Xue Meng stood there in a daze for a long time before he suddenly regained his senses. He shouted angrily at Mei Hanxue, "You dog, who are you calling stupid?"
Xue Zhengyong pulled him back. "Meng 'er!"
"This person said I'm stupid!"
"Okay, okay, you heard wrong. Hanxue clearly didn't say anything."
"That's because he lowered his voice next to my ear!!"
While they were making a ruckus, Jiang Xi was checking the wounded and checking the situation. After checking the situation, Jiang Xi ordered everyone to rest in place for a while. Those who needed to treat their wounds should treat their wounds, and those who needed to meditate should meditate. There was no other way. Their fiercest fighting force had been greatly depleted. It was like a bow that hadn't been fully drawn yet, and the arrowhead was already blunted. If they rashly continued to move forward like this, they might not be able to deal with any unexpected changes.
After giving these orders, Jiang Xi walked to Nangong Si. "Nangong, I have something to ask you."
"Please go ahead, Sect Master Jiang."
Jiang Xi didn't say anything. Instead, he glanced at Ye Wangxi first.
Nangong Si said, "She doesn't need to leave."
"It's better to leave for a while," Jiang Xi said. His gaze fell on Nangong Si's chest, where Nangong Si's spiritual nucleus was located.
After Ye Wangxi left, Jiang Xi sat down next to Nangong Si.
"What about your spiritual nucleus? Are you planning to hide it from her? "
Nangong Si's eyes dimmed. "I don't know how to tell her."
"You're afraid she'll dislike you because of this? Actually, you're overthinking it. Miss Ye isn't — "
"No." Nangong Si interrupted Jiang Xi. "I'm not afraid she'll dislike me. I'm just afraid she'll be sad. "
"…" Jiang Xi was silent for a while. He seemed to be stung by Nangong Si's inexplicable arrogance. He sneered. "You're really confident."
"Sect Master Jiang is wrong. I'm not confident, I'm trusting her. "
Jiang Xi could hear the stubbornness in his tone, so she said indifferently, "You're like a tiger in the plains, yet you still speak to me in such a tone. Aren't you afraid that I'll make trouble for you in the future?"
"You won't."
Jiang Xi paused. "Does that mean you trust me?"
"Along the way, I also know what kind of person Sect Master Jiang is." Nangong Si said, "That's why I said those words to you when I thought I was going to die."
"…" Jiang Xi had been staring at Nangong Si the whole time. He only looked away when Nangong Si mentioned this. "Now that you're still alive, do those words still count?"
"Yes," Nangong Si said, "Once we defeat Xu Shuanglin, I will tell everyone clearly."
Jiang Xi didn't say anything. After a long time, he said, "Nangong Si, it's a pity that I can't see the Confucian Wind Sect flourish in your hands. Otherwise, you could have been considered an opponent to compete with."
Nangong Si answered very calmly, but there was also a hint of pride in his voice. "Sect Master, you're wrong. I've been fortunate enough to learn the best of the Confucian Wind Sect. "
Jiang Xi rarely didn't refute others, and rarely didn't ridicule others. It was even rarer for him to admire or agree with others. But this time, he remained silent for a long time and didn't try to deny Nangong Si's words. Finally, he said, "Let's not talk about this anymore. I have something more important to ask you."
"… I know what Sect Master wants to ask." Nangong Si stroked Naobaijin, who was lying in his quiver. The monster wolf was injured, and there was a cut on its forehead that was still bleeding. "But I don't know why Jiao Shan suddenly lost control and went against Grand Sect Master's wishes. I also don't think it's possible. "
Jiang Xi said, "No clues at all? Think about it again. Does the Confucian Wind Sect have any secrets related to this mountain? "
Nangong Si shook his head and said, "No. For generations, the Nangong Clan has known that Jiao Shan obeys the orders of the clan's heirs, but the first in line must be Ancestor Changying. "
"Absolutely no one else?"
"Absolutely not. The first master that the Jiao Dragon's soul recognizes is Grand Sect Master, and that will never change. "
Jiang Xi's eyes were uncertain, and his face became more and more hostile because of the deadlock. "How did Xu Shuanglin do it?"
"I don't understand either." Nangong Si suddenly paused. Jiang Xi thought that he had thought of something, so he turned to look at him, only to find that he was staring at a person in the distance. Jiang Xi followed his gaze and saw Nangong Liu eating an orange.
Nangong Si had been trying not to look at his father who was being used as a chess piece, but when he saw him, his expression immediately became extremely painful. Jiang Xi was actually around the same age as Xu Shuanglin and Xue Zhengyong. It was only because the mental cultivation method he cultivated was different that he still looked young and handsome. But this had nothing to do with his state of mind. In fact, his state of mind was no longer in its prime. He looked at Nangong Si and couldn't bear to look at him. He said, "Don't look anymore."
