The formation of the space, Junior Leopard's appearing in front of the space passageway, and Ji Yeyue's response all happened at almost the same time. Although Ji Yeyue and her fellows took precautions against Junior Leopard just as Happy Monk had done back then, they, just like Happy Monk, did not know that Junior Leopard had the ability to hollow travel.
Once Junior Leopard appeared, Ji Yeyue's pupils converged, and just as she was about to operate the dark red stripe in her hand, Junior Leopard disappeared once again.
This was different from the last time that he appeared. He turned into a jet of green sword light, and directly threw himself into the space passageway when Ji Yeyue's stripe had just been lifted. As for Yu Qingyong and Wu Lingxiao behind her, they did not have the time to react and shouted with amazement until Junior Leopard had disappeared in that passageway.
Junior Leopard did not have the time to care about what was in their minds or how angry they were.
He was not stupid enough to use the Three Realms Division in front of the space passageway. What he did was defend with his sword immediately and rush into the space passageway.
It was what he and Green Spirit had deduced before.
People could only see that the green sword light had flashed, and Junior Leopard had disappeared from the Azure Secret Area.
Holding his Blue Sword, Junior Leopard did not relax once he had rushed out of space passageway. Instead, he was even more nervous than before because after he had rushed into the passageway, he sensed several spirits many times stronger than him.
Instantly, he dashed out of the passageway, where in front of him were a group of people in white, all of which were women. Their leader was a woman in a white suit, which was something that was likely to be worn in the Imperial Court, who had her face covered by a white veil. Although Junior Leopard only took a glance at her, it was easy for him to recognize that the woman was more physically attractive than Ji Yeyue and she was much more mature than Ji Yeyue, who was just an undeveloped and naive girl.
That was just what he could see in a single glance.
He did not have much time to cast another look.
Apparently, the woman did not expect that such a strange thing would happen the moment that the space passageway opened—that the man who came in was not a disciple of Jade Pool, but only a flash of green light.
However, the female leader was totally different from Ji Yeyue—her strength was far greater than Ji Yeyue's, and in fact, much greater than Junior Leopard's.
She only showed a little surprise in her eyes for a moment, then her hand moved as quick as lightning with her white and tender finger pointing at the light of the Blue Sword.
"Boom!"
Although it was only a pointing movement and Junior Leopard's sword light was extremely quick, when she pointed at him, it was impossible for him to dodge it.
He was struck by the fingertip.
And as soon as he was struck by that fingertip, Junior Leopard was knocked backward through the air as if he had been hit by a huge hammer and his Blue Sword lost its light.
An extremely powerful strength rushed toward Junior Leopard along his Blue Sword. He even thought that the Blue Sword would have been completely destroyed by that simple pointing if it had not been a Flying Sword of the Earthly Rank and a Mysterious Level celestial device.
"Huh? Nine Heaven Thunder Qi!"
Having struck Junior Leopard off the ground, the woman in white raised her eyebrows slightly and observed the clothes of Junior Leopard, who had fallen to the ground that was made of white jade. She was surprised and said, "You are a man from the Immortal Palace?"
At this time, Ji Yeyue and the other two also entered the passageway. The moment that they showed up there and were just about to say something, they spotted Junior Leopard lying on the ground. They were shocked and said, "Master, he—!"
The woman in white lifted her hand a bit and interrupted her, and said, "Yeyue, Qingyong, and Lingxiao, you three must be very tired these days. Go and have some rest. I will deal with this."
The woman in white, who the strong man in black called "Woman Yu Qing", was just the current Leader of Jade Pool.
"But master, this man—!" Seeing Junior Leopard lying still on the ground just like a dead dog and recalling what he had done to them, Yu Qingyong and Wu Lingxiao found this very satisfying. But when they heard Yu Qing make them leave without asking them anything, they were unwilling to follow that instruction.
Yu Qing raised her head a little and glanced at them coldly. They immediately swallowed down the words that were about to pop out and lowered their heads unwillingly. As the women in white behind Yu Qing was stepping out, there were only Junior Leopard and Yu Qing that remained.
Junior Leopard was pretty uncomfortable now.
The finger pointing, which had appeared to have been so casual, was so amazingly powerful that it knocked his Blue Sword into confusion. And he believed that he could not fight against this woman even if he could use the Blue Sword again. The only thing that he could do was pretend to be badly hurt and look for a chance to escape.
