Chapter 19

Chapter 19 Awakening from a Dream 

The ancient city was desolate and silent, with dark yellow earth walls covered with deep red moss, which was dry and looked like rust. 

The entire city is made up of ancient walls made of large expanses of dark stone. If you touch them with your fingers, you can feel fine traces of fallen dust, as if the square streets and walls are so old that they will collapse if pushed. 

Lu Jiajing and Lin Xuanyan walked in the city for half a day, but did not see a single person or a single monster. 

The two of them had a simple conversation at first, but then they fell silent, and the whole city was silent. 

This city also has day and night, but no sun or moon. 

But they couldn't even find where the light was; it seemed that the light was evenly distributed in the air. 

What are those ancient trees, and what is this ancient city? 

Even Lu Jiajing, who is well-read, doesn't know the source. 

"Do we still need to go on?" Lu Jiajing asked. 

Lin Xuanyan looked up at a stone tablet under the city, and the inscriptions on it were already blurred. 

"Shall we go back the same way?" 

Lu Jiajing shook his head and said, "No need. This city should have many exits, and the giant tree we passed through when we came in was definitely not the only one." 

"Are you sure you can find the exit?" 

Lu Jiajing said: "I once read a record about the hidden realm in an ancient book of strange stories. It is said that it is a special forbidden spell that can create something similar to the small cave heaven. However, its existence time limit is much longer than that of the small cave heaven, and the conditions for casting this forbidden spell are extremely harsh. I still remember that one of the conditions is that it requires a blood sacrifice, and the price of the blood sacrifice is hundreds of great demons who have already formed inner elixirs." 

"Yeah." Lin Xuanyan nodded. 

"This place may have once been a place where a certain race of people fled, but later it became deserted for some reason." 

The two had been walking in the city for half a day. Now they were standing on a tall ancient city tower, looking far into the distance. They could see the surrounding scenery, but they didn't find much new and interesting things. 

The two walked down from the very high ancient city tower. 

Lu Jiajing looked out from afar, while Lin Xuanyan concentrated on his thoughts. 

When he reached the last step, Lin Xuanyan suddenly stopped. 

"What's wrong?" Lu Jiajing asked curiously. 

Lin Xuanyan frowned, looked at Lu Jiajing who was full of curiosity, and said coldly with a serious expression: "No." 

"What's wrong?" 

"The steps are wrong." Lin Xuanyan said seriously. 

"Um?" 

"When we went up just now, there were 356 steps, but when we came down, there were only 320 steps left. Where did the missing 36 steps go?" 

Lu Jiajing's expression also froze when she heard this. She didn't ask Lin Xuanyan a boring question like "did you count wrong?" Instead, she asked directly, "Was there any movement just now?" 

"No." 

"Then can you sense the evil spirit?" Lu Jiajing asked again. 

"cannot." 

Lu Jiajing nodded. 

He said decisively: "Then let's leave immediately. My Qingming Lotus should be able to find the exit." 

In the practice of Taoism, staying alive is the most important thing. 

Tempering is a good thing, but when things are beyond your ability to foresee, you will never take risks or show off your courage. 

This is Lu Jiajing's principle most of the time, and Lin Xuanyan follows the same principle. 

Lu Jiajing formed seals with her hands, and a jade-like, lustrous and clean lotus flower blossomed on her full chest. 

The lotus slowly floated in the air, and after a moment it flew in a certain direction. 

Lu Jiajing followed. 

Lin Xuanyan suddenly smiled and said, "Lotus flowers appear from towering mountains." 

Lu Jiajing froze, wondering where this poem came from. 

After a moment, she reacted, glared at Lin Xuanyan fiercely, and walked quickly with Lianhua without looking back. 

Lin Xuanyan followed with a smile. 

A quarter of an hour later, they were back to the starting point. 

Lu Jiajing and he looked at each other in bewilderment, and Lin Xuanyan smiled bitterly: "Things are not that simple." 

