Brocade Robe Unparalleled

Chapter 126 Muddle through
Qianjun Pass.

At dusk, Lin Xuan and Commander Wang walked out of the pass.

Having spent nearly a month at Longya Mountain, this was the first time Lin Xuan had emerged from seclusion through the back gate.

The first pass of Longya Mountain is called Qianjun Pass, and the second pass is called Zhenshen Pass.

Stepping onto the first stone step, a familiar feeling washes over you.

Lin Xuan paused slightly.

The subtle pressure from his spiritual power made him feel as if he had returned to the ancestral land of Jiuli.

Wang Qianhu turned to look at Lin Xuan and said, "This is your first time here, so you may not be used to it yet. You'll get used to it gradually."

Lin Xuan climbed the steps and discovered that this pressure targeting spiritual power was similar to that of the Jiuli Ancestral Land, but not entirely the same.

The formations in the ancestral land of Jiuli can help condense spiritual power.

The formation here seems to only exert pressure.

Once all the steps are climbed, the pressure disappears, and mental energy returns to normal without any change.

This should only be a very simple mental suppression formation, far from being comparable to the Saintess Trial.

Each pass was guarded by the Longya Army.

The two walked straight up the stone steps. At each checkpoint, Commander Wang would show them tokens proving their identities, as well as their invitations.

Lin Xuan secretly observed the entire journey.

The first level, the Thousand-Pound Barrier, doubles the gravity, making it difficult to move an inch; the second level, the Suppressing God Barrier, suppresses mental power.

The third level, Fulong Pass, is a combination of the two. With just over a hundred stone steps, one must simultaneously withstand the dual pressure of physical and mental strength.

Neither martial artists nor sorcerers could easily pass through the pass.

If the entire formation is activated, simply climbing the stone steps will be extremely difficult.

If the Longya Army, who are guarding the area, attacks from above, the enemies climbing the stone steps will become sitting ducks.

The stone steps in the fourth level are no different from ordinary stone steps.

Lin Xuan paused slightly, unsure of what this pass was designed for.

Commander Wang seemed to sense his confusion and offered an explanation: "You might think this pass is easy, but don't underestimate it. It's just that the formation hasn't been activated yet. This pass can disturb the mind and immerse one in an illusion. It's no less dangerous than the previous three passes..."

Lin Xuan exclaimed in shock, "Is it that amazing?"

Commander Wang stroked his beard and said, "Of course, this was arranged by the Holy Maiden of the Jiuli tribe..."

After hearing him explain the effectiveness of the formation, Lin Xuan already had a good idea of ​​what it was all about.

After all, there are only two or three types of spirit patterns that can directly affect the mind and create illusions. Even if you can't guess them, you can bet on all of them.

Having passed the fourth level of the Illusionary Heart Barrier and the fifth level of the Iron Wall Barrier, Lin Xuan understood the underlying principles without Wang Qianhu's explanation.

Inside the Iron Wall Pass, hundreds of enormous stone pillars stand.

When Lin Xuan and You Meng participated in the trial, they were almost crushed into mincemeat by such a stone pillar.

The stone pillars here are thicker and larger, and their power is probably even greater.

Lin Xuan counted them; there were a total of one hundred and eight stone pillars in this pass.

Based on the number of stone pillars, it can be inferred that this is the Tiangang Disha Formation of the Jiuli tribe.

Back then, this formation was considered formidable.

However, over the past few centuries, the formations of the Jiuli tribe have continued to evolve, and this particular formation now appears somewhat outdated.

This is a fixed formation; as long as you know the trajectory of these stone pillars, it's not difficult to avoid them.

Unfortunately, this ancient formation was part of the Jiuli inheritance he received.

After passing through the Iron Wall Pass and arriving at the Thousand Mechanisms, Lin Xuan saw two rows of huge stone golems on both sides of the stone steps. Their bodies were engraved with dense spiritual patterns, giving people a strong sense of oppression.

Each stone man is at least equivalent to a sixth-rank martial artist.

Dozens of stone figures stand here, and even a fourth-rank martial artist would have to avoid them.

These stone golems are also products from hundreds of years ago.

Lin Xuan could see their weaknesses at a glance.

Attacking the core of the spirit runes will render them powerless.

Upon entering the seventh pass, a deep pool of water blocked the way.

This pool was built by man. The water was pitch black, and huge bubbles kept rising from it. When the bubbles burst, wisps of steam rose from the pool, but they seemed to be blocked by some force several feet above the surface and did not continue to rise.

A wooden bridge spans the pool.

