Chapter 166
Chapter 166
At the sea whirlpool opening, Sun Heng recalled all the Sea Fire, and the fire character suspended in mid-air was surrounded by fire lines, then turned into black smoke and dispersed after a moment.
As soon as the Sea Fire was withdrawn, Wu Huaiwei and Leng Rouyin moved simultaneously, flying down toward the sea whirlpool opening. Although Ou Rushuang was a step slower, she arrived at the bottom of Northern Kun City, the Coiling Dragon Stone Cave, at almost the same time.
Sun Heng was somewhat surprised at how quickly these three acted. After learning that outsiders had broken into Taiyi Academy and committed robbery in Northern Kun City, he understood, and nodded to Situ Jin: "The Mechanism School's losses this time will also be Water Vessel's responsibility. I have already recovered all the Sea Fire within Northern Kun City, so it's safe down below."
"Thank you, Elder Sun." Baili Mo stepped forward to express his gratitude and discussed the next course of action with other Mechanism practitioners.
Wei Xizheng stood at the edge of the cave entrance, gazing down for a moment, then disappeared in the blink of an eye. Only Sun Heng remained unhurried, moving together with Baili Mo and the others.
The first three to act, Wu Huaiwei and her companions, made their way to the bottom of Coiling Dragon Stone Cave. They stopped when they encountered water and stood above the Buddha statue, immediately noticing the Ghost Way School Senior Brother and Junior Sister pair who were also standing on the Buddha statue.
Wu Huaiwei covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes darting back and forth between Yu Sui and Mei Liangyu, feigning surprise: "You two, a man and woman alone together in this dark and cold place without clothes, what exactly are you doing?"
Mei Liangyu hadn't been in a hurry to put on his clothes before, but seeing so many people arrive, he properly dressed himself.
When Xing Chun saw Wu Huaiwei, his expression paused, immediately becoming serious as he cupped his hands and bowed: "Director."
Zhongli Shan also bowed respectfully to Leng Rouyin on the other side, standing obediently without going further down.
Leng Rouyin was somewhat surprised to see that Zhongli Shan was also here, raising an eyebrow.
"You're here too?" Wu Huaiwei glanced at Xing Chun. "And wearing Mechanism School clothes, when did you start cultivating Mechanism Arts?"
Xing Chun looked down at his clothes, somewhat embarrassed as he tugged at the corner of his mouth: "Director, this is a long story."
"I'm not interested in you right now." Wu Huaiwei turned her gaze back to the two people below, saying with a half-smile: "Rather, those two below, our Master Chang's prized disciples, what are you doing down there secretly without clothes?"
"The three Saints arrive at just the right time. I just fought with two Thirteenth Realm masters, and suddenly they were swept away by the sea whirlpool." Mei Liangyu looked up at the three, Wu Huaiwei and her companions, his expression unchanged.
Ou Rushuang asked: "You fought with those two? Was one of them Wenyang Zhou?"
"Yes, he was possessed by someone, probably using Buddhist School methods." Mei Liangyu said.
Ou Rushuang asked in a deep voice: "One Buddhist School practitioner, another Ghost Way School practitioner, neither of these two were Military School practitioners, so where did that black Sword Spirit come from?"
"Black Sword Spirit?" Mei Liangyu showed a surprised expression, gently shaking his head to indicate he didn't know. "I haven't seen that before. However, the sea whirlpool suddenly descended just now, I don't know if it's related to the sea whirlpool. We were swept into the sea whirlpool and then thrown into Northern Kun City by it."
Speaking of Sword Spirits, Mei Liangyu's gaze turned toward Zhongli Shan. Wu Huaiwei and the other two also followed his line of sight to look at Zhongli Shan. Suddenly being stared at by three Saints with probing gazes, though Zhongli Shan's expression remained unchanged, his mind was full of question marks.
Seeing Mei Liangyu deliberately glance at Zhongli Shan, Yu Sui couldn't help but admire him in her heart. Senior Brother probably had plenty of experience doing such underhanded things.
"It's not him." Leng Rouyin said flatly. "I've seen his Sword Spirit."
Zhongli Shan looked toward Mei Liangyu, silently asking what was going on.
