Chapter 90
"You can't go." Mei Liangyu said indifferently. "You've already been to Ye Pool and obtained Heavenly Mechanism Arts. You can't return to Dragon Throat Mountain, only to Dragon Belly."
Although she could still return to Dragon Belly, she couldn't eliminate any disciples, otherwise it would be unfair to others.
Yu Sui hadn't thought of this point.
Mei Liangyu naturally changed the topic, turning to leave: "The Taoist School side is also quite active. You can go to Dragon Belly and see if you can encounter Divine Calculator Xue."
Hearing the title "Divine Calculator Xue" come from Senior Brother's mouth made Yu Sui feel chilled to the bone. Something was wrong everywhere.
Yu Sui watched him walk farther and farther away. After hesitating, she still asked: "Senior Brother, where are you going?"
"Dragon Throat Mountain." Mei Liangyu replied without turning back.
Junior Sister had quite a few scheming thoughts and small movements. Since she said she wanted to be alone, he'd let her be alone.
Continuing to follow and watch her might not necessarily be good for Junior Sister either.
After the incident in Three Thousand Divergent Paths where Strange Fire clashed with ancient dragon power, she should also know how dangerous Dragon Slaying Cave was and would be more cautious.
Yu Sui watched Mei Liangyu leave Dragon Head. She released a Five Elements Light Core to follow Mei Liangyu, seeing him exit Dragon Head and stand atop Dragon Throat Mountain. Outside, brilliant light burst forth, it was already a new day.
Mei Liangyu stood in place as if contemplating for a moment, then determined his direction and departed with Wind-Riding Techniques.
Yu Sui rubbed her eyes. She knew that even returning to the mountain valley wouldn't let her see the Divine Wood seed. She just wanted to test Senior Brother's reaction again.
Senior Brother asked if she would be sad if he died.
He must have seen his own death in the Divine Wood seed's divination.
But what does this have to do with me?
Or was he just asking casually to change the subject?
The person who had always been confident he could help her pass Three Thousand Divergent Paths had instead induced her to give up when she was actually about to challenge it, and then triggered the ancient dragon's power in Dragon Slaying Cave. He must have anticipated this to speak that way.
No matter how she looked at it, Senior Brother knew. Otherwise, why would he lie to cover for her in front of the two Saints?
With Senior Brother's style, he indeed wouldn't casually tell others, but he would definitely tell Master.
Perhaps he wanted to leave such troublesome matters for Master to handle, letting Master make the decision.
Yu Sui looked in the direction where Mei Liangyu had disappeared, suddenly recalling scenes from Military Formation: Dragon Fish and the cliff cave. Some things, once connected to Strange Fire, would become different.
And their time together was indeed short.
Senior Brother might feel a trace of pity for her situation, but compared to Strange Fire destroying the world, this pity was truly insignificant.
Yu Sui's long black eyelashes trembled lightly. In an instant, she restrained all emotions and left Dragon Head.
……
Dragon Slaying Cave sent her from Dragon Head to a transmission point at Dragon Belly's Twelfth Section. Since it was random transmission and currently only she and Xue Mushi had been to Ye Pool, there was no one around.
Yu Sui opened the map to find Xue Mushi's location, discovering he was at another transmission point, so she hurried to find him.
Since he could transmit out from Dragon Head, it meant it was a false alarm.
Yu Sui emerged from the transmission array to see Xue Mushi squatting at the cave entrance watching ants move house. The ant procession formed a black line on the ground. Xue Mushi watched with rapt attention, only turning back when he sensed someone approaching.
Ahead was still an endless forest with a river beside the mountain cave.
Under the shade of green trees, ant colonies carrying leaf fragments or food scraps were trying to figure out how to cross the river.
Yu Sui walked to his side and said: "Was there commotion on your side during the trial?"
Xue Mushi nodded, showing an expression of false alarm: "The ancient dragon power remaining in Dragon Slaying Cave suddenly appeared, seeming to sense Strange Fire, but it disappeared quickly. When patrolling Saints rushed over, because I have Yin-Yang curse marks on me, they mistakenly thought it was the Yin-Yang curse marks causing the power fluctuation."
This was truly fortunate within misfortune.
In the past, Yu Sui would have asked what kind of Yin-Yang curse marks could convince two Saints, but now she felt this wasn't important either. It was definitely given by Xue Mushi's Yin-Yang School Saint Maiden fiancée, and she didn't want to ask about it even more.
"Was your side smooth?" Xue Mushi asked her.
If the ancient dragon could sense Strange Fire's existence, her side wouldn't have been easy either.
