Chapter 44: Sixth Senior Brother, Stop!

A group of disciples attempting to defeat a Nascent Soul stage cultivator had no chance of winning. It was like throwing eggs at a rock. However, if their goal was merely to buy time, it wasn’t impossible.

— Tonight, the ceremony is over.

There were two conditions for mission failure.

In other words, as long as either condition was broken, the mission wouldn’t be considered a failure.

At the moment dawn broke, everything around them vanished like smoke—every blade of grass, tree, stone, and flower. Even the hundreds of guests below the stage and Master Wang’s heavy-handed attack aimed at Chu Sang dissipated into nothingness.

Everyone lowered their weapons. An ancient door appeared floating in mid-air before their eyes, causing them to unconsciously hold their breath.

Pushing open the door, they entered another world.

This time, Chu Sang was fortunate. Mu Chihuai was nearby.

As she tried to stand, supporting herself with her hands, she let out a soft hiss. A sharp, indescribable pain flared in her shoulder—an unfortunate injury from battling Master Wang in the previous illusion.

“Injured?” Mu Chihuai frowned slightly, approaching to crouch beside her. He took out bandages and medicine he carried, quickly dressed her wound, and handed her a large bottle of healing pills.

He sighed inwardly. Since his little junior sister’s arrival, over half the poisonous concoctions in his jade ring had been replaced with healing medicines.

His once-neglected pill refining skills for healing pills had skyrocketed.

“Thanks, Sixth Senior Brother.”

Chu Sang waved her hand, flashing him a playful smile. “It doesn’t hurt at all now!” How convenient, she thought, to have a protective senior brother around.

The second layer of the illusion realm seemed ordinary. Chu Sang scanned the darkened mountain forest, extending her spiritual senses over several miles. She detected few traces of demon beasts, and those present were only low-tier, first or second rank beasts with limited attack power.

She wondered how Seventh Senior Brother and Fourth Senior Sister were faring.

They needed to regroup soon.

As the two walked under the moonlight, they heard a faint cry for help.

Reluctant to invite unnecessary trouble, they hurried forward, heads down.

Soon after, the faint, sorrowful plea echoed again.

No matter how far they walked, the voice followed like a shadow.

Finally, they covered their ears. After a few more steps, they spotted a figure lying on the ground a few metres ahead.

Now, avoiding it was impossible.

Chu Sang and Mu Chihuai exchanged a glance, speechless.

“Is this some kind of ‘Red Boy’ injury-faking scam?”

“Senior Brother, let’s go!” Chu Sang closed her eyes, grabbed Mu Chihuai, and attempted to step over the “corpse.”

The “corpse” could no longer hold back. He coughed violently and clung to her leg, his pale, thin arm gripping her waist tightly. “Cough… Miss, Young Master, please save me, cough, cough…”

Chu Sang said firmly, “Let go.”

But the man held on tighter, looking up at her. His dishevelled hair covered his face, revealing only glimpses of features mixed with dirt and blood, looking extremely miserable. His pitiful state exuded a sense of helpless vulnerability. “Miss, Young Master, please save me. You both look like kind-hearted people… good people…”

Mu Chihuai sneered, “Are you blind?”

“He says we’re good people!” Chu Sang, seemingly touched, covered his hand with her own. “You have great eyesight. Sixth Senior Brother, let’s save him!”

Mu Chihuai hesitated, glancing back at her, wondering if his junior sister had gone mad.

A blood-covered man mysteriously appearing in the forest at night, desperately clinging to them—this was clearly a trap!

Wasn’t his little junior sister supposed to be quick-witted? Why was she so eager to jump into this pit?

She turned to him, blinking cutely. “Sixth Senior Brother, he called us good people. When you see someone in need, you should lend a helping hand, right?”

“Why don’t you use your medicine to heal him?”

Mu Chihuai’s gaze lingered on her face for a moment. Suddenly, he smiled and said, “Alright.”

Mu Chihuai’s skills were, of course, beyond question. The man passed out shortly after. They dragged him into a nearby cave.

Chu Sang even cast a cleansing spell on him, revealing his true appearance.

The man had jet-black hair and wore white robes. His face was pale but enchanting, not at all like an ordinary person. Even while unconscious, he clutched at Chu Sang’s sleeve, whimpering softly. He looked—

“Utterly shameless.”

