Zhang Fei - The Abandoned Son

Chapter 572: Resting Area

As they arrived in another room, Huangfu Xiaoying and Huangfu Xiaomei exchanged glances upon discovering one of their targets. However, they sighed in their hearts, realizing that their target was under the protection of one of the powerful cultivators in their realm. The presence of one of their allies among them surprised both of them. ʼWhy is Bai Chongxi with Xian Changyue and Xian Xianwu? Is he thinking about betraying us?ʼ

ʼI donʼt know.ʼ Huangfu Xiaomei shook her head slightly. ʼAnyway, we should keep our attitude for the time being so we can go with them to other areas, making it easier for us to pass this challenge.ʼ

ʼDamn it! Why do I have to meet them now?ʼ Bai Chongxi inwardly cursed. ʼIt would be bad if they reported me to their father, and Huangfu Shou would force my father to hand me over to him.ʼ

ʼAunt, are you going to take action against them?ʼ Xian Xianwu asked his paternal aunt via a voice transmission.

Xian Changyue briefly glanced at the two women before walking away. ʼFor now, we donʼt need to bother with those two girls. It would be better if we looked for the path to the inner area, especially since we have found the first key.ʼ

ʼAll right.ʼ Xian Xianwu immediately followed his aunt.

On the other hand, Huangfu Xiaoying and Huangfu Xiaomei immediately moved to both sides of Bai Chongxi. They flanked him, interrogated him, and forced him to say his reason for being with the two people in front of them.

Bai Chongxi immediately told them about his adventures in the maze before he met Xian Changyue and Xian Xianwu, but Huangfu Xiaoying and Huangfu Xiaomei continued to wear suspicious looks. ʼItʼs up to you two to believe me or not, but Iʼve told you the truth. It would be better if we didnʼt fight them, as that woman is only slightly weaker than our fathers, and she has the power to kill us whenever she wants.ʼ

Huangfu Xiaoying and Huangfu Xiaomei remained silent in response to Bai Chongxiʼs warning, particularly because they were already aware of Xian Changyueʼs strength and would not foolishly seek trouble with her.

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After they were trapped in an endless loop and fought countless rat beasts, Huangfu Lian and Huangfu Xiaofan finally managed to escape from the place. They got a lucky break from their previous misfortune, especially since they immediately arrived at the location of one of the keys, and there was a treasure chest inside.

”Haha.” Huangfu Xiaofan laughed with satisfaction after he took the golden key. ”What a stroke of luck! Not only did we find the first key, but we also got a lot of valuable treasures.”

”Letʼs go! We have to find our sisters and the path to the inner area.” Huangfu Lian promptly placed the treasures in his storage ring and proceeded to walk, with his brother trailing closely behind.

After some time, they reached a new location, coincidentally encountering their greatest adversary, Zhou Tong. Huangfu Lian and Huangfu Xiaofan became tense as soon as they saw him because his cultivation was several levels above theirs, and they wouldnʼt necessarily be able to defeat him even if they worked together to fight him.

However, they were fortunate that Zhou Tong was not in the mood to fight, as he was too concerned about the condition of Zhou Meiling and Zhou Tai. As a result, he immediately rushed away from the Huangfu siblings, heading in the opposite direction.

The Huangfu siblings were completely relieved by Zhou Tongʼs departure, and they immediately went in another direction to avoid fighting him, especially since there were still many challenges left on the first floor of the Star Tower.

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Meanwhile, Bai Tianʼer and Ye Zhiqiu felt relieved because the presence of Long Chen, Xian Jinglan, and Lang greatly eased their journey in exploring each area of the maze. Moreover, they also found two golden keys, so their business in the outer area was done, and they only needed to find a way to the inner area.

Upon arriving at the four-crossed road, they were taken aback by the sight of two men running from the roads to their right and left. Xian Jinglan immediately questioned one of them. ”Why did it take you so long to return to our side, Jin Dabao?”

”Haish!” Jin Dabao sighed heavily. ”After I got separated from you two, I was trapped in a prison with a puzzle, so I had to solve it first. I was lucky the Huangfu Kingdomʼs two princesses were trapped there, or I wouldnʼt have been able to escape so quickly, and I may have given up this challenge.”

”I will beat you up if you dare give up this challenge, Dabao.” Jin Dabao scowled at the other individual, who turned out to be Zheng Ru. ”I was also separated from Prince Long Tian and Xianzi, but I didnʼt encounter significant obstacles during my journey here. However, I previously met Zhou Meiling and Bai Renfu, and I sensed something unusual from that little girl.”

”Whatʼs so strange about Zhou Meiling?” Xian Jinglan asked.

Zheng Ru shook his head. ”I donʼt know whatʼs strange about her, but I felt an unusual aura coming from her body, so I immediately avoided her when she wanted to stop me.”

