Chapter 73

Not just the mayor's side, everyone in Xuanjian City who saw this scene froze in place.

The vast majority of people had the same thought: Could this be another stunt by some demonic cultivator?

It wasn't their fault—after all, the Ten Thousand Souls Banner incident hadn't been long ago.

And even that Ten Thousand Souls Banner had some packaging, made to look like some immortal artifact.

Chi Jiuyu parked her tricycle by the roadside and looked up.

Dozens of swift lights shot into the sky, and the weakest among them was a Spirit Transformation Realm cultivator.

"I just submitted mine—Uncle, you're moving too fast." She muttered under her breath, "But judging by this, the Secret Realm must be sizable."

Then she walked into a jewelry shop by the roadside.

The shopkeeper and several customers were also standing outside, gazing upward—only when Chi Jiuyu entered did he snap back to reality.

"What are you doing!"

"Are you robbing us in the chaos?" "Buying things, what else?" Chi Jiuyu looked puzzled. "It's broad daylight—aren't you open for business?"

"..."

But the sky's in chaos—how can you still have time to shop?

"Are you here to pick a fight?" Chi Jiuyu plucked a small yellow duck pendant hanging at the door, shook it in her hand—the duck's expression shifted from smiling to angry.

Shake it again—the expression changed from angry to pouting.

Hey! This one's pretty good.

"Boss, how much for this?"

"Wait—you're really here to buy stuff?" "Three Spirit Coins."

The price was reasonable—after all, her master was rich, and if she bought something too expensive, her master wouldn't even notice.

She plucked another one.

"Here! I'll take both."

Chi Jiuyu pulled out two Spirit Coins—one worth five, the other one—and tossed them to the shopkeeper.

"Wait—you're really here to buy stuff?"

At the door, she glanced up at the sky: "Pfft, what's so interesting about that?"

At last, someone couldn't hold back: "Aren't you worried this is another demonic cultivator's trick?"

"Relax—it has nothing to do with demonic cultivators, not even a single Spirit Coin."

"You know?"

"Of course I know."

"Then explain." The shopkeeper spread his hands, holding the Spirit Coins Chi Jiuyu had just tossed him. "I won't charge you."

Six Spirit Coins? Who do you think you're insulting?

Chi Jiuyu didn't take the coins, but she seemed to recall something—her expression turned serious, and she lowered her voice deliberately.

Everyone watching her grew tense, eyes fixed on her.

"You'll find out soon enough."

With that, she turned, mounted her tricycle, and rode off.

"..."

The group felt a stampede of countless grassy horses galloping through their hearts.

This person was definitely here to pick a fight! But of course, the ones suffering most weren't them—it was those who had moved from Hengjian City.

How long had it been? And it's happening again—again and again!

They'd even moved out of Hengjian City—why can't they just have peace?

Seeing such a colossal presence appear in the sky, most people felt a deep sense of oppression.

But there was a small group who were different.

Jiang Yujiu stood on the hotel balcony, pointing her phone at the sky.

She didn't even need to speak—the flood of comments never stopped.

This was a cultist's revelry—even if most were just here for entertainment, as long as one or two stayed, it was a win! "Holy shit—is this still the Central Continent? Are you sure it's not the Starfield Battlefield?"

"If this were in an Immortal Sect's territory, I wouldn't be surprised—but Xuanjian City is just a remote little town!"

"This is a divine opportunity manifesting! Fellow cultivators, seize it—follow me to explore it!"

"Middle-schooler syndrome, go die somewhere! Where's the streamer? I'm here for the streamer!"

"This is obviously fake—how can so many fools believe it?"

"You, the antithesis of spiritual insight—you're the only one in the world who's smart and awake!"

Comments kept scrolling past, but Jiang Yujiu remained motionless—before her eyes, a line of golden text was nearly faded.

【The Third Trial Is About to Begin】【Location: Moon Shadow Secret Realm】

Trial. Moon Shadow Secret Realm. So that thing in the sky is...! She stood at the balcony's edge, spun her camera toward herself.

"The streamer's here."

Watching the flood of comments, aside from a few who claimed to be lucid, most were debating what the thing in the sky actually was.

"Actually, the streamer already knows what it is." A mysterious smile appeared on Jiang Yujiu's beautiful face.

Instantly, the comments surged even thicker, all urging her to speak quickly.

Hahaha!

All her hard work to reach the third round wasn't wasted—this wave of traffic is all mine!

Just as she wanted to drag it out a little longer, waiting for more viewers to join.

"Announcement:"

"The red object that appeared above our city is the Secret Realm used for the third round of trials."

"There is no need for the citizens to panic."

Jiang Yujiu froze, turning his head back somewhat stiffly.

No!

How did they find out? Could there be a third-round trial-taker inside the city government? But that's way too fast! ……

……

Meanwhile, on the other side, the two Xiao brothers, who had just arrived at their front door, also saw the anomaly in the sky.

At the same time, they also saw that line of golden text.

The third round of trials... had actually begun so soon.

Not until they heard the announcement did the two exchange a glance.

"Let's go in first," Xiao Ming said.

"Alright," Xiao Fan nodded.

Arriving at the door, he turned back to look once more.

Hm? With that one glance, he seemed to see, on the Secret Realm hidden behind the curtain of sky, eerie purple threads coiled around it.

What Xiao Fan did not notice was that his eyes were at this very moment flickering with a strange seven-colored light.

"In the remotest antiquity, my Dao..."

Like a voice from remote antiquity, it cut off abruptly halfway through.

The eerie purple threads he had just seen also vanished, and Xiao Fan felt a wave of dizziness.

An illusion? Today, more and more strange things were happening to him.

"What is it, getting a little nervous?"

It was Xiao Ming, noticing him stop, asking the question.

"Mm, a little, yeah," Xiao Fan said with a smile.

………

Still at the highest point of that same hospital, Huo gazed in Xiao Fan's direction—distance meant nothing to him.

"What does Dao Brother make of it?" Huo asked.

That old thing kept making moves, yet between each action no connection could be discerned.

Xu Xing was not at his side, yet his voice sounded right beside him.

"Just as we used him to lure It out, It should also be using that Xiao Fan as bait."

Earlier it had seemed to withdraw only upon sensing Huo's attention—but was that really the truth? And it was precisely on that day, after the connection on He Dao's body was transferred onto Huo, that the other party increased its investment in Xiao Fan.

"Dao Brother's words remind me of a line I saw from Yuan," Huo said, as if recalling something. "When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back at you."

"Gazes?"

"Yuan did not notice me when he wrote that line," Huo offered an explanation.

That old countryman... must have been left with a psychological shadow by Huo.

"According to Dao Brother's meaning, is It actually preparing to take me down as well?"

"That shouldn't be the case; there should be another purpose," Xu Xing's voice grew fainter and fainter. "Just be on your guard."

By the end, the voice was already imperceptible.

"On my guard...?"

No matter how he looked at it, that old thing's state shouldn't have been capable of posing a threat to him.

What on earth is It plotting? Begging for favorites, begging for follows!! (End of chapter)