Chapter 170: Take Advantage of His Illness to Take His Life

The situation outside was even more tragic than when Ruan Xing had first entered the dungeon.

Through her mental connection, she sensed that her puppets and the Evil Ghosts in the Triangle Flags were mostly wiped out; only Sword Come, following her instructions, had remained hidden in the shadows, searching for the traces of the Study Master.

Gravel erupted from the rockery, and the original passageway was no longer recognizable.

She pondered to herself that if she delayed any longer, the two elders with the whisk would likely return, and she still wanted to test the Study Master's strength in this Simulation.

Thus, she said to Cui Yurong, "Since you cannot use your Yin energy, it is inconvenient for me to bring you along while I fight; find a place to hide yourself. If I win, I will come back to find you."

"Very well, Benefactor, take care." Cui Yurong nodded, feeling somewhat ashamed.

The Benefactor had saved her life again, yet she still hadn't been able to help with anything.

Ruan Xing did not pay attention to Cui Yurong's thoughts, but instead asked Sword Come through their mental link and learned the location of the Study Master.

That syrupy, yellowish, bubbling barrier isolated the mountain top from the foot of the mountain. The Outer Sect Disciples were all outside; they only guessed that something had happened within the Inner Sect, but they dared not approach. Their status in the Six Suns Study was only slightly better than that of servants, so why would they risk their lives for the Sect?

As for the Inner Sect Disciples who had not yet reached the Golden Core Stage, they had each found places to hide. Aside from those who had been caught off guard and killed by the Self-destruct Puppets at the very beginning, the others quickly noticed the singular combat pattern of the Self-destruct Puppets and, after provoking them, promptly hid in nearby buildings with defensive functions.

There were also some disciples who, after the chaos began, retreated to the Main Hall at the first opportunity to seek the leadership of the Study Master, their backbone.

Ruan Xing pretended to be one of the latter, hurriedly clutching her sword and running toward the back of the Main Hall with the others.

The Study Master looked at the scene inside the Six Suns Study with a grave expression and let out a long sigh.

He seemed to have been caught in the blast of a few Self-destruct Puppets as well; he had some minor injuries and dust on his body, looking rather disheveled.

A disciple said with an anxious expression, "Study Master, what should we do now? Should we open the barrier and go out to seek help from other nearby sects?"

"Absolutely not!" another disciple shouted to stop him. "The unknown enemy should still be hiding within the Sect right now. They only released some inhuman things to carry out sneak attacks. If we open the barrier and that person takes the opportunity to escape, the future troubles will be endless!"

"What are we to do then? On the way here just now, I already saw the corpses of several fellow disciples..."

"What are you panicking for! With the Study Master here, could that thief really reach us? As long as we hold on until the two Elders return, we will be safe!"

"Enough, silence!" the Study Master growled, then said calmly, "Not opening the barrier is the safest course of action right now. The barrier absorbs the power of the Golden Core explosions and weakens their force. Once the barrier is opened, at such close range, I cannot even guarantee my own safety, so how would you preserve your lives?"

What the Study Master did not say was that the nearby sects were not as strong as theirs. In the past, there was the Nanzhou Xuanbing Sect that had a Nascent Soul True Monarch, but now they only had one Golden Core Elder. As for others like the Red Garment Pavilion, there was no friendship, so why would they come? Furthermore, coming would just be throwing their lives away, and it would easily leak news and expose the Xumi Realm.

The few Golden Core disciples immediately lost their spirit and fell silent in chagrin.

This Study Master's analysis was quite sound, but he did not know that Ruan Xing only had six Self-destruct Puppets in total, and they had all already completed their missions.

The chaos now was being caused by the Evil Ghosts in the Triangle Flags; they inherently possessed strength close to the Golden Core Stage and did not fear most physical attacks. If an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator did not have a Dharma Artifact to restrain them, there was truly nothing they could do about them.

It was just that the Study Master and the others had gathered together from the start, and Ruan Xing's instructions to the puppets were to explode where there were many people, which naturally attracted the self-destruction of several puppets, leading them to believe the number of puppets was vast and seemingly endless.

Ruan Xing's heart stirred, and she summoned Sword Come over.

She herself mingled with a few disciples and approached the Study Master, appearing nonchalant.

Perhaps because she had just reported two major matters to the Study Master earlier that day, he still had some impression of her and had no defenses, merely assuming she was shaken and seeking protection.

This was normal; there was no one in the Six Suns Study who excelled at fighting. Before reaching the Nascent Soul Stage and reshaping their physical bodies, everyone was an old person of sixty or seventy with stiff limbs. Even with maintenance, it was good enough not to be riddled with illness. Eating Beauty-Preserving Pills only made them look better on the outside; how could they compare to young cultivators?

