Chapter 109: Your good friend Lü Liren is dead

Go a bit deeper!

According to the guide, going deeper will increase the number of man-spirits.

When the Ascendant Immortal Society's disciples are busy dealing with the man-spirits, I will surely find a chance to kill this brat myself!

Zhang Mingyue roared in his heart!

When he left Maple Forest Town back then, he was also a vigorous young man, believing he would surely step onto the peak of the martial path and lead his family to glory.

But dreams are beautiful, reality is harsh; over these years, Zhang Mingyue has roamed the martial world, seeing too many talents whose gifts rival demons, and compared to them, the things he prides himself on are not worth mentioning.

And after later learning that his family had been wiped out, his father and brother died tragically, Zhang Mingyue became afraid, fearing the Yun family would choose to exterminate him completely, so he spent some cost to get to know Yushan Tianyi.

Relying on his outstanding looks and talent for fawning, he gained Yushan Tianyi's favor, becoming her most beloved male favorite.

But all of this today is what he exchanged his dignity for; in others' eyes, he is nothing but a dog that fawns over its master.

Yun Wan, who killed his younger brother, forced his father to death, and caused his family's destruction, has already disappeared; he can now only transfer all his inner hatred onto Fang Xu, the guide.

Easily slaying the charging man-spirits, Yushan Tianyi turned her head and glanced at the passageway behind her, shouting.

Such an offensive, even though all the Ascendant Immortal Society's disciples are elite martial artists, for a moment they could not withstand it, and could only choose to fight while retreating.

He wanted to preserve his strength, show weakness to the enemy; only then could he strike unexpectedly at a crucial moment and win with a single move.

The passageway was narrow; having lost the ability to project internal energy outward, the Ascendant Immortal Society disciples at the front bore too much pressure, while those behind could not help.

Although its physique hadn't changed much, the fierce killing aura it emitted was stronger, and mixed within it was a faint rotten stench.

Smelling the faint rotten stench, Fang Xu instantly recalled the scene when he and Li Xun encountered the Southern Wu in Timber Blue Mountain that day.

Zhang Mingyue nodded, then immediately went to Fang Xu's side, grabbed his arm, and, under the cover of two other Ascendant Immortal Society disciples, dragged Fang Xu to Yushan Tianyi's side.

No!

Fang Xu's pupils contracted slightly; using the dim light in the passageway, he looked at the charging man-spirits and indeed found their pupils turned white, their bodies hung with rotting flesh, some even exposing stark white bones!

Huang Qingzhou, meanwhile, was forced together with several other Ascendant Immortal Society disciples into another passageway.

The second stage of the ruins was considerably larger than the first; the group proceeded diagonally downward, encountering many intersecting passageways, like a maze.

Corpse Refining!

During this time, Fang Xu did not make a move.

Traps everywhere, and the elusive man-spirits frequently attacked, leaving everyone exhausted from dealing with them.

Just as Fang Xu finished examining a corpse, a large group of huge man-spirits suddenly charged out from the left passageway!

These man-spirits were noticeably different from the ones they had encountered before.

Although the narrow passageway could only fit three man-spirits side by side, the ones behind paid no heed, trampling over their companions' bodies to force their way through!

The corpse-refining man-spirits were extremely ferocious; upon seeing the Ascendant Immortal Society's group, they roared and charged without hesitation!

Among the more than ten people, aside from Yushan Tianyi and two other Ascendant Immortal Society disciples whose cultivation had reached Martial Master Grand Completion and could handle things with ease, the rest could only barely defend themselves.

The killing aura emanating from these man-spirits left him uneasy; recklessly charging in might be hard to handle.

After proceeding for about half an hour, the passageway ahead once again presented a fork.

Retreat to the fork, scatter these man-spirits, and then we can slay them more quickly!

This smell…

The crowd quickly retreated to the fork, and the more than ten people orderly divided into four parts.

Fang Xu didn't care about Zhang Mingyue's gaze, which seemed substantive; he only thought of quickly harvesting the legacies of these so-called 'friends' to become stronger.

Soon after, the other man-spirits swarmed in, and a great battle erupted instantly!

These man-spirits transformed into corpse-refining beings feared neither death nor injury, charging like a tide, stepping on their companions' corpses toward the Ascendant Immortal Society's members!

Yushan Tianyi turned her head, glanced at Fang Xu without speaking, and led the group onward.

Staring at one strange man-spirit, Fang Xu horrifiedly discovered that the hair on its arms was clearly different from that on its body!

It looked as if it had been spliced together by some secret method!

Not only this one; the surrounding man-spirits seemed similarly patched, each bearing some parts that did not belong to them.

