Chapter 565: Difference in Laws

The group continued walking forward. As he walked, Lu Chu kept rubbing his nose; after a while, he felt an increasing, slight stinging and itching sensation inside his nostrils.

Lu Chu asked with a bitter face, "Duan Rong, I'm not going to die, am I?" He recalled the blackened skeleton from just moments ago and could not help but feel a bit worried.

Duan Rong turned his head to look at Lu Chu and said, "A faint blackish or flushed complexion is the sign of early-stage poisoning. Quite a while has passed now; your complexion is normal, so you shouldn't be poisoned!"

While rubbing his nose, Lu Chu said anxiously, "Then why is there a stinging and itching sensation deep inside my nostrils?"

Duan Rong said, "If you hadn't kept rubbing it, the itching would be gone by now. Don't scare yourself!"

Seeing Duan Rong say this, Lu Chu finally let out a long sigh and lowered the hand he had been using to rub his nose.

In the middle of the group, Su Xinjue walked beside Jiang Hanyan. Among the eight of them, they were the only two women, so they naturally paired up.

The two had often been together during the intensive training, but it seemed both were not good at conversation, and they had never truly become close.

Jiang Hanyan would occasionally strike up a conversation with Su Xinjue, but Su Xinjue remained absent-minded throughout the journey.

She indeed had something on her mind!

Su Xinjue had a mission upon entering this God-Demon Relic. Her master, Shentu Ying, had given her repeated instructions to find a way to kill Duan Rong quietly within the God-Demon Relic. If she failed to do so, she was not to return to see her.

Su Xinjue did not know why her master Shentu Ying wanted to kill Duan Rong. However, a master's order could not be defied, so she had begun observing Duan Rong during the intensive training. It was just that Duan Rong kept a low profile and barely spoke, so she had not gathered any useful information during the training period.

After entering the God-Demon Relic, whether it was Duan Rong stepping in to save Du Wan or reminding everyone before the poisoned skeleton earlier, all these things had given her quite a favorable impression. Moreover, from these events, it was clear that Duan Rong was a calm and formidable fellow.

After Duan Rong saved Du Wan, his repeating of that sentence from Lin Youjian had caused ripples in her heart, leaving her somewhat shaken.

"Within the God-Demon Relic, fellow disciples are one's greatest reliance. If you do not have a heart that shares life and death, none of you will make it out!"

More importantly, the martial arts level Duan Rong displayed when he took action had already reached a profound depth she could barely fathom. Su Xinjue suspected that among the eight of them, even if Duan Rong were to take on two at once, he would not be at a disadvantage.

With such a calm and formidable fellow whose understanding of martial arts had reached such a profound level, how was she supposed to make a move?

Su Xinjue was already thinking of backing out.

Therefore, from just a moment ago, she had been distracted throughout the journey.

To be honest, she had absolutely no confidence in killing Duan Rong, and deep down, she was quite resistant to the task. But if she didn't do it, how would she answer to her master after leaving the God-Demon Relic?

Su Xinjue's heart was in a constant state of tearing and struggle!

"Xinjue, what are you thinking about? You've been keeping your head down the whole time." Jiang Hanyan suddenly turned her head to look at Su Xinjue and asked.

"No... nothing..." Su Xinjue was caught off guard by Jiang Hanyan's question and could not help but feel a bit nervous.

At this moment, Duan Rong, who was walking in front, seemed to have heard the two talking and suddenly turned his head, looking at Su Xinjue with a cold, piercing gaze.

Su Xinjue's heart panicked instantly, her footsteps faltered, and she stared blankly at Duan Rong. For some reason, in that instant, she felt as if Duan Rong knew what she was planning to do.

Duan Rong looked back briefly before continuing to walk forward.

Su Xinjue remained stunned there; Duan Rong's cold, piercing gaze, which seemed to have seen through her thoughts, felt as if it were frozen in her mind. "Could he know? Impossible! Master said I am in the shadows and to find a way to seize the opportunity. He couldn't possibly know!"

Seeing Su Xinjue standing there with a dazed expression, Jiang Hanyan turned her head and called out, "Xinjue, let's go!"

Su Xinjue snapped out of it and immediately caught up with the group.

Jiang Hanyan looked at Su Xinjue with concern and asked, "Xinjue, are you not feeling well?"

Su Xinjue said, "Perhaps it's because I vomited heavily just after entering the relic, and then inhaled some toxic air near that skeleton, so I'm not quite adjusted yet. It's fine, it should pass in a while."

As Su Xinjue spoke, she smiled slightly, but there was a clear shadow in that smile.

"Oh, as long as you're fine." Although Jiang Hanyan said this, a flicker of imperceptible suspicion flashed through her eyes.

She had also been tossed about in the great array passage, and the moment she landed, she had vomited until she brought up bile. However, they were cultivators after all, and they had quickly suppressed that feeling of discomfort.

