Chapter 169: Turmoil in the Six Suns Study

Originally, Ruan Xing was still somewhat worried that if Cui Yurong did not listen to her advice and still married the male lead, she might end up following the same path as in the original book.

If that were the case, she planned to discard Cui Yurong after using her, leaving her to fend for herself.

But as it stands, perhaps because she disrupted the plot, Cui Yurong died earlier than in the original storyline, missing the years of forbearance for her family, and she did not give birth to a daughter filled with her love; I fear that upon learning the truth, she will only be glad she did not give birth to her enemy's child.

Compared to the original book, she has thus been spared much humiliation and many entanglements.

In short, for Ruan Xing, the current Cui Yurong is more capable of helping her.

After thinking for a moment, Ruan Xing took the Triangle Flag out of her Storage Bag.

This Flag had collected many Yin Ghosts back in the Cold Mountain Secret Realm, becoming something akin to a High-grade Magical Tool; the power of a Dharma Artifact depends on the strength of the Yin Ghosts within, and after several years of devouring each other, the weak Yin Souls in the flag had long been digested, leaving only some Evil Ghosts comparable to the strength of a Golden Core, though Ruan Xing had always felt this Dharma Artifact was against the laws of heaven and rarely used it.

Releasing an Evil Ghost from within, Ruan Xing said, "Try to see if you can devour it."

The Evil Ghost, possessing no intelligence but only soaring ghost energy, bared its fangs and brandished its claws as it rushed toward Cui Yurong; Cui Yurong was startled, but not afraid, instead mobilizing the Yin energy on her body to wrap around the Evil Ghost, digesting it like a Venus flytrap.

"It works." Cui Yurong said with some regret, "But I still cannot open these chains."

"I will think of a way for these chains later." Ruan Xing had no good way to open them without knowing the incantation for the Binding God Rope, "With your current Yin energy, how much Nether Ghost Fire can you release at most?"

"Does the benefactor want to burn this place down?" Cui Yurong said, "I am afraid that will not work... If my Yin energy is not restrained, I could probably burn seven or eight people, but the hardest problem is that they will dodge, and I cannot hit them... The Cultivator from just now was like that; I could not hit him and could not escape, which is why I was captured."

That Cui Yurong could undergo Evil Corruption to become a powerful Ghost Cultivator was entirely due to the Nether Ghost Record in her mind and the resentment filling her body; she had absolutely no practical combat experience, and although her opponents were a group of old men who also worked behind closed doors, these Cultivators had at least undergone systematic learning, possessed quite a bit of theoretical knowledge, and having served as officials in the mortal world for decades, their life experience far exceeded Cui Yurong's.

Ruan Xing wanted to utilize the Nether Ghost Fire that Cui Yurong mastered, but she did not expect Cui Yurong to do the burning herself.

There were dozens of Golden Core Stage Cultivators in the Six Suns Study; even if she burned a few to death, it would not be of much use; what Ruan Xing wanted was for it to spread like a plague.

She would have Cui Yurong ignite the Evil Ghosts within the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, then release the Evil Ghosts to go everywhere and spread it to the Cultivators.

But doing so would make these already mindless Evil Ghosts even less likely to be driven by her under the threat of having their souls scattered, and she was somewhat worried about accidentally harming herself, and how to clean up the aftermath after the burning...

If one Evil Ghost were to run out into a nearby town where ten thousand people gathered, that would be terrible.

Seeing Ruan Xing troubled by this problem, Cui Yurong said, "The Nether Ghost Fire is released by me, so naturally it will not scorch me; the benefactor will absolutely not be accidentally harmed while by my side, but I am locked in this dungeon and cannot stay by the benefactor's side at all times..."

Ruan Xing could not extract the incantation for the Binding God Rope within a day or two, and Cheng Zijue was guarding the dungeon; if only there were some divine weapon that could violently break these chains.

Ruan Xing thought with some regret that her Flying Sword was only a Mid-grade Magical Artifact, and since this Binding God Rope could act upon the Divine Soul, even if it were not a Spirit Tool, it was comparable to one and certainly could not be cut.

