#130 - I can protect you (4000 words, two chapters in one)
Chapter 130: I Can Protect You (4000 words, two chapters combined)
“Until one day…
Strands of peculiar rosy clouds permeated the entire White Dike City.
From that moment on, all demons were unable to maintain their human forms, regardless of how high their cultivation was.
Once other demons awakened in the city, they remained in their original forms and could not transform.
If that was all, it would have been fine.
Both the human and demon races in White Dike City were searching for a way out.
But again, to everyone's surprise…
That day, as I was walking down the street, suddenly, a beam of light descended from the sky, directly shining on a human cultivator.
This human cultivator initially didn't know what was happening.
As a result, within ten breaths, that human cultivator disappeared directly, without the slightest pain.
No one knew whether this cultivator had left White Dike City or had truly disappeared.
After that, the number of human cultivators in White Dike City decreased every day.
Some people suddenly disappeared while eating, others suddenly disappeared in their sleep; these disappearances had no warning signs, the only thing they had in common was the white light before they vanished.
My wife and I intensified our research on the White Dike City's formation.
Finally, we figured out one thing.
White Dike City was not a formation but a world.
But White Dike City was not like an ordinary small world; it was between a small world and a formation. It had its own laws, but it had not yet evolved to the level of a world.
However, we discovered that White Dike City was gradually growing, and its laws were constantly improving.
Well, my wife and I will tentatively call it a small world.
We tried to understand the laws of this small world. My wife sensed that someone was tampering with White Dike City.
The fact that White Dike City had become like this was likely man-made.
But even a cultivator in the Ascension Realm would not have such means to create a small world, or even create a law.
Unless someone reached a realm beyond the Ascension Realm.
But the question is, can anyone really reach the legendary lost realms?
Even if someone reached those lost realms, why would they do this? What was their purpose?
What could they possibly want?
My wife and I had too many doubts.
Fortunately, we had seen what White Dike City was like before.
My wife was too much of a genius. She compared the spiritual energy flow and mountain range trends of White Dike City before with the current self-contained world and, after repeated attempts, finally created a formation.
As long as this formation didn't have any accidents, it should be able to leave this place.
But this formation could only exert its maximum effect on the night of the full moon.
According to my wife's calculations, there were still a full hundred days until the next full moon.
My wife and I didn't know who would be the next to disappear.
As time passed, the number of human cultivators in White Dike City decreased.
Finally, in the entire White Dike City, only my wife and I remained.
My wife and I both knew that if the white light came again, we would be the ones to die.
Therefore, to be on the safe side, I put the events of coming to White Dike City and the formation my wife created all in this box.
I entrusted it to a butterfly girl next door.
If my wife and I had an accident, burn us, hide our ashes under the banyan tree in the courtyard of our room, put the box in a floor tile compartment next to the threshold. If someone enters this secret realm in the future and finds what we left behind, it may help them leave White Dike City.
If the formation we researched is successful and we leave White Dike City, then this letter and formation map will be unnecessary. The butterfly girl will destroy these things, after all, there are many secret methods in that formation that my wife's sect cannot pass on.
But we will inform the Wu Kingdom and the Sky Profound Gate of the entire secret realm and let them come to investigate the reason.
So, now that you see this letter, it means we are no longer here. I hope you can live well and leave this place.”
The content of the letter ended here.
Xu Ming read it over and over again to avoid missing any details.
“Goo goo goo (Xu Ming, I think something's wrong.)” Sky Profound Goose said to Xu Ming.
“Yes, something's wrong.” Xu Ming nodded. “Tell me your opinion first.”
“Goo goo goo, goo goo goo, goo goo, goo goo goo (Look, since they want to give this map to future generations to help them get out, why put the ashes under the banyan tree and put the box in a separate place? How lucky do you have to be to find this thing?)” Sky Profound Goose felt it was unreasonable.
Xu Ming smiled: “It's not quite like that.
First of all, if Shen Sheng and his wife put this box casually, it wouldn't be long before this box would disappear, let alone be preserved in this world for more than a hundred years.
Secondly, why do you think so many ruins or ancient tombs have mechanisms to kill people? But inside there are all kinds of natural treasures and inheritances left by the owners of the ruins and ancient tombs?
This is because screening is needed.
The owners of those ancient tombs and ruins need to screen out excellent people to inherit their things, not mediocre people, otherwise, their inheritance will be cut off.
Didn't they say that this parchment scroll contains secret methods that cannot be passed on, it is impossible for everyone to see it.”
Xu Ming opened the parchment scroll and looked at the formation inside:
“Look, the formation they created is indeed not simple. This formation is very mysterious. Although it cannot be called complex, there are many details inside, interlocked. Any wrong step will cause the formation to fail.
I believe that Shen Sheng and his wife should have left a lot of clues in White Dike City, and there should be many tests in the middle. Only those who are proficient in formations can carefully investigate and pass the tests to get to that courtyard.
If those people can't even find this box, then with their level, it should be quite difficult to build this formation.”
“Goo goo goo (Then Xu Ming, can you build this formation?)” the big white goose asked.
“No!” Xu Ming did not hesitate at all.
Big White Goose: “…”
“Don't look at me like that.” Xu Ming spread his hands. “I'm not omnipotent. I can only understand this formation. You know, we knew Shen Sheng's name directly before we went to find Shen Sheng's courtyard, and then you were lucky enough to find an inconspicuous groove, that's how we found the formation left by Shen Sheng and them.”
“Then what do we do now?” the big white goose asked.
“What else can we do, go find a few people who know formations and see if they can build this formation.” Xu Ming said as a matter of course, “And haven't you found anything else wrong?”
“What place?” The big white goose tilted its head.
“You guy…”
Xu Ming sighed.
