At that moment, Lu Yuan looked at the army of nether soldiers before him and had no intention of continuing to strike. He knew that even if he kept slaughtering them like this, the army would continually revive, returning even stronger than before.
Therefore, when Jiang Ningxian appeared and spoke, he merely unleashed his aura. After knocking back the surging army, he took a step forward, rising into the sky, and followed behind Jiang Ningxian.
"Remember, do not fly too high. There are restrictions within this city that will attack you," the young woman's voice came, warning him. Clearly, she had explored extensively beforehand; otherwise, she could not have known so much.
Surprise flickered in Lu Yuan's eyes. He had entered the city not long ago and had only just encountered these nether soldiers, leaving him no time to explore anywhere else. Yet she already possessed a degree of understanding. Of course, it was not strange that she knew these things; Jiang Ningxian was supposed to be a very steady individual. But now, she seemed far more spirited than he had imagined—or at least, not quite as reserved.
Lu Yuan did not say much either, exchanging what information they each possessed. Jiang Ningxian did not withhold anything, explaining that she had actually been teleported outside the city and only entered later. At the same time, she knew the name of this city: Yanluo City.
"Yanluo City." Lu Yuan looked up toward the distance, deep in thought. When he entered, what he saw inscribed was the City of the Wrongfully Dead. Yet there should only be one city. Could it be that what each person saw was different?
"I wonder what the story is with that half of the city that resembles a Heavenly Palace," he mused.
"I don't know either," Jiang Ningxian answered, her expression grave. "This space is very peculiar; time flows at different rates in different areas. In fact, an entire day has already passed since I arrived here."
"A whole day?" Lu Yuan could not help but smile. "It seems Miss Jiang entered even earlier than I did."
Jiang Ningxian was even more astonished; she clearly hadn't expected that. Hearing the information Lu Yuan provided, she was unusually surprised.
"In other words, is there truly no other way to deal with that nether army?" he asked, sensing deep down that there had to be a solution. He knew this had once been an army that marched to war. Just like back in the imperial mausoleum, there had to be a way to keep them in check; he simply didn't know it yet.
"Indeed. But try your best not to provoke beings like those nether soldiers. They are extremely difficult to deal with. I know you possess the Ghost Seal, which once helped you reach the deepest recesses of the Mount Li Imperial Mausoleum, but that won't work in this place; they aren't bound by its authority."
Jiang Ningxian looked at Lu Yuan and offered another reminder, having guessed what he had planned to do earlier.
Hearing this, Lu Yuan's brow furrowed slightly, for he had indeed harbored that intention because of what happened at the Mount Li Imperial Mausoleum.
"There is a way, but it's very difficult and requires many conditions," she replied, privately analyzing things in her mind. As she gained a deeper understanding of this space, she grew increasingly alarmed. "It seems the person who created this secret realm was definitely extraordinarily powerful—at least at the immortal realm. He merged several spaces together. Such a feat is astounding; in my clan, only those few living fossils could manage it. Furthermore, different rules of time were incorporated into it."
Spatial rules were something only existences at the Great Saint level could touch upon, while temporal laws could only be wielded by figures above the immortal realm. To her, neither of those was utterly inconceivable, as the Jiang clan possessed such forebears. The key was that so many diverse methods coexisted within a single space.
From the looks of it, the Kunlun secret realm was far too perilous. Filled with unknown dangers, one had to understand it thoroughly.
Jiang Ningxian was even already aware of the great cauldron. Lu Yuan knew that the Yongzhou Cauldron, one of Huaxia's Nine Cauldrons, was inside, but its exact location remained a mystery.
"If we want to uncover the true secrets, it seems we can only keep advancing deeper into the city."
With that, the two set off once more toward the innermost reaches.
Jiang Ningxian pondered, preparing to say something more, but soon frowned and glanced in another direction. Lu Yuan did the same, sensing the presence of people nearby. Without another word, the two headed straight toward them.
After advancing for a few minutes, they spotted Earth Awakened up ahead. The group was surrounded by an army of soldiers and desperately fighting to break out. The soldiers were vast in number, and the Awakened were gradually flagging, with casualties already mounting.
Without a word, Lu Yuan stepped forward and unleashed his immense power. The Great Sun Furnace manifested once more, exuding a searing, terrifying aura that poured forth like a roaring river. Soldiers fell in swathes.
Seeing the army collapse, the crowd stood stunned before spotting Lu Yuan, their faces lighting up with joy.
"It's Lu Yuan!"
"Lu Yuan stepped in and saved us!"
"We thank you, Lu Yuan, for lending your aid! We are endlessly grateful!"
The Awakened offered their thanks before speaking, though none possessed useful information regarding the whereabouts of Spirit Monkey and the other beast kings. After all, while there were no lethal crises in this city, the nether soldiers were far too troublesome.
However, someone did know that Zhou Yunqiong's group had headed straight for the half of the city housing the Heavenly Palace.
Having obtained this information, Lu Yuan spoke calmly: "Though great fortunes may lie here, it is also exceptionally dangerous. If possible, you should leave first to preserve your lives." Of course, he had had another motive for saving them.
"Zhou Yunqiong? As expected, she came after all."
Lu Yuan responded indifferently, knowing full well that Zhou Yunqiong harbored grand ambitions. Furthermore, since she had made a move against him, there was no chance he would let her off. Leaving that woman alive would only turn her into an uncontrollable variable in the future.
"If we cross paths, certain matters ought to be settled."
On their way, Jiang Ningxian looked at Lu Yuan with a faint smile and added, "Or perhaps, she came on this trip just for you, Lu Yuan."
She was quite familiar with the grievances between the two, especially after the death of Winged Celestial, knowing they were like fire and water. Her remark was entirely intentional.
"Then who knows whether Lu Yuan will be able to bring himself to strike her down when the time comes—not to mention the power backing that woman..."
Jiang Ningxian wanted to say more, but suddenly noticed Lu Yuan had halted. Standing rooted to the spot, a faint radiance flickered within his eyes.
The Martial Dao Heavenly Eye.
In her eyes, a question surfaced: He had actually awakened the Martial Dao Heavenly Eye as well?
The young woman felt a tremor of shock, finding it hard to believe. Worthy of the Milky Way Star Sector indeed. This was the hardest physical treasure to unlock; even in the Saint Realm, doing so was nearly impossible. Yet he had reached such heights.
Naturally, Jiang Ningxian did not dwell on it any longer, because at that very moment, she too sensed something amiss. The city was undergoing a transformation—as if yin and yang were being turned upside down!
Chapter 178