Chapter 139 Escaping the Trap

The young girl seemed to hear what the old man said. She slightly frowned and asked with a smile, "The Nine Cauldrons of Ancient Xia!? What kind of spiritual treasure is this!? So it is not even your magical weapon! That is wonderful! Just a moment ago, I was thinking how truly enviable such a spiritual treasure is! If I were to forcefully seize it from you, that would be bullying you! Since that is the case, things become much easier!"

Upon hearing this, the old man surnamed Liu chuckled mildly. "You, bullying me!? Ha! Judging by the monstrous Qi of demons around you, hehe, you must come from the remote borders of the Tianshan Mountains, right?"

The young girl let out a cheerful laugh. "You old man are quite good at guessing! I have traveled thousands of miles all the way from the Barar Kingdom, passing through this place. How could I possibly miss such a lively and interesting event upon finally running into it!" Before she finished speaking, she flicked her hand, and a streak of flowing light shot directly toward the bronze tripod suspended in mid-air.

Seeing this, the old man surnamed Liu said coldly, "The Barar Kingdom? That is far away indeed! However, the Nine Cauldrons of Ancient Xia are divine artifacts of Huaxia, not something your demonic race can covet!" With that, a rosy glow flashed in his hand, and a jade ruyi appeared in his palm. He tapped it lightly toward the high sky, and a magnificent beam of light blasted toward the flowing light unleashed by the girl!

The girl chuckled lightly in the high sky. "What? The spiritual treasures of the world belong to those with virtue! Yet you hold onto such pedantic views!" Reaching out to point obliquely, the streak of flowing light in the air flashed violently and flew toward the bronze tripod with astonishing speed, miraculously dodging the beam of light by a hair's breadth!

The old man surnamed Liu let out a soft hum. "Belong to those with virtue!? I wonder what virtue and ability you possess?!" The jade ruyi in his hand emitted a low chime, and the beam of light in the air seemed to come alive. With a twisting, agile motion, it chased directly after the flowing light!

Upon seeing this, the girl's expression changed, and she rebuked sharply, "Could it be that I am afraid of you?!" The flowing light paused, revealing its true form—a glittering little fork. Blinding brilliance erupted from it as it also welcomed the oncoming beam of light!

With a deafening explosion, the sky resounded as if struck by a heaven-shaking thunderbolt! Amidst the blinding flash of light, everyone felt a dazzling white glare before their eyes, making it difficult to keep them open. After a long while, when they looked up toward mid-air, the small bronze tripod had vanished without a trace. The strange and alluring girl stood there with a look of extreme annoyance, holding the small fork, and said with slight anger, "You old man are utterly unreasonable!"

The old man surnamed Liu said with a livid expression, "If you continue to pester me, do not blame this old man for showing no mercy!" The girl stamped her foot, glared angrily at the old man, and patted the fiery qilin beneath her. The qilin let out a long hiss, carrying the woman as it transformed into a stream of fiery light and galloped far into the distance!

The old man surnamed Liu stared blankly into mid-air for a long while, his expression looking deeply desolate. No one knew what he was thinking, but inwardly they muttered to themselves, "This old fellow forced back that strange woman and retrieved the small tripod! Logically speaking, he has won a complete victory! Why is he still looking like this?" Although everyone was whispering inwardly, not a single person dared to step forward and ask.

Ye Hua, however, was inwardly alarmed. That bronze tripod was precisely the one he had seen in the Wanggui Abyss, which later resided within his Dantian! No matter what, its spirit had refused to come out, so why would it choose to come out for a stroll today? Ye Hua thought to himself, "Since you've already come out, Brother Nine Cauldrons! The colorful world outside is much more fun than inside my Dantian! Brother, you'd better not go back!" Yet when he introspected his Dantian, Ye Hua almost cried out in surprise—the bronze tripod had somehow already returned inside his Dantian!

The old man surnamed Liu sighed deeply, turned around, and sliced with his index finger. A faint white trace flashed lightly, and Ye Hua felt the chains on both arms loosen. With a clatter, they shattered into several sections and fell to the ground!

A wave of joy surged in Ye Hua's heart. Collecting his composure, he hurriedly bowed deeply and said, "Thank you, Senior, for saving my life!"

The old man surnamed Liu nodded slightly and said, "It is this old man who should thank you instead. Little friend, would you care to sit for a moment at my Enlightening Hall?"

Ye Hua hastily replied, "Since it is Senior's command, this junior will naturally follow!"

The old man swept his gaze around, let out a slight, angry hum, and rose into the air, transforming into a blue streak of light that shot away into the distance.