Beside Yushan Tianyi, Zhang Mingyue hid under her protection, yet had the leisure to keep staring at Fang Xu in the crowd, not knowing whether he feared Fang Xu would flee in the chaos or was looking for a chance to strike.

On Fang Xu's side, Yushan Tianyi, Zhang Mingyue, and three other Ascendant Immortal Society disciples retreated to a fork.

"Mingyue, go bring that brat over!"

【Touching Xu Chao's corpse, gained 42 life attribute points.】

After its huge head let out a roar toward the crowd, it leapt straight down from the top of the passageway!

Huang Qingzhou stared for a moment, then slightly nodded.

Having received her order, the Ascendant Immortal Society disciples behind her immediately sprang into action!

What's more, using their sharp claws on hands and feet, they surged forward like spiders from the rock walls on both sides of the passageway!

The distance between the sides quickly closed; the man-spirit at the front swiftly climbed up the rock walls on both sides of the passageway to the top, then hung upside down above everyone's heads!

The other Ascendant Immortal Society disciples also gripped their swords solemnly, preparing to meet the enemy.

"Retreat to the left, go to the fork!"

Fang Xu silently stepped back, came before Huang Qingzhou, and whispered: "Senior Brother Huang, let them go up; we'll hold back for now."

"Be careful in response!"

Fearing Fang Xu would escape in the chaos, Yushan Tianyi turned her head, glanced at Zhang Mingyue, and spoke.

Yushan Tianyi shouted, then slowly drew her weapon.

"Fang Xu!"

Huang Qingzhou shouted, heedless of the man-spirit about to rush forward, flashed his figure, and rapidly rushed over!

A large number of man-spirits swarmed in, about to engulf Huang Qingzhou; Fang Xu was just preparing to charge forward when Yushan Tianyi beside him had already acted!

Her graceful figure flashed, her long blade swept horizontally, instantly slaying the two leading man-spirits, and with one hand she seized Huang Qingzhou's collar and hauled him back!

"Junior Brother Huang just cares this much about that kid?" Yu Shan Tianyi said lightly.

Huang Qingzhou didn't answer, merely cupping his hands slightly toward her and said, "Thank you, Senior Sister."

Yu Shan Tianyi also had no time to bother, because those man-fiends had already rushed forward!

Including Huang Qingzhou, this passageway had only seven people; Yu Shan Tianyi protected Zhang Mingyue, while the other three Ascension Immortal Sect disciples quickly shielded Huang Qingzhou in the middle, leaving Fang Xu alone.

"Fang Xu..." Huang Qingzhou still wanted to shout for Fang Xu to come over.

But one of the Ascension Immortal Sect disciples directly said, "Senior Brother Huang is an Ascension Immortal Sect disciple, that kid is not."

Another echoed, "Why bother, Senior Brother Huang? Better to annoy Senior Sister Tianyi than to protect a waste."

Huang Qingzhou still wanted to say something, but a large number of man-fiends rushed in, and he could only join the three in blocking them, unable to attend to Fang Xu.

Meanwhile, Fang Xu, seeing the man-fiends charging, felt a stir in his mind, directly relying on his movement technique, quickly ran to Yu Shan Tianyi's side.

He had made up his mind: absolutely not to strike unless absolutely necessary.

Yu Shan Tianyi needed to protect Zhang Mingyue, so she naturally dared not let the man-fiends get close; seeing Fang Xu so shameless, she instantly grew angry.

Zhang Mingyue beside her saw Fang Xu actually playing this trick, and her face turned even uglier with anger.

"Princess..."

A flash of killing intent crossed her eyes; Zhang Mingyue wanted to act herself.

But Yu Shan Tianyi instead slashed the man-fiend before her with a single blade, glanced at him lightly and said, "You are a person of this palace; don't cause trouble for this palace."

Although Fang Xu was not an official disciple of the Ascension Immortal Sect, he held an Ascension Immortal Sect Immortal Gate Permit in his hand.

If Zhang Mingyue were to strike and kill him, Huang Qingzhou would certainly report this to the Ascension Immortal Sect Law Enforcement Hall; whether or not I could save his life aside, the Hall's investigation would bring me considerable trouble.

Becoming a core disciple of the Ascension Immortal Sect is her most important plan; at this time, if we can avoid complications, it's better not to cause trouble.

Zhang Mingyue resentfully cupped her hands and gave Fang Xu a hateful glance.

The battle continued, the man-fiends at the passageway's end seeming endless; the Ascension Immortal Sect disciples in several passageways fought while retreating, and nobody noticed that the distance between them kept growing.

Boom—!

Boom—!

Everyone was wholeheartedly fighting those man-fiends when the ground beneath their feet suddenly transmitted a series of low rumbling sounds!

"Oh no, the terrain is going to change!"

