The temperature below the cliff seemed even lower. After climbing down slightly, they could feel it, even somewhat bone-chilling. In this dark environment shrouded by mist and fog, there was a hair-raising sensation.
The two fellow disciples did not climb very deep, and crucially did not dare to climb further down. After climbing down about three to four zhang, they did not dare to move. They discovered many vines climbing on the cliff wall. After all, they did not know what kind of thing the vine spirit below was. If they caused a big commotion, then their hiding would be for nothing.
The night was very quiet. The two pressed against the cliff wall and could even hear footsteps from above the cliff. There were flickers of firelight, and also flickers of fluorite light. They did not know whether it was a search or something else.
Could their whereabouts have been exposed? Yet looking at the situation, it did not seem so.
Could it be Spirit Valley’s routine normal movements at night?
The two fellow disciples indulged in all sorts of wild thoughts. In short, they pressed against the cliff wall and did not dare to move.
It was indeed wild thinking. The truth was often something outsiders could not guess. Actually, it was just that Spirit Valley had an honoured guest arriving, and as the host they needed to make some preparations in advance.
Before long, the honoured guest arrived in the night with a somewhat lazy charm. Xiang Lanxuan did not make any preparations to her appearance. She still had her hair disheveled, only wearing an extra pair of shoes on her feet. She wandered around Spirit Valley with flirtatious brows and eyes.
All the lights in Spirit Valley could be said to be fully lit for her alone. All the personnel who should be present had also fully assembled, so as to accept various inquiries at any time.
Accompanying her at the side was the First Elder of Kunling Mountain, Huan Yushan, dressed in white as pure as snow with an immortal temperament.
With the status of Grand Walker of the Great Cause Office, she completely had this qualification. Even if the Kunling Mountain Sect Leader personally came to accompany her, it would not be excessive. It was just that Xiang Lanxuan herself did not need it.
As they wandered and looked around, Elder Huan had been secretly observing Xiang Lanxuan’s reactions, pondering her purpose for coming. He discovered that this Grand Walker was completely just passing through in a very casual manner. He did not know what that gaze looking everywhere was actually searching for.
After thinking thrice, Elder Huan ultimately could not resist inquiring about this person’s purpose. “Why would the Grand Walker think of coming to Spirit Valley to tour at night? Actually, Spirit Valley’s scenery can only be seen more clearly during the day.”
Xiang Lanxuan giggled and said, “I have come during the day more than once or twice. At night, I truly have not come before. On a sudden impulse, I wanted to see how the night scenery is. Will it be too much of a disturbance?”
Naturally it was too much of a disturbance, but Elder Huan could not say so. “No matter, no matter. The Grand Walker’s presence brings glory to our humble Spirit Valley.”
Speaking magnanimous words on his mouth, in his heart he somewhat regretted it. She definitely would not reveal her true purpose. He felt he should not have asked this unnecessary question.
But he had not forgotten the conversation with the Sect Leader before coming. This person had suddenly taken an interest in Spirit Valley. Had she noticed something?
Not to mention him, the unkempt Yan Yao and Lu Youming accompanying behind also secretly harboured unease in their hearts. This was also the first time they had seen a great figure come here to wander at night.
Tonight, Xiang Lanxuan seemed particularly leisurely and elegant. She did not care that the night was gradually deepening and growing late. All the way she wandered unhurriedly, which rather suited her current disheveled appearance.
And in fact, she had come tonight to cause trouble. The reasoning was simple. She did not know what that Tanhua Scholar wanted to do, and did not want to let him accomplish his matter silently. Once the matter was accomplished, there would be no more movements, and then there would be nothing for her to do. If he truly had some scheme regarding Spirit Valley, only by increasing the difficulty and making it not easy for him to succeed would the other party have more movements. The more movements, the easier it would be to expose the true purpose.
Even if that Tanhua Scholar’s scheme was nothing remarkable, after all he was the world’s number one talented scholar. Was it not an interesting matter to toy with him in the palm of her hand?
