The Arrogant Immortal
Chapter 149 - 148: Attack Right Off the Bat

Chapter 149: Chapter 148: Attack Right Off the Bat

In the large stone chamber, there wasn’t just Mo Chuan and Ren Bingyan.

None of the other disciples could compete with the two of them.

They all retreated to the side to watch.

Now that the two had reached an agreement, others had even less chance to dispute.

Xie Jiuniang’s plan to stealthily snatch away the treasure was thwarted, just as she was about to change tactics and forcefully seize it, Mo Chuan didn’t give anyone a chance to react and quickly took the Jade Slip.

That was too fast!

Clearly, he was preventing any mid-way mishaps.

Xie Jiuniang was at the entrance, the farthest from the small stone platform, she couldn’t even rush over in time to forcefully grab it.

Mo Chuan swept over the Jade Slip and said regretfully, "I thought it was a mechanical inheritance, but it turns out to be just a maze map."

He then passed it to Ren Bingyan.

Ren Bingyan was equally disappointed but still took out a Blank Jade Slip and made a copy.

Xie Jiuniang, however, felt relieved inside and complained to Jian Lingyan, "Luckily I didn’t make a move. Otherwise, if I had fought over it only to get a maze map, it would have killed me with frustration."

"How is it just a map when it was presented like it was something more significant?" Jian Lingyan was very surprised.

A flash of insight, and it added, "Could it be that Mo Chuan deliberately said it was a map, fearing that everyone would be dissatisfied?"

"Should I go and snatch it then?"

Xie Jiuniang had just said this when she heard Mo Chuan tell the other disciples, "Do any of you want to make a copy? I’m not providing Blank Jade Slips."

Jian Lingyan and Xie Jiuniang immediately became as quiet as turtles.

Assuming a petty thief’s mindset for a gentleman’s heart?

One disciple tried to go forward and made a copy, and when the others saw it was indeed possible, they all rushed forward to do the same.

Xie Jiuniang silently left the stone chamber, then pretending she had just arrived, took out her Blank Jade Slip and went to copy the map. It wasn’t really about the copying; it was to check whether the Jade Slip was really just as Mo Chuan said.

Upon inspection, it was true.

She handed the original Jade Slip back to Mo Chuan.

Mo Chuan looked at her with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, didn’t expose her groping in the dark and even reminded her, "Don’t miss the Mechanical Techniques on the walls."

"Thank you, elder brother," Xie Jiuniang expressed her thanks with a very good attitude.

Ren Bingyan and the others had already noted down the knowledge of the mechanisms on the walls and were leaving one after another.

Xie Jiuniang followed to record them, and saw that Mo Chuan continued to gaze at the small stone platform thoughtfully.

Xie Jiuniang asked Jian Lingyan, "Is there still a secret to the small stone platform?"

Jian Lingyan paused for a moment before replying, "No, I haven’t noticed anything unusual."

"Oh, you’re not omnipotent. Have to know that Mo Chuan was paying attention to it..."

In front of Mo Chuan, Xie Jiuniang inspected the small stone platform back and forth three times, then sighed to Jian Lingyan, "As a person of destiny, having checked so many times without triggering anything, there probably really isn’t any inheritance left..."

Jian Lingyan agreed.

The person and her sword left the chamber nonchalantly.

Mo Chuan was left speechless by Xie Jiuniang’s antics.

Her thick skin had risen to yet another level.

He stayed behind, not because he was interested in the Array Pattern on the stone platform, but because he was interested in the Array Pattern itself, not because he suspected there was anything.

Xie Jiuniang walked out while studying the maze map.

"What are you looking for, master?" Jian Lingyan knew the exit to the third stage, but the master didn’t need it, as if she was looking for something else.

Xie Jiuniang replied, "I’m looking for a passage."

In her past life, she was trapped and chased into a pitfall in the Mechanism Maze and then fell into a long, dark passage that led straight to a large stone room underground. That’s where she discovered the "Eternal Life Art." Since she had already cultivated it, she didn’t want to waste her effort and start from scratch, so she put the technique back in its place.

