Flame Princess spat inwardly and turned her head away.
Looking into the distance, her brows suddenly furrowed: "Someone is fighting."
Gu Yun paused, his divine sense spreading out.
At the end of the passage was a spacious hall.
In the center of the hall, two figures were indeed engaged in a fierce battle.
One was brilliant with golden light and flowing holy radiance—it was the Holy Light Son.
The other was in snow-white clothes, surrounded by a misty cold aura—it was Luo Shui Xian.
Both were currently using their supreme emperor weapons. The Holy Light Son held a Golden Scepter; with every swing, holy light condensed into swords, slashing toward Luo Shui Xian in an overwhelming manner.
Luo Shui Xian sacrificed an ice-blue token. As the token spun, countless ice shards shot out like a rainstorm, colliding with the holy light swords and erupting in deafening roars.
Although their cultivation was suppressed to the Quasi-Emperor Ninth Layer, the intensity of their battle was not at all inferior to that of a Great Emperor expert.
Every collision made the hall tremble, and every clash distorted the void.
"Holy Light Son, withdraw now, and I may let bygones be bygones."
Luo Shui Xian's voice was as cold as frost.
"Goddess Luo has quite the tone. Treasures here belong to the capable. Do you think putting on that high-and-mighty act will scare me away?"
The Holy Light Son sneered, waving his scepter. Sword shadows condensed from holy light filled the air, as if trying to purify the entire hall.
Luo Shui Xian raised her hand, and the ice soul token spun incessantly in her palm. With every rotation, countless ice shards shot out, completely blocking the Holy Light Son's path of attack.
"The power of a supreme emperor weapon is indeed troublesome."
"But... you can't stop me!"
Saying this, the Holy Light Son raised the scepter high. Holy light condensed into a golden sun at the tip, and the entire hall seemed to be coated in a layer of golden brilliance.
The blazing sun shone in the sky, blotting out the heavens and the sun.
Luo Shui Xian looked up, her cold eyes still showing no emotion. She simply tossed the ice soul token lightly; it suspended above her head and transformed into a massive Ice Mirror.
The blazing sun was reflected in the Ice Mirror, and the world beneath the mirror seemed to be frozen.
"Break!"
Luo Shui Xian's vermilion lips parted slightly.
From within the Ice Mirror, a cold light shot out in an instant, crashing violently into the blazing sun.
Boom—
A thunderous roar shook the heavens as the golden and ice-blue lights exploded, turning into countless fragments that splashed in all directions.
Deep cracks were carved into the walls of the hall, and the stone slabs on the floor were flipped over, revealing ancient Formation Patterns beneath.
The Holy Light Son retreated three steps, a trace of blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.
He raised his hand to wipe it away, a look of gravity flashing in his eyes: "The power of the Ice Mirror is indeed well-deserved."
That strange little token actually had a myriad of forms.
Having transformed into a mirror now, it actually reflected his attack right back at him.
Luo Shui Xian didn't answer. Her face had also turned slightly pale; clearly, that strike had taken a significant toll on her.
The two glanced at each other and simultaneously activated their supreme emperor weapons, preparing to launch their final attacks.
At this point, what they were competing in was reaction time and casting speed.
Endless spiritual power converged toward the two like a vortex.
At this moment, the two supreme emperor weapons also unleashed peerless divine power. For a time, ice and fire intertwined within the hall.
Both sides' offensives came wave after wave, neither yielding an inch.
Golden and ice-blue lights intertwined, tore at each other, and annihilated at the point of impact, erupting in blinding radiance.
The entire hall shook violently. Cracks on the walls spread like spiderwebs, and rubble constantly fell from the vaulted ceiling.
Both were persevering, both were being drained.
The Holy Light Son's originally composed expression became somewhat stiff. Luo Shui Xian had also reached her limit; her hands were trembling, and the frost at the corners of her eyes and brows had already spread to her hair.
Just as both were giving their all and had no time to spare for anything else—
Swish, swish, swish.
Two black-robed figures suddenly flashed into existence within the hall.
Both of their auras were extremely fierce and overbearing as they attacked toward the positions of the Holy Light Son and Luo Shui Xian.
"Who is it?!!"
The Holy Light Son's pupils constricted. He could feel the fierce wind attacking from behind, but he simply didn't have time to turn around.
A black shadow slammed heavily into his back. The power was astonishingly great, definitely not something a Quasi-Emperor Ninth Layer should possess.
He felt a numbness in his back, followed by a surge of sharp pain spreading from his spine throughout his body. It was as if he had been run over by a mountain. He spat out blood and fell forward.
Luo Shui Xian was not spared either.
The black shadow attacked from the side. Taking advantage of the gap while she was still casting her technique and unable to attend to anything else, he struck her shoulder with a palm.
The palm force was sinister and cunning, penetrating her protective cold aura and striking her meridians directly.
She groaned, flying sideways and crashing into the wall, blood overflowing from her mouth.
The ice soul token lost control and fell from the air, making a crisp sound.
Smoke and dust filled the air, and rubble flew everywhere.
The figures of Long Yuan and Dragon Splendor floated in mid-air, a faint smile curling on their lips: "Human prodigies?"
"Nothing more than this!"