Was it possible to find Cui Yurong before she was captured? No... Cui Yurong was captured early this morning, and she only arrived in the morning; there was not enough time, and the Demon Lord and others had already left the Xumi Realm, with several Golden Core Cultivators inside investigating; entering again would be far more dangerous than before.

"No rush for now, do as I instructed." Ruan Xing thought for a moment, whispered a few words to Cui Yurong, and walked out of the dungeon.

She had stayed inside long enough; if she hadn't fed an Evil Ghost to Cui Yurong to help her recover her Yin energy, which took some time to digest, she should have come out earlier.

Hopefully, Cheng Zijue would not notice anything unusual.

The two people outside the dungeon saw Ruan Xing come out and hurried to greet her.

Cheng Zijue asked urgently, "How is it? Did she say anything?"

Ruan Xing smiled and said, "I have not failed the mission; although she did not reveal anything useful, at least she opened her mouth to speak."

"Is that so? That is great." Cheng Zijue was overjoyed; now he could make up for his negligence in the Xumi Realm, "What did she say?"

Ruan Xing said after careful consideration, "You guessed correctly; she did indeed see that mortal wife of yours, and she was tortured to death by that mortal, hence her deep resentment; she told me that if we could capture that mortal and bring him before her to be sliced into a thousand pieces and executed by slow slicing, she would tell us why she became a Ghost Cultivator, and would also tell us the appearance of the person who cultivated her."

She combined the original book's plot with half-truths to fabricate a story for Cheng Zijue.

Cheng Zijue was overjoyed upon hearing this, "This is a major clue; I will go report to the Study Master now!"

"Hey, wait." Ruan Xing hurriedly pulled him back, and the latter looked back in confusion.

"You are going to report to the Study Master, but what about the dungeon? Are you not going to guard it?" Ruan Xing frowned and said, "It just so happens that I also have matters to discuss with the Study Master; why not let me report it for you on the way."

Cheng Zijue thought for a moment and agreed, "Fine, then I will trouble you, Junior Brother."

Cheng Zijue returned to the dungeon, and Ruan Xing took the Confucian-robed Cultivator and hurried to the main hall to request an audience with the Study Master.

With her leading and the Confucian-robed Cultivator providing testimony and additions on the side, they recounted the events that occurred during their patrol today one by one.

"Li Jinfu, what cultivation level do you think those two were?" the Study Master asked.

Ruan Xing appeared to be in deep thought and said, "One was about the same as this disciple, and the other was perhaps slightly higher than this disciple."

That would be two at the Golden Core Late Stage, or perhaps Golden Core Consummation.

The old man with the gold ring spoke up, "I will make a trip; if they have not gone far, I will see what their background is."

Just as the Study Master was about to nod in agreement, the old man with the horsetail whisk interjected, "This concerns the Xumi Realm and is no small matter; I will go along as well. As long as we can see them, we must bring them back for strict interrogation. Even if they are disciples of other great Sects, we have no fear; they injured the disciples of our Sect for no reason, and they were the ones who were rude first."

Although neither Ruan Xing nor the Confucian-robed Cultivator were injured, no one refuted the words of the old man with the horsetail whisk.

The two Nascent Soul True Monarchs had extremely high mobility; as soon as they finished speaking, they stepped onto their Flying Swords together and flew out of the hall.

It seems that in the previous simulation, it was indeed the report of the two patrolling disciples that brought a disaster upon Ruan Xing.

This was only because the Xumi Realm was too important to the Six Suns Study.

Both True Monarchs had already departed, but Ruan Xing and the Confucian-robed Cultivator still stood where they were.

The Study Master asked in confusion, "Is there anything else?"

