Wu Qi exercised his Mystic Eyes of Universe and carefully scanned all the various restrictive spells and formations he found along the way. The more he saw, the deeper his heart sank into a bottomless abyss just like the Dark Abyss of the Northern Ocean where he was at now.
Up till now, when facing other people in this world, be it the cultivators of the six dynasties, the Immortals of the White Cloud Immortal Sect or Yuan Hua Sect, or even Yu Zong, Yu Hehuan, and some others including cultivators and Immortals he had met on Pangu Continent, he had always been in a dominant position mentally by relying on the magical and unfathomable knowledge of restrictive spells and formations found in Scroll of Stealing.
There was no formation he could not see through, no restrictive spell he could not break, and no secret he could not understand.
But now, in this Miao Ying Palace, Wu Qi had finally realized that the Scroll of Stealing was no longer sufficient to be the source of knowledge he could solely rely on.
The shadowy figure who passed him the Scroll of Stealing was too ancient, and had been separated from the world of cultivators for too long. It was true that he had mastered the secrets of countless restrictive spells and formations, and indeed they covered almost everything under the heaven, even pointing straight to the core secret of the Dao of Formation that existed between the heaven and earth.
Meanwhile, the people in the lower realm of the world of cultivators, including all the ordinary cultivators and lower-grade Heaven Immortals, were still using the most basic and simple formations and restrictive spells. What they knew did not go beyond what had been covered in the Scroll of Stealing. Therefore, when Wu Qi was facing the formations and restrictive spells deployed by them, he could break them easily without any difficulties like cutting through butter with a hot blade.
But, too many years had passed. Obviously, the Patriarch of Miao Ying Palace had done her own research in both the fields of formations and restrictive spells, and she had gained some new knowledge. As a result, in Wu Qi's eyes, the countless restrictive spells and formations in Miao Ying Palace looked familiar, but they were different at the same time. He could roughly understand how they worked, but could not fully understand the secrets behind them.
The discovery weighed heavily on his mind. Since the Patriarch of Miao Ying Palace had proven to possess such an unfathomable approach, presumably, all her apprentices and disciples had also inherited some of her knowledge in the Dao of Formation and restrictive spells. At the very least, if he were to fight the people of Miao Ying Palace, his expertise in both fields could no longer be of a great help.
Unless, he could obtain Miao Ying Palace's legacy of formations and restrictive spells, spending some time and effort to study them.
For Wu Qi, this Miao Ying Palace before his eyes was like a heavily guarded city, and he was just a weak, tiny ant looking up at it from the outside, could not find even a cleft he could use to slip through. If he were not led by Miao Feng, he had no doubt that right at the moment he stepped into the palace, the restrictive spells would have smashed him to gore.
He could still accept the fact that he could not understand these restrictive spells, but what frustrated him the most was their incredible power. The restrictive spells found in the mansion left by the ancient Immortal where he had found the innate Yin energy had been extremely powerful, and although its formations were rather simple, they had prevented him from entering the core of the mansion. However, all the restrictive spells and formations here were at least one hundred times stronger than those found in the ancient mansion. Even if he managed to understand all of them, his current overall strength would not permit him from breaking any of the restrictive spells, even for the weakest one.
There was absolutely no way in, and no passage was passable. With his current overall strength and the Dao of Formations and restrictive spells he inherited from the Scroll of Stealing, it was absolutely impossible for him to enter the Land of Nine Yin Negate Yang and get his hand on the innate Yang energy.
When he was at the entrance a moment ago, he had bowed his head to look down, seeing a dark hole with dark smoke billowing out at a distance of about one hundred miles below. It was the entrance to the Land of Nine Yin Negate Yang. He could even feel a force vaguely calling at him from within the hole, echoing with the innate Yin energy hiding right inside his meridians.
Triggered by force, the Seven Stealing Heaven Meridians which had shriveled like a tiny seed near his broken arm nearly exploded without his control. At the same time, the five innate Nascent Souls, which were severely wounded and hiding inside the meridians that tangled up messily, had become restless and almost sprayed out innate energy to stimulate the regeneration of his broken arm.
