This shout suddenly brought about a change!
"Roar!" A thunderous roar reverberated from a very distant place. Though the source of the sound was far away, the imposing presence within the roar made Xiaokai secretly shudder and think of the king of beasts, a tiger.
"Oh no, what should I do?" Panicked, Xiaokai turned to run, but suddenly, the entire world seemed to undergo a slight distortion at the sound of a "swish," as if a previously rigid curtain had been lifted. All the mist instantly disappeared, and everything became clear before his eyes.
At the sight of this clarity, Xiaokai let out a surprised "Wow."
This space turned out to be incredibly vast. From where he stood, it seemed even wider than the continuous mountains outside the Flowing Clouds Pavilion.
Beneath him, the ground was covered with towering, lush trees, a sight as picturesque as poetry, with a rich green hue that was simply breathtaking. These trees were at least ten times taller and thicker than those on Earth. Looking up, their tops couldn't be seen, and each tree branched out into countless twigs. The gaps between each pair of trees were hundreds of meters apart, forming a forest when seen from afar, but even the spaces between individual trees were enough to accommodate a football field.
The distance Xiaokai had traversed, about a hundred meters, was the equivalent of just half the distance between two trees.
As Xiaokai marveled at this, the ground beneath him trembled violently, and the roar sounded once more, this time from a position much closer than before.
Looking up, Xiaokai saw an enormous monster suddenly emerge from between the giant trees. The creature was at least as tall as a three-story building, with a pair of eyes that resembled two large lamps, glowing green. When it fixed its gaze on Xiaokai, he was filled with terror and remembered the king of beasts: a tiger.
"Oh no, what should I do?" Panicked, Xiaokai turned to run, but suddenly, the entire world seemed to undergo a slight distortion at the sound of a "swish," as if a previously rigid curtain had been lifted. All the mist instantly disappeared, and everything became clear before his eyes.
At the sight of this clarity, Xiaokai let out a surprised "Wow."
This space turned out to be incredibly vast. From where he stood, it seemed even wider than the continuous mountains outside the Flowing Clouds Pavilion.
Beneath him, the ground was covered with towering, lush trees, a sight as picturesque as poetry, with a rich green hue that was simply breathtaking. These trees were at least ten times taller and thicker than those on Earth. Looking up, their tops couldn't be seen, and each tree branched out into countless twigs. The gaps between each pair of trees were hundreds of meters apart, forming a forest when seen from afar, but even the spaces between individual trees were enough to accommodate a football field.
The distance Xiaokai had traversed, about a hundred meters, was the equivalent of just half the distance between two trees.
As Xiaokai marveled at this, the ground beneath him trembled violently, and the roar sounded once more, this time from a position much closer than before.
Looking up, Xiaokai saw an enormous monster suddenly emerge from between the giant trees. The creature was at least as tall as a three-story building, with a pair of eyes that resembled two large lamps, glowing green. When it fixed its gaze on Xiaokai, he was filled with terror and remembered the king of beasts: a tiger.
"Uh, I want to leave!" Another ripple occurred, and in the next moment, Xiaokai found himself back in the room of the Flowing Clouds Pavilion, sweat streaming down his forehead, his face as pale as a sheet.
The Wordless Book lay quietly on the bed, but the third page now seemed to have something it didn't have before.
Xiaokai fixed his gaze and saw four upright dark golden characters: The Gate of World Destruction.
"Sss!" Xiaokai gasped, taking a deep breath. "The Gate of World Destruction. So this is the Gate of World Destruction. Could this be the key to eliminating the Heavenly Demon?"
The first two layers of the Wordless Heavenly Book were sealed with remarkable figures. According to reason, the third layer should have even more value than the first two. But Xiaokai had seen the monsters inside the Gate of World Destruction and knew the immense benefits inside, yet he dared not enter again. He searched his mind and realized that besides Xiaoguan and the four real people constrained by the Heavenly Book, the most powerful people he knew were the six major sects. However, the Wordless Heavenly Book was his highest secret, and he couldn't trust the people of the six major sects. Therefore, he had to settle for the next best thing. The Fox Clan in the Eighteen Gorges was connected to him, but their strength was lacking. As for Senior Sister Xiao Yun, although she was completely trustworthy, she couldn't even defeat Little Xin, let alone be considered powerful.
