Chapter 86#

Xie Zhefeng’s gaze darkened.

“City Lord Shangguan,” he said, “whether I am deep in affection or fickle, it is not your concern.”

His tone was tinged with a layer of detachment and even a hint of frustration.

—The person Immortal Venerable Chu Han kept by his side at every step was clearly his Senior Brother. How had his deep affection become “nothing more than this”?

He glanced at An Wuxue again.

An Wuxue lowered his eyes, his determination to keep his identity hidden remained absolute.

Xie Zhefeng had no choice but to endure.

Shangguan Liaoliao said coldly, “Naturally, it’s not my concern. The person who could have managed the Immortal Venerable has had his soul dispersed and his body shattered. Naturally, you are free to do as you please.”

An Wuxue began to feel a headache coming on.

His last memory of the relationship between these two was from a thousand years ago.

When Shangguan Liaoliao was practicing on Falling Moon Peak, Xie Zhefeng had only just entered the sect and was still young. Since neither of them had particularly outgoing personalities, they had little interaction and were truly not very close.

Even after the Long-Life Immortals fell and they each took charge of their respective domains, it was always he, the First Seat of Falling Moon, who maintained contact with Shangguan Liaoliao, the Lord of North Abyss.

The relationship between those two wasn’t exactly good, but it wasn’t bad either.

When he first entered the Guan Ye Array, he had seen the Xie Zhefeng and Shangguan Liaoliao of two hundred years ago.

At that time, when they spoke within the North Abyss sword array, they weren’t as hostile as they were now.

…Was it because of “Su Xue”?

For a moment, he found it somewhat ironic.

Shangguan Liaoliao had indeed known of his feelings for Xie Zhefeng back then, but after Shangguan Ran’s death, they had never spoken again.

After a thousand years, she both resented him and was standing up for An Wuxue, a dead person…

He couldn’t understand it.

Seeing the two still at a stalemate, An Wuxue was forced to speak up. “Immortal Venerable, City Lord, you two are the only hope for the current crisis in North Abyss. Since we have regrouped, it is time to find the array core.”

Shangguan Liaoliao was the first to pull back her cold expression and lower her guard, showing a hint of fatigue.

Wandering within the array while bearing the weight of North Abyss on her shoulders, she had been tense for a long time.

Though she believed Su Xue was a “cultivation furnace,” she listened carefully to An Wuxue’s words, her expression nostalgic and wistful.

“Calm in the face of danger, steady in action… the things I mentioned clearly concern you, yet your mind is only on the crisis in North Abyss.”

She suddenly smiled.

“You really are like him…”

“Before the North Abyss disaster began, I perhaps had some premonition. During that time, my mind was uneasy, and I often thought of the past, making it hard to sleep. Those soul-nourishing tree leaves you gave me were very useful.”

“Thank you.”

An Wuxue remained silent.

He had just come from the illusion of five hundred years ago and seen Shangguan Liaoliao’s reaction upon learning his true identity.

It was completely different from now.

Had Shangguan Liaoliao let go of much more over these five hundred years, or…

Or was it because the person she was facing now was Su Xue, while “An Wuxue” remained a dead person in her heart?

Though he wasn’t dead, he was experiencing the benefits of being dead.

If he were alive, a cold blade would be at his throat.

But because he was “dead,” a substitute who looked exactly like him could be treated with kindness.

How strange.

Lost in thought, he didn’t respond to Shangguan Liaoliao. She didn’t mind and simply raised her hand to remove the sound-insulating barrier, then snapped her fingers to set up a concealment barrier around the six of them.

In this way, the phantoms from the Life Gate would not discover their presence for the time being.

Pei Qian and the others had been excluded and hadn’t heard the conversation, but none of those present were fools. No one asked questions that shouldn’t be asked, and they all acted as if nothing had happened.

Jiang Qing was the first to speak. “City Lord, everyone was separated after the Guan Ye Array began. I have been wandering through the North Abyss of several hundred years ago until now and have found no clues regarding the array core. I have no idea how to break the array…”

Qu Jizhi interjected, “As I said before, this array traps people based on their karma. Mr. Jiang only gained consciousness and took root in the North Abyss First City a few centuries ago. His karma with this place only spans those few centuries, so he will only wander within that time period.”

