Lu Xiang woke up coldly.
What caught my eye was the dark sky with huge cracks on it, as if someone had cut it with a knife. The gloomy void was behind the sky, revealing its hideous face.
Suddenly she felt dazed and couldn't even tell where she was.
Are you still on Qingxin Cliff in Baiyue Valley
But then, a faint voice came into her ears, from vague to real: "Awake."
Lu Xiangleng blinked, and saw a face that looked somewhat indifferent appear in the corner of the sky in front of her, like a vast expanse of white snow.
Only the thin tail of the eye, forming a long and narrow arc, adds a subtle touch of coldness to the snow-like plainness.
"Have I been unconscious for a long time?"
With a pale face, Lu Xiang pressed her fingers on the cold ground, forced herself to sit up, and looked around. She saw the quagmire that Song Lin had planned and she had fallen into.
There was a vast expanse of water all around, and only a shadow remained of the quagmire.
A huge crack appeared below, swallowing up the entire water area. It was feared that the "island" where they lived would disappear in a short time.
Lu Xiangleng wanted to stand up.
Jianchou helped her up and said, "I should have let you rest for a while, but the hidden world is getting more and more broken. Time is running out, so I have to wake you up."
His brows furrowed slightly, but a look of understanding flashed across his cold face.
Lu Xiangleng didn't ask anything, he just relaxed the acupuncture points all over his body, felt it a little, and said, "I'm fine."
This is to reassure Jianchou and others.
After all, she is a medicine girl. No matter what the situation is, she can solve it herself as long as she is awake.
Since Jianchou said "time waits for no one", time is naturally more important. It will not be too late to answer her questions on the way.
Before waking up Lu Xiangleng, Jianchou had already checked the condition of her meridians. Now that he saw her checking herself, it would be more reassuring.
At that moment, she stood among the crowd and looked in the direction she came from.
The entire maze has been almost completely submerged, and the land is gradually decreasing.
Across the vast waters, they could only see a vague black shadow on the previous island. There must be many spirit beasts standing there, looking at them.
Jianchou took a deep breath, retracted his gaze, pointed to the east, and said, "Li Jun is in the east. We have to go through the remaining three gates to get in. I have the secret talisman to open the gate, so I will go first, and fellow Daoist Xie will go second."
The others suddenly frowned, and even Xie Buchen looked at her again.
He is an enemy, not a friend, but he asks Xie Buchen to walk behind him
Did he suddenly start to trust me, or was there something wrong with his brain
Mr. Ruhua pondered over it and was about to say something like "A beauty needs a hero to protect her, why don't I stay behind you" when Jianchou unexpectedly added, "Mr. Ruhua has profound skills, could you please stay behind to protect her?"
The handsome man was startled.
He looked at Jianchou, and Jianchou also looked at him.
At that moment, he really couldn't help but burst out laughing. He had already understood Jianchou's meaning: this is the true power of numbers!
Xie Buchen had the seal of the Ming Dynasty, so it was normal for Jianchou to let him take the second place.
Although it looks dangerous, it shows that there are still people like Chou.
They have strength in numbers, and if Xie Buchen dares to take action, they can join forces to do something ruthless!
After thinking it through, Ruhua Gongzi narrowed his peach blossom eyes, showing a myriad of charms: "Oh, Daoist Jianchou trusts me so much, how can I let you down? Although I am looking pitiful from behind, but since you said so, there is no reason for me to refuse."
"… "
Like a procuress.
Jianchou smiled slightly, but his heart was calm.
When a road comes to an end, hatred becomes a jar of fine wine and is buried in the ground. It takes on the mellowest taste and the fragrance becomes subtle.
Fearless.
I'm too lazy to care.
Jianchou didn't say much. After deciding the order, the rest of the people stayed in between, and Ruhua Gongzi would take care of everyone.
After identifying the direction, she was the first to fly into the air.
"Let's go."
"Hula..."
A strong wind blew through the crack, blowing painfully on my face.
The leaping figure blended into the wind in the blink of an eye.
The people behind could clearly see her, but if they used their spiritual sense to sense her, they would only feel a gust of wind in front of them, but no one.
The flowery young man could not help but exclaim in admiration: "The art of controlling the wind has reached perfection."
Zuo Liu also looked at her with a bit of envy: "It would be great if I could be like Senior Sister one day."
Well, she is worthy of being the person he admires.
Very awesome!
Jianchou heard it, but her eyes were calm. She looked at the vast waters in the distance, and her voice clearly floated to Zuoliu's ears: "You don't have to be like me, just be like yourself."
"Well… "
Zuo Liu thought to himself that someone like him was not worth anything at all. The words were on the tip of his throat and were about to come out, but when his eyes met Jianchou in front of him, he suddenly felt dazed.
