A Scroll of Infinite Glory

Chapter 118 The Trial of the Three Heroes of the Wind and Dust

At the entrance of the long, narrow passage.

Lu Chunhua lay on the ground, her upper body resting on her backpack, breathing rapidly. Her left hand clutched her clothes. Although her eyes were open, she seemed to be trapped in a terrible nightmare, struggling and unable to break free.

Bai Tong stood beside her, his left hand making a gesture of respect, chanting incantations to soothe her mind.

"That passage should contain some kind of illusionary formation, targeting the seven souls of the human body..."

After Lu Chunhua calmed down a bit, she wiped the sweat from her face and began to explain.

In just a few words, she explained the characteristics of this formation.

Bai Tong turned his head to look at Guan Luoyang.

He had already discerned that Guan Luoyang was probably the kind of martial artist whose spirit, energy, and physical body were equally powerful, without any imbalance in their abilities. This was naturally a good choice among reincarnators, as they could adapt well to both worlds that emphasized technology and energy and worlds of spirits and demons.

However, in extreme cases like the Seven Souls Formation, things can get quite complicated.

Guan Luoyang had a few fine beads of sweat on his forehead, but his complexion was very good, as if he had just gone through a warm-up exercise.

"I'm fine."

He raised his arms, stretched them back, exhaled a breath of stale air, and laughed, "That feeling was quite interesting. It felt like a long time ago, when I opened the window in the middle of the night, drew the curtains, let the wind blow them down, and turned off the lights to watch a horror movie."

Those uncomfortable emotions seemed to Guan Luoyang like a moderate stimulus, which would actually make him more energetic after he adapted.

Lu Chunhua continued, "This kind of formation doesn't seem like the work of Qiu Ran Ke; it's more like the methods of Hong Fu Nu."

"Zhang Chuchen, the Red-Robed Maiden, was originally from a family of great generals. Although she was young, she already had a remarkable foundation in cultivation. When Emperor Wen of Sui established his rule over the world, her family of generals was destroyed and she was sent to Yang Su's mansion. Yang Su taught her the art of 'illusionary soul-changing landscape' and trained her to become one of the best assassins and guards under his tutelage."

"Yang Su was exceptionally skilled in magic. After Emperor Yang of Sui ascended the throne, he was capricious and unpredictable. In order to protect himself, Yang Su smeared himself by claiming to be greedy. Once, while accompanying the emperor on a hunt, he used his sleeve to collect ten chests of gold and silver and ten cages of rare animals. He also used a cup of wine to draw a hundred birds and a qilin to play with the emperor."

"After Yang Su died, his son Yang Xuangan rebelled and was suppressed by the army. When he was at his wit's end, it is said that many people saw a strong wind rise in broad daylight and Yang Su's soul came back to life. He took his soul out of Yang Xuangan's body, leaving only his physical body to be beheaded."

"In the secret plans of the early Tang Dynasty, it is said that when Li Jing later led his troops across the nine fields and won battles over thousands of miles, with Hong Fu Nu by his side, his methods became even more miraculous, surpassing his master."

After her emotions had completely stabilized, Lu Chunhua took out a tissue, wiped the sweat from her brows and forehead, and frowned in thought. "I originally thought that the mural of the Three Heroes of the Wind and Dust at the entrance of the underground palace was just something that Qiu Ran Ke left out of nostalgia. But if the construction of this underground palace also involves Hong Fu Nu, then there must be a hidden danger in that illusion array that targets the Seven Souls."

"The real purpose is to use the illusionary and terrifying technique as a cover, allowing the souls bound by the formation to launch a surprise assassination."

Guan Luoyang said, "We've only gone about fifty meters. If that's the case, it'll be even more dangerous later. Let Bai Tong protect you with the flying carpet and leave you here for now. We'll bring you over after we've tested that section of the passage."

"No!"

Lu Chunhua shook her head decisively, "The formation of the Bearded Guest evolved from military strategy, but when miniaturized in this underground palace, it appears somewhat crude and simple."

"But the Light Illusion Soul Painting Method is insidious and unpredictable. It may not follow the so-called challenge mode. You may pass through this section and think you have reached the safe zone, only to find that you have unexpectedly stepped into the same situation again in just a few steps."

Guan Luoyang asked Bai Tong, "Besides the flying carpet, what else do you have that can protect her?"

"I might have a way myself."

Before Bai Tong could even ask for a reply, Lu Chunhua pushed herself up from the ground and sat up, turning over to check her backpack. "The Seven Souls, in essence, are just the embodiment of human bodily functions; they are something rooted in the physical body, so..."

She found an unused syringe, tore open the packaging, took out a box of liquid medicine, snapped the thin glass neck of the bottle with her finger, and used the syringe to draw out the liquid medicine.

After the syringe is full, push it back a few millimeters to expel a little medicine from the needle tip and remove all the air.

Lu Chunhua said to Guan Luoyang and the others, "Then among the modern medical drugs I have prepared, there are several that can be used to treat the symptoms."

