Chapter 113: Wu Xinzhi
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Mu Yunjin no longer clung to her as before, and Qu Yiqiu felt comforted that the child had grown up. She stayed at Little Ping Peak for several days, purchased over a dozen fragrant reed pigs to raise on the mountain, and after instructing Zhou Chen on the necessary matters, she left the Tianyan Sect.
At this time, she learned from Zhou Chen that Jiang Shuangyan had claimed first place in the Foundation Establishment stage. She also heard that Qu Youyou, because of the incident at the plaza, was brought back to Nine Sword Peak by Chi Yushu and placed under house arrest again, unable to participate in the long-anticipated sect competition, let alone contemplate disciplining Qu Yiqiu.
So far, the situation was still favorable for their Little Ping Peak.
Qu Yiqiu and Yao Zhimei met beneath a rocky cave, while the latest batch of refined elixirs was entrusted to Shen Mengkai and two others for sale. Under Yao Zhimei’s guidance, after a month and a half, they arrived at Shuijing City, bordering the Yellow Spring Pool.
They settled in a modest inn. The scenery here was bleak, sparsely populated, likely due to the rampant ghost cultivators in the Yellow Spring Pool.
“Your Majesty, tomorrow we head northwest, passing through a land where sea buckthorn grows, and then we will step into the territory of the Yellow Spring Pool,” Yao Zhimei said.
Qu Yiqiu looked at the snow-sheepskin map floating in midair, nodded, and folded it away.
“Tonight, let us rest well.”
Yao Zhimei shook her head. “I must protect Your Majesty.”
Qu Yiqiu’s lips moved slightly but said nothing, closing her eyes in meditation.
Yao Zhimei’s body lightened, like mist, floating near the edge of an ancient window frame.
In the inn’s backyard, a group of seven ascended the stairs under cover of night.
“Miss, there’s a third-rank Nether Soul Beast’s lair southeast of this sea buckthorn forest. Tomorrow we can eliminate it first, then enter the Yellow Spring Pool,” an elderly pale man with a dark hood spoke to the woman before him.
Wu Xinzhi glanced at the expanded map and nodded. “A third-rank Nether Soul Beast near the edge of the Yellow Spring Pool? We cannot miss this!”
The pale elder smiled faintly. “This journey will surely be fruitful!”
If Qu Yiqiu and her companion could see this map, they would notice the route was identical to their snow-sheepskin map.
Night deepened quickly, then dawned faintly.
In the sea buckthorn forest, two figures darted swiftly, stirring not a grain of dust.
Qu Yiqiu and Yao Zhimei reached the edge of the Yellow Spring Pool, before them a turbid, viscous dead river.
“The dead river ahead marks the boundary of the Yellow Spring Pool,” Yao Zhimei’s eyes flickered with a small flame all along the way.
Qu Yiqiu nodded, raised the Soul Suppressing Banner, and released the Golden Ghost King.
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“You’ve been slacking off in the banner too long, haven’t you!” Yao Zhimei stepped forward and struck the Golden Ghost King on the head without ceremony.
The Golden Ghost King grimaced in pain, clutching his head but said nothing back. “Master, what would you have me do now?”
Qu Yiqiu looked at the dead river and said quickly, “I am a living person; it’s hard to cross the dead river. You and Yao Zhimei must encircle me at the center and carry me through.”
The Golden Ghost King replied gravely, “Understood!”
Yao Zhimei watched intently and thought, the little dog has behaved!
“The daylight is just right; it’s perfect timing for us to cross!” Qu Yiqiu looked up at the sky, a faint smile at the corner of her mouth.
“Right on!” Yao Zhimei smiled brightly, decisively lifted Qu Yiqiu, grabbed the Golden Ghost King’s hands, and together they spun into a mass of gray-white mist, drifting over the lifeless dead river.
Qu Yiqiu landed softly, formed a faint red glow around her with a hand seal, blocking out the invading yin energy.
Yao Zhimei had scouted once before and quickly led them into the sandy terrain thick with white ghost claw flowers.
“This is it. From here, we can enter the Palm Bone Seal Array!” Yao Zhimei’s voice was filled with excitement.
The Golden Ghost King swallowed nervously and glanced at her.
Before them lay a cluster of weathered, nearly eroded stones standing in the sand. Yao Zhimei pointed to a slightly reddened stone.
Qu Yiqiu approached, turning to her, “This is the one that needs living blood?”
Yao Zhimei nodded. “Exactly.”
Qu Yiqiu sliced her left hand and pressed her palm onto the peeling stone surface.
Yao Zhimei grabbed her robe’s hem with one hand and clamped the Golden Ghost King under her elbow with the other.
“What are you doing!” The Golden Ghost King was caught off guard, his face flushed purple.
As he spoke, the stone skin fell away, revealing a blood-red palm print that merged into the stone.
A sudden glow of blood light surged, and the three were violently pulled into the Palm Bone Seal Array.
Inside, they felt as weak as crawling ants, their spiritual energy shackled by an inexplicable law.
“The ancient Palm Bone Seal Array truly is extraordinary,” Qu Yiqiu said. As a human cultivator, the array’s restraint on her was much milder.
The Golden Ghost King and Yao Zhimei struggled more, walking slower than ordinary mortals, relying entirely on Qu Yiqiu’s support.
“Master, what is our purpose here?” The Golden Ghost King’s limbs tingled, overwhelmed by anxiety and fear.
Qu Yiqiu opened the snow-sheepskin map, pointing her finger at the array’s core. “We are heading here.”
“Your Majesty, no need to explain so much to him; his usefulness is minimal,” Yao Zhimei said bluntly.
The Golden Ghost King’s face immediately turned a deep shade of purple.
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After confirming the path, Qu Yiqiu folded the map, nodded, and continued forward at a steady pace.
…
Wu Xinzhi wiped the sweat from her brow, licked her lips, and laughed, “No wonder it’s a third-rank Nether Soul Beast—just this much blood already carries a trace of soul power!”
“Hahaha, once our Miss refines this Nether Soul Beast, her divine sense will surely increase by two points!” the pale elder chuckled, stroking his beard.
The other five laughed along, congratulating her.
Wu Xinzhi smiled and said, “Let’s go; it’s time to enter the Yellow Spring Pool!”
…
Inside the ancient Palm Bone Seal Array, even with the map in hand, the three circled several times before discovering a half-human cave entrance within a stone crevice.
“Your Majesty, those punished ghost cultivators are hiding inside!” Yao Zhimei’s excitement was unmistakable.
The Golden Ghost King glanced inside and felt his scalp tingle, overwhelmed by the eerie atmosphere.
“Master, do we really have to go down there?”
Without hesitation, Qu Yiqiu answered, “Yes, we must descend.”
The Golden Ghost King withdrew his gaze and gripped Qu Yiqiu’s robe tighter.
Yao Zhimei noticed his subtle gesture, raised an eyebrow, and smiled, “Your Majesty, I’ll scout ahead first!”
She prepared to leap in.
A translucent white jade hand stopped her.
“No need. We go down together,” Qu Yiqiu said solemnly.
The Palm Bone Seal Array is especially hostile to ghost cultivators; it’s too risky for Yao Zhimei to go alone.
She couldn’t afford to lose a key ally before the battle even began.
Taking advantage of the moment, Yao Zhimei stuck out her tongue at the Golden Ghost King and nodded, “Agreed!”
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