Ruan Xing then recounted what had just happened in the dungeon, downplaying the details, "Earlier in the dungeon, not long after you left, Study Master, the Ghost Cultivator spoke; perhaps she was originally intimidated by the might of you and the two Elders, and in her terror, she was muddled and dared not speak. Senior Brother Cheng was ordered to guard the dungeon and dared not leave his post, so he asked this disciple to report on his behalf. The Ghost Cultivator said that she was cultivated by someone to undergo Evil Corruption, but because she suffered misery while alive, she demanded that we capture her enemy from the Xumi Realm, otherwise she would not reveal who that person is."

"I see..." A trace of surprise and gravity appeared on the Study Master's face, "Sun Xian and the other have already taken the Black Eagle into the Xumi Realm; with the barrier in place, I cannot hear them even with sound transmission. You should also make a trip to the Xumi Realm and capture that Ghost Cultivator's enemy."

Huh? There is such a good thing? Ruan Xing's thoughts raced, but her expression remained calm, "This disciple accepts the order."

The Black Eagle had not yet returned, so Ruan Xing still had some time; she did not know if controlling the Black Eagle required any token or incantation, and it just so happened that there was a dull-witted Confucian-robed Cultivator beside her, so she could try to see if she could ask him.

Ruan Xing deliberately avoided the plaza, went to a corner, and asked, "Junior Brother, this Senior Brother is getting old and has a poor memory; what is the incantation to drive the Black Eagle again?"

The Confucian-robed Cultivator frowned, "Senior Brother, you are joking with me again; I have never been on duty at the National Teacher Palace, so how would I know how to drive the Black Eagle..." As he was speaking, he suddenly looked at Ruan Xing with a strange expression, "Senior Brother, what is wrong with you today? You feel strange..."

Puchi—

A sword was thrust into his dantian.

At such close range, the Confucian-robed Cultivator did not even react in time to activate his Spiritual Power protective shield.

The sword blade rotated once inside.

The Confucian-robed Cultivator widened his eyes, opened his mouth as if to shout something, but was tightly covered by Ruan Xing, who dragged his limp body away, intending to put him into her Storage Bag after he had completely breathed his last.

If he hadn't discovered it, she could have spared him; there were still some bloodstains on the ground... truly troublesome.

However, the next moment, as if an alarm had suddenly sounded, the Mountain Protection Array rose up abruptly! It began to bubble with bubbles of various sizes, like boiling syrup.

Many Cultivators within the gate gathered in the plaza in a panic.

"What is going on? I have never seen this before!"

"The automatic defense of the Mountain Protection Array has been triggered! Someone must be attacking the mountain gate!"

Ruan Xing, separated by two pavilions, touched the area with her Divine Sense and retracted it immediately, only catching a few words.

Oh well... so there is an alarm when someone is killed within the mountain gate; even the Xuanbing Sect didn't have one.

She thought quickly, and with no other choice, she hid the Confucian-robed Cultivator in the shrubbery of the green belt below the pavilion, then walked quickly toward the direction of the dungeon.

As she walked, she released her Sword and the Self-destruct Puppets from her Storage Bag, giving them orders to cause chaos in various places and to self-destruct after attracting some Cultivators over.

The Puppets scattered in all directions, and not long after, she heard a boom in the distance.

The ground beneath her feet shook twice, making her almost lose her footing.

But the surrounding buildings did not collapse like paper shells.

Ruan Xing thought to herself: "As expected, within the barrier, the power of the Self-destruct Puppets is reduced quite a bit; the shockwaves were weakened and absorbed by the barrier."

She ran even more quickly toward the rockery passage behind the plaza and entered the dungeon.

Cheng Zijue also felt the tremor from just now, and seeing Ruan Xing arrive in a hurry, he asked loudly: "Junior Brother, what happened outside!"

Ruan Xing said anxiously: "I don't know what's going on either! Suddenly many Demon Cultivators have attacked the mountain gate, and I fear it has to do with this Ghost Cultivator in the dungeon. The Master of the Study ordered me to come and bring this Ghost Cultivator out to find him!"

"What!? Demon Cultivators? That's impossible!" Cheng Zijue was shocked.