It was impossible for Su Xinjue to still not be adjusted.

This God-Demon Relic was isolated from the outside world, so for Su Xinjue to be so distracted, she must be worried about matters within this God-Demon Relic. But their group had only just entered the God-Demon Relic; what could possibly be making her so distracted?

Su Xinjue was no longer looking down in thought, but like the others, she began to observe the surroundings as she walked.

After all, they had just entered the God-Demon Relic and needed to familiarize themselves with the environment. Much of what Lin Youjian and Liu Su had spoken of during the intensive training consisted of abstract descriptions and terms on paper; comparing them to the reality was quite shocking.

Seeing that Su Xinjue had returned to normal, Jiang Hanyan gradually cast the doubt in her heart to the back of her mind.

As the group walked, Guo Tian, who was at the very front, suddenly said, "Look, there seems to be a water source over there!"

Hearing this, everyone focused their eyes and looked, seeing that by the roadside ahead, there was indeed a pool of water. It seemed to be a low-lying area where water had gathered, shimmering with a rippling yellow light from afar.

The water surface shimmered with yellow light because the sky within the God-Demon Relic was a pale yellow. The water waves reflected the color of the sky, causing it to appear slightly yellow.

Duan Rong's gaze sharpened as he said, "Let's go, let's go over and take a look."

A water source was not only an important place for supplies but also a significant landmark within the God-Demon Relic. The maps in their hands clearly marked the locations of various water sources.

Through this water source before them, they might be able to accurately determine their specific location within the God-Demon Relic, allowing them to follow the map toward the Central Altar.

Otherwise, with nothing but scattered stones in sight, they wouldn't know which way to go even with the map!

This pool of water counted as the first landmark they had discovered.

The group quickened their pace toward the pool and soon arrived at its edge.

The pool was not very large, oval-shaped, and of limited depth, but the water quality was very clear, with the yellow light visible to the bottom.

Everyone unfolded their maps and began to use this pool as a landmark, searching with their eyes and attempting to confirm their group's location.

Lu Chu pointed to a spot on the map in his hand, looked at the pool before him, and said, "We should be here! An oval-shaped pool; the appearance, shape, and size all match."

Guo Tian and Xu Hui were both standing not far from Lu Chu. Upon hearing this, both glanced at the spot Lu Chu was pointing to, then looked back at their own maps, lost in thought.

Lu Chu turned his head to look at the two and asked, "Is it here?"

Guo Tian did not speak. Xu Hui nodded and said, "I also think it should be here."

At this time, the rest of the group gathered around. Lu Chu held up the map, pointing it toward them, and said, "It should be here! Look, the appearance, shape, and size are all very similar. Among the several water sources on the map, only this one is the most like it."

Duan Rong, however, stood there, staring at the surrounding scenery, and suddenly said, "I don't think it's there!"

Hearing this, Lu Chu became interested and asked, "Then which water source on the map do you think the pool before us is?"

He had already carefully examined all the water sources on the map, and only the one he pointed out was closest in shape and size to the pool before them. He was very curious that Duan Rong had a different answer.

Duan Rong pointed to a spot on the map. Lu Chu leaned over to take a look and said, somewhat puzzled, "Brother Duan, you aren't joking, are you? The appearance of the water source before us is clearly oval-shaped, but the water source you're pointing to is much narrower and longer than the pool before us."

Du Wan also leaned over to take a look but remained silent. He did not agree with Duan Rong in his heart, but since Duan Rong had saved him, he found it difficult to speak out in rebuttal.

Duan Rong said: "Senior Brother Lu, do not forget, this map was drawn twenty-nine years ago; it shows the situation inside the God-Demon Relic twenty-nine years ago."

"This..." Lu Chu's gaze faltered; he had not thought of this at all. "You mean..."

Duan Rong said: "It has been twenty-nine years. Whether water sources grow or shrink, slight changes in appearance are natural phenomena. One cannot use this as the sole basis for deduction."

Lu Chu's gaze flickered; he had to admit that what Duan Rong said made sense. After all, twenty-nine years had passed, and it was not strange for the appearance of the water pool to have changed. Looking at the map again now, the water source Duan Rong pointed out, although slightly narrower and longer than the one before them, would become oval-shaped if both ends were slightly contracted.

Duan Rong said: "I selected this water source by using the scenery around the water and the appearance of the water source as two mutually corroborating factors. I believe this location is the most likely."

Hearing Duan Rong's explanation, the group gathered around to look at the position Duan Rong had chosen. After looking, everyone could not help but frown slightly, as if they found it difficult to understand for a moment.

Lu Chu's gaze shifted, and he said: "Let's do this. Since there is a disagreement, we will decide by vote. Those who agree with me, stand on my side. Those who agree with Duan Rong, stand on Duan Rong's side."

Duan Rong did not speak. Although he could not be certain that the place he chose was definitely correct, he was almost certain that the place Lu Chu chose was definitely wrong.

