The morning sun rises in the east, and the morning light gradually tears the night, winding down through the layers of branches and leaves, illuminating the faces of everyone in the woods.
Ning Ning couldn't bear to look directly at the scene in front of him, and turned his head away with a complicated expression;
Pei Ji was expressionless, frowned and said, "Senior Brother He, Brother Xu, what are you doing?"
Seeing the two of them, Xu Ye thumped for help, kicking the monster behind him and shouting, "Help! Eat me, it wants to eat me!"
I don't know what he's trying to make up for, his mind is full of cannibalism. Learning the sword can't save the elder sister, so this child should abandon the sword and follow the text and write a self-cultivation version of "Diary of a Madman".
Fortunately, Xu Ye still had a little bit of rationality left, and when he heard the "Senior Brother He", he felt a little bit and turned his head with a pale face.
The two looked at each other, Zhizhou Leiqing, everything was no longer what it used to be.
When he saw this clay figurine, the night was still thick, and the surface of the lake was full of hazy fog, so all the scenes within his field of vision could not be called clear;
Now that the thick fog in the forest has dissipated, and the sun is falling lightly, Xu Ye finally saw the true appearance of the black mud in front of him.
"He... He Zhizhou?"
Xu Ye was so frightened by him that even if he could barely guess He Zhizhou's identity, he still had some fear in his heart, holding his breath to endure the stench in the air: "You killed someone in the cesspool?"
It doesn't have to be.
Ning Ning stepped forward and explained softly: "There are tricks hidden in the secret realm, and the lake is full of blood and water and monsters named 'Mirror Ghost'. The mirror ghost will lurk in the lake, waiting for an opportunity to drag passersby underwater. , He Zhizhou should have been attacked by it."
Xu Ye was speechless when he heard it, remembering how He Zhizhou used his hands and feet together, crawling behind him and yelling "help"...
He also kicked him in the head a few times, like he was kicking a ball.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm really... I can't help it."
Xu Ye has a pure mind, where has he ever done such a thing, he immediately turned into an apology repeater, and took out a few valuable pills from his storage bag: "This is a pill for healing, you should take it first. !"
Although the two of them were screaming and screaming, fortunately, nothing happened. Ning Ning breathed a sigh of relief and asked slowly, "Have you been injured anywhere?"
Xu Ye shook his head a little embarrassedly, He Zhizhou was very wronged, his mouth pouted into a circle for a while, then into a triangle for a while, and finally stayed in the shape of an isosceles trapezoid, and from time to time, black water bubbles bubbled out from time to time: "My heart hurts the most. "
The appearance of his body covered in blood and mud was really unsightly. Ning Ning recited the dust removal art several times in silence, but the effect was only a drop in the bucket.
However, the water sources in the secret realm have been set up with formations, and there is no place to clean them. She was thinking about how to solve the stench all over her body, when she suddenly heard the fox girl beside her solemnly say: "There is still an untouched area in this place. I can lead you to the Pure Land invaded by the mirror ghost."
From the initial drawing of arrows to the search for water at this time, this unknown fox family has been very attentive, and it seems that he intends to get acquainted with them.
Ning Ning didn't understand her intentions and didn't know if she was cheating. She raised her eyes to take a rough look at the little fox demon, but the moment she raised her head, she collided with each other's eyes.
"The reason why I help is to ask for something."
She looks very young, but her eyes reveal a dignified and determined look that does not match her age. The breeze gently moved a wisp of hair from the temples, and when it brushed the corner of the girl's mouth, it brought a slight smile: "My name is Qiao Yan, and I belong to the spirit fox family in the secret realm. Because the family has lived here for generations, it is rare to have outsiders. If there is any offense, please ask Haihan."
"Ask for something?"
Ning Ning quickly reacted: "But it has something to do with the mirror ghost in the lake?"
Qiao Yan nodded solemnly and said, "Exactly."
She paused for a while as she spoke, as if she was organizing her words. At the end, her eyebrows twitched slightly and she said slowly, "What do you all know, the mirror ghosts in the lake are actually transformed by the demons."
Demons.
This word has disappeared in the cultivation world for many years, and Ning Ning's heart trembled slightly.
This is also a plot not mentioned in the original book.
"A few years ago, the demons invaded the secret realm and wanted to snatch the sacred relics of my spirit fox clan. The clan naturally refused to do so, and they started a war with them. However, the strength was disparate and the casualties were heavy."
When talking about these words, Qiao Yan's eyes were much more solemn, and she unconsciously clenched the long bow in her hand: "My father, as the leader of the clan, tried his best to cultivate his whole body to set up a formation, and then use the vitality of all the spirit foxes in the clan. In order to attract, this caused the monsters to be severely injured and trapped in the lake."