"…"
"Don't look anymore."
Nangong Si seemed to have used up all his remaining strength to tear his gaze away from his father. When he lowered his eyes, his shoulders seemed to tremble slightly. In the end, he buried his face in his palms, but he couldn't hide the sobbing in his voice.
He murmured hoarsely, trying to change the topic, "I also don't understand how Xu Shuanglin did it. That is the Devil Dragon that was tamed by Grand Sect Master …"
But his shoulders trembled more and more.
Jiang Xi was stiff, and his expression was indifferent. But in the end, he reached out and patted Nangong Si's shoulder. He seemed to want to comfort Nangong Si, but he had never comforted anyone before. In the end, he said dryly, "It doesn't matter. Everyone has their own fate. Although you and your father are in this situation now, you were once father and son. Look at me. I'm in my prime, but I don't have any children. Think on the bright side. "
Of course, Nangong Si didn't pay attention to him after he finished speaking. He also felt that his words were worse than not saying anything.
Jiang Xi got up and said awkwardly, "I'm going to take a look at other places. You rest for a while. We'll continue later."
"…"
"By the way, what's in front of us?"
Nangong Si said in a muffled voice, "The Dragon Soul Pool."
"What's it for?"
"That's the blood pool used to worship the Evil Dragon's spirit." Nangong Si said, "The Evil Dragon's primordial spirit is sleeping in the pool. Every year, the people of the Confucian Wind Sect worship it."
Jiang Xi frowned when he heard this. In the end, he said, "I hope nothing else happens over there."
Everyone rested in the front hall for less than an hour. The injured and those who had used up too much spiritual power gradually recovered with the help of the healing cultivators.
Jiang Xi looked at the "good" and "evil" made by Xu Shuanglin on both sides. The two extremes made him frown even more.
What was Xu Shuanglin going to do with such a useless thing? Was it for show?
Hearing Nangong Si, who was made into a chess piece, call him "Your Majesty," it seemed that Xu Shuanglin thought of himself as the emperor and treated these precious puppets, who were divided into black and white, good and evil, as his subjects.
He looked around and finally came to Nangong Liu. Nangong Liu was sitting on his bamboo basket and slowly peeling oranges.
Jiang Xi paused for a moment. Then, he suddenly leaned over and asked the question he had asked him before, "Can you take us to Her Majesty?"
Nangong Liu still gave the same answer as before, "Her Majesty has her own matters to attend to. How can she see you just because she wants to?"
"…" Jiang Xi flicked his sleeve and said unhappily, "You're useless. A good-for-nothing is a good-for-nothing. Whether you're alive or made into a chess piece, you're still a good-for-nothing."
After being scolded, Nangong Liu shrunk his neck and hugged his orange basket with a cowardly look. After a while, he actually burst into tears. "Why are you so fierce? I'm useless. I'm a good-for-nothing. What can you do even if you're fierce to me? "
His crying was so loud that it attracted the attention of the people around him.
At this time, Chu Wanning was almost done adjusting his breath and meditating. He frowned and said, "This Nangong Liu is so strange."
Mo Ran asked, "What's wrong?"
"I don't know." Chu Wanning said, "I feel that this person is Nangong Liu, but there's something wrong with him. He doesn't seem to be the Nangong Liu I know."
Mo Ran stared at them. Jiang Xi was glaring at Nangong Liu with a livid expression. Nangong Liu was sobbing and occasionally rubbing his eyes with his two hands.
"…" Mo Ran looked at his actions and indeed felt that something was wrong. It was indescribably out of place. It was as if he was looking at a child with a middle-aged man's head. It gave him goosebumps. Suddenly, Mo Ran was stunned and muttered, "A child …"
"What?"
Mo Ran suddenly turned his head and asked, "Shizun, don't you think that he looks like a child?" As he spoke, he glanced sideways at Nangong Liu for a while. Seeing that Nangong Liu was actually blowing his nose with his sleeve, he said, "… and he's only a five or six year old child."
When he said this, Chu Wanning looked again. Sure enough, it was true.
Although Nangong Liu still looked like he was in his forties, his every move revealed a kind of naivety and childishness.
Chu Wanning muttered, "Could it be that Xu Shuanglin did something to him, so that his memory was only retained until he was five or six years old?"
Mo Ran said, "Shizun, wait for me. I'll try."
"How are you going to try?"
Mo Ran didn't answer. Under everyone's gaze, he walked to Nangong Liu's side, picked up an orange and handed it to him. He said tentatively, "Don't cry, eat an orange."
"I'm not eating. I've already eaten. This is for Her Majesty."
Mo Ran put the orange back into the basket and asked, "Who is Her Majesty?"
Jiang Xi said, "What's the use? Didn't I ask him this question a long time ago? "
Sure enough, Nangong Liu said, "Her Majesty … Her Majesty is Her Majesty. Who else could it be?"
