Chapter 237: Starting to Refresh the Dungeon
Qiao Wan wasn't in a rush to ask Lu Pihan for the Evil Sword Book. The main reason was that she didn't know how to approach him. She heard that Mu Xiaoxiao was locked in the Precept Hall's dungeon and decided to wait until the ongoing assembly of fellow practitioners was over before passing judgment. Lu Pihan visited a few times, despite his illness.
Compared to all of this, after going through this series of events, the assembly of fellow practitioners was finally about to begin.
Mrs. Cen took care of the wounds on her arm, and they healed about thirty percent.
The beautiful woman sighed lightly:
"The assembly of fellow practitioners is about to start. Why is your hand injured like this?"
"Don't worry, it's no trouble. Qiao Wan grabbed the sword on the table and awkwardly stood up from the chair, "It's nothing, rest will make it better."
And also... her face...
The second half of the sentence was swallowed back by Mrs. Cen, and half of Qiao Wan's face was badly injured by the slashing sword energy, with scars crisscrossing and looking quite fierce. But as Qiao Wan said, it can still be healed with some care.
To deal with this disfigured half of her face, Qiao Wan's solution was to use a piece of bone as a shield. She raised her hand and placed the bone fragment on it.
Soon, the day of the Fellow Practitioner Meeting arrived, but the competition was not held in Kunshan. It took place two hundred miles east of Kunshan.
In other words, the rumors about the sudden appearance of the fairy palace were true.
The "Fellow Practitioner Meeting venue" had been prepared by the disciples of Kunshan Sect, and it was clean and tidy, with many seats arranged.
The scene at the Kunshan Fellow Practitioner Meeting was even bigger than the Three Teachings Law Meeting, with flying devices filling the sky.
The competition this time was also very simple. Each sect would send their disciples to compete for the genius treasures inside the fairy palace. In the end, a summary would be made to determine the winner, and the items brought out would be returned to their respective sects.
It was a competition to explore new territories.
Early that day, the elders of each family and sect started bringing their younger members and patiently gave them instructions.
"Inside this fairy palace, the various sects have already gone in to investigate, and it's not very dangerous. You can go ahead and try your best. The teleportation arrays have also been set up in four different directions, so even if you get injured, Mrs. Cen, Fairy Sumi, Fairy Xixia, and other healing cultivators will take care of you."
Qiao Wan and Ciji politely declined the curious disciples who wanted to know what was going on with the Demon Emperor's queen.
"In any case, don't worry and give it your all," Ciji said with a smile as he patted Qiao Wan's shoulder. "Just go for it."
"And also..." the curious monk in front asked, "What's the deal with the Demon Emperor's queen?"
"I asked my master, but even the Venerable One doesn't know about it," Qiao Wan said in surprise.
"Did the senior know?"
As soon as Venerable One Miaofa found out, Qiao Wan couldn't help but feel embarrassed. Luckily, when she turned around, Jun Caiwei was waving and smiling at her.
"Brother Niu, come here," Jun Caiwei called out.
Qiao Wan obediently walked over to the man and asked, "Where is Gan Nan?"
"You mean Shanshan," Jun Caiwei sighed, fanning himself. "Shanshan is also a disciple of Qingyang Academy and went there a long time ago."
He gestured for Qiao Wan to look at the group of students from Qingyang Academy. They were all dressed in green robes and were happily surrounding Gan Nan, asking him various questions.
With all the elder martial sisters and brothers doting on him, Gan Nan blushed and hung his head, his two little dragon horns turning slightly red.
Then, their attention shifted.
The formation of Chongde Ancient Garden is now ready. Bai Shanhu and Meng Canglang are leading the team, while Qi Feidao, wearing grass shoes and carrying something, is talking to Fang Lingqing. However, Fang Lingqing keeps looking towards Buping College.
Unfortunately, there is a huge gap between Chongde Ancient Garden and Buping College. Chongde Ancient Garden can take the lead, while Buping College has to stay behind.
As the head of Buping College, Qiao Wan, or Lu Cixian as some call her, has learned from her experience in the ghost market. After thinking for a moment, she instructs, "This time, we don't need to bring any precious treasures. Caution is the key."
Wang Ruyi responds, "I'll listen to you! I'll follow your lead!"
Chaotian Mountain is led by Xie Xingzhi. It's been a long time since they last met. Xie Xingzhi, with his black hair and stern expression, stands out among the group of disciples.
Here, Qiao Wan also sees Cloud Mist Fairy Mansion, which she rarely saw before.
