Who is spreading rumors that my filial piety towards them has changed?

As soon as he finished asking, Yun Nongyu marked the tuberose's clone vines for him. Her blindfold, like a silver snake, roamed through the vine net and finally wrapped around one of the vines.

After a fierce battle, Chu Mingkong grabbed the vine at the last moment. She was almost completely buried in the riverbank soil and was just a little short of escaping the Annihilation Domain and making a safe retreat.

Chu Mingkong's arm muscles were taut, with veins bulging. If he didn't exert all his strength, Wanxiangyu could escape at any moment. He pulled hard and pulled the vine, which was almost submerged in the river, back.

Beside it lay a patch of broken vines and the scorched earth left behind by the extremely dark flames.

"Still trying to run away?" After such a fierce battle, Chu Mingkong thought to himself that the current situation was, to some extent, a forced humiliation after being subdued.

Thinking about it this way, his excitement seemed to rise even higher.

"Let go! I agree to negotiate..." The strange woman's voice rang out, her tone filled with shame, anger, and resentment.

"Huh?" Chu Mingkong was taken aback.

After all that trouble, he finally heard the voice of the tuberose, which he had thought was incapable of speaking.

He dared not back down and directly laid out his conditions:

"Let me play with this flower once first, and then we'll forget everything. We can sit down and talk slowly. If you don't want me to defile this flower, then show your true form and agree to my request directly."

How could the beings active in this forbidden area be without any temper?

"Let go now, or you'll never see the teleportation array again!"

Chu Mingkong wouldn't fall for such threats. If he showed any sign of backing down at this point, he would completely lose the right to negotiate.

Let go? If I let go, where will I find her? Wouldn't that just bring me back to where I started?

Under these circumstances, Chu Mingkong couldn't gamble that the other party would suddenly adopt a better attitude, nor could he place his trust in someone who hadn't been willing to negotiate for most of the day.

At worst, he wouldn't go to Jianmu this time. He would just sit down and cultivate with Zuo Qiuchi and the others, absorb all the spiritual energy of this Illusionary Palace Forbidden Area, and refine and take it all away!

"If I can't see it, I can't see it. Watch how I slowly find it by following this vine. I'll play with as many flowers as you have! I'll show you my flower arranging skills and watering techniques!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the flower stamen was suddenly stabbed hard, and the vine resisted even more fiercely, almost breaking through Chu Mingkong's palm and tiger's mouth.

But Chu Mingkong was surprised. He found that this flower was different from the previous ones, and the Hehuan True Scripture technique in his body was actually in a state of preparation!

Chu Mingkong dared not hesitate for too long and decided to plant a demon in her before she could cruelly "sever her arm"!

Chapter 147 The Flower-Carrying Beauty

"come out."

Chu Mingkong gave a soft shout, issuing an order to Wanxiangyu. He released his grip, showing no alarm even as he watched the vine depart.

He knew he had successfully implanted the demonic seed, and the other party was unable to resist the command. However, Chu Mingkong also sensed that his control over this being was slowly weakening.

The blooming and withering of the spiritual plant, the withering and sprouting of new buds, this process is gradually wiping away Chu Mingkong's control, but it is very slow. At least for the next nine days, she will not be able to break free from this restraint.

This is truly a strange thing. A plant with such strong spiritual power was able to break free from the control of his true scripture on its own. However... perhaps it would be strange if Chu Mingkong could apply cultivation techniques to a plant?

The vines completely disappeared into the water, but clusters of stars bloomed all around, and the vast river surface was covered with colorful and beautiful flowers, making it difficult to recognize that this was the same river surface as before, like stars slowly adorning the night sky as night falls.

A beautiful woman suddenly stood up from the river, which was filled with blooming flowers, like a lotus emerging from the water. Her skin naturally had a hazy, sweaty look, as if she had just come out of a bath. It was moist but not like a drowned rat. Her beauty was rare. There was a three-petaled red flower between her eyebrows, and her face was as if she had applied powder, which was rosy and translucent.

What's most eye-catching is the small flower she holds in her crimson lips—the very same flower Chu Mingkong was playing with!

