Chapter 263 - 262: Taoist School, Holy Land, Mysterious Palace

Suddenly receiving communication, Li Jing’s spirits lifted.

Finally, there’s news!?

However, he quickly calmed down.

On this expedition, he led nearly a million people.

In carrying out his duties, he couldn’t rashly act.

It’s possible that one of his decisions could lead to the deaths of tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people.

That’s a heavy burden to bear, and he needed to be cautious.

Turning his head towards the east, Li Jing squinted.

The reason he chose to explore southward in the first place was simple: the Giant Beast Corps was stationed directly south of the passage.

The presence of the corps only served two purposes.

To advance or to defend.

Regardless of the purpose, the safety of the rear was always ensured.

Directly to the south, there must undoubtedly be places where the Snake People or something else was gathered.

The fact that God Country’s team has advanced so far south without finding anything doesn’t mean they have come up empty-handed. Rather, it was due to the time limit to return to the passage, which prevented them from continuing further.

The discovery in the east of the south was indeed a pleasant surprise, but it was a bit puzzling.

God Country’s forty main groups, together, accounted for more than 400,000 people.

Under his leadership, God Country’s teams were dispersed into small squads, carrying out a carpet search in parallel.

In this process, each team was at least ten kilometers apart.

Given this radiation range, it was quite extensive.

The distance between two separate squads was not significant.

More than ten kilometers, for team members from the Three Realm or above, it would take no time at all to converge with neighbouring teams.

But when scattered over more than 400,000 people, the distance became quite exaggerated...

According to his previous instructions, the teams covered the unexplored areas to the east of the south.

At this moment, the whole team’s direction towards the passage exit was not simply the southeast position at an angle but was approaching the east, completely deviating from the south directly opposite the Giant Beast Corps’ camp at the exit position.

If the palace complex was that of the Snake People, the Giant Beast Corps should have been stationed in the corresponding direction: the deviation couldn’t be this serious.

In this situation, it wasn’t possible that the Snake People predicted his prediction and deliberately confused the direction, right?

Even if it was deliberate, it had to be based on the premise that the Snake People anticipated God Country’s temptation and chose to wage war with them without hesitation.

Besides, there was a more important point.

The Snake People and the Giant Beasts did not seem like the types to build palaces.

The camp of the Giant Beast Corps at the exit position was simply constructed with large trees, forming a rough frame. It was not even completely enclosed by walls.

Only the Snake People could enjoy staying in the camp, while the Giant Beasts were only allowed to rest around the area.

Given all this, could they have constructed a palace complex?

In fact, from the moment he saw the camp set up by the Giant Beast Corps in the passage space, Li Jing was certain that they were not the creators of the ruins outside the passage.

After thinking for a while, Li Jing raised his communicator.

"All units, alert. Pass on orders to personnel within the effective communication range. Everyone gather east, find a place to hide. Do not get too close to the discovered palace complex, wait for orders."

Ji Youyu didn’t have the communication device of God’s Country so she didn’t know that a message had just come in.

Seeing Li Jing issue orders out of the blue, her eyes brightened.

"Was something discovered in the east?"

"Hmm."

Li Jing answered, saying.

"We’ve apparently discovered a palace complex, but we’ll have to go over to see what the specific situation is."

Speaking, he continued.

"Whether this palace complex is tricky or not doesn’t need to be considered, but whether it belongs to the Snake People is temporarily unclear."

Hearing these words, Ji Youyu frowned.

"Counselor Li, what do you mean by this?"

"No one has ruled out that the Snake People’s civilization is the only one in this passage. What has been sealed here is not necessarily just the Snake People."

Li Jing responded, stating casually.

"Up until now, we still don’t know who sealed the Snake People or who built the ruins discovered by the God Country outside the passage. Then there’s the question of the bird people whom I encountered. Why did they, who have the ability to go to the Big Secret Realm, lead me deeper into this space through the passage? There are too many unknowns, and we need to be cautious."

Receiving such a reply from Li Jing, Ji Youyu was slightly taken aback.

The issues that Li Jing brought up were indeed present.

But she never considered any of these.

What she wanted was simply to find two snake people to accomplish her mission.

Gazing at Li Jing, who was leading her east, Ji Youyu looked somewhat baffled.

On this journey with Li Jing, she bore no other motive.

