The entrance crack suddenly burst open, flashing a dazzling light. Ling Yan grabbed Gu Zhong's hand and jumped into it.
Chapter 80 Astrologers and Defiant Ones (Part 9)
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Ling Yan ultimately underestimated the unpredictability of the Heavenly Thunder Realm. Although Gu Zhong had entered with her, when she opened her eyes, he was no longer there.
Within the Heavenly Thunder Realm, countless bolts of lightning arose, but no living beings were to be seen. All that remained were ruins and broken walls, floating and shifting in and out of place.
Beneath the backdrop of massive, dense pumice stones and flashing, blinding lightning, the view resembles an endless, vast, dried-up sea.
It also makes it difficult for people to find a path to take for a while.
Seeing this, Lingyan became even more worried and concerned, but fortunately she had not been without any precautions.
The jade talisman given to Gu Zhong was equipped with a tracking array. Even if the talisman's defense mechanism was not triggered, Ling Yan could still detect Gu Zhong's location simply by casting a spell.
She immediately summoned the astrolabe, made hand gestures, and began her divination.
However, things did not go as she wished. The astrolabe seemed to have lost its spirit, wandering around aimlessly like a headless fly, unable to point out a definite direction, and even the star chart could not be explored or unfolded.
Lingyan pressed her lips tightly together, unwilling to give up, and tried again, twice...
Fine beads of sweat appeared at his temples, sliding down his increasingly pale cheeks to his chin. He was still unable to function properly with the astrolabe.
With a sigh of resignation, Lingyan retrieved the star chart and realized just how dangerous this situation was. A sense of annoyance and self-blame arose in her heart for no apparent reason.
Perhaps I should have investigated first before bringing Gu Zhong along.
Even though she knew perfectly well that Gu Zhong was bound to find an opportunity here, Ling Yan did not want her to take any risks.
—I'm afraid there's only a one in ten thousand chance of losing her.
Brushing her sleeves to temporarily dispel her chaotic thoughts and worries, Lingyan calmed herself down and carefully looked at the floating stones flying around her, quickly calculating using the method of celestial divination.
Every chaotic phenomenon has its own underlying patterns.
When Gu Zhong was able to see the scene before him clearly, but did not find Ling Yan beside him, he was truly flustered for a while.
Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, she ended up with several disciples from other sects, including one of the female disciples from the Shangyin Sect whom she had met on the flying boat before.
For someone as useless as her, who was only at the Qi Refining stage, such a dangerous secret realm would likely result in her being reduced to ashes in just a few steps if no one was there to protect her.
However, this person from Shangyin Sect seems to be a supporter of Yun Yaojun, who doesn't get along with Lingyan. It's inevitable that he'll dislike Gu Zhong a bit more, and who knows if he'll cause any trouble.
The group of people, who belonged to different sects, did not know each other completely, and the atmosphere became quiet and solemn for a moment.
After scanning his surroundings, the disciple from the Shangyin Sect approached Gu Zhong with a broad smile and said loudly.
"Junior Sister Gu, it seems you've gotten separated from your master, Xingxuan Jun? The secret realm is dangerous. Since you're alone, why not travel together for a bit more protection?"
She addressed him directly as "junior sister," showing a close and intimate relationship, and indicating that she was very thoughtful and considerate.
If it weren't for the fact that Gu Zhong had become the focus of everyone's attention the moment this senior sister from the Shangyin Sect finished speaking, she might have believed that what she said meant well.
Without Lingyan by his side, and having entered the secret realm in such a rush, Gu Zhong knew nothing about the factions or people present, or their relationships or conflicts with the Star Luo Sect.
But at this very moment, her identity was revealed, making it known to everyone, and no one knows what her intentions were.
At this moment, Gu Chong finds herself in a completely unfamiliar and dangerous environment. What she faces may not only be the crisis of the secret realm itself, but also the wickedness of human nature.
"What you say is absolutely right, as long as you don't mind me being a burden."
However, one shouldn't hit a smiling face, and since the other party's words didn't contain any offense, Gu Zhong naturally had to respond in a friendly and generous manner.
"So this is the disciple accepted by Lord Xingxuan?"
"He's actually at the Qi Refining stage?"
After a moment of silence, a murmur arose around them, completely disregarding the fact that the person they were talking about was right in front of them.
Ultimately, in the world of cultivation, strength reigns supreme.
If the Lingyan Pavilion were nearby, it would surely present a different scene of flattery and sycophancy.
Gu Zhong remained expressionless. She had experienced countless taunts and cold stares, so what did a few hurtful words matter?
"Ahem, everyone, this secret realm is strange. We clearly used a connection formation, yet we were still forced to separate from our sect. Don't forget our purpose; exploring this realm is the right thing to do."
A slender man coughed a few times, drawing everyone's attention away from Gu Zhong.
“Brother Liang is right.”
Someone nearby chimed in.
In the blink of an eye, Gu Zhong was once again neglected. No matter how curious he was about Xingxuanjun's disciples, it was not as important as the opportunities he could obtain in the secret realm.
