When his bundle suddenly turned into a woman, Yang Zhen got a real fright.
Once he recovered, Yang Zhen was even more speechless. He had grabbed a young woman's arm for no reason, and he was genuinely embarrassed. He hurriedly apologized.
Sensing a deluge of Sword Qi sweeping toward him, Yang Zhen quickly withdrew his hand and leaped aside to avoid it. "A misunderstanding, miss, this is a misunderstanding. If I'd known you were underneath, I would have grabbed you more gently."
"Shameless bastard! I'll kill you!"
The two were inches apart, yet neither could see the other's face clearly. In the endless mist, Yang Zhen hadn't even seen which arm he had grabbed before she chased him into a sorry state. He immediately felt a little hard done by.
The woman's voice was lovely. Yang Zhen had never heard one so lovely before. Even her furious, startled scolding somehow made him feel as though he were basking in a spring breeze.
"I must be sick, and seriously sick at that, to feel comfortable just listening to her voice," Yang Zhen muttered. "If you keep attacking, I'm going to fight back!"
"Hmph!" the woman shouted angrily. Her longsword abruptly erupted with a terrifying blast of Qi, and amid a great flare of azure light, a Vermilion Bird charged toward Yang Zhen.
"Oh no!" Yang Zhen jumped in fright. The great bird carried a violent blast of Qi that sent the surrounding mist billowing upward, only for the endless mist behind it to block the gap.
By that momentary flash of light, Yang Zhen and the woman saw each other's faces clearly. A trace of shock crossed both their faces. "It's you?"
"You know me?" the two asked in unison. Yang Zhen's expression changed, and he instinctively dodged the violent great bird.
A delicate fragrance drifted into Yang Zhen's nose, refreshing as an orchid, a natural floral scent that made him feel as though he stood amid an endless sea of flowers in full spring bloom. She was indeed a princess of heavenly fragrance and kingdom-toppling beauty; even the scent on her body lingered without fading.
To Yang Zhen's surprise, terrifying as the great bird was, its aim was terrible. He merely shifted slightly to one side and dodged it completely. It struck the ground with a boom, sending stones flying and dust billowing. Its terrifying destructive power left Yang Zhen secretly clicking his tongue.
He had no idea where this pitch-dark place was, but even if she couldn't see her own hand in front of her face, a Foundation Establishment Realm Fifth Heaven expert who was also a kingdom's princess shouldn't be flailing around like a headless fly, unable to hit anyone.
"You... you shameless scoundrel! If you have the guts, come out and fight me! What kind of man hides like this?"
Hearing Princess Changyang's words, Yang Zhen stared in astonishment. This was nothing like what a kingdom's princess would say. She had completely lost her composure and was flustered and helpless. Could that sudden grab have shocked her silly?
No, that wasn't right...
Yang Zhen circulated True Essence to his eyes. Without saying a word, he looked toward Princess Changyang from where he stood.
There, Princess Changyang, dressed in a phoenix crown and splendid robes, was pale-faced and swinging her longsword wildly around her, looking utterly panicked.
"Come out, you villain! You shameless lecher, come out!"
Yang Zhen's eyes widened, and he clicked his tongue in amazement. Was this princess actually afraid of the dark?
Sensing no further sign of Yang Zhen, Princess Changyang stopped, breathing rapidly. She pulled a firestarter from her robes and hurriedly lit it, then looked around, nearly helpless.
Unfortunately, the firestarter's light was too faint, illuminating only the space immediately around her. Beyond that, everything was still pitch-black.
Princess Changyang stood there for a long time, the anxiety on her face growing more pronounced.
Snap!
The firestarter went out with a soft snap. Princess Changyang cried out in alarm and hurriedly pulled out another one, then crouched on the ground and began to sob softly.
Yang Zhen was dumbstruck. He walked over to Princess Changyang and plopped down beside her. "You're a grown woman, and you're actually afraid of the dark?"
"None of your business!" Princess Changyang snorted and edged away from him.
"The duck's dead, but its beak is still stubborn. Since you're not afraid, I'm leaving!" Yang Zhen stood up and made to go.
Princess Changyang hurriedly stood and followed beside him. The way she shadowed his every step amused Yang Zhen.
"Weren't you supposed to be unafraid of the dark? Why are you following me?" Yang Zhen curled his lip. All he'd done was grab her once, and now she was sticking him with the bill.
