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

Zuo Qiuchi pointed to the back of the scroll.

"Forget about it, let's not dwell on that. The situation here should be cleaned up, there's nothing to be missed, the only thing we missed was that Heavenly Demon Prince." Chu Mingkong sighed, this enemy was quite formidable.

Releasing a tiger back into the mountains is not a good thing. Chu Mingkong had done something similar before. When he killed the Heavenly Emperor, he spared the soul of the old King Chu. However, at that time, he did not intend to pursue the soul.

Now they are facing a terrifying enemy like the Heavenly Demon Prince, yet they failed to seize the opportunity to eliminate him or even cut off a piece of his flesh. This is bound to cause future trouble.

“Although it’s been cleaned up, the outside is still the territory of the Heavenly Demon Clan. They’ve set up camp and array outside, and reinforcements may be sent to Jianmu later,” Zuo Donglu said calmly.

Her flying sword was currently lying in ambush around the entrance; if even one of the celestial demons dared to peek out, it would be instantly stung like a wasp.

However, this is not a foolproof plan. If the attackers are powerful enough, no matter how many ambushes she sets up, it will be in vain.

Moreover, the people coming over are not necessarily only from the Heavenly Demon Clan. People from other forces will also come over to observe the situation once they notice the commotion.

Chu Mingkong's forces are currently unable to deal with not only the Heavenly Demon Clan, but also other major powers that have formidable adversaries.

"Let's go see what's going on with Nongyu." Chu Mingkong made up his mind that they had to leave this place as soon as possible.

After giving Yun Nongyu a brief moment alone with the illusory image of the Taoist woman, Chu Mingkong still brought Zuo Qiuchi and Zuo Donglu to her side.

At close range, through the hazy Heavenly Gate barrier, the woman's illusory image became much clearer.

She was a beautiful woman, pure and elegant, with a graceful figure, whose temperament was similar to that of Yun Nongyu. She wore an otherworldly Taoist robe, and her bright eyes shone like stars in the night.

When she spoke with Yun Nongyu, there was a smile of reunion between her brows, but deep in her eyes lay weariness and sorrow.

Based on the conversation he had overheard, Chu Mingkong knew that this woman was Yao Ji, not the Queen Mother of the West, or rather, not the original Queen Mother of the West.

If something were to happen to the Queen Mother of the West, then Yao Ji would become the new Queen Mother of the West.

Chu Mingkong supported Yun Nongyu's delicate body and said to Yao Ji:

"Can this Heavenly Gate barrier be opened?"

Yao Ji's eyes were as clear and bright as lake water. She glanced at Chu Mingkong, gently shook her head, and said cautiously:

"No, over the years I have been busy dealing with the Heavenly Demons and have not had the time to receive the complete inheritance of the Queen Mother of the West. Do you have any other way to leave the Heavenly Realm?"

If not, please stay away from Jianmu and find a place to hide until I come to bring you back. Staying in Jianmu now is dangerous!

Chu Mingkong had many things on his mind, but he could only inquire about the immediate matter at hand:

"So, Yao Ji, what are your plans after this? People from the Heavenly Realm might come to cause trouble again."

"After you leave, I will completely shut down Jianmu. Before it reopens, no one from the Heavenly Realm can set foot here again. If you cannot return, then come to the vicinity of Jianmu three years later and pay attention to the changes in this giant tree. When the colorful clouds drift south of Jianmu, you can enter Jianmu."

Hearing Yao Ji say this, Chu Mingkong felt relieved. It turned out that Jianmu could be completely sealed off. The fact that the demons were able to invade this place must have been an accident.

“We have a way to get back, so you don’t need to worry about that, Yaoji. How long will it take you to return to the Dao Sect?”

Yao Ji's expression bore an undeniable weariness, yet her voice possessed a soothing charm that captivated the soul, and her speech flowed with a gentle, melodious rhythm.

"Six months is only half a year in Jianmu. If you return from the Heavenly Realm without any accidents, you will soon see the Heavenly Gate open and meet me."