Among everything that had happened, the only thing that he was relieved about was that the finger pointing of Woman Yu Qing had no continuous effect on him—although it was powerful, it was a one-time attack. He was indeed knocked dizzy and nearly threw up, but he was not as wounded as he was pretending to be right now. After all, the target of the finger pointing was not him, but his Blue Sword. In addition, the strength of his body was far greater than an ordinary Level Seven expert. Thanks to all that, his bones and muscles were not badly hurt.
But he was still lying there, pale-faced and short of breath.
"Enough, kid. Stop pretending, I know how much strength I used. You're not hurt that bad!" said the woman in white, who waved her sleeve to shut the space passageway after all the other people had left.
Junior Leopard got up with a bitter smile and several violent coughs. He looked up at the woman in white, also noticing the surroundings at the same time. Well, his eyesight was pretty good.
It was a misty place. With one simple look, it did look like a fairyland of Jade Pool. But Junior Leopard understood that it was a place surrounded by many blockages and formations. When it was completed, his Yin and Yang Dust Formation could possibly produce a more real fairyland than this scene here.
But generally speaking, the obstacles and formations at this level could not be built with only the knowledge of the formation map. It needed plenty of supplies, which would be impossible to fully collect even if given all the treasures that the Great Jin had.
"Water Leopard of the Winnowing Basket of the Immortal Palace pays respect to Leader Yu Qing!" Junior Leopard stood up and bowed respectfully, but he could not hide the paleness in his face. "Accidentally, I strayed into the Azure Secret Area. I had no alternative but to use your space passageway to get back to the present world. I hope for your forgiveness if I have offended you!"
"Water Leopard of the Winnowing Basket of the Immortal Palace?" Yu Qing smiled and said, "I have heard that the 28 constellations of the Immortal Palace haven't rounded up for a long time. As for Water Leopard of the Winnowing Basket, this position has been empty for over 10,000 years. Information about the appearance of a new Water Leopard of the Winnowing Basket did surprise me!" She looked over Junior Leopard and went on, "It is fortunate for the Immortal Palace to have you, a person with tremendous luck and good fate, so lucky that the 10th entrance of the Azure Secret Area was discovered by you. But you should know that if I don't let you go, even if you have found a hundred entrances, they're useless to you."
"Yes, I totally understand it. That's why I tried to toughen my scalp and break through by force. But I didn't expect to rush into your place."
"Do you know why I asked Yeyue and all the others to leave?"
"Leader Yu Qing is unfathomable, I don't stand a chance to know."
"You are so sweet and even called me unfathomable. I neither care what you did in the Azure Secret Area nor where the 10th entrance is, for they have nothing to do with me. I only care about the Immortal Palace, not you. To us Jade Pool, one more or one less entrance makes no difference, but it does make a difference to the Immortal Palace because it is a huge treasure for them, which is the reason that I kept you here. I won't do anything to you, but I need you to stay here for several days, waiting for Elder Qing to bring you out. I'm convinced that he would be delighted!"
"I believe he'd be delighted for the sake of the Azure Secret Area," Junior Leopard smiled wryly and said. He had already known the plan of Yu Qing.
Keeping him and asking the Immortal Palace to take him back would accomplish two aims. On the one hand, she told the Immortal Palace that their man had offended her and they owed her an explanation. On the other hand, she would tell the Immortal Palace about the 10th entrance of the Azure Secret Area. Even though it was told to them by Junior Leopard, the Immortal Palace would still owe her a big part of the favor. Whatever happened, she would not suffer losses.
Junior Leopard was very upset.
Although Woman Yu Qing did not mean to be hard on him, he felt like he was a wretch who had been arrested by the police for going to prostitutes, making phone calls to his family members one by one and waiting for them to come and pick him up.
It was so embarrassing.
"Don't even think about running away. I know you have some skills, but there are all kinds of obstacles and formations around Jade Pool. Even the man of the Immortal Palace who is going to pick you up needs our guidance to get in. However strong your skills are, you can't escape from here. So, just keep silent and wait for someone to take you back," Yu Qing said. And she cast a look to Junior Leopard, erasing his wrong thought with a simple sentence: "Take it easy, you are a guest of Jade Pool since you are here now. Whatever you did to Yeyue and the other two in the Azure Secret Area, it doesn't matter."
"Huh?" Junior Leopard couldn't believe it, looking at Yu Qing blankly.
"Hmm, seeing the angry faces of Qingyong and Lingxiao, I know you must have had a conflict with them in the Azure Secret Area. But since they are alive, and there's nothing wrong with Yeyue, it's not a big deal. Follow me, I'll show you your where you'll stay!"
"Then I'll have to trouble Leader Yu Qing!"
The Leader of Jade Pool was going to direct him to his residence by herself! For a moment, Junior Leopard felt overwhelmed by this unexpected favor.
