Reborn As The Short-Lived White Moonlight of the Tragic, Powerful Male Lead - Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Hardened, My Fists Are Hardened

If it were ordinary illusion magic, it would be impossible to hide from Venerable Cangxing. However, the illusions provided by the Merman’s Tear, once cultivated to the fifth level, allow even a Golden Core like Xie Lanting to hide slightly from a Soul Transformation stage master.

As long as Venerable Cangxing wasn’t bored enough to specifically scan a little fox with his divine sense, it would be fine.

Xie Lanting had transformed into a fox and was perched on Gu Yunqi’s shoulder. When Tong-er had asked how he would follow along, this was his answer.

Speaking of which, Shudao was also among the top ten in the Great Ascension stage. This little junior brother of his really did have some skill in cultivation. However, Xie Lanting was more focused on another person.

It was a rogue cultivator in the Nascent Soul stage named Huigu. When Xie Lanting first heard the name by the Nascent Soul arena, he was stunned. Only after seeing the person did he confirm: it was indeed Huigu, the man who held a grudge against him.

Back then, after Xie Lanting was injured, he stayed in the Sword Sect for a long time without leaving the mountain, precisely to avoid people taking his life while he was down. In the Sword Sect, at least Shudao was happy to watch him suffer while alive, and ordinary small-fries couldn’t break in.

Xie Lanting generally didn’t have many grudges with the great sects; most people who hated him were obscure figures, like Huigu. Huigu was a man who bullied the weak and feared the strong, with a cruel nature. Rogue cultivators usually kept a low profile when they lacked strength, but since he couldn’t afford to offend high-ranking clans, he took pleasure in oppressing ordinary people. Xie Lanting had encountered him while leading a group of disciples back to the sect.

Huigu had blinded an innocent child; Xie Lanting took an eye for an eye and blinded one of his.

In the original novel, Huigu eventually became powerful. When he appeared to cause trouble for Gu Yunqi, his reason was: “Who told you to be Xie Lanting’s Dao partner?” Since Xie Lanting was already dead, he sought revenge for his eye on Gu Yunqi. Later, because he insulted Xie Lanting too viciously in front of Gu Yunqi, his limbs were shattered, and he was thrown into a pit of insects to be devoured—a miserable death.

Gu Yunqi usually killed people cleanly; few were tortured, and Huigu had the “honor” of being one of them. Readers at the time all commented: Another bit of sugar from the protagonist and his White Moonlight.

As Huigu stood below the Nascent Soul arena, his remaining eye swept over Xie Lanting gloomily for a long time before moving away. Xie Lanting had no doubt that if he weren’t a guest of the Demon Race with experts nearby, Huigu would surely find a way to kill him.

Xie Lanting wagged his fluffy, bushy tail, choosing not to tell Gu Yunqi about Huigu for now. Gu Yunqi already had the task of finding the fierce beast in the trial grounds; there was no need to distract him. There would be plenty of opportunities to deal with Huigu. Of course, if the mission went smoothly and there was spare time, they could deal with him along the way.

As for Shudao, his cultivation was right there. The Great Ascension expert from the Xuanji Pavilion hadn’t even beaten him in the arena. If they wanted to cause him trouble, the trial grounds likely wouldn’t offer a chance.

The people of Mt. Cangxing finally, sluggishly, opened the trial grounds. After the failed speech during the day, Venerable Cangxing had no interest in further talking. The elders gave instructions and handed everyone a wooden plaque.

“Those who cannot hold on can crush the wooden plaque to exit early.”

With that, they let everyone in.

Entering the trial grounds, a gale immediately swept toward them. Everyone used spiritual energy to resist. Gu Yunqi took Xie Lanting off his shoulder and held him in his arms. The trial grounds were filled with withered rocks and yellow sand—a barren landscape. The constant gale meant one had to use spiritual energy continuously; otherwise, the wind on the skin would feel like a knife’s cut.

The Xuanji Pavilion members wore cloaks. Xie Lanting burrowed into Gu Yunqi’s embrace, poking his fluffy head out from the cloak. The female disciples nearby felt their hearts melting from the cuteness.

