Chapter 242: The Mystery of the Gems, Gathering of the Star Palace Lords

Listening to Ye Luobaihua’s words, Liu Yi nodded. Indeed, there were always strange things in this Sixth Peak—such as no birds visible in the forest, and the clouds above remaining undispersed for long periods, preventing sunlight from reaching inside. Now, thanks to Mingyue Wuxin’s movement technique, they had arrived at this dark cave again. There seemed to be wind inside, indicating some exit might exist. After all, they were still on the Sixth Peak, so it was time to continue searching. However, after fighting Su Shao, Liu Yi realized he was in serious trouble. If he wasn’t careful, he might never be able to complete the curse of the Lotus of the Other Side.

As Liu Yi moved forward, the others followed deeper into the cave. It was dark there, but with the help of their spiritual energy, they could still make out the surroundings. The cave grew wider as they went. After walking for an unknown distance and time, they gradually heard the sound of dripping water, along with a damp atmosphere that made them slow down.

As they continued forward, occasional splashing sounds came from deeper within. Mingyue Wuxin listened carefully and said while walking, “From the sound, it seems like a waterfall. There must be one not far ahead.”

Liu Yi nodded, listening to the sound as they moved forward. Gradually, the sound became clearer. When they reached the front, they indeed saw a waterfall resembling a curtain, falling vertically. Sunlight seemed to shine through, making the waterfall appear especially beautiful.

At that moment, a voice came from outside the waterfall. It was hoarse but strong. Even with Liu Yi’s cultivation level, it would have been impossible to hear that voice without such a waterfall. The voice said casually, “I didn’t expect to meet Lord Lei here. I wonder if it’s luck or bad fortune. It seems Lord Lei is also very interested in these two stones.” Then it laughed heartily, but the laughter was filled with arrogance.

Next came that familiar voice—Lord Lei’s hearty laugh followed, and he replied, “It seems I arrived a step too late. What do you four plan to do with these two stones?” His tone was relaxed, as if he were just chatting with friends.

Although those behind the waterfall couldn’t see what was ahead, listening to their conversation, it was clear they had already found the two stones. Yu Chenxing quickly shouted, “We…” She probably wanted to say, “Let’s go grab them quickly,” but before she could finish, Liu Yi covered her mouth with his hand. He whispered, “Do you have any sense? Lord Lei hasn’t even intervened yet. The person across must be highly skilled. Do you want to die?” After fighting Su Shao, Liu Yi was more aware of his own cultivation level. Moreover, due to the backlash from his killing instinct, he didn’t want to attract trouble.

Yu Chenxing grabbed Liu Yi’s hand and pulled it away, whispering, “What’s there to fear? There are so many of us.” It seemed Yu Chenxing’s cleverness was only intermittent. If anything, she might be the most foolish among them.

At that moment, that hoarse voice came from outside the waterfall. After laughing, it said to Lord Lei, “Originally… since Lord Lei has also come, these two stones should naturally be divided and kept equally among us. But it seems now that besides us five, there are others who want a share as well.” With that, the voice became even clearer.

Moonlight Heart was the first to react, saying, “We’ve been discovered.”

Liu Yi nodded and said, “Those four people’s cultivation is definitely no worse than Lord Lei’s, so it’s not hard for them to find us.” As Liu Yi spoke, a white light flashed, followed by several streaks of purple lightning erupting outside the waterfall. The water, which had been falling continuously, instantly stopped and froze, as if blocked by that purple light.

Lord Lei’s voice reached the cave, saying, “Who is there? Come out.”

Realizing they could no longer hide, Liu Yi stepped outside. Under the warm sunlight, he realized there was a whole other world outside the cave—surrounded by dozens of mountains of varying heights. There were occasional clouds in the sky, but they were definitely not those white mists. From time to time, the cries of birds could be heard, making this place seem much more normal than inside the peaks.

As Liu Yi stepped out, Lord Lei let out an puzzled “Oh” and said, “Are you guys? You’re quite fast too.”

After Lord Lei spoke, an old man in yellow armor on the other side held a three-foot-wide sword that seemed broken. The old man had a plump face and appeared to be in his sixties. But here, given their current cultivation levels, it was no longer possible to judge the old man’s age by his appearance. His gaze fell on the group, stopping finally on the sword in Liu Yi’s hand. He turned to Lord Lei and asked, “Do you know them?”

While the old man was asking Lord Lei, Yu Chenxing ran up to him, made a strange face, and asked, “Who is this old fellow? Are you familiar with him?” Then he looked at Lord Lei expectantly.

Before Lord Lei could answer, the old man shouted angrily, “How dare you!” He then swung his broken sword, and a flame-like light shot out straight at Yu Chenxing. At that moment, Lord Lei’s nine-foot star sword gently flipped upward, generating a burst of purple lightning. Simultaneously, the flame light gradually disappeared in front of Yu Chenxing after the lightning flashed.

The old man, already furious after hearing Yu Chenxing’s words, struck quickly with his sword. Seeing Lord Lei step in to stop him, he turned his gaze and sneered coldly, “It’s been so many years, yet Lord Lei’s long sword remains just as formidable. It seems it has even surpassed me. But… please give me a proper reason why you’re stopping me from killing her. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being merciless.”