Ning Ning hesitated: "Then your clan now..."
"Most of them were buried in the hands of monsters, and the few who survived were also seriously injured and had no spiritual power. They could only lie in bed all day to cultivate."
Qiao Yan said: "I happened to have a cold at that time, or maybe it was out of my parents' selfishness. I didn't know that they set up a formation and planned to perish with the demons. When I woke up, the secret realm was already today. Like this."
The secret realm is mostly blocked, and it is inconvenient for outsiders to enter, and it is difficult for the spirits and monsters inside to break free.
In the battle with the Demon Race that year, Linghu would not be able to ask for help from the outside world, and could only rely on the strength of the tribe to support it. Today's water mirror fantasy world is peaceful and full of life. Except for the terrifying mirror ghosts and blood mud in the lake, where can you see the shadow of the blood flowing into the river during the war.
Xu Ye finally calmed down and asked her curiously, "How can we help you?"
"My mother told me that the power of the formation is not as good as day by day, and if it goes on like this, the demons are likely to break out of the formation again."
After all, the little fox demon is a young girl, talking about this matter, there is obviously a little more anxiety in her tone: "With the current strength of my clan, it is difficult to compete with it, only the burning of the sacred relics that have been passed down in the clan for many years. Sunbow, I can kill them all."
"Sunburning Bow?"
Ning Ning suddenly realized: "This is the treasure that the demons want to snatch?"
Joey nodded.
"I, I, I know!"
He Zhizhou has read a lot of miscellaneous books on weekdays, and he doesn't know where he caught a glimpse of this bow and arrow: "I heard that the sun-burning bow was left by the ancient powers, who had slaughtered countless demons and beasts, rumored to have the ability to swallow the sky and shoot the sun, the arrows swish With one swish, the sun can be shot out."
"It's not that exaggerated."
The little fox was slightly stunned by what he said, and his ears swayed: "If I can really get the Sunburning Bow, I may be able to fight against monsters. It's just that the bow is stored in the Immortal Periphery Cave all the year round, and The jade pendant used to open the door of the cave…”
She gritted her teeth and said solemnly: "Dad died in the war. The jade pendant was captured by the Fire Phoenix above the western mountain and hid in the cave to absorb the spiritual energy. My cultivation is not enough to defeat it. If you are unwilling to help, then the mirror ghost will Breaking out of the formation, this secret realm is completely over!"
Xu Ye couldn't hide the words in his heart: "But we are participating in the trial of the dharma meeting. If we blindly compete for the Sunbow, the number of tokens will be counted down..."
He Zhizhou slapped his head sharply: "I'm still thinking about the trial at this time! Those elders are watching the fun outside the Xuanjing, do you know what happened to us?"
As a senior male fan of cool articles, he dared to bet a whole year's pocket money package: once he could solve this kind of adventure, not to mention the whole team's rise to the sky, he would have to be praised by the elders. Maybe let them go directly to the second round.
What's more, that kid Pei Ji still has the protagonist's halo. Under the halo, everything is cloudy, so it's right to follow him.
"Of course I won't let you help in vain."
Seeing He Zhizhou's reaction, Qiao Yan breathed a sigh of relief in her heart: "The Linghu family is the master of the secret realm. Once I get the Burning Sun Bow, I will definitely offer the Heavenly Spiritual Treasure as a thank you."
Xu Ye was completely speechless now.
"Then," the fox girl sighed and smiled, her ears that had been raised up because of nervousness finally drooped down a little, and her tone was no longer as tense as before, "If you are interested in helping... Please come with me."
=====
The place Qiao Yan led them to was the only water source available in the secret realm.
From the moment she appeared without warning, Ning Ning had some doubts and fears of this little fox.
But now that she is familiar with her journey, she knows everything around her like the back of her hand, and finally even took everyone to a safe water source, she knew that the other party was indeed a native of the fox family in the secret realm.
It's just a matter of the sunburning bow and the demons... I don't know if there is something tricky.
Thinking about it, she was really tossed by the illusion of Garan City and Goose City. Now, whenever something happens, she will start to think about it suspiciously—
But if he refused mercilessly, and feared that everything Qiao Yan said was true, in the end, the secret realm was blocked, the demons were rampant, and none of the spirit foxes in the secret realm could survive.
The "water source" in Qiao Yan's mouth is located under a waterfall.
The sound of the water in the lake overflowed, and the silvery waves beat on the lake surface.
He Zhizhou was tossed by the sludge on his body to the point of death, but he was afraid of the water in the secret realm. It was not until Qiao Yan reached out and looked into the water, seeing that nothing happened, that he dared to walk into the lake under great psychological pressure. .
