Chapter 186

Jumping into the Bingzu Marsh, the sea was cold, and Qi Qi Wangshu and Brother Zuoqiu Brother Zuoqiu Baiyuan woke up instantly. Then the four dived and swam underwater, heading west.

Having experienced this thrilling moment, the four had no interest in joining the fun, only wanting to escape as far as possible.

When the four landed at the fishing port by the sea, it was already an hour later.

Using magic power to steam their clothes dry, they immediately detoured toward the Xicheng and re-entered the city through the Xicheng Gate.

They didn't dare to take the nearest inner city gate of the Southern City, fearing being monitored, followed, or ambushed by Sui Sect experts led by Yang Yang Qingxi, preferring to spend more time taking a long detour.

Along the way, the four sighed endlessly, all saying they would never eat free banquets again.

"What level of expert is that monster under Gan Gan Yanzhen's human skin?" Li Li Youyi asked Shi Shi Shishi.

Although Li Li Youyi had fought that monster in the room, after breaking through to the third stage of the Five Seas Realm, he really didn't have a clear understanding of his current combat power level.

His record of fighting experts of the sixth and seventh seas could be called a blank slate, so he could only ask Shi Shi Shishi, the strongest among the four.

Shi Shi Shishi had taken a palm strike from Gan Gan Yanzhen head-on; fortunately, he had a protective magic artifact soft armor, which allowed him to carry it, but at this moment, he was listless: "That is a cultivation achievement comparable to the Dao Seed Realm level; it is undoubtedly a successor-level existence. That we could escape from his hands and injure him—this achievement, if spread, is enough to make us famous throughout the world. Of course, it was all luck. If others had been serious from the beginning, I wouldn't dare imagine what the result would have been."

Qi Qi Wangshu was terrified and somewhat disbelieving: "How can there be so many successor-level experts in the world? If we encounter one, can we survive?"

Shi Shi Shishi said: "Anyone who could casually receive my Sky-Piercing Fist in a rush cannot be anything other than a figure at the successor level."

Brother Zuoqiu Brother Zuoqiu Baiyuan said: "Under the You Venerable, the Ember Spirits at the successor level are only Qi Ember and Cang Ember among the four—Flower, Qi, Nether, and Cang—while Flower Hua Yuzi and Nether Thought Life are descendants of the Flying Phoenix Green Luan Bird bloodline."

Shi Shi Shishi, while circulating magic power to heal, thought and whispered: "I don't know if it's Qi Ember or Cang Ember."

"If it really is successor level, it should be Cang Ember, who has never appeared," Li Li Youyi said.

Shi Shi Shishi asked curiously: "Brother Li Youyi, why are you so certain?"

Li Li Youyi sighed, unable to look back: "I have already dealt with Qi Ember! These Ember Spirits seem to have a preference for beautiful appearances; everyone, pay attention to this in the future."

"Then I am very safe," Shi Shi Shishi said with great self-awareness.

"Slap!"

"It's all my fault."

Qi Qi Wangshu slapped himself hard: "Although Gan Gan Yanzhen and I are both martial cultivators from Zhi Province, I have only met him a few times and have no deep friendship, so I failed to see through that the essence under his human skin had long since changed. Now, thinking back carefully, his contact with me was clearly to integrate into the Zhi Province martial cultivator group, to avoid being too isolated and having his abnormalities discovered."

Li Li Youyi didn't blame him: "Brother Qi, no need to blame yourself. Unless it's someone extremely familiar with Gan Gan Yanzhen, who could see through the disguise of a figure at the level of Cang Ember?"

"Let's go, my treat. Today, no matter what, I must make amends to you two," Qi Qi Wangshu said. While feeling guilty, he also really wanted to befriend Li Li Youyi, a figure who could discuss friendship with Brother Zuoqiu Ting and his sister.

Li Li Youyi looked at Shi Shi Shishi, thinking he would be anxious to find a place to heal, but didn't expect that hearing there was a free big meal to eat, he was more active than anyone. He had completely forgotten the words he had complained about earlier regarding never eating free banquets again.

