NOVEL NEXT Chapter 51: Secret Ground
"Feeling uncomfortable?" Xiao Fuxuan’s voice abruptly sounded.
Wu Xingxue was taken aback, thinking to himself, I haven’t even said anything.
Xiao Fuxuan added: "I can feel it."
Wu Xingxue: “…"
He could also feel this?
He could also feel this? Xiao Fuxuan let out an "Mm," his low voice wrapped around his heart. It always brought about a slight vibration, making his heart ever so ticklish.
The Devil Lord at last felt that this internal energy thing was a little outrageous. But he’d already taken the initiative to tell Xiao Fuxuan not to leave, so if he backed out now, he’d appear indecisive, unreasonable even.
Even though he had said that "devils are never reasonable" before, he couldn’t remember it at all now. Perhaps after being subjected to word after word from the Tianxiu Immortal, his memory had succumbed to the vibration.
It was now that his spirit seemed to split in two.
Half tried to maintain a composed, unperturbed state, saying: It’s just that you’re unused to this sort of voice transmission, it’s not at "having to back out” levels yet.
The other half, however, said: It hasn’t reached "having to back out" levels yet? You’re the one who’s a little outrageous.
The Devil Lord was silent for a moment, feeling like these two halves were even chattier than Ning Huaishan. So incredibly annoying, best to just do a clean sweep.
Before he could have a moment of peace, he suddenly realized… Before, whenever he had random thoughts, the Tianxiu Immortal could hear them, and even reply to him.
During his current period mulling over "to back out or not," however, Tianxiu hadn’t uttered a word.
Wu Xingxue: “…"
"Xiao Fuxuan," said Wu Xingxue.
With a stir of internal energy, the Tianxiu Immortal said "Mm."
Wu Xingxue: "Those senseless little thoughts of mine just now, did you hear them?"
Tianxiu said: "No."
Wu Xingxue: “…"
Was this what they liked to call a case of selective deafness?
The Devil Lord stared at the person beside him.
Due to his staring awhile, Xiao Fuxuan shifted his gaze to glance at him: "What?"
The Devil Lord: "…"
After a long while, he let out a "Nothing."
He just kept thinking… Were those people in Immortal Capital back then who said Xiao Fuxuan was unschooled in human emotion blind?
The disciples on guard at the Feng Sect lifted their lanterns up quickly. First, they bowed in obeisance to Feng Huiming: "Elder."
Then they said to Feng Shulan: "Miss…"
Although there was a distinction in their order and it appeared that Feng Huiming had a higher status in the sect, these disciples had ultimately all grown up in the disciple hall, and while they revered Feng Huiming, they behaved somewhat more sheepishly around Feng Shulan.
One glance was enough to see that they were a little closer to the latter.
"Elder, this is?" The disciples on guard lifted their lanterns up in a line to illuminate the three guests. Because it was deep at night when the dew was heavy and the fog dense, they couldn’t make out their faces at first glance. All they could tell was that they were strangers.
Feng Sect often took in guests, but visits in the middle of the night were truly rare—only when it was an urgent matter of saving someone’s life, or a dangerous matter of someone with ill intent.
The three before them were obviously not the latter; after all, Feng Huiming and Feng Shulan had brought them back together. But they didn’t appear to be the former either, because their faces were not ashen…
In comparison, it was actually Feng Huiming and Feng Shulan’s faces that grew ever more unsightly.
"Elder." Given these complexions, the guard disciples didn’t want to make them even more stressed, but they had rules, and were forced to brace themselves to say in salutation: "You know the Sect Leader’s rules. The time between 11pm and 7am is reserved for intra-sect self-inspection and cultivation, and we cannot welcome guests. Right now it’s only 3 in the morning, and if we’re really to welcome guests, we’d have to inform the Sect Leader. But…"
Let alone these guard disciples, perhaps even Feng Huiming didn’t want to disturb the Sect Leader at this time of the day.