But during this brief time spent together, she found herself increasingly unable to fathom the youth before her.

Li Jing was only twenty-one years old, a fact confirmed by Qi Chen.

The appearance of cultivators might not serve as a reference, but one cannot fake one’s skeleton age.

At the age of twenty-one, not only was his cultivation level unfathomably deep, his thoughts were also intricately detailed, able to easily assess the situation, dissect the status quo and identify problems.

This was, to say the least, terrifying.

Ji Youyu considered herself a person of cunning, but in front of Li Jing’s strategizing performance, her little cleverness seemed like a joke.

After a moment of silence, Ji Youyu asked.

"Counselor Li, have you ever heard of the Tianyi Taoist School?"

Upon hearing this nonsensical question, Li Jing subconsciously turned his head.

Seeing Ji Youyu looking straight at him, he furrowed his brows and shook his head, saying,

"I have not heard of it. My knowledge of the Hidden World Sect is limited, and I am not interested. Let’s drop the subject, this is not the time to talk about this."

With this response, Ji Youyu quietly breathed a sigh of relief, her gaze intensifying.

Because Li Jing’s cultivation level was profound and he had a connection with Chen Jing, she, Qi Chen, and Tongyan suspected that he was a Taoist Junior.

Originally, she planned to investigate with Qi Chen and the others afterward. But in a spur of the moment, she blurted out a "straight ball" and effortlessly made it clear.

Li Jing was not a Taoist Junior.

And listening to his tone, he had absolutely no connection with the Hidden World Sect, he merely had some understanding of it.

If such a talented young man who was not born of a sect could be pulled into her sect...

Stealing a glance at Li Jing’s profile, Ji Youyu bit her red lips lightly.

"Since Counselor Li is not interested in sect matters, I won’t bring it up anymore. Confirming that you’re not a Taoist Junior puts my mind at ease."

As she said this, she slowly began to tell her story.

"I come from the Canglan Holy Land, and currently, I am cultivating in the real world of Longyu. The reason why I hold a public office position in Longyu is one, to gain more experience, and two, because the Holy Land has a talent transportation agreement with Longyu. Those who cultivate in the real world must fill the vacancies in Longyu and seek welfare."

Upon hearing her words, Li Jing silently turned his head away.

Did this girl not understand human language?

He had already said he was not interested, yet she still exposed herself on the spot?

Although he was speechless, listening to Ji Youyu’s narration nonetheless solved a question for Li Jing.

Chen Jing’s background was obviously the Tianyi Taoist School she mentioned.

Because he had a connection with Chen Jing, Ji Youyu and the others suspected he was from the same school...

Riding the Spirit Soldier slowly eastward, Li Jing casually asked,

"Does your Canglan Holy Land have a grudge against the Tianyi Taoist School?"

"It’s not so much a grudge, it’s more of a competitive relationship. Both the Holy Land and the Taoist School are orthodox sects, and their real antagonists are the Demon Taoist factions."

Ji Youyu responded, saying lightly,

"Since you are not a Taoist Junior, Counselor Li, it is best not to delve too deeply into some matters."

"Oh."

Li Jing responded, turning his head back and ignoring her.

Seeing this, Ji Youyu was immediately left in an awkward situation.

She didn’t say what she said to "deter" Li Jing, but rather wanted to arouse his curiosity and find an opportunity to talk about the benefits of joining a sect.

Indeed, Li Jing’s curiosity had been piqued and he had asked about the relationship between the Holy Land and the Taoist school.

Who knew he would really be deterred by a casual remark?

Looking speechlessly at a certain someone, Ji Youyu wanted to say something to whet his appetite further, but she felt that certain someone was hard to gauge, so she chose to keep quiet for the moment.

...

More than ten minutes later, Li Jing and Ji Youyu arrived near the location where the God Kingdom team had discovered the palace complex.

With Li Jing’s vanishing speed, it would only take a few breaths to get there.

But he had to keep an eye on the God Kingdom team within his care.

Although he did not specify beforehand, he had an understanding with Orville and the other God Kingdom Six Realm, they dispersed to various parts of the team’s exploration radiation range, ready to respond at any moment to ensure the safety of the separated team members.

Each person had their own area of responsibility and could not just walk away on a whim.

Upon reaching the destination, Li Jing and Ji Youyu landed on the trunk of a massive tree in a forest area.

