Chapter 18: The Key to Getting Out
However, when Su Huan entered the Spirit-Inhabited Immortal Palace, he discovered it had long since turned into ruins.
The glazed tiles on the roof were dilapidated, the jade walls were covered in a thick layer of moss, and the spiritual medicines in the garden were gone. Weeds grew everywhere. It looked abandoned for a long time, as if the Immortal Palace they had entered earlier was like a dream bubble, never having existed.
Searching inside and out, he saw no living things.
Su Huan was horrified and clueless. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed three sword marks in the corner of the wallâ
The marks were wide and short, shaped wide on the left and narrow on the right.
Among the people Su Huan knew, only Nangong Yiâs Silver Square Sword was a wide sword. This meant it was a clue left by Fellow Daoist Nangong.
Su Huan immediately chased toward the west.
Sure enough, after flying on his sword for less than half an hour, his extended spiritual sense discovered the unconscious Nangong Yi in a hidden cave.
Su Huan hurriedly fed him a Spirit-Restoring Pill. “Fellow Daoist Nangong, wake up!”
Countless stalactites hung straight down from the damp, cold cave roof. A drop of water fell along the stone pillar onto the closed eyelids. The raven-black lashes trembled abruptly, and the body with weak spiritual breath slowly absorbed the surrounding spiritual energy, gradually reviving.
Nangong Yi slowly opened his eyes. Seeing Su Huan, his expression showed surprise. “Fellow Daoist Su, why are you here?”
He paused, then asked, “Fellow Daoist Xiao… isn’t he with you?”
Meng Qinghui said Jiang Fei had seen Xiao Jianming take Su Huan away. Clearly, Nangong Yi knew about this too, but the look on his face suggested he didn’t believe Su Huan was a co-conspirator.
Su Huan lowered his eyes and shook his head, feeling ashamed of this trust from Fellow Daoist Nangong.
Nangong Yi nodded and asked no more. He was always considerate like this, truly worthy of the praise “having not experienced many hardships, yet pitying the suffering of the common people.”
Su Huan said, “He is dead.”
Nangong Yi was slightly surprised. Su Huan turned his head to avoid his gaze, not wishing to say more.
Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Parent, Teacherâkilling a fellow disciple was not a good thing.
However, in the next second, a voice suddenly came from behindâ
“Is that how you talk about me outside?”
Su Huan turned back in shock.
The vines covering the cave entrance were brushed aside, allowing some light to spill into the dim cave. A figure stood at the entrance holding a sword, those black eyes staring unblinkingly at Su Huan like a venomous snake hiding in the dark, making one shudder.
It was precisely Xiao Jianming, whom Su Huan thought he had trapped underground with the array.
Xiao Jianming sneered. “Did you think that with your scant spiritual energyânot even a full Golden Coreâyou could kill me? You flatter yourself too much.”
Nangong Yiâs eyes sharpened. He gripped his Silver Square Sword and shielded Su Huan behind him.
Xiao Jianming paused his steps into the cave, glancing at him casually before turning his gaze to Su Huan. A hint of mockery appeared in his eyes as he said to Su Huan, “Why so nervous? I won’t kill you. You make me look like some villain breaking up a couple.”
But remembering the discomfort of being trapped underground earlier, Xiao Jianmingâs eyes grew cold. Still, he wouldn’t try to kill Su Huan again. After all, this person was now tied to the same rope as him, and his soul was too fragile, like a thin sheet of paper that would tear to shreds with the slightest external force.
However, verbally threatening him to make him behave was acceptable. “But murdering a fellow disciple is a grave crime. Light punishment involves expulsion from the sect; heavy punishment involves crippling cultivation and being thrown into the Cold Pool Sin Prison to suffer cold torture forever…”
Seeing their shoulders touching, Xiao Jianming inexplicably found it an eyesore, so he changed his tune. “But if you come over obediently, I might consider a lighter punishment.”
Nangong Yi looked even more guarded.
Su Huan found his thick skin incredible. “You betrayed the sect and colluded with demons! I should be cleaning up the sect for the Sword Venerable. What crime is there?!”
Xiao Jianming raised an eyebrow. “Who said I betrayed the sect?”
Seeming to remember Su Huanâs accusation only now, Xiao Jianming raised his brow to explain, “Although I saved Yin Rong and indeed want to provoke an Immortal-Demon War, the one who truly betrayed the Immortal Sects and trapped you here is not me.”