On his way, he got to know more about Jade Pool. It was a world thoroughly embedded in obstacles and formations, where the essence of the world was four or five times thicker than the outside world, but still was not on par with the Azure Secret Area.
Due to the obstacle, the entire Jade Pool was surrounded by mist. Even the winding corridor, which was carved out of white jade under his feet, appeared to be floating in the misty world.
Under the winding corridor was water, which was clear but had an unfathomable depth. There were several lotuses floating on the water, releasing a light fragrance. It did look like a fairyland.
"This is Jade Pool. Although it can't be compared with my imagination, it has the style of the sects of immortals," Junior Leopard thought to himself.
The so-called style of the sects of immortals could only work on a bumpkin like Junior Leopard. But Green Spirit could not feel anything. In his mind, he even thought that it only had a gorgeous and fairy look, but actually, was just flashy.
Junior Leopard could not figure out it was flashy or something else because he was thinking about making a plan against her.
Woman Yu Qing placed him under house arrest, which was for a simple reason: to get the Immortal Palace to owe her a big favor. An entrance of the Azure Secret Area was such an immense favor. But the prerequisite was that she had no idea what he had done by himself in the Azure Secret Area.
It was not a big matter to beat up Yu Qingyong and Wu Lingxiao. After all, they were just two disciples below Level Seven, and Yu Qing would know which was more important even if she was a fool. But what about the Seed of the Innate Green Lotus?
With their state in Jianghu and relations with other sects, Jade Pool would know what happened in the Azure Secret Area soon. And his stealing of two seeds of the Innate Green Lotus from Happy Monk certainly could not be kept hidden from them.
The Innate Green Lotus Seed!
Even during the antiquity times, it had been one of the most precious treasures. The Azure Secret Area had been in existence for uncountable years, during which the Innate Green Lotus had only seeded once. To some extent, the value of the lotus seed was equal to the value of the Azure Secret Area. Therefore, when following Yu Qing, Junior Leopard thought wickedly, "Damn, who cares? Those people with high seniority all like to pretend as if they are almighty and know everything in this world. Anyway, she doesn't know that I have the seed of the Innate Green Lotus. I have to act faster. She must pretend to be generous by settling me down first, and then she can meet with Ji Yeyue, and she will know that there were three Level Nine experts that appeared there at the same time. With so many years of practicing and experiences, she will understand why those three people gathered by the Green Pool formed by the Green Genuine Water. And through deduction, she will definitely know why the three people showed up. After all, creatures like Green Spirit could deduce the existence of the Innate Green Lotus when hearing the phrase 'lotus seed'. As the Leader of Jade Pool, Yu Qing may not be as knowledgeable as Green Spirit, but she can gather all the information and learn about what happened in the Azure Secret Area. What she will also discover is that he has two seeds of the Innate Green Lotus."
"I have to be faster, I must be faster! This time, I must put the seed of the Innate Green Lotus to use first. Green Spirit, now I have two Green Lotus Seeds, can it be faster for me to make a Congenital Clear Spiritual Magic Talisman?"
"Are you silly? Making a Magic Talisman has nothing to do with the amount of Spiritual Qi. It's such a waste to use two seeds at one time. One is enough. Furthermore, one Innate Green Lotus Flame is pretty much enough, also. You don't need so many lotus seeds because, in the Golden Flame Mirror, the Innate Green Lotus Flame will automatically produce Innate Green Lotus Kindling, which will grow stronger along with the level-upping of your strength. One more lotus seed won't produce one more piece of kindling. One seed is enough for you, two will be a waste."
Upsetting... What Green Spirit said was very upsetting. But when Junior Leopard was in this gloomy mood, he also made up his mind to use a lotus seed in Jade Pool, so he would not be left empty-handed later. Under the guidance of the Leader of Jade Pool, Yu Qing, they reached the guest room of Jade Pool.
Although it was only a guest room, it was clean and simple but elegant. Compared with his room in his fief, it was not as big or luxurious, but it was much cleaner.
"You will stay here until the Immortal Palace send people for you," Yu Qing took him into the guest room and said.
"Okay. So many troubles for you, Leader!" Showing no dissatisfaction, Junior Leopard walked into the room and sat on the bed. "Well, it's not bad, so soft. It is much more comfortable than my own."
"Good. You can tell Ruyan your requirements. She will meet any of your reasonable demands." While talking, Yu Qing waved her hand and a pretty girl in white, about 14 or 15 years old, came to the door.
"I will." Junior Leopard looked at the girl in white, smiled, and said, "I will not be too polite if I am in need."