Moreover, everyone was afraid of being unable to break through their realm before their lifespan ended. To seek longevity, and since there were no bottlenecks anyway, they all buried their heads in cultivation and rarely improved in other areas. Being able to learn one Sword Technique and a few Dharma spells was already considered quite a broad range of study.

Cultivators who were not accustomed to the Cultivation world still had the mindset of mortals; when people get old, how can they not fear death?

The reason Ruan Xing could kill these cultivators one sword strike at a time, besides her own cultivation being higher than theirs and her decisiveness, was precisely because of this point.

Ruan Xing suddenly cried out in alarm, "Study Master, watch out!"

The Study Master's heart skipped a beat; he turned his head to look and saw a white figure flying straight toward him.

There was no tremor of an impending self-destruction on that figure, but the Study Master dared not be careless; he waved his large sleeve, intending to strike the opponent away with a palm.

Who would have thought that the white figure would suddenly disappear when it reached him, while a chill came from behind him.

The sword in Ruan Xing's hand flashed with an icy blue light, and a layer of ice crystals condensed on the wound on the Study Master's back. He was both shocked and furious, pointing at Ruan Xing with a trembling hand: "You... so it turns out there is such a traitor like you within the Sect..."

The few disciples nearby were all stunned by what had happened in the blink of an eye.

A few seconds later, someone reacted, "Quick, help the Study Master kill this traitor!"

Ruan Xing smiled slightly and stopped concealing her cultivation. The might of the Nascent Soul Stage erupted from her, instantly knocking the few disciples who were approaching her flying.

Two Golden Core Late Stage disciples could barely stand after being sent flying, while the others either crashed into pillars or flew far away, spitting out mouthfuls of blood with twisted expressions upon landing.

"Nascent Soul Stage... you are not Li Jinfu!"

Ruan Xing did not answer, but instead had Sword Come coordinate with her to continue attacking the Study Master.

Take advantage of his injury to make him perish.

As everyone knows, villains die from talking too much.

She was currently fighting many, and there were two Nascent Soul Stage cultivators outside the barrier watching like tigers eyeing their prey.

But fortunately, in terms of her feeling while fighting, the Study Master's strength was inferior to those two Elders.

As for Sword Technique, Ruan Xing currently only knew two sets of Profound-grade Sword Techniques, but she had upgraded both sets to the full level of six layers through the Simulator. Dealing with an injured Study Master was more than enough, especially since he was inferior to her to begin with.

It even gave Ruan Xing a sense of unreality; when she had just come out of the Xumi Realm three years ago, the Study Master of the Six Suns Study was no different from a great mountain looming over her head.

Suddenly, a long screech sounded in the sky, the sound so sharp it threatened to pierce one's eardrums.

The remaining two disciples said with joy, "Study Master! The Black Eagle is back!"

It was no wonder they were happy; the Black Eagle could be considered the second-greatest combat power in the Six Suns Study after the Golden Ring Elder. After all, it was a Monster Beast, and besides the function of carrying people, it could also suppress the Sect.

It was just that the barrier had not been opened, so the Black Eagle could not fly in and could not land on the plaza; the Black Eagle circled anxiously above the plaza.

The Study Master gave a bitter smile. How could these disciples who had never experienced the dangers of the Cultivation world understand? This was a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator; even if they let the Black Eagle in, it might not be able to win...

He could only hope to hold on for a little longer until the other two returned.

Two quarter-hours had passed since Ruan Xing killed the Confucian-robed cultivator and triggered the barrier's alarm. She could not help but become a bit impatient, and her strikes became increasingly ruthless. Soon, many new wounds were added to the already struggling Study Master.

He had to deal with Ruan Xing on one hand and guard against the elusive Sword Come on the other; in just a moment, he was retreating steadily. And those two Golden Core disciples could not help at all; whenever they dared to step forward, Ruan Xing could strike them into serious injury with one sword.

"Cough, cough..." The Study Master spat out a mouthful of blood foam. "You will not succeed..."

"Oh?" Ruan Xing raised an eyebrow. "You know who I am and what my goal is?"

"The matter of the Xumi Realm, only..."

Northern Territory... Demon Cultivator...

The Six Suns Study is truly not a simple righteous Sect; to think they have been colluding with Demon Cultivators for thousands of years!

Ruan Xing simply decided to act according to the identity the Master imagined, testing if she could trick him into talking: "Then how can you be sure that only I was sent, and not that I am just the first wave?"

A feigned, relaxed smile appeared on her face, "It's just that seeing you are the only old thing left on the mountain, I felt it was a heaven-sent opportunity and decided to act. Once you open the barrier, you will know whether it was me, a Demon Cultivator from the Northern Territory, who entered first, or your useless Elder."

The Master, however, did not reveal any more information, only stubbornly saying: "I will not open the barrier... You will die here. Once you are dead, everything will be made clear."

Ruan Xing asked curiously: "What, are you going to learn my methods and perform a Nascent Soul self-detonation? You want these nearly one hundred disciples inside the barrier to be buried with me that badly?"