The guard disciples were in a troublesome situation.
Upon hearing that they’d have to inform the family head, Feng Huiming’s expression got even worse
Upon hearing that they’d have to inform the family head, Feng Huiming’s expression got even worse—Before, that young master had appeared soundlessly in the Hundred Treasures Library after 11pm, a so-called "no guests allowed” time period, and hadn’t he still welcomed him?!
With hands behind his back, he said expressionlessly to the guard disciples: "The matter of the disciple hall receiving talismans from before, did you hear about it?"
A guard disciple said sheepishly: "We heard a thing or two."
Feng Huiming’s face remained calm: "You heard about it and are still blocking the way here?"
The guard disciples exchanged glances: "We’ve been patrolling all over the place and didn’t hear about it very clearly. We only know the part about our martial siblings running into danger, and Miss and Elder took people to go save them…"
They swept a glance over, seeing some twenty disciples following behind Feng Huiming and Feng Shulan with all safe and sound; they ought to have all been rescued.
No, they must have all been rescued.
For better or for worse, they were one of the largest cultivation sects in the world; their reputation not even to be outdone by Hua Sect. Feng Huiming and Feng Shulan were also the leading lights of their generation; with both of them going out together, their success was a sure thing.
The guard disciple in the lead was afraid of offending Feng Huiming, and picked out some pleasant-sounding flattery: "Everybody has been brought back safe and sound. Sure enough, when our Elder and Miss set out, what danger is there to speak of—"
As he flattered, he waved a hand behind his back indicating that the disciples behind him hurry to go summon the Sect Leader in advance.
Hence, the only fruit his boot-licking yielded was the boot-lickee’s face getting even darker.
Not only this, but even those disciples who’d escaped danger wore taut faces. Each tilted their heads and facepalmed, and even took advantage of Feng Huiming and Feng Shulan not looking at them to frantically shoot them looks.
The guard disciple was utterly bewildered, striving to make out one of his martial brother’s mouthed words.
After a moment, he figured it out…
That person said: "Rescued" my ass.
The guard disciple: ?
That disciple gestured with his mouth toward the three guests and wordlessly mouthed: The danger’s been brought to the sect, otherwise, how would the elder’s face be pulled so long, are you stupid?
The guard disciple took a quick sec to respond, then abruptly looked at those three guests.
"I’m finding that this sect of yours is rather difficult to enter," said Wu Xingxue to Feng Huiming, finally unable to stand aside.
His tone wasn’t at all sullen. Rather, at first glance, it was measured, graceful, and elegant. But Feng Huiming had experienced his might and his temper, and promptly ground his teeth.
"The young disciples are accustomed to abiding by the rules, unlearned in pragmatics. Immortal…" Feng Huiming didn’t know Wu Xingxue’s origin, but the mighty pressure he’d borne before was full of immortal energy, hardly different from that of Tianxiu Xiao Fuxuan. Based on this, he picked out a lofty appellation to say: "Immortal, please pardon us."
As a result, after he spoke, he discovered that this appellation was not at all well-founded.
Because Wu Xingxue was momentarily stunned, then chuckled. Before his smile disappeared, however, his expression had already dimmed down.
Feng Huiming’s head ached.
He got a burst of the jitters inside, and lifted a sleeve to the guard disciple.
The Feng Sect’s ardent sword wind burst out a head-on sweep. Dozens of people were shoved several meters back by the sword wind, and knocked firmly against the stone wind barrier.
"Elder Huiming!" Feng Shulan shrieked out.
"Shulan, don’t get in the way! I know what I’m doing!" Feng Huiming bellowed amidst the swift whirl of sword wind. He then drew his sword and chopped—
Wu Xingxue felt as if all the fog in the entire city congregated here, and all the Feng Sect disciples, including Feng Shulan, were submerged in the fog, no trace of their voices to be heard.
But in the direction Feng Huiming’s longsword chopped, a hundred lanterns appeared from out of thin air, lighting a path through the fog.