In short, she was unhurried, causing the group to wander for a long time before reaching the very end of Spirit Valley.
At the gap at the end, on the slopes to the left and right, people holding lanterns waited respectfully. The sincerity in receiving guests was full, fully expressing Kunling Mountain’s respect for the Great Cause Office.
Standing at the edge of the cliff, Xiang Lanxuan looked down toward the deep misty bottom of the cliff for a while, and asked, “Is the vine spirit below still locked up?”
Elder Huan sighed and said, “Although it has opened its spiritual intelligence, it has not yet understood human nature. It is prone to acting recklessly. It must be locked up.”
Xiang Lanxuan examined those iron chains one by one and asked, “How long will it take to transform into human form?”
Elder Huan said, “The Grand Walker knows, for a wood spirit to gain awareness is already very rare. Whether it can transform into form is not certain. It depends on its own destiny.”
The two stood on the cliff chatting idly.
Yu Qing and Mu Aotie pressed against the stone wall below the cliff did not even dare to breathe heavily, because the conversation sounds from above had no concealment. In the deep night, the two of them could hear clearly. One of the women’s voices sounded familiar. The repeated address of “Grand Walker” mentioned by the man made the two of them remember who this woman was.
The two estimated that besides that woman from the Great Cause Office, there would be no one else. Thinking about it, at this time, the people who could enter Spirit Valley must certainly have an extraordinary status.
They had seen Xiang Lanxuan’s martial skills before. She was a character in the ranks of the world’s first-class experts. She was someone who could fly in the sky more freely than birds. Under the eyes of such a character, how could the two dare to make the slightest rash move? They truly did not even dare to breathe heavily.
The two had been raising their heads staring at the movements above. Besides hazy lights, they actually could not see anything. Yu Qing could only use the Observation Word Formula to be on guard more.
Suddenly, his eyelids twitched. The Observation Word Formula detected an abnormality. He slowly lowered his raised head and vaguely saw something in the darkness slowly approaching. He did not know what it was. Subconsciously he wanted to dodge, but was intimidated by Xiang Lanxuan above and did not dare to act rashly.
There was no choice. If they were discovered for trespassing into Kunling Mountain’s forbidden area, let alone they had sneaked here from the Ding character area, what would happen then? They feared even the murder case at the Meteor Hall would be dug up and settled together.
Without encountering a fatal threat, the two would rather die than act rashly.
When the slowly approaching thing truly came close, they discovered it was actually slowly swaying vine branches, gently approaching them like octopus tentacles. It could not be said to be sneaky. The vine tentacles even seemed to deliberately sway before the two people’s eyes, seemingly feeling strange at the two people’s lack of reaction, as if testing whether the two were blind.
Mu Aotie naturally also discovered it. It was hard not to discover, as it was swaying right before his eyes.
The two naturally understood this was the vine spirit at the bottom of the cliff causing mischief. They just did not know what the vine spirit wanted to do. Currently it looked like its movements were quite gentle.
Ordinary people would probably be scared to death. As cultivators, the two had seen all sorts of strange things and were not afraid of this.
But the two were also very afraid that this vine spirit would do something excessive. At that time, the two feared it would be hard not to cause a commotion.
After the vine branches swayed before the two people’s eyes for a while, they finally slowly touched Yu Qing’s body. Truly like tentacles, they groped on Yu Qing’s body, only targeting Yu Qing, not touching Mu Aotie.
Mu Aotie was right beside Yu Qing. He vaguely saw this and could not help but be filled with anxiety, yet did not dare to make a sound.
After that vine tentacle groped for a while, it actually drilled into Yu Qing’s lapel to grope. Before long it withdrew, pulling out from within the lapel, and rolled away an object. It was actually Fatty Nan’s golden orchid fruit.
This vine spirit was actually after this thing.
The two fellow disciples watched with twitching eyelids. Both realised something. Could it be that the thing Old Seven had swiped with his itchy hands truly had something special about it?
