After dealing Du Qingyun a blow, Ming Qi felt he had vented his anger on the Tianqi Courtyard members. He ignored them and headed straight for Beichen Courtyard. He was somewhat surprised that he had to personally turn in this sect mission.
Zong Weiyi of Beichen Courtyard was a renowned figure, both within the Biyou Sect's inner and outer sects. Ming Qi was quite excited about the prospect of meeting this renowned young talent.
It was still morning, and most of the outer disciples were seldom out and about. The outer sect was utterly silent, especially amidst the serenity of this mountain and water setting.
Ming Qi walked along the road, not rushing straight to Beichen Courtyard. Instead, he wandered around to take in the scenery.
The mountain streams, cascading with verdant greenery and sparse, serene green shadows, created a harmonious and harmonious scene. Simply walking through them was a source of spiritual joy.
The air was fresh, and a gentle spiritual energy of heaven and earth flowed around. Breathing it in, one's heart broadened.
As Ming Qi walked along, his originally planned half-hour hike unknowingly stretched considerably longer due to the scenic views.
Sighting a vast expanse of exceptionally rare purple bamboo ahead, Ming Qi was immediately captivated by this rare and unique spectacle.
The purple bamboos, faintly visible beneath the emerald green leaves, exuded a noble and elegant aura. Ming Qi walked quickly towards them.
A custom-made fence surrounded the purple bamboo forest, enclosing it entirely. Several entrances were marked by stone steps. From afar, the pristine white stone paths meandered deep into the bamboo forest, creating a unique and captivating scene.
Walking within, one felt as if transported to a secluded celestial realm, a refreshing and relaxing experience.
"What a wonderful place!"
Ming Qi exclaimed inwardly, though he hadn't realized that the Purple Bamboo Forest belonged to the Outer Sect. It was a tranquil and secluded place, and frequenting it would be extremely beneficial for a cultivator's cultivation.
I hadn't expected to stumble upon such a wonderful place on my way to Beichen Court. It looked like this trip was worthwhile.
Although he was strolling aimlessly through the Purple Bamboo Forest, Ming Qi always took note of the surroundings and atmosphere as he passed by. He had a clear idea of where he had been and where he hadn't.
After more than ten minutes, Ming Qi began to feel puzzled.
The Purple Bamboo Forest was indeed breathtakingly beautiful with its winding paths, but something seemed off.
Where could it be?
Ming Qi kept his eyes on his surroundings, but he couldn't quite pinpoint the discrepancy.
At first, Ming Qi thought it was an illusion. After all, surrounded by such extraordinary scenery, it's inevitable to feel like you're not really there, having only been there. But he soon realized something was amiss.
The Purple Bamboo Forest looked enormous from the outside, but Ming Qi would enter from one entrance and soon find himself at another. The first two times, Ming Qi thought he'd taken the wrong path and turned around without hesitation.
The Purple Bamboo Forest is crisscrossed with stone paths, so it's normal to stray and end up at a different exit. However, when this happened repeatedly, Ming Qi suddenly realized it wasn't a case of him taking a wrong turn, but rather a problem with the path!
The Purple Bamboo Forest was clearly vast, and it was impossible to walk through it all in a few minutes. Yet, Ming Qi would inevitably reach the other exit within ten minutes.
The exits of the Purple Bamboo Forest could also be considered entrances, and there was essentially no difference between them. However, the fact that both entrances and exits appeared so frequently before his eyes was definitely more than a coincidence or an accident.
Ming Qi immediately thought of the formation.
Almost any powerful cultivator who has reached the Xiantian realm will have dabbled in array formations to some extent. After some research, they can create some rudimentary arrays, such as Bewitching Souls, Gathering Spirits, True Vision, and Illusion.
While Xiantian arrays are far inferior to those created by truly dedicated array masters, the patterns they create are indecipherable and incomprehensible to any acquired cultivator. The reason is simple: the formations are based on Xiantian Yuan Qi combined with the power of Yuan Crystals.
Acquired cultivators cannot glimpse the secrets of Xiantian Yuan Qi, and naturally, are powerless against any Xiantian arrays.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Ming Qi was certain that someone must have set up an array within the Purple Bamboo Forest.
"I suppose it's the owner of this Purple Bamboo Forest. He doesn't want outsiders to disturb him, so he's set up an illusory array. It's just to allow outsiders to briefly admire the scenery of the Purple Bamboo Forest, but not to delve into it."
Having figured this out, Ming Qi turned and prepared to leave.
Unexpectedly, Meng Ling quietly emerged from the ring at this moment. With a gentle spin of the guqin in mid-air, she gracefully stood before Ming Qi.
Ming Qi was somewhat surprised by Meng Ling's appearance.
"What are you doing out here? There might be a master in this bamboo forest!"
Compared to Ming Qi's surprise, Meng Ling was remarkably calm and composed. Upon hearing Ming Qi's words, she actually raised her little finger in a hushed gesture and took a few light steps forward.
"I just wanted to see the master inside."
...