She glanced sideways, her tone slightly unfocused, and guessed, "Speaking of which, souls also have a lifespan. The souls imprisoned by this formation in the underground palace, in order to extend their preservation time as much as possible to deal with intruders, probably have some kind of dormancy mechanism in their design."

"They don't have much rationality, but are more driven by instinct. If I go in with the two of you, they will definitely attack me first. You can make that mental prediction beforehand, so you can be more composed when you make your move."

As she spoke, Lu Chunhua rolled up her sleeves, picked up an alcohol swab between her little and ring fingers, wiped a spot on the inside of her wrist, and injected a drug to soothe her emotions and slow down the body's secretion.

Her teeth tapped together slightly, not just because of the pain, but also because of a vague sense of self-satisfaction.

Hong Fu Nu, a legendary figure from a thousand years ago, was a girl. As an ordinary woman, if I could have a friendly, intellectual exchange with her...

As Guan Luoyang watched her make these arrangements, a sense of admiration arose in his heart that was not suitable to be expressed—if he were to say it out loud, it would sound like mockery and contempt.

You should read more books when you have free time.

Guan Luoyang thought to himself that if it were him, and he lost his advantage in force, he probably wouldn't be able to do what Lu Chunhua did under the same conditions.

However, as a reincarnator who travels between different worlds, how many books should one read to be so thorough in terms of knowledge and preparation?

hiss!

You should focus on martial arts training. As for miscellaneous studies and reading, those can be used as supplementary tools.

Guan Luoyang quickly made another decision, happily reconciling with his previous conflicting thoughts.

"In that case, I'll wrap you in a flying carpet later and let you fly ahead," he casually suggested.

Before he could finish speaking, Bai Tongdu quickly shifted his gaze to his face, his eyes practically screaming, "How could you..." "Isn't that a bit much?" "After all, you're a complete weakling."

Lu Chunhua added, "It would be best if the two of you kept about five meters away from me, so that they would be more likely to take the bait."

She had already considered the situation. Since they hadn't found Lang Shiqi's body, and considering the difficulty of the traps they had previously deduced, the first wave of assassinations by those spirits shouldn't have been enough to directly pierce the flying carpet and kill him.

Bai Tong's face remained expressionless, and he said nothing more.

After Lu Chunhua finished packing her things, her expression became tired and indifferent due to the effects of the medicine. He then made a hand seal to activate the flying carpet, which rolled up and enveloped her on all sides, and flew towards the passage.

This was my second experience with these illusory arrays, their eerie and unsettling shapes leaving me feeling bewildered.

The influence on Bai Tong was even less than the first time. He was almost completely silent and clear. His spiritual power circulated, purifying his mind and body again and again. Although his physical instincts were stronger than those of ordinary people, he simply could not withstand the calm cultivation method from the world of Xianjian, which adhered to the pure energy of Kunlun.

Guan Luoyang, walking beside him, was noticeably more animated, with a constantly shifting gaze.

But Bai Tong glanced at him several times, and no matter how the man's eyes changed, his steps never faltered. He truly treated those ever-changing, terrifying, and unpredictable illusory outlines as if they were from a ghost movie.

They even occasionally want to reach out and interact with the "relatively less strange" outlines.

"really……"

Suddenly, Bai Tong fired an arrow that grazed the rectangular shape formed by the folded flying carpet and struck the stone wall.

A silhouette with a horse-like face, high shoulders, a single arm, a strange claw, and a lower body as smoky as mist was pierced by the purple light from the arrow, revealing a writhing, injured spirit.

Just as Lu Chunhua had said, all the spirits prioritized attacking the flying carpet, as if they had already sensed that the flying carpet was strong on the outside but weak on the inside, and that the vibrant life inside was the easiest to kill.

These spirits, whose consciousness was not clear, retained a considerable amount of their strength from their previous lives, but they had completely fallen into Lu Chunhua's trap.

Guan Luoyang and Bai Tong, who should have been on the defensive, have now become the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

Hidden inside the flying carpet, Lu Chunhua could clearly feel the changes in her heartbeat.

After receiving the injections, she should have fallen into a deep sleep as if she were under anesthesia. However, due to the effect of the array stimulating her seven souls, her body's instincts were catalyzed, making them strong enough to counteract the effects of the drugs.

Amidst the tug-of-war between the two, she maintained a fragile clarity, her eyes tightly shut, her palms pressed against her temples, trying hard to think.

"Since this underground palace is not only the work of the Bearded Stranger, then the one among the Three Heroes of the Wind and Dust, the one with the greatest reputation in official history, must have also left some methods here."

"However, like Qiu Ran Ke, Li Jing's specialties are derived from military strategy. They are magnificent and powerful, which is suitable for use on the battlefield. However, they seem a bit crude in this small underground palace."

"Now that the Bearded Stranger has already set up the formation, Li Jing shouldn't repeat this tactic..."

While pondering this, Lu Chunhua could also vaguely sense that a fierce battle was taking place outside the flying carpet.