“But the span of time the Guan Ye Array can encompass is determined by all those who enter it.”

Pei Qian had only ever been in a Guan Ye Array with himself. Hearing this, he also showed shock.

“You mean—the reason this Guan Ye Array contains the First City from a thousand years ago is because there are intruders like City Lord Shangguan who have existed for over a millennium?”

Qu Jizhi nodded.

An Wuxue’s brow twitched as he said, “Then based on what young Immortal Master Qu says, the array core is very likely set a thousand years ago.”

“Why?” Shangguan Liaoliao asked.

“This array pulls in all the souls of the North Abyss First City. For instance, young Immortal Master Qu and Mr. Jiang will both wander through the North Abyss of the last few centuries. Consequently, if the core were placed within this recent period, with so many people wandering through it, wouldn’t someone have a chance of finding it by luck and breaking the array directly?”

Pei Qian clapped his hands. “Right! The point in time where the core is located should be a time that as few people as possible will visit! Naturally, the further back in time, the fewer people will set foot there!”

Jiang Qing looked at An Wuxue with a smile. “Su Xue is so clever.”

An Wuxue said helplessly, “Fellow Daoist Jiang, that was easy to guess. You all would have thought of it even if I hadn’t said anything.”

Jiang Qing’s smile didn’t fade. “I—”

“The array core is most likely set on a person or object from a thousand years ago,” Xie Zhefeng said coldly. “City Lord Shangguan has been in the array for so long; surely you’ve looked back at a thousand years ago?”

Shangguan Liaoliao had been deep in thought, and now her voice carried a hint of hesitation. “I don’t know much about the specifics of array cores, but having wandered for a long time, I’ve seen many events from hundreds or even a thousand years ago. I’ve even… returned to the day my mother led the turbid energy into North Abyss City.”

“But I haven’t found anything unusual.”

A thought suddenly occurred to An Wuxue—if they could think of this, wouldn’t the person who set up the array have thought of it as well?

In all of North Abyss, the person most capable of breaking the array was Shangguan Liaoliao.

The creator of the array would have known when setting the core that it must be placed in a point in time that would be the hardest for Shangguan Liaoliao to break.

The hardest core for Shangguan Liaoliao to break…

That would be a time that she could never bring herself to visit.

But Shangguan Liaoliao had even visited the day the North Abyss Immortal Lord started the chaos. What time from a thousand years ago could there be that she still refused to remember or visit to this day?

An Wuxue’s hand gripped the sheath of Chun Hua until his knuckles turned white.

Kun Kun flew beside him, seemingly sensing his tension and anxiety. It rested its paws on his shoulder and rubbed against his neck.

Pei Qian thought for a moment and then asked, “Could it be the day before North Abyss was sealed? A thousand years ago may have few visitors, but surely not many people would think of the day before the seal either?”

Qu Jizhi said, “They would. I did.”

Pei Qian: “…”

Jiang Qing also asked, “I know the story of the City Lord righteously executing her kin and helping the previous Immortal Venerable kill the North Abyss Immortal Lord, but I take the liberty to ask—is there truly no other event from a thousand years ago that the City Lord is even more reluctant to remember?”

Listening to their back-and-forth, An Wuxue instinctively answered silently: There is.

“There is.”

An Wuxue was startled.

He clearly hadn’t spoken.

He raised his eyes toward the source of the voice, only to meet Xie Zhefeng’s dark gaze.

The man said in a heavy voice, “Which day was it—City Lord Shangguan should have thought of it by now, shouldn’t you?”

Shangguan Liaoliao’s face changed.

At that very moment!

The spiritual sword in Xie Zhefeng’s hand flew out. With himself as the center, he unleashed a sharp sword energy!!

The Chu Han sword light swept out, instantly stirring the spiritual energy across the entire First City.

Clouds swirled, and in an instant, the entire First City began to collapse under the full force of Xie Zhefeng’s strike.

The man had actually broken the illusion by brute force at that very moment!

By the time Pei Qian and the others regained their senses, the surroundings had completely collapsed. Two Life and Death Gates appeared before Xie Zhefeng, the one who had broken the trial.

