The death of Ma Shan did not bring an end; the skeleton's teleportation continued, and in the blink of an eye, two more people were slain on the spot.
"Senior Brother Nanfeng, we were wrong! Save us!" Five injured disciples, trembling in terror, rushed toward Xiao Nanfeng.
Just as Xiao Nanfeng was about to rally them together, the skeleton teleported right in front of him. Its claws slammed down on his palm, and although he channeled all his soul energy, he was still forced three steps back before steadying himself.
"It's grown this powerful?" Xiao Nanfeng's face shifted in shock.
We were evenly matched just now, and now it's already surpassing me?
The skeleton abruptly teleported behind him, setting off alarms in his mind. He drove his elbow back fiercely, but the skeleton's speed was overwhelming—it blocked his elbow with one claw and struck toward his back with the other. With a thud, Xiao Nanfeng was sent flying a full zhang.
Xiao Nanfeng's worry grew frantic. If this dragged on, he'd eventually be drained of soul energy.
The skeleton seemed to have another plan, as it left Xiao Nanfeng and pounced on the remaining disciples. In an instant, two more people were impaled by its claws.
"Help me!" The two cried out as they fell, their blood spilling into pools on the ground.
The skeleton opened its mouth and consumed the smoky essence from their bodies, growing even stronger.
"Save me!" The last three survivors, their spirits shattered, fled blindly. But their panicked retreat only made them easier targets, and the skeleton teleported again, catching up to one in an instant.
Cold sweat drenched Xiao Nanfeng's brow. Trapped within this illusion, cut off from contact with the outside world, was he doomed?
The skeleton killed another, leaving just one disciple still fleeing.
"It's growing stronger! My soul energy is running low—what other power can I draw upon? Could the Yin Shen Pearl help?"
Xiao Nanfeng, grasping for any solution, tried summoning his sole treasure, even though he knew he shouldn't be able to bring physical items into this illusion.
In the physical world, the Yin Shen Pearl within his Brow Acupoint responded to his soul energy, trembling faintly. Though it didn't enter the illusion, it suddenly emitted a burst of cold air.
"Hoo!"
The frigid air, channeled through his soul energy, surged into the illusion.
Within the illusion, a freezing storm erupted around Xiao Nanfeng, enveloping him in an icy tempest.
"So cold!" Xiao Nanfeng shivered as the cold penetrated his entire body.
The storm surged outward, instantly freezing the surroundings solid.
With a crack, the frozen void shattered, revealing a glowing escape route.
Without hesitation, Xiao Nanfeng leapt through the shattered exit.
Back in the physical realm, Xiao Nanfeng's spirit trembled as he opened his eyes, awake once more.
A layer of frost coated his body, and though he shivered, he felt a surge of excitement. He had escaped the illusion?
"Can the Yin Shen Pearl help me break free of illusions? Does this mean I now have a way to evade Lady Rouge?" Xiao Nanfeng shivered with exhilaration.
In the illusion, the skeleton finished off the last disciple and turned its gaze toward the ice-framed exit, watching as Xiao Nanfeng slipped away.
Absorbing the final disciple's smoky essence, it teleported to the exit, black smoke billowing from its skull, and a chattering rage filled the air.
In the real world, Xiao Nanfeng circulated his inner energy, generating warmth, and surveyed the area.
Nearby lay the bodies of Ma Shan and the others, along with the ashes of a talisman on the ground.
A thought crossed Xiao Nanfeng's mind, and his face darkened.
"Zhao Yuanjiao, show yourself!" he roared, fury evident in his gaze.
Silence fell over the misty surroundings.
"Zhao Yuanjiao, I know this was your scheme! Are you so cowardly that you won't even acknowledge it?" Xiao Nanfeng demanded icily.
After a moment, three figures emerged from the fog, with Zhao Yuanjiao leading them.
Zhao Yuanjiao looked puzzled. "How did you figure it out?"
"If not for fearing it would disturb Master, I wouldn't have fallen for Chen Ran luring me out with your jade pendant. You're audacious enough to involve even Master in your schemes!" Xiao Nanfeng retorted angrily.
"My jade pendant was stolen," Zhao Yuanjiao replied, frowning.
"Stolen? Or stolen *with intent*? Do you even know what happened in that illusion, or the consequences?" Xiao Nanfeng shouted.
"The Illusory Purple-Gold Talisman was merely meant to trap you temporarily. In an illusion, they can't kill you—at most, your soul may suffer some damage, leaving you unconscious for a few days. No one would actually die," Zhao Yuanjiao said dismissively.
The two disciples accompanying him checked the ten bodies, their faces abruptly changing.
"Senior Brother, they're all dead," one of the disciples said, alarmed.
"What? Dead?" Zhao Yuanjiao's expression shifted.
He began to realize something had gone terribly wrong.
"Don't overestimate yourself by thinking everything is under your control. When things go terribly wrong, you'll have no escape from blame," Xiao Nanfeng warned coldly.
"What happened in the illusion?" Zhao Yuanjiao's face darkened.
"You'd better think about how to explain this to Master. Hmph!" Xiao Nanfeng replied coldly.
With that, he turned and walked into the mist, leaving Zhao Yuanjiao behind.
Watching Xiao Nanfeng's retreating figure, Zhao Yuanjiao's face twisted with frustration. Though he hadn't said it all, the bodies told the story—he had gone too far this time.
