Chapter 107: Gu Xiaosang’s Objective

No matter what thoughts he had inside, Meng Qi remained highly vigilant. He held the Red Sun Exorcising Saber in the starting posture of “Severing Purity,” fully activated the Golden Bell Seal, and stepped into the “Catching Shadows” stance, ready to strike a decisive blow and flee hundreds of miles away at any moment.

“Xiaozi?” he asked tentatively.

The exquisitely beautiful girl in white clothes teared up, like a pear blossom drenched in rain, nodding as she said, “It’s me. Xiaosang, that wicked girl, miscalculated and her soul was injured by demonic energy, so she had no choice but to release me.”

Compared to the previous version of herself, this Xiaozi lacked some of her former ethereal unpredictability and mischievousness. Her temperament resembled the Xiaozi Meng Qi first met, though her facial features had matured from her earlier delicate prettiness into a serene elegance as refined as orchids in a secluded valley, captivating enough to enchant an entire nation.

Meng Qi carefully sensed her presence and found that not only had her temperament changed, but there was also no trace of internal energy circulating in her body—she seemed like an ordinary person who had never learned martial arts. This transformation was truly astonishing. The “Mother Wu’s Descent Sutra” was indeed bizarre and unfathomable. No wonder Jiang Zhimwei and Zhang Yuanshan had misjudged it before.

“Er, you… no, actually, why did Gu Xiaosang lead us into the Demon’s Graveyard?” Frankly, Meng Qi had seriously considered taking advantage of her weakened state to eliminate her. However, compared to Gu Xiaosang, Xiaozi was kind-hearted, unarmed, and gentle outwardly but strong-willed inwardly, essentially an innocent girl. Although Meng Qi wasn’t afraid of killing, slaughtering innocents still crossed his moral boundaries.

On the other hand, thanks to Gu Xiaosang, they had been sucked into the Demon’s Graveyard. To locate Jiang Zhimwei and Qi Zhengyan and escape the graveyard, they still needed Gu Xiaosang’s help. Killing her directly would only trap him in a desperate situation.

Therefore, Meng Qi softened his tone and gently asked while gradually approaching Xiaozi.

Xiaozi’s eyes were filled with a misty confusion, like autumn waters veiled in fog. She stared at Meng Qi without blinking as he drew closer. Suddenly, she smiled bitterly: “Master, I know you’re trying to secretly subdue me. Don’t worry, I won’t resist. I know how wicked Xiaosang is. No one dares to oppose her. Besides, besides, I’m also worried she might harm you after she recovers.”

As she spoke the last half-sentence, her cheeks flushed red, and she lowered her head shyly.

Hey, miss, we don’t seem particularly close. Don’t act like there’s some romantic tension between us… Meng Qi was now certain that Xiaozi and Xiaosang were “closely related.” Although one was kind and the other evil, both seemed to suffer from “delusions.” However, Xiaosang’s previous words did make Meng Qi blush slightly—he indeed had intended to secretly subdue her.

After being called out by Xiaozi, Meng Qi didn’t rush forward hastily, fearing a trap. He remained highly vigilant as he approached. With a flick of his left hand, he sealed several major acupoints in front of Xiaozi, blocking her internal energy flow.

True to her word, Xiaozi didn’t resist at all, shyly looking at her knees while allowing Meng Qi, who remained suspicious, to repeatedly reinforce the acupoint seal.

Meng Qi had no choice; the Golden Bell Seal’s innate acupoint techniques weren’t top-tier, so he had to resort to such a crude method.

“Alright,” Meng Qi didn’t restrict Xiaozi’s ability to walk normally. He stepped back a few paces and gently said, “Xiaozi, you’re a good girl. Can you tell this monk why Gu Xiaosang led us into the Demon’s Graveyard?”

Still wary of Gu Xiaosang, he tightly gripped the Red Sun Exorcising Saber and maintained a safe distance.

Unlike most people in this world, Meng Qi didn’t find it difficult to compliment girls, whether due to rigidness or shyness. His current goal was to coax Xiaozi into revealing Gu Xiaosang’s secrets.

Whether they were two souls sharing one body or suffering from split personalities, she should understand Gu Xiaosang’s thoughts, since they were both aware of each other’s existence.

Praised by Meng Qi, Xiaozi blushed so deeply it seemed her face might bleed. Softly, she replied, “Because she used the ‘White Lotus Divine Calculation’ to determine that one among your five is the destined person to fully open the Demon’s Graveyard.”

“Who?” Meng Qi asked in surprise.

Gu Xiaosang had already begun learning divine calculation and divination techniques, which was truly terrifying.

Xiaozi shook her head: “Even ancient sages couldn’t claim perfect foresight. Her ‘White Lotus Divine Calculation’ is still at a beginner level, so she couldn’t pinpoint the exact person. Thus, she lured you all here. If it doesn’t work, she’ll find an opportunity to escape and come back for the other two among you.”

Though “she has no martial arts skills,” due to her connection with Gu Xiaosang, her knowledge was exceptional.

“No wonder she mercilessly killed the Shadan siblings yet deliberately misled others to prevent us from losing strength. I almost fell for her trick. What she said about ‘only she can ruin things’ is pure nonsense…” Meng Qi muttered.

Hearing Meng Qi’s unconscious muttering, Xiaozi’s face, which had somewhat calmed down, flushed again. Stammering, she said, “Maybe, maybe she didn’t lie… she’s just so selfish and wicked…”

Meng Qi blushed slightly and quickly changed the subject: “But how did she know we’d come chasing after her? Did she calculate that too?”