Since this wasn’t a secret realm treasure hunt, there was no need to worry about being backstabbed. People began to pair up, preparing to tackle the formations together.

There were seven major formations in total. Xie Lanting heard someone ask Shudao which one he planned to enter first.

Shudao smiled. “Naturally, I’ll visit the Sword Formation first.” He intended to stay on good terms with the Xuanji Pavilion and, since they were standing nearby, he addressed them: “The Xuanji Pavilion deals in intelligence; I imagine you’ll want to see every formation, yes?”

Unfortunately, the Xuanji Pavilion members remained cold and silent. Ignored, Shudao wasn’t annoyed. He had expected as much; as a high-quality “green tea,” he had plenty of patience.

Everyone decided on their targets and left the entrance. The Great Ascension cultivator from the Xuanji Pavilion released his divine sense to search the area. The trial grounds weren’t overly large; a Great Ascension sense could cover it entirely. It was a circular valley, but the scan found nothing unusual.

Gu Yunqi said, “It seems we must enter the formations. We’ll explore all seven.” He looked down at the little fox in his arms. “Which formation would the Immortal Lord like to visit?”

Only after the others had moved far away did Xie Lanting dare to speak, his fox ears twitching. “If I have to choose, it’s the Sword Formation.” He loved the sword; anything sword-related and new piqued his curiosity.

Gu Yunqi smiled understandingly. “Mhm. Then we’ll handle the Sword Formation.”

He took charge of the Sword Formation while the others split the rest. Gu Yunqi walked with the fox for a while, his spiritual energy defense ensuring not a single hair on Xie Lanting’s body was ruffled. They arrived comfortably at the entrance.

A line was forming. In the cultivation world, sword users were the majority, so the Sword Formation was popular. Despite the long queue, it moved fast. Once a person pressed their handprint, a formation of corresponding difficulty would open based on their cultivation. After they entered with their companions, they would press again from the inside to close it, allowing the next person to open their own. Everyone trained separately without interference.

However, before the queue could finish, someone was already kicked out.

“No way! I just saw him go in, it hasn’t even been five minutes!” “Hahaha, how embarrassing!”

Kicked out in minutes, the man tumbled onto the ground. Because he hadn’t used spiritual energy to defend in time, the gale whipped his face, leaving red marks. He scrambled to defend himself and stood at the end of the line. “Again!” His mindset was at least decent.

Soon it was Gu Yunqi’s turn. As soon as he entered and sealed the entrance, six sword-lights attacked rapidly. It gave no room to breathe.

Xie Lanting leaped from his arms to his shoulder, becoming a fur collar again. Gu Yunqi drew his sword—not Cangyue, to hide his identity, but a high-grade immortal sword nonetheless.

“Derived from the Six-Pivot Sword Technique of Heaven and Earth,” Xie Lanting’s fox pupils brightened with interest. “Interesting.” “The power is a bit lacking… but suitable for the Nascent Soul stage.” Xie Lanting watched the sword-light, using the tip of his tail to tickle the corner of Gu Yunqi’s eye. “I’ve seen the key to breaking the formation. Well? Does the Senior need to tell you?”

Gu Yunqi wasn’t bothered by the sword formation, but he almost lost his focus from that little tail. After dodging a sword-light with a leap, his lips curled slightly.

“Since the Immortal Lord says so, I must break it myself. Otherwise, how could I face your guidance over these days?”

Xie Lanting was amused. He could imagine the spirited face behind the mask. He liked the energetic look of youth. “Go on then, show me what you’ve got.”

There were six levels to the formation. After a moment of study, Gu Yunqi acted, quickly breaking the first and second levels. Xie Lanting saw he had found the right direction and praised him generously. As Gu Yunqi broke the formation, Xie Lanting focused on observing the flow of spiritual energy.

To maintain such a large number of formations, natural spiritual energy wasn’t enough. The flow had to be channeled properly, meaning there must be a core—the location of the artifact that constructed the trial grounds. The runes maintaining the formation were dizzying, and with sword-light everywhere, judging the flow was difficult—especially with Gu Yunqi constantly moving. The little fox almost got dizzy.