The Azure Lotus seemed to have sensed something was wrong, and it swayed in the air, seemingly struggling and hesitating. 

Lu Jiajing shook her head gently and put the lotus back into her acupoint. Just as she was about to say something, all the lights suddenly disappeared in an instant and night fell. 

Lu Jiajing opened her mouth and turned her head, but she didn't see Lin Xuanyan. 

It was dark all around, but there was still a faint light. 

She touched her side, but there was nothing there. Lin Xuanyan disappeared without a trace. 

She turned her head and looked around. There was nothing around her. Lin Xuanyan disappeared without a sound or warning beside her. 

"Demon magic?" Lu Jiajing's expression was stern. The Qingmu Palace's unique skills were the best way to restrain demons. 

She shouted: "Flowing light, bunching clouds, celestial phenomena." 

Three completely different lights shot out from between her handprints, crossing the night sky, gathering above her head, connecting into a three-petal lotus, illuminating the surroundings. Lu Jiajing took a step forward, and a lotus flower also grew under her feet. She took three steps in a row, and the view in front of her suddenly became clear. 

After only three steps, the ancient city disappeared from her sight. She found herself in a wasteland, with stars twinkling in the sky, hanging over the plain. 

Lu Jiajing thought it was just a trick, and after she gave a delicate shout, the lotus flew away into the air. 

Soon, the lotus returned empty-handed and hovered in front of her. 

The unique Taoist method of Qingmu Palace has always been successful in exorcising demons and monsters. 

But today she hit a wall again and again, and she knew that it was not just because her magic power had weakened. 

What kind of Taoism is this, and where did Lin Xuanyan go? 

Lu Jiajing was full of doubts. She looked back and saw an open field. 

There were strange rocks scattered across the plains, and gusts of cold wind. 

Lu Jiajing was in a state of tension. 

A group of blue triangular pupils suddenly appeared on the field ahead, and a thick shadow approached. Lu Jiajing retreated quietly and landed behind a huge rock. 

The triangular pupils were getting closer and closer, and Lu Jiajing held a lotus in her hand, ready to strike at any time. 

Those black ghostly figures resembled wolves, silently moving across the grassland, and they seemed unaware of Lu Jiajing's presence, passing through the boulders without distraction, like soulless shadows. 

Lu Jiajing looked at the direction they were heading and felt suspicious. 

The lotus in the palm of the hand seems to be sensitive, and the petals sway gracefully. 

Lu Jiajing pondered for a moment, then stood up and followed the group of creatures silently. 

Lin Xuanyan walked silently through the ancient city, his expression becoming more and more solemn. Not long ago, Lu Jiajing suddenly disappeared from his side without any warning. 

In his opinion, unless this was a magic array created by a Saint Realm expert, it would be impossible to be so silent. 

But if their opponent is really a Saint Realm expert, then there is absolutely no need to go through so much trouble with them. 

Lin Xuanyan had a headache. This ancient city was like a maze, with no end in sight. 

His mood became increasingly irritable. 

Suddenly, he heard an extremely strange sound, which came from behind him. Lin Xuanyan turned around and saw that the ancient city tower was empty, with only a cold wind lingering in it. 

He was thinking a lot, but even with his knowledge, he couldn't figure out the origin of the ancient city for a while. 

Is it the remains of a war in ancient times, or an ancient forbidden spell set by some giant demon race? 

He walked through a corridor over ten times, and the scenery along the corridor changed slightly each time. There was a large lake under the corridor. 

Lin Xuanyan closed his eyes, and his spiritual power spread out in all directions. However, the strange thing was that as soon as the strings of his spirit touched the lake, it was as if he had fallen into a deep and cold abyss. 

Lin Xuanyan stared at the lake, feeling suspicious. 

A moment later, his face changed drastically, and he staggered back, bumping into the wooden pillars of the covered bridge, not daring to even look at the lake. 

There was a reflection in the lake just now. 

