Smelling such a rich aroma, even before Wei Jie could give the command, the Corpse-eating Beast was already impatiently roaring, breaking free from Wei Jie’s dog leash, revealing its ferocious true form, and lunging straight at the maidservant Zhu’er beside Lord Can.

This maidservant was the daughter of the Wei family traitor Wei Di, so she naturally knew the power of this Corpse-eating Beast.

To protect herself, Zhu’er desperately blew the whistle hidden in her mouth, activating all the parasitic insects planted at the banquet, while simultaneously throwing countless darts soaked in poison.

These darts, once they scratched the skin, could immediately poison someone severely, and if used together with puppet poison, they would grow in the blood, making the parasitic insects even more domineering!

Although some people at the banquet had just been infected with the poison, if they were hit by darts, they would be no different from those who had been infected for days.

The darts she threw were like death warrants to those infected with the poison.

Fortunately, the Wei family members, including Wei Jie, were all wearing protective silver armor, so those poison-soaked darts had no effect at all.

But after this whistle blast, it could be said to have awakened the dormant swarm of insects. Those Four Great Sects disciples seemed possessed, all rushing toward the Corpse-eating Beast, trying to protect the insect master.

Several of them were high-level cultivators who were also hit by darts. Catalyzed by the toxicity, their dantian’s true qi surged violently, and even their clothes were shattered into flying leaf fragments.

Although the Wei family’s silver-armored soldiers were quick-eyed and swift-handed, they promptly placed silver rings on powerful figures like Qinhe and the Tianxin Sect elders to prevent the parasitic insects from entering their hearts and causing them to go on killing sprees.

However, the dart toxicity made the parasitic insects even more violent, far beyond what a small silver ring could suppress.

Now Lord Can could no longer deny anything, after all, this maidservant had been kept by his side all along, and those infected had all drunk wine served by this maidservant. She must have put the insects in the wine when toasting.

Seeing that some disciples under their command were being controlled by the whistle sound and couldn’t resist the parasitic insects, while also being unable to withstand the Corpse-eating Beast’s attack, dying one by one spitting blood, several elders from the Four Great Sects who had escaped disaster by fasting and avoiding alcohol were heartbroken with eyes nearly splitting, all drawing their swords to capture the treacherous king.

However, Lord Can had already quietly left under the protection of his subordinate, strange scholars, when the situation became uncontrollable, disappearing without a trace.

The woman controlling the puppet poison had originally planned to retreat with Lord Can.

Unfortunately, the Corpse-eating Beast suddenly became invisible again. Zhu’er was caught off guard and had half her arm torn off by the suddenly approaching Corpse-eating Beast. Blood flowed like a fountain, and she was pinned to the ground by the Wei family’s silver-armored soldiers, who caught up, forcing her to surrender.

Zhu’er was in too much pain to speak, watching her arm gradually disappear in mid-air, being devoured by the invisible Corpse-eating Beast. She could only wail in despair: “Father! Your Lordship, please save me…”

Unfortunately, her father and the prince had long since vanished without a trace, and Zhu’er cried out again, seeing her foot seemingly bitten by something else…

At that time, Wei family head Wei Jingling stayed behind to handle the aftermath. After all, those frenzied Four Great Sects masters were all going on killing sprees, creating a scene of bloody carnage everywhere. If left unchecked, the surrounding villages and towns would all be slaughtered.

Wei Jie led part of the Wei family army to pursue the treacherous king, but halfway found Tang Youshu, who had been thrown from the cart, so he brought him along to continue the chase.

Who knew that just as Luoyi City was in sight ahead, Lord Can and his group vanished without a trace.

When Wei Jie and his group entered the city, they found it like a dead city, quiet and silent everywhere.

Soon, Wei Jie also discovered the strangeness of this city, seeming to be reversed left and right, determining that this wasn’t the real Luoyi City.

However, when they tried to turn back and leave, they encountered fakes that looked exactly like them.

Of course, they also had a heated fight with the fakes, though each pair’s battle situation was slightly different.

Wei Jie and the Wei family guards fought quite fiercely, while Tang Youshu’s pair was just amateur pecking from beginning to end! The real and fake both held bamboo poles and knocked each other’s heads.

