NOVEL NEXT Chapter 516: Xiu'er, you really are something!
Chapter 516: Xiu’er, you really are something!
Lin Fengmian calmly replied, “This is my cultivation method. Without dual cultivation with her, how could I have reached the eighth level of the Foundation Establishment Realm so quickly?”
As he spoke, he released his aura, looking quite pleased with himself.
Nangong Xiu helplessly shook her head. “Dual cultivation is not a true path. I advise you not to become obsessed with it.”
This child had no proper guidance, and with his mediocre talent, he had strayed onto the wrong path.
He must be desperate to prove himself to others, right?
Lin Fengmian replied indifferently, “Oh? Are you here to lecture me?”
Nangong Xiu felt a surge of anger, but she suppressed it. “Wuxie, come with me. I’ll take you somewhere.”
“Where? I’m still under house arrest,” Lin Fengmian said confusedly.
“It’s okay. I’ll explain it to your father. Just come with me,” Nangong Xiu said calmly.
Lin Fengmian shook his head decisively. “No, I have to go back and cultivate.”
He wanted to go back and have a “deep exchange” with Shangguan Qiong to gather more spiritual essence for cultivation. He had no time to waste with her.
Nangong Xiu knew full well that when he said “cultivation,” he probably meant rolling around with that seductress.
She pulled out a whip and asked blankly, “I’ll ask you again. Are you coming or not?”
Lin Fengmian stood firm. “No, even if you beat me to death, I won’t go.”
Snap!
The whip struck him, and he grimaced in pain.
“Damn it, Nangong Xiu! How dare you hit me? Are you insane?”
Nangong Xiu lashed him again in anger. “No respect! Call me Auntie! Are you coming or not?”
Lin Fengmian danced around the study, trying to dodge the whip but failing miserably. He howled in pain.
“Nangong Xiu, you’re going too far! I’ll tell Father!”
Nangong Xiu smirked as she continued whipping him. “It was your father who told me to whip you.”
After a few more lashes, Lin Fengmian was on the verge of tears.
Knowing when to yield, he quickly said, “Stop, stop! Auntie, I was wrong! I’ll go with you!”
Seeing Lin Fengmian’s reluctant submission, Nangong Xiu couldn’t help but smile slightly.
This kid wasn’t completely hopeless. He might still be salvageable, though it would probably take a lot more whipping.
Lin Fengmian rubbed the sore spots, finally understanding Shangguan Qiong’s frustration.
The whip didn’t break the skin, but it sure hurt like hell.
He couldn’t help but mutter, “Auntie, do you have a thing for this kind of stuff?”
His smart mouth earned him another lash, and Lin Fengmian looked at her with a mix of resentment and helplessness.
Nangong Xiu, just wait!
The last person who whipped me, I’ve been whipping her for days now!
Nangong Xiu led Lin Fengmian out of Tianze City and flew toward a desolate mountain range. The further they flew, the more barren the landscape became.
Lin Fengmian became increasingly uneasy.
What’s she planning?
Soon, they arrived at a hidden cave nestled between several mountains.
Nangong Xiu activated a formation and led Lin Fengmian inside. In the center of the cave was a massive platform covered with glowing runes.
Lin Fengmian looked around curiously and asked, “Auntie, why did you bring me here? Are you going to kill me and dispose of my body?”
Nangong Xiu rolled her eyes. “If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn’t go to all this trouble.”
She took out a pagoda-shaped artifact and tossed it forward.
The pagoda quickly expanded in the air and soon landed on the runes. The entire structure began to glow, emitting a powerful aura.
Lin Fengmian stared at the 99-story pagoda, which was decorated with intricate carvings of various beasts. It looked both mysterious and impressive.
“What is this?”
“This is the Ten Thousand Ridges Ten Thousand Demon Pagoda. It’s also the focus of your special training,” Nangong Xiu said calmly.
“Special training? Fighting demons? Are you bored or something?” Lin Fengmian said angrily.
“The upcoming selection of the King of Heavenly Grace will involve climbing this pagoda,” Nangong Xiu explained.
Lin Fengmian was stunned. “What? Climbing the pagoda? I thought it was a one-on-one battle?”
Nangong Xiu nonchalantly replied, “In previous years, the battle format led to cheating, match-fixing, and gambling on the outcome.”
“This severely compromised fairness, so someone in the Junyan Imperial Court suggested that this year’s selection be based solely on individual strength.”
“This Ten Thousand Demon Pagoda has 99 levels, each with a demonic illusion. The participants will climb as high as they can, and the top ten will be selected.”
Lin Fengmian was speechless.
Originally, Jun Qingsheng and his master had arranged for him to fake his way through the selection process. Now, he’d have to rely on his actual strength to climb the pagoda.
He couldn’t exactly threaten others not to climb too high, could he?
Frustrated, he blurted out, “Who the hell came up with this idea?”
Nangong Xiu gave him a sharp look and said coolly, “I did. Do you have a problem with that?”
Lin Fengmian forced a smile and gave her a thumbs up. “Xiu’er, you really are something!”
Nangong Xiu whipped him again and coldly said, “No respect! Call me Auntie!”
“Auntie, you are so wise, so wise!”
Lin Fengmian rubbed his sore backside, trying to change the subject. “Auntie, is this the Ten Thousand Demon Pagoda they’re using for the selection?”
Nangong Xiu snorted. “No, this is the Ten Thousand Ridges Ten Thousand Demons Pagoda. It’s similar in difficulty to the Nether Moon Ten Thousand Demon Pagoda that will be used for the selection. You’ll use it for training.”
Lin Fengmian had heard of the Ten Thousand Demon Pagoda before. It was commonly used for assessments in the Heavenly Grace Imperial Court, but princes like him had never been exposed to it.
You’re downgrading the assessments for the Imperial Hall and using them for the King Hall disciples?That’s going too far!
Moreover, with the name “Ten Thousand Demon Pagoda,” the variety of demons was vast, making it impossible to predict what you’d face.
He grinned and said, “Auntie, why don’t you just give me the Nether Moon Ten Thousand Demon Pagoda? Or lower the difficulty for me during the selection?”
Nangong Xiu raised her whip as if she was going to strike him. “I give you special treatment out of respect for your mother and Xuan’er, and you still dare to push your luck?”
Lin Fengmian grimaced. “But with my current strength, how am I supposed to climb it?”
Nangong Xiu remained stern. “That’s why I’m giving you this special training.”
“Let me remind you, the pagoda restricts spiritual energy and forbids the use of any recovery pills.”
With that, she pushed Lin Fengmian into the pagoda and said firmly, “Go on. Let’s see what you’re made of.”
Lin Fengmian let out a cry as he was thrown inside. Nangong Xiu stood outside, lost in thought, and sighed softly.
While the Ten Thousand Demon Pagoda contained a vast array of demons, making it nearly impossible to cheat, there was one catch-she was one of the examiners!
This Ten Thousand Ridges Ten Thousand Demons Pagoda was the one she had selected as the closest in difficulty to the Nether Moon Ten Thousand Demon Pagoda used for the selection.
Many of the demons inside overlapped with those in the Nether Moon Ten Thousand Demons Pagoda, although their strength was different.
She still had several other pagodas at her disposal. If Lin Fengmian could defeat this one, he’d be familiar with about 80% of the demons in Nether Moon Ten Thousand Demons Pagoda.