Chapter 64

In fact, the existence of the illusionary formation on Leigu Mountain was no secret, as people had long attempted to force their way in to explore, only to invariably become trapped.

In the end, some managed to escape, but far more were trapped alive until they perished within!

Thus, the "Zhenlong Illusionary Formation" earned its fearsome reputation.

Both Zhao Tianhao and Zhao Qiying were aware of this matter.

However, the former did not know that Jiang Sishui intended to seek out Wu Ya Zi, while the latter assumed the "Zhenlong Illusionary Formation" existed in the original story and that Jiang Sishui possessed his own method to break it.

Therefore, neither of them told him.

Thus, in a daze, he stepped right into it.

Fortunately, he had the "Sun Shadow Golden Wheel" protecting his body!

The reason Jiumo Zhi called out to Jiang Sishui was naturally not out of such kindness to save his life, but for another motive entirely.

In Jiumo Zhi's view, anyone coming to attend the "Zhenlongqi Society" could not possibly be unaware of the "Zhenlong Illusionary Formation."

Yet Jiang Sishui deliberately walked toward a path of death; could it be that he relied on some advantage?

Although Jiang Sishui knew no martial arts, what if he were a grandmaster of formations capable of breaking through?

Might he then obtain the opportunity hidden within Leigu Mountain?

To guard against any contingency, Jiumo Zhi made his move.

"The protective light shield has not dissipated; the illusionary formation is still affecting my spirit. I cannot delay; I must find Wu Ya Zi as soon as possible."

Feeling the energy of the "Sun Shadow Golden Wheel" continuously draining away, Jiang Sishui dared not waste time and stepped forward into the depths.

The path twisted and wound; after about half the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Jiang Sishui suddenly halted his steps and gazed toward the front side.

There, two people were groping their way forward.

"Surprisingly, others have entered the illusionary formation as well."

Jiang Sishui moved a few steps closer, using the bright moonlight to examine the appearance of the two figures in detail.

One of them appeared to be around forty years of age, with narrow eyes, a dignified countenance, and a cluster of three-inch black whiskers, naturally exuding a noble, kingly aura.

The other's features were indistinguishable, as his head and face were completely shrouded in a white gauze veil; clad entirely in white, one could not even tell if he was male or female.

In the palms of both individuals, each held one end of a thin chain, seemingly using this method to prevent becoming separated.

"This person... Zhu Zhu Wushi? Or Chen Jinnan?"

Jiang Sishui stared unblinkingly at the middle-aged man with the dignified countenance.

"Chen Jinnan lacks such a kingly aura; it must be Zhu Zhu Wushi. He has actually come, and moreover entered the formation."

Thinking thus, Jiang Sishui turned his gaze to the figure in white.

There was too little information to determine the identity of the person in white, but since Zhu Zhu Wushi had come together with him, this individual most likely possessed profound expertise in the art of formations, with an extremely high level of attainment.

Otherwise, given Zhu Zhu Wushi's cautious nature, he would never have rashly ventured into such danger.

Jiang Sishui paused to glance at them twice, then departed directly.

Regardless of what Zhu Zhu Wushi intended to do here, it was beyond what Jiang Sishui could concern himself with at present.

The most urgent task was to obtain Wu Ya Zi's lifetime's cultivation.

After walking for a while longer, he arrived at a deep valley.

The valley was filled with pine trees; as the mountain wind passed, the sound of the pines resembled surging waves.

At the same moment, the protective light shield surrounding Jiang Sishui's body dissipated on its own.

"Have I left the formation?" Jiang Sishui felt a surge of joy.

Since he had exited the illusionary formation, Wu Ya Zi should not be far away.

Just as he was thinking this, a voice of exclamation suddenly rang out—

"Remarkable! Truly remarkable!"

The voice echoed emptily and distantly, reverberating endlessly within the valley; mixed with the wailing mountain wind of the moonlit night, it sounded like the lament of ghosts.

"Young man, come over here."

The voice sounded again, yet Jiang Sishui was momentarily speechless, as he could not discern the direction of its source at all.

Just as he frowned and pondered, he suddenly felt something pat his shoulder.

Jiang Sishui instinctively spun around and retreated hastily, only to see that a short, thin, withered old man had somehow appeared where none had been before.

Since the old man harbored no hostility toward him nor launched any attack, neither "Cicada Awareness" nor the "Sun Shadow Golden Wheel" had been triggered; given Jiang Sishui's ordinary human spiritual perception, he naturally could not detect the approach of such a master.

After regaining his composure, Jiang Sishui felt relieved and asked tentatively, "Are you the senior Su Su Xinghe?"