He was a man with a feathered robe, star-shaped crown, white clothes and a sword, and a distinguished demeanor. 

But Lin Xuanyan subconsciously avoided it like a snake or scorpion. 

That was Ye Linyuan's face. 

Or maybe that was him. He didn't know why, but at that moment, his heart suddenly palpitated. 

After retracting his thoughts, Lin Xuanyan came to the side of the covered bridge again, and leaning against the railing, he slowly raised his sleeves, and a strong spiritual power lingered in his sleeves like a breeze. 

Lin Xuanyan raised his fist and punched the lake water. 

Ripples spread across the lake, and small stones fell into the center of the lake, creating waves of clear water. 

Lin Xuanyan put his fist back to his waist, his face slightly red. 

But I have more guesses in my mind. 

This lake water seems to have a special effect in isolating spiritual power. 

What is hidden in the lake that leaves people out like this? 

Lin Xuanyan took a deep breath, his long hair fluttering, his figure suddenly became like a silhouette, invisible rays of light spread across the top of his fist, and there was a majestic sword intent hidden on the tip of his fist. 

He threw a punch, and it landed very slowly in the center of the lake without making any sound, not even causing ripples. 

But at that moment, Lin Xuanyan's figure disappeared from the bridge. 

He suddenly opened his eyes and looked down. Under his feet was a green water shadow, and above the water shadow was a covered bridge. 

This is... this is in the lake? 

I became a reflection in the lake? 

He looked up without knowing why, his mind was suddenly captured. 

Those are a pair of pupils. 

The place that he didn't know whether it was the bottom of the lake or the sky was staring at him quietly. The surroundings were as silent as death. He felt like he was in a desolate graveyard. 

At that moment, Lin Xuanyan's entire body seemed to be soaked in black ice, his limbs were stiff, and his eyes were fixed on that pupil. 

There is his reflection in the pupil, and behind his reflection is a tall pillar, like a towering tower. 

Crash! 

Lin Xuanyan appeared on the covered bridge again. He was soaked in water, gasping for breath, blood oozing from his lips and teeth, still in shock. 

Just now, he had concentrated all his magic power, and relied on his extremely high state of mind to force his mind to be clear, and in an instant he severed all connections with his spirit, and only then escaped from that seemingly real illusion. 

If I am like this, then what about Lu Jiajing... Lin Xuanyan looked at the lake, his heart was like a sinking stone in the water. 

He raised his head and looked into the distance. 

In the sight, an ancient building appeared that had not been there before. 

Lin Xuanyan knew it well, that was the reflection in the pupil just now. 

He had already guessed in his mind that if the entire city was illusory, then this ancient building must be real. 

Such a big move to hide this building. 

What exactly is this attempt to hide? 

Lin Xuanyan walked to a towering ancient building. It was the tallest building in the ancient city, just like the stone pillar in the center of a sundial that rotates with the sunlight. 

It has come to this. 

Lin Xuanyan did not hesitate and directly stepped onto the stairs of the ancient building. 

There is a hidden world in the ancient building. 

The ancient building looked extremely gloomy from the outside, but inside it was a patch of light surrounded by jasper, as if one was inside a glazed pagoda. The light coming through the walls was clear and blended into one's field of vision. 

Lin Xuanyan raised his feet, but found that they felt as if they were filled with lead, making it difficult to move. 

Could it be that this ancient building is resisting my entry? 

Lin Xuanyan raised his eyebrows slightly, and used his magic power to move his feet, trying to take a step forward. However, the more he tried, the heavier his feet became, and in the end, they seemed to be firmly glued to the ground. 

Lin Xuanyan suddenly smiled, he withdrew all his magic power, and took a step forward like an ordinary person. As expected, Gu Lou no longer resisted him. 

Lin Xuanyan walked on the first floor. 

There is nothing new on the first floor, except for an ancient platform in the center that is square inside and round outside. It seems that something should be stored in the ancient platform, but now it is empty. 