At present, the forty teams of the God Kingdom have not yet fully assembled, with a portion of the teams from the west continuing to gather.

The teams that have already assembled are now congregated according to Li Jing’s instructions, scattered and hidden behind various covers in the forest area.

The unusually large trees and vegetation within the passage serve as excellent natural cover for them.

Standing on a tree trunk, Li Jing gazes towards the east.

In his sight are palace buildings that are identical in design to the ruins outside the passage.

The only difference is that although these palace buildings appear somewhat old, all of them are intact and not as dilapidated.

There is some distance between the God Kingdom’s current position and the palace buildings, and one could only vaguely see them with the naked eye.

However, from afar, one could see numerous low-realm giant beasts whose sizes defy the heavens roaming around the forest near the palace buildings, and shadows of giant beasts could occasionally be spotted amidst the buildings.

Upon seeing this scene, Li Jing frowns slightly.

Before coming here, he had already concluded that the Snake People did not have the ability to build palaces.

The fact that the palace buildings are identical in style to the ruins outside the passage is somewhat strange.

Judging by the architectural style, the palace buildings and the ruins are obviously crafted by the same civilization.

Could it be that the alien civilization that forged the ruins not only sealed the Snake People, but also sealed themselves?

While pondering this, Orville, who had arrived earlier than Li Jing and Ji Youyu in the southeast direction, seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

Landing on the tree trunk, Orville speaks up.

"Counselor Lee, the architectural style of these palaces is strikingly similar to the ruins outside. They seem to be the work of the alien civilization that sealed the Snake People, rather than the Snake People themselves."

As the head of God Country Special Affairs Bureau in the North, Orville is no simple brute.

He has the same suspicions as those Li Jing has speculated.

Li Jing simply replies with an affirmative grunt.

"Orville, you arrived before me. Did you send any teams to explore near the palace buildings?"

"No."

Orville shakes his head, explaining.

"There are numerous giant beasts around the palace buildings. We have no idea how many giant beasts are inside nor their strength, so it’s too risky to recklessly send teams to explore. Although humans are insignificant in comparison to these giant beasts, their sensory abilities are far from poor."

He continues.

"Also, according to your previous reasoning, we already have a conclusion. Although the Snake People and bird people can generally be classified as the same type, they are fundamentally different. Just as different monster species have unique racial talent, they possess different talents. Until we understand what kind of existence our adversaries are, it is inadvisable to take any rash actions."

Li Jing responds with a silent nod.

Orville’s considerations are comprehensive and composed.

He does not worry that Orville, drawn by the large number of giant beasts inside and around the palace ruins, would lead a team to hunt there.

However, if the highest commander is less than wise, there would probably be disagreements regarding this expedition.

After a moment of consideration, Li Jing looks up.

"Then, Orville shall stay back and command, and I will go alone to take a look."

"Going alone?"

Upon hearing this, Orville expresses his astonishment.

"This is not suitable. It’s too dangerous."

Before he could finish, Ji Youyu, who is standing by, frowns and speaks up.

"The palace buildings cover such a large area; the number of giant beasts inside cannot be compared to a simple giant beast corps. We have considered the possibility of the seventh realm existing in the alien civilization’s settlement. Although we have strategies to deal with this, our teams have not fully assembled yet. Counselor Lee, it’s rash for you to go now..."

Before Ji Youyu could finish his sentence, Li Jing waves his hand.

"I dared to go because I am confident in my ability to protect myself. Both of you need not worry about me."

With that, he looks resolute.

"It is indeed not suitable to act rashly before we understand the situation of the palace buildings. However, without exploration, we would never know what is inside and couldn’t make decisions about whether we should attack. We need someone to go and have a closer look to see what is really going on inside."

Hearing Li Jing’s words, Orville looks hesitant.

What Li Jing said is right, but him going alone is quite risky.

If anything happens to him, it would be challenging to explain to Longyu.

And if anything happens to the team leader, it would have a significant impact on the entire team.

Ji Youyu, seeing Li Jing’s confidence, looks at him for a moment and seems to understand something. He then turns to Orville.

"As Counselor Lee is confident in his ability to protect himself, Commander Orville, why don’t we stay behind and wait for his news? After all, just watching from afar cannot solve the problem."