Although Tang Youshu wore a helmet, he was still knocked dizzy by the fake, so they both changed to hitting each other’s bottoms, back and forth.

Fortunately, Wei Jie was the first to discover that his true qi seemed to be absorbed, commanding everyone to stop fighting and not continue battling “them.”

However, when they prepared to leave the city, they found the gates sealed, and there seemed to be voices talking in the city.

So they followed the sounds and unexpectedly saw a thoroughly bizarre opera performance at the Temple of the God of Wealth entrance – that cold as ice, proud as a snow lotus Young Pavilion Master was actually embracing their Talisman Sect’s little master ancestor and kissing endlessly.

Hearing this, Xiaoxiao caught the key point. She quietly asked Tang Youshu: “So you haven’t had time to show your master the letter I wrote?”

Tang Youshu nodded.

This time, Xiaoxiao truly breathed a sigh of relief. If so, then the already shaky teacher-disciple relationship could still be salvaged somewhat.

After all, at that time, she thought she would never see Wei Jie again, and thinking of his usual infuriating behavior, she had written some very hurtful words.

But since Wei Jie hadn’t seen the letter, why was he still giving her the cold shoulder? As if she owed him ten thousand taels of silver?

Tang Youshu spoke with lingering interest, then immediately looked at his master ancestor with thirst for knowledge, wanting to ask about her situation with Young Master Qin. Unfortunately, before he could ask, he was pulled aside by Qin Lingxiao for questioning…

Having learned that Wei Jie hadn’t yet seen the letter severing their relationship, the Talisman Sect leader regained her confidence.

Xiaoxiao cleared her throat, walked over to her beloved disciple leaning against the pillar, and bumped his arm with her shoulder: “Alright, you’ve made your point. Always keeping a straight face – aren’t you tired?”

Wei Jie looked down at his much shorter master and asked lightly: “Didn’t you say you don’t like being with me? Why are you talking to me again?”

This… Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes: “I just said I don’t like being tied together with you, right? That’s also the truth, isn’t it? After all, who would want to drag around a big living person when relieving themselves?”

After speaking, Xiaoxiao even tried hard to widen her autumn wave eyes to appear more righteous.

But Wei Jie remained unmoved, asking coldly: “You do like being with him, and even promised to return to Lingyun Pavilion with him? Are you regretting not accepting the marriage proposal back then? How prestigious it would be to become the Young Pavilion Master’s wife!”

The “him” Wei Jie referred to was Qin Lingxiao, who was questioning Tang Youshu nearby. He seemed to have heard about his father being infected with poison and dart toxicity, his whole handsome face iron-blue, grabbing Tang Youshu’s collar, apparently asking about his father Qinhe’s condition.

Hearing Wei Jie mention this, Xiaoxiao wrinkled her nose: “Don’t mention it! Being detained by him for those few days, he nearly starved me and Ling’er to death! Who wants to be with someone so cold? Don’t drag me into this!”

Her heartfelt disgust pleased the cold beloved disciple. He finally showed his fangs, smiled at Xiaoxiao, bent down slightly, leaned close to his little master’s face, and asked in a low voice: “What? He didn’t give you food?”

Yu Ling’er came over at this time, saying with feeling: “That… Young Master Qin was very good to us, just not good at eating. He always made us eat flower petals and drink dew…”

Two growing foodie girls could only eat such things – just hearing about it was pitiful!

Wei Jie knew his master’s obsession with food. Hearing that Qin Lingxiao was so good at taking care of people, he smiled even more warmly, reached out to pat his master’s head, and comforted: “When we get out, I’ll take you to eat good food…”

Xiaoxiao’s mind was entirely on “eating good food” and didn’t notice her disciple’s presumptuous hand, only sniffling somewhat aggrievedly: “I want barbecued chicken legs too. Master Tang brought some, but Yu Ling’er ate them all…”

As for Qin Lingxiao, he had just heard a series of bad news from Tang Youshu.

Tang Youshu wasn’t sure about the current safety of the Lingyun Pavilion leader either.