Feng Huiming said: "This is my Feng Sect’s secret ground. Other people, including Shulan, have never been here. It’s a place the Sect Leader showed me when telling me about the divine arbor. Inside, there remain some immortal relics from back when the divine arbor was sealed away."
Wu Xingxue narrowed his eyes to look over. Beneath the fog, all the Feng Sect’s vast pavilions disappeared. Only that tall tower stood hazily in the fog.
One could only make out a faint outline of the tier upon tier of its flying eaves. At first glance, it actually bore the shadow of the towering tree.
When he looked at that high tower, that slight sense of unease escalated into a mountain-high tsunami… headed for Wu Xingxue.
Feng Huiming still wanted to say more, but suddenly shivered.
It felt like the entire Feng Sect’s—no, the entire city’s—temperature had plummeted sharply.
He heard a crackling sound from underfoot. Upon lowering his head to look, he saw that the ground had gained a layer of frost in just the blink of an eye. The chill air swaddled him up from the soles of his feet; wave after wave of cold rose startlingly up, that even the blood in his veins seemed about to congeal.
Feng Huiming was shocked. When he again raised his head, he discovered that no one was at his side.
And far away, beneath the tower, a lanky figure had silently appeared.
It was Wu Xingxue…
Immediately after, Tianxiu swept out a cold glance.
The next moment, the area beneath the tower gained another person.
Only Feng Huiming and Ning Huaishan were left on the secret ground, gaping at one another.
Ning Huaishan rubbed his arms and stamped his feet, saying: "Fuck, I’m cold as hell. Ksss—Hey, Feng guy, last time my city lord looked like this, can ya guess what happened?"
Feng Huiming: "???"
He did not want to guess.
His gaze fell on those two distant figures, but inside, he was rapidly plotting.
Of course, he wouldn’t really rashly take a few strangers to see his sect’s secrets, even if the strangers had an inconceivably deep history, or were ascended immortals of Immortal Capital.
The reason he’d been so direct was because of this secret ground.
A long, long time ago, when the Sect Leader had taken him here, he’d said: "This secret ground still bears remnants of the divine arbor; going inside takes a toll on even my strength, and unrelated people are far less equipped to charge casually in."
At the time, he’d asked: "What would happen if they charged in?"
The Sect Leader responded, "Then they would die without a corpse to bury."
He’d seen for himself how people charging in would "die without a corpse to bury"; even if they were immortals, they couldn’t withstand it.
He’d originally planned to arrange a few little traps here to lead these three guests to make a rash move or make a little mistake. That way, he wouldn’t need to waste energy, just dispose of the nuisances nice and clean.
Who knew that progress on this matter would be even more smooth and efficient than he’d forecasted. He didn’t even have to lay any traps, those two had rushed right in.
And the one left at his side was no more than a simple minion.
Feng Huiming maintained a bewildered expression, all while hoping to lead Ning Huaishan to the tower.
But just as he was about to open his mouth, he came to a sudden halt.
Because, those two were even more arrogant than he’d imagined, relying on their status as immortals to throw caution to the wind. He watched as that young master who’d interrogated him twice raised a hand, and touched the black gate of the tower.
Got ’em.
Feng Huiming subconsciously shut his eyes.
A massive bolt of lightning flashed over the tower, its deathly white electric light flooding the dark sky. Then, an ear-splitting clap of thunder rang out!
Comparable to a heavenly tribulation, the lightning struck down, about to hit those two people before his eyes…
Feng Huiming waited a moment, but neither screaming nor a tremendous boom came. Puzzled, he stealthily opened his eyes a crack.
At which point he was rendered dumbstruck by the wholly unforgettable scene before him.
That massive lightning bolt halted right before hitting those two people. After a beat, it actually returned its way back up.
Feng Huiming: "???"
Then, he heard a sudden loud noise.
That secret ground no unrelated people could trespass actually opened its gates to those two people.
Feng Huiming: "???"