Why…
This sentence gave him an inexplicable feeling, as if there was something hidden behind it...
Zuo Liu suddenly stopped talking.
The group moved forward.
In order to take care of Lu Xiangleng, Jianchou has slowed down his speed, but among the cultivators at this level, his speed is still ridiculously fast.
Everyone must concentrate to ensure that they are not left behind.
As fast as lightning.
Maybe the hidden world has completely collapsed, maybe all the spirit beasts that serve as "gatekeepers" have gathered on the island, or maybe the Carp King has opened the gate for them...
There was nothing blocking the way, it was so smooth that it was unbelievable.
A moment later, they came across a second door, buried in underwater ruins.
Jianchou drew a seal across the water, and the illusory gate that had appeared before reappeared. Everyone quickly entered the gate and headed towards the next gate.
The entire hidden world had obviously been carefully calculated. Jianchou maintained a constant speed, and it took exactly one moment to cross each layer of the maze.
So, after another two moments, the last major door appeared in front of Jianchou.
This was the only gate still standing that they had seen along the way.
It was covered with moss and fresh cracks. The two doors were tightly closed, and the department in the upper right corner had completely collapsed, revealing the world outside the door.
It was still an empty body of water, without any koi pond or the carp king they had seen in the sky before.
The hexagonal groove in the middle of the door is well preserved.
Seeing that Chou was already familiar with the place, he glanced around, then walked up and pressed his finger into the groove.
"What we see behind the door right now is different from what Old Turtle and Silver Fox said. If what they said is true, once the door is opened, the environment at the door will inevitably change, and what is in front of us is just a trick; if what they said is false, this is a conspiracy, and danger will appear once the door is opened. Everyone be careful."
Everyone naturally knew her concerns. The former situation was fine, but if the latter situation occurred, then this hidden world would be too deceptive.
Everyone had their own thoughts, but the five people behind her were all extremely nervous without exception—
It is not only to protect yourself, but also to be able to lend a helping hand in time when an accident occurs.
After all, the one standing in the front is Jianchou, and if anything happens, she will be the first to bear the brunt.
Jianchou himself was very clear about it. He took a deep breath, causing his already calm heart to sink even more.
Press your finger on a starting point of the groove and slide it gently along the trajectory in your memory.
Buzz…
The moment the finger began to move, a slight vibration occurred.
With the place where Jianchou's finger passed as the center, a streak of light suddenly became bright, emitting a soft, faint red light that enveloped the entire groove.
Little by little…
The entire seal became more and more complete, and the light under Jianchou's palm became brighter and brighter.
At the moment the seal was completed, a beam of light suddenly shot out from the groove and rushed towards the sky!
Jianchou was standing in front of the gate, his figure almost submerged in the light of the beam, and only a blurry shadow could be seen.
The hearts of the people behind him suddenly rose to their throats.
Fortunately, the beam of light that shot up into the sky did not last long. In the blink of an eye, it was retracted into the groove like a whale sucking water.
“Boom!”
A muffled sound.
The dilapidated door suddenly shook and opened inside.
“Crack.”
The hexagonal groove above the gap between the two doors suddenly split into two halves and opened along with the two doors.
At that moment, everyone was stunned, it was even difficult to describe.
There were no mysterious changes inside the door, nor was it like the dragon gate that appeared above Zuo Sanqian Xiaohui Konghai. Once it was opened, behind the door was another space, another world.
In fact, what appeared before them should be a painting.
The scroll hangs high, against the upper and lower ends of the stone gate, and it is a picture of koi in a lotus pond.
The drawing paper is well preserved, not wrinkled at all, but a little old, as if it has been stained by the passage of time and has turned a little yellow.
Only the five colors used for painting are still bright.
The courtyard is outlined with ink of varying shades, forming a somewhat empty background in the painting, while the corridors surrounding it can be vaguely seen.
There is a large green lake in the middle, and long and narrow stone paths extend into the lake, one after another.
The lotus leaves in the lake are round and deep green. Some float alone in sparse areas, while others cover each other in dense areas.
The lotus flowers are pink and white, deep and light. Some are in bud, some are in full bloom, and some are withering...
There are various postures, the brushwork is natural, and there is no trace of embellishment.
In the center of the lake, there seemed to be a relatively wide stone platform surrounded by huge stones. The middle was hollowed out to lead the lake water in and flow into it, forming a stone pool.
Inside, there is a smaller lotus with smaller leaves, but brighter color of the lotus.
But the most beautiful thing is the carp in the pond.
A red carp swam gently around the lotus leaf in the center.
