Chapter 259: The Xiang Family Siblings
Chapter 259: The Xiang Family Siblings
Although Shen Yi had experienced illusion formations before, this was the first time he felt dizzy and nauseous from one.
A strong wave of nausea washed over him, causing him to subconsciously take a few deep breaths.
Could it be that the owner of this immortal mansion had to vomit every time they returned?
"Hmm." Shen Yi shook his head and steadied himself.
He then looked forward with a hint of surprise.
He had expected to see a majestic mountain villa or an elegant stone mansion, but he never imagined he would see a towering mountain.
The lush greenery and cool mountain breeze were refreshing.
Aside from the lack of any signs of life, there wasn't much difference between this place and the wild, desolate hills outside.
Could this also be called an immortal mansion?
"Damn it, the teleportation formation must be malfunctioning!"
There were more than ten people nearby, some of them looking around, searching for their companions.
"What's the rush? It doesn't matter which way we go." A cultivator with a golden glow on his body glanced at them coldly, and under his powerful aura, the rest fell silent.
Logically, since they had entered through a formation, they should have been sent to the main hall of the immortal mansion.
Perhaps the formation had malfunctioned due to disrepair, leading to the current situation.
However, for a group of cultivators who came to seek treasures, it didn't matter where they started; they would have to explore everywhere anyway.
It was also a good opportunity to avoid the people from Radiant Light Cave.
"Senior Xiang is right," someone quickly chimed in with a forced smile, but their gaze unconsciously shifted to the woman beside Xiang.
The Xiang family siblings were renowned for their strength, both being Primordial Realm experts, and it was rumored that they were together. Of course, they didn't need to rush; it was easy for them to stand and talk.
"Follow me, everyone." Xiang Tianxiong spoke with a hint of arrogance, not caring about what others thought as he gave orders.
He then turned to look at the distant black-robed youth, hesitated for a moment, and said, "That young friend, I remember you were alone. My sister and I have explored quite a few immortal mansions, so we have some experience. Why don't you join us?"
Although he wasn't as domineering as he was with the others, there was no hint of asking in his tone.
Shen Yi glanced at Qing Hua beside him and noticed that despite her indifferent expression, the foolishness in her eyes was undeniable.
It was clear that she, too, had never encountered a cultivator's immortal mansion before.
"Mmhmm." Shen Yi nodded slightly, not refusing.
It would be best if the other party had some experience, but if not, they could at least be used to scout ahead.
Seeing this, the Xiang siblings exchanged a smile, thinking that it was easier to deal with a silent and well-tempered cultivator.
The rest of the group also showed signs of relief.
If there were only the two Primordial Realm experts from the Xiang family, they wouldn't have had a chance. But with the addition of an outsider who could match their strength, they might be able to benefit from the situation.
At this critical moment, no one was in the mood for idle chatter.
Soon, led by Xiang Tianxiong, they headed towards the mountain's exterior.
Although Primordial Realm experts had the ability to fly, it would consume their essence qi, and in this place, even the slightest difference in strength could mean life or death.
Moreover, flying in the sky would make them an obvious target and attract unnecessary trouble.
Shen Yi followed behind at a steady pace.
However, he felt that his mind had suddenly connected with many other strands of consciousness, some weak and some strong.
He sensed the closest one and stopped in his tracks, slightly distancing himself from the crowd.
After a moment, a large, vibrant red flower caught his eye. Its petals were thick and fleshy, slightly closed.
"This is the Blood Juice Spirit Grass. It's considered a decent treasure outside, but inside a cultivator's immortal mansion, it's treated like common grass, left unattended on the mountain... However, truly valuable items are usually well-guarded and hard to obtain directly."
A handsome, fair-skinned scholar approached, holding a book and a brush, and said with a smile, "Grandmaster, please don't be offended. I just came to broaden my horizons."
"Thank you," Shen Yi said, casually plucking the fleshy flower and tossing it into his storage artifact.
He was actually testing those connections to see if they were related to the treasure-hunting talent he had acquired by accidentally consuming a demon core.
To his surprise, they were indeed connected.
However, these items didn't seem very valuable.
