Chapter 1735 - 1737: Entry
Xin Qiji and Yue Fei returned as well. They didn’t stir up any trouble, and even visited the modern army together, coming back deep in thought, as if comparing modern warfare with ancient battles.
After chatting with the five women including Liang Lan for a while, Lu Xiaobu left Blood Continent. He couldn’t bring them out now; he decided to wait until he returned to Gourd Waist.
Returning to the Grand World, Lu Xiaobu became silent.
Three days later, the God Slaying Alliance finally sent someone to notify him. Meanwhile, the people from the black market had visited several times, each time bearing expensive gifts for Lu Xiaobu.
This was both to check whether Lu Xiaobu was still around and to increase the chances of his victory.
After all, if Lu Xiaobu couldn’t use them, Sao Bao believed he could definitely scavenge them from Lu Xiaobu’s corpse.
Lu Xiaobu followed the people from the God Slaying Alliance to the site of the second round.
It wasn’t complicated; the six people paired up to fight.
However, with Han Long forfeiting, there were only five people left.
Drawing lots, competing, fighting.
Lu Xiaobu could see that apart from him, the other four were actually engaging in rigged matches.
The Black Rider and Yun Hai gave up the chance to enter the core, letting Fan Wenlong and Lu Pu take it instead.
Of course, it was labeled as giving chances, but it was essentially a transaction. They were all in the same boat, holding leverage over each other, so trading was smooth.
Yun Hai himself was part of the God Slaying Alliance, and had other ways to enter the core, so he wasn’t in a rush.
And the Black Rider, knowing he was isolated and weak, sought protection and escape; hence he exchanged his spot for such needs.
Thus, after a few rounds, the three spots to enter the core were decided.
They fought easily, leaving Sao Bao fuming with rage!
"Damn! Turns out it was all rigged matches! I worried about this and that and gave away so many nice things!" Sao Bao gritted his teeth.
Over the past three days, he had given away plenty of good things, only for all of it to go unused, leaving him feeling like a sucker!
However, he soon suppressed these emotions.
After all, the matters concerning the seed were most important!
Upon the conclusion of the competition, they could enter the core area by the afternoon.
This time, Xin Lifeng was leading the team, seemingly having volunteered to do so, probably to keep an eye on Lu Xiaobu.
Lu Xiaobu accepted the packaged seed from Sao Bao and boarded the Flying Boat with the group, speeding away.
Not long after their departure, several other Flying Boats also soared upwards in the same direction.
The core location was a top secret to ordinary people but was basic public information for these influential forces.
...
After an hour at full speed, the Flying Boat started to descend.
Before them was a lush forest, showing no sign of the core whatsoever.
Xin Lifeng took out a token and tapped it forward.
Soon enough, Lu Xiaobu saw an entrance appear before them.
Array!
Without much pause to investigate, Lu Xiaobu entered with Fan Wenlong and Lu Pu.
How to put it...
Lu Xiaobu initially thought the core would be a palace or some landmark building.
Yet, aside from a few scattered straw huts, there was nothing else!
The place looked like a remote village far away from civilization.
However, Lu Xiaobu noticed that anyone coming out of the huts had flashes of brilliance in their eyes, causing tears just by meeting their gaze.
Evidently, everyone here was a formidable force!
Lu Xiaobu tried to keep a low profile, uncertain whether these people could recognize his Demon Realm identity.
If it were discovered here, it would spell certain death!
Luckily, there seemed to be no suspicions, and the three followed Xin Lifeng to the back of the village.
There was a sizeable cave, with an elder seated at the entrance, covered in two to three centimeters of dust, resembling a clay statue.
Lu Xiaobu couldn’t help but wonder—looking like this, he’d been here over six months, perhaps? No eating, drinking, or bathroom breaks; were these functions perhaps degenerated?
Despite this, Xin Lifeng was careful not to slight the elder, respectfully saying, "Master Ning, I have brought people."
The elder didn’t budge at the sound.
Xin Lifeng didn’t inquire further, instead turning to the three and saying, "Go inside. You have three days in there; you may leave early but not late."
Thus, Fan Wenlong led the way, followed by Lu Pu, then Lu Xiaobu.
As they entered, Lu Xiaobu didn’t notice the elder’s eyes suddenly opening, watching his silhouette for a while, puzzled, before closing them again.
Inside the cave, after an apprehensive walk, there were suddenly three diverging paths.
No markings, no signs, just three unexpected paths.
"What should we do?" Lu Pu furrowed his brow. "Are we going together or splitting up? Looks like there’s some distance to the core. Why set up diverging paths?"
"Let’s split up; I don’t trust you," Fan Wenlong said bluntly. "As for the paths, I reckon they lead to different benefits. It’s all luck!"
It was just the three of them.
He and Lu Pu disliked each other the most, complicating matters with an unknown individual—they surely weren’t relying on each other.
None of them objected, each choosing a path to proceed.
Lu Xiaobu didn’t overthink it, proceeding as his speed was fast.
However.
Lu Pu and Fan Wenlong, who took the other two paths, quickly sat down cross-legged upon entry, evidently for cultivation!
Lu Pu smirked with some pettiness: "Seems like he’s unaware! Here, once you pass the elder, you’re basically in the core! Inside or outside, it’s the same!"
From the other path, Fan Wenlong muttered to himself: "I wasn’t lying; different spots do have different cultivation effects, but I didn’t mention the final destinations differ among the three paths."
After enjoying their little scheming treat, both closed their eyes, entering cultivation.
Only Lu Xiaobu continued advancing through the passage!
As he ran, he pondered—the place was indeed vast!