But wasn't this flower something Chu Mingkong could use his cultivation technique to circulate? Why was it in her mouth? Chu Mingkong had assumed it was a petal from somewhere else...

Tuberose rose from the river and the flowers, her clothes seemingly draped in petals. This did not mean that she was only covered by three petals, but rather that the unique texture of her red dress resembled that of petals, both sheer and dignified.

Beneath the delicate petals, one could vaguely see a familiar tattoo mark gleaming—the mark Chu Mingkong had just placed on her.

The appearance of such a beautiful woman among the flowers made Zuo Qiuchi and the others dare not be careless. She was a woman at the eighth level of the Perfect Realm, and this was her home ground. They were afraid that she might have some countermeasures.

"Tuberose?" Chu Mingkong tentatively confirmed.

“Yes…” the beautiful woman said, pursing her lips. She looked at Chu Mingkong with hostility, but because of the demon seed, she had no choice but to answer.

For a moment, Chu Mingkong wanted to explain his predicament, but then he realized it was pointless; what's done is done.

"Where is the Illusion Palace? Is the teleportation array still working? I need to use your teleportation array."

"The teleportation array is working as usual..." Although Tulip was pursing her lips, one could still sense her gritted teeth.

The flowers on the river suddenly scattered, and the shadow of a palace appeared on the clear, mirror-like surface of the river. As the water rippled, the shadow of the building dispersed.

Then, on the opposite bank of the river, the mountains transformed into the palace that had just been on the river, with the words "Jinghuan Linggong" (警幻灵宫) inscribed on the gate in ancient script.

Zuo Donglu was amazed. Her flying sword had been wandering around, probing the surroundings to check for any illusions or sensory confusion. Many flowers, plants, and mountain cliffs had been scratched by her flying sword, using the simplest way to confirm that everything was real.

The appearance of this palace is quite unexpected.

"This is the ruins of the Illusionary Palace in the Forbidden Land? I have absolutely no idea how it appeared..."

"really!"

As Zuo Qiuchi spoke, he turned his gaze to Yun Nongyu, wanting her to explain the principle, but Yun Nongyu just shook her head.

Chu Mingkong called out "Lead the way," and Wanxiangyu, with her bare, tender white feet like bamboo shoots and trailing a beautiful pomegranate-red dress, walked across the river to the other side, leading the intruders into the Jinghuan Spirit Palace.

The two white foxes, who had been frozen in place, only awoke after the Annihilation Domain was completely dispelled.

Both mother and daughter looked bewildered, not understanding what had happened.

It's like I was daydreaming for a moment, and many things seemed to have sped up. Who is that woman in the flower petal dress? And how did this palace come about? Was this palace just here?

"What just happened...?"

"Mother, how come that sister came out of the water without getting wet, and she wasn't wearing shoes?"

"You weren't wearing shoes either, were you?"

"I'll wear it when I transform into human form!"

Yun Nongyu was originally thinking about how to explain what happened in the Silent Realm to them, but after hearing their discussion, and knowing that she herself was also barefoot, she didn't explain anything to them. She simply gestured for the white fox mother and daughter to follow.

The group arrived at a square with an ancient yet exquisite architectural style, where a teleportation array was silently operating.

Chu Mingkong walked over and gently touched the teleportation array. A map of mountains and rivers appeared before him, with many glowing dots scattered throughout. These were the teleportation points that the teleportation array could connect to.

Many points have turned gray, with only a few still lit.

This means that most teleportation arrays have disappeared over time.

“This is an ancient map of the celestial realm, but it looks too old. The terrain in many places has changed. For example, the mountain range in the middle doesn’t exist now,” said Zhu Tong, the white fox. She pointed to one of the points of light. “This should be the teleportation array closest to Jianmu.”

"If we use this teleportation array, how long will it take for a one-way trip? It won't take several days, will it?"

"Lord Chu, this teleportation array is very complete and powerful. It should take less than half an hour to get there."

Only then did Chu Mingkong finally feel completely at ease, and unconsciously let out a long sigh of relief.