Mu Chihuai found the man incredibly annoying. Not only had he appeared out of nowhere, but his foxy, seductive face made it seem as if he was here to lure someone in.

He worried his junior sister might be attracted to this face. What if she got tricked by this fox spirit?

“Sixth Senior Brother, he’s not as handsome as you,” Chu Sang whispered.

Leaving aside how effeminate the man’s face was, purely in terms of appearance, he couldn’t compare to her sixth senior brother.

That deliberate seductive charm was nowhere near as captivating as the natural allure in her senior brother’s phoenix eyes.

Mu Chihuai tilted his chin slightly. “Of course, this young master is naturally superior.” As if some wild fox spirit picked up on the roadside could compare!

Mu Chihuai’s words turned out to be prophetic. The man really was a fox spirit.

In the literal sense.

Xiao Bai was highly sensitive to various auras, including those of demon beasts.

This man was indeed a fox demon who had cultivated for hundreds of years, reaching the Nascent Soul stage. His injuries were real, but he was most adept at seducing humans and feeding on their essence and blood.

“Thank you both for your help. My humble home is nearby. Why not come by for a meal? I’ll prepare some food to thank my two benefactors… cough, cough…” The man awoke shortly after, his pale face now tinged with some colour. He looked at them gratefully and struggled to stand.

“You’re too kind. Your injuries are severe. How could we trouble you further? Let us escort you back instead!” Chu Sang said gently, supporting him with such warmth and care that it seemed to move him even more.

Inwardly, however, the fox demon thought smugly: These humans are so naive and easily deceived. He had been injured by enemies, his demonic energy plummeting, and had fallen into this forest. Unexpectedly, he encountered two rather skilled cultivators.

If he could just lure them to his lair and devour them, his injuries would recover by at least eighty or ninety percent!

The deeper they ventured into the forest, the farther they got from the city. The three of them were almost at the innermost part of the woods.

“Brother, are we going the wrong way? This doesn’t seem like the road to the city,” Chu Sang inquired.

The slender man in white ahead stopped in his tracks. “No, we’re on the right path. It’s just here.”

His voice, once soft and pleasant, had become sharp and eerie. An icy wind howled around them, causing his long black hair to dance wildly in the air.

The man suddenly turned around. His once seductive face twisted into a demonic form. His body swelled, and his robes shredded as he transformed into a massive, tailless white fox.

Saliva dripped from his sharp fangs as his hideous, distorted face no longer bore any resemblance to the gentle figure from before. “If I devour you both, my demonic power will surge tremendously!”

“Truly an ungrateful beast. Since that’s how it is, there’s no need to keep you alive.” Mu Chihuai sneered.

In the next instant, the fierce fox demon suddenly convulsed. Black blood began pouring from its eyes, ears, and mouth. Before it could even scream, it collapsed to the ground, its muscles twitching before it stopped moving entirely.

Moments later, the fox’s body deflated like a punctured balloon, and a swarm of tiny black insects crawled out of it.

The black insects immediately began devouring each other.

Until only one thumb-sized insect remained.

This was the complete process of raising a Gu: parasitism, feeding, transformation, devouring, and selecting the king.

Chu Sang watched as Mu Chihuai, eyes filled with a smile, squatted down and extended his hand. The black insect crawled up his slender, translucent fingers, then disappeared into the small ceramic jar he carried. He murmured, “Another obedient one. Wonderful~”

Chu Sang shivered, rubbing her arms. She thought to herself that if there was anyone not to provoke, it was Sixth Senior Brother. He had even managed to bring down a Nascent Soul-level demon beast when the opportunity arose.

When treating the demon beast’s wounds earlier, Mu Chihuai had made some preparations. The moment the fox demon betrayed them, he could instantly activate the Gu worm that had infiltrated its vital meridians.

“Do you like it? I’ll give you one.” Noticing her staring at the jar, Mu Chihuai picked out a green, slimy, caterpillar-like Gu worm, offering it to her. The worm shyly wiggled its round body toward her.

“…Stay away from me!”

Mu Chihuai reluctantly put the worm back into the jar, looking a bit disappointed. “But it’s really docile. It never bites people randomly.”