Ruan Xing truly could not imagine how the Master could still kill her under these circumstances.

The power of her Puppet self-detonation was not great; firstly, its strength was only seventy or eighty percent of its original state, and secondly, its power was weakened by the barrier.

But once the Master dared to self-detonate, Ruan Xing would not sit idly by and wait for death if she had no way to survive.

At that time, if two Nascent Souls self-detonated together, let alone those disciples hiding in the corners, perhaps the entire mountaintop would be razed to the ground.

It's just that she didn't know if it could blast open the barrier... Ruan Xing actually wanted to try it; she hadn't experienced this way of dying yet.

The Master's blood-stained mouth let out a muffled laugh, "They are just a few disciples. As long as a threat like you is removed, in thirty or fifty years, the Six Suns Study will still be glorious!"

Hiss... Was he not afraid of death himself?

Ruan Xing's heart sank. Indeed, according to the Six Suns Study's average cultivation speed of Foundation Establishment in three years and Golden Core in ten, as long as the Xumi Realm remained, there would be another large batch of Golden Core disciples in thirty years.

They did not restrict their recruitment of disciples to high-ranking officials; as long as one could live until retirement and possessed a Spirit Bone, even a fifth or sixth-rank official met the requirements.

Within a dynasty, the civil and military officials cycled every thirty or forty years; they had a sufficient source of recruits.

Yet this Simulation of hers had once again reached a dead end.

Even if the Master did not self-detonate, after she killed him, she would be unable to open the barrier and leave. With her Self-destruct Puppets and the Evil Ghost in the Triangle Flag already exhausted, her chances of winning were slim once those two returned.

"You thief! How dare you break into my Sect and harm my disciples! Pay with your life!"

A roar startled Ruan Xing, who was deep in thought; the golden-ringed old man began to clamor outside the barrier.

The chaos had occurred for less than half an hour, yet they had returned so quickly.

She hurriedly pulled the Sword out from the Master's shoulder and pressed it against his dantian, "You aren't dead yet, which means you are my hostage. With you in my hands, what can the two of them do to me? If they dare to move an inch, I will pierce the Nascent Soul in your dantian and make your body and soul perish!"

The Master sneered, "Do you know why I insisted on having everyone gather behind the main hall, even though the plaza and the main hall have protective Formations?"

Why? Ruan Xing vigilantly glanced at the surrounding stone forest and trees; other than the Spirit Qi being slightly denser than elsewhere, she really couldn't feel any difference or danger, and there wasn't even a Formation.

However, it was precisely what she could not perceive that was the most terrifying.

She pursed her lips and increased the force on the Sword, the tip piercing slightly into the skin. As blood stained his withered, bark-like abdomen, the Master suddenly reached out to grab the Sword, while his other hand gripped Ruan Xing's wrist, preventing her from escaping. His entire body lunged forward, and the blade instantly pierced through him!

His Nascent Soul also struggled for a moment under the Sword before beginning to dissipate.

All around was a deathly silence.

Even the bird calls and insect chirps common in the forest had vanished.

Ruan Xing began to look in all directions, on guard.

Suddenly, the ground beneath her feet began to squirm, and the surrounding trees all straightened up. Tree roots pulled themselves from the ground, densely surrounding Ruan Xing like tentacles.

A sense of dread rose in her heart from out of nowhere.

Her entire body began to tremble uncontrollably.

That feeling of being bound and controlled grew stronger and stronger—

She used every ounce of her strength and willpower, wanting to turn around and run to jump onto the pillar behind the main hall.

It was only a distance of a few hundred meters, yet Ruan Xing found it difficult to move even half a step.

The gray-brown, soil-covered tree roots wrapped around her tightly like snakes. The Short Sword slipped from her hand, and the bones in her body broke one by one. The extreme pain squeezed within her chest made her want to scream, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she encountered bitter tree roots and soil. Her entire person was buried in the roots, forming a cocoon.

Blood flowed slowly from the gaps, trickling and dripping along the shape of the coiled tree roots.

Finally, it silently returned to the underground. The forest returned to calm, as if nothing had ever happened.

Simulation ended.

Ruan Xing opened her eyes and couldn't help but shiver.

That feeling of being swallowed into the belly of a python and slowly squeezed and digested was truly hair-raising.

And that feeling of being controlled and bound undoubtedly came from the World Tree.

This experience of powerlessness cast a shadow over her heart.

She couldn't help but ask a question in her heart.

What exactly is the level and origin of this World Tree?

Why does the restriction it gave her during her mortal period still have such strong power at the Nascent Soul Stage, and isn't its main body located deep beneath the National Teacher Palace in the Xumi Realm? There is a distance of nearly a hundred miles separated by layers of mountain passes!

How could its roots extend so far and still control her, and yet such a powerful thing has been in the possession of the Six Suns Study for thousands of years?

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