Yu Sui said: "I got through it. Elder Zhu from the School of Names has a good relationship with my father, so he won't pursue it too much."
After vaguely answering the key point, she brought up another topic: "I've finished with Ye Pool. We should think of ways to solve the Floating Pagoda problem."
Xue Mushi suggested: "Let's see if Gu Qian can obtain it. Should we go wait at the School of Names' Xiaoyao Pool first?"
Yu Sui also squatted on the ground to watch the ants move house, answering casually: "He just reached the Twelfth Section. Let's wait until he goes to Xiaoyao Pool first before we go."
Xue Mushi stared at her blankly: "How do you know?"
Yu Sui also looked back puzzled: "Because I know the positions of most disciples in Dragon Slaying Cave."
Xue Mushi's expression became even more conflicted as he asked again: "How do you know?"
Yu Sui's expression hesitated for a moment: "Didn't I mention this before?"
You didn't!
Xue Mushi looked at her admiringly: "You only said you could alter Dragon Slaying Cave's terrain. You didn't say you could also see other disciples' positions."
Yu Sui made a sound of acknowledgment, saying lazily: "I thought you were smart enough to guess."
Xue Mushi felt that Nangong Sui seemed different somehow, but couldn't put his finger on it.
Both squatting at the cave entrance watching ants move house, Xue Mushi actively asked: "I was thinking earlier, since Gu Qian arranged for people to wait at Dragon Tail, having someone carry the Floating Pagoda from Dragon Belly's Twelfth Section back to Dragon Tail would also be very risky. If so, he wouldn't need to specifically have people wait at Dragon Tail, he could just have the people at the Twelfth Section take it back directly."
Yu Sui blinked without expression: "Mm-hmm."
Xue Mushi continued: "Could it be that he has a way to directly transmit things to Dragon Tail?"
Yu Sui rolled her eyes.
Xue Mushi, not very confident, still said: "From what you said, Dragon Tail also has more than one transmission point, but he had people choose a fixed location."
"If things can be directly transmitted to Dragon Tail, then us keeping watch at Xiaoyao Pool would be a loss. We need to send someone back to Dragon Tail."
After listening, Yu Sui slowly took out her Wind-Listening Ruler, saying casually: "I'll have Wei Ren go."
"How will you tell Wei Ren?" Xue Mushi felt every step Yu Sui took was unexpected, shocking him greatly.
Yu Sui said concisely: "Send a message."
Xue Mushi: "Doesn't Dragon Slaying Cave restrict Wind-Listening Rulers?"
Yu Sui still said carelessly: "It restricts what it restricts. I send what I send."
The implication was: I'll send if I want to. It can't stop me.
Xue Mushi stared at Yu Sui in disbelief: "But, but will Wei Ren agree?"
Yu Sui's finger lightly tapped the character grid, the Wind-Listening Ruler's pale green light reflecting in her cool eyes: "If Wei Ren can't handle even this kind of thing, then he's useless. If he's useless, he'll die faster."
If Wei Ren's learning of Agricultural School forbidden techniques was exposed, he would first be killed by the academy's Agricultural School Saints and many Thirteenth Realm instructors.
On Lady Su's side, if his betrayal of Ji Shuyan was exposed, he would be killed by Agricultural School organization people.
If he couldn't think of a way to separate Breath Soil and couldn't help, he would be killed by Yu Sui.
Wei Ren's situation wasn't much better than World Destroyers.
While Xue Mushi was shocked by her methods, he finally became certain that Wei Ren was completely controlled by Nangong Sui. Although everyone knew some of each other's secrets, these secrets were completely different levels compared to Strange Fire.
Yu Sui was no longer sure what would happen after leaving Dragon Slaying Cave, but it would probably be destruction. Since that was the case, she didn't want to continue being burdened by hiding and concealing. Rather than hiding and making herself afraid, it was better to make others more afraid.
……
Wei Ren had long since returned to the academy to recover from his injuries.
Blackbeard packed him a large pile of precious medicinal materials and elixir pills because Yu Sui had said to heal him properly.
Staying in the Outer City too long might lead to troublesome encounters. Returning to the academy was safer.
Wei Ren didn't join the excitement of the Dragon Slaying Cave challenge either. With Mei Liangyu absent, he enjoyed having the dormitory to himself, very happily.
He didn't need to go to the medical hall either. The densely packed pill medicines in his palm were all swallowed in one gulp. He prepared his own medicine for application, and for places on his back he couldn't reach, he had his Ghost Armor Sky Spider pull silk threads to help.
When hungry, he had the academy dining hall deliver food to his door, only needing to pay extra for food costs.