The journey to Jianmu is practically a done deal.

The same sentiment was also reflected on the faces of the other women, especially Yun Nongyu, who, as the youngest elder of the Daoist sect, was extremely eager to know the situation inside the Jianmu tree.

Now we finally have a solution!

Zuo Qiuchi walked over, looked at the ancient celestial map of mountains and rivers, and asked curiously:

"If the glowing spot is a teleportation point, then why can't other places directly use this teleportation array to enter this place?"

Tuberose, who usually only answered when asked, surprisingly spoke up on her own initiative this time:

"How can outsiders be allowed to enter and leave the Palace of Illusion at will?"

These words were clearly directed at Chu Mingkong, specifically his forceful approach. However, that was all she could say. Who could have imagined that this human, Tang Tu, who appeared here, would possess such a bizarre and unorthodox skill, and whose eccentricities were even more peculiar!

Chu Mingkong pretended not to hear, and taking advantage of the expired map in front of him, he asked:

"Do you know Empress Yueqi, or rather, Goddess Yuehe?"

This was considered an inquiry, and Tuberose had no choice but to answer, "I don't know."

Before her mother could speak, little Zhu Yan excitedly blurted out:

"I know! I've heard it many times. It's said that a long time ago, a great witch broke through from that terrifying lower realm and caused chaos in the Heavenly Realm, killing many powerful figures."

This is the battlefield where she fought against a group of powerful figures, and it still retains the aura of that time. Although it is a blessed land coveted by major powers, the lingering battlefield atmosphere has made it a forbidden zone.

Chu Mingkong looked in the direction the little fox pointed. There was a large area of ​​darkened teleportation points, but outside that area, there was still a glowing point.

That was the trace left by Yuehe. He really wanted to go and see it, but he had to postpone it until there was time left.

"Zhu Tong, could you tell me about the ranking of the strong in the Heavenly Realm? Just tell me about this Tuberose Jade, roughly what level is it?"

Chapter 148 The Flower Girl, Very Bad

Among the eight ranks, those with flaws are called Saints, and those who are perfectly flawless are called Venerable Saints. Upon reaching the ninth rank, only those who are flawless are called Immortals?

Chu Mingkong pondered the information Zhu Tong had given him. So, this Great Flower Fairy, Tuberose Jade, is the Holy Venerable of the Heavenly Realm?

Perhaps it was because Chu Mingkong's preemptive strike was unusual, but he didn't feel any pressure at all.

However, it must be admitted that if it weren't for his accidental method, he might not have been able to find her at all.

"Are there many saints and immortals in the Heavenly Realm?" Chu Mingkong pressed.

His question left Zhu Tong even more confused and puzzled, and she even wondered if Chu Mingkong was teasing her.

If one is unaware of things like mountains and rivers, geography, and changes in power, it could be understood as someone who has been in seclusion for too long and is oblivious to the changes in the world around them—that's barely plausible. But to ask about matters of such a high level is rather...

Regardless, Chu Mingkong had subdued the Holy Venerable Girl in the forbidden area without her noticing, and even ordered her to lead the way into the Illusion Palace Ruins.

Despite all her lingering doubts, Zhu Tong could only let the matter drop.

"There are slightly more Saints, but they are concentrated in various major powers and it is almost impossible for them to appear in these scattered regions. As for Saint Venerables, there are far fewer. Those major powers that have lasted for thousands of years may only have one or two out of ten."

As for the ninth rank, each major power has only two or three, and even if there's only one, that's already considered powerful. But I've heard that above the perfect ninth rank, there are other realms...

"There's more?" Chu Mingkong asked, puzzled.

This kind of seemingly endless realm doesn't really inspire any goodwill; it feels like saying this implies that there are still some hidden enemies waiting for him.

"There should be some, but that information is far beyond our comprehension. Those who reach that level have long since lost the desire to communicate with outsiders. The power that such beings, who surpass immortals, can unleash is beyond our imagination."

Zhu Tong's tone was filled with longing, but it was only longing, because it was too distant, so distant that it seemed not to exist, so naturally it was full of beautiful imagination.