“This is good,” Luo Jinxiu murmured, holding the poor creature tightly as they jumped down. Her azure skirt billowed behind her, drowning out the ecstatic cheers and applause, and was soon swallowed by the darkness ahead.
The darkness didn’t last long as the surrounding air seemed to solidify into a tangible mass, forming a huge net to catch the descending individuals before easing their descent.
Luo Jinxiu landed smoothly. She was the last to arrive. The others had already left. There was an envelope on the ground, and she picked it up. The poor creature jumped out of her arms.
“Sweetie, don’t run around. It’s dangerous here,” Luo Jinxiu grabbed its tail, but the poor creature turned around and let out a roar.
Terrified, she pulled back her hand and opened the envelope to find a passage: “Birth leads to life, and death leads to death. For every three, there are ten. Life and death are different levels of existence, each with its own events.”
Luo Jinxiu showed it to the poor creature, but there was nothing else inside. She wondered if this was some kind of test to distinguish the good from the bad.
Suddenly, four stone doors rose from the ground, each emitting a bright white light that made it difficult to see.
Luo Jinxiu picked up the poor creature and stepped through one of the doors without hesitation. The world spun around and a wave of dizziness washed over her. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in a vast stone forest, with towering, giant-like columns looming in the distance.
“This is a formation,” Luo Jinxiu said after a quick glance, patting the poor creature’s head. “It seems that the first test is the Life and Death Formation. If we pass, we live; if we fail, we die. It seems that this Ten Directions Assembly is quite a challenge.
The poor creature continued to growl, but fortunately it didn’t try to bite.
“Fortunately, I’m well-versed in the Life and Death Formation, so we’ll overcome this first challenge. If you don’t like being held, you can go into the bag, because it’s dangerous out here,” Luo Jinxiu said gently, kneeling down and looking at the poor creature.
Ignoring her, the poor creature flicked its tail and walked into the formation.
“After being fed by Junior Master Qu for a few days, its temperament is becoming more like his,” Luo Jinxiu sighed and ran a few steps ahead of the poor creature to enter the stone formation.
As she entered, the previously motionless stone forest seemed to activate, and the stone pillars began to sway, creating a confusing spectacle with a cloud of dust, causing many to shed tears.
Luo Jinxiu didn’t move in a hurry. She closed her eyes and listened carefully to the sound of the pillars scraping the ground. After a while, she stretched out her hand, allowing a trace of spiritual energy to easily penetrate the stone pillar.
“This side is Xuanwu,” Luo Jinxiu said to herself as she shattered the pillars in front of her with her palm, revealing a long and narrow crack.
“Honey, come with me,” Luo Jinxiu said as she stepped into the gap, stopping only when the path in front of her was blocked again.
She continued to manipulate the spiritual energy, sometimes bypassing the pillars, sometimes making them disappear upon contact.
“Tiger,” she said, smashing the pillars on the left and opening another gap. She repeated this process several times, almost effortlessly following a specific path without having to use much spiritual power.
In the time it took for an incense stick to burn, she had reached the center of the formation, where the largest pillar, about the thickness of an adult’s outstretched arms, served as the matrix. Breaking that pillar would shatter the entire formation.
“Come on, stay still,” Luo Jinxiu coaxed, picking up the poor creature and lovingly rubbing its wet nose. In response, the creature let out a mournful cry and patted her face with its furry paws to keep her away.
Luo Jinxiu enjoyed the company of this furry, adorable creature. The more it resisted her, the more she wanted to coo over it. After a while, it stopped panting and rubbed its reddened face.
Out of her sight, the poor creature rolled her eyes wide.
“Let me tell you, this matrix is the hardest to break. An ordinary person with insufficient cultivation wouldn’t be able to leave it, even if he knew the Life and Death Formation,” Luo Jinxiu said. She approached the stone pillar and placed her palm on it. Frost began to form, enveloping the pillar like a spreading fishing net.
Powerful spiritual energy surged out of it, emitting a dazzling silver-white light that quickly enveloped the pillar. Then, a bright light disintegrated into dust along with the pillar, scattering it all around.
Luo Jinxiu used her spiritual power to create a protective space, shielding herself and the poor creature from the raining debris. As the towering pillar disappeared, the entire formation collapsed as if it had never existed.
The poor creature watched, its eyes blurred. It seemed to be overcome with emotion.
Luo Jinxiu looked up, her expression resolute and calm. All the poor creature could see was her smooth jawline, cascading strands of hair, and perhaps a glimmer of light.
The poor creature lowered her gaze, seemingly somber, her emotions mixed with a hint of frustration.
As Luo Jinxiu bent down to celebrate with the creature, it suddenly bit her and then retreated into the bag, refusing to come out.
“Honey, what’s wrong?” Luo Jinxiu was confused and shook the bag. She had only broken a formation, so why did the poor creature suddenly react like that?
There was no response from inside.
Shrugging, Luo Jinxiu shook her head. Children always had to grow up, and spiritual beasts were no different. Rebellion knows no boundaries between humans and beasts.