Seeing Li Li Youyi's heavy-hearted appearance, Qi Qi Wangshu hurriedly said: "No need to worry about Yang Yang Qingxi and Cang Ember. The Qiu Province city is huge, the crowd is vast, and we are now in the Xicheng. Let's find a lively place that isn't too high-profile, and wait for news from the Bright Moon Seven Stars Pavilion. I am very curious: with Zhu Gao Huan killed and Cang Ember appearing, how will the subsequent situation evolve?"

Li Li Youyi said: "Then let's find a place where we can also change clothes, throw away all the gear on us, or put it into our boundary bags."

Brother Zuoqiu Brother Zuoqiu Baiyuan's expression was solemn: "Is Brother Li worried that Yang Yang Qingxi and Cang Ember did something to us? But we soaked in the sea for over an hour; everything should have been washed clean."

"Be careful, and you can't go wrong. Yang Yang Qingxi and Cang Ember's cultivation is far higher than ours; who knows what means they have?" Li Li Youyi said.

Qi Qi Wangshu said: "Listen to Brother Li; he is a figure capable of surviving in the hands of Qi Ember and Cang Ember, not comparable to us."

In a large restaurant near the inner city gate in the Xicheng, the four changed their robes, checked every detail, and after looking brand new, the banquet on the second floor was also prepared.

The sky turned dark.

At dusk, the air temperature dropped significantly, and snowflakes began to drift on the streets outside.

Various news from the Bright Moon Seven Stars Pavilion finally reached the Xicheng, sparking heated discussions among the diners in the restaurant.

"The Far West Ash Region is too arrogant, actually killing the Zhu Gate successor in public."

"That You Venerable is simply heaven-defying. Dragon Long Zhexian and Lu Lu Cangsheng combined—the first and second of the Eastern Region—were actually no match."

"Impossible! Dragon Long Zhexian is known as the reincarnation of a true dragon, undefeated in a hundred battles, a figure who wants to challenge Ge Ge Xiantong for the position of number one in the young generation. Lu Lu Cangsheng is the only talent in the Thunder Roar Sect in a thousand years to have cultivated the thirty-six Thunder Strike Array at the Five Seas Realm. The two of them combined should be able to sweep away all enemies."

More and more news caused shocks in the streets and alleys.

The most explosive was undoubtedly the clash between Green Luan Sheng Lin You and Ge Ge Xiantong on the Bingzu Marsh. After the battle, both fled, and the winner was unknown.

There was also news that multiple "Dead Ember Lamps Extinguished" had appeared in the Bright Moon Seven Stars Pavilion, and the young generation of martial cultivators had suffered heavy casualties.

Hearing "Dead Ember Lamps Extinguished," Brother Zuoqiu Brother Zuoqiu Baiyuan's face became extremely ugly: "The thing the Brother Zuoqiu Sect fears most has happened!"

"What's wrong... what does 'Dead Ember Lamps Extinguished' mean?" Qi Qi Wangshu asked.

Brother Zuoqiu Brother Zuoqiu Baiyuan said: "Dead Embers are equivalent to the death squads cultivated by our human major forces, but even more terrifying. The 'Dead Ember Lamps Extinguished' they cultivate is a suicide destruction technique. Once unleashed, the body instantly becomes bright to the extreme, like a lamp lighting up. Then it explodes, capable of burning a large area into an Ash Region—the lamp is extinguished, and they die. Fortunately, we escaped!"

Qi Qi Wangshu sucked in a cold breath, his scalp tingling, not daring to imagine if they had encountered not Cang Ember, but a Dead Ember—could they still have survived?

"Since they are so dangerous, why doesn't the Brother Zuoqiu Sect directly dispatch the older generation to ferret them all out and kill them?"

Brother Zuoqiu Brother Zuoqiu Baiyuan sighed: "Because the Far West Ash Region is so powerful that the combined strength of all twenty-eight Lingxiao provinces might not be able to defeat them. They have transcendents right in the city, and they have already agreed on the rules with the Brother Zuoqiu Sect's ancestors and the Dueguan immortal masters."