It was too shaky; he clung to Gu Yunqi’s outer robe, wrapping himself tighter around his neck. Gu Yunqi’s neck felt warm. Thinking of the Immortal Lord’s body heat, the tips of his ears under the mask turned red.

“Wait, break it slower. Otherwise, we’ll be out before I figure it out, and we’ll have to queue again.”

Once inside, there were only two ways out: breaking the formation or being beaten out after failing. Xie Lanting only said this because he knew Gu Yunqi had completely mastered the points of this formation.

Gu Yunqi slowed down as requested. Xie Lanting narrowed his eyes, then raised a paw to point in a certain direction. “A strike here.”

Gu Yunqi struck without hesitation. “Here.”

After two strikes, Gu Yunqi understood what Xie Lanting was doing. Some runes were clearly decoys meant to hide the spiritual flow. Clearing the interference made it clearer. Gu Yunqi had been focused on breaking the formation and hadn’t had the capacity to observe, so he needed Xie Lanting’s direction. After twenty more strikes, Xie Lanting finally pinpointed the direction.

His paw traced a line in the air, perfectly matching the spiritual flow. He withdrew his paw satisfied and patted Gu Yunqi’s shoulder. “That’s it. Break the formation.”

Gu Yunqi raised his sword, breaking the final two levels in one breath, and was transported out safely.

He returned to the entrance to wait for the others. After about six hours, everyone had finished their exploration. This was a place for challenges; no one else was gathering at the entrance. The group surrounded them, drawing the spiritual flows of the seven formations on the ground.

The seven lines intersected at a single point. Gu Yunqi held the stick used for drawing at the center. “Let’s go look.”

They arrived at the intersection point—a vast stretch of yellow sand. There was still nothing. Since the artifact was here but invisible, it meant something was hidden underground. The Great Ascension expert knelt, placing his hand on the ground. After a serious probe, he said, “There is a defensive formation beneath the surface. It is incredibly sturdy. I cannot break it alone.”

Since there was space underground for an artifact, it might also hold other things—like the fierce beast that was nowhere to be found on Mt. Cangxing.

Gu Yunqi: “What strength is needed? How many people?” The Great Ascension expert: “At least twelve mid-stage Great Ascension experts working simultaneously.”

But the Xuanji Pavilion only had one Great Ascension expert in this realm.

While everyone frowned, the little fox said leisurely, “Great Ascension experts? Doesn’t this trial ground have them?”

Everyone was stunned.

“While only ten people here are at the Great Ascension stage, if I remember correctly, five are in the late stage. Plus so many Nascent Souls and Golden Cores—their combined power would surely equal twelve mid-stage Great Ascension experts.”

Chu Er asked sincerely: “True, but why would they help us?”

Xie Lanting chuckled. Perhaps because he was in fox form, the laugh sounded different—combined with his fluffy body, it made people’s ears and hearts tingle. If they didn’t know his true identity, they would have been tempted to pet him. But they didn’t dare!

Gu Yunqi was the first to catch Xie Lanting’s drift. After the laugh, he raised his hand and released the Water Spirit from his consciousness.

“Then we’ll just have to ask them to help us.”

Looking at the Water Spirit, everyone finally understood: this method of “asking” might be a bit hardcore.

…

Twelve hours after entering the trial grounds, the first rest period arrived. For half an hour, the seven formations would close, and the gale in the center would lessen. Everyone gathered there. After twelve hours, even those who kept failing were too embarrassed to crush their plaques; they were ready for another try.

The formations opened by the Great Ascension experts were the most powerful, but they didn’t look particularly haggard; some were even relaxed, with not a hair out of place. Shudao had entered the Sword Formation twice. The second formation had nine levels; he was beaten out after the sixth and planned to try again when it reopened.

While meditating, he suddenly opened his eyes. Not just him—the other Great Ascension experts also frowned.

“Something feels wrong.”