Nangong Yi didn’t believe a word of it. His sword remained steady, the tip pointing straight at Xiao Jianming.
Su Huan believed it. Xiao Jianming had no need to weave lies about such things, and furthermore, these words didn’t sound like a lie.
However, the spiritual seal at his fingertips didn’t vanish. He thought to himself, Even so, he is not a good person.
Xiao Jianming didn’t care. Seeming to think of something, the little anger on his face vanished completely. He said grumpily, “Don’t blame me for not warning you. You only have half a Golden Core now. Are you really going to risk your life at the Spirit-Inhabited Immortal Palace for these irrelevant people?”
Hearing this, Nangong Yiâs eyes froze slightly, and he couldn’t help but look at Su Huan. “Fellow Daoist Su, why do you…”
Halfway through, seemingly thinking of something, he involuntarily glanced at Xiao Jianming not far away and asked softly, “Did he do something to you? Don’t be afraid, I won’t let him hurt you again.”
Su Huan was moved, but Xiao Jianming laughed in anger. “I hurt him? It was clearly he himself who didn’t cherish it and cut out half his Golden Core to extend the life of that brother of his who popped out of nowhere.”
As he spoke, a wisp of spiritual energy flowed from his fingertip toward Su Huan, hooking out a golden spiritual energy that intertwined with the blue spiritual energy, entangled inextricably.
He said, “Not only did I not hurt him, I saved his life.”
Nangong Yi was momentarily astonished. “This! So the two of you are actually Dao Companions!”
“Absolutely not!”
“Who is a couple with him?”
Both denied it simultaneously, showing quite the tacit understanding.
The cave fell into silence for a moment.
After a while, Su Huan said, “Little Zhao is not some random person. He is my biological younger brother from the same mother, the person closest to me in this world.”
Xiao Jianming: “…” How did I not know that the only son of the Liujin Su family had a younger brother?
Sneering inwardly, he thought he would wait and see if Su Huan would regret this scene enough to bang his head against the wall after regaining his memories.
Xiao Jianming gave a cold snort, deciding not to lower himself to the level of a fool, and finally stated his purpose. “Whatever you are going to do, I am going too.”
Since the Immortal-Demon War was a foregone conclusion, it didn’t matter what the fool did, as long as he stayed alive until the illusion was broken.
Moreover, if he forcibly locked the person up, the fool might die even faster.
In that case, he might as well join in.
Su Huan and Nangong Yi exchanged a glance, their eyes shifting slightly before nodding lightly.
Seeing this, Xiao Jianming relaxed his posture and turned to exit the cave.
Unexpectedly, the moment the two exited the cave, they ditched him and ran.
It turned out that Su Huan had just transmitted a message to Nangong Yi: Fellow Daoist, I don’t trust him.
Nangong Yi transmitted back: Fellow Daoist Su, previously at the Spirit-Inhabited Immortal Palace, we encountered a fruit spirit with Divinity Transformation cultivation. I discovered the Spirit Key to get out on that fruit spirit, but it was delirious and difficult to communicate with… During the fight, I placed a tracking talisman on it. There is a Thousand-Mile Teleportation Talisman in the sachet at my waist; with the tracking talisman, we can track to its vicinity. Is Fellow Daoist Su willing to go with me to get the Spirit Key?
He paused, then added: This trip is dangerous. Fellow Daoist Su, consider carefully.
Su Huan had been entrusted by Meng Qinghui to find that fruit spirit, so naturally, he agreed.
Watching their figures disappear into the spiritual vortex, Xiao Jianming gritted his teeth. “Good! Very good!”
…
After a dizzying spell, the two returned to the Spirit-Inhabited Immortal Palace, which remained desolate as seen before.
Nangong Yi explained to Su Huan, “The magnificent appearance of the Immortal Palace earlier was transformed by that fruit spirit consuming its own spiritual energy. The vine burned to death by Fellow Daoist Qi was also one of its leaves. After it was startled awake, the Immortal Palace turned into this.”
Su Huan: “So that’s how it is. Seeing that spiritual medicines have grown in the garden inside the gate again, that fruit spirit must have returned to the Immortal Palace.”
The moss on the vermilion gate faded, restoring its luster. Half-open and half-closed, it was entwined with new vines.
It seemed that fruit spirit had fallen asleep again, which was to their advantage.
Su Huan: “I will set up a Golden Dragon Array near the Immortal Palace later. It can temporarily imprison a Divinity Transformation cultivator for about a quarter of an hour. Fellow Daoist Nangong can take the opportunity to retrieve the key.”