”Hey! We should not linger here and immediately go to the inner area; Iʼm sure Tianʼer and Xi Xianzi are on their way there now.” All of them immediately agreed and followed behind Long Chen, but Jin Dabao and Zheng Ru repeatedly turned to look at Bai Tianʼer and Ye Zhiqiu.

Unlike Ye Zhiqiu, who felt awkward about it, Bai Tianʼer was much more indifferent and relaxed, and she returned their glances with a seductive smile.

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As soon as they arrived at their next destination, the five people at two different ends of the room stood still in their spots as they stared at each other.

ʼBrother.ʼ Ximen Yueliang called out softly as he hid behind Ximen Hongwu, but his eyes kept watching Ximen Yan and Qian Ying, who were standing across from them.

Ximen Hongwu was nervous, as Ximen Yanʼs cultivation level was slightly higher than his own, and his cousin still had Qian Ying by his side. Moreover, his little sisterʼs fighting ability wasnʼt that great, so there was no way she could help him fight them.

Ximen Yan smiled and spoke to them. ”Cousin, letʼs forget our enmity for now, and we can go together to find a way to the inner area.”

Qian Ying raised her eyebrows in response, but she remained silent. Although Ma Kuangyu controlled Ximen Yan, he was still her master, so she would not move without his order.

”Have you found the key, Cousin?” Ximen Yan nodded to Ximen Hongwu. ”Weʼve also found our key, so letʼs look for the path to the inner area.”

Meanwhile, Zhou Tai followed them from behind without saying a word, but he could be relieved that he didnʼt have to explore the rest of the outer area alone.

Just like everyone else, Ximen Chuixueʼs group, Li Yaoʼs group, and the remaining participants had also found the first key, so they all immediately rushed to find the path to the inner area.

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[Ding]

[Daily Quest: Absorb 100,000 Qi.]

[Status: Done.]

[Reward: 1,000 bronze coins sent to the inventory.]

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[Daily Quest: Killing 500 beasts or demon beasts at the earth realm or above.]

[Status: Done]

[Reward: Daily gift pack x1 sent to the inventory.]

===

After searching for several hours and going through various obstacles, Zhang Feiʼs group finally arrived at a room with a large gate, so they went straight in.

Zhang Fei was pleasantly surprised by the spaciousness of the place, with numerous doors connecting various areas on each side of the walls. However, he was more interested in the gate at the north end, especially since it was the main gate to the inner area.

Since all of them were completely exhausted and Yun Xinyue still had not woken up from her faint, Zhang Fei led them to a corner to rest while waiting for the other group to arrive.

Bai Shouyi immediately separated herself from them and sat alone in another area. She chose to keep her distance from them for the time being, particularly because the people of the Huangfu Kingdom would suspect her if she joined them.

Xi Xianzi immediately checked Yun Xinyueʼs condition. ”Her condition has stabilized since I helped her before, but the previous illusion was too impactful for her. She seemed to have difficulty accepting the events inside, so she still hasnʼt woken up.”

After he thought about it, Zhang Fei decided to use the dream imprisonment to imprison Yun Xinyueʼs subconscious for a while, and he also gave her a pleasant dream to reverse the impact of that illusion. ”Are we going to face the same challenges in the inner area?”

Xian Xianqin immediately informed him. ”The inner area isnʼt as large as the outer area, but the traps and tests there are much more troublesome. Furthermore, we will encounter beasts in sovereign to quasi-divine realms, and certain rooms will spawn powerful enemies for us, necessitating heightened caution during our exploration.”

”Strong enemies?” Zhang Fei asked with raised eyebrows.

”We donʼt know where they came from, but I think they are prisoners in this tower, just like those skeletons we found the first time.”

”What do you mean by skeletons?” After Xian Xianqin mentioned it, Long Tian immediately inquired, prompting Zhang Fei to inform both him and Xi Xianqi about it. However, he did not inform them that the Star Tower originated from realms beyond the upper realms, nor did he disclose the existence of Hua Meiʼer or Sima Yun. ”Did you really absorb their souls?”

Zhang Fei nodded to Long Tian. ”They have become vengeful souls, and I canʼt purify them all at once. Moreover, I have to increase my soul power to the earthly soul level before I can meet someone important, so I choose to absorb them because they donʼt have any negative impact on me.”

”Does their vengeful nature really not influence you, Zhang Fei?”

”No.” Zhang Fei answered Xi Xianzi with a shake of his head. ”If their vengeful nature influenced me, I would have changed by now, but Iʼm still the same as before, right?”

”Thatʼs true.” Xi Xianzi then warned Zhang Fei. ”I think that kind of shortcut wonʼt end well for you, so you must not use such a method to improve yourself too often, or you will suffer bad consequences. Anyway, I hope we wonʼt be separated from our group once we enter the inner area, or we will waste more time than before, especially with the increasing difficulty of each obstacle.”

