Chapter 150: This Is Miss Luo

"Young Hero Chu, you're truly volatile. It's impossible to figure out what you're really like," Monk Pushan remarked.

He let out a heartfelt sigh after witnessing Chu Liang kill the Southern-Route Guider in one strike.

It was unsurprising to Pushan that the Southern-Route Guider cursed Chu Liang right until his last breath. Chu Liang had displayed such inconsistent levels of power that it was hard to ascertain just how strong he truly was.

Pushan thought,

He's either super powerful or weak; there's no in-between. Chu Liang's essentially Mount Shu's representative swindler. It's a good thing he's my companion; it would be a huge headache to have an enemy like him.

In response to Pushan's remark, Chu Liang merely let out a laugh, "

Hehe.

"

After the Southern-Route Guider died, his body reverted to its corporeal form and fell to the ground, waiting to be returned to the earth just like everything else that died.

With the Guider's death, Luo Yao was finally released from the effects of the Soul-Piercing Nail.

She staggered briefly before standing upright again and saying to Chu Liang, "Thank you."

However, Chu Liang's attention had left Luo Yao, and he was staring fixedly at the Guider instead.

First, Chu Liang used the Dustless Sword to ruthlessly stab the fatal points of the Guider's body, such as the heart, throat, and head. Then he stabbed the Guider's lower body several times as well...

Chu Liang observed the Guider for quite a while. Once he confirmed that the Guider was indeed dead, he searched the Guider’s corpse.

Seeing Chu Liang do all that, Luo Yao and Monk Pushan couldn't help but shake their heads in disbelief.

Chu Liang smiled sheepishly. "These disciples of the Dark King Sect are extremely cunning. It's always best to err on the side of caution."

After searching the corpse, all Chu Liang found was a wooden figurine that had a spiritual nature. It could be considered a valuable item.

When Chu Liang pulled out the figurine, he saw that it had been carved in the likeness of the sinister-looking Ghost-Faced King dressed in the black dragon robe of an imperial emperor. It seemed to carry an air of malevolence.

Chu Liang used his divine sense to examine the figurine and concluded that it should be a storage enchanted tool.

No wonder...

Instead of opening the storage enchanted tool immediately, Chu Liang stood up and said, "Let's leave here first. This place is a bit creepy. I keep feeling kind of uneasy."

"Me too," Monk Pushan agreed. "We can't get through this enchanted formation anyway, so there's no way for us to explore the area and search for hidden treasure. It'd be best if leave now and return later with people who can dispel the formation."

"I already used the tracking jade talisman to call for my sect's elders earlier. I don't know why they still haven't arrived," Luo Yao said.

"Same here." Chu Liang nodded. "I think it's because there's no way to fly straight here; it can only be accessed through the Valley of Bewildering Fog. So, it will probably take them some time to get here. There's no need to feel anxious about that. Let's just descend the mountain and wait there."

"All right," the other two people agreed.

Yet, just as the three of them were about to turn and descend the mountain, they were struck with a sudden wave of dizziness. Two thuds rang out as Luo Yao and Monk Pushan fell to the ground in succession.

"What's going on?" Chu Liang muttered, feeling extremely dizzy.

However, just as Chu Liang was about to lose consciousness, the Mountainous Suppressing Stone Stele in his embrace let out a humming noise and neutralized the hold that the seemingly undefiable force had over him.

"

Ah...

"

Chu Liang shook his head with much difficulty, and when he looked up again, he saw the palace up ahead, glowing with the radiance of countless rays of light. It was dazzling and extremely enticing, so much so that anyone who saw it would want to approach it.

Two apparitions glowing with multi-colored light floated out from Luo Yao and Monk Pushan and slowly walked toward that palace. This time, the large enchanted formation on the square did not stop them from going in.

"What's going on..." Chu Liang murmured in alarm.

Are their souls being lured away?

"Don't go!" he yelled hurriedly, trying to wake Luo Yao and Pushan up.

Nonetheless, it was pointless.

Chu Liang staggered and swayed as he tried to chase them, but moving was currently a very difficult feat for him.

At this moment, a clear and sonorous voice rang out beside him, "It's useless."

"

Eh?

"

Chu Liang turned his head and saw a man standing nearby. The man was dressed in scholarly robes and had a complexion that was as smooth as jade. Chu Liang had no idea when this man had appeared.

"Whoever stays in this Realm of Eternal Youth even for a short while will fall under the influence of the Immortals' Dreams, and their souls will be pulled into the dreams. Once your companions' souls reach that palace, they will never be able to wake up again. If it wasn't for the amazing treasure you're holding, you would have faced the same fate. Your desire to save them is just wishful thinking," the handsome scholar said casually.

Chu Liang watched on as Luo Yao's and Pushan 's souls reached the square. They were moving closer and closer toward the palace, and Chu Liang couldn't help feeling anxious.

"Sir, may I ask who you are?" Chu Liang asked the scholar. "And is there a way to save my friends?"

"I could save them..." the scholar answered with a small smile, "but you'll have to help me with something."

"Sure," Chu Liang agreed without the slightest hesitation.

"Oh?" The scholar was a little suspicious of Chu Liang. "You're not even going to ask what I want you to help with?"

"There's no time for questions. We need to save them urgently," Chu Liang replied. "Didn't you say that they would no longer be able to wake up once they reached that palace?"

The scholar's eyes lit up in approval. "

Haha,

you are indeed a righteous person."

He then gently raised his hand and pointed his finger at the two apparitions. Luo Yao's and Pushan's souls suddenly froze in place.

Seeing that, Chu Liang finally felt at ease and told the scholar, "Thank you. What do you need my help with? Just tell me. However, my cultivation level isn't high, so I might not be able to do it if it's a very difficult task."