This old man was indeed Su Su Xinghe, yet he acted as though he had heard nothing, continuing to feign deafness and muteness, before gesturing for Jiang Sishui to follow him.

Jiang Sishui naturally complied.

He had originally expected Su Su Xinghe to lead him into a dark, enclosed space to meet Wu Ya Zi just as in the original story, but reality proved otherwise.

The two arrived at a location, one following the other, where bamboo shadows were dense all around and the scenery was serene and secluded; beside a mountain stream stood a pavilion constructed from giant bamboo, exquisitely built and demonstrating utmost ingenuity.

The bamboo formed the pavilion, and the pavilion was the bamboo; at a single glance, one could not distinguish whether it was a bamboo grove or a pavilion.

On a bamboo chair beneath the pavilion lay a man.

His long beard measured three feet without a single gray hair; his face was as smooth as polished jade, devoid of even the slightest wrinkle. Though his age was clearly advanced, he still radiated vitality and possessed an elegant, leisurely demeanor.

Seeing his appearance, which resembled that of an immortal sage with a Daoist bearing, Jiang Sishui knew this man was precisely the target of his journey—Wu Ya Zi.

After bringing Jiang Sishui there, Su Su Xinghe bowed to Wu Ya Zi and withdrew on his own.

Jiang Sishui remained unhurried; performing the rites of a junior, he respectfully said, "Junior Jiang Sishui pays his respects to the senior!"

Wu Ya Zi had been observing Jiang Sishui all along; his aged eyes sparkled with life, filled with scrutiny and exploration.

Relying on his own advantages, Jiang Sishui remained calm and composed.

After observing for quite some time, Wu Ya Zi remarked with no small amount of admiration, "You are clearly an ordinary person with no martial arts whatsoever, yet you managed to reach this place; truly, you possess immense fortune!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Sishui realized that Wu Ya Zi had detected the strange treasure he possessed.

Indeed, even a Great Grandmaster would not dare to overstep this illusionary formation by half a step, and even a Heavenly Man might not necessarily overcome it, yet now an ordinary person had cleared it.

If one claimed he held no secrets, who would believe it?

Just as Jiang Sishui was weighing his words and considering how to respond, he heard Wu Ya Zi speak again: "The word 'fate' is wonderfully indescribable. To send one with such profound fortune here at this moment, could it not be the will of Heaven? Good, good, my wish can now be fulfilled."

Speaking thus, Wu Ya Zi examined Jiang Sishui's figure and appearance more closely, revealing a look of satisfaction, and asked, "Young man, you have also come for the opportunity at Leigu Mountain, have you not?"

Seeing that Wu Ya Zi did not press him for details about the treasures on his person, Jiang Sishui felt a wave of relief; upon hearing the question, he nodded and answered truthfully, "Yes."

Wu Ya Zi smiled slightly: "Good, good child, then kneel and kowtow."

Jiang Sishui: "..."

Jiang Sishui was caught somewhat off guard.

Being familiar with the original plot, he naturally knew what Wu Ya Zi's command to kowtow implied.

According to the rules of the Xiaoyao Sect, after nine kowtows, one is considered to have become a disciple.

Thus, it was obvious that Wu Ya Zi intended to take him as a disciple and transmit his cultivation power to him.

This left Jiang Sishui completely bewildered.

He felt this old man was being far too hasty.

Why did Wu Ya Zi seek a successor?

Because he himself was failing and wished to find a successor to assume the position of Sect Leader of the Xiaoyao Sect, and then have that successor kill the traitor Ding Chunqiu on his behalf.

The martial world produces talents in every generation, and many are capable of undertaking this task, so why had he delayed making a choice for so long?

That was because he needed to examine the character of the successor, fearing he might admit another disciple who would betray their master and destroy their ancestors into the sect.

Yet now, Jiang Sishui, a complete stranger, had suddenly burst in; he had neither solved the "Zhenlong Chess Game," nor did Wu Ya Zi know anything about him.

However, after exchanging only one or two sentences between the "two six zero" individuals, he was already ready to accept a disciple and transmit his power.

How could Jiang Sishui not be stunned by this?

Nevertheless, although he found it somewhat baffling, such a golden opportunity naturally could not be missed.

Thus, once he recovered his wits, he immediately kowtowed three times to Wu Ya Zi.

Although he possessed the System and was destined to rise, he was still far from being invincible.

And Wu Ya Zi, this "high-level account," could allow him to skip the "novice period" entirely, which was a kindness to him.

Repaying kindness is a fundamental principle of being human; what harm is there in kowtowing a few times to someone?

Moreover, once he won Wang Yuyan over, Wu Ya Zi would become his maternal grandfather anyway.

Therefore, both emotionally and logically, this kowtow was entirely appropriate.

— Author's Notes —

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