Nangong Yi was slightly surprised, his eyes lighting up. “I have heard of this array. It was created by Immortal Venerable Feng Qing ten thousand years ago. It is exquisite and difficult to solve, and few have learned it. I didn’t expect Fellow Daoist Su to know this as well. You are truly knowledgeable and talented.”
Su Huan smiled. Another figure who loved to praise others surfaced in his mind, but hearing no mention of him from Nangong Yi, he couldn’t help asking, “By the way, where is Jiusi? Did he get separated from you?”
At the mention of this, Nangong Yi looked lost and mournful, his voice hoarse. “To cover everyone’s escape, he was pierced through the chest by the fruit spirit’s branches… He died in the Spirit-Inhabited Immortal Palace.”
Su Huan was astonished. “My condolences.”
Nangong Yi smiled, looking at the Immortal Palace with determined eyes. “If there is a chance, I will kill that fruit spirit and avenge him.”
“When the time comes, if I cannot control the fruit spirit, Fellow Daoist Su need not worry about me. Just leave first.”
Su Huan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but he couldn’t die here.
After a long while, he managed to utter a difficult word: “Okay.”
Su Huan had studied the Golden Dragon Array carefully before, so it took only an hour to set it up.
Silently swallowing the taste of blood rising in his throat, Su Huan nodded to Nangong Yi.
Nangong Yi stood before the palace gate. Upon receiving the signal, he drew his Silver Square Sword.
The sword tip flashed with a faint light, suddenly transforming into a frost flood dragon that rushed into the Immortal Palace, shaking the entire structure and freezing half the palace.
The eerie crying appeared again. The palace shook more violently, and the crying became sharper and louder.
A streak of green light rushed out of the palace. Su Huan finally saw the full appearance of the fruit spirit.
It was a perfectly round, emerald-green fruit. Its branches and leaves turned into four limbs. In the middle of its round body grew two mung-bean-sized eyes and a bloody, gaping mouth. Tied around its round belly was a red string, from which hung a translucent green square block. Its body bore gold and green tattoos that faintly glowed.
Su Huan was astonished. He looked again. The gold and green tattoos on this fruit spirit looked suspiciously like the cloud patterns generated on pills… This wasn’t a fruit spirit at all; it was clearly a pill that had gained sentience!
A pill could actually gain sentience?!
Su Huan thought of the pills he had eaten before and couldn’t help but shudder.
This fruit spirit… Pill Spirit opened its large mouth to cry, emitting thousands of voices like thousands of monsters, momentarily shocking Su Huan until he bled from his seven orifices. He hurriedly transmitted to Nangong Yi: Fellow Daoist Nangong, this isn’t a fruit spirit, but a pill covered in moss! The pill fragrance on its body is poisonous. Daoist, be careful!
Nangong Yiâs expression turned solemn, and he sealed his sense of smell.
The monster looked angry. The moment it stepped out of the Immortal Palace, golden light appeared on the ground, shooting into the sky to form a giant golden cage. Shaped like a birdcage, the thick pillars branched out into golden chains that bound the Pill Spirit like a dumpling.
The Golden Dragon Array was originally an array used by Immortal Venerable Feng Qing to capture Wood-attribute Spirit Dragons. Because it was shaped like a birdcage and used for catching dragons, it got this name.
Once locked on, the golden cage would not dissolve unless the array dissipated.
The Pill Spirit was indeed delirious as Nangong Yi had said. Even after being locked up, it still roared, trying to move toward Nangong Yi.
Nangong Yi was not restricted by the array. Holding his sword, he walked into the cage. The Pill Spirit immediately howled even harder, staring unblinkingly at his figure and struggling violently.
With a sword strike, Nangong Yi cut the small square block off the red string and threw it to Su Huan. “Catch! This is the Spirit Key to get out!”
Su Huan flew up to catch it, but unexpectedly, he collided with a black shadow. That person snatched the key one step ahead of him!
The person landed and turned around, the red string wrapped around his finger. The spiritually charged small square block rested in his palm, swaying slightly, revealing a face familiar in the extreme.
It was actually Xiao Jianming!
How did he manage to find them so quickly?!
Su Huan showed a look of astonishment, only to hear Xiao Jianming laugh maliciously, as if returning to five years ago.
He involuntarily took a step back.
Xiao Jianming extended his other hand and waved it. It was another identical key!
He spoke leisurely, “Now both keys are with me. If you want to get out…”
“Beg me.”
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