Does this mean that time inside Jianmu is different from time outside?

Chu Mingkong didn't dare to ask further questions, as he was worried that if he went out too late, the area outside Jianmu would be crowded with people.

Of course, there is another idea: have Yao Ji seal Jianmu off so he can't go out and just wait for the effect of Taixu entering the dream to disappear, then "wake up" and be sent back, provided that being in Jianmu does not affect the repatriation.

But Chu Mingkong still wanted to take advantage of these rare few days to learn more about the outside world and the situation in the Heavenly Domain.

Chapter 159 Nongyu's Crisis

Before leaving, Chu Mingkong heard Yao Ji remind him again:

"Also, keep a close eye on Nongyu; her condition is not easy."

Chu Mingkong stopped in his tracks, his heart clenching like a rope. He glanced nervously at Yun Nongyu beside him and asked Yao Ji:

"What's wrong with Nongyu? What do I need to do?"

"This ancient method of advancement is not something that can be easily accessed. Many cultivators from the ancient witch tribes became powerful because of this ritual, but countless cultivators lost their lives behind the scenes. This shouldn't be Nongyu's first encounter with that being, right?"

Chu Mingkong nodded and honestly confessed that he had done it once before. He said worriedly:

"...That was just an experiment, a simple touch, and it didn't leave much of an impact. What will become of Yun Nongyu now? Didn't you send away that lecherous immortal?"

Last time, with the protection of Ji Yuan and the short time spent together, the impact on Yun Nongyu was minimal. In fact, it could be said that the impact directly brought him and Yun Nongyu closer.

Now that so much time has passed, those uncontrollable effects have almost disappeared.

Almost nothing else happened; her Daoist aura was tainted by filth and transformed into a sinful aura, affecting the surrounding environment.

Yao Ji's illusory image gazed into the distance with starry eyes, sensing that many eyes were gathered there.

Her speech quickened slightly:

"I need to get to the point of completely sealing off Jianmu. There are many things to investigate about Nongyu, but I can only give you a brief account for now."

I did not send away that being just now; I do not have that kind of power. I merely interrupted Nongyu's thoughts, forcing her to stop the ceremony.

The aura she's now tainted with has reached a point where it's difficult to dissipate. This influence is like a quagmire; one either crosses it completely or slowly sinks into it. She won't be as lucky as before. Nongyu needs to prepare as much as possible in the near future to carry out the ritual thoroughly. Only then will there be a sliver of hope.

Chu Mingkong was unwilling to leave the victory to fate, so he quickly said:

"I can take her to the Abyss to counteract Slaanesh's influence. Would that way we avoid going down that path?"

But Yao Ji rejected it outright. Her gentle shaking made Chu Mingkong's heart ache.

"No, when you first brought her to see those beings, it was in the Abyss, and the pressure she received was reduced by the Abyss. But this is not the Abyss. Did you see the condition of those Saint Venerable Heavenly Demons? Their divine souls were incredibly powerful, dominating their respective regions. But after the appearance of the Lustful Immortal, you should know very well what their condition is."

Because of the protection of this antique veil and blindfold, Nongyu was in a slightly better position than the others.

Yao Ji couldn't offer any further suggestions.

All she can remind you right now is—don't procrastinate.

"Alright, you really should leave now. Otherwise, it will be dangerous once you leave Jianmu. I will remove the secrets of heaven for you, and no one will be able to detect your presence in the short term through any indirect means."

Yao Ji gave a solemn reminder, and looked at Chu Mingkong and the others across the Heavenly Gate Barrier, as if people from two different worlds had met there.

Her slender fingers guided the Dao sword, which, as clear as crystal, flew past the bodies of several people without leaving any injuries, but it seemed as if it had severed some vital energy from Chu Mingkong and the others.

......

With Yao Ji's protection, Chu Mingkong once again unleashed the full power of the Annihilation Domain, and walked out of the Jianmu tree at the exit of the Heavenly Domain.

The moment Chu Mingkong saw the outside world again, he felt countless senses sweeping around him.