Soon, people began to stand on Lu Chu's side one after another; Yang Sui, Xu Hui, Jiang Hanyan, and Su Xinjue all walked over.

Only Guo Tian and Du Wan remained where they were.

Suddenly, Guo Tian walked to Duan Rong's side in silence. Duan Rong was slightly surprised; he had not expected Guo Tian to have understood his deduction.

This, in fact, was not easy.

Duan Rong could understand why Jiang Hanyan and Xu Hui would choose Lu Chu, because Lu Chu's answer was the most intuitive.

Although these people had excellent cultivation talent, they had not been bombarded by complex modern education like Duan Rong, nor had they frequently looked at mobile phone navigation and maps in their past lives, so he was able to compare the map with the reality before them to make deductions.

But this kind of thing was a bit beyond the scope for Jiang Hanyan and Xu Hui.

For Guo Tian to fully understand Duan Rong's conclusion in such a short time, and to choose him even when Lu Chu's side had an overwhelming advantage in numbers, required composure.

Duan Rong looked at Guo Tian with a meaningful gaze.

At this time, Du Wan, who had been standing there last, also walked toward Duan Rong and said with a smile: "Duan Rong, although I didn't hear your conclusion, I trust your judgment."

Duan Rong gave a bitter, slight smile and thought to himself: This fellow is purely playing the emotional card!

Even with Du Wan choosing Duan Rong, there were only three of them in total.

Duan Rong looked at the map and suddenly said: "Look at these two water sources; walking along the same direction, both can lead to the next landmark. The next landmark for the water source I chose is an ancient well! And the next landmark for the water source Senior Brother Lu chose is a God and Demon Remains! As long as we head in this direction, we can verify the answer at the next landmark."

On the map, that ancient well was also marked as a water source, so it was clearly an ancient well with water.

Moreover, a God and Demon Remains that could be marked on the map must be a very huge one; if it were a small God and Demon Remains, it would not be marked on the map as a landmark at all.

Hearing this, the group unfolded the map and looked at it carefully.

Lu Chu said: "Brother Duan is right! It is indeed the case that walking along the same direction leads to the next landmark."

Whether it was water sources, ancient wells, or God and Demon Remains, there were many of them within the God-Demon Relic; it was originally very difficult for them to accurately determine their position based on a single landmark.

"Then let's go, the next landmark is not far away!" Guo Tian said immediately upon hearing this. This person was taciturn but had a decisive personality; he could not wait to do anything.

As Guo Tian said this, he put away the map and lifted his feet to walk in a certain direction.

"Wait!" Xu Hui suddenly shouted at Guo Tian.

Guo Tian stopped and turned his head, looking at Xu Hui with a puzzled gaze; that look seemed to be asking, now that it's decided, what are we waiting for?

Xu Hui said: "You and Duan Rong didn't vomit just now, so you might not feel it clearly. Those of us who vomited severely are already somewhat dehydrated. At this water source, it is just right to replenish some water. If we keep walking, it's not certain where the next water source will be. If we get dehydrated, it will affect our physical strength."

Du Wan echoed: "That's right! Don't forget, there are Evil Spirits inside the God-Demon Relic. In a state of dehydration, if our physical strength fails and we happen to encounter an Evil Spirit, that would be dangerous."

Guo Tian and Duan Rong had not vomited just now, so they indeed did not need to replenish water. After all, it had only been an hour since they entered this God-Demon Relic.

Guo Tian walked back and stood there expressionlessly.

At this time, Xu Hui had already taken a Silver Needle out of his backpack and walked to the edge of the water pool to test the water source.

Xu Hui moved back and forth, putting the Silver Needle in his hand into the water in several places and rinsing it. Xu Hui took out the wet Silver Needle, looked at it carefully against the pale yellow sky, and said: "Fellow disciples, the water quality is fine."

The group then took out Silver Cups from their backpacks and began to collect water at the edge of the water pool.

Their backpacks were not large, and they contained many different things, so this Silver Cup was their only water utensil.

Duan Rong and Guo Tian also took a cup of water, sat there, and began to drink slowly.

The water inside the God-Demon Relic was no different from the water in the outside world.

Although the laws inside the God-Demon Relic differed from the laws of this world, the differences were only in very subtle parts, mainly related to cultivation.

In fact, the vast majority of the laws inside the God-Demon Relic were completely consistent with the laws of this world. Otherwise, the God-Demon Relic could not have remained in this world.

If the vast majority of the laws were inconsistent and the two types of laws clashed severely, the God-Demon Relic would likely have long since ceased to exist in this world.

It was precisely because the vast majority of the laws were completely consistent, with only the parts regarding cultivation being different, that the two types of laws could wear each other down without either being able to completely annihilate the other; this was because the vast majority of their laws were blended and consistent.

(End of this chapter)