“I met Shen Sheng in Shunan Mountain, so logically speaking, Shen Sheng and his wife have already left this secret realm. Since they have left this secret realm, they should notify Wu Kingdom or the Sky Profound Gate as soon as possible.
But Wu Du has no news.
The Sky Profound Gate only came today, which further shows that the Sky Profound Gate doesn't know either.
So if I'm not mistaken, something happened to them on the day they set up the formation.
This accident prevented them from writing down the course of events.”
Xu Ming looked at the formation drawn on the parchment scroll, his brows furrowed: “This place is really full of doubts… What worries me even more is, could the man-made thing Shen Sheng said be someone deliberately manipulating all this behind the scenes? What is the other party's purpose?”
The Sky Profound Goose patted Xu Ming on the shoulder: “Goo goo goo? (Xu Ming, are you overthinking it?)”
“I hope so.” Xu Ming stood up, “Let's go, let's go find the two disciples from White Deer Academy. I heard that White Deer Academy not only studies books, but every scholar must also learn formations, at least they should know more than me.”
The Sky Profound Goose nodded and followed Xu Ming out of the inn.
But just as Xu Ming walked out of the inn door, a white light descended from the sky and fell into a location in the north of White Dike City.
“White light…”
Xu Ming remembered the content he had just seen in the letter, and felt uneasy in his heart. He quickly flew towards the direction of the white light.
In the inn, a girl who was already extremely beautiful took out set after set of clothes from her storage ring.
The girl chose a light gauze dress with a skirt and put her hair up, inserting a hairpin.
“It should look pretty good, right?”
Qin Qingwan turned around in front of the mirror and nodded with satisfaction.
Just as Qin Qingwan was about to go to Tongfu Inn to find Xu Ming, a beam of light descended from the sky.
“Junior Sister… what happened?” Because of this white light, Xia Donghua and the other two also walked out of the inn.
“Go take a look.” Qin Qingwan's willow eyebrows furrowed, and she felt inexplicably uneasy. She flew towards the direction of the white light.
At the same time, all the cultivators in White Dike City who saw this white light went to the direction of the white light.
Many people were excited, thinking that a treasure might have appeared.
But…
When they arrived at the location of the white light, everyone knew they were wrong.
Strands of white light shone on one human cultivator after another.
These human cultivators didn't struggle, didn't suffer, and didn't even realize what was happening. In less than ten breaths, each living person vanished.
"No, wait!"
"Save me!"
"What on earth is this...?"
Some cultivators arrived, thinking they could seize treasures, but they too were enveloped in white light.
These white lights descended randomly, intermittently, for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick.
Xu Ming frowned, watching the scene unfold before him.
Once the white light ceased, Xu Ming, who arrived first, estimated that the intermittent white light had caused thirty people to disappear during that incense stick's worth of time.
"What exactly is going on? What methods did you use?!"
"Return my junior brother!"
Some cultivators who had lost their fellow disciples angrily drew their weapons, venting their anger on the nearby demon race, believing they were responsible.
However, the cultivators nearby quickly dissuaded them.
The demons in Baiwa City were all of considerable strength, not to mention the Old Dog Squad responsible for security within the city.
If a conflict truly erupted, they would definitely suffer greatly.
"Everyone, please be quiet and listen to me."
At this moment, Xia Donghua, the son of the Heavenly Profound Sect's leader, walked to the center of the street, looked around, and bowed to the crowd.
"My name is Xia Donghua, and my father is the leader of the Heavenly Profound Sect."
Originally, some people were wondering who this person was, but his statement, "My father is the leader of the Heavenly Profound Sect," immediately garnered the attention of most cultivators.
This was the Heavenly Profound Sect, one of the four holy lands and five major sects in the human territory, holding an extremely transcendent position.
"Everyone has seen that everything in Baiwa City is filled with the unknown. The white light just now was clearly targeted at human cultivators. We don't know where those who disappeared have gone, nor do we know when the white light will descend again.
However, we must be prepared.
I am not talented, but I hope to establish a cultivator alliance here. We can help each other, share information, and work together to find a way out!
If you are willing, you can come to the Misty Rain Inn, where we can discuss our plans together!"
As soon as Xia Donghua finished speaking, the surrounding cultivators began to discuss.
"Brother Xia's proposal is brilliant! My Facing Heaven Gate is willing to form an alliance with the Heavenly Profound Sect."
"Indeed, we should unite instead of being like a pile of loose sand. My Luo River Sect is willing to join the alliance."
"Qingyu Sect approves."
"Me too."
After the first sect expressed its stance, other sects successively agreed to form an alliance.
Firstly, the reputation of the Heavenly Profound Sect was indeed useful, not to mention that he was the son of the Heavenly Profound Sect's leader.
Secondly, when faced with danger, sticking together often provided a sense of security.
However, in Xu Ming's opinion, the premise of sticking together was that everyone was united and without ulterior motives.
But everyone had come for the exotic treasure and had their own selfish desires.
Based on this alone, this alliance would likely be useless.
"Let's go," Xu Ming said to the Great White Goose, turning to leave and discuss with his two buddies from the White Deer Academy.
However, before Xu Ming could take two steps, a young girl blocked his path.
The girl's long eyelashes fluttered gently: "We meet again~".
"I wonder what brings Qingqing here?" Xu Ming asked.
Qin Qingwan's tone was light and cheerful: "It's nothing, I just wanted to invite you to join this alliance, although it probably won't be of any use."
Seeing the girl's honesty, Xu Ming smiled: "Since you say it's useless, why should I join?"
"Although this alliance is useless, but..." The girl put her hands behind her back, took a step forward, and the slightly upturned corner of her mouth seemed to depict the entire world, "I can protect you~"