Zhao Sanduo, Qingque, and the others felt their hearts tighten the moment the old man's gaze swept over them, a slight bead of sweat forming on their foreheads. Only when they saw him rise and depart did they let out a long breath of relief. Glancing at Ye Hua, they did not dare to step forward and block him anymore!

The youth surnamed Zhou stepped forward, grabbed Ye Hua by both arms, and said happily, "Brother Ye, I never expected to see you here! Truly... Haha! Alright, let's return to the Enlightening Hall and have a proper chat!"

Ye Hua nodded and smiled, "Brother Zhou, please wait a moment! There are a few familiar friends over there. I need to exchange a few words with them!"

***

The youth surnamed Zhou nodded and said, "Very well!" Then, he saw several young men walking from behind Master Lingyin. Ye Hua hurriedly stepped forward and smiled, "Brother Lü! I never expected we would meet here!"

The young man was indeed Lü Yunke. He smiled and said, "Just now, I was wondering how to devise a way to help Brother Ye escape! I never imagined Brother Ye would possess such boundless fortune! Haha! Since our parting last time, this older brother has missed you dearly!"

Ye Hua said, "I originally intended to go to Mount Baidai's Yunju Temple to pay a visit to all the senior brothers, and also take a look at the Fifth Leiyin Cave—famed for its nine interlocking caves and unique scenery—as well as the Great Tibetan Sutra! Unfortunately, some matters arose later, and I was never able to get away."

Tian Liang smiled with amusement, "Senior Brother and I even made a special trip to Zhang Yuantian's mansion to look for you, but the place was completely deserted! We, the Eight Friends of Peach Blossom, followed our master's orders and intended to head for Hancheng, so we left the imperial capital."

Ye Hua wore an apologetic expression. "I truly owe all of you senior brothers an apology! My hasty departure from the capital was also to go to Hancheng to find my master."

Lü Yunke smiled, "Brother Ye, I have already met Uncle Zhiguang once and mentioned to him that you had been to the capital looking for him."

Ye Hua was pleasantly surprised. "Didn't Uncle Zhiguang go to Hanzhong and Bashu to search for the hidden treasury of the Winged Holy King?! Why has he returned so soon?"

Lü Yunke shook his head and said, "I am not entirely clear on the details. For some reason, Uncle Zhiguang and Master Xukong traveled together toward the Suzhou and Hangzhou regions. They were originally supposed to travel with us, but because the few of us lingered for a while at Haiguang Temple, they ended up heading out before us."

Ye Hua was startled, then sighed softly, "I didn't expect we would still miss each other!"

Lü Yunke glanced at the youth surnamed Zhou standing nearby and said to Ye Hua, "Brother Ye, if you have free time after visiting the Enlightening Hall, just come to Haiguang Temple to find me! I will be waiting for you there."

Ye Hua nodded and said, "It's a deal!" The group of youths behind Lü Yunke exchanged a few more pleasantries with Ye Hua before turning and leaving. When Ye Hua turned to look around, the group from the Six Ministries of Northern Xi had already departed God knows when, and Zhao Sanduo, Qingque, and the others from the Accord Sect were also chatting in low voices from afar, paying no attention to this side. As for the monk Lingyin, he simply stood quietly to one side observing the scene.

After a short while, Lü Yunke, the monk Lingyin, and the others mounted their flying swords and vanished without a trace.

The youth surnamed Zhou said to Ye Hua, "Brother Ye, let us be on our way as well!"

Ye Hua nodded, mounted his flying sword, and closely followed the youth surnamed Zhou toward the north. The group flew at great speed, and within a moment, a vast garden appeared ahead. In the middle shimmered a rippling expanse of water—a pool spanning over a hundred mu. The water was clear and expansive, densely planted with lotuses. The banks were spacious and densely wooded, presenting a natural landscape. Buildings of varying shapes and heights were arranged along the waterside, with clear distinctions between primary and secondary structures.

On the southern shore of the pool was a winding, undulating water corridor traversing the ripples. Looking across the corridor, there were two wooded islands with foliage covering the ground and pink vines draping over the waterbanks. A small bridge connected the two islands, and a pavilion was built on each. The youth surnamed Zhou seemed to know what Ye Hua was looking at and pointed out, "The pavilion on the west is called the 'Snow Fragrance and Cloud Haze Pavilion,' and the one on the east is the 'Frost-Awaiting Pavilion!'"

Ye Hua could not help but praise, "How very elegant!"

The youth surnamed Zhou pointed ahead and said, "Over there are the Orchid-Snow Hall and the Lotus Terrace! Master Liu is likely waiting for us there. Let us go over!" With that, his figure slowed and he landed in front of the Orchid-Snow Hall.

