Su Xing at this moment was currently following along with Pansi'er through spiraling bluestone platforms going upwards. Every step was towards a higher place, and his face was full of a flabbergasted expression.
Due to the great battle between the Supervoid Cultivators, the entire Jade Alum Palace was already deserted, all of the people inside drawn away. With Demi King Pansi'er at hand, not even the slightest hair obstructed them. They had not entered the Jade Alum Palace's winding corridor for long, when he found step after step of unending bluestone staircase. He walked enough that after he took a break, he still had not reached any sign of the end.
Su Xing's curiosity was greatly aroused. Was the Jade Alum Palace unexpectedly constructed at such a high place?
Embracing the doubt in his heart, Su Xing calmed his heart and followed the steps, calmly clambering up little by little.
"Where is that Ten Thousand Year Gu at?"
"Slave Servant does not know. The Queen constructed five Gu Halls at Five Poisons Valley, and among them one has the Ten Thousand Year Gu. The other four are all death traps. The Queen was also anxious someone would spy on her that she would pretend to have puzzles." Pansi'er alluringly replied. Her eyes rolled around wildly, darting around, as if she was thinking of something.
"For Master to have designs on the Ten Thousand Year Gu, Slave Servant but feels that is completely unsensible." Pansi'er covered her mouth and chuckled.
"How so?" Su Xing was not inclined to comment.
Pansi'er said: "To control the Ten Thousand Year Gu, if you are not one of illustrious powers, then you would need superb Gu Control Arts. Those Azure Dragon Territory Cultivators do not know whose spell they are receiving, yet they unexpectedly wish to control the Ten Thousand Year Gu. Truly, they are dreaming. Even if the Queen does not obtain it, do not think that others can obtain it."
"I am free to follow propriety, no need to be talkative." Su Xing coldly glanced at her, hardly speaking.
Pansi'er thought that Su Xing was obstinately persisting in error or that he was counting on something, however, thinking that Su Xing could rely on Galaxy Early Stage cultivation to control her, that power indeed was formidable. It could not be said for certain that he perhaps had some trump card. This Star Master truly was unbelievable. Could it be he was a character of that legendary Transforming Star of Annihilation Grade?
Continuing on upwards approximately more than another hundred zhang, after the twists and turns of the bluestone steps, the two finally spotted a large door at the end of these long bluestone stairs. Immediately, his vigor rose, and Su Xing quickened his pace. After he turned past a corner, an ordinary square-shaped exit was before him.
Following the exit out, he indistinctly gazed out. The scene outside made Su Xing's expression change.
The Jade Alum Palace was constructed grandly and abundantly beautiful. Its four ramparts blazed with light. Entering the main hall, which nevertheless was quite uncharacteristic, with dark yellow skies and gray fog. Although the palace's grandeur was still discernible, it still was sprinkled with an indistinct sort of overcast and unclear appearance. Past those dark and gloomy light rays, Su Xing saw this hall's decorations were abnormally strange. Countless spider designs were drawn on the walls, the thin lines wandering all over the ramparts, from the ceiling straight to the floor.
In particular were the eyes of the spider designs, a green that was like day and night, a red that was completely bloody, a purple that was wise, and a black that was deep as a pool. At first glance, it was full of a chilly intent.
"This place is?" Su Xing did not bat an eye.
Pansi'er smiled: "Master, this place is Pansi Hall, one of the Five Poisons Palaces that the Jade Alum Palace established. That Gu Hall is under one of the halls. Slave Servant is Demi King Pansi and can only bring Master to Pansi Hall without obstruction. Slave Servant also asks Master to not regard her as an outsider."
Su Xing sized up Pansi Hall and nodded: "Then you know how to reach the other four halls?"
"The other four halls are interlinked. To find one, Slave Servant fears will require a lot of time. However, Slave Servant has a way. Master, please enter Slave Servant's chambers." Pansi'er alluringly smiled, speaking with an endlessly amorous sort of tone.
Su Xing nodded, walking inside with great strides.