Cloud Mist Fairy Mansion, a sect predominantly composed of female cultivators, was truly a sight to behold. Each member had flowing hair and elegant attire, resembling fairies from ancient paintings. They carried flower baskets and their laughter sounded like tinkling silver bells. Wherever they went, a fragrant breeze followed, and flowers bloomed in their wake. This charm captivated the rough and unrefined martial sects, causing their cheeks to flush.
The leader of the sect, Gongsun Bingzi, approached with a smile and exchanged pleasantries with the representatives from Kunshan, Qingyang, and Great Compassion Cliff. The remaining disciples stood by the formation of the Lu family, smiling brightly.
The Lu family, situated in the north, was one of the three prominent families, along with Cen family and Xiaojia. As for the Cen Mansion that Cen Er resided in, it was considered a branch of the Cen family.
Lu Pihan, although born into the Lu family, was not a direct member of the main bloodline. His branch of the family was wiped out by the Blue-eyed Evil Buddha, leaving him as the sole survivor. He was subsequently taken in and raised by the main family.
Although Lu Pihan, who has Kunshan as his lineage, was standing in the formation of the Lu family this time, he still looked pale as he whispered something to the patriarch of the Lu family.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, speeches were given by the high-ranking officials of Kunshan, representatives of Qingyang Academy and Great Compassion Cliff, as well as Xie Xingzhi, representing the outstanding disciples. The referee also gave a speech. Finally, on the high platform, Ma Huaizhen, sitting in a wheelchair, turned with a rare smile and joy on his face, skillfully delivering his prepared speech.
"Thank you all for graciously attending this Kunshan Fellow Practitioner Meeting today..."
Qiao Wan silently averted her gaze.
It seemed that the tradition of leaders giving speeches was indeed an enduring tradition of the past and present.
When Ma Huaizhen finally finished speaking, he raised his hand, signaling for everyone to be quiet.
The buzzing venue instantly became silent.
Turning his head, Ma Huaizhen motioned for the disciples on the left and right to open the secret realm. He then stepped aside.
As the secret realm opened, disciples from various sects stepped in one by one, stepping onto the huge teleportation array at the entrance which sent them in different directions - to the east, south, west, and north.
Just as Qiao Wan stood firm, she heard a muttered curse nearby.
"What place is this?"
That familiar voice...
Qiao Wan hesitated for a moment, then walked quickly towards it. Pushing aside the bushes in front of her, she saw Xiao Sui standing not far away with a gloomy expression.
In that instant when their eyes met, he caught sight of her eerie bone-white mask. Xiao Sui widened his eyes, jumped back in shock, and took several steps back, his expression looking as if he had just eaten something unpleasant.
"It's you?!"
"Are you crazy, wearing this thing?!"
Qiao Wan calmly glanced past him.
At that moment, there was a rustle from behind the bushes.
Fang Lingqing pushed aside the bushes with a confused expression on his face and walked out, saying, "I clearly heard something here..."
He paused in surprise when he saw Qiao Wan and Xiao Sui.
"Qiao... Wan?" After scanning the two people with his eyes, he fell into a mysterious silence, wearing a doubtful expression on his face, "And the Xiao family too?"
How did Qiao Wan and Xiao's family end up together?
This isn't Lu Cixian's partner... No, this is the Demon Emperor's... wife?
And this Xiao Sui from the Xiao family, so arrogant and domineering.
Fang Lingqing doesn't want to provoke either of these two teammates.
Especially Qiao Wan ...
Fang Lingqing , a youth lost in his thoughts, silently pondered what would happen if he got too close to Qiao Wan and Lu Cixian misunderstood his intentions.
But for now, it's just the three of them here.
The three "good friends" with hidden motives fell into a momentary silence, and finally Xiao Sui sneered and drew his knife, "Let's go."
"First, let's find someone, then we can split up later."
Surprisingly, the young master from the Xiao family, who is usually not very humane, actually spoke in a more civilized manner. It seems he had been harshly educated by his own father and gained some composure.
"Alright," said Qiao Wan with an expressionless face.
"Okay," said Fang Lingqing .
If it weren't for Xiao Jingzhou scolding him, Xiao Sui felt like he would have chopped Qiao Wan while nobody was paying attention. Who knew what kind of spell Qiao Wan put on his father, but his father not only ignored what happened before, but also gave him and his older brother a bloody punishment.
The education in the Xiao family is always harsh. Even now, his wounds still hurt. Xiao Sui forcefully held back a muscle twitches in the corner of his mouth.
However, Qiao Wan glanced at his weapon.
