Chapter 239: The Whirling Wind
What... What is happening?!
In Chongde Academy, the disciples were confused and didn't know what to do. Qi Feidao, already holding one, threw it behind Bai Shanhu and Meng Canglang.
A giant sword appeared on the ground, followed by a swirling vortex. The disciples of Chongde stood within ten steps, protected by the swirling vortex and the waves of the sea.
The disciples of Chongde looked at each other in confusion.
Qi Feidao said, "Why are you standing there? Sit down."
Finally, the disciples of Chongde woke up from their daze. They sat down with proper posture, and young men and women started reciting poems with clear voices.
Scholars have strong character and do not fear evil.
On the other side, Qiao Wan was hesitant to approach Fang Lingqing to check on him. She wasn't a doctor and didn't want to make any reckless moves. Instead, she kept an eye on her surroundings.
Luckily, after Fang Lingqing tumbled on the ground for a while, his screams finally grew weaker. However, his skin was almost cracked like scales, with blood seeping from the edges, making it look terrifying. Qiao Wan immediately rushed over, pressing her hand against his back and using her powers.
"I'll stop the bleeding for you."
The handsome face of the young man was now covered in scale-like patterns, looking a bit fierce and scary.
Even in such a state, the young man still had some resilience. With the infusion of power, he managed to alleviate some of the pain. Fang Lingqing took a deep breath, looking exhausted, and asked.
"What's going on? Have you found anything?"
Qiao Wan's face turned serious as she let go of her hand. "Not yet."
While Qiao Wan was helping Fang Lingqing "heal," Xiao Sui, who was in charge of guarding, tightened his grip on the knife handle and looked over.
His face was pale, his gaze flickering, and he almost couldn't even look Fang Lingqing in the eye. "We need to leave here first."
No matter what was going on, he couldn't stay in this broken place anymore.
Using his intact hand, Qiao Wan helped Fang Lingqing. up and asked, "Taoist Friend Fang, do you think this is part of the trial?"
The trial?
Upon thinking about it, Fang Lingqing couldn't help but burst out, "If this is part of the trial, does that mean it's meant to eliminate the new generation of cultivators in the immortal realm?"
If this isn't part of the trial, then there must be some mistake that was missed when the people from various sects went in to investigate.
Xiao Sui. took out a jade tablet from his hand and glanced at it without expression. He raised his head and said, "The jade tablet is no longer effective."
The jade tablet is useless? Well, that's just how things are.
No worries, it's just a small setback.
Fang Lingqing didn't even have the mood to burst out this time.
Xiao Sui continued, "However, there are teleportation arrays set up in the four directions: east, south, west, and north. If we can find one of these teleportation arrays, we can go back and inform others. By the way..." He glanced at Fang Lingqing, who was covered in terrifyingly scales, and furrowed his eyebrows. "By the way, we can also treat Taoist Friend Fang's injuries."
Qiao Wan couldn't help but take another look at the gloomy young man beside her.
After being tied up with a rope, the three friends with hidden intentions found their relationship becoming more relaxed and close.
But at this moment, she wasn't interested in finding out what had happened to this young master.
Little Lu Cixian also got separated from Buping College. While he directed the trumpet northward, Qiao Wan prayed that there wouldn't be any more accidents along the way to the teleportation array.
The terrain here seemed to be a replica of various terrains in the real world. After walking a bit further, the vegetation gradually became sparse, almost resembling a desert.
Just then, a sharp cry for help suddenly sounded in her ears.
Qiao Wan's heart sank. She whispered under her breath and quickly pushed Fang Lingqing into Xiao Sui's arms, then dashed forward! Just as she took a step, someone grabbed her wrist. Xiao Sui looked at her in shock and said, "Are you crazy?! Are you throwing your life away?!"
"What will happen in this secret realm, no one knows yet? Are you really going up there?" Qiao Wan calmly replied, "Someone is calling for help."
Xiao Sui glanced at her, looking a bit angry. His eyes were both shocked and disdainful, as if he was looking at someone unreasonable or foolish. "What does it have to do with us? Are you really going to save someone you don't even know, without knowing anything about the situation? What if it's a trap?"
"It's like how monsters would pretend to have human voices to lure people." The pampered young master from the Xiao family really couldn't understand the idea of helping others.
Qiao Wan wasn't surprised or angry at Xiao Sui's response. Although they had just eased the tension between them, they were not on the same page.
Different paths, no collaboration.
She calmly removed Xiao Sui's hand and expressionlessly said, "I have to go and see. If I don't, I will regret it."
Not going would make her conscience uneasy, that's all.
This is her path. Over the past few decades, she has tried her best to stay true to herself and not be influenced by this environment. Qiao Wan sighed and admitted that she was actually afraid. She was afraid that one day she would become like Xiao Sui, someone who was indifferent to life and death. So, she knew she had to go.
Qiao Wan removed Xiao Sui's hand and turned away, heading straight for her destination.
Xiao Sui stood there stunned, when suddenly someone pushed his arm.
"Taoist Friend Fang?"
Fang Lingqing weakly said, "I'm going too."
Xiao Sui was completely dumbfounded. He glared at Fang Lingqing and asked, "Qiao Wan is already sacrificing herself, why are you joining her in sacrificing yourself?"
