Chapter 838: I Know A Secret

Lingxiao Hall held a special meaning in the myths and legends of Earth. It symbolized the power and authority of Heaven. When the Monkey King stormed Heaven, he famously declared that he would shatter Lingxiao and overthrow Heaven itself.

Li Xiaofei curiously studied his surroundings. Compared to the battered exterior, the interior of Lingxiao Hall was remarkably well-preserved. The steps were made from white jade, and yellow jade adorned the walls. The dazzling brilliance of gold and silver was flawlessly combined. Inside the hall, coiling dragon pillars, phoenix-wing murals, and black tortoise stone slabs stood as works of art, blending resplendence with an austere beauty. A divine atmosphere naturally flowed through the space.

At the very front, atop the nine-tiered platform, sat the Jade Emperor’s throne. Milky white mist swirled around it, and the laws of the Dao permeated the air.

"When I returned to Heaven," Little Aunt said, her gaze slowly sweeping across every corner of Lingxiao Hall, "I was confined to the Peach Garden because of my eye condition and unable to personally search various places for clues. But from the signs that City Leader Tan brought back, I concluded that Heaven's fall involved betrayal. Several key suspects had disappeared without a trace. However, one thing was certain, Queen Mother and others perished in the battle at Southern Heavenly Gate. I was overwhelmed with grief..."

Little Aunt inspected the interior of Lingxiao Hall very carefully. Back then, the information City Leader Tan had brought back suggested that the most clues were hidden within Lingxiao Hall itself. Now that her eyesight had been restored and she stood here in person, she wanted to confirm certain details.

At that moment, Li Xiaofei suddenly asked, "Where’s Old Tan? He still hasn’t shown up after all the commotion at the Peach Garden. Could he be in danger?"

Little Aunt replied, "City Leader Tan possesses the ability to travel through space. There’s no place in Heaven that can trap him. Even if he encounters Ruos, he can easily evade them, so there’s no need to worry too much."

Tan Qingying added, "Every time he went on patrol around Heaven before, whether it took half a month or a full month, he always returned safely. It should be the same this time."

Although they said not to worry, a faint trace of concern still flickered deep within the young lady’s beautiful eyes. Li Xiaofei gently reached out and held her hand. Their eyes met. They found comfort and encouragement in each other’s gaze.

It was Li Xiaofei’s first time inside Lingxiao Hall, so he could not discern much. He simply looked around, marveling inwardly that even a random piece of the floor or a broken piece of railing in such a sacred place could be taken out and treasured as a priceless artifact.

The Black Emperor was even sneakier, pressing its nose to the ground, sniffing and licking everywhere, desperately trying to sniff out a hidden opportunity.

Li Xiaofei believed that if Little Aunt were not present, the man and dog duo would probably have torn down Lingxiao Hall and carried it away.

But Li Xiaofei did notice signs of an ancient battle. The marks were so old that they looked as if they had been there for at least several centuries. Most likely, they dated back to the great battle when Heaven was first overrun.

What surprised Li Xiaofei more was that the two sets of bloody footprints they had seen outside the hall had completely disappeared inside, as if those individuals had never entered. Something felt wrong to him. Judging by the direction of the footprints, the two people should have entered Lingxiao Hall.

In fact, the heavy doors might have been closed from the inside by them. After such a devastating battle, whether victorious or defeated, no one would have bothered to close the hall doors from the outside.

But now, where were those two people?

As Li Xiaofei was deep in thought, a sudden change erupted.

Buzz!

The sound of vibrating light patterns filled the air. A single silver-white light prison appeared, instantly trapping Little Aunt as she searched for clues.

“Hahahaha!” A loud, triumphant laugh echoed from atop the nine-tiered platform.

The voice was unmistakably familiar to Li Xiaofei.

It’s Song Yu!

Sure enough, when he looked up, he saw Song Yu sitting on the Jade Emperor’s throne, her face alight with excitement and arrogance, gripping the throne’s arms with both hands. Standing beside her was Lin Yi, her face equally filled with exhilaration.

"Truly unexpected. You search high and low only to find it effortlessly," Song Yu laughed loudly.

The moment Li Xiaofei saw the two of them, he immediately understood, the bloody footprints he had seen earlier belonged to them. But he hadn’t anticipated that they would somehow master the formation techniques hidden within Lingxiao Hall, allowing them to trap Little Aunt within a light prison.

Still, Li Xiaofei reacted just as quickly. A spear shot forth like lightning, stabbing straight at Song Yu. He had no intention of wasting time on meaningless chatter. Many people, when faced with sudden changes, would hesitate. That was a terrible mistake. It would not only give the enemy time to posture but also allow them to prepare more thoroughly.

Thus, when someone caught you off guard, the best response was to catch them off guard in return, immediately resetting both sides back to the same starting point. Unfortunately, this time, Li Xiaofei’s efforts hit a wall.

Ding.

A light sound rang out. Halfway up the nine-tiered platform, a faint golden, transparent wall materialized, blocking Li Xiaofei’s strike. The golden wall remained completely unharmed. It was obviously part of Lingxiao Hall’s internal formations and beyond Li Xiaofei’s current strength to break through.

"Give it up, Li Xiaofei," Song Yu said calmly. "Even a True Immortal couldn't break through the defense of the Nine Dragons Absolute Barrier."

Li Xiaofei landed beside the light prison and asked, "How did you gain control over the formations inside Lingxiao Hall?"

A mocking expression appeared openly on Song Yu’s face as she replied, "You know I hail from Eden, yet you still ask such a childish question? Did you really think Eden was only plotting against Chongque City? Hahaha, you’ve underestimated us far too much. We laid plans against Heaven long ago. I just happened to be lucky enough to follow you into Lingxiao Hall. Hahaha, everything here is far from unfamiliar to me."

Li Xiaofei stared at her and asked, "So, you trapped us, but what’s your plan? When the next dark cycle comes, the Ruo swarms will attack this place in droves. When that happens, you two will be trapped in this hall forever as well. Not to mention there's still the even more terrifying Mother of All Beasts."

The mocking expression on Song Yu’s face grew even stronger. She clapped her hands lightly as the sound of footsteps echoed from all sides of the hall.

This strange, rhythmic footfall was something Li Xiaofei knew all too well. When he looked over in shock, hundreds of black Ruos slowly emerged from the shadows behind the soaring pillars to surround them.

Each Ruo stood nearly two meters tall, their exoskeletons a dark crimson-black hue. All of them wielded long swords in their four hands, and one glance was enough to tell they were not ordinary Ruos, they were elite warriors, the finest among the Ruos.

"You... you actually colluded with the Reapers?" Li Xiaofei shouted, both furious and stunned.

Even though Eden was known as a rebel organization among humans, they were still human. How could they be so foolish as to conspire with a mortal enemy?

Song Yu replied calmly, "It's simply a matter of mutual benefit. There are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests."

Li Xiaofei fell silent for a moment, then raised his head and said, "Your life and death are but a thought away for me. I advise you to turn back before it’s too late."

Song Yu burst into laughter, saying, "Empty threats! You’re already a bird trapped in a cage, a fish on the chopping block, and you still dare to utter such nonsense?"

Li Xiaofei said evenly, "I know a secret."

Song Yu sneered, "What secret?"

"If I tell you this secret," Li Xiaofei said, his voice calm, "you might very well die on the spot."