Mei Liangyu lightly blinked his left eye at him, signaling him not to panic.
"You say you were swept into the sea whirlpool and then sent here by it?" Ou Rushuang asked.
Mei Liangyu said: "I only woke up not long ago."
He looked toward Xing Chun, who then began to explain: "We've been here for almost three days now. Because of those strange fires, we couldn't leave. These two were injured and unconscious, and only woke up recently. Together we figured out a way to borrow the fire to blast through the ice layer below."
After finishing, he added: "That's why we lost our clothes."
Wu Huaiwei said ambiguously: "Quite clever."
Ou Rushuang continued staring at Mei Liangyu and asked: "Since you also know Military School Nine Schools Arts, have you also cultivated a Military School Sword Spirit?"
It wasn't strange that he would ask this. Mei Liangyu's knowledge of multiple Nine Schools Arts wasn't a secret. Due to Saint Chang Gen's influence, people didn't dare openly attack Mei Liangyu to test him, and quite a few Saints had also asked Saint Chang Gen about Mei Liangyu's cultivation, but got no answers.
Mei Liangyu smiled: "My cultivation of Military School Nine Schools Arts isn't a secret, and it hasn't been for a short time. I consider my level quite high. If I could cultivate a Sword Spirit, I would have announced it to the entire Military School long ago."
When he answered, the unintentional arrogance revealed in his eyes and brows made Leng Rouyin frown.
Ou Rushuang and Wu Huaiwei believed him after hearing this.
With Mei Liangyu's carefree and flamboyant style of doing things, if he had really cultivated a Military School Sword Spirit, especially one capable of fighting three Saints without showing signs of defeat, he would definitely have immediately taken his Sword Spirit around the Military School Academy for three to five rounds, challenging everyone he met, and would never hide it.
Zhongli Shan and Xing Chun were still winking at each other, thinking what Sword Spirit, where did a Sword Spirit come from, this kid would be unstoppable if he cultivated a Sword Spirit!
"You seem quite disappointed about not cultivating a Sword Spirit. What a coincidence today, why don't you directly become Sister Rouyin's disciple and focus solely on Military School cultivation until you cultivate a Military School Sword Spirit." Wu Huaiwei enjoyed watching the excitement, pointing her slender jade finger at Leng Rouyin. "With Master Chang's magnanimity, he surely wouldn't blame you for competing with the old man for disciples."
Before Mei Liangyu could answer, Leng Rouyin already said flatly: "Military School Sword Spirits are special Five Elements objects, not something anyone can cultivate. With his talent, cultivating your Yin-Yang School's Star Sea would be better. After all, stellar observation techniques are common with no particular threshold, he would definitely master them skillfully."
When Mei Liangyu heard this, he knew the rest had nothing to do with him. These two Saints didn't get along, and he knew that when they met, they would argue. When Leng Rouyin was provoked into responding to Wu Huaiwei, the two would definitely fight next.
"Calling the Yin-Yang School's Star Sea common stellar observation techniques shows how superficial Sister Rouyin's understanding of the Yin-Yang School is." Wu Huaiwei shook her head and sighed. "No wonder you lose to me every time, unable to harm me in the slightest."
Leng Rouyin's breathing became slightly heavy. She really couldn't stand her anymore. Her long sword was unsheathed half a finger's width, and everyone else only felt a cold flash before their eyes, unable to see anything. They could hear sharp sword cries in their ears, accompanied by brief, fierce roars of some kind of beast, full of威压.
Wei Xizheng arrived just at this moment, flashing down to land on the sitting Buddha, right between Leng Rouyin and Wu Huaiwei. He had just arrived and didn't know the situation. The sword wind coming at him carried sharp killing intent. Without thinking, Wei Xizheng moved to block it.
Legalist School Judgment Art: Break Momentum.
Wei Xizheng formed hand seals with one hand and beckoned forward. The fierce sword wind was forcibly stopped. Within three steps of him, all Nine Schools Arts materialized from Five Elements Energy were under his control.
The forcibly stopped sword wind blew Wei Xizheng's clothes and hair wildly. He looked up at Leng Rouyin opposite him, and hearing Wu Huaiwei's gloating laughter, he understood what was happening.