Ruan Xing's heart stirred, "Why is it impossible?"

During her first Simulation, she had lived as a servant in the Six Suns Study until she was twenty-three, and then died in a Demon Cultivator attack.

Demon Cultivators would not spare the Six Suns Study.

"Of course it's impossible. The Demon Cultivators are in the Northern Territory, and we are in Nanzhou. They traveled ten thousand miles to attack us just for this Ghost Cultivator who has been under Evil Corruption for less than three days? How is that possible!" Cheng Zijue said without hesitation.

Is that so? It seems she overthought it.

Seeing that she could not trick Cheng Zijue, Ruan Xing approached him and used the same trick again, one hand gripping her Sword to stab his dantian, the other hand forming a seal to use the Breaking Source Technique to obstruct the flow of Spiritual Power in his body, saying indifferently: "It's possible now."

"Junior Brother, you..." Cheng Zijue fell down, his face full of disbelief.

Cui Yurong in the dungeon saw this scene and hurriedly stood up.

"Wait a moment," Ruan Xing signaled.

Then she fed Cheng Zijue a Healing Pill.

To prevent Cheng Zijue from self-destructing his Golden Core in a desperate situation, Ruan Xing had to strike first and stab his dantian to break the Golden Core. However, Cheng Zijue had already been an old man when he first underwent Spirit Refining, and now that his Golden Core was at Consummation, his lifespan was already exhausted. As the Spiritual Power in his body dissipated rapidly like a torn sack, his whole person was also aging rapidly, becoming like a skeleton covered in skin.

She could only give him the Healing Pill in an attempt to prolong his life for a while longer, and asked coldly: "What is the incantation to drive the Black Eagle? How do I undo the Binding God Rope?"

"Heh... you are not Junior Brother Li..." A sound like a broken bellows came from his throat, and Cheng Zijue revealed a strange smile, "I will not tell you..."

"Right, I am not your Junior Brother Li, I am also a Ghost Cultivator." Ruan Xing admitted it generously and threatened: "If you don't tell me, I will take your soul later and let you undergo Evil Corruption. You probably don't want to experience the taste of being burned by Heavenly Fire yourself, right?"

A trace of fear flashed across his terrifying, skeleton-like face, but he still said: "Then come, try it..."

Sighing, Ruan Xing saw she couldn't get anything out of him, so she had to finish him off and toss his corpse to the side.

There was no help for it; she really had no time left.

The old man with the whisk and the old man with the golden ring had gone to that town and would return in at most an hour. Sun Xian and Chen Donghao had gone to the Xumi Realm, and she had also learned from Chen Donghao that the patrolling disciples were not supposed to return until tonight. Now, the combat power within the Six Suns Study consisted of only the Master of the Study at the Nascent Soul Stage, and many Golden Core disciples had been sent on patrol missions and had not returned. Now was the best time to occupy the Six Suns Study.

She had a high chance of winning.

Ruan Xing took out the Triangle Flag and said to Cui Yurong: "Ignite these Evil Ghosts and let them out of the dungeon."

Cui Yurong stretched out her hand, and Yin Qi surged, but it was quickly restrained back by the Binding God Rope. She said embarrassedly: "I'm sorry, benefactor... with this chain here, I cannot do it."

This was troublesome.

Ruan Xing frowned and filled her Dharma Sword with Spiritual Power, slashing fiercely at the chain, yet not even a mark was left on it.

Just then, another huge boom sounded. As the ground shook, the Long-lasting Lamp began to fall, and pieces of tile and stone began to crack on the circular dome.

The dungeon was about to collapse.

Ruan Xing released all the Evil Ghosts inside the Triangle Flag, letting them act freely.

Now the entire Six Suns Study was in chaos. Ruan Xing took Cui Yurong's hand and led her to escape the dungeon through the passage.

Thanks to _Panda-kun_ for the tip~ Thanks to Bosong for the monthly ticket~ Thanks to book friend 20200530093008398 for the monthly ticket~ (End of chapter)