Along with him was Xu Ye, who was covered in mud by He Zhizhou.
Ning Ning and Pei Ji were not interested in watching them take a bath together, so they turned around and looked away in tacit understanding.
This waterfall is located deep in the jungle above the mountainside. Looking around, there are actually several rows of wooden houses standing around. A little boy who also had fox ears met their eyes, his big fluffy tail swayed, and ran into one of the huts with a blushing face.
"That's my neighbor's little brother."
It was only when he was here that a smile finally appeared on the corner of Qiao Yan's mouth, and she said softly: "When the battle started, he was just a baby in the swaddle. Now the only people in the clan who can move freely are me and him."
Ning Ning remembered what she had said before, and subconsciously asked: "The other fox tribes who arranged the formation... Haven't recovered after so long?"
"It's not only the spiritual power consumed when setting up the formation, but also the serious injury from the demons."
Qiao Yan responded with a sense of loss: "The sea of consciousness, dantian, and meridians are all severely damaged. Only by relying on the elixir that I collect every day can I barely recover."
The sea of consciousness is damaged.
The symptoms are exactly the same as those of Wen Hemian.
Ning Ning's heart moved: "Miss Qiao, do you know the solution to this disease?"
"I've only heard that there are a few extremely precious medicinal herbs that can be cured, but—"
Qiao Yan was stunned for a moment before she finished speaking, and then she frowned and said in a low voice, "Mother, why did you come out?"
Ning Ning raised her head in response, and saw a shadow sitting on a wheelchair in front of one of the houses.
That is a woman with a very beautiful appearance, her skin is like cream, her temples are covered with clouds, and she just leans on the back of the chair without moving, and she can exude a natural and moist temperament.
It's a pity that she is too weak. Perhaps due to the overdraft of spiritual power and overwork, her long hair has been dyed with a frost-like grayish white color, and her pupils are also cloudy and dull, like a beautiful jade covered with dust.
"My mother is worried about my safety, and has never allowed me to search for the Burning Sun Bow."
Qiao Yan lowered her voice as if she was whispering, "Don't miss out."
Ning Ning nodded obediently.
"I heard that there are new guests."
The woman coughed lightly and was carefully pushed forward by the boy behind her. The closer she got, the more clearly Ning Ning could see her skinny body tortured by the pain.
Her temperament is much gentler than her daughter's, and when she spoke softly, every word with a soft smile: "I am Xiaoyan Niangqin, just call me Qin Niang by the two little priests."
After the woman finished speaking, she raised her eyes to look at Qiao Yan, and coughed again: "Xiao Yan, go and make a cup of tea for the guests."
Qiao Yan is most obedient to her mother. Although she is worried that the plan will be revealed, she still responds in a low voice, "Okay". Before leaving, she hurriedly exchanged glances with Ning Ning, and the hint in her eyes couldn't be more obvious.
Ning Ning never sells teammates easily. She originally planned to keep her mouth shut, but she suddenly heard Qinniang's voice: "That girl, she must be begging you to fetch the Sun-Blowing Bow for her, right?"
Ning Ning was instantly dumbfounded, and the thief glanced at Pei Ji beside him with a guilty conscience.
"I'm her mother, how can I not understand Xiaoyan's mind?"
Seeing this, Niang Qin covered her lips and chuckled: "You two little fellow Taoists don't have to hide it. Let's not talk about the fact that if you want to get the Sunburning Bow, you need to defeat the giant beast Huohuang, so what if you can get that bow? With your strength, how can you repel the hundreds of demons from Jindan Yuanying in the formation?"
She said with a smile, her voice was much weaker: "I and other clansmen were seriously injured, not to mention leaving this secret realm, even walking is not easy. Xiaoyan had the opportunity to leave this place, but he stayed here for us. Here - I wonder when the trials of the little priests will end?"
Ning Ning answered honestly, "Three days later."
"Three days..."
Qinniang lowered her eyes and whispered, and at the end she said softly: "I also hope that little Taoist friends don't want to do stupid things with Xiaoyan. Although the sunburning bow is an ancient artifact, it can't resist the invasion of so many demons. After three days, When the gate to the secret realm opens, I will persuade her to leave this place."
Ning Ning was slightly stunned: "Then you—"
"We are the dying monsters."
Qinniang raised her turbid eyes, with a slight smile between her brows: "The sealing of the demons has consumed most of their cultivation, plus the old wounds in the body that cannot be healed... Now it is extremely difficult to maintain the formation."
Pei Ji made an unprecedented voice: "Maintain the formation?"
"Exactly."