Ming Qi was speechless for a moment and tried to stop her, but it was too late.
Meng Ling's ten fingers quickly formed seals, sending out dozens of barely detectable streams of blood-red innate energy that flew in all directions.
Then, Meng Ling's right index finger gently traced the air in front of her, creating a two-meter-long and wide blood-red zone. Within this two-meter-long and wide blood-red zone, the scene blurred for a moment, then, when it cleared again, revealed a completely different scene.
"This is the Mirror of True Vision. It's far more advanced than ordinary True Vision formations. Anyone below the fifth level of the Innate Heavenly Realm cannot detect it. As for breaking it, only a master who has transcended the human tribulation can do so."
…
Ming Qi was speechless again. She feared that no one in the Biyou Sect, young or old, could break her Mirror of True Vision.
"Are you sure?"
Ming Qi, still in the outer sect at the moment, naturally didn't want to cause any trouble, especially with an Innate expert.
"Really."
Meng Ling raised her finger to her lips again, making a hushing gesture, and then turned to read the contents of the Mirror of True Vision. Ming Qi was naturally curious about what lay deep within the purple bamboo forest. Since Meng Ling had assured him they wouldn't be discovered, he felt relieved and followed the curious little girl to find out.
Looking up at the Mirror of True Vision, the scene within had cleared from its previous blur. It was still shaded by purple bamboo, with winding paths leading to secluded areas. However, it was clear that the area revealed by the Mirror of True Vision was definitely not the one Ming Qi had seen this time.
The Mirror of True Vision was capturing the depths of the purple bamboo forest, obscured by the magic circle!
Seeing the image in the Mirror of True Vision clear, Meng Ling reached out and gently flicked the screen, causing it to slowly rotate.
…
Ming Qi was speechless again. How could this scene truly resemble watching a Hollywood blockbuster with an oversized red Epidome?
Just as Ming Qi's thoughts flashed, the image in the Mirror of True Vision, which resembled a giant Epidome, suddenly flashed, revealing something that shouldn't have been there.
Seeing these things, Ming Qi even felt like he was back on Earth. Yes, he really was!
Ming Qi's face inexplicably began to grow uneasy.
Because the things he saw were scattered clothes, of all kinds.
Ming Qi felt a bit overwhelmed.
A faint smoke, similar to sandalwood, rose from the surroundings, curling and circling in the air.
Although the giant Epid 5 screen was enormous, no one was visible. Surrounded by purple bamboo, a corner of a guqin placed on a table was visible.
A small table and chairs, two crystal-clear wine glasses.
Needless to say, Ming Qi had already guessed most of it.
This was clearly not a Hollywood blockbuster, but something equally famous.
Turning around, Ming Qi saw that Meng Ling's pretty face was still filled with curiosity, clearly unaware of the mystery of such a scene.
In a moment of distraction, Meng Ling reached out and flicked the screen of the Mirror of True Vision.
"It's broken."
The screen shifted, revealing a desk, a zither, an incense burner, a small table, and a wine glass.
"Huh?"
As the screen slid, Meng Ling couldn't help but let out a soft "huh?" She seemed baffled.
The first thing to appear on the screen was a leg, a slender, snow-white, smooth, and visually striking leg. As the screen slowly slid open, the leg slid out like a piece of clothing being shed.
The leg stretched high, its graceful toes flexing and flexing, a scene of boundless allure.
It would have been impossible for Ming Qi not to feel a little aroused at the sight of such a beautiful leg raised high, but he did feel a slight impulse. Then, a wave of emotion washed over him, and he couldn't help but recall the saying: "Nothing is worse than anything else, nothing is worse than stealing." It seemed to be a universal truth.
But Meng Ling was not exactly thrilled to witness this erotic scene.
But this girl still hadn't realized anything. She didn't have Ming Qi's vast experience, and she wouldn't be able to grasp the bigger picture from just the tip of the iceberg.
Sure enough, the scene slid again.
A pair of smooth thighs, raised high, rested on a pair of muscular shoulders.
"It's over."
The childhood taboo had unfolded.
Suddenly, Ming Qi felt a little curious and glanced at Meng Ling.
Sure enough, the girl was also shocked, seemingly terrified. Her small mouth opened wide, and a rare blush appeared on her face.
"Okay, you're scared, right? If you're scared, then let's go."
Ming Qi thought to himself, fully expecting Meng Ling to humiliate herself and leave, angrily putting away the Mirror of True Vision. But then Ming Qi realized how little he had understood her, simply treating her as a shy and innocent girl.
Although Meng Ling's face flushed slightly, she showed no sign of leaving. Instead, she extended her hand and slid the image forward, causing it to shift again.
Well, even Ming Qi, the peerless assassin who remained impassive in the face of hail of bullets, was speechless at this point.
The image not only shifted, but also completely frozen the sensory-crushing, unbridled scene in the center of the Mirror of True Vision.
Ming Qi sweatdropped!
At this moment, Ming Qi even thought of a strange word with a startling urgency: wolf, friend?