Mo Ran wasn't discouraged. Instead, he asked a second question, "Well, Her Majesty is Her Majesty. You're so loyal and sensible. Her Majesty will be very happy when she knows. Oh right, I've been asking you about Her Majesty, but I haven't asked you yet. Little brother, what's your name? "
Huang Xiaoyue was impatient. He sneered and was about to speak when Jiang Xi stopped him and shook his head. He also faintly felt that something was wrong.
Nangong Liu, who was holding a basket of oranges, looked at Mo Ran for a while before saying timidly, "My name is Nangong Liu."
Mo Ran smiled and touched Nangong Liu's head. He asked calmly, "Let's get to know each other. My name is Mo Ran. I'm 22 years old this year. What about you?"
"I, I'm 5 years old …"
"!!"
For a moment, there was complete silence.
Although Nangong Liu's answer wasn't loud, the people around them were quietly looking in their direction. Therefore, his trembling "I'm 5 years old" was like a clap of thunder breaking through the sky, exploding in the hall.
Almost everyone was stunned.
If it weren't for the tense situation, many people present would have laughed out loud until tears flowed down their cheeks. Five years old? Five years old?
Three years ago, if they were asked to believe that the leader of the world's number one sect would actually cower beside a basket of oranges and mutter, "I'm 5 years old", these people would probably rather believe that pigs could climb trees.
However, at this moment, Nangong Liu clearly said this sentence. The group of people was dumbfounded. They froze in place and looked at each other, not knowing what was going on.
Jiang Xi stepped forward and asked sternly, "What do you do in the palace every day?"
Nangong Liu quickly shrank behind Mo Ran. He tugged at Mo Ran's sleeve and said, "Big brother, I don't want to talk to him. This uncle is so fierce …"
Jiang Xi was speechless.
Nangong Liu was older than him. Even in his dreams, he never thought that there would be a day when Nangong Liu would call him uncle.
Mo Ran also couldn't stand it. If it was really a five-year-old child, it would be fine. However, at this time, the person who pulled him was a man with wrinkled eyes. Mo Ran's mouth twitched. He coughed twice and comforted him, "Okay, okay, you don't have to pay attention to him. Then let me ask you, what do you do in the palace every day?"
Jiang Xi widened his eyes. At this time, he somewhat admired Mo Ran. This guy was really good. How could he tolerate this?
"I pick oranges every day. After picking them, I wash them and carry them to His Majesty. I wait for him to come out and eat them." Nangong Liu said, "His Majesty likes to eat oranges the most. He can eat a whole basket of them every day. At the foot of the mountain, there used to be a kind of tree that only blossoms but doesn't bear fruit. His Majesty said it was boring, so they all changed to orange trees. I also think orange trees are good. The fruit is sweet. "
He talked endlessly. Suddenly, his eyes dimmed. "It's a pity that His Majesty hasn't been in good health these days. After picking a basket of oranges, he can only eat half of them …"
Jiang Xi caught the key. "His Majesty hasn't been in good health recently?"
Nangong Liu was very vengeful. He pouted and puffed up his cheeks. "You're so annoying. I won't talk to you."
Jiang Xi held back for a moment, but he couldn't. He quickly turned his head and covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief.
Huang Xiaoyue asked with concern, "Master Jiang, what's wrong?"
"Don't talk to me." Jiang Xi frowned in disgust. He refused to look at the giant Nangong Liu squatting there. "I'm a little f * cking disgusted."
Mo Ran asked, "What's wrong with His Majesty?"
"It's … It's just that he always coughs, and all he coughs out is blood. He's so skinny, yet he refuses to eat. Many parts of his body are rotten …" As Nangong Liu spoke, her tears dripped down like a pillar with a broken string. She cried sorrowfully, "I'm so worried about him. If he's gone, what should I do? In the future, no one will play with me, talk to me, or feed me oranges. "
"He … he still feeds you oranges?"
However, from what he saw last time at the Confucian Wind Sect, Nangong Liu and Xu Shuanglin had a blood feud between them. It was already a miracle that Xu Shuanglin didn't continue to feed his brother the Slicing Death Fruit. Feeding it to Tangerine?
He couldn't imagine it.
Jiang Xi fell into deep thought. "Many parts of his body are rotten …"
Xue Zhengyong said, "It sounds like the backlash of the Exquisite Chess Game?"
Mo Ran was also very clear about this. The Exquisite Chess Game was one of the three forbidden techniques. If the caster didn't have enough spiritual power and forcibly controlled the chess pieces too many times, his body would slowly begin to fester.
When he first started to cultivate in his previous life, his body had also festered, starting from his toes. At that time, Mo Ran was afraid of being discovered by Chu Wanning, so he didn't dare to act rashly. Later, he invented the "Formation of Unity", so he could continue to cultivate. Later, when he became the Emperor Ta, his spiritual power was abundant and vigorous. He didn't need the Formation of Unity to control thousands of troops and horses. However, the necrotic little toe on his left foot could never be restored.