Wu Huaiwei's mocking tone became even stronger: "Sister Rouyin, since you can't even beat a junior from the Legalist School, don't think about fighting me."
Wei Xizheng was the youngest and lowest in seniority among the Legalist School Saints in Taiyi Academy, so Wu Huaiwei often called him a Legalist junior.
He didn't mind hearing this, but Leng Rouyin couldn't stand it. The sword wind circled around Wei Xizheng and struck toward Wu Huaiwei.
But Wei Xizheng blocked it again.
Leng Rouyin looked over coldly. Wei Xizheng withdrew his hand and arranged his sleeves, saying calmly: "I came to examine the traces left by the sea whirlpool. You can go up and fight."
Wu Huaiwei smiled: "I'm not going. I'd rather stay and watch you study the sea whirlpool."
After saying this, she pointed at Mei Liangyu and Xing Chun and the others: "These few say they were swept into the sea whirlpool and dropped in Northern Kun City by it. Why don't you first check if my student was injured by your people's artificial sea whirlpool."
At the end, she pointed specifically at Xing Chun alone.
Xing Chun felt somewhat flattered. Wei Xizheng actually listened and used Instant Shadow to appear in front of Xing Chun to examine him, confirming whether he was injured.
"Sea whirlpools can be artificially made?" Xing Chun was stunned.
Wu Huaiwei said: "Don't ask about things you shouldn't know."
Xing Chun asked again: "But Director, isn't it said that sea whirlpools devour everything, and being swept into one means certain death?"
Heaven knows how afraid he was at the time!
Wu Huaiwei glanced at Wei Xizheng: "Since it's an artificial sea whirlpool, its power naturally can't compare to a naturally formed sea whirlpool, right?"
Wei Xizheng made an "mm" sound, as if he couldn't hear the mockery in Wu Huaiwei's words.
He was about to help examine Mei Liangyu when Mei Liangyu shook his head and refused, saying he was fine. Wei Xizheng didn't insist. His gaze fell on Yu Sui behind Mei Liangyu, pausing for a moment before saying: "She wasn't sent in by the sea whirlpool."
This statement made Yu Sui freeze, and also made the others look at her. Previously, Wu Huaiwei and the others' attention had been on Mei Liangyu, and they hadn't paid much attention to Yu Sui.
Mei Liangyu's earlier explanation had made Wu Huaiwei and the others assume by default that Yu Sui was also like him, brought into Northern Kun City by the sea whirlpool. Now that Wei Xizheng suddenly said she wasn't, it was puzzling.
Yu Sui hid behind Mei Liangyu, looking timidly toward Wei Xizheng, showing fear of the Saint, along with some poorly concealed curiosity: "How do you know?"
Wei Xizheng didn't answer.
Wu Huaiwei asked him: "How can you tell whether they were sent in by the sea whirlpool? I don't see any difference between them."
Only then did Wei Xizheng explain: "Whether it's a naturally formed sea whirlpool or an artificial one, the center is chaotic Five Elements Energy. That mutually tearing Masterless Energy is hard to dispel. The three people brought to Northern Kun City by the sea whirlpool would more or less be contaminated with the chaotic energy brought out from the sea whirlpool."
"She doesn't have this chaotic energy that only exists in sea whirlpools," Wei Xizheng's calm eyes showed a trace of inquiry when looking at Yu Sui. "Her Five Elements Energy... is too smooth."
The Legalist School excelled at exploring the rules of heaven and earth, and was also best at observing the flow of Five Elements Energy. With such an evaluation from the most talented Saint of the Legalist School, the other Saints could hardly doubt it.
Yu Sui didn't know what Wei Xizheng had seen, but at this moment she more directly felt the difference between Saints and Thirteenth Realm practitioners.
It seemed that if these people investigated a little deeper, all the secrets she had worked so hard to conceal over the years would be completely exposed.
Wei Xizheng was also a Saint participating in the Water Vessel project and researching Strange Fire.
Yu Sui had even prepared for the worst-case scenario.
"Which school's disciple are you?" Wu Huaiwei asked.