Wei Ren felt he had finally lived some comfortable days.
He lay down on his bed, emptying his mind of all thoughts. The Ghost Armor Sky Spider hung upside down beside his bed, swaying left and right. The Wind-Listening Ruler placed at his bedside buzzed noisily.
Wei Ren ignored it.
Probably another instructor calling him to attend class. His injuries weren't healed yet, too lazy to go. Letting the instructor see his ghostly appearance would lead to more questions and nagging for half the day.
Wei Ren drooped his eyelids and turned over, knowing Yu Sui had entered Dragon Slaying Cave and that Wind-Listening Rulers couldn't be used in Dragon Slaying Cave, so he completely didn't think in that direction.
He closed his eyes, continuing his happy recuperation.
Wei Ren's only thought now was: Mei Liangyu better not come back too soon.
……
After Yu Sui confessed to Xue Mushi, she openly played with her Wind-Listening Ruler in front of him, chatting with Zhongli Que through messages.
Xue Mushi initially asked her some curious questions about this, but his focus was still on the Floating Pagoda. Though amazed by Yu Sui's personal abilities, he didn't delve too deeply.
"Wei Ren probably doesn't know what the Floating Pagoda is." Xue Mushi pondered.
Yu Sui said: "He can know what the Floating Pagoda is, but it's better he doesn't know what Heavenly Character Text can do."
"His cultivation was destroyed by you, reduced to First Realm, and his Five Elements Light Core is also damaged. Can he obtain things from Class A Students?" Xue Mushi was somewhat worried.
But Yu Sui waved the Wind-Listening Ruler in her hand: "I'll help too. Although Wei Ren has been reduced to First Realm, his Agricultural School beast control abilities don't seem to decrease accordingly. At least his most formidable Ghost Armor Sky Spider won't. He was the most outstanding and talented person in his organization after all. He should have some methods."
After hearing this, Xue Mushi had some more confidence in Wei Ren.
Because of the uncontrolled future after leaving Dragon Slaying Cave, Yu Sui's obsession with obtaining Floating Pagoda fragments wasn't as strong as before. After all, she might have her identity exposed and die within two days of leaving. But she also didn't want Gu Qian to obtain it. Rather than let Gu Qian have it, it would be better to give it to Xue Mushi.
Yu Sui tapped the character grid, her expression pausing slightly as she asked Xue Mushi softly: "Was Gao Tianhao really discovered by my Master?"
Xue Mushi nodded: "Indeed so."
He glanced at Yu Sui, seeing she didn't show sad expressions because of his answer, feeling slightly relieved in his heart. For a moment, he didn't know what to say. If he wanted to comfort her, she didn't seem to need it.
Yu Sui naturally started a new topic: "I just thought of something. Since Dragon Slaying Cave can use Number Mountains to create so many artificial landscapes, can it also create a new 'Floating Pagoda'? Making a fake one that can fool them would be enough. Otherwise, as soon as they leave Dragon Slaying Cave, they'll discover the item is missing. Then all the disciples at Dragon Tail will be suspected, and Wei Ren won't be able to escape easily."
Xue Mushi's eyes rarely brightened: "That's possible, but can a fake be made?"
Yu Sui tilted her head at him: "I don't know what it looks like. Can you draw? Draw it so I can see."
Xue Mushi: "I can."
He nodded confidently but said: "But there's no paper or pen."
The two people squatting at the cave entrance watching ants move house looked at each other for a moment, then silently stood up to intercept other disciples attempting the trials, searching for paper and pen.
There were still many days until the fifteenth. They had plenty of time to prepare.
Yu Sui asked Xue Mushi what kind of disciples would bring paper and pen into Dragon Slaying Cave. Xue Mushi was very honest and not good at lying, so he said he didn't know.
They used Number Mountains to alter terrain and formations to rob quite a few disciples. Yu Sui was responsible for trapping people in formations until they fainted, while Xue Mushi was responsible for searching them. If they found no paper and pen, they'd switch to the next target.
After searching more than ten people like this, from day until night, they finally found a record book and charcoal pen that a Medical School disciple carried with him.
Near the transmission point close to the flower sea, surrounded by dense flowers and grass, blue, white, purple, and black small flowers crowded together. The Medical School disciple lay unconscious in the flower sea while Yu Sui looked down at him.
He was a young man who looked about her age, didn't seem very capable, but looking at the Medical School knowledge recorded in his book, you could tell he was very dedicated and hardworking.
Yu Sui looked toward Xue Mushi, who was sitting in the flower sea drawing seriously with his pen. He also looked very focused, so Yu Sui didn't interrupt.