These gazes are like a farm cat guarding a mouse hole, never letting up for a moment, for fear of missing something.

Among them, there was no shortage of the aura of the Heavenly Demon Clan, but the Heavenly Demon Prince was not among them.

Fortunately, none of these gazes noticed Chu Mingkong's presence.

He was unusually anxious for a long time, so he sneaked into Yanling City, preparing to leave this place as soon as possible.

However, a large group of cultivators of considerable status and position had gathered around the teleportation array, studying something.

Although the style of clothing was unfamiliar, one could sense a scholarly air about them.

Because of these people blocking the road, many cultivators were forced to wait on the side, unable to use the teleportation array to leave, and could only complain quietly.

Chu Mingkong moved closer to eavesdrop and discovered that these scholars and cultivators were researching how to teleport from this end to the forbidden area of ​​the Illusion Palace.

"Are you sure someone really teleported here from the Illusion Palace Forbidden Area? This Illusion Palace Forbidden Area is where people are imprisoned! Are you sure you're not just hallucinating?"

The guards standing near the teleportation array shook their heads repeatedly, indicating that it was absolutely impossible.

"That can't be an illusion! With my eyes, I'm always the first to notice when someone accidentally drops a spirit stone or a storage artifact."

"How come I've never heard you mention this before?"

"You're crazy to tell me about finding money?

They then used their spiritual power to describe the scene when Chu Mingkong and his group first appeared.

Then, several more people from Yanling City were summoned and asked if they had seen Chu Mingkong and his companions, but the answer they received was always "no".

"That's strange. If these people came from the forbidden area of ​​the Illusion Palace, there's no reason why the teleportation array at the other end of the forbidden area should be closed. Who closed the teleportation array for them?"

"It's possible they left accomplices there to keep things under control; these people want to monopolize the treasures of the Illusion Palace's forbidden area!"

After some discussion, these people decided to leave enough people here to keep an eye on the teleportation array in the direction of the Illusion Palace Forbidden Area and see when it would be secretly activated, adopting a wait-and-see approach.

Aside from the direction of the teleportation array, almost every corner of Yanling City was abuzz with talk of the Illusion Palace Forbidden Area and the unusual activity of the Jianmu Tree.

Chu Mingkong was truly embarrassed to find that his side was receiving so much attention.

He really wanted to listen more, his long-standing habit of going to teahouses to listen to gossip had resurfaced, but seeing that the teleportation array had reopened, he dared not linger any longer and decided to return to the Jinghuan Spirit Palace to reorganize first.

However, he naturally dared not go directly to the forbidden area of ​​the Illusion Palace. He chose to teleport to another city, taking a long detour and "transferring" twice, and arrived at a city called Longtuo Village.

Finally, using the mark he had placed on Wanxiangyu, Chu Mingkong remotely commanded her to activate the teleportation array between Jinghuan Spirit Palace and Longtuo Manor.

Under the starry night, beside the teleportation array of Longtuo Manor.

The guard, who was slacking off, suddenly saw a group of people about to enter through the teleportation array. He lazily pressed his token into the keyhole and said:

"Pay up the spirit stones, then choose your own teleportation location. I'm not going to serve you anymore... Why are you traveling in the middle of the night? Is some secret realm about to open?"

The guard was just exchanging casual pleasantries and wasn't interested in information about the secret realm, but he was still a little curious nonetheless.

Later on, you might be able to use it as a topic of conversation to chat with others for a long time.

After Chu Mingkong and the others disappeared, he craned his neck to peek and see where the group of one man and three women was headed.

"The Forbidden Grounds of the Illusionary Palace... I've never seen anyone go there before. It sounds unfamiliar..."

The guard regained his senses for a moment, then froze in place.

"How did those people get into the forbidden area?!"

The guards quickly called for reinforcements, but when they tried to follow up into the forbidden area of ​​the Illusion Palace, they found that it was already closed and the teleportation point had turned gray.

Chapter 160 Playing with flowers has become a normal orientation

Return to the Palace of Illusion.