"Whom should I ask for help?" Xiaokai frowned in thought. "Yao Yuan's Mahjong Array is strong enough, but he is a disciple of Huangshan. Songfeng Daoist must bear a grudge against me for being struck by lightning, and it's unlikely for him to help. Then..."
Suddenly, he had a bright idea and remembered a person. "Right, Qinghong is the best choice!" Xiaokai became excited. "Her Sacred Sandalwood Bead should be equivalent to my Thousand-Year Black Iron Essence. And she's a disciple of the Flowing Cloud Water Pavilion. The Water Pavilion owes me a huge favor this time. As long as I ask Sect Leader Lan for help, she will definitely agree!"
"As for the issue of confidentiality..." Xiaokai smirked. "The little girl is not bad at heart. I will make her take an oath, and I'm sure she will keep it."
Having sorted this out, Xiaokai became impatient. He packed up the Heavenly Book and eagerly ran to the door, pulled it open with a 'swish', and bumped his head as he bent down to go out. With a muffled 'thump', a wave of fragrance hit him.
Startled, Xiaokai quickly raised his head and saw Qinghong, blushing, in front of him. When he glanced down, he saw her perfectly shaped but not large chest right in front of him, exactly where he had just bumped into her.
Xiaokai swallowed nervously and awkwardly said, "I-I'm sorry."
Qinghong, with a bright and charming face, whispered, "It's okay. I'm here to thank Xiaokai gege."
"Thank me?" Xiaokai was puzzled. "Thank me for what?"
Qinghong's sweet smile with a hint of shyness, "Senior Sister said that Xiaokai gege carried me back all the way and helped us open the Sandalwood Box to obtain the Sacred Sandalwood Bead, driving away the Heavenly Demon. Such a great favor should be repaid."
"Oh, that's nothing," Xiaokai said. "Master Lan has already thanked me countless times."
But Qinghong shook her head and with even more shyness, biting her lip, whispered, "Master thanks you. That's Master's business. Thanking you is my own business. Even if Master thanked you ten or eight more times, I... I will definitely thank you myself."
At this point, Xiaokai, no longer a novice, felt a surge of unease at Qinghong's twinkling eyes and soft words. He thought, "Uh-oh, could she be interested in me?"
Qinghong had spit out four or five mouthfuls of blood today, and her injuries were extremely severe. She had returned to the Water Pavilion just moments ago, but she hurried to visit, ostensibly to express gratitude, but in reality, she was looking for an opportunity. If there were no feelings involved, then something would truly be amiss.
Thinking of this, Xiaokai felt inexplicably awkward and couldn't find anything to say.
Fortunately, Qinghong spoke again, "Master said that once the Sect Master is well-rested, she will have me take the Sect Master to discuss matters."
This time, the discussion was not held in the secret room from half a day ago, but in a spacious living room. Apart from Lan Tianyu and the three senior disciples, there were also several middle-aged women present, presumably the management level of the Flowing Cloud Water Pavilion.
Lan Tianyu said, "I discussed with the fellow sect members just now. It is urgent to go to Kunlun to report and seek reinforcements, but the Heavenly Demon is too powerful. My Sword of Nectar, White Dew, and I have already been destroyed, and the other disciples' abilities are insufficient. Apart from the Guardian of the Sect Master and Qinghong's Sacred Sandalwood Bead, we have no way to confront the Heavenly Demon. So, there is no need to send too many people to go to Kunlun this time. Our opinion is that the Sect Master and Qinghong should go together. I wonder if the Sect Master is willing?"
"I don't mind. It's up to you, Sect Leader Lan," Xiaokai said. "But I'm not familiar with the route to Kunlun, and that Kunlun Flying Crane might not recognize me."
"These are not problems," Lan Tianyu smiled. "Qinghong has gone to Kunlun with me. She can lead the way. Later, I will give you an item, with which you should be able to meet Senior Crane."
But Qinghong said, "Master, why don't I stay behind and let Senior Sister accompany Xiaokai gege instead?"
Lan Tianyu was taken aback. "Why?"
