Chapter 88
Mei Liangyu no longer discussed matters related to the Divine Wood seed and continued forward. The obstacles encountered while traveling up the mountain at night were numerous, and during the mentally exhausting battles, there was no need to bring up this matter again.
They needed to reach the mountainside before dawn.
The higher they climbed, the faster their Five Elements Energy drained away.
Although Yu Sui had Divine Mechanism: Heavenly Eye, she couldn't use it casually at the moment, only quietly trying it when breaking illusions. For the rest, she relied on the map for guidance, trying to avoid triggering natural landscape formations.
The three reached near the mountainside just before dawn. At this pace, they estimated it would take another day to reach the summit.
When the morning light was faint, Xue Mushi cautiously surveyed the surrounding trees before daring to sit against one to rest, silently sensing the power within his light core, which was already nearly depleted.
"People should arrive at the mountain base today." Mei Liangyu stood on the mountain slope path, turning to look back, contemplating: "We currently have no competitors causing trouble, and they won't catch up for a while. Since we've pulled ahead, let's not stop and continue traveling."
Yu Sui looked at Xue Mushi, who had just sat down.
Xue Mushi resignedly wiped his face and got up to follow.
Along the way, Yu Sui asked Mei Liangyu: "Senior Brother, when crossing Dragon Head at the summit, will the trials be different for different schools?"
Mei Liangyu: "Different."
"What about the Taoist School?" Yu Sui asked.
Mei Liangyu glanced at her during their Wind-Riding journey: "The final test is of temperament, just in different forms. Remember what the academy teaches about choosing good."
After speaking, he added: "You can have everything you want in the illusion. It's normal not to want to wake up, but if you can't pass this test, you won't reach Ye Pool."
Just an illusion?
Then it should be fine.
Yu Sui rolled her eyes and focused on traveling.
By mid-morning, Yu Sui saw more and more red dots at the base of Dragon Throat Mountain. Some scattered and headed up the mountain, while others were blocked below, unable to move, then disappeared.
The disciples at the mountain base were fighting quite intensely.
Zhongli Shan and the others had also arrived and were heading up the mountain.
Mei Liangyu felt that Dragon Slaying Cave wasn't very safe for Yu Sui.
The Divine Wood seed's divination was an accident. After all, he wanted to see something related to himself, and no one would expect Yu Sui to appear.
However, there were many such accidents at Taiyi Academy. Yu Sui hadn't been discovered until now because her range of activities was too simple, either Ghost Way Saint Hall, going to the Yin-Yang School to open Military Formations, or going to the Medical School for external cultivation classes. She hadn't touched some forbidden areas and forbidden objects.
In fact, when Yu Sui opened a star chart Military Formation but opened Special-Grade Military Formation: Asura Hell instead, there was already danger of exposure.
Apart from Xue Mushi, if either of the other two who entered the formation with her hadn't been Wei Ren or Li Jin Shuang, or if Wei Ren and Li Jin Shuang had told the academy instructors about this, she wouldn't have survived until now.
If Jing Yunkui had been talkative and asked what Military Formation she had opened, Yu Sui would have found it very difficult to explain.
The day she killed Lu Haiye in the Outer City, if Mei Liangyu and the Nangong family practitioners had arrived a little later, they could have seen Strange Fire burning in the water and felt the power fluctuations. There were quite a few Outer City people who came to watch the excitement, and she absolutely couldn't have left Taiyi Academy alive then.
At age thirteen by the pond, if she hadn't used Strange Fire, she would have been the one to die.
In the following years, when she was kidnapped by Agricultural School practitioners, if Nangong Ming hadn't come, she would have died.
Yu Sui's life had never been smooth sailing. Along the way, there were too many dangers that could expose her Strange Fire, in the past, present, and future.
Even if she wanted to hide for a lifetime, the environment and encounters she faced wouldn't give her that chance.
Mei Liangyu's peripheral vision swept over Yu Sui, who was following beside him, seriously traveling.
She underestimated the academy too much, underestimated Taiyi Academy with its 24 Saints stationed there and thousands of years of history.
As a World Destroyer, she had actively come to the most dangerous place for herself.
