Chapter 276: Delay That For Now
Luo Wusheng quickly recalled the rumbling noises he had heard earlier from the forest outside.
Without a doubt, that must have been caused by the Taoist Alter Ego of the Empress using her techniques.
And the one she subdued…
'Him?'
Frowning slightly, Luo Wusheng looked at the elderly figure, slumped against a rock, seemingly bound by some unseen force and unable to move.
He recognized this person.
It was the same cautious and shrewd Nascent Soul elder from the earlier hunt for the Soulblade Specter. However, the flying swords that once surrounded him were nowhere to be seen.
But... setting up a sword formation to ambush this place?
Although Luo Wusheng had not sensed the elder's presence earlier, he knew that aside from himself and the muscular man in the forest, there had been no one else around.
If a killing formation had been laid down, the target was obvious.
But for this elder—who had hesitated to even make a move before—to now attempt to trap and kill him with a sword formation? Luo Wusheng found the situation strangely incongruent.
Just then, the previously dumbfounded Six Gate Bureau officer poked his head out.
Perhaps giving up for the moment on unraveling Luo Wusheng's true identity, the officer fixed his gaze on the fallen elder, his brow furrowing even deeper.
"Do you know him?"
The question, delivered in a somber tone, caused the muscular man, Xuan Ming, to stiffen slightly. He thought back to the vague and dismissive answers Luo Wusheng had given him earlier, then considered something before nodding slowly.
"When I learned he was hunting the Soulblade Specter, I conducted a brief investigation. I don't know his real name, but he calls himself 'Six Sword Taoist.' It's said that he obtained a fragment of an exquisite sword formation called 'Six Sword Absolute Array' in the Ancient Heavenly Gate. That fragment allowed him to break through to the Nascent Soul stage and establish a small Sect of his own."
"I've heard that even though the formation is incomplete, it can channel strange powers when deployed, allowing it to suppress opponents of the same level. I was always wary of him, but strangely, he never used it against the Soulblade Specter. I didn't expect…"
He trailed off, glancing at Luo Wusheng.
...that a whole new team would show up and resolve the drastic transformation of the Soulblade Specter.
As that thought crossed his mind, he couldn't help but add, "...You really are the Holy Saint of the Demon Sect, Luo Wusheng?"
"You've already made your guess, haven't you? And rather than my identity, your sudden interest in me at this time… is it based on information from the capital?"
Luo Wusheng's calm tone caused the muscular man to freeze slightly.
However, Luo Wusheng didn't dwell on what conclusions the man might have reached. Instead, he began to think.
If he had any enmity with this Nascent Soul elder, it could only have stemmed from the earlier hunt for the Soulblade Specter.
But given that the elder likely acknowledged he wasn't the Soulblade Specter's match and chose to retreat, what grudge could he possibly hold against him? Besides, the elder had seen his Artifact attack—wasn't he afraid of risking everything and getting himself killed?
Moreover...
Luo Wusheng subtly lifted his gaze to the girl in front of him, whose appearance was identical to the Empress.
To directly subdue someone attempting an ambush and then deliver them right to him…
Your Majesty, doesn't this seem a bit beyond what a "first meeting" entails?
Almost as if reading his thoughts, the Taoist Sect's chief disciple showed no change in expression. Her gaze flitted briefly and meaningfully toward the muscular officer she had already recognized before she spoke in a calm voice.
"The Taoist Sect possesses techniques to discern the six desires of good and evil, used to distinguish right from wrong. These methods help accumulate righteous karma to prevent backlash from karmic flames."
So, she acted to suppress him for the sake of accumulating merit for her Taoist cultivation…
'This explanation has probably been used countless times already, hasn't it?'
Indeed, years of playing multiple roles seamlessly had honed her skills to perfection—she wouldn't slip up so easily.
Thinking this, Luo Wusheng crouched down slightly, gazing at the elder, whose eyes were wide open but whose body remained immobile.
"His body..."
"After I broke his sword formation, I used the Taoist Sect's binding technique on him," Ji Yanyao replied evenly.
Hearing her words, Luo Wusheng rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
So, it's like a certain Great Sage's infamous "Freeze" spell from my past life? The Taoist Sect really has some flashy techniques. Comparing that to our Demon Sect's brute-force methods…
Cough. Well, maybe it's just that the parts of the techniques he had learned were a bit unrefined. After all, his junior sister had mastered a few unique methods herself.
Luo Wusheng gathered his thoughts, locking eyes with the elderly man before him.
Suddenly, a glint appeared in his gaze.
Almost instinctively, he extended his hand and pressed it against the elder's forehead.
Ji Yanyao, watching nearby, was unsure of his intentions, but she could feel a profound, mysterious energy emanating from him.
'As expected, he must have experienced another fortunate encounter after vanishing during his tribulation. No wonder he could so easily defeat Xuan Ming…'
The exquisite young woman subtly masked the trace of emotion flickering deep within her eyes.
She had, in fact, arrived in this area much earlier.
While the Taoist Sect's techniques were numerous and varied, her triple cultivation speed, combined with the amplification of her Supreme Dao Body, had enabled her to master a vast array of practical Taoist techniques.
However, due to the unique nature of her Empyreal Qi Synthesis: Trinity of Pristine States technique, only her Taoist Alter Ego could unleash the full potential of these techniques.
Using her far-seeing Taoist Vision, she had already witnessed everything that had transpired here.
This included spotting the elder arranging a sword formation outside. Though he had employed an extremely peculiar concealment method, it ultimately failed to escape the overwhelming detection capabilities of the Taoist Sect's multifaceted techniques.
'He relied on the Six Gate Bureau to handle the Netherkin force before, yet now… if I don't use the Human Emperor Sword against him, the outcome...'
Among her three Alter Egos, the Mortal Alter Ego had the fewest techniques and would likely no longer be a match for him.
'… Xuan Ming is clearly probing his identity based on information from the Night Crow, and it seems Luo Wusheng has already noticed.'
'But since I'm not currently in my Imperial or Mortal Alter Ego, I must maintain the appearance of unfamiliarity with him, gradually closing the distance anew…'
The Demon Sect's Holy Saint certainly wouldn't recognize her.
After all, the Taoist concealment spell cast by the Taoist Sect Master himself was far more reliable than the mundane disguise of her previous form. Coupled with years of experience playing three distinct roles, there was no chance of exposure.
Moreover, her Taoist Alter Ego was completely severed from the other two—unlike her Imperial Alter Ego and Mortal Alter Ego, which retained ties with him. This time, there wasn't even a possibility of being mistaken as her own younger sister!
'Although my original plan was to confirm his well-being before heading directly to the royal capital…'
'Since he'll eventually return to the capital too, traveling together might allow me to uncover more about his peculiarities. I might even determine the cause of the earlier anomaly in the dragon's fortune.'
'And if I'm to consider the matter of an empress for my Imperial Alter Ego'
Ji Yanyao subtly shifted her gaze away from the meditating Luo Wusheng.
The Empyreal Qi Synthesis: Trinity of Pristine States technique was indeed a profound secret art, especially when combined with her Supreme Dao Body.
Until memories were synchronized, her other two Alter Egos would remain unaware of what transpired here.
Although the three bodies were essentially the same, they expressed subtle differences on the surface.
'Synchronizing memories… let's delay that for now.'
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Note: Link to the character Illustration:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lkIcPnCxeyuyZA4Kkb621dPC05UvWjhD
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