368: Chapter 90 A Condition_2 368: Chapter 90 A Condition_2 But the sentence was both cruel and true.
To influence a duel on this level,
let alone the Cave Heaven Realm,
even if Xie Xuanyi were to recover his peak condition immediately, he would still be somewhat inferior.
“But if there’s even a sliver of ‘pride’, a sliver of ‘impulse’, a sliver of ‘anger’…”
“then you are still within the game.”
Lu Yuzhen spoke languidly, word by word, tapping at Xie Xuanyi’s Divine Soul: “Have you really thought about how to step out of the game?”
Xie Xuanyi silently watched the Paper Taoist.
The once tumultuous Heart Lake calmed down at this moment.
The Great Chu cloak billowing around Lu Yuzhen seemed to signal he was waiting for a bid from both sides.
But in fact,
he was watching the play.
Even if he became part of the play himself, becoming a member of this grand production, he was still “detached from the world”.
“So…”
Xie Xuanyi took a deep breath and regained his composure: “You’ve had a scale in your heart all along.”
“Hm?
How so?”
Lu Yuzhen asked with a smile.
“It’s because you can act and watch here, that is because…
you’ve already foreseen what’s going to unfold in the next phase.”
Xie Xuanyi lowered his eyelids and slowly said: “You’ve long decided whom you will assist.”
The smile on Lu Yuzhen’s face gradually faded.
He looked seriously at the black-robed youth, his eyes filled with surprise, anticipation, and a touch of relief.
Lord Lu spoke softly: “Tell me, who should I help?”
“Being a straw in this dragon-slaying battle, you will naturally fall in the direction the wind blows.”
Xie Xuanyi raised his head: “Isn’t it obvious…
You have been in the Great Yue Kingdom for a long time and chose to show yourself only now.
Others come here to seek treasures, to kill, but not you, you are waiting for Qing Li to overcome the ‘Reincarnation Tribulation’.”
…
Lu Yuzhen did not speak, his hands behind his back.
He gestured with his eyes for Xie Xuanyi to continue.
“The so-called ‘highest bidder takes all’ that you mentioned is but one of the results.”
“Emperor Qi can offer many terms…
but even all together, they wouldn’t be enough to fully sway you.”
Xie Xuanyi stared at Lu Yuzhen and slowly asked: “No matter what Emperor Qi offers, you will ultimately choose to help Qing Li.
Not only because you can obtain more from her, but also because her existence is the ‘fundamental reason’ that drove you, this straw, to fall here.”
Unfortunately,
the “cause” on Qing Li that Xie Xuanyi couldn’t guess at the moment.
He knew too little about Qing Li, even less about Lu Yuzhen!
“Xie Xuanyi, I knew I wasn’t wrong about you…”
Hearing this, Lu Yuzhen finally spoke.
He said with emotion: “Great Chu, Da Li, where else can I find another interesting person like you?”
Xie Xuanyi didn’t fall for it and replied coldly: “Stop with the nonsense.
You’ve delayed enough, just wanting to see Emperor Qi make a fool of himself and to test me once more.
Now that you’ve had your laugh and made things clear, hurry up and act.”
Regardless of Lu Yuzhen’s purpose in reminding him to “step out of the game”,
This time,
he truly taught him something very important…
That was to deduce cause from effect.
Throughout, Xie Xuanyi guarded against Lu Yuzhen with the utmost vigilance.
After the chaos in Qing State ended, whenever he recalled the encounter in North Sea’s tomb, his Heart Lake was never quite peaceful.
This sense of unease in the Heart Lake was unprecedented.
Neither the White Ghost nor any other enemies
had ever given Xie Xuanyi this kind of feeling.
On the surface, Lu Yuzhen was extremely “kind” to him, with a gentle demeanor, even stepping in to save the day when necessary, and he even unabashedly claimed to have a “life-saving grace” towards him.
But Xie Xuanyi always felt something was amiss.
In some vague place,
something was missing.
“You are still too impulsive.”
Lu Yuzhen said with a chuckle: “Sometimes, even if you can guess the ending, can’t you just watch a little longer?
What’s the rush…
Speaking of which, if you’re in such a hurry, then I’m not.”
“???”
Xie Xuanyi glared at Lord Lu.
The latter casually said, “Let’s stick to the old ways.
You agree to a condition, and I’ll act now.”
Without waiting for Xie Xuanyi to speak,
“Don’t worry, don’t worry…
it’s a very simple issue.”