The painter was very attentive. The carp swinging its tail and turning around was depicted so realistically that one almost suspects that the carp is about to jump out of the painting.
Jianchou was amazed at what he saw, but the next moment, his pupils suddenly shrank and he was surprised to find that the carp actually moved!
Everyone standing behind her, except Xie Buchen, opened their eyes wide with expressions of surprise.
"this… "
How could the carp in the painting move
It's possible that one person was wrong, but now a group of people were wrong? Absolutely impossible!
The koi fish in the painting actually moved for a moment.
The red tail flicked lightly, and the koi in the painting turned sideways, revealing the mottled scars on its body.
How familiar
Some of the fine and delicate fish scales were missing and falling off, revealing the whitish fish skin. There was an indescribable sense of incompatibility and it was extremely glaring.
If this isn’t the Li Jun who was injured in the previous battle under the Heavenly Palace and above the dome, then who could it be
The carp in the pond turned around, swam in the water, and just said, "Come in."
A gentle voice, with a slight hoarseness, low and melodious.
The deep fatigue is hidden behind such tenderness, making it difficult to detect.
It turns out that the koi pond that the spirit beasts talked about is just such a painting.
Jianchou roughly understood what it meant. After hesitating for a moment, he walked forward. He took a step and actually stepped into the painting!
At that moment, Jianchou's figure turned into a piece of light-colored ink and merged into the painting.
Everyone was shocked and took a closer look: at the same time that Jianchou disappeared, a simple figure appeared in the painting, standing at the edge of the lotus pond.
That figure and shape, and even the Human Emperor Sword held in his hand, all told them: the person in the painting is Jianchou!
This painting actually holds a lot of mystery!
Everyone was a little worried about Jianchou's safety, but when they saw Jianchou move, turn around and seem to look in their direction, they felt relieved.
According to the order they had decided earlier, Xie Buchen should be the next to go in.
But just as Xie Buchen was about to take a step, a paper fan came straight towards him.
"… "
Xie Buchen frowned slightly and looked over with a cold expression.
Mr. Ruhua smiled and said, "There's no telling what dangers there might be inside. Daoist Xie is injured, and he's also a disciple of Master Hengxu. If anything happens, we won't be able to take the responsibility. How about I go in and explore the way first this time?"
He finished talking to himself without paying any attention to Xie Buchen's reaction. He just bowed, taking it as his agreement, and turned around and entered the painting.
Then, there was immediately one more person beside the woman in the painting.
After Jianchou entered the painting, he found himself standing beside a lotus pond.
As far as the eye can see, the blue lake is rippling with ripples, lotus leaves are floating, and there are various kinds of lotus flowers. A stone path passes through the lotus flowers in the lake and winds its way to the koi pond in the center of the lake.
“What a beautiful view.”
There was an exclamation of praise, accompanied by the sound of footsteps landing.
When Jianchou looked back, she saw a black mark suddenly appearing in front of her. It gradually solidified, and in the blink of an eye, a lively and handsome young man stood in front of her.
Seeing sorrow is remembering the order.
The Flowery Man seemed to see her confusion, so he spread his hands and explained with a smile, "I was really curious about what it felt like to be a person in the painting, so I came in first."
He was simply afraid that Xie Buchen would come in second and have another conflict with Jianchou.
After all, the four major gates have been fully opened at this moment, and Xie Buchen no longer has to see anyone. Who knows when he will take action
Jianchou knew that his curiosity was just a joke, and his real purpose was to be on the safe side.
So she smiled slightly and just said "thank you".
As soon as the words fell, another figure appeared beside Mr. Ruhua.
It’s Xie Buchen.
Afterwards, the remaining three people, Zuo Liu, Lu Xiangleng and Xiahou She, also appeared nearby one after another.
The six people arrived in the blink of an eye.
He stepped into the painting, which was a novel experience. He looked around and said, "I thought I would see a piece of ink smudges, but I didn't expect it to look like the real thing..."
Is the scene in the painting real or an illusion
Jianchou was not sure either. She turned her eyes and looked towards the center of the lake, where there was a koi pond. Among the lotus flowers and leaves in the pond, there seemed to be a red shadow.
I don’t know if it’s because it’s too far away or there’s some kind of restriction, but Jianchou, standing by the lake, can’t even see what the shadow is at a glance.
“I always feel uncomfortable…”
Ruhua Gongzi naturally also noticed the red shadow and said something with a frown.
Jianchou thought about what the spirit beasts had said before, and shook his head and said, "Whether you feel comfortable or not, you have to go. It's hard to see from here, let's go in and take a look."
After all, it was Mr. Li who invited me just now.