Mo Ran couldn't help but feel strange.
The zombies outside were all controlled by the Symbiosis Formation. Only the zombies that could move freely in the hall were completely controlled by Xu Shuanglin's spiritual power.
Since Xu Shuanglin couldn't control so many chess pieces, why did he do something that didn't make up for the losses?
Trapped here, it was useless to think too much. Jiang Xi said, "Let's go forward."
The door to the Dragon Soul Pool also needed a mechanism to open, but this mechanism wasn't destroyed. After it was activated, the front and back doors inlaid with the Seven Stars Array immediately rumbled. The stone door retracted into the wall, and the middle hall of the Confucian Wind Sect's Ancestral Temple slowly revealed its appearance in front of everyone.
It was a hexagonal sealed chamber. The walls were cold and damp, and there was a sculpture of a dragon at the ceiling. Its muscles and bones were distinct, and its eyes were wide open. The dragon held an oil lamp in its mouth. It was unknown what kind of oil was lit inside, but the light it emitted was actually a deep blue.
In the center of the hall, there was a pool with blood-red foam bubbling and steaming hot steam coming out of it.
Nangong Si said, "This is the Dragon Soul Pool. The primordial spirit of the Demon Dragon is sealed in this blood pool."
Some people wanted to get closer to take a closer look, but Nangong Si said, "Don't look too much. This pool is full of evil Qi. If you stare at it for too long, your mind will be scattered. Let's go."
The group walked past the blood pool one by one under the leadership of Nangong Si. They walked into the corridor behind the middle hall. Although it was dark and there was no light, Mo Ran could feel that they were walking uphill.
After walking for about an incense stick's worth of time, Nangong Liu stopped. In front of him was a door that was narrower than the previous one, but it was decorated with jewelry.
"After this door is opened, we'll reach the exit of the tunnel after walking for a while." Nangong Si said, "After we go out, we will reach the last place in the Celestial Palace, called the Soul-Summoning Platform. Xu Shuanglin should be on the Soul-Summoning Platform."
Huang Xiaoyue suddenly asked, "Are there only these few places in the Confucian Wind Sect's Celestial Palace? The front hall, the Dragon Blood Pool, and the Soul-Summoning Platform? "
"Yes."
"Is there no secret room?" In a moment of impatience, he almost said that it was a treasure room. Fortunately, he reacted in time, "I mean, Xu Shuanglin could also be in the secret room."
Nangong Si looked at him meaningfully. That kind of gaze made Huang Xiaoyue somewhat anxious. Finally, Nangong Si said, "Let's go to the Soul-Summoning Platform first."
To open this last door, they needed the blood of the Nangong Clan. Nangong Si smeared his blood on the eyes of the dragon engravings on the stone door. The mechanism on the door moved with a click, and then they heard a faint sigh.
Huang Xiaoyue was frightened, "Who said that?!"
Then he pointed at Nangong Si and said, "Brat, you're not playing tricks, right? Are you trying to trick us? "
Nangong Si said indifferently, "If Daoist Huang doesn't believe me, it's not too late to leave now. Sit in the main hall and wait."
Of course, Huang Xiaoyue didn't want to, but before he went in, he was careful. Along the way, he found that all the important doors required the blood of the Nangong Clan to open. The legendary treasure room was probably the same. Therefore, before Huang Xiaoyue entered the door, she unintentionally wiped her hand on the longan and secretly stained it with Nangong Si's blood …
All of a sudden, an empty voice rang out in this pitch-black passageway.
"Who is it?"
Huang Xiaoyue had a guilty conscience. He was so startled that he almost jumped up. The others also looked around. Nangong Si said, "I am the seventh generation of the Confucian Wind Sect, Nangong Si."
"Wangli … respectfully welcomes … Master …"
After the voice slowly uttered these words, it returned to silence.
"Wangli is the name of the Devil Dragon." Nangong Si said to Jiang Xi, "Sect Leader Jiang, please."
Jiang Xi looked at the passageway in front of him. About a hundred feet away, there was a white light. Presumably, that was the Soul-Summoning Platform. Jiang Xi took a few steps forward. Suddenly, the ground shook violently again. The empty voice sounded again.
"Wangli, respectfully welcomes … Master …"
"What's wrong with this dragon?" Jiang Xi frowned. "It's saying the same thing twice?"
However, Nangong Si's expression had already changed. He immediately turned his head to look in the direction of the Soul Summoning Platform. There was suddenly a faint flicker of light. Before he could see it clearly, he heard the hissing sound of spitting. Immediately after, a flood surged into the sky.
Nangong Si's pupils suddenly shrank. He shouted, "Run!!"