Junior Sister was weaker than Gao Tianhao, less skilled at hiding herself, and seemingly had a shorter lifespan than Gao Tianhao.
Gao Tianhao at least lived to the age an old man should reach. What about her? When she released Strange Fire, she looked no different from now.
Now was much more dangerous than when she was an ordinary person.
Ordinary people wouldn't have any reaction to Five Elements Energy and cultivation.
After Yu Sui embarked on the cultivation path, the special things about her would gradually show, making it easier to discover her differences.
If Yu Sui didn't come to Taiyi Academy, who knew when she could begin cultivation.
Yu Sui also had no way to refuse Nangong Ming's order for her to come to Taiyi Academy.
Gao Tianhao had once discussed Strange Fire-related topics with Mei Liangyu.
With Mei Liangyu's temperament and personality, he indeed didn't take Strange Fire seriously. He would only think, burn if you want to burn, I don't care if you burn or not.
He could barely control his own anger, so why worry about others destroying the world.
To put it bluntly, unlike his Master, he had no sense of responsibility toward this world and nothing precious he felt he must protect.
Even though he had many friends, his friends were all capable. None of them needed his protection to survive.
His friends had their own lives and worked hard for them. When they needed his help, Mei Liangyu wouldn't stand by and watch, but he also wouldn't suppress his destructive desires.
For Mei Liangyu, falling was easier than rising.
Thinking of the Ghost Way School's Three Thousand Divergent Paths trial, Mei Liangyu momentarily felt it would be better for Yu Sui to give up.
Compared to the danger of exposing Strange Fire, obtaining Heavenly Mechanism Arts became less important.
Speaking of which, at what age did she get Strange Fire?
Mei Liangyu was eager to get out, so he became more serious than before, and his path-clearing speed increased considerably.
Xue Mushi and Yu Sui both felt he seemed to have gone on a killing spree.
Previously, he had mostly focused on defense and evasion, but now he killed whatever he saw. Word Command from the School of Names materialized ten thousand swords, then using Military School Weapon Control to make the ten thousand swords clear the path. Frost White Python raised its head and followed closely behind, crushing countless mountain stones and trees, forming frost-covered passages for them to travel with Wind-Riding Techniques.
Xue Mushi and Yu Sui looked back in disbelief. Mei Liangyu stood at the starting point of the ice path, stepping on the Frost White Python's tail, saying indifferently: "Use Wind-Riding Techniques to go forward. If I find you haven't reached the summit when I catch up, I'll throw you back to the mountain base."
Upon hearing this, the two turned and ran.
Xue Mushi thought Mei Liangyu would really do this.
Yu Sui simply believed in not missing opportunities. In the state of Five Elements Energy loss, not using other techniques and only using Wind-Riding consumed less energy. With no other interference along the way, their speed increased considerably.
Even though their Five Elements Energy was depleted midway and they could only run, Yu Sui still ran to the summit before her stamina was exhausted.
When Yu Sui reached the summit, it was already dusk. Without looking back, the first step she took forward showed the stars shifting and the surrounding scenery instantly changing. The mountain peak she had been pursuing ahead transformed into a vast blue sea.
She stood on soft sandy ground and looked back to see Dragon Throat Mountain, which she had just crossed. Mountain and sea connected, and ahead was perhaps what people called Ye Pool.
Xue Mushi wasn't there, Senior Brother wasn't there either. Was this the Three Thousand Divergent Paths ahead?
Yu Sui looked forward again.
The path to the sea was paved with Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.
The ten Heavenly Stems and twelve Earthly Branches intertwined and moved, light blue characters densely covering the sandy ground connecting to the sea, each forming different arrangements corresponding to the 28 constellations floating in the air.
The deep blue stars flickered bright and dim, not connected by star lines, requiring her to identify their names with the naked eye.
These characters weren't unfamiliar to Yu Sui, quite the opposite, she was very familiar with them.
She had seen them countless times on different Number Mountains.
Heavenly Stems determined position, Earthly Branches determined time.
The Five Elements Energy of heaven and the Five Elements Energy of earth, when heaven and earth combined, formed their own universe.