Ye Hua and the others quickly followed and landed. Suddenly, someone spoke joyfully, "Big Brother Zhou! You're back!" A pretty young girl appeared at the doorway, with a small black barn swallow perched on her shoulder. It was precisely the young woman surnamed Liu whom Ye Hua had rescued that day!

Upon seeing Ye Hua, the girl was startled for a moment, then beamed with joy. "Senior Brother Ye, why have you come here?!"

The youth surnamed Zhou smiled and said, "What, aren't you welcoming? Is Uncle inside?"

The girl's face instantly blushed red. "Of course not! I couldn't welcome you enough! Um, my father is right inside!"

"Come in!" It was the voice of the old man surnamed Liu speaking from inside the room. The youth surnamed Zhou and Ye Hua's group entered to pay their respects. They saw the old man surnamed Liu sitting on a couch drinking tea! He said to everyone, "Have a seat!" Then, casting a glance at Ye Hua, he asked, "Your name is Ye Hua, and you are a disciple of the Mount Wutai sect?!"

Ye Hua respectfully replied, "Indeed! Greetings, Senior!"

The old man surnamed Liu nodded and said, "The lineage of Mount Wutai has indeed produced a proud disciple!" With that, his gaze swept across him and he said, "It seems you have been afflicted with a talismanic curse, haven't you?"

***

Ye Hua nodded and said, "Senior's eyes are like torches! I have been afflicted with the Six Blood Crow Curses technique of the Western Regions cultivators!"

The old man surnamed Liu uttered a soft "Oh" and extended a finger, shooting a beam of red light straight into Ye Hua's head. Within moments, a blood-red mark manifested. The red light flashed, transforming into six bloody red crows that slowly revolved.

Seeing this strange spectacle, everyone was stunned for a moment, and they could even faintly smell a faint scent of blood emanating from the bloody red crows. The old man extended his finger once more, and a pure, gentle white light slowly shot from the tip of his index finger, striking the Six Blood Crow Curses. With a loud sizzling sound, the curse flashed with a red light, grew several shades dimmer, and then suddenly flared with blinding intensity once more. Ye Hua could not help letting out a groan of pain, staggering back a few steps!

Seeing this, the old man surnamed Liu withdrew his technique, nodded, and said, "You have been deeply afflicted by these Six Blood Crow Curses. Ordinary cultivators who contract this rarely survive for even half a year before it flares up and claims their lives in the Yellow Springs. I have heard that the Six Blood Crow Curses are divided into seven different types, each with its own method." Frowning slightly, the old man continued, "These Six Blood Crow Curses of yours are extremely difficult to lift. Being items of utmost evil from the Western Regions, if you wish to remove them, I imagine you will need to travel personally to that Heavenly Region Ancient Country."

A heavy weight sank in Ye Hua's heart. "Since that is the case, I shall go there in the future when the time comes. It's just that with such a short time left, I'm afraid I might perish halfway before even arriving."

The old man surnamed Liu nodded and said, "I will use a secret technique to seal these Six Blood Crow Curses! However, this is not a foolproof solution. Given the supremely evil nature of the curses, I am afraid that after a few years, it will break through the prohibition and flare up."

Ye Hua bowed and said, "Thank you, Senior. Life and death are fated; if this junior can manage to live a few more years by your grace, that is already a great fortune."

The old man did not speak further, merely letting out a slight sigh!

***
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Upcoming Chapter Content:
...
"Ever since the Sage King Kongzi founded it, the secret techniques of the Confucian school have spread throughout the world. It is said that the Kongzi school originally had four worthies, twelve philosophers, seventy-two sages, and three thousand disciples. Today, they are spread across the universe and possess immense power! The Jinan Prefecture in Qilu is precisely where the power of the Confucian school is rooted! Since Brother Ye has forged a blood feud with the Confucian school, you must ponder this very carefully?!"

"That's right! Brother Ye, past Jinan Prefecture lies Qufu, which is the very foundation of the Confucian school. Mount Tai swallows Western Huai, presses upon Southern Heng, commands Central Song, surpasses Northern Heng, and stands as the chief of the Five Sacred Mountains! Hailed as the 'Sole Revered Among the Five Sacred Mountains,' because of its majestic and awe-inspiring momentum, it also bears the reputation of 'the First Famous Mountain in the World.' The Eastern Sacred Ground Palace is built upon it! Brother Ye..."
...

Ye Hua thought to himself, "Mount Tai is legendary for being transformed by the ancient God Pangu! Its spiritual wonders are infinite, hence the historical records say: 'The heavens are so high they cannot be reached; therefore, one performs the Fengchan ceremony on Mount Tai to sacrifice and hope to draw near to the deities!'"