By asking Qinghong to accompany Xiaokai, she also had her own intentions. She had long seen through the little girl's thoughts, and since the chosen Sect Master must definitely find someone to cultivate together with at the Flowing Cloud Water Pavilion, it would be best to fulfill the little girl in this way. By making Qinghong accompany Xiaokai on the journey, she also wanted the two of them to develop feelings over time. She hadn't expected that Qinghong would refuse.
Qinghong said, "Master, as you said, the Heavenly Demon is powerful, and we of the Flowing Cloud Water Pavilion have no way to retaliate. If I leave and the Heavenly Demon comes for revenge, what will you do? It's better for me to stay here. With the power of the Sacred Sandalwood Bead, I can still put up a fight."
"Don't worry," Lan Tianyu smiled. "The Heavenly Demon is proud, and since it has issued a declaration to go to Kunlun, it will surely not turn back to the Flowing Cloud Water Pavilion. In addition, we have already discussed that as soon as you go on the road, we will activate the restrictions within the sect, setting up the Water Pavilion's protective treasure, the 'Moon White Wind Clear Great Array', to fully guard against the Heavenly Demon's revenge."
After hesitating for a moment, Qinghong nodded. "Alright."
Xiaokai thought about bringing up the matter of the Gate of World Destruction, but then suddenly thought that they would be alone together on the way to Kunlun, and there would be many opportunities to ask for help. Qinghong was kindhearted and easy to talk to, so he could just ask her directly. There was no need to go to Lan Tianyu. Why go far and neglect what's near?
"Ah, Qinghong, do you think I'm very pitiful?" Xiaokai, sitting in the Seven Treasures Gold Ship, complained to Qinghong. "I've only been at the Water Pavilion for half a day. I came and fought the Heavenly Demon, returned after defeating the Heavenly Demon, didn't even get to sit down properly, didn't even have time to drink a cup of tea, and now I'm rushing to Kunlun. I have a laborious fate!"
Qinghong's eyes flickered. She rolled her eyes at Xiaokai and laughed, "Xiaokai gege, don't feel aggrieved. Master said that with great power comes great responsibility. As a cultivator, one should fulfill their duty to the world. There's no one else who can deal with the Heavenly Demon under heaven. If you're not busy, who else should be?"
"Tsk, don't make me out to be unique," Xiaokai sighed theatrically. "It's just a ploy to make me sacrifice myself, right? Ah, forget it, forget it. Who made me have such weak willpower and follow a beautiful woman up the mountain? Now that I'm on this thieving ship, there's no chance to back out."
Hearing Xiaokai repeatedly praise her beauty, Qinghong couldn't help but blush with delight and shyness, her face lit up. She said, "Xiaokai gege, you don't need to flatter me. Master and the two senior sisters are the universally recognized beauties of the cultivation world. Many people from various sects pursue them."
But Xiaokai shook his head and said with a stern face, "You really talk nonsense. I see that your taste in beauty is seriously off. Clearly, the youngest girl is the real beauty. If she didn't come to ask me, with the other three, I wouldn't even bother."
Qinghong smiled even more, shaking her head. "Xiaokai gege, you don't need to make me happy. Master and the senior sisters are the acknowledged beauties of the cultivation world. If they are just ordinary, then I would be a weed."
"Such lack of discernment!" Xiaokai puffed out his chest and then patted his chest with force, "Attention, please. The man in front of you is a national top-level beauty appraiser. What he says is absolutely authoritative. Even if he says the sky is black, the grass is red, and cows fly in the sky, you should believe it. If he says the youngest senior sister is the most beautiful, then the youngest senior sister is definitely the most beautiful!"
He was intentionally trying to make Qinghong happy. Only when Qinghong was happy would she willingly accompany him to explore the Gate of World Destruction. Seeing Qinghong's smiling face, Xiaokai couldn't help but feel pleased with himself, thinking, "Hehe, it seems that I'm quite talented in picking up girls. It looks like I lost to me, but it's not an injustice."
Hearing Xiaokai repeatedly praise her beauty, Qinghong couldn't help but blush with delight and shyness, her face lit up. She said, "Xiaokai gege, you don't need to flatter me. Master and the two senior sisters are the universally recognized beauties of the cultivation world. Many people from various sects pursue them."
But Xiaokai shook his head and said with a stern face, "You really talk nonsense. I see that your taste in beauty is seriously off. Clearly, the youngest girl is the real beauty. If she didn't come to ask me, with the other three, I wouldn't even bother."