All the Five Elements Energy in Dragon Slaying Cave seemed to originate from here.
As Yu Sui studied the characters ahead, Mei Liangyu was also sent into Three Thousand Divergent Paths, immediately seeing Junior Sister standing ahead without moving.
Good thing she didn't walk directly onto it.
"Senior Brother." Yu Sui turned to look at him, extending her hand and shaking it: "After arriving here, the lost Five Elements Energy returned."
"Because we've crossed Dragon Throat Mountain and reached Dragon Head." Mei Liangyu walked forward, both stopping in front of the path paved with Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches to observe.
Yu Sui was first to ask: "Is passing this test mainly about illusions?"
"Not just illusions, and it can't be understood that way." Mei Liangyu patiently explained to her: "Have you taken elective courses from the Yin-Yang School?"
Yu Sui was stunned, not knowing why he would ask this. She shook her head: "Not yet."
"Although you haven't attended Yin-Yang School classes, you should have heard about the Yin-Yang School exploring the universe. Yin-Yang and Five Elements were originally proposed by this school." Mei Liangyu's gaze fixed on the path surface flickering with light blue radiance: "The Five Elements Energy of heaven and the Five Elements Energy of earth, when combined, can generate heaven, earth, and universe."
Yu Sui understood.
"Yin-Yang Five Elements generate all things, and 'dragons' are one of all things. Although its physical body has died, the Five Elements Energy materializing it hasn't completely died. The 'Three Thousand Divergent Paths' before us is one of the changes formed by its Five Elements Energy."
Mei Liangyu had already told Yu Sui how ancient this power was, persisting for hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of years without dying.
"You can understand the function of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, right?" Mei Liangyu rolled his eyes to look at Yu Sui.
Yu Sui nodded seriously like a good student: "Yes!"
Mei Liangyu told her the key point: "Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches combine to form the universe. The path ahead has countless combinations, and each moment's change is a new universe. Walking on Three Thousand Divergent Paths means entering new universes and giving birth to countless 'possibilities,' the existence of things that might happen in different universes. So you can't summarize it as illusions, because in new universes formed by Five Elements Energy, their 'possibilities' truly exist."
Yu Sui felt this was somewhat troublesome.
Mei Liangyu stared at her: "It's difficult to pass with unstable temperament, and you might even get hurt if you indulge in it."
The injury part was a lie to her.
"Doesn't it have realm restrictions?" Yu Sui asked curiously: "Like how Yin-Yang School star chart formations adjust their power based on the challenger's realm."
"There are restrictions, but they don't change based on the challenger's strength." Mei Liangyu said indifferently: "Since it's a trial specifically for Ghost Way School, the first step will examine your fundamental Soul Control heart method, completely strip away all your Soul Control consciousness, resonate with your Five Elements Light Core, and provide the most suitable 'possibility' for you."
"It will give you everything you can't obtain."
Yu Sui mentally screened this "possibility." She was very clear about what she couldn't obtain. With enough self-suggestion, she could have a chance, not to mention she still had Heavenly Eye.
"I want to try." Yu Sui said: "It doesn't have only one challenge opportunity, right?"
Seeing she still wanted to break through, Mei Liangyu didn't stop her: "There's no limit on attempts."
Yu Sui asked again: "Will others see the experiences in the Three Thousand Divergent Paths universe?"
"No." Mei Liangyu said definitively: "Even if you kill and burn inside, no one will know. You'll just fail."
This kind of trial targeting individual temperament, if others could know what the challenger experienced, no one would come to challenge it. People would only come to destroy it.
Unless the challenger caused unusual disturbances while breaking through.
Mei Liangyu quietly watched Yu Sui walk forward.
She chose this herself.
I have no right to stop her.
Wealth comes from risk. If Junior Sister wanted Heavenly Mechanism Arts, with the secrets she hid, she indeed needed to take risks.
In Mei Liangyu's previous plan, Junior Sister would definitely fail the first time challenging Three Thousand Divergent Paths, but after the first time, he could help fix the "possibility" of Three Thousand Divergent Paths, preventing different trial events from appearing in the second and third challenges.
