Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Liu Nanzhou struck the Water Monster on the crown of its head without hesitation. Spiritual energy burst forth, whipping up a fierce gale. With a sharp "crack," the monster's skull shattered.

With a "thud," the Water Monster collapsed to the ground, then dissipated like fine sand, as if it had never existed.

Liu Nanzhou had already leapt clear of its body before it hit the ground.

The one who had just helped him asked, "Are you alright?"

Liu Nanzhou shook his head. "I'm fine, thank you." He stood up, plucked his sword from the ground, and sheathed it.

Zhou Xun waved a hand dismissively. "Don't mention it. I'm Zhou Xun, from Tianmen Wucheng."

"Liu Nanzhou from the Tianyao Sect."

Liu Nanzhou looked at the spot where the Water Monster had vanished. It was dead, so why were they still here?

Liu Nanzhou frowned slightly. Zhou Xun seemed to pick up on his confusion and remarked as they walked, "It's not that easy to get out, Brother Liu. This is just the beginning."

There was no one else around, and they had no idea which way to go. Liu Nanzhou had no choice but to walk alongside him for now. "Then how do we get out?"

Zhou Xun stroked his chin, thinking. "Hmm... good question."

Although this wasn't his first time participating in the Qingmang Conference, the last one was hosted by Chaowu Tian, and the competition format was different. This illusory realm was also his first time entering.

The location of the Qingmang Conference changed each time, and the method of the second round varied depending on the hosting sect.

Liu Nanzhou felt this person didn't seem all that reliable, but he had helped him after all. He pursed his lips slightly. "Let's first look around for anyone else."

The two walked through the forest for a long while. Apart from the rustling of leaves in the wind, there was no other sound.

"Hey, look over there. Isn't that someone?" Zhou Xun pointed into the distance.

Liu Nanzhou saw it too. "Let's go check."

They hurried over just in time to see someone's ankle entangled by a branch. The branch moved as if alive, dragging the person up and hanging him upside down.

Liu Nanzhou threw his sword, severing the branch. The cut branch retracted, and the sword circled the tree trunk once before returning to Liu Nanzhou's hand. Meanwhile, Zhou Xun went over and caught the falling man.

"Are you okay?"

Li An didn't reply, just stayed where he was.

Zhou Xun looked at him carefully, waving a hand in front of his eyes. "Brother, are you alright?"

Li An seemed to finally realize he had been rescued. He patted his chest, still somewhat shaken. "Good heavens! How is this tree acting like it's possessed? It didn't make a sound, scared me half to death. Almost got myself killed in a competition, where's the justice in that? Thankfully, I'm lucky to be alive..."

Once he started talking, he rambled on with a bunch of useless chatter, not answering Zhou Xun's question, not even looking up at Zhou Xun.

Zhou Xun took two steps back to Liu Nanzhou's side. "This guy... hasn't been scared silly, has he?"

Liu Nanzhou shook his head to say he didn't know.

This person looked fair-skinned and clean-cut, the type who could be lured away with a simple candied hawthorn skewer. Could he really be a fool?

Zhou Xun tentatively spoke to Li An again. "I'm Zhou Xun from Tianmen Wucheng. This is Liu Nanzhou from the Tianyao Sect. How should we address you, brother?"

Li An still didn't react. Zhou Xun sighed helplessly. "Forget it. This kid is probably scared out of his wits. Let's take him with us."

But after taking just two steps, Li An suddenly stopped, bowed with fists clasped, startling Zhou Xun.

"Thank you both for saving me."

Liu Nanzhou said, "No need for thanks. Let's go."

Zhou Xun curiously sized up Li An a couple of times. Just as he was about to continue walking, Li An spoke again. "Ah, so it's Brother Zhou and Brother Liu. I am Li An, no sect or school, a rogue cultivator."

Zhou Xun: "?"

Liu Nanzhou: "?"

Zhou Xun leaned close to Liu Nanzhou's ear and whispered, "His reaction is a bit too slow, isn't it?"

Li An looked at their reactions and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, my reactions are rather slow. I hope you two gentlemen won't hold it against me."

Liu Nanzhou glanced at him and gave an accepting nod. "It's fine."

Zhou Xun, however, found it novel and moved close to Li An, very familiarly slinging an arm around his neck, starting to tease him for fun.

This was much more interesting than that little ice block, Liu Nanzhou.

"No problem, no problem." Zhou Xun asked warmly, "Your name is Li An? Which 'An'? Is it the 'An' from 'peace and health' or the 'An' from 'eucalyptus tree'?"

"You look so young. Are you even twenty this year?"