While forcibly pressing down the twitching Seven Stealing Heaven Meridians that made the muscles near his broken arm numb and painful, Wu Qi followed closely behind Miao Feng and strode into a luxuriously decorated hall within Miao Ying Palace.
He was greeted with the giggling of girls when he entered the hall as he raised his head slightly and glanced around. He saw a lady with a horse face, her skin dark and body plump like a balloon, kissing a beautiful girl with a slender and curvy body. Both looked intimate like a pair of lovers, and the horse-faced lady even had one of her hands going deep inside the pretty girl's underwear, searching evilly between her legs.
Lu Buwei was standing off to a side. His eyes rested on his toes, as if he were standing in a wilderness where no living souls could be found, and the exotic scene happening right next to him was not even there.
Suddenly, the beautiful girl's underwear slid down to her ankles, exposing two slender, fair and delicate legs. She separated them, revealing the mystery spot three inches below her navel. Wu Qi quickly bowed his head, calming down his mind in just a flash. Even the speed of his heartbeat stayed the same.
The horse-faced lady, Goddess Miao Xin, smiled satisfyingly. She gently slapped the beautiful girl's back and released her hand from her body. Then, she seated herself on a soft couch with her legs opened wide like a man, fixing her fierce glance on Wu Qi's face.
Miao Feng giggled, twisting her waist as she walked next to Goddess Miao Xin. "You've always shown your love only for Miao Yue, Goddess. Feng'er has just gone out for a while, and Miao Yue has come to seduce Goddess, Feng'er refuses to be treated differently."
Goddess Miao Xin burst into a wild laughter as she grabbed Miao Feng's waist with one swift move and gave her face a few kisses. When she was done with that, she pointed her finger at Wu Qi and said, "Daoist Wu Wang! This is not a good name! Wu Wang, Wu Wang, it also means hopeless. Doesn't that mean you will have no bright future?" [1]
Wu Qi forced a smile to his face, cupping his fist and bowing deeply as he said, "Wu Wang, the Deputy Supervisor of the mine offers greetings!" He did not mention anything about his name, and did not suggest Goddess Miao Xin to give him another name. Wu Wang was the name of his Master, who he had taken as the only Master in his heart. How could he allow Goddess Miao Xin, an ugly woman with a bizarre appearance, to randomly modify it?
Goddess Miao Xin stuck out her long, red tongue to moisten her fat lips as she gave Wu Qi a gaze from the corners of her eyes. Then, she casually slapped Miao Feng's back and said with a smile, "I've asked you to come here so I can tell you one thing. I'm pleased with the way you handled those peasants down there, something that only a Fiend Immortal would have done. It matched my taste better than this old fellow, Lu Buwei."
She gave Lu Buwei a glance and said, "Lu Buwei, from now onwards, Wu Wang will handle all the matters in the mine. Since you are good at serving and pleasing others, you will handle Master's food and drinks and accommodation."
Then, she paused for a brief while, before bawling at Lu Buwei with wisps of golden light shining from her eyes, "But, you ought to remember one thing: do not use the same method you used to please me to curry favor with my Master! Hehe, it is not you who should do such thing. We, the disciples of the Master, will please her. And, should you speak of anything that you shouldn't before Master, don't blame me for being heartless!"
Her words were straightforward and domineering, filled with the plain threatening flavor unique to all Fiend cultivators.
Lu Buwei bowed reverently to Goddess Miao Xin and said in a steadfast manner, "I understand. Only Goddess has the rights to please Patriarch. And, should I have any good idea to please Patriarch, I'll immediately offer them to Goddess."
Goddess Miao Xin laughed as she held her head up complacently.