An Wuxue’s grip on his sword tightened.

He lowered his head slightly, remaining silent.

Shangguan Liaoliao was stunned for a moment before suddenly understanding Xie Zhefeng’s purpose. She spoke through gritted teeth, “You intentionally broke the trial at the moment I recalled that event, so the Life and Death Gates would manifest based on what I was thinking…”

Xie Zhefeng only asked Qu Jizhi, “Among these two gates, one is very likely the illusion where the array core is located. Calculate it.”

His reaction was a silent admission.

An Wuxue’s lips moved as if to say something.

The creator of the array had hidden the core in the point in time Shangguan Liaoliao dared not visit. If it truly was that time, it would also be a past he was unwilling to recall.

But he couldn’t stop it.

The result of Xie Zhefeng’s action was exactly what he had hoped for—breaking the array was the priority.

So, in the end, he said nothing.

As he hesitated, Qu Jizhi crossed his hands and performed several hand seals in quick succession, some of which even resonated with the array’s patterns.

After a few breaths, a smile appeared on Qu Jizhi’s face.

“We are indeed about to reach the array’s core—the gate on the left is most likely where it is.”

Pei Qian waved his large sleeve. “Let’s go!”

A spiritual sword moved to block Pei Qian’s path.

Pei Qian blurted out, “Who’s block—oh, Immortal Venerable, please speak.”

Xie Zhefeng said without changing his expression, “This gate most likely connects to an illusion from a thousand years ago. Although the immortals had fallen by then, North Abyss had many late-stage Tribulation-Transcending experts and numerous lurking great demons. Your cultivation levels might not be safe in the North Abyss First City of the late Immortal Calamity.”

After that brief explanation, the Immortal Venerable Chu Han used his long sword to strike Pei Qian, pushing him directly into the gate on the right.

“Aieee—!”

Qu Jizhi’s face changed. “Pei Qian!”

Without any hesitation, he followed into the gate that did not lead to the core.

An Wuxue glanced at Xie Zhefeng.

He was also someone who had lived through the Immortal Calamity. Although Xie Zhefeng’s words had some merit, Pei Qian and the others were at the Tribulation-Transcending stage, after all. In any era, such people were top-tier experts; how could they be a hindrance?

Had the man seen his reluctance and guessed he didn’t want too many people knowing about the events of that time, and thus…

He looked at the confused Jiang Qing and said, “Fellow Daoist Jiang, there is an ill-fated connection between young Immortal Master Qu and Pei Qian. With the two of them alone, I’m worried about Pei Qian. I have a basic understanding of arrays and can go with City Lord Shangguan and the Immortal Venerable to investigate the core. Could you help me keep an eye on young Immortal Master Qu?”

Jiang Qing nodded. “Naturally. I share an affinity with Su Xue; when have I ever refused a favor you asked of me?”

He looked at Xie Zhefeng with a smile, completely failing to notice the Immortal Venerable’s very displeased expression. “Su Xue and the Immortal Venerable share a deep connection. Since I am being good to Su Xue and considering things for him that the Immortal Venerable might overlook, the Immortal Venerable surely won’t mind, right?”

Xie Zhefeng’s face turned even colder.

But Jiang Qing had already turned and followed Pei Qian and the others.

Shangguan Liaoliao ignored their interaction. As Jiang Qing stepped into the right gate, she entered the left gate first.

Only An Wuxue and Xie Zhefeng remained.

“Senior Brother…”

An Wuxue was silent for a moment.

He let out a long sigh and simply said, “Forget it. It’s just the past. The thousands of lives in the First City take priority.”

Having spoken, he turned and stepped into the past of a thousand years ago.

After the world spun, the illusion before him became clear.

Xie Zhefeng followed closely behind him. Shangguan Liaoliao had entered before him and was now standing before a North Abyss sword array that was not yet fully formed, looking dazed.

Looking at the familiar surroundings, An Wuxue recognized the point in time almost immediately.

This was after the North Abyss Sword Tomb had been laid, but before the sword array was complete.

At that time…

At that time, Shangguan Ran was still alive.

But before long, Shangguan Liaoliao would see with her own eyes the blade of Chun Hua piercing Shangguan Ran’s chest.