Wang Qianhu explained, "This is the Thousand Poison Pass. This poisonous pool contains the most potent poisons in the world. Once the spiritual array on the water's surface is activated, these poisonous fumes will spread upwards. Even a fifth-rank martial artist who inhales just one breath will be poisoned and fall to the ground. If they fall into the poisonous pool, they will be dissolved into nothingness in no time..."

Lin Xuan's face showed just the right amount of paleness as he followed closely behind Commander Wang, carefully crossing the Thousand Poison Pass.

Wang Qianhu was not at all surprised by his fear.

When he first passed through here, his legs were weak. Chen Yu's performance was much better than his.

After passing the Thousand Poisons Pass, we arrived at the Ten Thousand Poisons Pass.

This place may seem ordinary, but according to Commander Wang, the Yang family raises countless ferocious Gu worms here, feeding them with the blood of livestock. If someone manages to break through this barrier, these Gu worms will be released.

Once the Gu worm enters the body, it will devour the host's flesh and blood from the inside out, leaving the person completely naked.

Lin Xuan's face paled even more.

Of course, they all use the 'Thousand Transformations' disguise. This level sounds scary, but it's actually the easiest.

He has no fewer than five methods to keep the Gu worms away from him.

The last pass of Longya Mountain is named "Longya Pass".

Lin Xuan noticed that the Longya Army patrolling this pass was extremely powerful.

He glanced at them and was slightly shocked. Among these dozens of people, not one of them had a cultivation level lower than the sixth rank. In other words, any one of them had the strength of a centurion of the Jingbian Division.

Moreover, Lin Xuan also sensed the aura of spirit patterns on their weapons.

These people not only possessed strength at the middle third rank, but were also equipped with spirit-patterned weapons. With such overwhelming equipment, ordinary sixth-rank individuals would have no chance against them.

Commander Wang looked at Lin Xuan and said, "These are the elite of the Dragon Cliff Army. I hope that one day you can become one of them."

Lin Xuan said solemnly, "Your subordinate will do his best!"

As Lin Xuan walked out of Longya Pass, he couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.

The Jiuli tribe's holy maiden from hundreds of years ago was truly devoted to the Yang family's ancestor.

This kind of spirit pattern array is not allowed to be passed on to outsiders by the Jiuli tribe, nor is it allowed to be set up by other tribes.

She disregarded ancestral precepts and built these nine layers of barriers for the Yang family, almost completely copying the content of the Saintess Trial. Its difficulty far exceeded that of the Saintess Trial.

This directly led to the Yang family dominating the southwest for hundreds of years, leaving even the imperial court helpless.

It seems that even the Holy Maiden of the Jiuli tribe cannot escape being controlled by love-struck thoughts.

Breaking through the Yang family's nine barriers was simpler than Lin Xuan had imagined.

After all, that Jiuli Saintess was an ancient person from hundreds of years ago.

Over the past few centuries, the spiritual rune techniques of the Jiuli tribe have also been constantly updated and iterated.

In those days, these nine passes were enough to make the Yang family invincible.

But times have changed.

Lin Xuan could overcome the eight obstacles ahead on his own.

In terms of mastery of spirit patterns and the Nine Li secret techniques, that saintess from hundreds of years ago was no match for him.

The difficulty lies in how Lin Xuan should tell Lu Feng.

Given that he cannot reveal that he has obtained the Jiuli inheritance, it seems that the only option is to seek help from the Xuanwu Clan.

I just don't know if they'll agree.

While he was pondering, he and Commander Wang had already reached the top of the mountain.

Looking up, a bright and open view suddenly appeared before me.

The summit of Longya Mountain is not an ordinary sharp peak, but an exceptionally wide platform that has been carefully restored by human hands.

A massive fortress, seemingly growing out of the mountain, stood majestically in the center of the platform, occupying Lin Xuan's entire field of vision.

The fortress is built entirely of black rock, and the walls are covered with mottled marks, giving it a sense of the weight of time.

On the thick city wall, the battlements are like interlocking teeth, and one can vaguely see patrolling figures.

Above the main gate of the fortress is a relief of a coiled dragon carved from a single piece of black stone. The dragon's head is ferocious and looks down at everyone. On the plaque below it are three powerful characters: Dragon Cliff Fortress.

Commander Wang did not stop, and led Lin Xuan to the heavily guarded fortress gate.

He showed two invitations and said, "We are here to attend a banquet."

A general guarding the city accepted the invitation, examined it, then stepped aside and gestured, "Please, both of you."

The two passed through a deep doorway, and before Lin Xuan's eyes appeared a magnificent palace complex.

A wide bluestone avenue leads straight to a magnificent palace building in the distance.

On both sides of the road stood two rows of giant stone pillars, each requiring three people to encircle it. At the top of each pillar were carved stone statues of various mythical beasts, exquisitely crafted and lifelike. The Yang family truly treated Longya Fortress as a royal palace. Such a building, appearing anywhere outside of Bozhou, would be a joke on the lives of nine generations of their family.

