Chapter 153: The Shadow of Death Descends

Soon, they arrived in front of the second palace.

The main gate stood wide open as well. Although no sound came from within, the man, the cultivator, and the beast all guessed that someone must be inside.

Upon entering, they noticed no traces of restrictive arrays or formations.

However, after advancing for only a short while, the two cultivators and the beast felt an uncomfortable sensation rippling through their bodies. Their skin began to burn with a fiery pain, which was swiftly followed by massive areas festering and rotting away!

"Let's go! The one inside is definitely that venomous creature, Xue Fenglou!"

Wushi Daolang shouted angrily and charged outward.

As he sprinted, he fished out a detoxifying pill and swallowed it.

Fang Junmei did the same.

Before long, the man, the cultivator, and the beast exited the hall and retreated a considerable distance away. Clearly, Wushi Daolang’s detoxifying pill was of mediocre quality; even after taking it, the festering of his skin continued unabated.

"Use mine."

Fang Junmei hurriedly shoved his own medicinal bottle into the other man's hands.

His pills were a gift from Song Shede, and Song Shede’s master, the "Medicine Sword Immortal" Chunyu Qian, was the most accomplished alchemist in the Great River Country. Having dealt with the cultivators of the Myriad Barbarian Mountains in his youth, the pills he refined were undoubtedly of the absolute highest grade.

After the two cultivators and the beast swallowed the new detoxifying pills, the fiery burning pain on their skin finally subsided, and the spreading rot gradually halted.

Finding a secluded ruin, the two cultivators and the beast immediately channeled their spiritual Qi to force out the poison they had inadvertently inhaled.

Expelling the toxins took more than two full hours before they finally succeeded.

Although the poison was driven out, the festering skin on their bodies could not heal instantly. It was mottled with red, purple, and black patches, making them look utterly wretched.

"That fellow Xue Fenglou is truly insidious. Sooner or later, I'm going to slaughter this bastard!"

Wushi Daolang remained consumed by lingering hatred.

Cold flashes flickered in Fang Junmei’s eyes as well, but for the moment, he had no choice but to endure.

"Do we still have the courage to check the remaining two locations and see who is inside?"

Fang Junmei asked.

Wushi Daolang laughed heartily. "My courage hasn't been frightened out of me yet. How could I be reconciled without going in to take a look? If no one is there, the opportunities inside belong entirely to the three of us!"

Lightning, however, dropped its head, radiating an aura of complete disinterest.

Fang Junmei and Wushi Daolang exchanged a glance. They stood up, flanking the beast from left and right, and grabbed its horse ears. "No slacking off! Let's go!"

The two cultivators and the beast set off once more.

...

"Those who pursue shall die!"

A massive stone stood erect not far behind the third threshold. Four large characters seemed to have been slashed onto the stone with a sword. The handwriting was bold and domineering, to say nothing of the tyrannical intent contained within those four strokes.

At a glance, nothing unusual could be seen.

It was as if the cultivator who had entered before them had left those four characters specifically to deter anyone trailing closely behind.

"This fellow is extraordinarily arrogant. Does he really think he can scare us off with just four words?"

Wushi Daolang let out a cold snort.

"It's Long Jinyi. I've seen his handwriting before."

Fang Junmei said, his expression turning slightly complicated. Long Jinyi had indeed come here.

"Isn't he a traitor to your Taoyuan Sword Sect? Junmei, since he's so arrogant and conceited, should we just kill him?"

Wushi Daolang showed no great astonishment.

Fang Junmei gave a bitter smile. "He should have already reached the realm of Sword Dao Blood-Shedding, and coupled with his late Dao Foundation stage cultivation, even with Lightning's assistance, we wouldn't be able to kill him."

Regarding the hidden hardships and complex circumstances behind Long Jinyi's actions, Fang Junmei said nothing.

Hearing this, Wushi Daolang pondered for a moment, nodded gloomily, and said, "First him, and now Gu Xiujin. I often think my own talent and potential are already exceptionally high, yet the world of cultivation actually holds two such figures—and now I have to add you to the list!"

At this, he glanced at Fang Junmei, then looked at Lightning. "And this creature Lightning as well. Where on earth did all of you spring from?"

The cultivator and the beast both shot him identical, faintly smiling looks.

"Let's move. To the final location."

Fang Junmei turned away once again. Long Jinyi, currently inside, would certainly never accept his help.

...

Soon enough, they arrived at the fourth location and stepped through the threshold.

This time, it was finally the turn of an array formation.

Five high-grade magical treasure battle banners were clearly arranged in the sky ahead, flashing with disparate lights in a five-directional formation.

"Which sect's fellow is this? What a lavish display!"

Wushi Daolang was already depressed to the extreme. After finishing his sentence, he added, "I'm afraid we two are the only fools who entered that teleportation array without making any preparations whatsoever."

Fang Junmei smiled faintly and said, "It's not that we're fools; it's simply that we had no idea where we would be sent. By now, I can almost be certain that everyone who entered these four places received special care from the elders of their respective sects. Their elders must have entered this place in the past, managed to survive, and specifically instructed these four to come here this time."

Wushi Daolang thought it over and nodded in agreement.

"What is Xue Fenglou's character like?"

Fang Junmei abruptly shifted the topic.

Wushi Daolang was startled for a moment before speaking with utter disdain, "As the senior martial brother of the Myriad Barbarian Mountains of this generation, what kind of good stuff could he possibly be? I've heard of several tragic incidents in mortal kingdoms that were connected to him. However, because he is protected by his sect, the cultivators of the righteous path, despite their indignation, can do nothing to him. Once he grows up, he will undoubtedly become an old demon king."

Fang Junmei nodded slightly.

