Chapter 231: Encountering Shuigu Tang

Wuwuwu.

The direct disciple kept watching without stopping, continuing to stretch a hand toward his chest as if to say something.

But his mouth was firmly blocked, so he could only emit a muffled sound.

Chen Shicheng glanced at his somewhat anxious eyes without speaking, focused all his attention, and without touching him, retrieved from his chest the book that recorded the cave heaven blessed land, while True Essence surged in his hand, intending to knock the person unconscious.

Seeming to sense Chen Shicheng's action, the direct disciple quickly pointed at himself, as if he had something to say.

But Chen Shicheng had no intention of stopping; his True Essence was about to activate, and the direct disciple sighed inwardly, after which a shocking scene unfolded before Chen Shicheng's eyes.

The direct disciple's skin all over began to writhe, and before his eyes, the figure literally transformed from a seven‑foot tall man into a youthful maiden.

The loose male Daoist robe slipped off his shoulders, revealing a swath of snow‑white arm, delicate collarbone and a rounded… flashed before his eyes, then was immediately blocked by a slender bare hand gripping the collar.

More importantly, the face he held in his hand, though only the upper half was visible, was unmistakably identical to the long‑unseen Shuigu Tang! Is this an illusion?

A technique that lets you see someone familiar so you lower your guard? The idea is absurd, yet the Rolling Cloud Tower is a place for the rich to indulge, so such perverse entertainment is entirely possible.

But why does Shuigu Tang appear before his eyes? Is she powerful like Lightning, or just pretty? Chen Shicheng didn't immediately release the person before him; instead he checked his own panel, saw no hallucination indicator, and used the Eye of Bai Ze to appraise the Shuigu Tang before him.

【Lv. 18 Shuigu Tang, Spirit: 23, Qi: 55, Divine: 21, Skill: Rolling Cloud Blade, Blade Control Technique.】

So it really is Shuigu Tang?

But the earlier appraisal clearly showed a different Attribute!

Suddenly, Chen Shicheng recalled that Shuigu Tang once possessed the ability to freely change body size; although the panel lacked that Skill, it could very well be a special Relic.

Thinking of that, Chen Shicheng hesitated briefly and tentatively asked, "I'll let go first; you mustn't scream or shout, understand?"

Shuigu Tang narrowed her eyes viciously, her knife‑like gaze whizzed toward Chen Shicheng, slapping his hand on his face a few times, signaling him to release immediately.

But as Chen Shicheng just let go, her gaze shifted instantly, her slightly open mouth clamped tightly onto his palm.

However, she seemed to forget that Chen Shicheng's Golden Body Talisman was still active, a defense that even a blade could not pierce, let alone be bitten through.

"Crack."

The sound of teeth shattering was unusually loud in the silent night.

"Wuwuwu, Chen Shicheng, you bastard!" Shuigu Tang covered her mouth and squatted on the ground, her aggrieved tone tinged with sobbing.

"No way, big sister, you bit yourself; I didn't initiate it." Chen Shicheng quickly cast a Universal Rainfall onto her.

Cool wood‑type energy descended, spawning new teeth; the pain vanished as the teeth grew, leaving only lingering bloodstains as proof of the recent injury.

Shuigu Tang quickly took out a small bronze mirror, held it up to her face, and saw her teeth restored; she finally exhaled a long sigh, lifted her foot intending to repeat the trick. Yet, seeing the flickering golden light on Chen Shicheng, she reluctantly lowered her foot, squatting with a broken heart before the Rolling Cloud Blade that had snapped into four pieces, saying, "My poor weapon, you died so miserably; some people become famous and then turn their backs on old friends, striking them down outright. Wuwuwu."

"Fine, stop being so sarcastic; can you blame me? If I hadn't acted, those two blades could have pierced me with eighteen holes." Chen Shicheng said irritably.

"Nonsense!"

Shuigu Tang picked up a blade tip, jabbed Chen Shicheng's body several times, "See? Your defense can't be broken at all! I don't care, you pay!"

"Alright, alright, I'll pay, okay? This isn't a place for talking, come with me."

Chen Shicheng glanced warily toward the Scripture Repository, then hauled Shuigu Tang back to his Inner Disciple Dormitory.

After casually pressing Shuigu Tang onto the bed, he said nothing, simply looking her up and down.

"What are you looking at? Could it be—"

Shuigu Tang, in a frail maiden's guise, slumped on the bed, casually flicking the hem of her Daoist robe to reveal a proportionate snow‑white long leg, and said, "The legendary player who turned the tide in the formation‑breaking mission finally shows his beastly side; how could I, a humble girl, dare to resist? I only beg for mercy."

"Mercy? As if!"

Chen Shicheng quickly flung a set of spare clothes from the storage rack onto her, covering the leg that glowed with a halo in the moonlight.

Damn, when this woman flirts there's really nothing a man can do; how did I never notice her legs were longer than his life before? Tsk tsk tsk, what is she thinking!

"How did you infiltrate Thus we have Faction: Zixiao Palace and become a direct disciple?" Chen Shicheng cleared his throat twice, quickly changing the subject, "And what's up with this book? Are you also investigating the cave heaven blessed land?"

"Also?"

Shuigu Tang immediately sensed something amiss, unable to continue teasing Chen Shicheng, she quickly sat up from the bed, pulled out a copper piece, "You have this too?"

Seeing the fragment in Shuigu Tang's hand, Chen Shicheng hesitated, then retrieved from the storage rack the copper piece he had snatched from the Eastern Envoy, "Indeed, I happened to obtain one."

He had thought this copper piece was an extremely secret item, but who knew not only had other players collected three pieces before him, now it was more like a cockroach in the living room—once you see one, they're already in clusters in the corners.

He appraised the copper piece in Shuigu Tang's hand; it was a token numbered "2", not belonging to the same token as his own.

That means there are already four known Relics: two in his hand, one in Shuigu Tang's, and one held by the unnamed player from the purchased intel, each pointing to a different cave heaven blessed land.

That's only what he knows; what about the unknown?

According to his knowledge, in ancient times there were ten major cave heavens, thirty‑six minor cave heavens, and seventy‑two blessed lands, meaning there were a total of one hundred eighteen Relics. Are all of them already manifested and already in the hands of some lucky players? Moreover, the Zhongyuan lands are abundant with places worthy of being called cave heaven blessed lands, so those one hundred eighteen are only the top‑ranked; countless lesser‑known sites likely also possess Relic tokens.

By that calculation, isn't this copper piece already widespread? (End of chapter)