Gu Hai and Long Wanyu quickly weaved through the forest while riding immortal cranes.
Although Army Breaker could hear the two, he did not notice them at all. It was just like when one stood on a city gate tower and watched one hundred million people moving around. How could one pay attention to all their faces despite being able to see them?
“According to the information Sima Changkong gave me, based on the time his scouts vanished after entering the foggy region, Mister Dongfang should be in that direction,” Gu Hai said as he pointed into the distance.
“Then, why are we not hurrying over?” Long Wanyu said.
“Long Wanyu, remember this: we are not going to fight. We are going there to talk to Mister Dongfang. As long as he is not unreasonable, there should not be any problems with talking. When the time comes, watch your attitude. After all, we are there to ask for help,” Gu Hai emphasized.
“I know,” Long Wanyu said impatiently.
Gu Hai showed a faint bitter smile. Perhaps it was wrong to bring Long Wanyu this time.
Rumble…!
Suddenly, strong gusts of wind blew above the two’s heads.
“So many bronze statues!” Long Wanyu exclaimed as she looked into the sky.
“Hurry. It will be more problematic once ‘Miserable World’ starts playing,” Gu Hai said.
Coo! Coo!
The two immortal cranes let out drawn-out cries and immediately rushed into the distance, charging into the foggy area.
There were not many human subordinates in Army Breaker’s camp, so Gu Hai and Long Wanyu easily infiltrated it.
Army Breaker stood on top of a mountain and looked coldly at the distant Southern Suppression City.
“Long Shenwu? Your army is finally willing to come and fight with me, no longer cowering in the city?” Army Breaker said as pride flashed in his eyes.
During this time, Army Breaker alone managed to pin down the Southern Suppression Army in Southern Suppression City; no one dared to come out. Such an accomplishment already made Army Breaker very proud.
Boom!
The one million bronze statues flew to the outskirts of Southern Suppression City and arranged themselves in orderly rows. The surging auras of peak Nascent Soul Realm cultivators erupted, kicking up surging dust clouds.
The expressions of the soldiers that left the city changed. After all, the memory of the previous battles was still fresh. Even now, their comrades in arms remained blind and deaf.
Army Breaker showed disdain on his face. He was about to continue disparaging Long Shenwu when a voice suddenly rang out.
“Ha! A defeated foe learned to be cocky?” A smug voice came from Southern Suppression City’s city gate tower.
Army Breaker raised his eyebrows. Then, he said with a sullen expression, “Ensnaring Performance, it’s you? I was wondering why Long Shenwu hunkered down in his city. So, he went to Gu Hai for help? Ensnaring Performance, are you here to die?”
The voices of the two heaven-grade zithers naturally had an extremely strong penetrative quality to them. Their conversation was audible even from afar.
“Here to die? You must be joking, right? Army Breaker, we have competed twice so far. How many times have you defeated me? You are just a defeated foe, and you dare to be arrogant?” Ensnaring Performance said with disdain.
“When have we competed?” Army Breaker asked coldly.
“Isn’t that so? The first time, your ‘Breaking a Revolution’ lost to my ‘Ambush from Ten Sides.’ The second time, we competed with our music. Didn’t you lose to me then?” Ensnaring Performance said smugly.
“What nonsense! Who competed with you in music? You fool, to think that you even dare to mention music. Do you believe when I kill you, I will leave you without a corpse?” Army Breaker immediately retorted in frustration.
When others heard Ensnaring Performance’s song, they said it was terrible. However, Army Breaker’s sensitivity to sound was a hundredfold—a thousandfold—stronger than ordinary people’s. Furthermore, Army Breaker had felt anticipation and prepared to listen to Ensnaring Performance’s song with all his heart. Unexpectedly, Ensnaring Performance’s song was not even in tune. The stark contrast to Army Breaker’s expectations nearly caused Army Breaker’s musical sense to crumble. Even now, that demonic sound still lingered in Army Breaker’s ears. Every time he recalled it, he could not help shuddering.
Ensnaring Performance actually shamelessly took this as glory? Could such a fool defeat me?
“Also, there are these zither puppets. These are just my leftovers from the Silver Moon Sea. I don’t want them anymore, but you took them in and used them?” Ensnaring Performance disdainfully eyed the one million zither puppets.
Army Breaker: “…”
What do you mean by your leftovers? You did indeed previously control these one million zither puppets. However, their masters changed already. They are now my soldiers, not your leftovers.
“You can’t out-compete me, but you like copying me. How about I teach you to sing then? I have recently composed several classics!” Ensnaring Performance called out.
This slightly startled Army Breaker. He suddenly found that he could not keep up with Ensnaring Performance’s thoughts. Are his thoughts always that random?
“Who wants to learn to sing from you? Scram! Just die! I’m not learning from you, you fool! Zither puppets, attack!” Army Breaker shouted in rage and depression.
——
Rumble…!
Rumbling came from the distance. Gu Hai and Long Wanyu had already reached the lifespan ritual array.
The two knew this because the soul seeds that they brought suddenly trembled and seemed to send a strange energy into the two’s bodies that jolted them alert.
“The lifespan ritual array? Have we arrived? Be careful!” Gu Hai whispered.
“Hey, is there a sound barrier here? We can’t hear what is happening outside?” Long Wanyu marveled.
“Perhaps it is to prevent the zither music from causing collateral damage to Mister Dongfang.” Gu Hai shook his head.
“Let’s continue on,” Gu Hai said to the immortal crane.
Coo! Coo!
The two immortal cranes immediately headed in.
“The information about my mother’s souls is in there?” Long Wanyu’s gaze turned determined.
Buzz!