But when Qin Lingxiao heard him relay what Wei Jie had seen, his father’s situation seemed pessimistic.

Qin Lingxiao tried to suppress his full anxiety, attempting to think positively.

But as soon as he looked up, he saw “Wei Jie” at the temple entrance actually holding “Cui Xiaoxiao” and spinning her around! And the “Cui Xiaoxiao” who had just acted like a chaste and virtuous woman was happily letting him hold her, the smile spreading across her face deeply stinging Qin Lingxiao’s eyes.

He angrily turned his head, coldly glaring at the teacher-disciple pair by the pillar.

They weren’t as frivolous and arrogant as the fakes. But Wei Jie was leaning so close to Xiaoxiao, speaking about something that made the girl’s eyes shine with joy.

For a moment, he also heard fragments about not getting enough to eat following him.

Qin Lingxiao couldn’t help thinking of the food box he had bought, and that large bowl of cold noodles with toppings…

Unfortunately, this good intention was like an overturned food box – ultimately, no one appreciated it, wasted!

He was already worried about his father and agitated, and now his heart felt like it had been doused with several spoonfuls of sour and spicy sauce, making him unable to control his negative emotions anymore…

The “Qin Lingxiao” outside the door seemed to sense the original’s anger, actually glaring with fury, once again summoning his qi sword and rushing toward the two people in the temple.

Influenced by “him,” the other fake bodies also seemed to become murderous again, slowly advancing with “Qin Lingxiao.”

Under the setting sun behind them, this group looked like zombies possessed, emanating an indescribable eerie aura.

Wei Jie was the first to notice something wrong with the fake bodies at the temple entrance, quickly pulling Xiaoxiao to dodge inside.

The fake bodies at the entrance all had wooden faces, crowding toward the temple entrance, momentarily blocking the door so that the setting sun’s remaining light couldn’t penetrate the temple, making the surroundings quite dim.

However, Xiaoxiao’s eyesight was amazing. Even in the dark, she could still see clearly.

She suddenly discovered that the qi sword projected by the fake “Qin Lingxiao” seemed to blur several times as it rushed toward them…

Xiaoxiao squinted, looking puzzledly toward the temple entrance – now the entrance was crowded with people. Besides the fake bodies of these city entrants, there seemed to be figures of Luoyi citizens. This city seemed to be using Qin Lingxiao’s emotions to catalyze all its energy, pushing those fake bodies forward, wanting to surge into the temple and swallow all these city entrants in one gulp.

Seeing this situation, the people in the temple also became nervous, unconsciously raising their weapons in defensive postures!

But their hostility was immediately transmitted to the fake bodies, making those originally hostile fakes become murderous again, carrying death-like silence as they charged into the temple.

Just as a great battle was about to break out, Xiaoxiao suddenly shouted: “Quick! We need to get to the roof! I found the mirror of this illusory city’s magic!”

Hearing her shout, Wei Jie had no time to ask more questions. He just looked up at the roof, then embraced Xiaoxiao, raised a qi shield, and leaped toward the temple roof.

When they broke through the roof tiles, Xiaoxiao looked up at the setting sun hanging on the eastern mountain.

Calculating the time now, they had been inside for no less than an hour. But that sunlight seemed motionless, still hanging on the mountain.

This seemed to further confirm Xiaoxiao’s speculation.

Just then, Qin Lingxiao, who had also jumped onto the roof, urgently asked: “Where is that mirror?”

Xiaoxiao pointed to the setting sun hanging in the sky and said in a deep voice: “If I’m not mistaken, that ‘setting sun’ is the mirror!”

She didn’t know who had set up this mirror city, but she could be certain they used extremely sophisticated magical artifacts.

So the buildings and furnishings in the city, even those fake people, were almost genuine.

However, when they were in the temple earlier, because the temple entrance was blocked, that “sunlight” couldn’t penetrate, causing the temple’s statues, furnishings, and even the incoming qi sword to blur for a moment in the darkness.

Although the people at the temple entrance soon dispersed, allowing the “sunlight” to project in again, Xiaoxiao had already discovered the flaw in that instant!

Only where this light reached could illusions become real!

And this setting sun that lingered without falling seemed to illuminate every corner of the entire city.