Shu Province is close to the Western Region, and Shi Shi Shishi has a good understanding of the Far West Ash Region. While crazily devouring the food on the table, he said: "No one can do whatever they want in this world. Although the Far West Ash Region is strong, the threat of the Nether Realm of the Dead also keeps them from sleeping or eating in peace. In this world, everyone has their own position; only when the balance is broken will everything change."

"It could be because one side suddenly becomes very strong. It could also be because one side suddenly becomes very weak."

"The world situation is too far from us, and what we see is only the surface," Li Li Youyi had been in a state of contemplation: "Just now I heard someone say that the Dragon Court is dead, and under the human skin is an Ember Spirit, which is why he suddenly attacked and killed Zhu Gao Huan. Assuming this is true, what is the purpose of the Far West Ash Region? Is it just to strike at the Zhu Gate?"

"If it were only to kill Zhu Gao Huan, the You Venerable could have done it directly. Why expose the Dragon Court?"

In the Nether Realm of the Dead, Jiang Ning once hunted down the Dragon Court, and it was during this process that she was ambushed by Night City Young Master General Yuwen Yan and Dao Di and Mie Di, and was poisoned by the Night Emperor Toad.

So the possibility that the Dragon Court was killed at that time and his human skin was taken exists.

But there are too many suspicious points in this assassination incident.

If the one inside Gan Gan Yanzhen is Cang Ember, who is inside the Dragon Court? It couldn't possibly be Qi Ember, right?

Are there other Ember Spirit experts?

Brother Zuoqiu Brother Zuoqiu Baiyuan said: "The Zhu Gate of the thousand-year sect dominates the Western Region and has always been a mortal enemy of the Far West Ash Region. The You Venerable probably worried that after the Zhu Gate cooperated with the Longmen and the Thunder Roar Sect, they would regard him as the primary enemy at the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, so he used this move to divide the two sides in advance."

"With Zhu Gao Huan killed in full view of everyone, will the Zhu Gate still trust the Longmen? Who would believe that a figure like Dragon Long Zhexian wouldn't see that the Dragon Court was an Ember Spirit under his human skin?"

"Lu Lu Cangsheng is probably doubting Dragon Long Zhexian now, and the cooperation between the Thunder Roar Sect and the Longmen will inevitably develop cracks because of this."

Shi Shi Shishi said: "The strongest of the young generation in the Western Region is not Zhu Gao Huan, but his hundredth grandfather, Zhu Zhu Yibai. It is said that Zhu Zhu Yibai has been honing himself in the army and has made great military achievements. Just the 'Deformed Eight Riders' he personally trained have the terrifying combat power to sweep away martial cultivators of the same generation."

Brother Zuoqiu Brother Zuoqiu Baiyuan nodded: "East Dragon, West Pig, South Tiger, North Sword. This 'West Pig' doesn't refer to Zhu Gao Huan, but to the hundredth grandfather, Zhu Zhu Yibai. It is said he is already on his way to the Qiu Province city. If Dragon Long Zhexian cannot capture the Dragon Court and give him an explanation, the hundredth grandfather will never cooperate with them. The You Venerable has used a 'bright scheme'; now no one knows what the situation with the Dragon Court really is."

Li Li Youyi smiled: "This hundredth grandfather—he doesn't have ninety-nine other brothers, does he?"

The three nodded seriously in unison.

"That transcendent of the Zhu Gate has always felt his bloodline is extraordinary, so he has offspring from time to time. Zhu Zhu Yibai is his youngest son, and his seniority is higher than many Longevity Realm giants, so the world calls him the hundredth grandfather," Brother Zuoqiu Brother Zuoqiu Baiyuan said.

Night fell, and lanterns lit up one by one on the streets.

The snow seemed to be getting heavier.

After a full meal, the group had recovered from the thrill.

Li Li Youyi temporarily stopped thinking about the world situation, or who was the top of the list, or who was number one in the world; currently, it had nothing to do with him.