After a brief internal contemplation, a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes. "Let's go. We'll lie in wait at that doorway and slaughter him the moment he comes out! Lightning, give me your absolute utmost focus; don't miss the opportunity the second he emerges."

Lightning also held a grudge and nodded heavily at these words.

Wushi Daolang was naturally a daring troublemaker who feared nothing in the world. Furthermore, having just suffered from Xue Fenglou's poison, hearing this plan made his brows twitch with excitement.

"Let's go!"

With a low shout, the two cultivators and the beast took flight once more.

Arriving outside the second gate, the white horse stared fixedly ahead while Fang Junmei and Wushi Daolang both drew their swords and sabers.

...

The central region of this boundless realm of light was ordinarily exceptionally quiet, devoid even of insects. Only from within those four gates did the sounds of battle occasionally echo, growing loud and soft by turns.

Apart from them, no other living soul appeared.

Time ticked away, bit by bit.

Before Xue Fenglou emerged, several hours later, from a completely different direction, someone else stepped out first—clad in pitch-black battle armor with a silver-white cape, it was none other than Long Jinyi.

Long Jinyi looked somewhat disheveled, his body stained with considerable amounts of blood. It was evident that his battle had been extremely arduous, yet deep within his eyes, a trace of lingering excitement remained.

Upon emerging, Long Jinyi swept his massive spiritual sense outward and quickly discovered Fang Junmei, Wushi Daolang, and the white horse Lightning standing on this side.

"How on earth did these two fellows manage to push this deep?"

Long Jinyi looked astonished.

Following his surprise, his gaze fell upon Lightning. After staring closely for a moment, the corners of his mouth curved upward as he muttered to himself, "He truly has good fortune to actually manage to subdue this bizarre beast."

After pondering for a moment, Long Jinyi flew toward the trio.

Fang Junmei and his companions quickly spotted him.

Seeing him approach, all their expressions grew complex. Wushi Daolang gripped his saber tighter, assuming that Long Jinyi had completely broken ties with the Taoyuan Sword Sect, while Lightning also seemed to recognize the newcomer.

"Don't make a move."

Fang Junmei sent a voice transmission to warn them.

Long Jinyi landed silently not far from the two cultivators and the beast. Their eyes met, and once again, a strange atmosphere was born.

"Who is inside?"

Long Jinyi asked.

After a brief silence, Fang Junmei replied, "It should be Xue Fenglou."

Long Jinyi nodded slightly, a mocking smile appearing on his face as he said, "With just the three of you, you actually intend to ambush Xue Fenglou?"

As soon as these words left his mouth, the faces of both cultivators and the beast darkened simultaneously.

Fang Junmei once again felt the infuriating side of Long Jinyi's personality. A sharp light flickered in his eyes as he retorted irritably, "That is no concern of yours."

"Good, you have spirit!"

Long Jinyi praised him in a rather peculiar tone before adding, "Since that's the case, I'll stay right here and witness with my own eyes how you manage to kill Xue Fenglou."

With that, he sat down cross-legged on the spot.

The three of them stared at each other in dismay.

"Junmei, is there something going on between you and this guy?"

Sensing something amiss, Wushi Daolang asked via voice transmission.

Fang Junmei replied, "There is indeed some history, but you don't need to worry. He won't make a move against us."

Wushi Daolang nodded slightly, though the look in his eyes remained somewhat skeptical.

"Focus. I am determined to kill Xue Fenglou and let him see it!"

Fang Junmei said coldly. Normally, he considered himself a relatively calm person, yet for some reason, whenever he faced Long Jinyi, it was exceedingly easy for him to lose his composure.

...

Outside the great gate, absolute silence reigned.

Although the inside and outside were separated by nothing more than a single door, divine sense was entirely incapable of probing inward, and Lightning's sensory perception of flesh-and-blood lifeforms was likewise rendered ineffective against the world behind that threshold. The man, the cultivator, and the beast had to concentrate with all their might.

Another hour or more passed. Finally, a golden figure holding a paper fan and wearing a smiling expression walked out silently from behind the door. Who else could it be but Xue Fenglou?

Swish!

A shrill piercing sound ripped through the air. Faster than lightning itself, Lightning darted forward. In a flash, it arrived right before its target and unleashed a ferocious kick aimed squarely at Xue Fenglou's head!

Golden and silver brilliance of sabers and swords exploded from the bodies of Fang Junmei and Wushi Daolang. At the exact same moment, they surged forward, launching simultaneous strikes with blade and sword toward the enemy.

No sound of an explosion rang out!

That golden figure turned out to be nothing more than an illusory phantom. The attacks from the two cultivators and the beast clearly struck the exact spot where the figure stood, yet they passed straight through it as if it were air.

They had fallen for a trap!

While the two cultivators and the beast were still in a state of shock, fully nine identical phantoms flashed out from behind the doorway. Every single one of them was Xue Fenglou, each wearing an evil smile and raising an arm to send pitch-black palm prints hurtling through the air toward the heads of the trio, moving with the terrifying momentum of demonic spirits!

At the sight of this, Fang Junmei and Lightning were immediately reminded of the shadow-shifting technique utilized by the Tang brothers deep underground in the bloody stone forest.

As the senior martial brother of his generation, how could Xue Fenglou possibly not know it?

In that instant, deep regret for his own underestimation of the enemy tore through Fang Junmei's heart!

Moreover, the moment they had struck the first illusory shadow, the real opponent had launched his ambush, timing his move with a precision and cleverness that left onlookers breathless.

The two cultivators and the beast had no time whatsoever to alter their moves, counterattack, or defend. They could only watch helplessly as the pitch-black palm prints bore down upon their heads.

The shadow of death descended!