"The 'An' from 'eucalyptus tree'."

"A rogue cultivator... then do you have a master? Have you heard of Tianmen Wucheng? One of the Four Major Sects. Would you like to come join us and be my fellow disciple?" Zhou Xun fired off a string of questions.

Li An: "Nineteen this year."

Liu Nanzhou: "..." Completely irrelevant answers.

Liu Nanzhou felt Zhou Xun was practically like a human trafficker. He sighed inwardly and moved a bit farther away from him to avoid being mistaken for being in cahoots.

Li An said, "Thank you for your kind offer, Brother Zhou. I'm dull-witted and probably wouldn't qualify to enter."

Zhou Xun patted his shoulder. "It's fine. Our sect doesn't care about that. Never mind, if you don't want to come, I won't force you. But even if you don't join our sect, you can still come find me to hang out."

Li An paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Alright."

Zhou Xun was about to say something else when Liu Nanzhou suddenly placed his index finger to his lips, signaling them to be quiet. "Shh, listen."

Zhou Xun put away his playful grin and listened carefully to the surroundings. There were faint, scattered rustling sounds in the forest.

Li An might speak slowly, but his moves were not slow. He drew his sword and with a swing, severed the branch thrusting towards them. The severed branch retracted.

However, this time, it wasn't just that one branch.

The three stood back-to-back. Branches, like giant pythons, surrounded them menacingly, continuously attacking.

These things seemed to grow endlessly like mad. The three were besieged quite miserably. Liu Nanzhou dodged while forming a hand seal with his fingers. "Flames of Karma from All Directions, burn!"

A branch "whooshed" into flames. Just as all three breathed a sigh of relief, the flames gradually extinguished. The branch was completely unharmed, not even a leaf fell.

Zhou Xun said in shock, "Good heavens! What kind of tree is this that isn't even afraid of fire!"

Liu Nanzhou said, "Never mind that, run!"

Li An panted as he ran, muttering to himself, "How can a tree not be afraid of fire? Even an illusion shouldn't mess with logic like this. This is just too ridiculous...."

Liu Nanzhou: "..."

*Will these two just shut up?*

Qi Wuyu waved his fan, rarely seeing Liu Nanzhou look so utterly done—it was quite amusing.

Suddenly, someone pointed at the illusion in the air and said, "Hey, why wasn't that disciple ejected?"

Following the direction pointed, Qi Wuyu saw a disciple impaled by a branch. By all rights, he should have been thrown out before being pierced, but that didn't happen. He was stabbed through, fell straight to the ground, and lay lifeless.

At this sight, the sect leaders, elders, and disciples outside broke into an anxious murmur.

"What's going on?"

"Wasn't it said that lives wouldn't be endangered?"

"Can someone survive after that?"

"Why wasn't he ejected?"

Zhuang Yanming frowned deeply as he tried to calm the crowd while instructing others to investigate.

Qi Wuyu's expression turned serious. He closed his fan and looked toward Liu Nanzhou, his gaze fixed on the situation within the illusion.

Liu Nanzhou and the other two ran into a cave. The pursuing branches chased them for a while before stopping. Inside, someone was fighting a monster—it was Chu Minghe and Yao Shuning.

The monster had four legs, three tails, and two horns on its head, with the face of a red leopard. Its keen eyes were now fixed on the three who had just intruded into its territory.

"Senior Brother, Senior Sister," Liu Nanzhou called out.

Hearing his voice, Chu Minghe and Yao Shuning turned their heads.

"Be careful, this monster is incredibly tough," Yao Shuning warned.

As soon as she finished speaking, the monster opened its mouth and roared, the sound like a muffled drum, and a burst of fire spewed from its mouth.

Liu Nanzhou and the others threw themselves aside. The monster twisted its waist, and a tail lashed out. Yao Shuning raised her sword to block but was still sent flying.

"Xiao Ning!"

"Senior Sister!"

In a flash of white light, a figure shot past, catching Yao Shuning mid-air by the waist and landing firmly on his feet with her in his arms.

"Are you alright?" Chen Qianyu asked.

Yao Shuning clutched her chest, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and shook her head. "Nothing serious."

She turned to see her rescuer. This girl had a gentle face and carried a light, fresh scent, like a wealthy young lady who had never done a day of hard work. Yet, she held a long whip and showed no fear facing such a monster, remaining remarkably composed.

"Sister, you're so beautiful," Yao Shuning gushed, cupping her face in admiration.

Chen Qianyu: "...Thank you."

Liu Nanzhou: "..."

Chu Minghe: "..."

It seemed she really was fine.