The woman glanced at him, and there was a bit of helplessness in her eyes: "Xiaoyan doesn't know, so she won't tell the two of you, the reason why this formation can still be supported is that I and other clansmen use the remaining spiritual power to maintain it. .Recently, the spiritual power has become weaker and weaker, and it is difficult to control it any more... Ten days is the limit. Even if the spiritual power is not exhausted and I die, this old disease of the body can kill me."
It is precisely because they are using their lives to support the formation every day, so even if Qiao Yan travels through the secret realm to find peerless medicinal materials, the situation of the clansmen has not improved in the slightest.
She would never have imagined that while she was doing her best for her clan, they were also giving their lives to the unknown, using the power of the entire clan, just to make her survive.
Ten days later, the secret realm was closed, the formation was broken, and the spirit fox family trapped in the secret realm was destined to be eaten up by monsters.
"I've waited for so many years, just looking forward to the day when the secret realm will open, so that I can send Xiaoyan away."
Qinniang said: "It's not in vain for me to support my broken body for so many years... The outside world is so strange and strange, that child will definitely like it."
As soon as she finished speaking, the girl's undisguised footsteps sounded behind her.
The haggard woman put her index finger on her lips, smiled and made a silent gesture to them: "This is our secret, please don't tell her... At least for the last three days, let me and the child have a good time. pass by."
=====
Ning Ning's heart was heavy.
Inadvertently knowing other people's secrets, especially the secrets of life and death, this feeling is really not very easy.
Qiao Yan didn't know anything about everything, and when He Zhizhou and Xu Ye finished cleaning, she smugly took the four to Xishan.
Ning Ning was thinking wildly on the road, and felt that this matter was not without a chance—
For example, although the elders cannot enter after the secret realm is blocked, there are still many immortal disciples in the secret realm. If all members are used to resist the monsters together, the ending will not be too bad.
But that is to bet on the lives of others. Qinniang said that the demons are all golden elixir, and some people must die in the war, exchanging the lives of several disciples for the dying lives of the fox clan...
The classic trolley problem, Ning Ning couldn't come to a conclusion.
He Zhizhou and Xu Ye were light-hearted, joking and joking along the way.
Qiao Yan looks old and taciturn, but she is actually a simple little girl. Because she rarely interacts with outsiders, she doesn't speak much. Listening to the two of them talking about cross talk, a faint light flashes in her eyes.
"If we can really get the treasure in the secret realm, we can send it out when we go out!"
He Zhizhou took Xu Ye's precious medicine pill, and most of his injuries were healed, and he was talking about his poverty history with a full mouth: "You don't know, when I went to the town under the mountain to practice when it was raining, I was actually splashed by a luxury carriage passing by. Water. The owner of the car not only did not apologize, but also laughed arrogantly. Can this be tolerated! From then on, I made up my mind to have money in the future—"
The more he talked, the more excited he became, and finally he clenched his fists: "Be sure to buy your own umbrella!"
"Are you promising?"
Xu Ye glared at him: "I didn't agree to this errand for the sake of my baby."
He Zhizhou sneered, yin and yang strangely: "No, no, no? No one really takes such a big risk to please senior sister, right?"
Xu Ye was stabbed in his mind by his words, and his ears blushed unpromisingly.
"Just like him," He Zhizhou sneered, turned his head and said to Pei Ji, "Even if he can be with Senior Sister Su in the end, he must be a wife and slave—the kind who hand over all his money. Junior Brother Pei Ji, you must Don't learn from him."
Xu Ye was actually unhappy: "What are you talking about!"
Incredible.
He Zhizhou tsk tsk and shook his head, it's really not easy for this kid to be able to be hard-hearted.
Then in the next moment, Xu Ye continued righteously: "What is 'my money'! Can I have money? It must be all from senior sister!"
Ning Ning on the side couldn't hold back, she pursed her lips and started to snicker.
In the era when she and He Zhizhou lived, this kind of behavior was often called "dog licking", but according to Xu Ye's level, it was no longer as simple as licking a dog.
This must be the ultimate evolutionary version of the licking dog, the king of licking kings standing on the top of the licking world—
Lick the wolf.
In this secret realm, it is impossible to fly with the sword. A group of people chattered through the jungle under the leadership of Qiao Yan, and walked slowly along the forest path. After walking for more than half an hour, they suddenly noticed that the surrounding temperature had risen sharply.
All the birds disappeared, and the trees around them gradually faded away. When they went further, they could only see the remains of the old trees that were dry as bones, like a poor man with only a few hairs left after being bald. It is the remnant branches and the sparks flying together, and the red mud grows and the sky is the same color.
"This is the habitat of the Fire Phoenix."
Qiao Yan said: "Everyone, Xishan is here."