There are strange words carved on the surrounding walls. 

The words were in no order, but because they were carved so deeply, they could last for a long time. 

Lin Xuanyan read through it roughly, and remembered many of the words in his heart. He vaguely felt that there was something mysterious in those words, but this feeling was vague and he couldn't explain it. 

It's just that somewhere deep in my heart, there is a faint feeling. 

After he memorized all the symbols on the wall, he went up to the second floor without hesitation. 

The second floor is similar to the first floor, and the strokes of the characters also have a faint green glow. 

Lin Xuanyan memorized all the strokes in his mind and went upstairs again. 

The third floor, the fourth floor, he looked up one floor at a time. 

When he was outside just now, he counted the number of floors, a total of thirteen floors. 

Now he has come to the sixth floor. 

Although the changes between each floor are not big, they add up to a lot. By the sixth floor, the writing style and stroke arrangement of the characters are completely different from the first floor. 

Lin Xuanyan looked solemn, because he found that he could vaguely understand those words. 

Some of the characters are clearly imitating the postures and movements of birds and animals, and the implicit charm and meaning can be guessed. 

The layout of those words is also much denser than before, as if telling some stories. 

On the stone platform in the middle, which was square inside and round outside, there was a dry and ancient stone. The stone had a strange texture and a dull color. Under the green light, it seemed as if water ripples were flowing on it, and it looked like it had vitality. 

There was a strange pattern on the stone, and Lin Xuanyan felt that the pattern was somewhat familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before, but he just couldn't remember where it was. 

He came to the edge of the stone platform and found that the stone platform, which was supposed to be round inside and square outside, had become square inside and round outside. 

Lin Xuanyan took a deep look at the stone wall. He already had many guesses about this ancient building in his mind. 

But he still didn't dare to conclude. 

He looked at the stairs to the seventh floor, pursed his lips, and felt a little dry in the mouth. 

... 

In the jungle, there are dangers everywhere. 

In recent days, the atmosphere in the forest in the far north of the Northern Territory has been particularly tense. 

A young man in gray stood on a very tall branch, frowning with a serious expression. 

These days, he led the monsters to conduct many carpet searches and blocked several key passes, but no matter what, they could not find any trace of the young man and the girl. 

It's like they disappeared into thin air. 

The weeds around were undulating violently, and vines were turning over the hard soil, drilling upwards and moving non-stop. 

A young man with a green face suddenly appeared on the branch. 

The young man in gray quickly bowed: "Young Master." 

The young man with a green face and hollow pupils grinned and said, "Still can't find it?" 

The young man in gray shook his head. 

The young master was dissatisfied and said, "In this forest, is there any way to avoid the search of our Green Demon Clan?" 

The young man in gray stared at the scene. He thought for a moment and said uncertainly, "They may have entered that place by mistake." 

The young master didn't show much surprise on his face. The lack of anything he had gained in the past few days had also given him that thought. 

"It is possible that they went to the altar. It would be a pity if that were the case." 

The young master sighed to himself: "In all these years, no one has ever been able to walk out of there." 

The young man in gray was already full of questions about that place, so he asked: "What exactly is that place? Did the old patriarch reveal anything?" 

"No one knows, including my father. There was once a Green Demon King who went deep into that place and managed to get out by chance. However, he was already full of crazy words and looked like an idiot. In the end, he was suppressed by several great elders, and since then, that place has been regarded as a forbidden area. Based on what we know, we call it the altar." 

"What a pity. Such a good thing has to be wasted in a place like this." The young man in gray shook his head and sighed. 

The young master did not respond, his eyes narrowed into a line. 

"In short, block all exits and main roads, especially Tianfengkou, which is the only way to the outside. Keep watch all night. Even if they manage to escape, they will definitely fall into our Qingyao clan's trap." 

The young man in gray took the order. 

The young master's body began to spin like a top, transforming into a green tornado that suddenly drilled into the heart of a large tree and disappeared in an instant. 