After Yang Zhen came out, Princess Changyang regained some of her composure. At his words, she said solemnly, "Get me out of here, and this is yours."
A soft glow flew toward Yang Zhen. He caught it and was immediately surprised.
It was a piece of ancient jade, warm and smooth as a pebble in his hand, with traces of lightning within it. It was a piece of Thunder-Scorched Ancient Jade.
Yang Zhen casually tucked it into his robes and turned to leave. Princess Changyang hurried after him.
"Don't follow so close."
"What is this place?" Princess Changyang paid no attention to Yang Zhen's warning.
"What place?" Yang Zhen spread his hands. "I'd like to know too."
After that bout of heaven and earth spinning, all of Ghost's Sorrow seemed to have turned upside down. Ghosts knew where they were. Endless mist swept across heaven and earth, blocking out the light, and the two trudged on uneven footing for a long time without finding a way out.
Yang Zhen left marks as he walked. Every time he stopped, Princess Changyang bumped into him, without a single exception along the way.
"Why do you keep stopping and starting? What are you doing that for?" Changyang gave a little cry, pushed Yang Zhen, and spoke with a trace of complaint.
Yang Zhen's expression was rather grim. He pointed to a spot not far ahead. "What do you think?"
Princess Changyang followed his pointing finger, and her eyes widened. Not far ahead, an identical mark had been carved into a stone.
"We've been here before?" Princess Changyang was no fool. She realized the reason almost at once.
Yang Zhen nodded and was about to speak when his eyes suddenly lit up. "No, that's not it. Move aside a little."
As he spoke, the Method Formula in Yang Zhen's hands gradually changed. He slammed both hands down where they stood, and a terrifying rumble immediately rose from the ground.
Buzz!
Heaven and earth roared. The whole world seemed to be shaken by Yang Zhen's hands, turning heaven and earth upside down. Rays of light surged out in every direction from beneath his feet, forming an enormous six-pointed star that enclosed them both.
"Wh-what is this?" Princess Changyang gazed at Yang Zhen with her beautiful eyes full of disbelief, astonishment written across her face.
Yang Zhen burst out laughing. "No wonder it's pitch-black here, without a soul in sight. So that's it-it's Fierce Ghost's Sorrow's method of crossing the sea by deceiving the heavens!"
The surrounding mist gradually dispersed, and daylight fell upon them. Princess Changyang's phoenix crown and splendid robes shone brilliantly, and her bearing was peerless as she gave Yang Zhen a strange look.
It wasn't that Princess Changyang hadn't examined their surroundings, but she had found nothing. Yang Zhen had merely led her around once, then pressed his hands down and changed the surrounding flow of heaven and earth?
"What you just used was the art of formations?" Princess Changyang seemed to recall something and cried out softly, "The Earth Baleful Intent Sect's Earth Master Technique?"
"Huh? I've scammed someone from the Earth Baleful Intent Sect before too?"
"No, the Earth Master Technique isn't this powerful. Just how much do you know?"
"I know far too much, as much as the boundless ocean and the stars filling the sky. Are you getting more and more interested in me?"
Yang Zhen winked at Princess Changyang, then turned around and jumped in fright.
Behind them was an enormous valley, where countless cultivators had gathered. Most of them were staring at Yang Zhen with furious expressions.
Duan Langcai, Zhen Ping'er, Jie Gang, Lie Hu...
There were also many whose names he didn't know but whom Yang Zhen had stripped bare, all glaring at him like tigers eyeing their prey.
Princess Changyang was overcome with shame and anger and was about to reprimand Yang Zhen. Following his gaze, she suddenly put on an expression that was almost a smile. "You seem to be in trouble. Do you want my help?"
Yang Zhen laughed. "I do need your help!"
A trace of disappointment appeared on Princess Changyang's face. She regained a princess's composure and nodded, about to speak, but Yang Zhen walked toward the valley.
"When I start slaughtering everyone, just stay here and shout 666 for me!"
Princess Changyang's whole body trembled. She didn't know why, but looking at Yang Zhen's solitary back, she thought of the iron-blooded battle generals of the Youyang Kingdom.
Yang Zhen's slightly regretful muttering drifted back to her. "What a shame. There should be BGM here."
"Yo! Everyone's here!"
(End of chapter)