Holding the Human Emperor Sword, she walked from the lotus pond towards the stone path leading to the center of the lake.
The narrow stone path is a winding path that passes through the lotus leaves and lotus flowers in the lake.
Occasionally there were lotus leaves with slanting branches on both sides, blocking the way, but Jianchou did not step on them, but just stepped over them lightly, calmly and composed.
The closer he got to the center of the lake, the clearer everything that was blurry became, and the calmer Jianchou's heart became.
It seems that there is something special in the koi pond in the middle of the lake, which releases a calming atmosphere.
Soft, kind, and yet with a hint of melancholy.
The state of walking was very strange. If I had to describe it, I could only say that her soul had separated from her body and floated gently, three feet above her head, not going far away, as if it wanted to merge with the wind, watching her quietly.
A gentle breeze blew, bringing the freshness of the lotus leaves in the pond and the fragrance of the lotus flowers. It was light and ethereal, lingering around her body, lingering in her heart, and staining her clothes.
The five people behind him seemed to be touched by the quiet and beautiful scenery, and they were silent for a moment.
The six people walked on the blue lake and stepped among the lotus flowers, feeling relaxed and happy.
They walked slowly, but the narrow stone path had an end after all. Jianchou's gaze was fixed on the koi pond in the middle of the lake, never moving away.
The closer you get, the clearer it becomes.
But it was not until Jianchou took the last step, walked out of the stone path, and landed firmly on the ground beside the koi pond that everything in front of him seemed to have finally dispelled the fog and lifted the curtain, revealing everything brightly and clearly.
At that moment, Jianchou's footsteps stopped involuntarily.
The koi pond is full of blooming lotus flowers.
Sparse aquatic plants grow at the bottom of the pond, dyeing the entire bottom of the koi pond a dark deep blue.
There are steps built on both sides of the pool, one step at a time, starting from the edge and extending below the water surface, as if leading to the bottom of the pool.
The dark green water plants at the bottom of the steps are closer to the water surface, so the original darkness is dispelled a little, becoming three points brighter, like a woman's beautiful hair stretching with the water flow.
As a result, the entire koi pond changes color.
From dark green to deep blue, and then to light blue...
Lotus flower after lotus flower blooms on the water. The flowers are small, but have brighter colors.
But Jianchou's gaze did not linger on the water plants, nor on the lotus leaves, nor on the flowers...
Her eyes were uncontrollably drawn to the figure on the steps on the left.
It was probably a man.
When Jianchou looked at him, he would also look at her quietly.
His facial features were very delicate, as if they had been sculpted with the utmost care, and his skin was a sickly pale color, almost transparent, and as if a pool of water would flow out if it were cut open.
It can be seen that Chou didn't pay attention to his appearance.
Those deep eyes have attracted all her attention.
There seemed to be traces of flowing water in his eyes, as if there was a fish swaying in it, drawing thin ripples.
She was wearing a red dress that was somewhat gorgeous but not too strong, and her wide sleeves were floating on the water.
He seemed a little tired, and just sat on the steps that slanted into the koi pond, his dark red hair spread out like a piece of satin.
One leg is bent, and the other leg is slightly flat, but not completely flat.
It was a posture of extreme relaxation and extreme fatigue.
The white bare feet dipped into the water below, surrounded by the flowing waves.
Crash...
The water brushed over the back of his feet.
The corner of his red clothes was carried by the current, swirled around, and returned to his side.
No desires, no demands, just a simple life.
He is full of tolerance and gentleness. When he looks at people, there is a glimmer in his eyes that makes it easy for people to sense his kindness.
beautiful.
Jianchou had never seen such a beautiful person, or rather such a monster.
He was as tolerant as water, with a concealed beauty and a bit of agility like that of a fish. These were the cleanest and gentlest eyes that Jianchou had ever seen.
Even after a long time, it will be hard to forget.
Li Jun curled the corners of his lips, looked at her, and nodded slightly at her.
Then he turned his eyes away and looked at the person standing behind her very naturally. It was very direct, but when he did it, it didn't feel presumptuous at all.
Ruhua Gongzi, Zuo Liu, Lu Xiangleng, Xiahou She...
He looked over one by one, but didn't find the person he was looking for. He thought... it wouldn't be that fast.
There seemed to be a flash of memories in Li Jun's eyes, and his gentle gaze finally fell back on Xie Buchen.
"You were here last time, but you weren't alone."
He spoke, his voice low and muffled.
Xie Buchen stood there and didn't say anything.
For him, the last trip to the hidden world was not a good experience worth remembering.
He came here with Qu Zhengfeng, and what happened is no longer a secret.
Li Jun didn't mind his silence and whispered softly: "So this time, he didn't come with you..."