Chapter 1342

Ren Tianqing and Hong Beimo jointly took out the jade box, Qiqi signaled them to open the jade box, blue light spread out as the jade box opened, and it turned out to be a blue transparent skull inside.

Hong Beimo and Ren Tianqing exchanged a glance, simultaneously turning their gaze to Qiqi, Qiqi stared at that skull, the light in her beautiful eyes shifting, she softly said: "You go down and wait for me."

Hong Beimo and Ren Tianqing nodded, retraced their steps back to the lower level, leaving only Qiqi alone in the secret cave; after they left, Qiqi slowly knelt down, kowtowing three times before that blue skull, then extended both hands, palms flat against the blue skull; in an instant blue light blazed, Qiqi closed her beautiful eyes, and in her mind appeared one golden character after another…

Hu Xiaotian climbed up the Ethereal Peak again, as everyone's attention was focused below the Ethereal Peak, the summit happened to have no guards set up, perhaps related to Bu Wu staying here; given Bu Wu's martial arts, there was fundamentally no need for others to intervene, and moreover Bu Wu's perverse temperament made it hard for him to get along with others.

Following Hong Beimo's guidance, Hu Xiaotian sneaked into the Spirit Sky Palace; it was exactly midnight, the time when Bu Wu should be in closed-door meditation, Hu Xiaotian tried to detour around Bu Wu's location, entered the Spirit Sky Palace, listening room by room for any movement, checked six chambers, and finally heard breathing inside; Hu Xiaotian's hearing was sharp, from the breath alone he judged the person to be Xi Yan, he secretly delighted, as the saying goes, 'after wearing out iron shoes finding nothing, the discovery comes effortlessly,' it seems Hong Beimo indeed values this set of 'Opening Heaven and Earth' Elixir Cauldron Chapter, otherwise he wouldn't have so easily revealed Xi Yan's whereabouts; delighted yet not daring to be careless, Hu Xiaotian looked around, confirming no one was following him, then quietly pushed the door open and entered.

The thick night could not block Hu Xiaotian's vision. He saw Xi Yan bound to a coiled dragon pillar ahead right, her beautiful head lowered, apparently asleep; Hu Xiaotian scanned the surroundings, confident no one was stationed in the hall, quickly approached Xi Yan, and whispered by her ear: "Girl, wake up!"

In a daze, Xi Yan heard someone calling her; the voice sounded like Hu Xiaotian, she thought she was dreaming, murmuring: "You heartless wretch, you… you only care about the princess…"

Hearing her say that, Hu Xiaotian felt increasingly moved, lowered his head and kissed Xi Yan's pretty face. Feeling someone kiss her cheek, Xi Yan only then woke up, about to cry out, but Hu Xiaotian covered her cherry lips, whispering: "Don't shout. It's me!"

Only then did Xi Yan realize the voice she heard was not a dream; Hu Xiaotian had actually dared to come, a surge of feelings welled up, her nose soured. Tears trickled from her eyes. Hu Xiaotian drew the concealed dagger, cut the ropes binding her. Xi Yan's acupoints were sealed, she could not stand; losing the rope's restraint, she immediately fell into Hu Xiaotian's embrace, and Hu Xiaotian held her in his arms. Seeing the crystal-clear tears on her pretty face, he whispered: "Don't cry, I'll take you away from here first."

Before he finished speaking, a tremendous boom came from underfoot; Hu Xiaotian panicked and leapt up, trying to use the Art of Soaring to fly up and then rush straight out the window. Above his head also descended a huge iron cage.

This iron cage was three zhang long and wide, enveloping Hu Xiaotian and Xi Yan; Hu Xiaotian had thought the rescue would go smoothly, but he never expected a mishap at the final moment, inwardly cursing 'oh no', why didn't Hong Beimo that old dog tell him there were hidden mechanisms here? It was clearly intentional; he never thought of cooperating, instead using Xi Yan as bait to lure him into the cage.

Hu Xiaotian hoisted Xi Yan and rushed to the iron cage, reaching out to grab two iron bars, intending to pull them apart, but his touch felt only sharp edges; he hastily released his grip, those bars were as thick as a forearm, covered above with caltrops; fortunately Hu Xiaotian withdrew his hand in time, otherwise his palms would have been pierced with countless holes.

Xi Yan lay on his back, seeing the scene before her also felt both startled and anxious, she sighed: "You idiot, knowing it's a trap, why did you come over?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "You can risk your life alone for me; I can likewise die for you."

That sentence made Xi Yan's tears, which had just stopped, gush forth like a spring, and she spat: "Idiot! I always thought you were smart, never expecting you to still be an idiot…"

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "I was born an idiot, girl, I still have a way." Although his hands couldn't touch the iron cage bristling with caltrops, Hu Xiaotian still had the ability to project sword energy outward; he raised the dagger in his hand, though he had never before used such a short dagger to emit sword energy, but everything must have a first time; Hu Xiaotian gathered his inner strength and fiercely swung the dagger, this swing was especially forceful, being in peril was one reason, and also carrying the great beauty Xi Yan, before a beauty he couldn't afford to lose face, yet things backfired, proving the adage 'haste makes waste'; this swing simply didn't emit a trace of sword energy.

But the door was burst open with a bang, two people entered holding torches, followed by Bu Wu; the Bu Wu monk wore a grim face, his already ugly features looking even worse, his eyes fixed on Hu Xiaotian; although these transplanted eyes could now see things, Hu Xiaotian however looked and found them displeasing. He silently cursed Hong Beimo, 'old dog, old dog, you weren't the one who told me Bu Wu would be in closed-door meditation now?' It really screwed me over without discussion.

