Chapter 247: 159、Taibai Immortal Body Ruan Baimei
White Bone Wilderness Palace...
Xu Xing examined the magnificent palace before him while considering the hidden factors behind Gong Yuzhen’s kindness towards him.
One can see the whole leopard by looking at a single spot.
After the assassination attempt, the Gong family had evidently chosen to "let bygones be bygones" and focus on cultivating a good relationship with him.
Except for mortal feuds, like the murder of one’s father, no enmity was truly irresolvable. If one seemed to be, it simply meant the wealth and fortune offered weren’t yet enough to move hearts.
As for why the Giant Sword Daoist Monarch had become an enemy of the Gong Family, the reason was quite simple. Two thousand years ago, the direct heirs of the Gong Family’s third and fifth branches were stationed outside. When the Mingquan Sect invaded, the Giant Sword Daoist Monarch, responsible for guarding the Sealed Demon Pan Palace, disregarded the lives of these two heirs, standing by as the Mingquan Sect slaughtered them. Considering the broader situation, the Giant Sword Daoist Monarch’s actions were understandable. Later, however, several disciples under the Giant Sword Daoist Monarch developed various grievances with the Gong Family’s third and fifth branches. These feuds escalated, growing more deep-seated and enduring to this day.
It seems Ruan Baimei has entered the Blood Blade Stack, Xu Xing mused, then casually struck up a conversation with Gong Yuzhen. Since the Gong Family was showing goodwill, he saw no reason to deliberately refuse it. If they remain hostile in the future, it’s no great matter to draw swords mid-conversation. I’ve certainly done such things before. For an Emperor, killing with a smile is merely a common occurrence.
When Xu Xing had strategized with the Giant Sword Daoist Monarch in the Biyuan Mountain Cave Mansion, the Daoist Monarch had mentioned that in past blood feuds, the Giant Sword lineage hadn’t suffered significant losses. Therefore, Xu Xing should not refuse if the Gong and Ruan Families wished to "make peace." After all, such "blood feuds" within the Sect were not uncommon. In millennia of conflict, everyone had suffered injuries and setbacks at some point. Achieving perfect fairness was no easy task.
Although the Gong and Ruan Families plotted against him, as Five Temple Aristocratic Families and Nine Mountain Great Halls, they possessed the capital to be so willful. The weak, they eliminated. The strong, they would swallow some pride to befriend, turning enemies into allies.
"The Blood Blade Stack is the foremost vicious land."
"He ranks sixth in the Human Rankings. Although he is only at the Immortal Foundation Seventh Layer at the moment, his strength is enough to kill a Returning Core Realm true cultivator." Gong Yuzhen nodded slightly, agreeing with Xu Xing. However, when she mentioned "Ruan Baimei," her pupils constricted, revealing a deep-seated fear.
The Gong family is one of the Five Temple Surnames. She had once clashed with Ruan Baimei of the Ruan Family. Ruan Baimei, capable of fighting opponents three realms above his level, had defeated her in a single move. It was worth noting that her ability to stand out in the Gong Family’s third branch wasn’t solely due to her direct lineage bloodline but also her considerable talent. Otherwise, her fate would have mirrored that of most daughters from noble families: married off to an outstanding Commoner Disciple during the Palace Choosing A Son-in-law. This time, she had entered the White Bone Wilderness Palace at the Eighth Realm of Immortal Foundations, while Ruan Baimei was at the Immortal Foundation Seventh Layer. This highlighted the significant gap between them.
"However, your cultivation..." Suddenly, Gong Yuzhen also realized Xu Xing was no simple figure. Xu Xing also seemed to be at the Immortal Foundation Seventh Layer.
"It’s getting late," Xu Xing interrupted, reminding her. "If we’re late... There are only three top-grade Fixed Light Talismans in total. Ruan Baimei, as well as Yan Yu, Shui Jun, Lu Dong, and Wan Tong—those five are not easy to deal with..."
This time, two individuals from the Family Line stood out: Ruan Baimei from the Ruan Family Main Branch of the Nine Mountain Great Halls, and Yan Yu from the Yan Family Third Branch, one of the Five Temple Surnames. From the Master and Disciple Lineage, four stood out: Shui Jun of the Yunhua Lineage, Lu Dong of the Duling Lineage, Xin Yi of the Zhongtai Lineage, and Wan Tong of the Cassia Seed Line. Excluding the most formidable Ruan Baimei, the strength of the remaining five was not to be underestimated.
The reason they hadn’t come to the White Bone Wilderness Palace was because it wasn’t the only place known as a Second Vicious Land. The *only* First Vicious Land was the Blood Blade Stack!