Yu Qing nodded, turned around, and left. The girl named Ruyan walked in front of Junior Leopard with an air of being ready to be at his service at any time.
However, Junior Leopard was not so silly as to think that Yu Qing, the leader of a great sect, would be a madam. He just smiled and asked for paper and a brush pen, and then he used them to write down a sentence. When finished, he gave it to Ruyan and said, "I'm good, you can leave. I believe your leader will come soon, and at that time, you just give her the paper note."
"Yes."
Ruyan nodded softly. After taking the folded paper from Junior Leopard, she kept it without looking at it and left the room, closing the door carefully. At nearly the moment that she closed the door, a light mist began to fill the room as Junior Leopard waved his sleeve.
It was the Yin and Yang Dust Formation!
Although Junior Leopard knew only a little about the Yin and Yang Dust Formation, it was enough for him to set the simple formation. And Junior Leopard believed that it would take a long time to break it, even for someone as powerful as Yu Qing.
After setting the Yin and Yang Dust Formation, Junior Leopard took out a seed of the Innate Green Lotus without any hesitation.
"Green Spirit, tell me how I should activate it!"
"Easy. Cut it open and the Green Lotus Flame and the Treasure Green Qi will be released. Remember to absorb the Green Lotus Flame with your mirror. As for the method of making the Congenital Clear Spiritual Magic Talisman, since I've told you before and you've deduced it yourself many times, you don't need me to say it one more time, right?"
"Understood." Junior Leopard nodded, and lifted his finger up to cut the seed open. At the same time, a mirror covered in flames appeared over his head.
After being cut open, the surface of the Green Lotus Seed turned into dust instantly, and a gust of Green Qi rushed out with some faint flames.
The Green Qi and the Green Flame were mixed together, and it looked like a ball of dancing green flames. As the mirror above his head flashed, the green flame shimmered as well. And then, a green light shot into the mirror covered by flames. At the same time, in the place where the green flame had been dancing, there now remained a cluster of thin Green Qi.
"Kid, what are you waiting for? Do it! It's the congenital Treasure Green Qi!" Green Spirit screamed out. Meanwhile, the mirror above Junior Leopard gave a subtle shudder and turned into a golden light, disappearing into the forehead of Junior Leopard.
Congenital Treasure Green Qi?
Junior Leopard moved his hand without any hesitation and drew an abstruse talisman in the air. As his finger moved, the cluster of Green Qi was dancing and gradually condensed into a light talisman in the air.
After the talisman was formed, Junior Leopard's Internal Qi was pouring out from his fingertip to the talisman as if it were unlimited.
An hour later, several hasty steps resounded outside the room. The Leader of Jade Pool, Yu Qing, quickly approached from somewhere distant, followed by Ji Yeyue, Yu Qingyong, Wu Lingxiao, and some Elders with profound experience. When they arrived at the door of Junior Leopard's room, Yu Qing could not help changing the expression under her veil, and she stopped suddenly.
But the two Elders and Ji Yeyue following her were unable to brake, and they all crashed through Junior Leopard's door and charged toward his room.
However, once the door was opened, they sensed something unusual and stopped in their tracks at the door. Only an Elder who must have been walking too fast to stop stepped into the room, who was then covered by a layer of light mist and disappeared.
"A Formation!" Yu Qing knitted her eyebrows and pulled back Ji Yeyue, who was about to step into the room, and said, "My boy, what courage and a scheming mind you have!"
"Master, should we—!" said Yu Qingyong urgently, looking at the mist in the room.
"You can give it a try." Yu Qing glanced at him and said, "Qingyong, don't be blind in the face of hatred. The boy's formation is really troublesome. Taking it on is out of your range. We have to discuss this further."
At this time, Ruyan arrived and handed the paper note to Yu Qing.
"He sent this to me?" Yu Qing asked, taking the note.
"Yes, Leader. He said I should give it to you once you arrived."
"Good." Yu Qing nodded and unfolded the paper. She took a glimpse of its contents, and finally laughed out loud. As she raised her finger, the paper was reduced to dust.
"Good, very good. Elder Qing has brought up a good boy. Waiting for the highest bid, waiting for the highest bid. Hehe...!"
"Master, he—!"
"'He' what?" Yu Qing glared at him, and said, "Go, go to the store and give me the list of everything valuable. And we don't need to inform the Immortal Palace until I've finished the deal with him."
"Deal? Master, what deal?"
"One seed of the Innate Green Lotus is waiting for the highest bid!" Looking at the misty room, Yu Qing said coldly, "The boy is somebody."