Fang Lingqing took a deep breath and replied, "A true gentleman, and besides, the three of us are bound together now. If Qiao Wan is gone, do you think we can survive?"
This was indeed a thought-provoking question.
Xiao Sui firmly grasped the two knives in his hands and made a resolute decision to remain silent.
They both knew they had to rely on Qiao Wan's determination in order to reach the teleportation array.
After a brief silence, Xiao Sui admits defeat: "Let's go."
Without enthusiasm, he coldly says, "I'll help you cross together."
But after only a few steps, they suddenly see Qiao Wan's figure in the distance.
Already back so soon? Xiao Sui is surprised and about to call out to her.
The girl drags a wounded person while running as fast as she could. She stretches out her arm and waves at them.
Xiao Sui watches her closely, trying to decipher her words as she opens and closes her mouth.
In the next moment, a loud voice unexpectedly crashes into his mind.
"Run! Run fast! Can't you hear?!"
"Run!"
The horrifying appearance and hoarse voice make Xiao Sui's head ache. Just as he starts to regain his senses, he sees Qiao Wan's distorted face and something chasing after her. Xiao Sui freezes, his legs turning into weak mud.
He thinks blankly,
It's over. I might not make it out of here.
This place has turned into a desert. The sand is like fog, swirling in the wind and hitting people's faces roughly. It's blowing the sparse dry grass on the ground, like a woman's hair in the wind.
The wind is very strong, blowing the roots of the grass towards them. Chasing after Qiao Wan is a string of tumbleweeds. The strong wind blows the tumbleweeds up high in the air, bouncing and jumping.
Tumbleweeds are a common plant in the desert. When drought comes, they pull their roots out of the ground and roll around in the wind.
But this is not just an ordinary tumbleweed. Rolling on the ground are human heads, as big as tumbleweeds. There are men and women, with wide open eyes, chasing in the wind without closing their eyes. Occasionally, they are swept up by the strong wind, bouncing and jumping in mid-air.
Xiao Sui 's hands feel numb, as if he can hear his teeth chattering.
Having lived for so long, he has never seen such a strange and terrifying sight before.
The heads of people on the ground rolled around in the wind.
Qiao Wan finally rushed up and shouted loudly, slapping Xiao Sui to bring him back to his senses.
"Why are you still standing there?! Run, quickly!"
We can't go to the desert! The north... the north is full of this kind of "rolling grass"!
But in just a short moment of delay, the heads rolling on the ground behind them had caught up.
Qiao Wan suddenly turned around, kicking Xiao Sui behind the nearby boulder in a quick motion. With her other hand, she grabbed Fang Lingqing and pulled him back, bringing along the injured person they had rescued. The four of them managed to squeeze behind the boulder.
The rolling grass on the ground slowed down after a few rounds, and the heads moved slowly, as if they were scanning their surroundings.
Qiao Wan, Xiao Sui, and Fang Lingqing, who were squeezed behind the boulder, dared not make a sound. The surroundings were so quiet that they could only hear the faint thumping of their hearts.
Qiao Wan, finally had time to check the condition of the person she was dragging.
Not bad, still alive, judging from the appearance, he should be a disciple of Cloud Mist Fairy Mansion.
Fang Lingqing's face turned pale and he said, "I'm thinking if the elders of each sect have planned this cultivation together."
"They throw the disobedient and poor-performing disciples into this secret realm, hoping to eliminate them."
Xiao Sui was so frightened that his limbs went stiff. Upon hearing the young man's words, he became even angrier and said, "Shut up."
His tone became slightly more serious when suddenly, a gust of wind blew. The severed head on the ground bounced and fell a step away from the four of them.
Xiao Sui lifted his head in astonishment and saw countless heads floating in mid-air above the severed head.
These heads looked just like living people, except they didn't have bodies. They all had a nose and two eyes.
They couldn't run away anymore. No matter where they looked, up or down, they were surrounded by floating heads. Men and women with wide open eyes stared at them silently.
Qiao Wan quickly pulled out her sword, while Xiao Sui trembled but also drew his knife.
"I have an idea," Qiao Wan turned her head and asked, "Can we attack together and try to fight them off?"
Xiao Sui swallowed his saliva and hoarsely replied, "I'll do my best."
One!
Two!
Three!
Qiao Wan and Xiao Sui exchanged a glance, and their weapons glimmered with light at the same time!
Qiao Wan shouted sternly, "Left!"
She swung her sword backwards, splattering brain and blood!
"Right!"
"On the right side!"
Xiao Sui, who was shaking hands, strangely became calmer after hearing Qiao Wan's cold shout. Although his throat was still dry, at least his hands were not trembling as much. It was as if he found his determination. With a twist of his wrist, his two knives interweaved a dazzling light, coordinating with Qiao Wan's sword, creating a brilliant display of colorful light!
As blood splattered, Xiao Sui couldn't help but steal a glance at Qiao Wan.
The girl had half of her face covered in a fierce white bone armor, and there was a cold glint in her pitch-black eyes. Her ponytail swayed slightly.
With warm blood on his eyelids, Xiao Sui looked at Qiao Wan, who was just within reach. His heartbeat suddenly skipped a beat. The spot where Qiao Wan had kicked him felt ticklish and itchy. His dry throat suddenly felt... even thirstier.
