Chapter 75: Chapter 75

Jian Huan and the other two used invisibility talismans.

After reaching the Golden Core stage, the invisibility talismans she drew had also advanced, lasting up to three hours, with their aura becoming even more concealed, blending into the world like a clump of grass, a flower, or a fallen leaf.

Shen Jizhi carried Liu Hu on his back, with Jian Huan walking ahead of him.

The two of them quietly and swiftly jumped off the Xie family merchant ship, carefully bypassing the black pool and the black-clad attendants, and quickly ascended the stone steps.

Although they strongly suspected that Liu Hu was Shen Jizhi’s master, Gu Shan, Liu Hu currently had no memories and no cultivation.

Gu Shan was a Nascent Soul stage powerhouse, and neither Jian Huan nor Shen Jizhi could awaken him.

The priority now was to deal with the immediate situation, safely escape, and take Liu Hu to the Jade Clarity Sect, where the sect leader could intervene.

Meanwhile, near the tilted Xie family merchant ship, the leader of the black-clad guards, Yu Jiang, stood not far away.

His sharp, eagle-like eyes scanned the deck where his subordinates cautiously moved, wary of ambushes, as he surveyed the surroundings with his hands behind his back.

Suddenly, Yu Jiang’s gaze froze.

On either side of the stone steps made of gray rock stood stone pillars, with faint torches burning atop them.

The black pool was eerily quiet, and there was no wind in the area.

Yet, the torch near the stone gate flickered slightly, as if… someone had passed by.

“Invisibility talisman!” Yu Jiang spat out the words, immediately leaping into the air. His sword, like a rainbow, slashed upward along the stone steps with an unstoppable, murderous intent.

Jian Huan had already stepped through the stone gate when she sensed the danger behind her. Her instincts screamed, and she dodged to the side, slashing down the two guards stationed at the gate.

Two heads immediately fell to the ground, blood spurting out, their faces still wearing a look of confusion.

They hadn’t even had time to react.

Jian Huan leaned against the damp stone wall, her lively eyes scanning the runes on the gate, and she quickly understood.

It just so happened that these were things taught to talisman practitioners in the Jade Clarity Sect.

With a talisman ready in her hand, she anxiously looked at the stone gate and whispered, “Shen Jizhi?”

“Here,” Shen Jizhi replied, carrying Liu Hu on his back, a step behind Jian Huan.

Yu Jiang’s sword intent was directed straight at him, but Yu Jiang’s strength wasn’t particularly high—only at the third level of the Golden Core stage.

After reaching the Golden Core stage, Shen Jizhi’s swordsmanship was nearly unmatched among Golden Core cultivators. This was the reward for his five-element spirit root’s bitter beginnings—over a decade of relentless training since the age of six had finally borne sweet fruit.

Shen Jizhi first threw Liu Hu out of the stone gate, then drew his snow-white sword to block Yu Jiang’s attack. Without countering, he focused on escaping through the stone gate as quickly as possible.

Liu Hu was thrown to the ground, letting out a pained groan.

Unlike Jian Huan and Shen Jizhi, he hadn’t used spiritual energy, so he remained invisible.

Jian Huan couldn’t see him but could hear his voice and the dust kicked up around him.

Seeing Shen Jizhi emerge, Jian Huan sighed in relief and activated the talisman in her hand, placing it on the stone gate.

The talisman acted like a match, instantly igniting the runic array on the gate. With a loud bang, the stone gate slammed shut.

Just as the last crack disappeared, Jian Huan saw it—

Spiritual energy surged inside the gate, and the surface of the black pool churned violently. The Ghost Fish King, which had been feeding, emerged from the water.

Groups of black-clad guards jumped off the Xie family merchant ship, joining Yu Jiang as they chased toward the stone gate.

But it was too late—the gate was already closed.

Jian Huan clapped her hands, brushing off the dirt, and frowned as she looked at the stone gate.

It felt familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere before, but she couldn’t quite place it.

Shen Jizhi’s ears twitched, catching the sound of fabric brushing against the ground. He reached out to grab Liu Hu.