Suddenly, a letter appeared on the ground. Unfazed, Luo Jinxiu picked it up and read the note aloud: “People die for wealth, and lust clouds one’s judgment.”
It seemed to be a reminder for the next challenge. As soon as she spoke, a stone door appeared, but this time, there were only three left.
It seemed that no matter which door she entered, the result would be the same. Luo Jinxiu didn’t dwell on it and simply chose one and entered without much thought.
Once again, the world spun before her and she found herself in a huge chamber. In one corner, there was a magnificent bronze pot with a golden lotus in its mouth, flanked by two cranes with outstretched wings – a truly awe-inspiring sight.
Luo Jinxiu looked at the pot and felt as if the cranes were about to take flight. Unable to resist, she took a few steps forward and reached out to touch the bronze pot.
Before her hand could make contact, the pot suddenly spewed out a torrent, showering the ground with countless agate gems, precious metals, exquisite jewelry, high-grade elixirs, and spiritual stones that glittered in the light.
As the items continued to pour out, the sight was enough to make one’s head spin.
Luo Jinxiu fought the urge to reach out and touch the treasures. She abruptly turned around and walked past the scattered riches, only to come upon a steaming pool, its surface shrouded in a delicate mist and fragrant with the scent of flowers.
Several men and women standing in the pool were chatting and laughing, creating waves that splashed onto Luo Jinxiu’s clothes.
Luo Jinxiu was on the verge of losing control and wanted to jump into the pool. Blushing furiously, she struggled to maintain her composure, pinching her thigh violently.
If she stayed here, she’d have nothing to worry about for the rest of her life.
A dreamy voice echoed in her head.
At that moment, the men and women who had just emerged from the water started laughing and approached the shore, leaving wet footprints behind them. Their bare feet were blindingly white, a sight Luo Jinxiu had never seen before. In a panic, she recited the Buddhist scriptures she had read in her previous life and chanted them aloud as she rushed forward.
Although she had always possessed strong willpower, she had never had an experience like this that caused such intense fear. She began to run, and the men and women behind her gave chase. The road in front of them seemed to never end. No matter how fast Luo Jinxiu ran, when she looked back, the well and the pool of mist were still there.
Suddenly, the poor creature that had been hiding in the bag jumped out. It landed firmly on the ground, its body swelled with power, and it stood before the “humans” – a fierce and terrifying sight. It roared and let out a howl that seemed to tear the sky and shatter the earth, causing the wind to pick up and scatter the clouds.
Luo Jinxiu seized the opportunity and regained her composure. She summoned her divine sword and hurled it, hitting the bronze pot. With a resounding crash, the pot shattered into pieces, and the illusion of the treasure vanished. The pursuing figures began to transform simultaneously, revealing themselves to be a group of foxes.
Relieved, Luo Jinxiu stopped and ran back, scooping the grinning poor creature into her arms. She summoned her spiritual energy, and numerous ice spikes descended from the sky, creating several holes in the ground.
As everything before her disappeared, Luo Jinxiu found herself standing alone in a vast wilderness. With a sigh of relief, she took advantage of the poor creature’s distraction and kissed its nose, gratefully saying, “Thank you. I might not have made it without your help.”
Enraged by the unexpected kiss, the poor creature almost lost its temper and tried to claw at Luo Jinxiu’s face.
She lifted the creature out of reach, its short legs flailing in the air. Despite its fierce gaze, it seemed to want to swallow her whole.
Luo Jinxiu jokingly promised the creature three cows as a reward. When it relaxed in her embrace, she said softly, “Alright, no more kisses. I promise to reward you when we get back.”
Her warm and sunny smile soothed the poor creature’s temper, and it looked at her with more composure.
“The fox ghosts are indeed beautiful. Luckily, I’m used to having a beautiful person like Junior Master Qu Weiying around, so I’m not easily influenced by such things. Otherwise, I might have really been seduced by them,” Luo Jinxiu sighed as he stroked the poor creature’s fur.
The poor creature snorted and snuggled into the crook of her arm.
Looking around, Luo Jinxiu noticed that neither the doors nor the letters had appeared. Perhaps she would have to wait a while. Bored, she talked to the poor creature.
“Where could Junior Master Qu have gone? It’s strange not to see her around. Even though she’s more powerful than me, I still can’t help but worry,” Luo Jinxiu said as she sat cross-legged, struggling to hold the poor creature on her shoulder and stroke its back.
“Even though I know she still comes across as a female demon sometimes, I think she’s actually quite gentle. Lately, I’ve begun to care for her. No one has ever treated me so kindly,” Luo Jinxiu continued. Her gaze drifted off into the distance, lost in thought.
“Oh well, I’ll just take things as they come. I’ve always treated those who are good to me with kindness. It’s as simple as that,” Luo Jinxiu lifted her spirits and placed the poor creature on the ground. Then she stood up and patted its back.
“Come on, let’s find the door,” she said.
The poor creature suddenly jumped up with a start, turned its head, and bit her leg violently.
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