The passages in the maze were almost indistinguishably constructed, and unique places were very rare. Searching aimlessly like she was, it would be very difficult to find.

Xie Jiuniang asked Jian Lingyan to check the map, "Take a look for me. Could you compare it and find any abnormalities?"

With this examination, Jian Lingyan did indeed find something.

"Master, there is a passage that isn’t marked on the map..."

As Jian Lingyan finished speaking, Xie Jiuniang’s heart lurched, and immediately after, she grew excited.

Could it be the place she was looking for?

It seemed the map was indeed the key to finding the cultivation technique, but it was hidden too well. Normally, when others acquired a map, they would follow it to look for their destination, yet the entrance was concealed in an unmarked area.

The pair, one woman and one sword, hurried to the location.

Xie Jiuniang was essentially sure now: that was the place she was seeking. Along the way, whenever she encountered other disciples, she chose to use invisibility or to avoid them.

Even so, it still took her most of the day to find the spot that was unmarked on the map.

This was a stone corridor.

At first glance, it seemed exceedingly normal, no different from other places.

If Xie Jiuniang hadn’t been aware of this place’s secrets, like everyone else, she would have regarded it as just an ordinary passage.

Jian Lingyan reminded her again, "Someone is coming."

"Coming for me?" Xie Jiuniang was fiddling with the mechanism.

"Disciples from the Wu Family, have you forgotten?"

With Jian Lingyan’s reminder, Xie Jiuniang finally recalled them and then looked down to see the powder on her garment’s hem.

Her mind was set on the cultivation technique, and Xie Jiuniang had no desire to get entangled with these people, but she thought it best to deal with them first if she didn’t want to be disturbed.

Therefore, before the four from the Wu Family arrived, she released a Shadow Stone and then pretended to walk forward.

A Tracking Butterfly flew in, landing on the powder on Xie Jiuniang’s hem.

Xie Jiuniang paused.

Then she looked down at the Tracking Butterfly again.

The several people in pursuit had already recovered from their injuries, and when they saw the Tracking Butterfly stop ahead, hovering in mid-air, it seemed a bit eerie, no?

Under these circumstances...

That disciple suddenly exclaimed in alarm and immediately ordered the retracting of the Tracking Butterfly.

Just as the Tracking Butterfly was about to take flight, it fluttered twice then remained motionless, seemingly caught out of thin air by a fair and delicate little hand.

Xie Jiuniang used her spiritual power, and the effect of the Invisibility Talisman dissipated, revealing her figure abruptly.

The four of them knew their trailing had been exposed.

They each pulled out their Magic Artifacts.

Feigning panic, Xie Jiuniang challenged them, "Who are you? What do you want, following me like this? My master is True Lord Chaoyan, my grandmaster is Lord Qiansha, and my granduncle is the Sect Master!"

"Yuanxi, we’re sorry."

While verbally expressing apologies, the four almost simultaneously launched an attack on Xie Jiuniang.

They really had no shame!

Launching an ambush right from the start!

Xie Jiuniang quickly retreated several zhang, dodging the attacks from several people, and then cried out again, "I never knew you before, so it’s impossible for us to have any grudge. Who sent you to kill me?"

"We didn’t want to kill you, Junior Sister. We merely wished to inquire about certain matters."

"Inquire by attacking me? What nonsense! Do you think I would believe that?"

"Yuanxi, you can’t defeat us, so do not struggle in vain..."

There were many methods of forcible interrogation in the Cultivation World.

But most of them were underhanded.

The only one without side effects was the lost True Word Talisman. Nowadays, soul-searching techniques are commonly used in the Cultivation World. Such methods severely harm the Spiritual Soul. They might not kill a person but are almost tantamount to cutting them off from the path to immortality.

"Just wait! Daring to scheme against me, once I get out, I will certainly report to my master!"

Xie Jiuniang again feigned repeated retreats, then quickly stored the Shadow Stone into her Storage Ring.

With this piece of evidence, the people from the Wu Family would be unable to refute her.

Once she got out, she would hand it over to Master Chaoyan to let him take a chunk of flesh from the Wu Family.