What the old man meant was that if Lord Lei didn’t give him a reasonable explanation, he would not only kill Yu Chenxing but also spare Lord Lei no harm. But when these words reached Lord Lei’s ears, he burst into laughter, shook his head, and said, “Yan Jun, it’s been so many years, and you still have the same bad temper. What? Have you forgotten even Sister Xing because of your many obligations?” Clearly, Lord Lei didn’t take Yan Jun’s threats seriously and simply retorted to him.

It turned out that the old man was the Flame Lord of the Six-Star Palace in the Netherworld. After Lan Ying entered the Human Realm, the Six-Star Palace was led by the Flame Lord, aside from the Thunder Lord. His long-term autocratic rule had made him arrogant and conceited. Now, hearing Yu Chenxing insult him so harshly, how could he bear it? However, after the Thunder Lord explained, the Flame Lord’s expression gradually softened from anger, and he asked in return, “Young Sister Xing?”

Yu Chenxing looked at the Flame Lord and made a strange expression. Although she heard his address, she didn’t seem overly nervous. She slowly said, “So you’re the Flame Lord? If I’m not mistaken, the ones behind you are the Heaven Lord, the Bright Lord, and the Literature Lord, right?” After saying that, she glanced at the three people behind the Flame Lord. The Heaven Lord and the Bright Lord wore white armor, and though their weapons were swords, they were different. They also seemed older than the Flame Lord. But in their eyes, there was no trace of the Flame Lord’s domineering aura. As for the Literature Lord, he was dressed in gray cloth. Judging by his appearance, he seemed to be in his thirties at most, but no one knew exactly how old he was.

The three of them didn’t speak, seemingly knowing that someone would speak next. Sure enough, after Yu Chenxing finished speaking, the Flame Lord nodded and said, “Young Sister Xing has grown up. If it weren’t for the Thunder Lord, I really wouldn’t have recognized her.”

Listening to their conversation, Liu Yi was puzzled. From the way they spoke, it was clear they not only knew each other but also had some kind of relationship. Why did they seem so unfamiliar now? And why would they attack each other mercilessly?

The nearby Ming Yue Wu Xin seemed to notice Liu Yi’s confusion and used telepathy to say, “Actually, they don’t know each other at all. Life inside the Lan family is completely different from the outside world. Everyone has to survive on their own from a very young age. No matter how high your status is, if you can’t survive alone, death awaits. I think this Young Sister Xing, though related to them, surely doesn’t know them.”

Liu Yi seemed to understand. If that was the case, mutual killing within the Lan family wasn’t that scary. Although they might be related by blood, if they had been separated since childhood and each struggled to survive, then even if they were brothers now, they might still kill each other.

The Thunder Lord smiled and said, “I also only met Young Sister Xing recently.” Though it was a smile on the surface, his eyes were fixed behind the Flame Lord and the others. But he quickly regained his composure. Although it was just a smiling gesture, it didn’t escape Liu Yi’s gaze. Following that look, he saw two black and white stones lying under an ancient tree behind the Flame Lord and the others. Liu Yi’s heart stirred, and he thought to himself, “Could these be the legendary two gems?” The stones were huge, each about half the size of a human body. Apart from their strange colors, Liu Yi couldn’t see anything special about them.

At that moment, the Flame Lord slowly shifted his gaze from the Thunder Lord and Yu Chenxing to Liu Yi and the others. But he said to the Thunder Lord, “Who are they? Do you know them too?” It seemed to imply that if it weren’t for the Thunder Lord knowing Yu Chenxing, she would have already been killed. Now, he couldn’t possibly know all of them.

Upon hearing this, Yu Chenxing hurried over to Liu Yi, took his hand, and said, “This is my husband; the others are just my friends. What? Do you still want to kill someone else?” She then showed a triumphant expression.

Hearing Yu Chenxing’s words, Liu Yi felt an urge to find a stone and stuff it into her mouth. But it was too late whether he did or not—this foolish girl had said such things in public. Just as Liu Yi was about to speak, Yan Jun interrupted him first. As he turned away, Yan Jun said, “Since it’s the husband chosen by Sister Xing, I shouldn’t interfere. I just want to say that this is a place full of troubles. If you’re here for a sightseeing trip, it’s better to leave soon. Otherwise, if anything dangerous happens, don’t blame me for not warning you.”

For a moment, Liu Yi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. This old man was really foolish—taking her words at face value and even advising him to leave. It seemed Sister Xing must be of high status, able to save his life in front of Yan Jun. But Yan Jun seemed overly arrogant. Since they had come to this desolate mountain, they surely weren’t ordinary tourists. If he could guess their purpose and still speak like that, he was indeed very presumptuous.

Just as Liu Yi was about to respond, Lei Jun spoke up first. With a smile, Lei Jun said, “Yan Jun, you’re not a newcomer either. Everyone gets their share. Who would come to this deep mountain for fun? There’s no need for veiled words—we all know why they’re here. Speaking as the master here seems a bit excessive.”