It was a pair of knives.
It seemed like he used dual wielding. Unexpectedly, this young master from the Xiao family's special weapon was actually a pair of knives.
After exchanging glances with Fang Lingqing , both of them quickened their pace.
Actually, Fang Lingqing couldn't deny his curiosity.
After all, this was the empress of the demon realm and the wife of the Demon Emperor, just like that...pig that was carried away in a phoenix carriage back then!
But in front of familiar faces, Fang Lingqing may act a bit silly, but in front of strangers, he still maintains a cold demeanor like his cousin, Bai Shanhu .
The place they landed is a mountain.
This celestial palace is huge, maybe it was built to resemble the Qin emperor's tomb. Inside the palace, there are various landscapes like plains, snowy mountains, and hills. If you look up, you can even see a volcano on the horizon! The celestial palace is situated in the distance, leaning against the volcano.
Because of this, the celestial palace has become almost like a small world, filled with all sorts of strange birds and beasts.
The only thing that is slightly different from the outside is that there are many shiny things floating in the sky. It's like a reversed sky canopy, with stardust scattered in the air, reflecting a brilliant light. These "stardust" can be found all over the secret realm.
Although disciples from various sects who ventured in a few months ago said that this "stardust" doesn't seem to harm cultivators, it looks more like spiritual energy floating in the air after overflowing.
Qiao Wan cautiously prodded with her sword, only to pass through a void of ethereal air.
Taking a few steps further, it seemed like a sprinkle of sunshine rain had fallen between the lush leaves.
Fang Lingqing instinctively reached out and was instantly startled.
His fingertips turned red.
"This isn't sunshine rain, it's blood!" he exclaimed.
Fang Lingqing looked up in shock.
"Is this blood? Are there dead people here?! They started killing for treasure so quickly?"
Even before entering the secret realm, the different sects knew that there would be some friction inside.
But to act so quickly...
Fang Lingqing wondered in disbelief. "Which sect raised such ruthless disciples?"
Noticing Fang Lingqing suddenly stopping, Qiao Wan and Xiao Sui both turned their heads and frowned in unison. Without a word, they silently surrounded the tree stained with blood.
Qiao Wan made a gesture towards Fang Lingqing , signaling to prepare for battle. Gripping her sword tightly, she swiftly leaped up into the treetops, surprising Xiao Sui and Fang Lingqing .
However, instead of the expected sounds of fighting, all they could hear was the quiet rustling of leaves as people moved around. There was no fighting above, but there was an increased downpour of blood seeping through the branches.
In the next moment, they saw Qiao Wan covered in blood, descending from the tree. Xiao Sui felt a lump in his throat.
Qiao Wan was drenched in blood from head to toe, yet miraculously unharmed.
"What's going on?" Xiao Sui desperately communicated with his eyes.
The three "good friends" with ulterior motives had now become like grasshoppers tied together. Even if they didn't want to cooperate, they had no choice.
Qiao Wan paused and used her consciousness to pull both men into her own spiritual realm.
Xiao Sui stumbled, too preoccupied with the terrorizing vastness of Qiao Wan's consciousness.
The young girl's clear voice instantly echoed in Xiao Sui's and Fang Lingqing's ears.
"There's no one up there."
Xiao Sui said, "If there's no one up there, where did this blood rain come from? Did it fall from the sky?"
The sky was clear and blue, and the "star flakes" or overflowing spiritual power in the air shimmered brightly.
Fang Lingqing 's face changed slightly and he said, "It can't possibly be the tree bleeding on its own, right?"
He was fed up with this spooky nonsense called the Ghost Market.
Qiao Wan glanced at Fang Lingqing .
It seemed that she wasn't the only one haunted by the Ghost Market. Although she sympathized with Fang Lingqing , Qiao Wan took a deep breath and finally spoke about her discovery.
"These leaves are oozing blood."
Indeed, the tree was bleeding on its own, just like a person.
"But the tree isn't injured at all," Xiao Sui said, with a strange look on his face. "Could the trees here have a male and female distinction?"
Fang Lingqing , the young master of a knowledgeable Confucian scholar family, blushed instantly. "Xiao Sui , are you being weird or not being weird?"
As soon as the words fell, a big spray of blood suddenly spurted from the trunk of the tree in front of them. Qiao Wan, Xiao Sui, and Fang Lingqing, who were standing under the tree, couldn't dodge in time and got sprayed in the face!
"Look." Qiao Wan wiped the blood off her face and said expressionlessly, "This tree made you spit blood."