Even if she indulged in it, external interference could help.
With Yu Sui's First Realm strength, Mei Liangyu indeed had no confidence she could pass Three Thousand Divergent Paths on her own.
But now knowing she had Strange Fire and still came to challenge Three Thousand Divergent Paths, things definitely wouldn't go as smoothly as he imagined.
Mei Liangyu thought Yu Sui should turn around and leave, but said: "Stop."
Yu Sui turned back.
Mei Liangyu said: "If I discover you're indulging in it, I'll wake you up, but I can only intervene through School of Names Word Command, so you need to give me names, whether human names or names of cats and dogs, as long as they can definitely wake you up."
Just in case.
Yu Sui thought for a moment and asked: "Can I only give one?"
Mei Liangyu was somewhat amused: "Give however many you want."
"Two." Yu Sui raised her hand to show the number: "Qing Kui, Zhongli Que."
The first to guard against the parental affection she couldn't obtain, the second to guard against possible Strange Fire temptation.
Mei Liangyu didn't recognize the first one, but the second he had an impression of, Zhongli Shan's sister.
However, he didn't ask more now, only extending his hand toward Yu Sui, palm up, saying: "Write."
After Yu Sui wrote the two names in his palm, she walked toward Three Thousand Divergent Paths, pausing at the path's edge, turning to say to Mei Liangyu: "Senior Brother, I'm going."
Mei Liangyu looked at her and said softly: "Go."
The moment Yu Sui entered "Three Thousand Divergent Paths," she felt fierce wind rushing toward her face trying to blow her back. Power leaked from her body, and every Ghost Way School Nine Schools Arts she had learned was stripped away. The wind cut like knives, forcing her to close her eyes uncontrollably.
The Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches characters under her feet were rapidly changing.
Her consciousness fell into darkness, and after just a moment, she felt something cool falling on her face.
Yu Sui opened her eyes to see a well-dressed man bending down, easily lifting her five or six-year-old small body with one hand, his deep voice sounding in her ear: "Say goodbye to the teacher."
She turned her face to see the man's other hand holding an umbrella, shielding them from the evening drizzle.
In her peripheral vision were flashing traffic lights counting down, towering skyscrapers reaching to the sky, and men and women holding their children's hands by the roadside, groups of children stepping across crosswalks.
A girl being led away by her parents turned back while walking, calling out crisply: "Sui Sui, see you tomorrow!"
Yu Sui was taken away by the man. He opened the car door, let her in, and fastened her seatbelt: "Let's go pick up your mother from work first."
The woman waited downstairs at the company. As soon as the man parked the car, she smiled and separated from her colleague beside her, walking toward them.
After the woman got in the car, she smiled and looked at Yu Sui in the back: "Sweetheart, did you miss Mommy today? How was school?"
The girl sitting in back said dazedly: "...Good."
The woman said: "What do you want to eat tonight? Fish? Let your daddy cook."
The man driving laughed: "You're the one who wants to eat it."
"The weather's getting cold. Drinking fish soup warms the body." The woman picked up her phone to check the time: "It's still early. You go buy groceries, I'll take Sui Sui shopping for clothes. Little girls' clothing nowadays is all so pretty."
The man said: "Okay."
"Sui Sui?" The woman turned to look at Yu Sui again: "Going shopping for clothes, why aren't you talking?"
Yu Sui opened her mouth and softly said: "Okay."
The woman took her shopping for clothes, praising her daughter as beautiful and cute with every outfit change, finally carrying five or six bags back to the car, asking the man if he'd finished buying groceries. The man yawned and laughed: "Wait a little longer and the fish will be cooked."
The family of three returned home and began preparing dinner.
Yu Sui sat in the living room. The air conditioning was on inside, she wore a light apricot blanket, her gaze vacant as she looked at the man and woman bustling in the kitchen.
She had thought that even if they wanted to tempt her to indulge in illusions, it would be on Xuangu Continent.
But from the very beginning of this world, she was already indulging.
Yu Sui slowly turned her head to look outside the window. Water stains covered the glass, and in the rainy night, the city lit up with thousands of lights.
She had never had family from the start.