Warfare does not despise deceit; what's there to resent if others are one move ahead in chess? However Hu Xiaotian secretly wondered, did Hong Beimo truly not want the Elixir Cauldron Chapter?

Bu Wu looked at Hu Xiaotian and gave a sinister grin: "Kid, you indeed have some guts."

Hu Xiaotian smiled, narrowed his eyes, and nodded at him: "Master, we meet again." As the saying goes, 'one day as a teacher, lifelong as a father'; Hu Xiaotian suddenly realized that the term 'father' clashed with him, whether it was his biological father or this master equivalent to a father, both were traps that would ruin him without remedy.

Bu Wu said: "Out of consideration for your calling me master, I will not personally kill you."

Hu Xiaotian said: "One day as a teacher, lifelong as a father; out of consideration for your teaching me martial arts, I also will not personally kill you."

A hint of a smile appeared on Bu Wu's ugly face; outside, firelight flickered again, and it was Qiqi, accompanied by Hong Beimo and others, arriving at the Ethereal Peak.

Hong Beimo gazed at Hu Xiaotian, now a trapped beast in the cage, and a hint of a triumphant smile curled his lips.

Qiqi stood in the crowd, gazing far at Hu Xiaotian, but Hu Xiaotian's eyes never landed on her, as if he hadn't noticed her presence; Hu Xiaotian turned to Xi Yan and said: "Don't be afraid, with me here, no one can bully you."

Xi Yan smiled sweetly, whispering: "I trust you; with you by my side, I fear nothing."

Hearing their affectionate exchange, Qiqi felt an indescribable sense of loss, she coldly said: "Hu Xiaotian, you colluded with a demoness to plot harm against this palace, and joined forces with Long Tingzhen to kill the Emperor, intending to overthrow Dakang's state; what crime do you deserve?"

Only then did Hu Xiaotian direct his gaze toward Qiqi; a chill killing intent burst from his clear eyes, Qiqi almost wanted to avoid his gaze, but she bit her cherry lips, steeled her heart, and met his eyes, showing no intention to retreat.

Hu Xiaotian chuckled: "What happened, you and I both know; since everyone is already gathered, please let everyone bear witness: I, Hu Xiaotian, from today onward dissolve my marriage pact with that lowly wench! From now on, I and Long Qiqi have no further ties; your marriage, my wedding—all as you wish!"

"You…" Qiqi could never have imagined that Hu Xiaotian, at the brink of life and death, did not beg for mercy but in front of everyone dissolved their marriage pact; indeed she had already prepared to announce to the world that her marriage pact with Hu Xiaotian was invalid, only to be preempted by this scoundrel.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Yongyang Princess, you are disloyal, unfilial, unjust; I could never take a woman like you as my wife, even if I did, I would divorce you!"

"Shut up!" Qiqi was so angered by Hu Xiaotian that her brows knitted fiercely.

Xi Yan softly sighed: "You little brat, you finally did something right."

Qiqi pointed at Hu Xiaotian: "Hu Xiaotian, as long as I give the order, you and that demoness will die without a burial place!"

Hu Xiaotian said: "What's there to fear about death? The worst is to die alone and abandoned; I have Xi Yan as company, so even on the road to the Yellow Springs I won't be lonely; although you have many around you, which of them truly treats you well? Which of them isn't trying to use you? Of course, you don't care, after all you all just use each other." Hu Xiaotian's gaze turned to Hong Beimo: "Hong Beimo, you truly are an old shameless who goes back on his word; it seems you have already obtained the Elixir Cauldron Chapter, so naturally these things in my hands are now irrelevant to you."

Hong Beimo gave a noncommittal smile.

Hu Xiaotian also turned to Ren Tianqing: "Ren Tianqing, I've long heard of your name, yet we've never met; it seems Ren Tianqing is Mong Zizai, and Mong Zizai is Ren Tianqing; the one who entered the Cangshuge to borrow the Myriad Phenomena of Heaven and Man illustration was you, right? I suppose you also pocketed that Heart Sutra of Prajna Paramita."

Ren Tianqing's face changed abruptly, he shouted: "You're talking nonsense!"

At this moment, Hong Beimo and Mu Rongzhan simultaneously cast doubtful glances at Ren Tianqing.

Ren Tianqing understood clearly; this brat was deliberately stirring suspicion between them, and now explaining would only make things look darker; he sneered: "At death's door, what tricks do you still have?"

Hu Xiaotian smiled at Mu Rongzhan: "Mu Rongzhan, I always thought you were an arrogant, aloof, lofty fellow; alas, alas, deep down you are just a fawning, servile slave, unable even to protect your own daughter, or perhaps you are simply a cold-hearted, ruthless person who cares only for yourself, never having cared for your family at all."

Mu Rongzhan's face was expressionless, his silver-white eyes coldly staring at Hu Xiaotian.

Xi Yan whispered close to Hu Xiaotian's ear: "That thing I hid on the inner side of my left leg."

Hu Xiaotian's heart skipped a beat; that thing? that thing? He reached back and felt Xi Yan's inner left thigh, and there he felt a hard, stiff short rod—uh! How could that be? Hu Xiaotian almost thought wrong, but immediately from the texture he realized this rod was exactly the sword hilt he and Xi Yan had found in Long Ling Shengjing.

First Update sent up, earnestly seeking Monthly Ticket; at the start of the new year I just want to score an eleven, Zhangshiyilang truly lives up to his name, but this feeling is awful, brothers and sisters, give me a hand, help me move up a step, okay? (To be continued~^~)