The surrounding ancient trees changed their postures at a speed visible to the naked eye and rearranged themselves into a new formation. 

The young man in gray kicked his feet fiercely, his expression suddenly leaped out, and he jumped back and forth between several huge trees, flying towards the entrance of Tianfeng like a gray bullet. 

Suddenly, the boy's figure froze. 

He looked in a certain direction, looking suspicious. 

He didn't know if it was an illusion, but he seemed to sense the breath of a stranger again... 

... 

The weather in the Northern Territory was unpredictable, and outside an old, dilapidated temple, it started to rain heavily again. 

The bronze statues of gods and ghosts flickered in the light of lightning and thunder, making them look even more ferocious and terrifying. The reflections of knives, forks, bronze mirrors, swords and halberds danced wildly on the wall, like candles swaying wildly in the wind. 

A naked girl with a beautiful appearance opened her eyes in an ancient temple, with a rusty ancient sword beside her. 

The girl rested her neck on a cold stone statue covered with dry grass and dust. She closed her eyes for a while and raised her head. Her long lavender hair was draped over her shoulders. She was soaked by the rain and felt cold. 

"Hundreds of ghosts ascend to heaven to become demon minions, and the gods go underground to open caves." 

The girl muttered in a weak voice. 

However, a very slight breeze came from the rain curtain and immediately entered the girl's acupoint. 

After regulating her breath for a long time, the girl opened her eyes weakly. She glanced at the sky outside, pinched her cheeks, and used the last bit of her consciousness to probe the rain curtain in front of her. After she confirmed something, she slowly breathed a sigh of relief. She struggled to get up, came behind the stone statue, curled up her petite body, hibernated like an autumn cicada, and fell asleep. 

It was raining heavily outside, and the splashing rainwater formed a vast expanse of white. 

The lightning flashed like a sea, the thunder roared, and the sound shook the earth, but it failed to wake the sleeping girl. 

When I woke up, the rain outside had stopped, the sky and earth were clear and blue, with a brand new atmosphere. 

She looked at the green mountains and the sharp iron cliffs, and her eyebrows looked more beautiful than the distant mountains. 

She suddenly covered her chest and coughed non-stop, blood oozing out from between her white teeth. Although her physical injuries recovered quickly, the cracks in her heart could not be healed overnight. 

Recalling those various scenes, she still felt frightened. 

She didn't know if her trick could fool those people, and time was too tight, so she had no confidence. 

The girl took a deep breath, looked at the flowers and plants outside that were washed by the rain and looked brand new, and smiled for no apparent reason. 

As if she had woken up from a very long dream, she stretched out her body, her waist relaxed, graceful and beautiful, her mind rare to be pure and peaceful. 

It's like starting life all over again. 

The girl suddenly tilted her head and thought, what should she be called? 

After thinking about it for a long time, she still couldn't think of a suitable name. She shook her head and sighed slightly. Naming is really a troublesome thing. 

Suddenly her face turned red, and she realized that she was naked at the moment. 

She looked back at the ancient temple. 

Temples deep in the mountains are always associated with some supernatural phenomena, and there seems to be something strange going on. 

She squinted her eyes and looked for a while, but couldn't see anything unusual. 

Then the purple-haired girl returned to the ancient temple. She slowly looked around and saw some dry bones on the ground, and one of them was even a relatively complete head. 

Judging from the structure of its bones, it doesn't look like a human, but more like a monster. 

Am I currently in the Northern Region? 

The beautiful girl frowned slightly, and she came to the edge of a weed patch, gently pushed aside the weeds, and took out an old-fashioned box. 

This should be the box brought by the people who were killed here. 

She pushed open the box and found, coincidentally, a few dark green clothes inside. 

She flipped through the clothes and carefully took out a few dress-like clothes. She unfolded them and shook them. She looked at the color of the clothes, her nose twitched slightly, and she puffed her lips in dissatisfaction: "This... this is too green."