“Then what does it eat when it’s hungry?”

“People, of course.”

“…Sixth Senior Brother, I think we need to maintain a safe distance for the rest of our journey.”

After the demon beast died, its body vanished like smoke, and a golden token flew out.

Chu Sang caught the golden token, guessing it must be related to the exit of the second layer of the secret realm.

She flew up high and discovered a small round tower in the deepest part of the forest that seemed out of place.

Flying over, she found ten notched slots around the pointed tower. The shape of each slot matched the golden token in her hand perfectly.

She experimentally placed the token in one of the slots. Instantly, the surrounding aura changed. Chu Sang reacted quickly, hurriedly retrieving the token. She descended and explained to Mu Chihuai, “I understand now. This golden token is the key to the second layer of the illusion. As long as we have the key, we can enter the next layer.”

“But there are only ten keys, which means only ten people can pass through to the next layer.”

“The keys are distributed throughout this forest. They might be hidden in some unknown corner, or in the belly of a demon beast… We’ll have to search for them ourselves.”

“We must find as many keys as possible before the other sects, otherwise we’ll lose our chance to enter the next layer if they get there first.”

…

Meanwhile, battles raged fiercely in other parts of the forest.

Many disciples gradually realised what was going on. Tantai Ming was particularly unlucky, happening to fall into the same area as Qin Xixue.

He had just slain a Scarlet Flame Lion King with his sword when Qin Xixue rushed over, her sword raised, intent on fighting for the token that had appeared.

Although Tantai Ming was at the Golden Core stage, born with an innate spirit body, and a skilled sword cultivator, he didn’t have the upper hand. Several onlooking sect disciples discussed among themselves.

“Qin Xixue truly lives up to her reputation as a genius disciple from Tianyan Sect in recent years. Although she can’t compare to Mo Qingchen from before, her strength is quite impressive. She can fight evenly with someone at the early Golden Core stage while only being at the late Foundation Establishment stage herself. That’s truly remarkable!”

However, a sword cultivator who could see through the situation didn’t agree and retorted, “The two sides seem evenly matched, but if you only look at sword techniques, the male cultivator next to her is several times stronger. His sword moves are fluid yet domineering, not at all inferior to those few personal disciples of our Myriad Swords Sect.”

“This Qin Xixue may have a reputation as a genius that has spread far and wide, but as fellow sword cultivators, her sword techniques are indeed quite poor. She can’t even compare to some of the more diligent outer disciples in our sect.”

“The reason she can maintain an even battle with someone at the early Golden Core stage isn’t because of her amateur sword skills.” The person continued, “Haven’t you noticed? In just this short time, she’s already taken out no less than three different spiritual tools.”

“Even the personal disciples of the Eight Immortal Sects shouldn’t have so many spiritual tools, right?”

“Haha, I thought it was a duel between geniuses, but it turns out to be a one-sided display of wealth.”

Hearing these discussions around her, Qin Xixue’s face darkened even more. All the humiliation she had experienced so far was brought about by Chu Sang and these people from her new sect!

Perhaps out of resentment, she seized an opportunity and thrust her sword towards Tantai Ming’s chest. Her merciless technique made it clear to everyone that she intended to kill him.

Tantai Ming’s pupils contracted sharply as he hurriedly dodged, cursing under his breath, “You’re really going for it!”

He was also annoyed now. Originally, he didn’t want to be too harsh on a girl, so he hadn’t been using his full strength.

But this female cultivator had repeatedly refreshed his understanding, completely unlike Little Junior Sister and the others! Since she was trying to kill him, there was no need for him to hold back.

Unleashing a vast and fierce sword energy, Tantai Ming sent her flying with one sword strike.

He also retrieved the golden token.

“Are you alright, kid?” Mu Chihuai and Chu Sang had also arrived. Seeing Tantai Ming slightly injured, he tossed him a healing pill.

Mo Qingchen also arrived with several Tianyan Sect disciples. Some saw Qin Xixue lying on the ground in a sorry state and hurried to help her up, glaring angrily at Tantai Ming and his group.

Mo Qingchen didn’t react much; he also held a golden token in his hand.

Other sect disciples gradually arrived, some of them having obtained tokens as well.

…