Translator: CinderTL
For some unknown reason, Wang Xinglu, who had already died, had been resurrected.
Perhaps "resurrected" wasn't the right word...
His appearance was anything but that of a living person.
Clang!
The copper gong rang out, and Wang Xinglu's figure vanished instantly, disappearing right before their eyes as if he had never existed.
Fang Qingge summoned his longsword, his gaze sweeping the surroundings warily. "Stay close together," he warned.
At that moment, a terrified voice cried out, "Senior Brother Fang... Junior Brother Shen is gone!"
"What?" Fang Qingge whirled around. "How could he be gone? He was just here!"
"Exactly! He vanished in the blink of an eye."
"Move quickly! There's something strange about that gong!"
The group hurried toward the city gates.
Boom!
Suddenly, a deafening roar shook the heavens. Fang Qingge instinctively looked up and froze in stunned disbelief.
The Luo Family siblings stared in equal shock.
They weren't alone. Behind them, the sect disciples, the city's original inhabitants, and even those far beyond the city walls—Jingyi, the Zuoqiu Clan, Xu Sanyan, the Jiang Family...
Within the secret realm, everyone's gaze simultaneously turned toward the sky, and the same thought surged through their minds:
The sky... is cracking!
A jagged fissure appeared in the heavens, twisting and snaking across the void until it reached the earth. The fabric of space seemed torn open, revealing an abyss of pitch-black darkness within.
Xu Sanyan halted, peering through the fissure. He saw only emptiness—nothing visible, not even a glimmer of light.
"Senior Brother..." Xiang Tan's voice trembled. "What is that? Is something wrong with the secret realm? Can we still get out?"
Xu Sanyan pressed his lips into a thin line and slowly shook his head. "I don't know."
He had never heard of such a phenomenon. Perhaps the merging of the two secret realms had gone awry, causing this anomaly.
As for Xiang Tan's question, perhaps only one person could provide an answer...
Xu Sanyan thought of the radiant young woman—the great elder of the Yaotian Holy Sect.
"Let's go investigate."
After a moment's thought, Xu Sanyan headed toward the fissure.
Simultaneously, Jingyi in West City, Qi Liang, Jiang Qinqin, Fang Xiang, and other factions in East City all set out toward the fissure, as if drawn by an invisible force.
Everyone wanted to know what had happened there.
In a corner of West City,
Zuoqiu Chen led the Zuoqiu Clan members to take refuge in a house.
Since the death of their eldest sister, Zuoqiu Shu, the atmosphere within the group had become noticeably somber. Even the usually lively youngest sister, Zuoqiu Yi, remained silent, while Zuoqiu Zhen, who was normally full of questions, kept her head bowed, seemingly still lost in remorse.
Zuoqiu Chen rose and gently patted Zuoqiu Zhen's shoulder, softly comforting her, "Your sister's death wasn't your fault. Don't blame yourself."
"Waaah..."
Zuoqiu Zhen didn't respond, only continuing to sob quietly.
"Sigh..."
Zuoqiu Chen sighed. Though her own heart was bleeding, she had to gather her composure and comfort her younger sisters.
Zuoqiu Hui's eyes had regained their usual calm. Knowing her second sister's somewhat careless nature, she realized many things might have slipped her attention. She resolved to be more vigilant herself.
Ever since their eldest sister's death, Zuoqiu Hui had been meticulously observing her sixth sister, Zuoqiu Zhen, noticing several peculiar changes in her mannerisms and movements.
Her constant observation stemmed from the battle against the corpse demon, during which Zuoqiu Zhen had displayed martial techniques she had never seen before. Zuoqiu Hui was certain these techniques were neither part of the Zuoqiu Clan's martial arts collection nor had Zuoqiu Zhen ever used them before.
Having always shared the closest bond with Zuoqiu Zhen, the two sisters often sparred and practiced together. As a result, Zuoqiu Hui was intimately familiar with her sixth sister's techniques and fighting style. She even knew some of Zuoqiu Zhen's unconscious habits, some of which her sister herself was unaware of.
Yet after their recent underground expedition, Zuoqiu Zhen seemed like a completely different person. Not only had her techniques and habits changed, but even her everyday mannerisms had shifted.
These subtle changes might have gone unnoticed by others, but Zuoqiu Hui's keen eye missed nothing. Moreover, she was equally familiar with the habits of all five of her sisters.
The more Zuoqiu Hui observed, the more convinced she became that something was amiss with her sixth sister. Yet she said nothing, pretending not to notice anything unusual.
"Let's discuss everything after we get out of here..."
"Third Sister, should we go take a look?" Zuoqiu Chen asked, approaching Zuoqiu Hui. She remembered their eldest sister's instructions to consult with their third sister whenever trouble arose.
Zuoqiu Hui paused, then nodded slowly. "It's best to investigate, but we must keep our distance. We'll just observe what's happening. If there truly is a treasure, we absolutely must not compete for it."
"Alright, agreed," Zuoqiu Chen replied, leading the group toward the fissure.
Zuoqiu Hui walked at the rear, her gaze drifting intermittently toward Zuoqiu Zhen. She struggled to suppress the heavy weight in her heart. If Sixth Sister is also in trouble, what will we do...?
One trip to the secret realm, two sisters...
Sigh...
Yuan Manor,
Yuan Anping sat upright at the head of the table, his fingers tapping lightly on the surface. His expression remained impassive, betraying neither joy nor anger.
Tap, tap, tap...
The crisp sound echoed through the hall as four ghost generals knelt below, their heads bowed in fear.
"Are they all dead?" Yuan Anping suddenly asked.
"Yes, Master," a ghost general replied, his voice trembling. "That person was too powerful. Even our combined strength was no match for him. Even Madam..."
Yuan Anping nodded. He cared little for Mo Xianxian's life or death; she had merely been a plaything. But the loss of four ghost generals stung him deeply.
He had few Soul Refining Realm ghost generals under his command, and each loss pained him. To lose five at once...
Yuan Anping slowly rose. They're dead now. There's no point dwelling on it. "Let's go see what happened there."
"Yes, Master."
The four men breathed a sigh of relief and rose to follow their master toward the rift. Pushing open the mansion gates, they found two rows of ghost generals and soldiers standing outside, their forms radiating a chilling ghost energy. A rough count revealed no fewer than a hundred figures.
Yuan Anping had mobilized most of the city's forces. He intended to see what lay within the rift—to determine if there was a chance...
...to escape this place!
Yuan Anping strode calmly toward the rift, his face composed, but his heart thrummed with excitement. After countless years, he finally sensed a shift in the stagnant order.
Yes, he had long known his true identity and the nature of this place.
This ghost city was the entire world—inescapable, inescapable. For his entire life, he was doomed to remain within this palm-sized realm.
He had grown weary of it long ago, yearning to break free and explore a wider world.
He envied those who could come and go as they pleased.
Xu Sanyan gazed at the crowd before him and suddenly smiled. "Senior Brother Qi, we meet again."
"Indeed," Qi Liang replied, pointing to the distant rift. "Are you headed there too, Junior Brother Xu?"
"Exactly. Why not travel together? We can watch each other's backs."
"Alright."
Qi Liang agreed, though a strange look flickered in his eyes. He sensed something was off about Xu Sanyan, but couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Jiang Qinqin trailed behind Qi Liang, showing none of the imposing aura of the Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect. Instead, she seemed more like Qi Liang's attendant.
(End of the Chapter)
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