"It's just a small task," the scholar replied. "First, you must not tell anyone that you met me here. You mustn't disclose anything about me to anyone. Secondly, I want you to deliver a letter for me."

Chu Liang nodded. "No problem."

It was indeed just a small task.

"The task is not difficult. As for whether you will truly keep your word and not breathe a word about me, that depends on your true intentions," the scholar said with a smile. "I saw you slay members of the diabolical sect. That's why I was willing to help you as well as ask for your help."

Chu Liang replied, "We're all disciples of the righteous path. It's our duty to slay monsters and obliterate devils."

"Good." The scholar nodded. Then he handed him a jade slip. "Help me deliver this letter to the Ji Family. Give it to the thirteenth young lady of the household, Miss Ji Lianhua. No one else can read the letter except her."

Chu Liang took the jade slip and vowed earnestly, "I won't let you down."

"I can hold off the Immortals' Dreams for half an hour at most. After half an hour, they will continue to come for you. You must leave the Realm of Eternal Youth before that. Otherwise, you'll end up staying here as my companion," the scholar warned.

Then he waved his sleeve.

Boom.

A dazzling light flashed before Chu Liang'ds eyes, forcing them shut.

Chu Liang felt like he was waking up from a dream. When he opened his eyes again, Monk Pushan and Luo Yao were standing in front of him like before, as if nothing had changed. The only thing different was that they had just opened their eyes as well.

"What's going on?" Monk Pushan muttered. "It feels like I was stuck in a haze for a bit."

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Luo Yao nodded in agreement.

Chu Liang didn't say a word. He put his hand to his chest and found the jade slip, which confirmed that everything that had occurred earlier had been real.

Chu Liang said hurriedly, "This place is weird. Let's hurry up and get out of here."

He turned around and flew off first, heading down the mountain toward the edge of the hidden realm.

Luo Yao and Monk Pushan didn't know why Chu Liang was in such a hurry. Nevertheless, they felt it wasn't a good idea to stay here for long, so they flew after him.

While flying down the mountain, Chu Liang thought about that scholar he'd met earlier. The scholar seemed to be a fellow cultivator who had gotten trapped in this hidden realm, but his higher cultivation level was than Chu Liang's.

Could it be... that he's the seventh-realm soul that the Southern-Route Guider was looking for?

Chu Liang didn't know if that was the case, but the one thing he was certain of was that the scholar was in a terrible predicament.

The scholar couldn't leave, but as a seventh-realm Eminent One, he should have numerous ways to force Chu Liang to comply with his request of secrecy. Yet, he had left it up to Chu Liang, hoping that Chu Liang was truly as righteous as he seemed.

That was too courteous of him.

Nevertheless, the lack of enforced restrictions didn't mean that Chu Liang wouldn't comply with the scholar's request. The scholar had shown kindness to Chu Liang, so Chu Liang would definitely pay back the favor.

The only problem was that he couldn't tell Luo Yao and Monk Pushan about what had happened, so they would never know that he had saved their lives.

What a pity.

...

When Chu Liang and his companions arrived at the edge of the hidden realm, they were confronted with another problem. They couldn't make an opening to get out of the hidden realm.

The sixth-realm Southern-Route Guider had spent a lot of time and effort just to barely open a crack in the barrier earlier. However, that crack had since closed up; the door between the realms had vanished once more.

Chu Liang was a little anxious." What should we do?"

Luo Yao, on the other hand, was rather calm. "It seems that all we can do is wait for our elders to come and rescue us."

Chu Liang looked through the transparent barrier surrounding the hidden realm and saw the Deep Pool of Dreams filled with seemingly endless clouds of dense fog.

He was feeling really anxious. That scholar had said he could only hold the Immortals' Dreams off for half an hour.

If neither my teacher nor the elders of the Valley of the Three Absolutes get here within half an hour, what are we going to do?

Just as Chu Liang was thinking that... he saw a flash of fire-red glow outside the barrier. Relief washed over him.

The fire-red glow grew closer and closer at an astonishingly fast speed, accompanied by a high-pitched whistling like the cry of a phoenix! Upon reaching the barrier, that fire-red glow was revealed to be a fist covered in flames!

Boom!

The whole hidden realm shook!

This time, the barrier wasn't ripped open slowly like the Southern-Route Guider had done. Instead, someone blasted it open with a bang, shattering a large section of it into pieces!

Di Nufeng, with a pair of blazing wings spread out behind her, appeared high above them like a deity.

"Esteemed Teacher!" Chu Liang called out as he stepped forward. "Thank goodness you're here. We were worried that we wouldn't be able to get out of the hidden realm."

Chu Liang then noticed that Luo Yao and Monk Pushan were a little nervous to see Di Nufeng.

With a smile, Chu Liang said, "You needn't be afraid. My esteemed teacher is a very warmhearted and friendly person."

"

Ha!

I would have gotten here way earlier, but I ran into some old guys from the Valley of the Three Absolutes outside!" the Di Nufeng grumbled, her face flush with anger. "I got into a fight with them and taught them a lesson before making my way here! If it wasn't for that, I would have gotten here long ago! If something were to have happened to you because of that, I'd never let them off!"

Upon hearing that, the faces of the three younger ones seemed to freeze. "..."

Then Di Nufeng noticed the two people standing behind Chu Liang.

They didn't seem like bad people to her, so Di Nufeng asked warmly, "Oh, my. Did you make some new friends?"

"Yes," Chu Liang answered with a nod. He introduced them, "These two have accompanied me throughout this mission. We were rather fated to be companions. This is Monk Pushan from the Buddhist Cloud Monastery.

"And this is... Miss Luo."