Wu Qi squinted, standing off to a side with his eyes darting left and right. Suddenly, he saw a colorful portrait of three ladies sleeping under begonias on top of a long table. The ladies in the painting looked lively, as if three peerless beauties had been trapped in the portrait, full of life and looking splendid. Judging with Le Xiaobai's rich experience, the person who painted this must have a soft and graceful painting style, one that was filled with ambiguity, amorousness, and a pinkish aura. It must be the work of a lady who had a soft heart, who hungered for men's love.
Le Xiaobai had learned numerous heterodox skills, among which was an ability to judge the characters of the painter from the style of the works. The painting style of this portrait had told Wu Qi that whoever painted it must be the best among all the ladies, a lady with all the charms of a female. Some had said that women were made of water, and it perfectly described this painter!
Goddess Miao Xin noticed that Wu Qi was studying the portrait, and she could not help but ask with a smile, "Wu Wang, what do you think about that portrait?"
Lu Buwei raised his head up abruptly, fixing his gaze at Wu Qi. He wanted to know how he would answer Goddess Miao Xin. Over the last two years, since he was trapped here in the Dark Abyss of the Northern Ocean, he had managed to survive by constantly flattering her. He wanted to know if Wu Qi, an uninvited guest who had snatched his position of the Supervisor of the mine, had a tongue as powerful as his approaches.
Wu Qi did not answer hastily, but instead, he came before the long table, placing his face just three inches away from the portrait. After giving all the small details on the portrait a careful examination, only then he nodded and breathed out a thoughtful sigh.
His pretense had burned Goddess Miao Xin with impatience. "Stop tantalizing me! Tell me what you think about the portrait!" She yelled while slapping on the armrest of the soft couch.
Wagging his head, Wu Qi walked two rounds around the table, then threw his head back and breathed out a long sigh again.
Goddess Miao Xin's eyes sparked with a dangerous look. "Talk to me now! How is the portrait?" She roared.
Lu Buwei continued to stare steadily at Wu Qi. A faint smile emerged on his face.
After a brief moment of silence, Wu Qi turned around to give Goddess Miao Xin a look, then he remained silent for another moment, seemingly sinking in a deep thought. Finally, he spoke, "The portrait is good... but, the one who painted it is even better... a lady with a pure heart and spirit. Whoever painted this portrait, she must be the best among all the ladies!"
A dead silence reigned the hall. Lu Buwei bowed his head and uttered no words, and so did Miao Feng and Miao Yue, while Goddess Miao Xin was staring blankly at Wu Qi, her eyes blinking now and then. No one could guess what she was thinking right now.
Nearly ten minutes later, she finally breathed out a long sigh, shook her head, and said with a bitter smile on her face, "Wu Wang, I really wish to kill you with my palm now!"
Wu Qi was 'panic-stricken' as he cupped his fist and bowed to Goddess Miao Xin, asking, "Goddess, why did you say that?"
She did not answer. At last, she waved her hand and said coolly, "Never mind, I'll not make a fuss with you, a bunch of ants!"
Seeing her ever-changing expression, Wu Qi and Lu Buwei dared not to utter a word again. They quickly took their leave from the hall.
Just as Wu Qi was stepping out of the hall, Goddess Miao Xin suddenly cried out with a deep voice, "Wu Wang, is it true that all your magical treasures were destroyed during the battle with your sworn foe?"
Wu Qi was struck dumb, but he quickly turned around and answered, "That's right, Goddess. I don't even have a flying sword now."
Goddess Miao Xin pondered silently for a while, then waved her hand and said with a sigh, "Miao Feng, bring him to the storehouse and let him pick two defensive treasures. I'm tired."
The confused Miao Feng walked out of the hall with a blank expression. The door of the hall shut behind her with a rumble. Soon, the sound of Goddess Miao Xin and Miao Yue playing with each other was heard coming out from within the hall.
Lu Buwei stared at Wu Qi with a gloomy look. Sensing the glance, Wu Qi suddenly turned around and smiled back at him.
[1] The pronunciation for 'Wu' is same with 'nothing/none', and the Wang has the meaning of hope.
The pronunciation for 'Wu' is same with 'nothing/none', and the Wang has the meaning of hope.