Growing up alone with difficulty.
The parents before her had touched Yu Sui's heart with just a few words, too real to find any trace of illusion.
The moment Yu Sui returned to this world, she had already given up resisting.
She indulged herself in it.
Yu Sui lay in bed, her head dizzy and consciousness blurred. In her haze, she saw the woman sitting by the bed, reaching out to feel her forehead, showing worried eyes while muttering to the man beside her, saying he hadn't held the umbrella properly and let their daughter get caught in the rain and catch cold.
The two adults stayed with her, wiping her face, feeding her medicine. The woman kept watch by the bed as she slept.
During her illness, the little girl looked listless. The woman cupped her face and sighed: "When your body's uncomfortable, you speak even less."
The man brought food and placed it on the table, calling to the mother and daughter: "Eat well and you'll get better."
The little girl from next door came knocking, asking why Yu Sui didn't go to school today.
The woman said she was sick and needed a couple more days to recover before she could go.
The little girl stood at the door peering in, making a cheering gesture toward Yu Sui.
Yu Sui kept her head down eating, very slowly.
She had forgotten everything and started over.
Everything she couldn't obtain before was now given to her.
Yu Sui went to and from school with the girl next door every day, getting along well with the other children, having completely forgotten her real age. The man would pick her up punctually after school.
Sometimes he came alone, sometimes with the woman.
When parents and friends gathered, they would bring their children too. Adults chatted at the dinner table while children played together in the living room or bedrooms.
On weekends and holidays, adults would arrange to go out together, bringing children in cars, a lively group creating laughter and joy wherever they went.
The woman braided pretty flower braids for Yu Sui, holding her hand as they stood under scenic flowering trees for photos, telling the man: "Take better pictures."
The man rapidly pressed the shutter, finally handing over his phone: "Done."
The woman rolled her eyes after looking.
"Sui Sui, let's take our own photos." She held the phone angrily.
"What about me?" the man wondered: "Why don't you include me in the photos?"
The friends nearby burst into laughter.
Yu Sui's academic performance fluctuated. When she worked hard, it was good. When she slacked off, it was poor. Her parents would also have heart-to-heart talks with her about grades.
Yu Sui really liked this family interaction.
Parents' analysis of the future and society was more mature and stable than children's, like guiding stars in her life, pointing direction while giving her strength.
So she would deliberately slack off, waiting for her parents to come talk with her.
This year Yu Sui's grades improved. When she learned about the parent-teacher conference, the man said: "I'll go witness my daughter's academic rise in the class."
"Why should you go? I want to go too." The woman turned to ask Yu Sui sitting on the sofa: "Sweetheart, can only one person attend your school's parent-teacher conference?"
Sixteen-year-old Yu Sui turned to look at the woman and smiled: "Both can go."
So that year at the parent-teacher conference, Yu Sui became the only student whose parents both came.
……
Mei Liangyu had expected Yu Sui to lose herself in Three Thousand Divergent Paths and indulge in it, but he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.
Seeing Yu Sui standing motionless on the path for a long time, he flicked his finger, sending two golden names flying toward Yu Sui, entering her mind.
At this moment, Yu Sui was walking with friends along the school playground, watching and laughing about the boys playing basketball on the court. She suddenly stopped, her gaze shifting from the graceful, spirited boys on the court to look at the azure sky.
Golden light flickered in the sky.
Two names forcefully drilled into her brain.
Yu Sui's gaze was slightly dazed.
Qing Kui.
Zhongli Que.
But I'm no longer on Xuangu Continent.
I've already come home.
No Strange Fire, no World Destroyers. She no longer had to fear accidentally burning strangers while walking in crowds, no longer had to fear being attacked by the entire world at any moment.
Zhongli Que had parents, brothers, cousins, and clan elders who loved her. Without Nangong Sui, she could still live well.
Besides, why should Zhongli Que risk so many people who loved her for Nangong Sui, who possessed Strange Fire?
Nangong Sui's disappearance was good for everyone.
Zhongli Que wouldn't have to choose between friends and family, wouldn't have to take risks, wouldn't get hurt.
Qing Kui could return to the manor and reunite with her parents, becoming the manor's princess again.