He closed his eyes and focused on the strongest strand of consciousness, realizing that it was in the direction they were heading.
"Guard? What's the usual method?"
The fair-skinned scholar observed his forceful harvesting and couldn't help but chuckle, "I suppose it's to prevent Primordial Grandmasters like you from easily plucking them by setting up formations or puppets."
"..."
Shen Yi opened his eyes but didn't respond.
He had initially thought that with his treasure-hunting talent, he might be able to act alone, but now he wasn't so sure. What if he encountered those flashy things and couldn't just smash through with brute force?
With this in mind, he glanced at the scholar beside him, "You seem to know a lot about these things?"
The scholar blushed, "I know a little, a little."
Shen Yi withdrew his gaze, a plan forming in his mind.
Just then, a cold rebuke came from a distance, "Who told you to wander around?"
Xiang Tianxiong led the group, his eyes fixed on the scholar, and said with displeasure, "You're reckless and don't understand the rules."
"My apologies! It won't happen again."
The scholar quickly nodded in apology, while the others' faces showed slight confusion, clearly understanding that his words were meant for their ears.
As expected, after Xiang Tianxiong finished speaking, he casually glanced at Shen Yi and resumed walking downhill.
"Uh..."
When the group was out of earshot, the scholar nervously clutched his pen and forced a smile, "The Primordial Grandmasters outside are so fierce..."
Outside?
Shen Yi's expression remained calm, and he also began walking.
He continued wandering through the woods with the young scholar, checking out any slightly unusual auras they encountered.
"..."
The young scholar was worried about being scolded, but the Primordial Grandmaster in front of him seemed even more dangerous than the previous one, despite his apparent silence.
He had no choice but to obediently explain the functions of various precious medicines for the other.
His heart was filled with confusion.
Could it be that this young Primordial Grandmaster wasn't worried about others taking the valuable items first?
...
Although they didn't fly through the sky, everyone in the group had cultivated, and it only took half an hour to walk out of the continuous mountain range.
It seemed like a coincidence.
The Xiang siblings led the way, and the route they took was exactly the same as the aura Shen Yi had sensed, without even half a deviation.
Soon, a slope appeared before them.
But the scene below the slope surprised everyone for a moment.
On the ordinary flat ground, there was a ten-zhang-wide "moat" encircling a small medicine lodge.
The liquid flowing in the moat was not water but a bizarre flame wave. It was clearly a fierce fire, yet it flowed like a viscous liquid, distinct from lava.
It resembled a fire dragon coiled within.
A ten-zhang distance was easily traversable, even for a Primordial Grandmaster, let alone a novice martial artist.
However, as the stifling heat wave surged towards them, Xiang Tianxiong didn't hesitate to stop.
He then casually pointed at someone and said, "You go and try."
"Try... what?"
The black-bearded man was taken aback. Once he understood what was being asked of him, his entire face drooped like a bitter gourd.
What a joke! Who knew what strange things might be lurking there?
Moreover, even if he made it across and retrieved something, how could he possibly fit it into his bag?
Xiang Tianxiong didn't say more, but the golden light around his body intensified.
This stance caused the faces of those behind him to change drastically.
"I'll give it a try."
The black-bearded man quickly conceded, cursing inwardly, but he still took a step towards the flame wave.
His body was tense, ready to turn back at any sign of trouble.
He prepared himself and then used all his strength to employ the shifting method, disappearing from his original spot like a gentle breeze.
A ten-zhang distance, a single step.
But when he reappeared, his face was filled with shock and bewilderment.
He materialized above the flame wave, his limbs struggling frantically, but the familiar shifting method was now useless.
His entire aura was sealed, and he could only watch helplessly as he fell.
A fiery inferno swallowed him, and there wasn't even a cry for help before everything returned to calm.
Plop.
The young scholar and Shen Yi each held a snow-white fruit in their hands as they walked up the slope from a distance, just in time to witness this scene.
The scholar dropped his fruit and rushed downhill, "Don't just barge in like that!"
Shen Yi bit into the fruit and chewed slowly.
He glanced at the Xiang siblings.
(End of Chapter)
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