Qinghong smiled even more, shaking her head. "Xiaokai gege, you don't need to make me happy. Master and the senior sisters are the acknowledged beauties of the cultivation world. If they are just ordinary, then I would be a weed."
"Such lack of discernment!" Xiaokai puffed out his chest and then patted his chest with force, "Attention, please. The man in front of you is a national top-level beauty appraiser. What he says is absolutely authoritative. Even if he says the sky is black, the grass is red, and cows fly in the sky, you should believe it. If he says the youngest senior sister is the most beautiful, then the youngest senior sister is definitely the most beautiful!"
He was intentionally trying to make Qinghong happy. Only when Qinghong was happy would she willingly accompany him to explore the Gate of World Destruction. Seeing Qinghong's smiling face, Xiaokai couldn't help but feel pleased with himself, thinking, "Hehe, it seems that I'm quite talented in picking up girls. It looks like I lost to me, but it's not an injustice."
Seeing Xiaokai praise her beauty repeatedly, Qinghong couldn't help feeling shy and happy. She giggled and joked, "Xiaokai gege, you really have no shame in flattering me."
The breeze blew on Qinghong's small face, making her look as lovely and as tempting as a ripe pomegranate, her sweet smile complemented by the floating white clouds and the blue sky above. Xiaokai, seeing this, felt a sense of peace and contentment, drawing in a deep breath and closing his eyes, feeling the serene bliss of the moment.
So the two of them fell silent and laid quietly in the Seven Treasures Gold Ship. After flying for over ten minutes, Xiaokai lazily propped himself up, saying, "Hey, beautiful lady opposite, are you still alive?"
Qinghong quickly got up and rebuked, "What do you mean, 'are you still alive'? Clearly, I'm wide awake."
"Hehe, I want to discuss something with you," Xiaokai said. "Let me ask you, are we flying directly to Kunlun Mountain?"
"Yes," Qinghong nodded. "Don't worry. This gold ship is connected to Master's thoughts and is very spiritual. We don't need to pay attention. It will naturally land on the Kunlun Peak."
"But I don't want to fly directly to Kunlun," Xiaokai said. "Can we stop at a midway point and do something?"
"What should we do?" Qinghong blinked her big eyes. "Is there something more important than going to Kunlun?"
"Uh... yes," Xiaokai thought for a moment and nodded seriously. "We have to do something first, something very important."
Qinghong looked curious, "What is it?"
Xiaokai had a mysterious look and chuckled, "This is something that only the heavens, the earth, you, and I know. We can't let anyone else know. Let's talk about it after we land."
Qinghong's eyes rolled round and suddenly, she seemed a bit shy. "Xiaokai gege, are you talking about... something between us?"
"Yes, that's right," Xiaokai nodded firmly. "Only the two of us can handle this. If you don't help, I can't do it alone. But you have to promise me, absolutely no one can know about this, including your master and senior sister."
Qinghong's expression became even more shy as she said, "Then... then... can we go to Kunlun first, and then do it?"
Xiaokai shook his head and said, "No, I'm in a hurry. I can't be at ease until this matter is resolved. You know, I'm an impatient person. It's not easy for us to be alone together this time. If we don't seize the opportunity now, I'm afraid we won't have such a good chance in the future."
Qinghong's face flushed like blood, she bit her lip and looked hesitant, but with a hint of sweetness in her expression. After hesitating for a few minutes, she hesitantly said, "Xiaokai, I'm really happy that you have this in mind. I think... dealing with the Demon Monster is more important. As for our personal matters... can we talk about them later?"
With a sudden lift of her head, she looked at Xiaokai affectionately and said, "Xiaokai, rest assured, we don't need to hide it from the master, because the master actually intended to betroth me to you."
As she finished speaking, as if she had exhausted all her strength, the little girl blushed deeply and with a soft "whine," buried her small face deeply in Xiaokai's arms.
Xiaokai's mind was filled with thoughts of the mysterious Gate of Destruction from the silent scriptures. Suddenly hearing this completely unexpected conversation, he was completely dumbfounded. After a moment of bewilderment, he said, "What are you talking about? I asked for your help in a fight!"
"Eh?" Qinghong raised her head in bewilderment, "A fight?"