The brothers finally had a smart and talented sister.
Lady Su could finally see the daughter she had been thinking about.
Xuangu Continent would have one less World Destroyer, one less fatal threat.
Master would have one less troublesome disciple, Senior Brother would have one less troublesome Junior Sister.
Even Ghost Way School disciples would have one less competitor for Heavenly Mechanism Arts.
Everyone would have no losses.
So let go of each other, and let go of me too.
Yu Sui withdrew her gaze. The friends waiting ahead looked at her puzzledly, calling her name:
"Yu Sui, let's go!"
Yu Sui stepped forward.
What made her indulge wasn't the missing parental affection, but a world without the threat of Strange Fire, without the pursuit brought by Breath Soil, without the fear of burning strangers to death, without nights of poor sleep, without the hatred her parents brought her.
She really, really, really hated the world with Strange Fire.
……
Mei Liangyu watched Yu Sui, who remained motionless in Three Thousand Divergent Paths. Even giving her the two names she had left didn't wake her up.
Did Junior Sister misjudge these two people's position in her heart?
Mei Liangyu patiently watched Yu Sui, who still had her eyes closed.
The stars in the sky twinkled seemingly carelessly. The azure sea ahead reflected countless stars, sea waves swaying slowly, but at a certain moment they stopped.
Mei Liangyu pressed his brow, having an ominous premonition.
The Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches characters on Three Thousand Divergent Paths suddenly all rose from the ground. The sea surface stirred up huge waves, forming crystal-clear water dragons that raised their heads above the sea, gazing directly at Yu Sui who still stood motionless.
Two invisible forces were in sharp confrontation.
The two Saints who had just returned to Dragon Slaying Cave sensed the power at Dragon Head, looked at each other, and instantly rushed over.
Mei Liangyu had no time to hesitate. When the huge waves rose, he was already flashing toward Yu Sui in Three Thousand Divergent Paths.
……
Yu Sui had just walked out of the school gate with her friends, seeing her parents waiting by the roadside in the bustling crowd. Just as she was about to approach, everything around was frozen. The originally azure sky instantly turned black, heaven and earth lost color, but a flame ignited in front of Yu Sui.
The flame illuminated her parents' faces in the darkness.
Yu Sui slowly took a step back.
The man and woman standing across the street were waving and smiling at her. Yu Sui finally saw her parents' appearance clearly, but they were the faces of Nangong Ming and Lady Su.
Thinking that all the previous interactions had been with their faces made Yu Sui uncontrollably nauseous. She forced herself to look away, staring at the bright red flame suspended in air, its appearance hidden in the deepest part of her consciousness.
When the flame swayed, the black sky collapsed and was devoured completely by Strange Fire. In the blink of an eye, Yu Sui watched heaven and earth instantly change, from the dragon carriage stopping point when she first arrived at Taiyi Academy, to Qingyang Imperial Capital, then to the peak of Mount Luo.
Yu Sui stood in that small broken house atop Mount Luo, Strange Fire hovering in front of the cradle that once held a baby.
Here it was still pitch black, dilapidated, and cold.
She had been here since birth.
Strange Fire had burned away the possibility Three Thousand Divergent Paths gave Yu Sui.
It was reminding Yu Sui.
Face reality.
You were already born into the new world.
Yu Sui stared at it with vacant eyes.
She asked softly: "Why?"
Through Strange Fire, Yu Sui saw the scene of Lady Su reaching toward the baby's neck and forcefully strangling it.
In this world where it was her fault to hate her parents, all angry and hateful emotions had nowhere to vent. It seemed she could only accept that she was unlucky, that she deserved it.
Why must you make me come back?
Strange Fire gave no response.
It turned into sparks and scattered, leaving only Yu Sui alone in this dark, narrow room to be swallowed by darkness.
……
Just as Mei Liangyu was about to directly take Yu Sui away from Three Thousand Divergent Paths, grabbing her wrist, the invisible opposing forces in the air suddenly dissipated. The water dragon's raised body dispersed, and amid the rushing water sounds, the floating Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches characters also fell back to the ground.