“Because you’re most concerned about her. If given a choice, you’d definitely chase her…” Xiaozi fully revealed Gu Xiaosang’s analysis, “Even if you got separated or made a wrong judgment and chased someone else, she’d still have a chance when ascending the Holy Volcano. Only then, Yun Tingfeng and Su Yuanying, those two wicked men, might get involved.”

Meng Qi nodded slightly, understanding now: “Then how did she find this ruin, and why did she want to enter the Demon’s Graveyard?”

Ha, having a “traitor” who knows the enemy inside out is truly great—it definitely reveals more than torturing Gu Xiaosang would.

“She triggered a chain task in our world. Last time during the cycle, she found a clue, so this time she paid a great cost to join this faction battle task in order to enter the Demon’s Graveyard and retrieve an item.” True to her word, Xiaozi thoroughly “betrayed” Gu Xiaosang. “The location of the ruins was provided by the clue.”

Meng Qi listened in astonishment. A chain task, and in their own world too—Gu Xiaosang truly had extraordinary fortune: “What chain task? What item does she want to take?”

He couldn’t help but be curious about these matters.

“Do you know about the Devil Monarch? Not this world’s Devil Monarch, but ours.” Xiaozi continued her role as a diligent “traitor.”

Meng Qi immediately felt it must be connected to the Devil Monarch: “I know. Xiaozi, please continue.”

“After he was killed by the Celestial Emperor using the Seal of Heaven, his remains scattered, and their whereabouts became unknown. This Demon’s Graveyard should be part of his polluted remains, and the events are imprinted in the will, allowing every person infected by demonic energy to vaguely sense it.”

“No wonder this world has legends of the Devil Monarch…” Meng Qi suddenly understood.

Xiaozi secretly glanced at Meng Qi and quickly lowered her head again: “When the Devil Monarch perished, he swallowed the Heaven’s Gate. There’s a stone tablet at the gate, the Celestial Border Marker. Xiaosang wants to obtain it.”

“What use is this border marker?” Meng Qi had thought it might be something like a mysterious heavenly scroll.

Xiaozi lowered her voice, as if fearing evil spirits outside might hear: “It can open the ruins of the Immortal Realm.”

“The Immortal Realm?” Meng Qi repeated, his heart complex.

Xiaozi nodded gently: “Yes. ‘Immortal Realm’ is the common name ordinary people use. You martial artists usually call it the Nine Heavens. Xiaosang’s triggered chain task is to locate the mysteriously vanished Nine Heavens and enter the ruins.”

“Has Gu Xiaosang found the Nine Heavens?” Meng Qi increasingly felt the cycle world was strange. It seemed closely related to the ancient myths and legends of the main world. Now even the mysteriously vanished Nine Heavens had appeared…

“No. We only know that to enter the ruins, one must use an object from the Celestial Heaven of ancient times as a ‘key.'” Xiaozi shook her head. “As for where the Nine Heavens are hidden and whether they even exist, we have no clue yet.”

If one could enter the ruins of the Nine Heavens, perhaps one could uncover the reason why the Celestial Heaven was destroyed overnight in ancient times… Meng Qi’s thoughts drifted as he pondered for a moment before asking, “Then where should this monk search for his companions, and how can we leave the Demon’s Graveyard?”

“The Demon’s Graveyard reflects the outside world, vast and continuous. When we entered, we were scattered to different places, making it hard to find each other. However, if you reach the location of the Devil Monarch’s remains and ascend to the summit, you should be able to sense the entire Demon’s Graveyard.” Xiaozi’s knowledge of the Demon’s Graveyard was quite profound. “As for leaving the Demon’s Graveyard, we must go there as well. If the outside world strengthens the seal, we can only rely on the Master of the Six Paths of Reincarnation to pull us out.”

“Yes, if the destined person obtains the Devil Monarch’s inheritance, the Devil Monarch’s lingering will would completely dissipate, and the Demon’s Graveyard would cease to exist. That would also count as leaving.”

Meng Qi pondered for a while. With no other options, he could only tentatively believe her and repeatedly test her along the way.

“Do you know where the Devil Monarch’s remains are?” Meng Qi asked calmly.

Suddenly, Xiaozi burst into laughter, leaving Meng Qi puzzled. When had the gentle and obedient Xiaozi become so emotionally expressive like other girls?

“Master, I’m afraid if I told you, you’d kill me to eliminate the ‘hazard.’ Let me guide you there instead,” Xiaozi said with a charming smile. “Besides, once we enter the mountain transformed from the Devil Monarch’s remains, only I can find the safest path.”

Tsk, she’s not that foolish either—she at least has basic self-preservation instincts… Meng Qi inwardly praised, and since he had no intention of harming her for now, he nodded and said, “Then let’s set off now. On the way, you can tell me more about the Demon’s Graveyard.”

Xiaozi nodded and obediently stood up, maintaining a certain distance from Meng Qi as she stepped out of the ruined temple first.

Heading north, the demons they encountered grew increasingly formidable. Eventually, Meng Qi, without using his few ultimate techniques, had to employ all his skills to slay the demons, though fortunately, they all acted alone.

Xiaozi, on the other hand, appeared calm and confident, seemingly certain that Meng Qi would protect her, showing no fear or panic.

“We’re here.” Just after Meng Qi cleaved down a long-tailed demon with his saber, he suddenly heard Xiaozi’s cheerful voice.

Following her pointing finger, Meng Qi looked into the distance and saw a towering black mountain standing magnificently in the far-off, streaked with dark red. A massive purple lightning bolt descended from the sky, completely pinning the entire mountain in place, crackling incessantly as if the mountain had transformed into an ocean of thunderlight.