"Yes, a fight!" Xiaokai said. "Oh, it's a long story, let's talk about it later."
Qinghong's expression showed disappointment and confusion again, and she couldn't help saying, "What you said just now..."
"I've been talking about a fight the whole time," Xiaokai said, "Are you willing to help me?"
Qinghong's expression dimmed, and she nodded gently, "Of course."
So they landed, and it was in the lofty mountains and ridges. Looking down from high above, there were no traces of people for miles around. Yet they were not worried about causing a stir. When Qinghong put away the Seven Treasure Golden Ship, Xiaokai took out the silent scriptures and said, "You should recognize this book."
Seeing him push the book toward her, Qinghong subconsciously stepped back and said, "Of course, I dare not touch this book."
"I'm about to show you the highest secret of my Tianxuan Sect," Xiaokai said, "you must not tell anyone."
Qinghong's heart pounded and she knew Xiaokai was not lying. The incident of the silent scriptures displaying power in the Huangshan mountain range had become the most widely spread topic among the disciples of the six major sects. This incident made people suddenly recall that the Tianxuan Sect had been acclaimed as the sect closest to the divine, and the silent scriptures were the treasure passed down through the generations of the Tianxuan Sect. If the Tianxuan Sect was indeed the sect closest to the divine, then the silent scriptures should undoubtedly be the closest thing to a "divine weapon."
Above cultivation, there was the immortal realm, and above the immortal realm was the incomprehensible divine realm. For cultivators who considered ascending to the immortal realm as their highest goal, the term "divine weapon" was absolutely weighty.
Thinking of this, Qinghong suddenly felt a little happy. Xiaokai was willing to share such a secret with her, indicating that he did have some feelings for her. She nodded heavily and said, "You can rest assured, I won't even tell the master."
Xiaokai laughed and spread the book on the ground, flipping to the third page and said, "Look here."
Qinghong fixed her gaze and was indeed startled. "The Gate of Destruction! So the Gate of Destruction is actually here!"
"Yes," Xiaokai said, "but it's very large and filled with many monsters. I don't know what the significance of opening this gate is. If you're not scared, would you accompany me inside to take a look?"
Qinghong became curious and said, "Of course, how do we get in?"
"Wait, let me tell you beforehand," Xiaokai said earnestly, "the monsters inside are very terrifying. After you go in, try using the Agarwood Pearl. If it doesn't work, we should leave immediately and not linger in battle."
Qinghong, serious, said, "You can trust me, I will do as you say."
Only then did Xiaokai reach out and said, "Here, hold my hand."
Qinghong blushed and obediently stretched out her hand. Xiaokai held it and said, "Close your eyes."
Staring at the third page, he silently repeated, "We want to enter, we want to enter." As expected, there was a ripple in the space, and the next moment, the two of them appeared together in a lush green forest.
Opening her eyes, Qinghong couldn't help exclaiming, "What a beautiful scenery!"
Xiaokai nervously looked around, but seeing no monsters, he reminded Qinghong, "Come, try the Agarwood Pearl."
Qinghong nodded and with a clear shout, she threw the Agarwood Pearl.
With a crisp sound, the Agarwood Pearl traced a standard parabolic arc in the air and fell near a large tree about four or five meters away.
Xiaokai's face immediately paled. "It didn't work?"
Qinghong scrunched her brows and shouted again, "Bring out the sword!" With two fingers, she pointed to the sky.
Completely silent, not a single movement was made. The long sword on her back hung obediently in its scabbard, showing no intention of obeying its master.
Xiaokai grew even paler. "The flying sword didn't work either?"
Qinghong swiftly drew her sword, infused it with true energy, and waved it in an attempt to release a sword light. But the sword felt light in her hand, like an ordinary piece of scrap metal, with no response at all.
"This doesn't seem right," Qinghong furrowed her brows. "Xiaokai, it seems that all the true energy and incantations are ineffective in this place."
"I think so too. My precious items have no effect here," Xiaokai said.
Qinghong, being fearless as a newbie, took a few steps forward and said eagerly, "Let's continue forward."
"Don't," Xiaokai hesitated. "There are monsters here..."
Before he finished speaking, the ground suddenly shook under his feet, and there was an earth-shattering roar coming from the forest ahead!