The companions rallied to deal with the strange monster before them. Unlike the reckless one Liu Nanzhou had encountered earlier, this one possessed spiritual power.

Zhou Xun clashed with it and was forced back several meters, panting in confusion. "What kind of monster is this, anyway?"

"It's a Horn-tailed Red Spirit."

Chen Qianyu coiled her whip back, frowning deeply. This creature was clearly a spirit beast, which should have a gentle temperament. Why was this one so frenzied?

The group was getting thoroughly thrashed by it. The monster lifted its front two legs off the ground, leaped up, and stomped down hard, roaring once more.

The cave shook, sending a shower of fine sand and pebbles down. The roar's force washed over them, leaving their heads spinning and their vision double.

Liu Nanzhou clutched his head, swaying, gritted his teeth, and swung his sword at it. It felt like striking steel; the sword slid over its body without leaving a mark, nearly wrenching it from his hand.

The next moment, a faint *crack* sound. Liu Nanzhou's face showed shock as he saw cracks appear on his sword blade, which then shattered into pieces.

This was a Tianyao Sect sword, even if it was just a standard disciple's sword, its quality shouldn't be so bad it would break in one hit. Liu Nanzhou's eyes widened. Before he could fully process his shock, the spirit beast swatted at him like a mosquito.

Although Liu Nanzhou dodged quickly, the monster's claw still raked across his arm, instantly tearing open flesh to the bone.

Liu Nanzhou's sword was knocked away. He caught himself on his hands, half-kneeling on the ground, blood from his arm swiftly soaking through his sleeve.

The monster opened its bloody maw toward him, and flames *whooshed* out, aimed directly at him. He didn't have time to dodge, instinctively lowering his head and raising his arm to block.

The expected burning sensation didn't come. With a *boom*, a sword materialized, suspended in the air not far in front of him. The fire spewed by the monster was blocked by the sword, which radiated terrifying spiritual power, like a fierce cold wind between snowy mountains, instantly neutralizing the heat of the flames and sending the monster tumbling backward.

The silver sword shimmered with a faint white light, its blue-steel blade like clear water. The hilt was carved with a pattern resembling rolling waves, and near the base of the blade was engraved the sword's name—Fengxue (Wind and Snow).

Clearly, the owner of this sword was also extraordinary.

Immediately after, a figure in moon-white robes with white hair gracefully landed in front of him.

Liu Nanzhou stared blankly at the familiar back before him, murmuring, "Shizun?"

For a moment, Liu Nanzhou thought he was seeing things. Wasn't Qi Wuyu supposed to be someone who couldn't carry heavy loads or lift much, who would pant after walking just a few fast steps?

Liu Nanzhou could hardly believe his eyes. After all, in these ten years, he had never seen Qi Wuyu possess such spiritual power.

Chu Minghe and Yao Shuning were also surprised that the newcomer was Qi Wuyu, their jaws slightly slack. "El... Elder Qing'an?"

Wasn't he supposed to be a mascot? How did he turn into a fighting rooster?

The monster, angered by the strike from Fengxue, shook its head irritably and roared, stirring up a fierce gust of wind that forced them to squint.

Qi Wuyu pointed his sword at the monster, turned his wrist, and swung. The condensed sword energy shot straight toward the monster, sending it flying. It crashed into the stone wall and landed with a heavy thud.

Qi Wuyu closed the distance in two swift steps. As the monster barely lifted its head, the icy sword found its mark, piercing through its skull.

The monster didn't even struggle before it died. A wisp of black mist flew from its forehead, dissipating in the air.

Qi Wuyu took a step back and frowned slightly.

It was over too fast—so fast that Liu Nanzhou hadn't yet recovered from the shock of "Qi Wuyu is actually this powerful."

He watched as Qi Wuyu expertly shook the blood off his sword, as if he didn't recognize him anymore.

But then, Qi Wuyu staggered, supported himself with his sword, dropped to one knee, spat out a mouthful of blood, and took a couple of breaths to steady himself.

Just as I thought, it's no use.

Liu Nanzhou finally snapped out of it: "Shizun!"

Qi Wuyu reached out to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth. With a flick of his hand, the sword in his grasp vanished, and the spiritual energy enveloping him dissipated, turning back into the Qi Wuyu Liu Nanzhou knew.

He walked over to Liu Nanzhou and crouched down, examining him carefully: "Are you hurt?"

Qi Wuyu's face was pale, looking as if he had been ill for a long time and was about to keel over. Liu Nanzhou, his face full of concern, completely ignored the wound on his own arm: "You..."

