Many monsters roamed the stone platforms or iron chains, their numbers even exceeding those of the eighth floor.
Moreover, these monsters all looked much fiercer than those on the eighth floor.
They didn't waste any time talking to Li Yao and Xiao Bai. Instead, they bared their white fangs, opened their blood-red mouths, and pounced on Li Yao and Xiao Bai.
Li Yao didn't even bother to lift a finger. He simply glared at the monsters, his eyes flashing with fierce light.
All that could be heard was a continuous series of thuds.
In the blink of an eye, many monsters turned into a wisp of green smoke, their souls scattered on the spot.
The surroundings fell silent instantly, as if time had stopped at that moment.
Those monsters that didn't rush over were frozen in place as if by a spell, their faces twitching violently, their eyes filled with terror, and their legs trembling slightly.
"Run!"
"Help!"
It took the group of monsters a long time to come to their senses. They screamed and scattered like birds and beasts, fleeing in all directions.
Li Yao grabbed a tiger demon in mid-air and asked sternly, "Tell me, how can we get to the next level?"
The tiger demon was terrified. One of its paws trembled as it pointed to a corner and stammered, "There...there...there!"
"Coward!"
Li Yao casually tossed the tiger demon aside, and then, together with Xiao Bai, they walked in the direction the tiger demon had indicated.
He hadn't gone far when he suddenly noticed a little green-haired imp blocking his path.
The green-haired imp looked terrified as Li Yao and Xiao Bai approached step by step, his ghostly aura emanating from him.
Clearly, he was terrified.
However, he stood blocking the middle of the road, not moving an inch, his face full of conflicted and pained expressions.
Seeing this, Li Yao's heart stirred.
Could he be...?
"Kid, don't you know you're blocking our way?"
"Aren't you afraid of dying?"
Li Yao deliberately put on a fierce and menacing look and shouted sharply.
"Your Majesty, it's not that I don't want to leave, but I'm facing great difficulties!"
The green-haired brat had a long face, looking quite troubled.
Li Yao asked with a half-smile, "What difficulties do you have?"
The green-haired imp pointed to his feet and said, "Your Majesty, tell me, should I step out with my left foot first, or my right foot first? I've been thinking about this for almost five hundred years!"
It really is that pensive ghost from the first Legend of Sword and Fairy game!
Chapter 517 The Immortal in the Book
Anyone who has played the Legend of Sword and Fairy series knows that the Contemplative Ghost spent five hundred years agonizing over whether to step with his left foot first or his right.
This question may seem silly, but it may actually be a metaphor for something.
Li Yao guessed that this "thinking ghost" was very likely a veiled reference to Li Xiaoyao.
The plot of the first Legend of Sword and Fairy game was nearing its end when Li Xiaoyao entered the Demon Locking Tower to rescue Ling'er.
In the preceding storyline, a series of life-and-death experiences in places like Fairy Island, Suzhou, Baihe Village, Yangzhou, and the capital city fostered a deep bond between Li Xiaoyao, Lin Yueru, and Zhao Ling'er.
The two legs of the pensive ghost refer to "Lin Yueru" and "Zhao Ling'er".
The pensive ghost's hesitation about which leg to step with first actually sparked Li Xiaoyao's own reflection.
He was in a situation where he had to make a choice, but he couldn't give up either of them; he couldn't do without either of them.
Finally, the fairy in the book suggested cutting off both legs at the same time, which solved the problem.
The Ponderful Ghost remained in the same spot for 500 years without taking a single step, and Li Xiaoyao did not make a choice either, continuing to drag things out.
As we all know, Lin Yueru was hit on the head by a boulder and died from her injuries, while Zhao Ling'er perished together with the water demon beast.
In the end, Li Xiaoyao was all alone, as if he had lost both legs, wandering aimlessly.
The ending of the Contemplative Ghost is exactly the same as the ending of Li Xiaoyao.
Therefore, the Contemplative Ghost should be the embodiment of Li Xiaoyao's deepest thoughts.
Since Li Yao encountered the Contemplative Ghost, then the so-called "Immortal of Books" who claimed to have "read through all the classics, histories, philosophical works, and the writings of all the philosophers" should be nearby.