One of the doors at the far end suddenly opened, so Zhang Fei and the others immediately turned their heads toward it. They saw Zhou Meiling and Bai Renfu walking out from there, but they immediately sensed something unusual from the Zhou Princess.

[Master, the system has detected the presence of another soul within Zhou Meilingʼs body, which appears to have taken control of both her mind and body.]

Zhang Fei frowned slightly. ʼWhat about Zhou Meilingʼs soul? Has the foreign soul devoured it?ʼ

[Zhou Meilingʼs soul appears to be sleeping in her soul space, but if it continues to control her, she may not survive.]

Zhang Fei himself didnʼt care whether Zhou Meiling would live or die, but he was worried that the foreign soul would suddenly come out of his body and control others, especially the people in his group. He then informed Xian Xianqin, Long Tian, and Xi Xianzi, who immediately turned to him in shock. ʼI am a soul cultivator, so I can sense it. However, I donʼt know the strength of the foreign soul, so you guys must be fully aware of it, lest it move into your bodies and affect you.ʼ

All of them nodded in agreement with Zhang Fei and ignored Zhou Meiling directly, but their eyes and senses continued to monitor the Zhou Princes as they discussed their next plans to explore the inner area.

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Zhou Meiling ignored Bai Renfu, who was running toward Bai Shouyi, as she noticed their behavior. Instead of approaching them, she sat on the opposite side, observing the five of them from her seat. She was not interested in Long Tian and the others, but Zhang Feiʼs presence among them caught her attention.

ʼCompared to the male pure dragon and the female fairy, that human brat is more interesting, and his strength is truly high despite his low cultivation. With his strong physique, itʼs no surprise that this woman and her brothers want to capture him. Although I donʼt like occupying a manʼs body, I think his body will be a perfect vessel for my soul, and I might be able to reshape my body faster if I possess him.ʼ Zhang Meiling immediately closed her eyes and circulated her qi to restore her stamina, especially considering that Bai Renfuʼs uselessness had used up a lot of her qi.

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”How is your condition, Shaoyi? Did you encounter any danger before?” Bai Renfu inquired as he sat beside his sister.

”Ximen Yan and Qian Ying initially captured me, but we fell into a trap. When I opened my eyes again, I was already with Zhang Fei and the others, and my journey became easier after that.” Bai Shouyi then told his second brother about his encounter with their grandfatherʼs soul, which shocked Bai Renfu. ʼHe asked the three of us to investigate the situation behind Huangfu Shou, but we couldnʼt possibly do it alone, so he asked me to see Uncle Xian or Uncle Yun, believing that they could help us find out the truth and free our parents from their influence.ʼ

Bai Renfu immediately agreed to that. ʼIn that case, we will wait for our big brother, and we will discuss this matter with him to think of a way to escape from the surveillance of Huangfu Shou and his subordinates.ʼ

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Sometime later, two other doors opened simultaneously, and several groups of people walked out of them. The first to come out was Xian Changyueʼs group, and she immediately led her nephew to gather with Zhang Fei and the others.

Xian Xianwu and Xian Changyue were relieved that Xian Xianqin was fine, but they were confused about Yun Xinyueʼs situation, so Zhang Fei explained everything to them.

On the other hand, Bai Chongxi joined his brother and sister, and Bai Shouyi immediately told him about his meeting with their grandfather, to which he agreed right away. Unfortunately, they couldnʼt possibly escape from Huangfu Shou and his subordinates just like that, so they needed help from others, and Zhang Feiʼs group was their best choice.

Meanwhile, Huangfu Xiaomei and Huangfu Xiaoying sat in another area, but they kept glancing at Zhang Feiʼs group, especially Yun Xinyue, who had not yet woken up, raising many questions in their minds.

The other newly arrived groups were Lin Yaoʼs group and Xian Yuʼs group. They immediately separated themselves while waiting for their other group members to arrive.

Not long after, Xian Qifeng and his wife, Luo Qinglin, walked out of another gate, leading some of their group members to rest in another area.

To their surprise, they saw the two groups of demons from the two demon kingdoms walking side by side, and the situation between them was different from what they had known so far, especially since Ximen Yan and Ximen Hongwu seemed to be close to each other.

However, Ximen Hongwu immediately took Ximen Yueliang away, and Ximen Yan took Qian Ying away with him.

After they sat down on one side, Ximen Yan immediately observed the people present, but his gaze then fell on Zhang Fei. ʼSo heʼs the kid that these people targeted, huh? Heʼs much weaker than them, but heʼs made it this far. Furthermore, he appears to notice that I possess this demon kid, indicating that he is a soul cultivator. In that case, I will meet and converse with him later, and I am hopeful that he will be willing to assist me in escaping this tower.ʼ

After they waited for some time, the other groups also arrived at the place, and they immediately joined their respective groups. However, none of them went straight to the inner realms, and they chose to rest first so that they could explore it with full strength.

- To Be Continued -