Yu Shan Tianyi's heart jolted, and she suddenly recalled that the relic guide had mentioned that, for the relic's second stage, the terrain changes after a period of time.

Now their group has already been split into four parts; if the terrain changes, they will likely be completely separated!

Bang!

Bang!

Just as this thought arose, a heavy stone door suddenly rose before them in the passageway!

At the same time, the rock walls beside the seven people's passageway slowly lowered, revealing a brand-new passageway before them.

The risen stone door blocked the frenzied man-fiends outside, giving the seven a chance to catch their breath.

Looking at Fang Xu, still lively and leaping beside her, Zhang Mingyue's eyes flashed with intense reluctance.

"Senior Sister, what should we do now?" one of the Ascension Immortal Sect disciples said to Yu Shan Tianyi, looking at the newly appeared passageway.

Gazing at the passageway ahead, Yu Shan Tianyi hesitated a moment and said, "For now, we can only continue forward."

Hearing that, the Ascension Immortal Sect disciple nodded and took the lead toward the new passageway.

Swish!

But as his foot had just stepped into the passageway, a giant crossbow bolt as thick as a child's arm suddenly shot out from the opposite stone wall!

The crossbow bolt's speed was extremely fast; in the blink of an eye it reached that person!

Before several people could react, the giant crossbow bolt pierced straight through that person's body, and its terrifying force carried the body to pin it directly onto the nearby stone wall!

"Senior Sister..."

A large amount of blood gushed from his mouth; this Ascension Immortal Sect disciple struggled to look toward Yu Shan Tianyi.

A martial artist's vitality is remarkably tenacious; despite this heavy injury, he did not die immediately.

"Junior Brother Huang."

Yu Shan Tianyi looked toward Huang Qingzhou beside her.

Pill Masters are generally skilled in medicine; she wanted to see if Huang Qingzhou still had any way to save him.

Huang Qingzhou stepped forward, glanced at the bolt's position, and shook his head with a grim expression: "The heart is pierced; I can do nothing."

Hearing that, Yu Shan Tianyi glanced at him indifferently and said, "Let's go."

The other two Ascension Immortal Sect disciples glanced reluctantly at their still-struggling fellow sect brother, but ultimately followed Yu Shan Tianyi away.

Fang Xu glanced at the dying Ascension Immortal Sect disciple, initially wanting to loot the corpse, but considering that might anger the others, he ultimately gave up.

"Princess, let that brat go ahead." Inside the passageway, Zhang Mingyue quickly walked up to Yu Shan Tianyi and whispered.

Hearing that, Yu Shan Tianyi turned her head to look at Fang Xu and said, "You, come to the front."

"Senior Sister!"

Huang Qingzhou, upon hearing that, was about to object, but Yu Shan Tianyi coldly said, "If Junior Brother Huang has any objections, he can go with him."

Huang Qingzhou furrowed his brows, glanced at Yu Shan Tianyi without speaking, and directly chose to walk with Fang Xu to the front of the team.

"Pedantic!"

Yu Shan Tianyi, seeing this, coldly uttered a sentence.

The team continued forward; perhaps it was just good luck, this brand-new passageway seemed to have only that initial mechanism; they proceeded cautiously for nearly a hundred meters, yet encountered no further danger.

"Senior Sister, there's a stone door!"

In the middle of the team, an Ascension Immortal Sect disciple suddenly noticed that an unopened stone door had appeared on the rock wall beside the passageway, and his face instantly lit up with joy.

The stone door not being opened means that whatever is inside has not yet been taken.

Everyone has entered the relic up to now; except Fang Xu, no one has gained anything yet.

Several people came to the stone gate; Yu Shan Tianyi was just about to reach out to open the stone gate when she suddenly turned and looked at the several people, saying, "Senior Sister, I won't bully you either."

"Junior Brother Huang, Junior Brother Chen, and Junior Brother Wang, we four have set the rules; who among us will open this stone gate first?"

Her words already automatically excluded Fang Xu.

Two Ascension Immortal Society disciples exchanged a glance, then looked at Huang Qingzhou, and then flatteringly smiled at Yu Shan Tianyi, saying, "Of course, Senior Sister should go first."

Yu Shan Tianyi looked at Huang Qingzhou, saw he had no opinion, then nodded and said, "In that case, the next place is Junior Brother Huang's, then Junior Brother Chen's, then Junior Brother Wang's."

She lightly pressed her palm against the protruding rock beside the stone gate.

Click!

Rumble!

The stone gate slowly opened, and a heavy stench of decay rushed forth!

After confirming safety, everyone stretched their heads to look inside.