Sure enough, not far away, there was a fat old man with white hair and beard, floating above a scroll.
He must be the immortal from the book.
The immortal in the book said impatiently, "What are you all arguing about? You're making it impossible for me to read."
The pensive ghost said with a troubled expression, "I don't want to argue either. Just tell me whether I should step out with my left foot first or my right foot first, and I won't argue!"
The immortal in the book said, "That's easy. I'll just cut off both of your legs, and all problems will be solved!"
The pensive ghost said, "I didn't cut off your leg, so why did you cut off my leg?"
The fairy in the book said impatiently, "So long-winded!"
At this moment, Li Yao smiled slightly and said, "I do have a way to solve your problem without cutting off your legs."
The pensive ghost's face lit up with elation, and he hurriedly asked, "Really? What's the method!"
Bang!
Before he could finish speaking, Li Yao kicked the Contemplative Ghost.
The Ponderful Ghost let out a miserable scream, and its entire body flew out with a whoosh, crashing into the wall with a thud, sticking to it so firmly that it couldn't be pried off.
This pensive ghost is really bored out of his mind; he's been agonizing over this question for five hundred years.
Li Xiaoyao, if you want the happiness of having two wives, then just marry Lin Yueru and Zhao Ling'er without hesitation. Why bother with all this?
The Book Fairy, standing to the side, was stunned when Li Yao kicked the Thinking Ghost away without warning.
Li Yao knew that the immortal in the book was well-read and probably knew a lot about some of the secrets of the world of Sword and Fairy.
Perhaps the immortal in the book knows the whereabouts of Shennong Jiuquan.
Therefore, Li Yao very politely cupped his hands to the Immortal in the Book and said, "You must be the Immortal in the Book. I've heard that you..."
"What?"
What did you call me?
"You call me the Immortal of the Book?"
The fairy in the book became excited and his face lit up with joy.
Then, he laughed heartily and said, "Hahaha... This name sounds pleasant. What do you need me for? Just say it!"
The immortal in the book was easily swayed; a single call of "immortal in the book" made him feel elated and completely oblivious.
"What do you know about this Demon-Sealing Tower?"
Li Yao asked the question.
"Hehe, you've come to the right person. This Demon-Locking Tower was built by Emperor Wu of Liang during the Southern Dynasties when he led his troops to attack Mount Shu. It has ten stories, and the outer layers are held together by iron chains..."
The immortal in the book began to speak eloquently.
However, this was not what Li Yao wanted to hear. He immediately interrupted the Immortal in the Book and asked, "Immortal in the Book, the monsters here all say that the bottom of this Demon-Locking Tower leads to the Demon Realm. Is that true?"
"That's true!"
The fairy in the book nodded.
"Is that the demon realm the Li Shu Mountain?"
Li Yao quickly asked.
"ah?"
How did you find out about Mount Li Shu?
The fairy in the book stared wide-eyed, quite surprised.
The Inner Shu Mountain is a closely guarded secret of the Shu Mountain Sect, and outsiders are generally unaware of its existence.
"Is the entrance to the Well of Gods and Demons the same place as the entrance to the Demon Realm?"
Ignoring the astonishment of the immortal in the book, Li Yao continued to ask questions.
"What?"
"You know about the Well of Gods and Demons?"
The fairy in the book was surprised again.
Both Mount Li and the Well of Gods and Demons are extremely secretive matters.
If he hadn't spent over five hundred years in the Demon-Sealing Tower, he wouldn't have known these secrets.
You haven't answered my question yet!
Li Yao stared at the immortal in the book and asked calmly.
Although his tone was extremely calm, there was an undeniable look in his eyes that made the immortal in the book feel a chill.
The immortal in the book has always been self-important, thinking himself to be all-knowing and superior to others, and enjoys fooling others.
However, he chickened out when facing Li Yao.
He dared not treat Li Yao the same way he treated others.
So, after hesitating for a moment, he answered honestly:
"You guessed pretty much right. As far as I know, the entrance to the Well of Gods and Demons should be in the Li Shu Mountain."
"Therefore, to find the entrance to the Well of Gods and Demons, we must first enter the Li Shu Mountain."