Lin Xuan followed Commander Wang to a square.

There are already quite a few people waiting here.

"Commander Wang."

"What a coincidence, Commander Jiang is here too."

"I heard that one of your men has become a formidable general this time..."

"Didn't you also have a killing machine under your command? His name was Wei something..."

……

Commander Wang encountered an acquaintance, and the two greeted each other. Commander Wang looked at Lin Xuan and introduced him to the man, saying, "Chen Yu, a centurion under my command."

A middle-aged man with a square face looked at Lin Xuan, slightly surprised: "I didn't realize that such a refined person was actually a fierce general..."

He pulled out a figure behind him and said, "Wei Lang, this is Commander Wang of Qianjun Pass."

The burly man clasped his hands in greeting to Commander Wang and said, "Greetings, Commander Wang."

Then, he looked at Lin Xuan and smiled, "Brother Chen, we meet again."

The two centurions were taken aback. Commander Wang asked, "Do you know each other?"

Over the past month, Chen Yu and Wei Lang have been the two most outstanding newcomers in the Longya Army. Unexpectedly, they actually know each other.

Lin Xuan smiled and explained, "Before joining the Dragon Cliff Army, Brother Wei and I served as guards at Young Master Yang Xiao's residence."

"I see."

"Hehe, this is quite a coincidence."

The two men were chatting and laughing when a figure approached. The two commanders clasped their hands in greeting: "Seventh Steward."

The person in front of him was the steward of the Yang family who had brought Lin Xuan up the mountain.

The seventh steward nodded in return to the two commanders, then looked at Lin Xuan and Wei Lang and said, "Chen Yu, Wei Lang, you two, come with me."

After saying that, he walked straight to a side hall.

Lin Xuan became wary. What did this Yang family steward want with them?
Seeing him standing there in a daze, Commander Wang urged, "Go quickly, don't keep Steward Qi waiting."

On the way to that side hall, Lin Xuan looked to his side and asked, "Brother Wei, what brings you to the Dragon Cliff Army?"

Wei Lang smiled slightly and said, "After we parted ways, I was in charge of escorting a shipment. On the way, we encountered a group of unidentified people who tried to intercept the goods. I killed several of them and successfully protected the goods. Later, they asked me to join the Dragon Cliff Army..."

He looked at Lin Xuan and said, "I have always heard about Brother Chen's deeds. You are still as brave as you were when you were at Young Master Yang Xiao's residence."

Lin Xuan replied politely, "I've often heard of the name 'God of Slaughter,' but I never imagined that person would be Brother Wei."

The two exchanged a few casual words before entering the side hall.

Then, the side hall door was slowly closed by two Longya soldiers.

The seventh steward turned to look at the two men. Beside him stood several elite Dragon Cliff Army soldiers, each with a sixth-rank cultivation level.

Lin Xuan appeared puzzled, but inwardly he was on high alert. Wei Lang, on the other hand, looked bewildered and asked, "Seventh Steward, what is this...?"

The seventh steward smiled kindly and said, "Don't be nervous, we're just asking you some questions. After that, you can go out to the banquet. The other newlyweds will also be questioned tonight."

Wei Lang said, "Seventh Steward, please ask. I will answer truthfully."

The seventh steward asked with a smile, "Why have you come to the Yang family?"

Without hesitation, Wei Lang replied, "I accidentally killed someone and was wanted by the imperial court. I fled all the way to Bozhou and happened to see that the Yang family was recruiting people. They were offering more money than other families, so I came to the Yang family..."

The seventh steward nodded slightly, then took out a silver mirror engraved with intricate patterns from his bosom.

He pointed the mirror at Wei Lang. When Wei Lang saw the mirror, his expression suddenly froze, and a trace of fear appeared deep in his eyes. The next moment, his face was enveloped in a white light.

The seventh steward looked at him and asked again, "Who are you, and why have you come to the Yang family?"

Wei Lang's expression was somewhat blank, but a trace of clarity remained in his eyes. He opened his mouth several times, then forced it closed again, as if he was going through a very difficult internal struggle.

In the end, the last glimmer of clarity in his eyes was replaced by bewilderment, and he murmured, "I am Kong Zheng, a mid-level secret agent of the Jingye Division. I came to the Yang family to infiltrate and gather intelligence..."

The seventh steward's eyes narrowed slightly, and he continued to ask, "Who else do you have as accomplices?"

Wei Lang shook his head blankly: "I don't know..."

"What is your purpose in gathering intelligence?"