Suddenly, Long Wanyu shuddered. Then, a faint blue light appeared in her right eye.
The demonic phantom’s voice rang out. “A greatly ominous sign. Lass, you can’t go in. This is a greatly ominous sign.”
However, only Long Wanyu could hear the demonic phantom’s voice. Gu Hai did not notice anything strange as he flew in front.
Long Wanyu raised her eyebrows and bit her lips.
“Young lass, turn back immediately! This is a greatly ominous sign, a very intense one. This will lead to death! Hurry up and leave! Hurry!” the demonic phantom called out.
Long Wanyu appeared extremely unsightly as she bit on her lip.
“What are you doing? Lass, what’s wrong? Hurry up and return!” the demonic phantom exhorted anxiously.
“Demonic phantom, I recall that you said while I can predict the future, the future is not set. As long as I work hard, I can change the future,” Long Wanyu said sullenly.
Of course, only the demonic phantom could hear her voice.
“What? Young lass, you still have not learned to walk, yet you want to run? You even want to change the future? Head to the auspicious and avoid the ominous. The ominous can only be avoided, not changed. Even I do not dare to say I can change the future. You…you are far from that level. Quickly leave!” the demonic phantom said anxiously.
“I’m not leaving. Information about my mother is in there. I must obtain it. I do not have a single family member left in this world. Elder Sister is gone. I miss my mother. I miss my mother!” Long Wanyu said with bloodshot eyes.
“What a disgrace! Young lass, don’t go. I beg you, alright? I’ll kneel to you. Sob! Sob! If you die, I will die too. Crap! Why am I so unlucky? Why did I end up possessing an ignorant lass like you? Heaven, are you messing with me? Sob! Sob! Sob!” the demonic phantom cried in despair.
However, Long Wanyu did not dare.
Just then, Gu Hai turned his head and said, “Long Wanyu, since you are a seer, do pay attention. If we encounter greatly ominous signs, let me know.”
“Don’t worry. This is a greatly auspicious situation at the moment,” Long Wanyu said.
Gu Hai nodded. Then, he urged on the immortal crane and flew deeper into the fog.
“Lass, this is a sin. You not only sought death for yourself but even dragged me in. However, dragging me in is not enough; you even want to implicate Gu Hai? Are you taking revenge on Gu Hai?” the demonic phantom said in despair.
However, Long Wanyu ignored the demonic phantom.
Boom!
The two charged through a foggy region and soon arrived in the lifespan ritual array.
“Ah! Save me!”
“Don’t refine me! I am a Ying Royal Dynasty general! His Majesty will not refine me!”
“I don’t want to become fertilizer! I don’t!”
“Save me!”
Miserable wails suddenly rang out.
Before Gu Hai could see anything clearly, the immortal cranes they rode on let out miserable shrieks.
Screech!
The two immortal cranes suddenly turned into a pool of blood after letting out miserable shrieks.
Bang!
Gu Hai and Long Wanyu fell to the ground. However, the soul seeds had protected them. Black streaks hung in the air, and cold winds continuously blew. The cold, black winds had melted the two immortal cranes.
“Long Wanyu?” Gu Hai looked at Long Wanyu.
“Greatly auspicious! Greatly auspicious!” Long Wanyu immediately called out.
This slightly startled Gu Hai. Greatly auspicious?
The two saw a large ghost pool nearby with countless souls screaming in horror in it. These souls all showed malevolent expressions as boundless flames burned them. There was also a lid of energy above the ghost pool, stewing these millions of souls like they were in a pot. No matter how miserably they cried, no one responded.
A white foggy region above seemed to hide something. A childlike figure in white stood on a nearby tall platform, forming hand seals and doing something to the pool.
“Is this really a greatly auspicious situation?” Gu Hai looked at Long Wanyu with uncertainty.
“Yes. It is an extremely greatly auspicious situation,” Long Wanyu said with a stiff expression.
“Greatly auspicious, my ass! This is greatly ominous, extremely greatly ominous! Gu Hai, quickly flee with Long Wanyu! Damn! You can’t hear my voice. Why am I so unlucky?” the demonic phantom shouted in despair.
When Gu Hai saw Long Wanyu’s stiff expression, he raised his eyebrows.
Unfortunately, it was all too late already. A voice suddenly came from that tall platform.
“Hehehehehehe! To think that there are two unwelcome guests! Hehehe! You actually remained safe in my ritual array. Who are the two of you?” the white-clad childlike figure suddenly called out in surprise.
“Gu Hai greets Mister Dongfang!” Gu Hai said gravely.
“Gu Hai? Oh? Isn’t that the fellow who has been causing the Ying Royal Emperor a headache? Are you really Gu Hai?” Mister Dongfang exclaimed.
“Yes. It is truly me. I apologize for intruding,” Gu Hai said with a bitter smile.
“Hehehehehe! That’s not a problem. Truly as the saying goes, one travels far and wide looking for something, only to find it underfoot. Boy, you are really bold. To think that you dare to barge into my ritual array. Excellent. Very excellent. Very excellent, indeed. Hehehe! What about the lass?” Mister Dongfang said with some joy on his face.
“I am Long Wanyu,” Long Wanyu said.
“Long Wanyu? Oh? The Qian Heavenly Dynasty’s Long Wanyu? Hehehehehe! What a rare guest! Your presence brings light to my humble dwelling. Hehehehe!” Joy filled Mister Dongfang’s voice.
Long Wanyu’s right eye twitched wildly.
“It’s over. This greatly ominous sign is already causing your right eye to twitch. This is bad. This is really bad. Sob! Sob! Sob! I’m truly unlucky!” the demonic phantom said in despair.