"The plan was flawless, even Ma Shan and Chen Ran had no idea they were being used. But how did Junior Brother Nanfeng piece it together?" one of his disciples couldn't help but ask.
"Nanfeng is remarkably perceptive. He pieced together a trail from the faintest clues," Zhao Yuanjiao said grimly.
"Not only perceptive, but that earlier fight with Chen Ran surprised us all. At the eighth level of the Acquired Realm, he managed to defeat someone at the tenth. Truly astonishing!" the disciple exclaimed.
"Senior Brother, surely this clears Nanfeng of being a Dark Sect spy?" another asked.
Zhao Yuanjiao's face grew complicated. In these months of interrogations, he had purposefully incited Ma Shan and the others against Nanfeng, eventually arranging for Chen Ran's baited trap to test their loyalties, hoping to prove Nanfeng's innocence. Unfortunately…
"I still can't be certain," Zhao Yuanjiao replied, his voice heavy.
"Senior Brother, aren't you being too harsh on Junior Brother Nanfeng? Even Elder Ku said there was no issue with him, yet you won't let it go?"
"Nanfeng's origins remain unclear. I won't overlook any potential threat." Zhao Yuanjiao's tone was unyielding.
"Fine. But now that ten people have died, what do we do?" another disciple asked with a bitter smile.
"They were of no value to the investigation; they died, and that's that. Perhaps it was Nanfeng eliminating witnesses," Zhao Yuanjiao said darkly.
The two disciples exchanged strange looks, noting Zhao Yuanjiao's intense fixation on Nanfeng.
"Let's leave here; Yao Guang Manor is nearby, and it's giving me an uneasy feeling," one disciple said, nervously glancing at the manor.
"Yeah, the mournful music from within chills me to the bone. We should go before Lady Yao Guang decides to make an appearance," the other disciple said anxiously.
Zhao Yuanjiao looked at the manor, a defiant glint in his eyes. "Lady Yao Guang? Am I supposed to fear her?"
At that moment, the music within Yao Guang Manor abruptly stopped, and a terrifying killing aura surged forth, making the surrounding mist swirl wildly.
"What a terrifying aura! Is Lady Yao Guang about to unleash a massacre?" one disciple gasped, chills running down his spine.
"Senior Brother, I've never seen such an immense killing aura from Yao Guang Manor! It's making my hair stand on end!" another disciple's face turned pale.
Zhao Yuanjiao, his own face stricken with fear, hurriedly grabbed four bodies. "What are you waiting for? Let's go!"
"Yes, yes, right away!" The others hastily collected the remaining six bodies and fled.
...
Two hours later, Xiao Nanfeng returned to his quarters. After a hot bath and a change of clothes, he went to seek an audience with Elder Ku.
In the main hall, he briefly recounted his recent experience.
"Yuanjiao's scheme against you—how do you intend to handle it?" Elder Ku asked, frowning.
"He's simply too obsessed with finding the Dark Sect spy, which clouds his judgment of right and wrong. I don't mind; let's drop it," Xiao Nanfeng replied with a sigh.
Don't mind? He certainly did. But as Zhao Yuanjiao was Master's senior disciple, it wouldn't do to place Master in an awkward position. He'd settle the score himself someday.
Elder Ku patted Xiao Nanfeng on the shoulder, saying, "You're a good child, but this time, Yuanjiao has indeed gone too far. I'll make sure to teach him a lesson."
"Yes!" Xiao Nanfeng responded promptly.
Elder Ku was angry,Zhao Yuanjiao, you're in big trouble now, and you deserve it!
"When you all resisted Lady Rouge together, Ma Shan used a certain artifact to break open the illusion, creating an escape path? And as you fled, you saw Lady Rouge kill the last person?" Elder Ku asked, puzzled.
"Yes!" Though Xiao Nanfeng held deep respect for his master, the secret of the Yin Shen Pearl was too significant, so he decided to keep it hidden for the time being.
Elder Ku's expression became complex, and he sighed, "When you escaped from the illusion, only you were still alive in there. From that moment on, the illusion realm became yours alone, it seems… Lady Rouge has now taken up residence in your mental world. It's likely that she's bound to you."
Xiao Nanfeng: "…"
"Still, you were lucky. To escape at the last moment—it's said that one who survives disaster is destined for blessings." Elder Ku consoled him.
"What should I do now?" Xiao Nanfeng asked, concerned.
"For now, you should leave Taiqing Island and find a place to lie low for a while. Perhaps Lady Rouge will lose interest in you?" Elder Ku mused.
Xiao Nanfeng: "…"
She spent months trying to break into my mind—would she really lose interest?
"Don't frighten yourself unnecessarily; perhaps there's still a chance for things to improve. Go out, enjoy yourself, eat and drink well, and maybe after a while, everything will be fine," Elder Ku continued.
Xiao Nanfeng looked at Elder Ku silently. Why do I feel like you're giving up on me?
"For this trip, I have only one requirement for you!" Elder Ku suddenly said, his tone turning very serious.
"Master, please say it!" Xiao Nanfeng also straightened up seriously.
"Always remember the commandment of the Taiqing Immortal Sect. Many disciples have forgotten it, but I hope you will keep it close at all times. It's the very foundation of the Taiqing lineage's cultivation."
"The foundation of the Taiqing lineage's cultivation? Our commandment?" Xiao Nanfeng asked, puzzled.
"Never consort with demons; strive to embody the spirit of the Loong!" Elder Ku pronounced each word firmly.