Before he could finish, Qi Wuyu noticed the bloody gash on Liu Nanzhou's arm. Since childhood, Liu Nanzhou had never suffered such a severe injury under Qi Wuyu's watchful eye.

It broke his heart on the spot: "Xiao Ning, come and bandage him up first."

Yao Shuning hurried over: "Coming."

She treated Liu Nanzhou's wound and then gave Qi Wuyu a pill as well. Qi Wuyu swallowed it, feeling the violently surging energy within him gradually settle down.

The others also approached. Zhou Xun and Chen Qianyu saluted with clasped fists toward Qi Wuyu: "Thank you, Senior."

Li An, a beat slower, also bowed.

Chu Minghe asked: "Elder Qing'an, how did you get here? Are you alright?"

Qi Wuyu shook his head: "I'm fine." He glanced at the group and said, "There's a problem with this illusion realm. It's not safe to stay here. Let me get you out of here first."

With a wave of his hand, a door identical to the entrance appeared: "Go."

The others, though confused, did as they were told and walked out, with Qi Wuyu bringing up the rear.

After they emerged, others started trickling out of the illusion realm.

Qi Wuyu said to Zhou Xun and the others: "Go find your masters."

Li An had no one to claim him, so Zhou Xun led him away. At that moment, Ying Nianling also emerged with Fang Xun and Zhao Yi.

Seeing how pale Qi Wuyu looked, Ying Nianling asked: "Are you alright?"

Qi Wuyu waved his hand dismissively.

Everyone had been brought out of the illusion realm, and the crowd buzzed with discussion. Zhuang Yanming stood on the platform looking grave: "My apologies, everyone. There is currently an issue with the illusion realm. The competition is suspended for now. Please return to your respective courtyards to rest."

Some disciples from sects had died in the illusion realm, and naturally, they weren't having it.

"Our sect's disciple died here under unclear circumstances. Valley Master Zhuang, we respectfully request an explanation."

Zhuang Yanming said: "From this moment on, Golden Que Valley is completely sealed off. No one is allowed to enter or leave. Since this incident occurred in Golden Que Valley, I, Zhuang, will naturally provide everyone with an answer. Please give me some time."

The leaders of the Four Major Sects went together to the council hall. Qi Wuyu led Liu Nanzhou and the others back to their courtyard, with Liu Nanzhou's eyes locked on Qi Wuyu.

On the way, Yao Shuning said: "Elder Qing'an, I had no idea you were this strong!"

Qi Wuyu let out an "ah," rubbing his nose: "Actually, it's not that I'm powerful; it's that sword that's powerful."

Feeling guilty for holding back, he stole a couple of glances at Liu Nanzhou, only to find him looking down, lost in thought.

Qi Wuyu thought he was sulking because he felt deceived. Blinking a couple of times, he turned his head away even more guiltily.

Yao Shuning animatedly recounted to Zhao Yi and Fang Xun the story of Qi Wuyu's sword in the illusion realm.

"Elder Qing'an pierced that demon beast's head with a single sword strike. It was so cool!"

"Really?" Fang Xun asked in surprise.

"Of course it's true. If you don't believe me, ask Xiao Zhou."

Qi Wuyu just wanted to turn around and beg her to stop talking.

Liu Nanzhou nodded: "Mm."

Qi Wuyu didn't dare look at him.

Zhao Yi said with a smile: "Elder Qing'an, you've been hiding your true abilities."

Qi Wuyu said helplessly: "Oh, please, spare me. Don't say any more."

Yao Shuning asked Qi Wuyu: "Elder, that sword is really beautiful. What's its name?"

"It's called *Fengxue* (Wind and Snow)."

"That sword carries a heavy chill. The name really suits it."

Qi Wuyu smiled absentmindedly, pondering how to coax Liu Nanzhou later.

Chu Minghe asked: "Elder, why did we come out? Did something happen?"

Qi Wuyu's expression turned serious as he recalled the black mist that escaped from the Horn-tailed Red Spirit's forehead: "Hmm... it's likely that a true demon has infiltrated the illusion realm."

Zhuang Yanming had said that the demons and monsters in the illusion realm were replicas—not real. After death, they should dissipate like the Water Monster, and there should be no demonic energy escaping.

If that's the case, it could mean that there are already demons within Golden Que Valley, and... possibly more than one.

Author's Note:

----------------------

Don't ask, just assume Li An is on 2G internet [Flop-eared bunny head]

Today's feature is the dazzlingly debuted master, the master with presence! With this word count, I feel like I've stood up too (hands on hips). This Monday, still updating according to the list [shy] Thanks for the support~ If you like it, don't forget to bookmark [throws confetti]