The turmoil of the spirit body will still have a significant impact on the trajectory of the flying carpet.

When the purple arrow of the white bronze shone at its brightest, it could be seen through the flying carpet, allowing those inside to see the trace of the purple light as it passed.

Once Guan Luoyang makes a move, the intense heat he exudes, completely different from that of the Yin spirits, is like suddenly being transported to a summer highland wilderness. It also often gives a boost, making the trajectory of the flying carpet even smoother.

Her contemplation didn't last very long, but the battle seemed to be gradually calming down.

The flying carpet continued to move forward, and for a long time, there were no further signs of spirits attacking.

"No, this time interval is longer than a single illusion array can accommodate."

Lu Chunhua pressed a button on her watch, and the electronic light on the screen illuminated the current time. She immediately became alert and raised her voice so that people outside could hear her.

"The underground palace has limited space. The more complex the formation, the shorter the intervals will be if it needs to be continuously changed. Unless Hong Fu Nu deliberately simplified this formation to the point of being merely a facade, then something must have happened at the core of the formation."

"The fact that these spirits can still exist suggests that the changes in the formation must have happened recently, or even just now."

Guan Luoyang's voice came through: "Where might the central hub of the formation be?"

"Evil spirits tend to gather dampness. Since they're not bothering us now, carefully observe and head straight for the areas with high humidity."

Lu Chunhua wanted to check if she had brought a hygrometer, but the combined stimulation of the medicine and the array had left her body too fatigued, and she couldn't even unzip the zipper. At that moment, the flying carpet suddenly accelerated.

Her fingers gripped the zipper, and after a few seconds, she understood.

One of those two people should be able to sense changes in air humidity without using a hygrometer.

Guan Luoyang could indeed sense it.

Although humidity can fluctuate with airflow, with the keen senses of someone who has mastered the Fourfold Training and the ability to control airflow, one can clearly discern the difference by taking three steps in different directions.

He had already crossed the flying carpet and reached the very front, with the white bronze figure at the rear.

With the formation changing, the danger in this area was greatly reduced, and their speed increased dramatically. They swept through the passage like a whirlwind, twisting and turning as they pleased, without any hesitation, heading towards the direction with the highest humidity.

A stone door, pushed open at a 45-degree angle, came into view ahead.

A gentle, bright light shone from the door, steady and constant, softening the darkness and mystery of the passage.

Looking through that door.

The space there was even more spacious than the octagonal stone chamber, seemingly carved out of the mountainside, extending more than ten meters upwards.

On this half of the arched stone wall are placed a series of ancient bronze lamps, and on the lamps are bright pearls. In addition, on the dome, there are huge bright pearls inlaid according to a certain pattern. They are eternal and form a unique array.

This is the Light Illusion Painting Soul Lamp Array.

Extending forward from this vast space paved with stone bricks, there is a long-dried underground river. A stone bridge spans the river, with twenty-four lion-shaped pillars and iron chains forming the railings.

Across the bridge, two large bronze doors, which were originally closed, were now slowly opening a crack.

Lang Shiqi stood at one end of the bridge, holding an octagonal glass lantern in his hand. The place where the candlestick should have been inside the lantern had been replaced by a pearl.

He should have crossed the bridge first, but he stopped because of the frantic shouts of the ancestors of the Shenwu family coming from the lamp.

"No, no, that Red-Robed Woman is indeed cunning and treacherous. After taking away this octagonal glass afterimage lamp, it seemed like she could break her lamp array, but in reality, it stimulated the subsequent arrays in the opposite way, shifting the effects of the later arrays forward..."

The spirit, now within the main lamp, was becoming increasingly lucid. "I remember now," it said, "I didn't die in the lamp array. I crossed the array and arrived here, only to be caught off guard by the final shift of the array. I was instantly blasted to death, and then my soul was taken away by the lamp array..."

With a lantern in his left hand and a sword in his right, Lang Shiqi sensed someone chasing him from behind. The bronze gate ahead was about to open, but inexplicably, he asked first, "What is the final key to the formation?"

"Three sets of Xuan Armor!!"

Boom!

The stone gate was forced open at an even greater angle, and Guan Luoyang stepped into it.

But at the same time, the bronze gate opposite the stone bridge was also forced open at an even greater angle.

The two large, ancient bronze doors seemed to have been blown open in one breath, with a loud bang.

Three armored figures stepped onto the bridge, and between the small underground palace dome and the mountainside, it seemed as if a storm was brewing.

Guan Luoyang even suddenly noticed another dampness besides the dampness of the Yin spirits, which faintly carried the salty smell of seawater.

"If you see a hundred treasures of feng shui and don't turn back, then there's really only one hurdle left."

I don't know where the sound came from, but it seemed to be coming from a rock among the rocks on the mountain wall. It was a sound that had been passed down from ancient times, a sound that was ancient, calm, and majestic.

"Later generations, come and play your part!!"

(End of this chapter)