"do not know……"

After three questions, the white light from the Heart-Questioning Mirror dissipated, and Wei Lang's eyes regained their clarity.

The seventh steward waved his hand and said coldly, "Take him down!"

The two Longya soldiers behind him immediately took Wei Lang into custody.

After regaining consciousness, Wei Lang found that his two arms were being held down tightly by two Longya soldiers.

Looking at the cold-faced Seventh Steward in front of him, he already knew what had happened.

His expression was calm, as if he had resigned himself to his fate. He slowly closed his eyes and said nothing more.

The seventh steward coldly ordered, "Take him away!"

The two men escorted Wei Lang away from the scene quickly.

Watching Wei Lang's retreating figure, the seventh steward gritted his teeth and said, "Trying to take advantage of the Yang family's misfortune won't be so easy!"

His gaze fell on Lin Xuan, who was still in shock. He breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Commander Chen, you've seen it too. It's not that the Yang family doesn't trust you; it's that someone has ulterior motives and wants to take advantage of the Yang family's weakness to fish in troubled waters..."

He stared into Lin Xuan's eyes and asked, "You shouldn't be one of these people, right..."

Lin Xuan finally came to his senses, his gaze firm, and said, "Chen Yu has a clear conscience. If you have any questions, Seventh Steward, please feel free to ask me."

After Wei Lang's secret was exposed, Chen Yu showed no fear whatsoever.

Based on his seemingly innocent demeanor, the seventh steward ruled him out as a suspect.

Of course, even if he believed Chen Yu, he still needed to ask the Heart Mirror for proof.

He channeled his inner energy again, and a beam of white light shone on Lin Xuan's face.

When his expression turned blank and dazed, the seventh steward slowly asked, "Who are you, and why have you come to the Yang family?"

Lin Xuan looked straight ahead and slowly said, "I am Chen Yu. A corrupt official killed my parents, so I killed that corrupt official and was wanted by the imperial court. I was chased all the way here and had no choice but to hide in Bozhou. I saw that the Yang family was recruiting martial artists, so I came to give it a try..."

As the white light faded, Lin Xuan quickly regained consciousness.

The seventh steward finally smiled; as he had expected, Chen Yu was not a traitor.

He gently patted Lin Xuan's shoulder and said, "Good, good, good, Commander Chen, I knew I hadn't misjudged you... The banquet is about to begin, you should go back quickly."

Lin Xuan walked out of the side hall. Commander Jiang looked at him and asked in surprise, "Why did you come back alone? Where is Wei Lang?"

"Brother Wei, he..."

Lin Xuan sighed and told the two what had happened inside the hall.

"what?"

"Wei Lang is an undercover agent of the Jingye Division!"

"How can this be!"

The two commanders were shocked, and Commander Jiang was even more unable to accept it.

How could his subordinate, whom he personally promoted, be a spy for the Jingye Division?
With such a huge blunder, he himself will probably be affected as well.

The thought had barely crossed his mind when the Seventh Steward approached again and whispered, "Commander Jiang, come here for a moment..."

Commander Wang breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

Fortunately, Chen Yu wasn't an undercover agent; otherwise, even he would probably have been questioned...

Lin Xuan looked dazed, seemingly still in shock.

His heart was indeed not at peace.

It turned out that Wei Lang was also a spy planted in the Yang family by the Jingye Division. Seeing his identity exposed and him arrested right in front of her, Lin Xuan couldn't help but feel a sense of sympathy for his kind.

Jingye Division underestimated the Yang family's precautions, and even more unexpectedly, the Yang family also possessed the Mirror of Inquiry.

If it weren't for his strong mental strength, he would have been exposed along with Wei Lang just now.

At this moment, deep within a grand hall of Longya Fortress.

After hearing a certain piece of news, Yang Yingtian's expression turned somewhat gloomy.

Over the past month, six new recruits from the Longya Army have performed outstandingly and made remarkable achievements. Two of them were undercover agents from the Jingye Division, and one was an undercover agent from the Nanzhao Secret Service. What do they think the Yang family is?

It seems that their hard work was aimed at climbing to higher positions and gaining the Yang family's trust more quickly.

What they didn't know was that the Yang family also possessed the Mirror of Inquiry.

Even though they had all been exposed, the fact that the Yang family had been infiltrated like this still infuriated him.

His anger subsided somewhat when he saw a certain name.

Fortunately, the Yang family wasn't entirely unable to attract truly loyal and brave men.

He let out a long sigh and said, "Chen Yu, the centurion of Qianjun Pass, is exceptionally loyal and brave, and considerate of his subordinates. He should be a model for the Longya Army. I hereby bestow upon him a precious sword, a suit of armor, and a reward of one thousand taels of silver..."

(End of this chapter)