They pushed open the dilapidated hall door using Magic Power.
Inside the White Bone Wilderness Palace, it was a desolate scene. Skeletal remains, still wrapped in robes, were scattered everywhere on railings and platforms. Colorful Poisonous Insects lurked in various hiding spots. Xu Xing and Gong Yuzhen each activated a magical protective barrier and stepped inside.
Consulting the records left by Sect Seniors in Ancient Books, they navigated the first layer of the palace without mishap and arrived at the second.
"The second layer of the palace contains 365 Array Methods. Each one is a broken array technique; a wrong step means certain death. This is Chongming Spiritual Liquid. It’s yours." Gong Yuzhen took a small Jade Bottle from her Sleeve, poured two drops of the white spiritual liquid into her eyes, then tossed the Jade Bottle to Xu Xing and explained, "Apply the Chongming Spiritual Liquid, and you can see the various hidden Array Method Tracks in the palace..."
With that, she proceeded into the hall alone. However, when she was halfway through, her willow-like eyebrows furrowed slightly. Xu Xing, who was behind her, hadn’t applied the Chongming Spiritual Liquid. Instead, he took out thirty-six Calculation Chips and began to individually deduce the array techniques here.
Seeing this, Xu Xing, while manipulating the Calculation Chips, explained, "I am naturally suspicious. Even when I sleep, I hang a Treasure Sword at the entrance of my Cave Mansion, just in case..."
Even though Gong Yuzhen tested it herself, who knows if there are strange poisons in the Cultivation World where two ordinary, non-toxic substances can combine to become lethal? He had to be prepared.
"This..." Gong Yuzhen was taken aback. "Well then, I will wait here for Dao Brother Xu." She turned to watch Xu Xing Breaking the Array, not blaming him for his excessive caution. After all, Xu Xing’s explanation was reasonable. The two families already had a feud. It was understandable for Xu Xing to be extra vigilant.
This person’s array technique mastery... After observing for a short while, Gong Yuzhen was secretly astounded by Xu Xing’s speed at Breaking the Array. Even though many of the array techniques in the White Bone Wilderness Palace were only Level 1 broken array techniques, Xu Xing’s speed at Breaking the Array was only about a third slower than hers when she used the Chongming Spiritual Liquid. In just a few moments, he had already reached her side.
"Dao Brother Xu is also interested in array techniques?" Gong Yuzhen now genuinely wanted to befriend Xu Xing. Previously, her attempts to befriend Xu Xing were merely to complete her family’s mission: to turn hostility into friendship. However, upon seeing Xu Xing’s talent now, her internal calculations had shifted.
"I know a little," Xu Xing nodded, not intending to elaborate.
Seeing Xu Xing had stopped talking and didn’t wish to say more, Gong Yuzhen didn’t take offense. She merely grew more curious about him.
The White Bone Wilderness Palace had a total of five layers. The deeper one ventured, the more difficult it became. However, thanks to the explorations of Flying Feather Immortal Palace’s Seniors, the first three layers could be overcome simply by following the established methods. But reaching the Fourth Layer Palace and the Fifth Layer Palace required true strength to break through.
The Fourth Layer Palace was a Fourth-level Bewitching Heart Array. This array technique was difficult to overcome by means of other array techniques. At least a fourth-level array master was required to break this array technique. However, for most cultivators, this trial wasn’t overly difficult; they only needed a firm Dao Heart. Xu Xing, possessing the [Bright King Body]—which could ward off evils and preserve his true self—and the [Yanshen Body] to strengthen his Divine Soul, faced no difficulty against the Fourth-level Bewitching Heart Array and passed through it with ease.
The Fifth Layer Palace... its guardian was a White Bone Taoist with Returning Core cultivation. Xu Xing and Gong Yuzhen were both First-class True Disciples of the Flying Feather Immortal Palace. They each expended some of their resources to overcome this challenge, finally reaching Divine Illusion True Monarch’s true inner Cave Mansion.
It was a Stalactite Cave. The main path led to three different branch caves. However, where the branches met the main path, there was a cliff, several hundred meters wide and unfathomably deep.
Ruan Baimei, who was meditating beside the cliff, glanced back at Xu Xing and Gong Yuzhen—who had just arrived via the teleportation magic formation—and reminded them softly, "There’s a Forbidden Sky Array at the cliff.
"We must wait for the True Disciples from the other twelve vicious lands to arrive before a rainbow bridge will form here.
"However, there are ways to make the rainbow bridge appear sooner..."
After all, they all belonged to the same Sect. Although there were rifts between them, they wouldn’t resort to fighting here.
"We can join forces!" Ruan Baimei looked straight at Xu Xing.