Xiaoxiao wanted to test if her speculation was correct. So now the most urgent thing was how to shatter that “setting sun” hanging in the sky.

Just as they all climbed onto the roof, the fake goods originally scattered at the temple entrance suddenly surged in again, climbing up like human pyramids, all rushing toward the roof.

This time, the fakes seemed to have lost patience, no longer wanting to wait for these city entrants to become emotionally disturbed themselves, but directly rushing up to drain the entrants’ spiritual power.

Hearing Xiaoxiao’s words, Wei Jie looked up at the setting sun and suddenly took out the silver bow that had been hanging on his back.

He nocked a silver arrow and shot it toward the “setting sun.” But when the silver arrow wrapped in true qi and spiritual power flew less than halfway, it seemed to be blocked by something and fell dejectedly to the ground.

Wei Jie didn’t give up. Next, he gripped a handful of silver arrows, continuing to stretch his long arms like Hou Yi shooting at the setting sun. Unfortunately, the arrows shot in succession all hit walls and fell down.

Qin Lingxiao couldn’t help sneering: “Is this all you’re capable of? Don’t waste time here!”

But Cui Xiaoxiao suddenly sternly stopped Qin Lingxiao: “Shut up, don’t disturb him!”

Xiaoxiao’s eyesight was too good. Even though Wei Jie shot rapidly, she could see that those silver arrows landing points were the same.

There was a barrier protecting the “setting sun,” preventing people from approaching.

But Wei Jie’s consecutive silver arrows all hit the same point. The demon-subduing and evil-repelling silver arrowheads allowed the spiritual energy Wei Jie accumulated in the arrow shafts to achieve maximum effect.

Soon, they saw accompanied by a strange cracking sound, obvious crack marks appeared in front of the “setting sun.”

Finally, after Wei Jie shot more than a dozen consecutive arrows, the last arrow struggled through the invisible barrier and flew much further forward.

But when it was about to approach the “setting sun,” the silver arrow suddenly caught fire and was quickly melted and burned by the scorching flames…

Xiaoxiao knew this was the mastermind controlling this city, casting spells to protect the formation’s focal magical artifact!

So even silver-plated arrows couldn’t approach!

What else could brave this evil fire and shatter the “setting sun”…

At this time, this illusory city seemed to know it had entered the final life-or-death moment. It also lost patience with toying with prey. All the fake bodies became furious, and even skeletons hung with rotting flesh began emerging from under the stone roads throughout the city…

The Lingyun Pavilion disciples and the fox clan were desperately blocking those fakes jumping up, already overwhelmed. Seeing the “city’s” yin energy growing heavier, they couldn’t help but fall into despair.

Once the psychological defense line collapsed, the dantian’s spiritual energy also became difficult to maintain. So visibly, the speed at which their spiritual power was being drained accelerated, and they were about to be unable to resist.

Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth and suddenly drew her sword “Yu Tiandou,” then said to Wei Jie and Qin Lingxiao: “Can you two work together to lift me? I’ll break that magic formation!”

Wei Jie looked at the sword in her hand and quickly understood Xiaoxiao’s idea, saying urgently: “No! This is too dangerous! Who knows what other tricks that thing has? It might backfire on you!”

Now wasn’t the time for an argument. Xiaoxiao brought out a generation sect leader’s authority, saying coldly: “I’m not asking for your opinion! Will you help or not?”

Just then, Yu Ling’er, while desperately swinging her sword, shouted: “Stop arguing! Quick! I really can’t hold on anymore…”

Looking at those injured companions, Wei Jie and Qin Lingxiao, these two enemies, silently looked at each other.

Then the two reluctantly squatted down, clasping hands with mutual disgust.

Petite Cui Xiaoxiao stepped on top, supporting herself on their shoulders, then whispered: “One, two, three, up!”

The two men gathered their true qi, and the four arms exerted force together. Xiaoxiao immediately shot toward the “setting sun”!

Long before preparing to leap, Xiaoxiao had already gripped “Yu Tiandou” in her hand, extending it straight, becoming one with the arrow, attacking toward the setting sun.

