ushernet Arc 15: Heavenly Secret Realm | Chapter 267: Fellow Disciples
Arc 15: Heavenly Secret Realm | Chapter 267: Fellow Disciples
Arc 15: Heavenly Secret Realm | Chapter 267: Fellow Disciples
Xu Ziqing had just thought of this when he took a step forward. The ground beneath his feet was a dead branch that, when scanned with his divine sense, had shown no anomalies. Even with his sharp sensitivity to wood energy as a wood-element cultivator, he had not detected anything unusual. But at that moment, someone grabbed his arm, pulling him back a step and causing him to bump into someone.
Xu Ziqing was startled. “Shixiong?” He knew that if there was no issue, his senior brother would not have acted this way.
Yun Lie’s voice came coldly, “Be careful.”
Xu Ziqing looked down and was shocked to find that the dead branch he had seen earlier had suddenly vanished.
This anomaly made his pupils contract, and he felt a surge of fear.
Taking a deep breath, Xu Ziqing calmed down. “What did Shixiong discover?” He asked, looking at Yun Lie with anticipation.
However, Yun Lie shook his head slightly. “Nothing.”
Xu Ziqing was taken aback. If nothing was discovered, then why... Indeed, although his senior brother had not noticed anything, his combat experience and premonition far surpassed his own. The slight sense of unease had led to this timely action, which had saved him.
At this moment, Yun Lie came closer and said, “Release Rongjin and bind us together.”
Xu Ziqing, feeling more cautious, complied and released a blood vine, first wrapping it around his own arm before extending it toward Yun Lie.
Yun Lie caught the vine with one hand and wrapped it around his left arm.
Now, bound together with Rongjin as a link, even if Xu Ziqing or Yun Lie encountered any trouble, Rongjin, being the source of Xu Ziqing’s innate divine power, would prevent them from separating easily, thus reducing many potential problems.
Xu Ziqing released the wood energy within him, testing it on the surrounding trees, but found that the feedback from the trees was exactly the same as ordinary trees—nothing strange or unusual, no apparent flaws.
However, the earlier dead branch had clearly indicated that this place was not simple... This made him uneasy.
If this place could deceive even their sixth senses, then it was likely that a formation was set up inside.
And this formation was bound to be extraordinary.
Xu Ziqing’s mind was troubled. Should he test things first or wait for the formation to act and then respond?
The former carried the risk of immediately facing an overwhelming attack, while the latter left everything to chance... Both options left him unsettled.
As Xu Ziqing was pondering, he suddenly felt a grip on his right arm.
“Shixiong?” Xu Ziqing turned his head.
Yun Lie said, “Fly low and walk the winds.”
Xu Ziqing nodded. Given their current situation, it was indeed best to avoid touching the ground.
However...
He glanced at his senior brother’s hand holding his own. The fingers were well-defined, long, and strong—hands of a sword cultivator, and the hands of someone he admired.
With a quick glance, Xu Ziqing resolved himself, gently sliding his arm to clasp Yun Lie’s hand, and said with a smile, “Shixiong, this makes things more convenient.”
Yun Lie, a man of integrity and purity, noticed Xu Ziqing’s warm smile, which seemed different from usual, and a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes. However, he did not find anything amiss and simply nodded in agreement.
Seeing his senior brother respond in this way, Xu Ziqing felt a sense of joy. Though their hearts were not yet fully connected, the affection he felt and the dangerous situation they were in made him sense a bond of life and death between them.
Even if there were great perils ahead, he could face them with a smile.
As they continued their journey, Yun Lie kept his gaze straight, and Xu Ziqing, influenced by his calm demeanor, became more perceptive while observing their surroundings.
The person calling for help was a tall, graceful young woman. She seemed to practice a vocal technique that allowed her voice to travel far, but her actions were swift. Her urgent call for help contrasted with her calm demeanor, making it seem somewhat out of place.
Upon seeing them, Xu Ziqing felt a good impression of these individuals.
The men and women seemed to have sharp senses. Even though the two brothers had not concealed their presence, the fighters, deeply immersed in battle, immediately sensed the arrival of Xu Ziqing and Yun Lie. They quickly assessed the situation during a brief pause.
Among them, a youthful-looking cultivator with a doll-like face was the weakest in power but had very agile movements. While he evaded and distracted the demon beast, he also directed his gaze towards the two newcomers. When he saw Xu Ziqing, he seemed somewhat disappointed, but upon seeing Yun Lie, he was first shocked and then immediately overjoyed.
“It’s Da Shixiong!”
The others quickly recognized him as well and were equally delighted.
The female cultivator spoke up first, “Da Shixiong, we are disciples of the Wuling Immortal Sect. Please help us!”
The other two also hurriedly added, “Please, Da Shixiong, lend us your aid!”
Xu Ziqing glanced at them and did not recognize these people. He remained cautious and asked, “Shixiong, do you know them?”
Yun Lie nodded slightly. “They are indeed fellow disciples.”
In that brief moment, Xu Ziqing’s thoughts raced.
He knew that no formation could create people they already recognized without having seen them before. Therefore, these individuals were either real cultivators who had also entered this formation or had previously entered and had their memories observed by the formation. In either case, since his senior brother had a recollection of them, they were certainly fellow disciples.
Since they were fellow disciples, he could not just stand by.
Even if it were a deception, only after rescuing them would they know the outcome.
Yun Lie’s expression remained unchanged, but his actions were swift.
The sixth-order demon beast was nothing to him. He immediately pointed with his fingers.
In an instant, a powerful sword qi shot forth, piercing through the demon beast’s head. The force of the attack was so great that even after the beast was dead, its corpse continued to be propelled backward until it crashed into a tree, where it finally fell. The tremendous impact also caused the tree to bend and topple.
Despite the demon beast’s death, the collision with the tree, and the tree’s fall, there were no other changes in the surroundings.
Xu Ziqing mused: Could this all be real? Or perhaps... the formation is so powerful that it doesn’t even react to such changes?
In past experiences with formations, even the most realistic ones would show some changes if things within them were destroyed, such as revealing a killing array, mechanisms, new paths, or even changes in the environment.
However, in this situation, Xu Ziqing felt at a loss.
The four cultivators, who had been frantically defending themselves against the sixth-tier demon beast and were awaiting death, were deeply shocked to see such a powerful beast killed with a single move by Yun Lie.
But they quickly composed themselves and approached, bowing as they introduced themselves: “Inner sect disciple Shen Yinglan—”
“Bu Luo—”
“Mu Yuanjun—”
“Geng Zheng—”
“Greetings, Da Shixiong!”
Translator: Lynn
Translations are not 100% correct. Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.
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