There were dark and gloomy gases rising spirals, like mist and smoke, yet not at all toxic. However, it concealed the main hall very well, "What cultivation method do you practice in the main hall? This fog appears not too ordinary." Su Xing played with a plume of mist as he spoke.
"Right. Slave Servant has always cultivated the Thousand Layers Ten Thousand Calamities Web in Pansi Hall." Pansi'er delicately walked to a book cabinet, hanging an odd smile.
Just at this time, Pansi Hall's mist abruptly rolled towards Su Xing like it had substance. Then, these mists transformed into the Thousand Layers Ten Thousand Calamities Web as it completely wrapped up Su Xing's four limbs. In the center of the main hall, an array point activated, and the spiders on the walls also spat a myriad of spider silk, trapping Pansi Hall with the webs. A crack was practically invisible.
"Pansi'er, what are you doing?"
Su Xing's voice sunk.
Pansi'er burst out in laughter, and an out of character viciousness rose: "Master, you truly were not careful, unexpectedly daring to abandon your Star General and step into the Pansi main hall with Slave Servant! This place's 'Pansi Array' can trap Divine Intent. Hm, hm, now, your God Sealing Plate must be unusable."
Su Xing moved his arms and legs. As expected, the Pansi Array was powerful, completely trapping his body. Even his Divine Intent had seemingly been struck onto the web and was incapable of moving.
A chill emerged in Pansi'er's eyes, "A tiny Galaxy Cultivator unexpectedly dares to control This King, truly reckless. Today, Pansi'er shall properly serve Master…" Pansi'er lips formed a hook. The multitude of spider webs seemingly dissolved through her body, unexpectedly not hindering her in the slightest. An enticing charm was hung in Pansi'er's eyes. Her steps were like flowers, graceful and elegant. At the same time, she removed that tiny bellyband, and her perfectly round jade breasts bounced out. That bright red was gentle and plump.
Pansi'er's upper body was completely naked, "Master, please properly offer your Essence Energy to Slave Servant. Slave Servant shall let Master experience ecstasy even at death's door."
"You truly brought about your own end." Su Xing coldly looked at Pansi'er, somewhat with pity, somewhat with disapproval.
Pansi'er's alluring looks immediately cooled. "Falling into Slave Servant's Pansi Array can be compared to a butterfly falling into a spider web. Your final struggles are useless. The one who brought about his own end is you!"
Su Xing's eyes somewhat showed a bone-chilling cold intent, as if he was sneering at her betrayal. Pansi'er was very puzzled. Could it be that he was counting on the Star General's help? But that Wu Siyou had been stopped outside the Jade Alum Palace and was basically incapable of entering…wait…Pansi'er suddenly recalled a fact. Star Masters and Star Generals that signed a contract could enter the Star Nest. If Wu Siyou had wanted to enter the Jade Alum Palace, she would only need to enter the Star Nest to do so.
But…
Pansi'er's heart shivered.
As if for the sake of verifying her thinking, a brief earth-shattering whistle sounded from her back.
The speed was extremely quick, and when Pansi'er heard this sound, she had no way of dodging.
Her back suffered a punch, and her bones shattered. Pansi'er screamed, nearly fainting.
Pansi'er deserved to be called a Demi King, for when she staggered forwards, she continuously urged her magic energy. A lump of spider silk promptly rolled out like a wave.
The person that attacked from her back was like a phantom death god. Pansi'er only saw two clumps of lights, one cold and one hot, circulating upon the opponent's face and directly break the spider silk. Her palm chops fell, and Pansi'er's shoulder blades were immediately chopped apart like wooden logs. Pansi'er screamed in pain, but she overall could be considered to have rapidly returned to her senses. She dodged the serial attacks.
"A Star General?"
Pansi'er looked at the woman in front of her and shouted in disbelief.
The newcomer wore a maid dress, revealing a stretch of her snowy back and thighs. Her shoulders had a dark red tattoo. Her head wore a flower crown, and her eyes were like vermilion. Her right hand was in front while her left hand was behind in a cold and detached killing posture. In particular were those fists adorned in Yin and Yang, with two fishes circulating, and two Stars each shined.