Those two men’s arm strength was amazing, launching Xiaoxiao very high! But when flying halfway, Xiaoxiao felt resistance, as if lead weights were dragging her feet downward!

That magic formation was still resisting desperately, trying to pull Xiaoxiao down.

Just then, Xiaoxiao closed her eyes and activated her spiritual power, achieving unity between person and sword, guiding “Yu Tiandou” to continue toward the “setting sun.”

These past days, because she needed to climb trees to pick fruit, Xiaoxiao had become quite skilled at using the technique of unity between person and sword.

Now, under spiritual power’s drive, “Yu Tiandou” was like a powerful hand pulling Xiaoxiao forward.

Where the cold sword light reached, it seemed capable of splitting the chaotic, viscous sunlight.

A fake sun – how could it compete with the cold light of a heavenly punishment sword?

When the resistance weakened, the sword quickly carried Xiaoxiao forward, then struck fiercely at the strangely red “setting sun”!

Only hearing a deafening crash, the setting sun cracked slowly like a mirror surface, then let out ghost-like, painful howls from the cracks.

Xiaoxiao saw clearly – between those mirror-like cracks, a shocked face was revealed…

Though that face flashed by quickly, Xiaoxiao had already recognized the person…

Then, a heat wave invaded from the cracks. The entire mirror city gradually crumbled bit by bit, and those ferocious city vengeful spirits and fake bodies melted like hot wax, gradually dissolving into the cracked ground…

Accompanied by flying fragments, the rebound force from the break immediately struck Xiaoxiao back to the ground.

Just then, the two tall men on the roof both leaped up, extending their arms to catch Xiaoxiao.

Unfortunately, Qin Lingxiao’s movement was slightly slower and still couldn’t compete with Wei Jie. Xiaoxiao was steadily caught in Wei Jie’s arms and jumped back down to the ground.

Looking around again, they were still in the empty suburbs of Luoyi City.

Night wind blew, and the surroundings were no longer deathly silent. Insect chirping accompanied by wild wolves’ long howls echoed in the crisp air…

Everything was so alive, giving people a sense of rebirth after disaster.

It was now deep night, with stars dotting the sky and half the moon hiding behind clouds. Luoyi City was not far ahead, with gates tightly closed in a curfew appearance.

Yu Ling’er was the first to react, staggering to grab a handful of grass from the ground and putting it in her mouth.

After chewing twice, the grass’s astringent taste spread on her tongue. Yu Ling’er joyfully spat out the grass residue and shouted: “This grass can be eaten! We finally escaped that ghost place!”

But things weren’t over yet.

Cui Xiaoxiao carefully examined the surroundings and soon saw on the ground lines drawn with the ashes of burned talisman paper.

These lines depicted the street layout of a city, which wasn’t even as large as a few crop fields!

In other words, they had been going in circles the whole time, trapped tightly in this less than one mu and three fen of land.

Very likely, when Lord Can and his group fled, one of his subordinates strange person, had temporarily set up this formation to delay the pursuing troops like Wei Jie.

But now that they had the city, where was the “setting sun”?

Xiaoxiao looked up and around, quickly discovering a broken bagua bronze mirror hanging on the high branches of a large tree. Under the tree roots were scattered fragments of the bronze mirror.

The previous illusory city was created by someone using this bronze mirror to adjust angles, reflecting the image of the real Luoyi City and transforming it.

Beside the bronze mirror hung a lamp emitting a strange red light. The setting sun light they had felt in the city was probably the illusion of this lamplight reflecting on the bagua bronze mirror.

Wei Jie led two Wei family guards to jump up the tree and take down the mirror and lamp for examination.

But after smelling the lamp oil, they immediately moved their noses away in disgust.

It turned out the lamp oil was full of grease but stank terribly.

The Wei family members who guarded the Underworld could easily identify that this lamp burned human fat.

Human fat, as the name suggests, was oil refined from human corpses, though this oil seemed to contain other things as well.

Wei Jie took it for careful examination and immediately recognized that it also contained saliva from the evil beast Mirage.

Mirages were best at creating illusions, and putting their saliva in lamps would unconsciously cause those entering the formation to hallucinate when lit.