Yu Sui had been using Soul Control Level Two, monitoring Mei Liangyu's side through her Five Elements Light Core.
Senior Brother had joined up with Zhongli Shan and the others during the day. After briefly exchanging information, they had started fighting due to nearby poisonous insect attacks and attacks from other disciples.
They had been fighting almost all day. The disciples who could reach Dragon Throat Mountain all had some abilities. Mei Liangyu wasn't as relaxed as when he was leading her.
After Mei Liangyu left Dragon Head and returned to Dragon Throat Mountain, his Five Elements Energy continued draining. At this moment, as night had just fallen, they followed the stream into the mountain valley, seeing Military Formation puppets leaping from the stream, different from when he had walked with Yu Sui.
Could even Military Formation puppets be affected by Strange Fire?
Mei Liangyu stared at the stream full of fallen flowers, deep in thought.
Nian Qiuyan, walking ahead, turned back to see he hadn't moved yet, so he came over and put his arm around his shoulder to bring him forward, saying: "Let's go."
"Are your Technical Arts School Divine Wood seed divinations accurate?" Mei Liangyu suddenly asked.
Nian Qiuyan was stunned, and Yu Sui was also stunned, not expecting Senior Brother to ask so directly.
"Divine Wood seeds at that level are decent. Divination also requires precise intent. When there's no warning or clear intent for divination, all kinds of things can appear. You could say it's accurate, or you could say it's not accurate."
Mei Liangyu said with an unchanged expression: "I divined with a clear intent as the premise."
Nian Qiuyan looked at him in surprise, then the laughter in his voice deepened: "Mei Mei, haven't you heard our Technical Arts School curse, that people who seek divination from Divine Wood seeds will become a Divine Wood tree in their next life?"
Mei Liangyu sneered: "What I become in the next life has nothing to do with what happens now."
Nian Qiuyan withdrew his hand from his shoulder, saying slowly: "We're very cautious, believing this curse is real. Even if a Divine Wood seed were in front of me, I wouldn't seek divination from it."
After pausing, he looked at Mei Liangyu with one eye open and one closed: "Where is the Divine Wood seed?"
Mei Liangyu said carelessly: "Don't know."
Nian Qiuyan: "Didn't you seek divination from it?"
Mei Liangyu lied without batting an eye: "No."
"Should I believe this or not?" Nian Qiuyan stroked his chin. "If you become a Divine Wood tree in your next life, what will we do? I don't want to be a Technical Arts School disciple in my next life."
Mei Liangyu walked forward, saying leisurely: "Then in your next life, set me on fire and burn me up. I'm in a hurry to get to the life after next."
Nian Qiuyan laughed upon hearing this, asking as they walked: "Did you divine some thorny problem? Tell me about it. Maybe there's still a solution. Divination also has two extremes: one type you can't change no matter what, another type you can change once you see it. Which type are you?"
Mei Liangyu didn't answer.
Yu Sui saw their group leave the mountain valley directly without lingering.
She was still pondering Nian Qiuyan's mention of the two extreme types of divination when she suddenly heard Xue Mushi say: "Done."
That was quick.
Yu Sui glanced over. Xue Mushi was holding up the book with the drawing paper facing her.
White paper, black drawing, a very striking contrast.
Squares were square, circles were circular, very standard, but connected together, you couldn't tell what this thing on paper was supposed to be.
Yu Sui looked at the drawing, then at the honest Xue Mushi. Her eyelid twitched as she said with an expressionless face: "You said you could draw."
Xue Mushi felt some oppressive pressure seeing Yu Sui show this kind of expression for the first time, not quite daring to look at her.
"This is what it looks like." Xue Mushi said stubbornly.
Yu Sui looked down at him, her index finger lightly sliding across the page. With a tearing sound, she tore out this page, folded it, then tore it into pieces in front of Xue Mushi, burning it with Celestial Fire.
Xue Mushi: "......"
……
Xue Mushi returned the paper and pen to the Medical School disciple, hanging his head as he followed Yu Sui away.
Yu Sui walked through the flower sea, sending messages to Wei Ren who still hadn't responded.
The lightly sleeping Wei Ren was awakened by the Wind-Listening Ruler's buzzing sound. He pressed his brow, keeping his eyes closed, his expression showing faint impatience as he reached for the Wind-Listening Ruler.
Couldn't this instructor go nag other disciples?
Wei Ren struggled to open his eyes, bringing the Wind-Listening Ruler before him. He saw Nangong Sui's inscription interface constantly jumping, sending him the same character: "?"
"......"
Nangong Sui?
Wei Ren's pupils dilated as he immediately sat up in bed.