Only that disciple from the Shangyin Sect still wore a fake smile and stayed close to Gu Zhong.
He consciously erected a barrier of vigilance and kept a very close eye on this person.
From where they were, the outlines of the remaining palace buildings could be faintly seen.
The tall white pillars formed a square, but they seemed to have been hit violently, collapsing and breaking into pieces.
A corner of the main hall, buried under rubble, was revealed, revealing a warm-colored spirit jade covered in cracks.
Such spiritual jade is a treasure even in today's cultivation world, capable of nurturing spiritual veins. Yet here it is relegated to a mere floor tile, a truly astonishing sight.
Today, all the floor tiles are still broken, a sight that breaks the heart of anyone who sees them.
The main hall rises abruptly to a high platform, upon which rests a shattered chair. Its material is unknown, but it shimmers with light and exudes a soul-stirring majesty.
It makes one unconsciously imagine that there should be someone who reigns above, looking down upon those below, and ruling over the nine heavens.
Looking up at that high position, Gu Zhong was momentarily distracted, and his whole being was immersed in a dreamlike state of memory.
She stood right here in this very hall, millions of years ago.
One person sits upon it, and all beings submit; one person stands to the side, speaking aloud; one person leans against it, smiling sweetly.
Joy and happiness flowed through her heart, but sorrow followed.
The blurry figure vanished in an instant, the carved beams and painted rafters disappeared overnight, and what came into view was an endless black mist and a sea of blood, accompanied by the clash of metal and desperate shouts.
When everything comes to a standstill, only these ruins remain, telling the story of a past that has vanished into nothingness.
"Junior Sister Gu? What's wrong? Why are you crying?"
The call, seemingly coming from a distant time and space yet also sounding so close, pulled Gu Zhong back from his dreamlike recollection.
Hearing what others were saying, she was startled and quickly reached up to touch her cheek, only to find that a tear had been streaming down her face uncontrollably.
It's as if all the sorrow in that illusion is contained within this.
After saying that he was alright, Gu Zhong raised his sleeve to cover his eyes and the scene in front of him, which relieved him a little.
"There's a way here!"
Someone exclaimed in surprise, and after careful observation by the disciples of various sects who had dispersed to investigate, an irregular corridor made of floating stones was revealed.
The crowd followed the drawing, leaping onto the boulder and filing out.
Gu Zhong glanced back at the dilapidated palace one last time before leaving.
What she didn't notice was that the spirit sword she brought from the Myriad Swords Platform flickered a few times at her waist, and the blade emitted a barely perceptible vibration, as if it were transmitting something.
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Author's Note:
I had exams last week, so I took a break, but I'll resume updating this week (and, I've signed a contract!).
//Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2021-10-29 00:44:21 and 2021-11-09 21:32:09!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Deep in 75 (10 bottles);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 81 Astrologers and Defiant Ones (Part 10)
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As they continued walking, the already unfamiliar crowd gradually separated, with everyone only willing to walk with those they knew, and the group became sparse and deserted.
"Senior Sister Wu, would you like to go ahead first?"
Gu Zhong lagged behind, glanced at the crowd that was walking further and further away, and turned to the seemingly ill-intentioned Shangyin Sect disciple beside him, asking gently.
"It's alright. Junior Sister Gu's cultivation is insufficient, so I should take care of her."
Senior Sister Wu's eyes flickered for a moment, but she still declined Gu Zhong's suggestion with a gentle and friendly smile on her face.
Seeing this, Gu Zhong stopped trying to persuade him, simply nodded, and continued walking forward.
Seeing that Gu Zhong had left her completely unguarded, Senior Sister Wu's smile vanished, her eyes filled with jealousy and contempt.
She squinted at the front of her and saw the crowd turning a corner, after which their view would be obscured by the boulder.
Furthermore, it seems no one cares what happens at the very end—for example, someone disappearing without a trace.
She took out a flute, placed it to her lips, and softly played notes that no one could hear.
Gang Lei, who had been consciously avoiding the floating stone path, seemed to be summoned and drawn by something, and began to become violent, with crackling sparks shooting towards Gu Zhong in front of him.
Gu Zhong, who seemed completely unprepared, appeared to have eyes in the back of his head. He leaped up and flipped behind Senior Sister Wu, striking her with a palm.
Caught off guard, the man was sent flying by Gu Zhong's powerful stun. Had he not reacted quickly and used a wind technique, he would have fallen off the floating rocks and plunged into an abyss of unknown depths.
"What my senior sister did was not very righteous."
He spoke softly, then handed over the thin sword at his waist, its cold gleam pointing directly at the enemy's brow.
"You're hiding your cultivation level?"
Senior Sister Wu coughed up a mouthful of blood. Before she could even regain her footing, she was forced to defend herself by the spirit sword. She was both shocked and furious.
It's no wonder she thought that way. Although Gu Zhong's cultivation was lacking and he couldn't unleash any powerful spells, his physique was exceptionally strong.
Even a mere Golden Core cultivator would be severely injured if he took a palm strike from a Nascent Soul cultivator, if he didn't die.