Hearing Lei Jun’s words, Yan Jun sneered coldly and said, “Of course. I didn’t say it’s just for one person. Lei Jun naturally gets his share. As for these people? If they overestimate themselves, then don’t blame me. No matter who you are to Sister Xing, since I’ve made my stance clear, if you still don’t listen, it’s your own fault.” With that, he snorted coldly.

Finally, after Yan Jun finished speaking, no one stopped Liu Yi from speaking. Glancing at those two stones, Liu Yi paused for a moment. Although his true energy might backlash uncontrollably, if those stones were indeed related to the Otherworld Flower, then… he couldn’t overthink things now. Judging from Yan Jun before him, he seemed no worse than Lei Jun. Add in the other three lords, and though Liu Yi wasn’t sure, he had to try—it was an opportunity.

Liu Yi turned his gaze back to Yan Jun and said, “I think my purpose is clear. I must get those two stones. Unless your sword kills me, they’ll be mine.” Without thinking, he gripped his long sword and instantly heightened his true energy. An invisible aura of killing intent began to spread around his body.

In an instant, Yan Jun was stunned. It seemed he had underestimated the person before him. The killing aura radiating from him now seemed even stronger than his own. But he had no idea that this killing aura was mostly driven by Liu Yi’s determination to obtain those stones. As for true murderous intent, Liu Yi didn’t dare use it lightly—otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The Fiery Monarch watched Liu Yi’s movements and finally burst into loud laughter. “So you’re an expert! I really misjudged you. It seems I need to stretch my muscles today.” As he spoke, an invisible aura began to gather slowly around him. At the same time, a red-yellow glow emanated from his body, along with a scorching heat that gave people a suffocating feeling. The three monarchs beside him instinctively stepped back.

Liu Yi sensed that heat. It was clear that the Fiery Monarch’s cultivation was weaker than that of the Fire Dragon’s aura, but after all, humans were living beings, and such cultivation was already unimaginable. As the flame-like aura around his body intensified, the air seemed to burn, twisting as cracks gradually appeared on the ground.

Liu Yi knew it would be difficult to deal with someone with such special attributes using his own vital energy. The best approach would be to counter special attributes with other special attributes, which would not only save vital energy but might also be more effective. But after thinking of the Fire Dragon, he abandoned this idea. Although the Fire Dragon was stronger, its opponent was a living being capable of absorbing its aura and growing even stronger. After making his choice, Liu Yi thought of the Ice Dragon—the one even the Fire Dragon couldn’t subdue.

As his vital energy condensed instantly, Liu Yi stepped lightly, sending up a cloud of dust. Then he drew the long sword from his waist with his left hand, spun it three times quickly to ensure all his vital energy had been infused, raised the sword high, and with a blue-white light, it soared into the sky. Countless blue-white rays drifted down like snowflakes. As the light faded, a dragon roar echoed through the heavens, shaking the world. After circling several times in the light, the white Ice Dragon gradually shrank and circled above Liu Yi’s head.

The moment the blue-white light faded, Liu Yi suddenly felt a sense of freshness—something he had never experienced before. Yes, once Ye Luobaihua had used the Ice Heart Grass to suppress his vital energy. Now, this Ice Dragon could also make him clearer-minded and keep his vital energy safer. Yet he didn’t feel any cold at all, only comfort.

As the Ice Dragon circled above Liu Yi’s head, the cold air turned into ice flakes that slowly fell to the ground. Meanwhile, the others behind Liu Yi, unable to withstand the cold, gradually moved toward the center, where the temperature was more balanced between Liu Yi and the Fiery Monarch, avoiding extreme cold or heat.

The Fiery Monarch looked at the Ice Dragon summoned by Liu Yi with confusion. Based on his years of cultivation, this should be the summoning technique of the Mingyue Clan. But judging from the power of this Ice Dragon, it was completely impossible—because the Mingyue Clan’s summoning techniques could only summon things matching their own strength, while the power of this Ice Dragon seemed boundless. Suddenly, the Fiery Monarch felt an urge and blurted out, “Who are you?”

Liu Yi glanced at Yan Jun, quickly reaching for the hilt of his sword. As he grasped it, the black sword blade rose into the air. The ice dragon let out a long roar and transformed into a blue-white light that poured into the sword blade. Soon, the cold aura around Liu Yi gradually dissipated, but the energy became more concentrated, focused on the sword blade. The blue-white light flickered beside the black blade, giving it a magnificent and ethereal appearance.

At this moment, Liu Yi summoned the divine dragon and then infused the sword blade with a special skill derived from its power. Thus, every sword move would carry the unique strength of this divine dragon. Although such moves were useless against a demon god like Su Shao at his level, they could double the attacking power for this person with special cultivation skills.

Liu Yi slowly swept his long sword across the ground. The blue-white light around it condensed a large amount of air, instantly freezing the ground. Looking at Yan Jun, who was somewhat surprised, Liu Yi continued, “I said I only want those two stones. If you stand in my way, we’ll see whose sword is faster—yours or mine…” By now, Liu Yi had firmly surpassed Yan Jun in terms of momentum, whether it was the power of the divine dragon or his determination to seize the gems.