He was just a small person at the third stage of the Five Seas Realm. Today was just to see the world. Dragon Long Zhexian, Ge Ge Xiantong, Flower Hua Yuzi, You Venerable—he heard their thunderous names, but he hadn't seen a single one.

Breaking through another realm before the end of the year and getting an invitation to the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival was the top priority.

As for those immortals and monsters famous throughout the world, let them fight!

The stars filled the sky, shining, visible but unreachable.

Walking out of the restaurant door, standing under the lights, watching the bustling crowd on the street, Li Li Youyi had found his position. He was just one of the thousands of nameless martial cultivators on this street, still separated from them by several levels, not in the same world.

The world's wind and clouds, fame and fortune, mountains and rivers.

The wind that belonged to him had not yet arrived...

"Where is that fragrance coming from?"

Li Li Youyi sniffed and raised his arm to smell it carefully.

He also sniffed toward Shi Shi Shishi, Qi Qi Wangshu, and Brother Zuoqiu Brother Zuoqiu Baiyuan, finally returning to himself. He said: "The fragrance is on me!"

Shi Shi Shishi said: "What fragrance? Meat fragrance? Wine fragrance? Just finished eating, isn't that normal?"

"It's flower fragrance... or like a woman's body fragrance. This is impossible. After changing clothes, I didn't have contact with any women or touch any flowers or plants," Li Li Youyi didn't dare to take it lightly; life and death often depend on details.

The other three were all martial arts experts, but they all sniffed and shook their heads, indicating they didn't smell any fragrance.

Li Li Youyi said: "My sense of smell is far superior to martial cultivators of the same realm. I am very certain there is indeed a fragrance, and it is radiating from the skin, unrelated to the clothes."

Qi Qi Wangshu said: "At the Bright Moon Seven Stars Pavilion, Yang Yang Qingxi sat beside you. Could she have done something? But after soaking in the sea for so long, any fragrance should be gone! Besides, if there were an unusual fragrance, Brother Li would have smelled it earlier; how could he wait until now to discover it?"

Li Li Youyi nodded slightly, feeling that what Qi Qi Wangshu said was not unreasonable.

Could it be that he accidentally touched something in the restaurant just now?

Shi Shi Shishi looked at the lights on the street and the black, hole-like sky, and suddenly thought of something: "Could it be 'Ten Nights of Lingering'?"

"What is that?"

The three present were all puzzled.

Shi Shi Shishi said: "A special exotic fragrance. Once you get it on you, it won't dissipate for ten days, and you can't wash it off, unless you peel off your own skin! What's even more bizarre is that those who are hit by this exotic fragrance can't smell anything during the day; the fragrance only radiates at night."

"After it drifts with the wind, there is a kind of strange bee-insect that can smell it from a hundred miles away."

"My good sister, Shi Shi Qiqing, keeps this kind of bee-insect and masters this exotic fragrance, using it to mark the men she takes a fancy to."

Brother Zuoqiu Brother Zuoqiu Baiyuan said: "Let's not scare ourselves. Even if such a 'night-blooming jasmine' really exists in the world, it must be extremely rare."

Li Li Youyi shook his head slightly: "I can be almost certain that Yang Yang Qingxi applied 'Ten Nights of Lingering' on me. It's been almost an hour since nightfall; the fragrance has long since drifted out, and she could appear in front of me at any time like a soul-reaping female ghost."

The three were horrified by what he said and all became uneasy.

Qi Qi Wangshu was curious: "Brother Li, how can you be so certain?"

"Do you remember the sentence Yang Yang Qingxi said when she left today? She said to me, 'The night road is difficult to travel; everyone is prey.' At the time, I was very confused—why would she say such a thing in the middle of the day?" Li Li Youyi said.

"I remember now; it seems she did say that."

Shi Shi Shishi was panicked, his small eyes scanning the surroundings.

Li Li Youyi immediately put on a night-traveling cloak, used magic power to gather the scent on his body, hoping to cut off the source of the fragrance, and quickly moved away from the restaurant with the three.

(End of chapter)