Hearing this, Orville remains silent for a moment, then nods in agreement, saying.

"Counselor Lee, you must have noticed that although our progress has been smooth so far, something doesn’t feel quite right. The Giant Beast Corps guarding the exit of the passage has been completely annihilated. Even if the Snake People were not prepared, there’s no way they haven’t noticed by now. Until now, we have received no news of the passage closing nor have we encountered any counterattacks from the Snake People. It doesn’t make sense."

"Yes, I’ve considered this."

Li Jing replies.

In this regard, he had indeed given it some thought.

The Major League of the North and Longyu’s million-strong forces, along with their related powers, had been in the channel space for over two hours, but the Snake People had shown no signs of activity, which was against common sense.

Even if the Snake People differ from the bird people, lacking the ability to actively close the channel, the annihilation of a Giant Beast Corps serving as their vanguard should illicit some reaction.

"There must be something going on with the Snake People, we just don’t know the specifics yet. The enemy is hidden and we are exposed, the only thing we can do right now is to take one step at a time,"

said Li Jing.

"We’ve reached the limit of the area we can explore now, we can’t go anywhere else, let’s first thoroughly understand the situation of this palace building complex, and talk about the rest later."

After saying that, Li Jing let the Silent Shadow come into effect with a thought.

Subsequently, both Orville and Ji Youyu stiffened at once.

At the moment, Li Jing has reached nearly mid Six Realm cultivation level.

With the inherent Primordial Soul blessing of the Silent Shadow, his primordial soul strength is now about three times that of a typical Six Realm cultivator due to his still water like mirror.

Even Late Six Realm cultivators would be affected by his cognition interference if it was not specifically targeting the spiritual level.

At this moment, both Orville and Ji Youyu were affected.

Both were next to Li Jing and looking at him.

And then, Li Jing just disappeared in front of their eyes –

Invisible to the naked eye.

Undetectable through perception.

What...

kind of technique is this?

A man of his size just vanished into thin air.

Orville and Ji Youyu are not ordinary people, they quickly realized that they were affected by some spiritual-level technique and their cognition was erroneous.

Li Jing is still here.

But due to the disruption in their cognition, both subconsciously chose to ignore his existence.

Upon realizing that she was affected by cognition interference, Ji Youyu’s face couldn’t have been uglier.

She had already acknowledged Li Jing’s strength.

She even conjectured that he might be at the Seventh Realm cultivation level.

But she never dreamed that Li Jing would have this trick up his sleeve.

The fact that she, with the power of the late Six Realm, was easily influenced by Li Jing’s spiritual level technique means she is defenseless against him, doesn’t it?

Honestly, Ji Youyu could not accept this.

If she faced the Seventh Realm head-on, she surely wouldn’t be a match due to the vast difference in their power levels.

But she is the inheritor of a Sect’s legacy; she is not devoid of the ability to handle such a situation.

Moreover, she has mastery over more than one Forbidden Skill...

As long as the conditions permit, it’s not impossible for her to strike back.

However, Li Jing’s trick makes for a hopeless situation.

Without his presence in her cognition, even if she mastered hundreds of Forbidden Skills, they would be useless without a target.

Of course.

Assuring that Li Jing is not a Taoist junior, Ji Youyu has no intention of opposing him.

The key is, his trick was too shocking and perverted!

So perverted, that if he were to spy on her in the bath, she wouldn’t detect it at all!

Orville, on the other hand, was also shocked by Li Jing’s technique.

But he didn’t have the same pride as Ji Youyu.

Accepting that others are stronger than oneself, is not a difficult task.

Being his age, he was past the stage of being competitive.

Giving a fist salute to the spot where Li Jing had been standing, Orville voiced his admiration.

"Counselor Lee has a good move, be careful."

He didn’t realize that at this point, Li Jing had already turned into a thunderbolt and left.

Having activated the Silent Shadow for the first time since entering, Li Jing observed Orville and Ji Youyu’s reactions. Once he confirmed that they had changed color at the moment the Silent Shadow was activated, he left.

Being effective against the Late Six Realm, he could finally rest assured.

Having such a vast palace complex in front of them but not daring to explore, wasn’t this a perfect opportunity for him to show some flair as a commander and grab some experience?

After holding back for so long, finally an opportunity to gain experience has presented itself, why shouldn’t he hurry?