But to his surprise, Liu Hu suddenly rolled to the side, deftly avoiding Shen Jizhi’s grasp, and scrambled to his feet. Without a word, he bolted: “Hahaha, thank you two youngsters for getting me out! But this is far enough. From here on, let’s each take care of ourselves!”

These two had tried to kill him on the ship—he’d be crazy to stay with them! Who knew if they’d throw him under the bus if things went south!

Jian Huan snapped out of her thoughts and exchanged a glance with Shen Jizhi. They chased in the direction of Liu Hu’s voice.

Two Golden Core stage cultivators chasing after Liu Hu—yet they quickly lost him.

Liu Hu was as slippery as an eel.

Jian Huan cursed, “He still owes me the spirit stones for the invisibility talisman, and he just ran off like that?!”

Shen Jizhi said expressionlessly, “He’s probably my master.”

Jian Huan blew out a breath, making the strands of hair on her forehead flutter. “So, what now? Do we look for your master or find a way out?”

“Let’s find a way out,” Shen Jizhi said indifferently. “We don’t need to worry about my master.”

If Liu Hu really was his master, he’d be fine. Shen Jizhi could figure out how to find him after they escaped.

If he wasn’t, then whatever happened to him was his own fault.

Jian Huan nodded, and the two of them stopped talking, moving forward cautiously.

It was a long, winding passage that sloped upward, like a mountain road, twisting and turning.

The sides of the passage were rock walls, and every ten steps, there was a tightly shut stone gate.

There was no other path.

Jian Huan and Shen Jizhi didn’t rashly enter the stone gates, only continued upward.

Half an incense stick’s time later, a loud noise erupted from below the passage, right where the Ghost Fish King had been.

The sound echoed through the passage, setting off a chain reaction. Many stone gates opened, and groups of black-clad guards rushed out with swords, heading toward the source of the noise. The sound of their footsteps was chaotic and unending.

“Manager Yu, what’s happening?!” a black-clad guard who had hurried over asked, first cupping his fists in salute to Yu Jiang. He was about to say more when he caught sight of the ‘person’ near Yu Jiang. His words faltered, and he quickly lowered his eyes, kneeling deeply to the ground and saying no more.

Ghost Fish, a type of demonic beast that lived in rivers and seas, couldn’t leave the water in their true form.

But they could possess human bodies. The black-clad guard next to Yu Jiang now had a vertical pupil in one eye, fish scales on his cheeks, and an enormous belly that had burst through his uniform, revealing a pale fish belly.

In its presence, Yu Jiang was extremely respectful: “The city lord is in seclusion, at a critical moment and unable to intervene. Those two are both at the Golden Core stage, and our men are no match for them. We’ll have to trouble you, Your Highness.”

Ningzhang City was a small place, and the city lord’s mansion didn’t have many Golden Core stage cultivators. Yu Jiang was one, and the deceased Fei Xu was another.

There were three more Golden Core cultivators—two guarding the city lord and one stationed at the mansion, not in the dark hall.

In the short term, none of them could be dispatched. Even if they were, they might not stand a chance.

It was fastest to call upon the Ghost Fish King.

Though Yu Jiang wasn’t eager to disturb it.

The Ghost Fish King was the city lord’s contracted beast, and like the city lord, it was at the Nascent Soul stage.

But the Ghost Fish King was hard to control. Every time it was summoned, dozens of men in the dark hall would be lost. Even Yu Jiang’s former master, the previous manager, had ended up in its belly.

The only one who could restrain the Ghost Fish King was the city lord, who was in seclusion. Even if he weren’t, the city lord wouldn’t care if a few of his subordinates were eaten by his beloved pet.

The Ghost Fish King’s voice was eerie, unlike a human’s, carrying a chilling undertone: “If I find them, can I eat them?”

Yu Jiang hesitated slightly: “Your Highness, could you leave one alive? We’ll need to interrogate them…”

The Ghost Fish King glanced at him, its expression grotesque.

Yu Jiang’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly added, “Just one alive will do. The rest can be Your Highness’s snacks.”

The Ghost Fish King chuckled darkly, then vanished, leaving behind a puddle of black water where it had stood.