But their divine senses found nothing. Just then, Shudao felt a gust of wind strike his right cheek. He jerked his head to the left, thinking he had dodged it, but—slap! A red mark appeared on his left cheek. He had been hit dead-on. It was a feint!

Shudao clutched his face in disbelief. “What was that?!” Everyone became alert. This was something even the Great Ascension experts hadn’t detected!

Huigu gripped his saber hilt, his single eye darting around. He saw nothing, then a crisp slap sounded by his ear, knocking his head to the side. Huigu touched his stinging cheek and felt a bit of moisture. Moisture?

Before he could think, more people began to shout. Only a few were slapped; some were tickled in the armpits, others had their hairpins snatched—it seemed like harmless pranks, but in an unknown situation, everyone was panicked.

Shudao gritted his teeth. Why was he the one being slapped?!

Then, a figure finally appeared in the air. Everyone looked closely: “A Vexed Spirit?”

Vexed Spirits had wing-like ears and were low-level monsters. They loved pranks; the more angry their victims got, the happier they were. Their lethality was low, but their annoyance level was high. Of course, that was a normal Vexed Spirit. This one was the Water Spirit in disguise.

Since Gu Yunqi had reached the second level of the Water Manipulation Art, the spirit also had the power of the second level. Moreover, since it wasn’t a normal living being, it had neither spiritual fluctuations nor life aura. But the main reason the Great Ascension experts couldn’t catch it was Gu Yunqi.

It had two layers of illusion magic—one for transformation and one for concealment. When it felt a scan it couldn’t dodge, it would simply vanish back into Gu Yunqi’s consciousness. How were they supposed to find it there?

The Xuanji Pavilion members weren’t harassed, but they all acted as if they were, sharing the common indignation.

Shudao: “How could an ordinary Vexed Spirit hide right under our noses?” “Exactly! Something is wrong!”

Chen Zhushu touched his hair; his hair had only been ruffled. “It’s not so bad?” Someone said, “It really is just small pranks.”

As the words fell, the Vexed Spirit vanished again. Shudao’s cheek stung—slap! He took a second hit. Left and right, perfectly symmetrical.

Shudao was so angry he drew his sword and slashed the air. It was a powerful move with good technique, but—nothing happened. For a man who cared so much about face, being slapped—even lightly—made him burn with rage.

When the Vexed Spirit reappeared, it was a bit further away. Its eyes were narrowed in a smile, as if mocking them. Shudao immediately gave chase. Huigu, who had also been slapped, drew his blade and followed almost simultaneously.

The others hadn’t been slapped, but they all encountered small pranks. Those with short tempers had already rushed out. A few curious Great Ascension experts followed. The remaining people thought that since this Vexed Spirit was clearly a problem, it was safer to stick together.

Thus, everyone who had entered the trial grounds followed the Vexed Spirit, flying forward in a grand procession.

The Water Spirit thought happily: In a different place, I’m still the guide! Oh no, they’re catching up—just kidding! Watch my ‘Return to Consciousness’ move!

The Water Spirit flickered in and out of sight, having the time of its life. In this “happy” atmosphere, it led everyone to the core of the trial grounds. Then, under everyone’s watchful eyes, it dived straight into the ground and vanished.

Shudao, both cheeks glowing red, pressed his hand to the ground. The attack immediately triggered the formation below, and the earth rumbled.

“There’s something down there!” “Wait, this is the trial grounds. What if it’s a setup by Mt. Cangxing…”

Shudao spoke through gritted teeth: “Would they set up a minor spirit specifically to slap people’s faces?”

…That made sense. There were no Cangxing disciples inside this time; no one would truly feel bad for them.

Just as everyone was wavering, the hateful spirit—seemingly certain they couldn’t do anything—poked half its head out from the ground. Vexed Spirits were born with a smiling face, specifically a very punchable, mocking face. It smiled even wider at the crowd.

Then it vanished again.

Hardened. Their fists were hardened.

“Smash it! We’re dragging that little spirit out today and showing him what we’re made of!”

Everyone voiced their support!

Outside, Venerable Cangxing’s eyelid twitched inexplicably: I have a very bad feeling.