Lord Lu extended a finger and waggled it before his eyes.
He asked very seriously: “Xie Xuanyi, when exactly did you become aware of my presence?”
…
…
In fact, Xie Xuanyi had confirmed Lu Yuzhen’s presence among the North Hunt team after killing Qing Sun.
However,
The realization of “Lu Yuzhen’s” existence had begun at the very moment of the North Hunt!
After boarding the Cloud Ship for the North Hunt, Xie Xuanyi felt a looming sense of unease in his Heart Lake.
Soon after, the notorious “encirclement and assassination” incident occurred on board the Cloud Ship.
Xie Xuanyi knew very well that Wu Qiong and his people were not the primary reason for his Heart Lake’s alarm…
How could a mere Cave Heaven Ninth Realm talent from the Southern Border Evil Cultivators, along with some insignificant underlings, be formidable enough to be seen as major foes?
Unsheathe the ailing sword, was to give them enough respect; to die by his sword and witness his True Body would be the greatest honor they could have before death.
To unsheathe the ailing sword.
Was Xie Xuanyi’s own “scheme”.
This discomfort led him to think of Lu Yuzhen first.
After killing Wu Qiong and the others.
Xie Xuanyi did something.
That was, he set the ship on fire and burned the corpses.
He could guess that someone was trailing behind, and the Cloud Ship disaster he had created with his own hands was not going to completely rid him of the “unease”.
Xie Xuanyi watched with his own eyes as the corpses of the Southern Border Evil Cultivators were incinerated…
But at a certain moment, a familiar clicking sound echoed in his Heart Lake.
After burning the ship, the uneasiness in his Heart Lake grew even stronger, reaching a peak.
Then came the scheme at Resentful Ghost Ridge.
The battle with Qing Sun.
On one hand, it was “unavoidable”; on the other hand, Xie Xuanyi was validating the presumptions of his Heart Lake.
He sought to force out the true culprit behind his Heart Lake’s unease!
After killing Qing Sun.
The foreboding feeling in his Heart Lake still did not dissipate—
At that moment, Xie Xuanyi could almost confirm.
This familiar unease did not come from Qing Sun, but rather, it was very likely…
from “Lu Yuzhen”!
So, he used the Soul Searching Technique on the Silent Annihilation of Qing Sun.
At the moment of a person’s death, when the Soul Sea shatters, one can briefly search for some fragmented memories…
This kind of soul search is extremely inefficient and often yields only chaotic, useless fragments.
But this time, fortune favored him.
Xie Xuanyi only found an extremely brief scene.
But this scene was critically important.
Within the dying Qing Sun’s Soul Sea, Xie Xuanyi forcefully intercepted a fragment from the chaotic flow of his near-death memories, the moment he stepped onto the Cloud Ship and examined the corpses.
Xie Xuanyi remembered very clearly.
The Saint Son Wu Qiong from the Southern Border Sky Puppet Sect had been beheaded by his flying sword, his skull penetrated by the ailing sword.
The subsequent fire should have utterly destroyed Wu Qiong’s flesh and blood.
Yet, in Qing Sun’s “near-death memory”.
What he saw in the Cloud Ship was a headless Wu Qiong.
This brief scene.
Became the most important clue for Xie Xuanyi to pinpoint the source of unease in his Heart Lake.
This head would not sprout wings and fly away.
Especially since he had watched the ship burn with his own eyes, obliterating everything.
The only explanation…
Was that someone had concealed themselves with the power of Grotto Heaven, and in the midst of the fire, under his very watch, brazenly took away “Wu Qiong’s” head.
Although Xie Xuanyi was only at the Cave Heaven Realm, his Divine Soul Realm remained intact.
But to accomplish this deed under his Divine Soul’s surveillance, there weren’t many in Great Chu who could do such a thing.
Lu Yuzhen was indeed one of them.
…
…
“Very good, very good…”
Lord Lu’s large mantle fluttered in the wind.
Having listened to Xie Xuanyi’s words, his expression was quite extraordinary, with a smile, and even more so, a sense of helplessness.
“I didn’t expect that, despite being so cautious, I was still caught out.”
“But…
this isn’t really a mistake on my part, is it?”
Lord Lu stroked his chin, his gaze becoming more focused.
Upon careful reflection, it wasn’t that he had left any traces behind.
It was purely because Xie Xuanyi was too perceptive—
It was his mere following.
That triggered the Heart Lake Sensing of the Sword Cultivator!