With the Ghost Fish King gone, the surrounding black-clad guards all breathed a sigh of relief.

Yu Jiang also exhaled and ordered, “Spread the word—intruders have entered the dark hall. Seal the hall gates, activate the hall’s formation, and place the entire hall on high alert! Have the guards patrol every corner—don’t let even a fly slip through!”

Invisibility talismans? Once the hall’s formation was activated, the talismans would fail, and the Ghost Fish King was on the move. He’d like to see how these intruders would hide now!

Jian Huan and Shen Jizhi hadn’t found an exit.

This dark hall was like an airtight chamber.

With the invisibility talismans rendered useless, the passage was now filled with patrolling black-clad guards. Jian Huan used a talisman to open one of the stone gates, and she and Shen Jizhi slipped inside.

The room beyond the gate was an empty hall. Before they could explore it, they sensed something was wrong.

Jian Huan frowned, her gaze fixed on the stone gate, instinctively tightening her grip on her sword: “This oppressive aura feels familiar.”

Shen Jizhi said calmly, “It’s the Ghost Fish King.”

The two exchanged a glance.

Jian Huan decided to sit on the ground, her palms pressed against the floor. She closed her eyes, unwilling to give up. "I'll try my teleportation array again," she said.

This place must be underground, and there must be vegetation above.

As long as she could sense the life force of the plants, Jian Huan could teleport there and escape the danger.

Shen Jizhi nodded, standing guard beside her.

He used a cleansing spell to remove the bloodstains from his snow-white sword.

Behind his mask, his face was slightly pale. Under the pressure of the Nascent Soul stage, the golden core within him began to stir.

Especially the five-colored stone, which was gently pulsating within the golden core, as if urging him to open it.

It seemed that if he could break the seal placed by his master, he would gain limitless power...

"I can feel it!" Jian Huan looked up, her eyes reflecting the dazzling starlight. "I can sense the presence of plants. The teleportation array might work!"

Her excited tone snapped Shen Jizhi out of his thoughts, and he suppressed the disturbance in his golden core. "Then give it a try," he said.

"Alright." Jian Huan glanced at the stone door. Just moments ago, she had also sensed the foul stench of fish—the Ghost Fish King was approaching. They didn’t have much time left.

Jian Huan stood up, her fingers moving into position. With one hand, she began drawing the runes, while the other reached out to Shen Jizhi. "Hurry!"

Shen Jizhi looked at the hand extended toward him. Without hesitation, he reached out and placed his hand in hers, their fingers intertwining.

As the final rune was completed, the teleportation array activated. Jian Huan pulled Shen Jizhi into it.

A whirlwind of colorful lights swirled in the chaotic space. Not long after, with a loud *bang* and a flash of golden light, the two of them tumbled downward, landing in a patch of red and yellow spider lilies.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The black mask on Shen Jizhi’s face fell off during the violent turbulence of the teleportation, landing some distance away with a soft clatter.

Before Jian Huan and Shen Jizhi could react, they heard a startled cry, "Who are you?!"

"Tao Hong, what’s going on?" A gentle voice sounded nearby, accompanied by footsteps. A woman in a sapphire-blue dress, holding a jade fan, walked along the cobblestone path.

The maid in peach-colored robes, Tao Hong, warily eyed the unfamiliar man and woman in the flower bed, shielding the approaching woman behind her. "Madam, be careful! I was watering the flowers when these two suddenly fell from above! Liu Lu, Liu Lu—" Tao Hong called out loudly, "Liu Lu, go call for help! There are intruders here..."

The woman frowned slightly and gently pushed her maid aside. She took a few steps toward the flower bed, leaning forward slightly to get a better look at the newcomers.

There, in the midst of the flowers, lay a young man in black, with a girl in pale pink robes sprawled on top of him.

The girl’s back was turned, so the woman couldn’t see her face.

But the young man’s face was clearly visible.

The woman stared at his face, her pupils dilating in shock. Her jade fan slipped from her hand and fell to the ground. She could hardly believe her eyes. "Shen... Shen Jizhi?"

But... wasn’t Shen Jizhi supposed to be dead?