Chapter 396: Chapter 29 Ah Jing Sweeps Miss Shi Clean
Perhaps it was because there weren’t many listeners, the speech from the Master of Xuan Du was not incomprehensibly profound, but rather like an injection of chicken blood:
“For example, you should bring honor to the sect, today you take pride in Yuqing View, and tomorrow Yuqing View will take pride in you and so on.”
Unlike those Kunlun disciples, among the seven Yuqing View disciples present, who wasn’t personally taught by a master? Who wasn’t compelled by their master to such an extent that they could not refuse, and who had no choice but to come?
Oh, except for Miss Shi.
As for the purpose of participating in the grand competition of the White Jade Capital and the true intentions of the higher-ups within the sect, everyone was already crystal clear, so they just nodded politely, unmoved.
The Master of Xuan Du wasn’t embarrassed either, since this was just a formality, and what followed was the main topic!
In the midst of everyone’s bored gazes, the Master of Xuan Du finally brought up the important issue:
Before the competition, the sect will open the Lianshan Treasury for you all once!
The people present, originally indifferent, all perked up at the mention of visiting the Lianshan Treasury.
Only Shi Liuli looked disappointed, as she had already visited the Lianshan Treasury before and felt that going again would be somewhat unexciting.
The Master of Xuan Du glanced at her quietly and then continued to explain to everyone:
The Lianshan Treasury Secret Realm is essentially a massive labyrinth secret realm, with the structure of the paths inside constantly changing, making it difficult to find one’s way out.
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Moreover, within the Lianshan Labyrinth, any magical treasure that could provide directions would be interfered with and rendered ineffective.
The sole exception that would work was the Art Calculation.
At this point, everyone turned their eyes towards Jian Qin in unison.
After all, Jian Qin was a well-known practitioner of Art Calculation from the Jian Family of Qingzhou, who immediately laughed and said:
“If that’s the case, then I’ll take on the task of leading the way in the maze.”
“Apart from the maze itself, Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators will not encounter any danger upon entering. If they do not find their way out within a certain period, they will be transported out by the restrictions,” the Master of Xuan Du continued, “Of course, every time the Lianshan Treasury is opened, a significant price must be paid, so even if your life isn’t at risk, wasting this opportunity is still a loss you should be mindful of.”
Opening the secret realm comes at a price? Luo Yan began to ponder.
How come when Miss Shi and I went there before, we didn’t pay a price?
Oh, I remember running into a group of cultivators from Moon Island in the maze last time.
Maybe these people had already paid the price to open the Lianshan Treasury, and that’s how Miss Shi and I managed to benefit from it?
The people around also became somber. As for what that price was, everyone was tactful enough not to ask, instead, they all indicated that they would treat the matter with caution and not take it lightly.
A few hours later, everyone was sent to Moon Island.
The island had once been inhabited by cultivators of Moon Island, but because of their rebellion against Yuqing View, they had long since fled.
In front of the deity statue in the depths of the rear hall, the Master of Xuan Du took out a stick of incense from his chest and placed it in the incense burner in front of the statue.
Incense? Luo Yan looked carefully and saw that the smoke from the incense rose straight up, dissipating abruptly a little over a foot above the surface.
Before long, the room was filled with a pleasant fragrance.
“This is the Cloud Incense from Elephant Mountain, an extremely rare item,” said the Master of Xuan Du while looking at the statue. “Once this incense is lit, the Lianshan Treasury will open; once the incense burns out, the Lianshan Treasury will close. Those who linger and do not leave will become nothing but dust.”
“You are cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Realm, not yet Golden Cores, and thus receive Lianshan’s pity. Before the treasury closes, the restrictions of the secret realm will transport you out. For those who have already formed their Golden Core, it will be much more perilous inside; within the time it takes a stick of incense to burn, you must either find the treasure or face death.”
“This opportunity has not come easily; do not slack off,” he said.
No sooner had he finished speaking than the belly of the deity statue suddenly hollowed out, revealing a dark hole.
“If not now, when?” shouted the Master of Xuan Du. Everyone promptly geared up and, one after another, climbed onto the platform and crawled through the hole in the belly of the deity statue.
Having crawled through the lengthy passage, they soon fell into the midst of the labyrinth.
Luo Yan and Shi Liuli turned their heads to look around, only to see familiar stone walls all around them, fitting tightly together without any gap for air to pass through.
Han Xiu pinched a spell and frowned as he shook his head and said,
“The Five Elements Escape Technique doesn’t work.”
“Of course not,” said Tian Zhang. “If the Escape Technique worked, what would be the point of the labyrinth? Sister Jian, how should we proceed? Please divine our path.”
“Alright,” Jian Qin took out a Bronze Liuren Plate and held it in hand as she stepped forward, flicking her fingers several times within the plate before suddenly declaring, “We should head in that direction.”
As the group was about to move, they heard Shi Liuli say,
“That doesn’t seem right, Sister Jian, did you get it backward?”
“What makes you say that, Sister Shi?” Jian Qin asked in surprise.
Shi Liuli did not answer but took out six copper coins, threw them skyward, then caught them all at once, opening her palm to reveal them.
Jian Qin narrowed her eyes for a moment, then smiled and said,
“Who would have thought, Sister Shi, that you have also studied the Art of Calculation?”
“A little,” Shi Liuli replied gravely.
“However, you should know that there’s no hierarchy in the Art of Calculation,” Jian Qin continued with a smile. “What works for me isn’t necessarily going to work for you.”
“True,” Shi Liuli turned her head away, “Then I will go in that direction.”
“Alright, I’ll go this way,” Jian Qin said.
The two women went their separate ways, and after a moment of hesitation, the rest unanimously followed after Jian Qin.
After all, she was the heir to Qingzhou’s Jian Family and had studied the Art of Calculation for many years, whereas the other was just Miss Shi from the Heavenly Craft Workshop— there was no question about who was more trustworthy.
“What about me?” Luo Yan knowingly asked.
“Of course, you’re coming with me!” Shi Liuli snapped, grabbing his arm and pulling him forward.
As for whom to follow, it was a choice Luo Yan did not actually need to make.
Despite possibly being slightly better at the Art of Calculation, what Miss Shi had wasn’t just the divine copper coin calculations she learned in the Kuocang Mountain Secret Realm; it was also her innate and utterly unreasonable super-luck.
Taking into account their previous experience in the Lianshan Treasury’s labyrinth, Luo Yan even highly suspected that Miss Shi’s divine copper coin calculations were not about finding the answers, but about the Heavenly Dao changing the answers for her after she made her calculations. Whatever she calculated, the Heavenly Dao would just switch the correct answer to match…
“You’re stretching it too far,” said the Kunlun Mirror, “Why don’t you say that Miss Shi is an Exiled Immortal descended to the mortal realm? If she really could make laws with her words, she might as well directly take you to ascend to immortality.”
“I also used to believe in common logic,” Luo Yan then sighed. “But Ah Jing, Miss Shi’s powerful luck has consistently dealt me heavy blows, what can I do?”
With that said, even the Kunlun Mirror could not refute him.
Once could be an accident, twice could be a coincidence, but a third time… could it be that Miss Shi really had some innate talent that it hadn’t been able to scan?
No, this calls for a few more scans!
Having reached a corner, Shi Liuli began another divination and suddenly felt a strong sensation as if she were being watched.
Swiftly turning her head, she glared at Luo Yan.
Luo Yan: ?