Mei Liangyu inconspicuously hid her further behind him and said: "She's my Junior Sister."
"So she's also Master Chang's disciple." Wu Huaiwei smiled sweetly. "Without some talent and ability, how could she catch the old man's eye and be accepted as his disciple."
Leng Rouyin directly asked: "Since you weren't sent here by the sea whirlpool, how did you come to Northern Kun City?"
The two seemed not to care much about Wei Xizheng's words.
Yu Sui said with slight timidity: "I asked Situ Jin to bring me. Because I learned that Senior Brother had gone missing on Mechanism Island, and seeing the abnormal sea whirlpool in the Abyss Sea, I was worried about his safety, so I asked Situ Jin to let me board the Spirit Bird as well and followed to Northern Kun City."
Situ Jin had just said above that Li Jin Shuang was brought by him, and Yu Sui now also said Situ Jin brought her. Wu Huaiwei and the others, with this preconception, didn't suspect too much.
Moreover, she and Mei Liangyu were Senior Brother and Junior Sister, so the excuse of worrying about her Senior Brother's safety couldn't be faulted.
Wu Huaiwei said with little interest: "This young master from the Situ family came to Northern Kun City once, and it's as if he couldn't wait to fill the entire ship with his female companions."
"If you have nothing else to do, hurry up and go wait above." Wu Huaiwei began driving people away. Conversations involving sea whirlpools and Strange Fire couldn't be heard by these academy students.
Yu Sui also wanted to leave quickly. Following her Senior Brother, they used Wind-Riding Techniques to depart. Seeing that Wu Huaiwei and the others didn't pursue Wei Xizheng's words further, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
After driving away these students, Wu Huaiwei looked back at Wei Xizheng: "Now you can search quietly."
Ou Rushuang surveyed the Coiling Dragon Stone Cave, then looked down at the still boiling underground river after a moment: "Since it's Water Vessel's artificial sea whirlpool, were the two outsiders who broke into Northern Kun City taken away by Water Vessel?"
"No." Wei Xizheng said. "Water Vessel's artificial sea whirlpool is for finding the Returning Void Eye and replicating Strange Fire, not for transportation."
Ou Rushuang turned to look at him, surprised: "You mean the sea whirlpool transported them?"
"It can be done." Wei Xizheng was also examining the underground river water below, staring intently. "It's just that currently no one can master the ability of sea whirlpool transportation."
Ou Rushuang asked again: "Can it also transport people from the Abyss Sea to waters outside Taiyi Academy?"
Wei Xizheng said: "Theoretically, yes."
The Coiling Dragon Stone Cave fell quiet for a moment. Ou Rushuang's expression became serious: "Since those two dared to use sea whirlpool transportation, they must be confident they can do it. If the sea whirlpool can be used to enter and exit Taiyi Academy, this is a big matter. We must find these two people and clarify the sea whirlpool transportation issue."
Yu Sui, who was eavesdropping through the Five Elements Light Cores, saw through Ou Rushuang's thoughts at a glance. He simply wanted to master the ability of sea whirlpool transportation to more conveniently transport Lan Corpse out of Taiyi Academy.
Yu Sui looked up toward Mei Liangyu, who was ahead talking with Xing Chun and Zhongli Shan.
Senior Brother already knew of a way to leave Taiyi Academy that could bypass Master.
Leng Rouyin said: "First investigate how these two came to Taiyi Academy."
"Since people know sea whirlpool transportation, how do you plan to investigate?" Wu Huaiwei grabbed one end of her red silk, transforming it into a chair shape and lazily leaning back to sit.
Leng Rouyin didn't even look at her: "If you're afraid of trouble and don't want to investigate, then shut up."
"Sister Rouyin," Wu Huaiwei supported her chin with one hand and looked over, "why are you getting worked up?"
Leng Rouyin drew her sword. When the sword energy swept toward Wu Huaiwei, it also shattered the Five Elements Light Core that Yu Sui had left behind.
Yu Sui was helpless. She didn't dare place the light core too close to the Saints, and when placed farther away, when Saints fought, it could only meet the fate of being innocently destroyed.