The two figures rushing from the distance made Mei Liangyu push Yu Sui behind him with his backhand, placing himself in front.
Yu Sui opened her eyes to the sound of falling water, seeing Senior Brother standing in Three Thousand Divergent Paths.
Mei Liangyu didn't look at her but said: "Close your eyes."
The two arriving Saints were Legal School's Master Yu and School of Names' Elder Zhu.
Both were familiar with Mei Liangyu. Seeing him standing on Three Thousand Divergent Paths with everything around peaceful, they sensed the ancient dragon's residual power, but it was brief.
Seeing Mei Liangyu, both felt in their hearts that this was a wasted trip.
"How did you manage to attract both elders over?" Mei Liangyu stood on Three Thousand Divergent Paths, stepping on the glowing characters, his expression unchanged: "Isn't Dragon Throat Mountain more interesting to watch than me?"
Elder Zhu smiled: "There were ancient dragon power fluctuations just now, we thought something happened."
This disciple of Saint Chang Gen was famous throughout Taiyi Academy.
Every time Mei Liangyu walked Three Thousand Divergent Paths, he could attract the ancient dragon to manifest and watch him for a moment. Initially everyone found it curious, but after many times, they found it uninteresting.
With Saint Chang Gen blocking them, no one dared investigate.
The ancient dragon power only watched him briefly without attacking, so no one would think Mei Liangyu was dangerous.
"I have this happen every time I walk Three Thousand Divergent Paths. I thought it wouldn't happen this year, but I didn't expect to alarm the two elders." Mei Liangyu spoke righteously without any apologetic intent.
Master Yu's gaze moved between Mei Liangyu and Yu Sui, saying indifferently: "You didn't come to Ye Pool the past two years. Why come this year instead?"
Mei Liangyu excelled at lying to Legalist School people's faces: "Master asked me to guide my new Junior Sister this year. If my Junior Sister can obtain Heavenly Mechanism Arts right after arriving, wouldn't I, as Senior Brother, be very impressive."
In Legalist School Master Yu's eyes, Saint Chang Gen's eldest disciple was particularly good at being rebellious. He wouldn't be surprised by anything Mei Liangyu did.
Elder Zhu was amused by Mei Liangyu, glancing at Yu Sui walking on Three Thousand Divergent Paths with her eyes closed, thinking she was still in the trial.
School of Names Elder Zhu had a good relationship with Nangong Ming and would look after Nangong Ming's daughter somewhat. He turned a blind eye to things like being helped through the trial, and instantly left with Legalist School Master Yu to continue watching the competition at Dragon Throat Mountain.
After the two Saints left, Mei Liangyu's tense muscles under his clothes relaxed. He pressed his brow and turned to look back at Yu Sui, seeing Junior Sister had opened her eyes at some point, her dark, moist eyes quietly watching him.
"Whose names did you give me?" Mei Liangyu's tone was unfriendly: "Were they useful?"
"Tell the truth. Did you just randomly think of two names to give me? I gave you the names, but you still stood there for ages without moving. I think these two people aren't that important to you. Next time something like this happens, you'd better..."
"Senior Brother." Yu Sui said softly: "Scold me after we leave Three Thousand Divergent Paths."
"Who's scolding you?" Mei Liangyu glared at her fiercely and walked forward.
Yu Sui looked at Senior Brother's angry retreating figure and leisurely followed.
At this moment, she recalled the scene of Mei Liangyu confronting the Divine Wood seed last night.
Senior Brother had hidden the Divine Wood seed.
Senior Brother asked if I would be sad if he died.
Senior Brother avoided my question about going back to divine.
Senior Brother had been acting somewhat abnormal since last night.
Senior Brother concealed the abnormality at Dragon Head, and her Three Thousand Divergent Paths was burned out by Strange Fire.
Mei Liangyu walked out of the sandy ground full of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches characters, standing in the seawater and turning around. Behind him were countless stars and the azure sea.
Yu Sui gently raised her eyes as he turned, her dark pupils reflecting the man's sharp brows, but her heart was very calm.
From Senior Brother's abnormality last night to his concealment just now, Yu Sui could be certain that he knew.