"How could you appear here?" Pansi'er shouted.
"Betrayal of Master cannot be forgiven!" Each word of the maid brimmed with an ice-cold deadly assertion.
She was Yan Yizhen!
Pansi'er only felt as if she had fallen into an icehouse, her entire body cold to the extreme: "You dare to be impudent before the Pansi Array!! Thousand Layers Ten Thousand Calamities Web!!" Pansi'er yelled in fury. She opened her mouth and spat out a white spider web.
Yan Yizhen's figure flashed, like an afterimage flitting across water waves. She easily sidestepped Pansi'er's Thousand Layers Ten Thousand Calamities Spider Silk. Once again, Yan Yizhen drew close to Pansi'er. Pansi'er's terrifying spider web seemingly bundled up tight. This time, it was nevertheless broken through easily by Yan Yizhen. The Skilful Star Wanderer Yan Qing's body was like a butterfly raising a death cloud of dust, flashing past the spider web's encirclement.
By the time Pansi'er returned to her senses, Yan Yizhen had already grasped her arm with one hand and was already violently pummeling her with the other. Amidst the ear-piercing bone fracturing sounds, Yan Yizhen's hands were like they were overturning flowers,1 continuously flashing across Pansi'er's body. When the Thousand Layers Ten Thousand Calamities Web had been broken, Pansi'er completely lost her normal evasion response.
Yan Yizhen's face from start to finish appeared cold and detached. Her two hands contained immense strength, and under such close-up attacks, Pansi'er's spider silk had become just like decorations. Her towering breasts had been beaten full of wounds.
Without a bit of sympathy, the Yan Yizhen in battle was ice-cold just like a fiend. Through the sounds of continuous strikes, Yan Yizhen continuously moved around her. By the time Pansi'er finally understood she had to retreat, her mind already did not have sufficient strength to command her body's movements.
This was Pansi'er's first taste of the feeling of fear. She raised her head. Her entire body's internal organs, bones, and meridians had been ripped apart. Whimpering, it seemed she wanted to beg for forgiveness, but following Yan Yizhen snapping her neck behind her, Pansi'er's lifeless eyes stared blankly at Su Xing. Afterwards, she softly collapsed onto the ground like ooze, and only then did her breath cease.
Following Pansi'er's death, Pansi Halls magic circle lost its support. The dark and gloomy fog dispersed, and there was only a bleak sight to behold.
"Master!" Yan Yizhen's eyes had slight concern.
"I'm fine." Su Xing sized up this Pansi Hall. He looked at the Pansi Array in this hall with complete interest. This Demi King Pansi's spider silk ability indeed was somewhat outstanding. If it was given to the randomly appearing and disappearing Shi Yuan to use, that actually would be a great trump card. Thinking of this, Su Xing used his Divine Intent in Pansi Hall to probe around to see if there was a usable place.
A spider web fell into Su Xing's palm. This was Pansi'er's Thousand Layers Ten Thousand Calamities Web.
Storing it away, Su Xing said: "Let's go find Lady Snake Scorpion now. We have to obtain Xie Zhen's blood as soon as possible." Although the Ten Thousand Year Gu was enticing, Su Xing's top priority still was to cure Gongsun Huang of the Gu Poison. The closer he was to the Xie Twins, the Gongsun Huang in the Star Nest was seemingly weaker.
Yan Yizhen nodded, her vermilion pupils a hidden and very deep self-blame.
Su Xing knew from a look that Yan Yizhen had sensed the trouble that Lin Yingmei's side had encountered. Perhaps she currently felt guilty she had left without saying goodbye to them. Walking over, he patted her shoulders. His tone was soft and consoling: "No need to blame yourself. With the perfect pair of Yingmei and Xinjie, there won't be any danger."
"Slave Servant understands." Yan Yizhen avoided Su Xing's line of sight.
Author’s Note:
Two parts, pleading for a monthly vote~~~~~~~~The ending to the second volume will show a super, super, super, super, super, super ferocious Star General… Expression usually used to describe how a horse's hoof-falls stir up the earth with power and speed ↩