Unwilling to lose it like this, Yu Qing subconsciously reached out and grabbed the vine branch that had rolled away the golden orchid fruit. He tugged at it in a contest of strength, yet did not dare to make a sound. He wanted to slowly exert force to break the vine branch. Who knew the vine branch immediately launched a counterattack. Suddenly from all directions many tentacles stretched out pressing close, seemingly wanting to unleash a volley of ten thousand arrows toward this side.
Mu Aotie’s heart immediately beat wildly. Yu Qing’s eyeballs turned to both sides. He also became obedient and quickly let go.
So that vine tentacle just rolled up the golden orchid fruit and sank into the pitch-black cliff bottom like the netherworld hell. Together with those messy pressing tentacles from the surroundings, they also withdrew and disappeared.
The two fellow disciples stared blankly in the direction where the golden orchid fruit had disappeared. There was nothing they could do as they could not see anything clearly. Then in the dimness they looked at each other. They had never dreamed they would actually be robbed like this.
Speaking of which, this vine spirit was somewhat understanding of human nature. After taking the thing, it stopped. It did not do anything to the two.
Just like certain bandits who observed moral principles, it only sought wealth and did not harm lives.
Despite being robbed, the two still did not dare to make a sound. They continued to quietly raise their heads looking above.
Fortunately, Xiang Lanxuan did not stay in this one place for too long. After discussing the vine spirit with Elder Huan for a while, she moved to another place. She also flew to a nearby mountain to climb high and look at the night scenery.
Anyway, Xiang Lanxuan did not plan to leave easily today. She just wanted to make Spirit Valley put on a show of force, making it impossible for people to easily exploit loopholes.
Yu Qing below the cliff raised his head staring above. The Observation Word Formula detected that Xiang Lanxuan had left. Although he did not know whether she had left Spirit Valley, being freed from under the eyes of such an expert was enough to let him heave a sigh of relief. He gently let out a long breath.
But there were still lights above. The Observation Word Formula could also detect there were still people. He could not figure out what kind of people they were. The two still did not dare to act rashly, so they continued to press against the cliff wall.
The two’s fixed posture pressed against the cold cliff wall for a long time. It was somewhat unbearably bitter.
Until the sky was about to break at dawn, Xiang Lanxuan, who had not detected any abnormalities, finally left with some doubts in her heart. Elder Huan also accompanied her in leaving.
Yan Yao and Lu Youming, who had stayed up all night, escorted the guest to outside Spirit Valley. After watching the honoured guest leave, the two looked at each other speechlessly. After returning inside, Lu Youming finally muttered an opinion. “I feel this woman did not come to tour. She seems to have another purpose.”
Without him saying it, any person could see it. But no one knew what it meant. Also, no one dared to press Xiang Lanxuan for answers.
Yan Yao walked while frowning and pondering, then said, “Enough. This is not something we should nag about. Gather the personnel and ask whether they discovered any abnormalities.”
“Yes.” Lu Youming accepted the order and left.
So very quickly, the lights above the cliff finally disappeared. Yu Qing’s Observation Word Formula also detected that the people above had left. After confirming the people had gone far and movements would not be easily discovered, he looked toward the bottom of the cliff and spoke. “The vine spirit took away Old Seven’s fruit.”
Mu Aotie had vaguely seen it. “What to do?”
Yu Qing said, “I can feel it came directly for the fruit. It seems Old Seven’s fruit truly has something special about it. To abandon it and ignore it is unacceptable. For the sake of sentiment and reason, we must go down and look.”
Mu Aotie looked at the top again and could not help but be somewhat worried. “If we cause a commotion, I am afraid it will not be easy for us to escape.”
Yu Qing was silent for a while. Finally he gritted his teeth and said, “This vine spirit’s main body should be very large. If it truly does not know what is good for it, then set a big fire to burn it. A big fire will draw people’s attention. That is exactly a good opportunity to take advantage of the chaos to escape.”
“Good.” Mu Aotie nodded in agreement.
Crucially, he also did not think a vine spirit that could not transform into form could have much strength.
The two who had been pressed motionless against the stone wall for more than four hours finally moved. They successively leaped toward the abyss.