Yu Shan Tianyi stepped into the stone chamber; the other two were about to follow to see what treasures lay inside, but Zhang Mingyue beside them blocked the doorway, clasped her hands, and said, "Everyone, since the things inside this stone chamber belong to the princess, you'd better not go in, lest seeing something good make you feel bad."

The two heard this and their brows slightly furrowed.

Afterwards, upon reflection, they felt Zhang Mingliang's words also made sense.

No matter how good the things inside the stone chamber are, they all belong to Yu Shan Tianyi; looking at them only adds trouble, with no benefit.

Not long after Yu Shan Tianyi entered the stone chamber, she came out carrying a small bundle.

She tossed the bundle to Zhang Mingyue and said lightly, "Since Mingyue said so, then it's the three junior brothers' turn next; we'll continue as before."

Everyone nodded and continued onward.

This is a brand-new passage, not recorded in the relic's guide.

Not long after proceeding, everyone again encountered a stone chamber that had not been opened.

"Fang Xu, come in with me." According to the previously agreed rule, this stone chamber belongs to Huang Qingzhou.

He had no hesitation, directly told Fang Xu to follow him inside; Yu Shan Tianyi and the four others, bound by the prior agreement, could only wait at the doorway.

After the two entered the stone chamber, aided by the ever-burning lamp inside, Fang Xu looked around.

The stone chamber's furnishings are very simple; it looks like the dwelling of a martial artist.

"Fang Xu, take this!"

At a glance, he saw the black long spear on the weapon rack on the left side of the stone chamber; Huang Qingzhou grabbed it, took a look, and threw it to Fang Xu.

Taking the spear, Fang Xu hefted it in his hand and exclaimed in surprise, "Second grade?"

Huang Qingzhou nodded, picked up a scroll on the nearby stone table, flipped through a few pages, his face showing a hint of joy, then he pulled down the black cloth on the stone table and wrapped up all the scrolls on it.

Fang Xu then slowly approached the bed where the stone chamber's owner rested and meditated; his gaze suddenly fell on the object beside the pillow, and he suddenly froze.

Dragon scale!?

The object placed beside the pillow was exactly the same as the dragon scale he had previously obtained!

"Senior Brother Huang."

He picked up that piece of dragon scale, Fang Xu came before Huang Qingzhou and said, "Can this be given to me?"

Huang Qingzhou glanced at the yellow scale in his hand, smiled faintly, and said, "If you like it, take it."

Fang Xu nodded, thanked him, and slipped that dragon scale into his bosom.

The two searched the entire stone chamber thoroughly, found again a second-grade dagger treasure, several unknown minerals, and several herbs that made Huang Qingzhou's face light up with joy, then they left the stone chamber.

Outside the door, Yu Shan Tianyi glanced at the long spear Fang Xu was holding, then looked at Huang Qingzhou with a smile on his face, and said lightly, "Junior Brother Huang, your luck is not bad."

Huang Qingzhou did not respond, merely said lightly, "Senior Sister, let's go."

Seeing that Huang Qingzhou and Yu Shan Tianyi had gained something, the other two Ascension Immortal Society disciples, already impatient, hurriedly urged, "Right, right! Let's go quickly!"

Yu Shan Tianyi nodded, glanced at Fang Xu, and said, "Let's go."

Fang Xu smiled slightly and continued walking at the front of the group.

Along the passage, after turning a few bends, the other two Ascension Immortal Society disciples also finally obtained some good things.

After everyone rested a bit and was about to get up and move on, a virtual light curtain suddenly popped up in front of Fang Xu.

【Your friend Lu Liren has died; as a friend, you may randomly inherit any one of Lu Liren's three legacies!】

Legacy One: 【Purple legacy, Fragment of the Yin Yang Xuan Xiao Classic (fourth-grade cultivation method)】 can be obtained by touching Lu Liren's corpse; inheritance carries great risk, it is the foundation of the Lu clan of Azure Prefecture, accidentally obtained by the Lu clan's ancestors; once exposed, they will surely face pursuit by the Lu clan.

Legacy Two: 【White legacy, 120 points of strength attribute】 inheritance carries no risk, but requires touching Lu Liren's corpse.

Legacy Three: 【Purple legacy, Cloud Wave Strength (fifth-grade martial skill)】 inheritance carries great risk; Cloud Wave Strength is also an exclusive secret of the Lu clan; once exposed, they will surely face pursuit by the Lu clan.

Lu Liren died!?

Looking at the light curtain before him, Fang Xu secretly startled!

That Lu Liren was actually a Martial Venerable, yet he died?

It's good that he died; he died, if the four members of Old Man Liu's family in Maple Forest Town, if they are aware in the underworld, can also rest in peace.

Suppressing the thoughts in his heart, he immediately clicked the inherit button.

On the light curtain, the three legacies rapidly rolled.

(End of chapter)