Adam’s brow twitched as he stepped into the palace’s next section. "Why are you following again?"
"Why not? Aren’t we from the sa sect?" Xie Lian chuckled. "You can’t let those wolves surround your senior sister." She gripped his arm, her voice growing solemn. "I’ve seen your secret, but I value our one-year relationship over re suspicion, so listen. An eight-year-old kid has nothing to do in this place alone."
Adam frowned and tried to remove her hand. However, she jerked his sleeve, her violet eyes narrowing.
"You’re suspicious even if you do nothing. But if I’m with you? We can say I protected you along the way."
"It doesn’t matter anymore, Xie Lian." He slapped her hand away, his icy voice leaving no place for discussion. "I could debunk your argunt, but I won’t bother. Follow in silence. But if you try to disturb ..."
He let a brief silence linger before he sighed when he saw her bite her lips.
"I’m just making things clear. Too much is at play, and I’m not missing on any crumbs from this blessed land."
She shook her head, then nodded, a flash of understanding passing through her eyes. "You’re right. I’ve been waiting to group with the others, but we can’t waste too much ti, or the rival sects will inherit the blessed land."
"Hmph," he snorted, waving the two parchnts he had obtained. "I didn’t wait for anyone. But I don’t want to enter rooms randomly."
He recounted the two trials and the golems overlooking them as they walked.
Once she understood everything, she opened and closed her mouth a few tis before a heavy sigh escaped her lips.
"I don’t know if I can help with the next ones, but most will be the sa. Only the leader’s direct disciples or a group of core disciples can hope to complete them."
Adam shrugged. "Just watch by the doorway." He pointed to an open door, a grin blossoming on his face. "I alone am enough."
Without wasting a second, they rushed to it and peeked inside.
A projection sat in the middle, her dark hair tied in a bun pierced by two intricate hairpins adorned with phoenix feathers. tallic sticks and materials glinted on the table facing her, making Adam wonder what this trial tested.
He exchanged a glance with Xie Lian, who nodded. "It’s an easy one."
Reassured, he raised his foot to step inside before her next words made him pale. "It’s related to formations."
With a heavy stomp back, he glared at her. "Why don’t you take it if it’s easy?"
She frowned. Why would she take it when she was an alchemist? "I don’t know about them."
"Exactly! We’re both alchemists, so why would I know when you don’t?"
He clicked his tongue, suppressing his anger. Her false assessnt could have led to his death, and he’d never trust her again.
"I thought Shen Wu had taught you since he’s a decent formation master... S-Stop with this deadly glare, please..." She lowered her face and covered her mouth, understanding the weight of the mistake. "Sorry."
"Humph." He turned and resud his search down the corridor as she followed behind.
The stench of blood struck his nostrils a mont later as he found another open room.
Four corpses, their limbs torn and their faces contorted in a mask of horror, lay at the guardian’s feet.
Xie Lian gulped, her usual playfulness replaced with a sentint of dread as his gaze settled on the youthful man yawning in the center.
"Only two this ti?" His golden robes fluttered as he waved a dismissive hand. "Don’t waste my ti and just leave the palace, will you?"
Adam’s eyes narrowed into slits as he scrutinised the crystal crown sparkling above the three purple dots tattooed on the projection’s forehead.
’Arrogant, aren’t we?’ He cracked his fingers, a smirk splitting his face. "What’s your trial?"
"Mhh? I’m not supposed to tell you in advance, but if it helps make you leave." He shrugged. "I want to see a strike that would impress as much as my father’s void collapse technique." He pointed at the guardian. "It’ll kill you since it’s impossible, so take my explanation as a freebie and leave."
"..." Xiel Lian’s mouth dropped, the ridiculousness of the trial stunning her.
anwhile, Adam clenched his jaw, his fists trembling. ’Shit. There is no way I can match a Dao Integration Realm cultivator’s strike. But his smugness, his dismissive attitude.’
His teeth cracked, an inferno of defiance igniting in his eyes. ’I want to shatter his arrogance!’ A fleeting idea flashed in his mind.
With the demonic cleaver, he could replicate a tier nine strike. No, he rembered the description. It dealt double damage to barriers and protections—enough to sunder a world.
’But this bastard cleaver is even more arrogant than him...’ He shook his head and took a reluctant step away. ’I must rid myself of it instead of having those weird ideas.’
As they resud their search, Xie Lian sighed in relief.
"You really scared with your determined face back there. You know it was impossible, right?"
He rolled his eyes, almost pointing at his forehead to ask if it was written fool in bold letters on it.
Annoyed, he hastened his pace, left this palace section, and entered a new one.
’What’s wrong with this place? There are hundreds of closed rooms. Let find a decent trial or Misha this ti!’
Five minutes later, he stopped before another open room. However, three identical projections stood inside, mischievous lights sparkling in their red eyes.
Unlike the last two, one dashed to et them in a multicolored spectacle of fluttering silk.
"Co play with us, little brother. I promise our trial is easy!"
"Sure. Tell the rules before, though." He observed their ruby crowns and the flas tattooed on their foreheads as the projection answered.
"It’s just a ga we loved to play with our father. You’ll have to find the real us among a few copies." The second projection winked.
"Alright."
As he stepped in, Xie Lian gripped his shoulder from behind.
"They’re most likely illusion experts. We should play on our strengths and search for trials related to alchemy."
He slapped her hand away and stepped in without looking back. "I told you not to interfere."
Reviews
All reviews (0)