Meanwhile, in the forest of Qishan, Shen Jue sat upright on a high platform with the sect masters, gazing at the scenes reflected in several water mirrors in front of them.
His gaze quickly passed over the other mirrors and settled on one of them.
The mirror was smooth as silk, and the scene reflected in it made him widen his eyes slightly.
A female Daoist in green beside him looked over and smiled, "Master Shen, isn't that Shen Qiqi? It's been a while, and she's grown up quite a bit, and she looks even more beautiful."
Shen Jue replied politely, "Master He is too kind. She's just a naughty little girl."
The Daoist was He Yewu, the master of the Feng Palace. She exclaimed, "That woman next to her looks out of this world, not an ordinary person, and her appearance is quite familiar..."
Shen Jue sighed, "That person is also my disciple, Liu Shuang."
"Ahh, it's her!" He Yewu recalled the rumors about her in the cultivation world, a once-in-a-generation talent who had yet to break through the Qi-refining stage and had become a waste, spurned by others.
She couldn't help but show an awkward smile and said, "I didn't expect these two to have such a close relationship..."
However, what she said also surprised Shen Jue.
Since when did Shen Qiqi deceive have such a close relationship with Liu Shuang?
Not only did they hug and hold hands casually, but their conversation also seemed quite intimate. Seeing Liu Shuang's indifferent expression, she didn't seem to be repulsed by it.
Could it be true, as Shen Qiqi said, that she hadn't done anything to Liu Shuang before?
Or was this little girl deliberately plotting something in her heart?
After all, Shen Qiqi had deliberately "approached" Liu Shuang before, and even made her expose herself to ridicule in front of others, not for the first time.
Shen Jue frowned slightly, his cold expression like a still pool, but his heart was already in turmoil.
Meanwhile, Shen Qiqi in the Nightmare realm forgot about the "cruel and arrogant" persona she had painstakingly crafted in front of her dear old father, and nearly became out of character because of it.
She was observing the terrain. The vast desert was full of yellow soil and withered grass. Apart from a few crows on the trees and vultures circling low in the sky, there were no other signs of living creatures. It looked desolate at a glance.
Such a wasteland had its advantages and disadvantages. Although the field of vision was broad, it was not easy to be limited by terrain and ambush. However, it also lacked places to hide and settle. Once powerful monsters attacked, it was very easy to expose one's target.
The difficulty seems to be a bit high!
Shen Qiqi turned her eyes and suffered from decision paralysis. Finally, she handed over the decision-making power to Liu Shuang next to her, "Senior sister, where should we go first?"
Liu Shuang replied, "No hurry."
Her gaze passed over Shen Qiqi and fell on the crowd gathered in front of them. There were nearly a hundred people, including disciples of the Qingli Sect and several other sects. At the moment, they all stood motionless, with different expressions, contemplating the issue of whether to stay or go, just like Shen Qiqi.
In the midst of the silence, someone suddenly stepped forward and proposed, "Brothers and sisters, I have a suggestion! Why don't we act together first? That way, if something happens later, we can take care of each other."
The people looked at each other, some agreeing and others objecting. "If we all go together, how will we divide the spoils? There will surely be arguments over allocation, so how do we decide?" someone asked.
The proposer smiled and said warmly, "Brother, you make a good point. I have also thought about this. Why don't we divide the spoils equally according to everyone's contribution? What do you all think?"
Oh, this is just the principle of "from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs"!
Shen Qiqi looked at the proposer. He wore familiar white clothes and was an inner disciple of the Qingli Sect. He was handsome, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, and a righteous air about him. He spoke well, and many of the undecided wallflowers chose to stand with him.
A female cultivator next to the proposer called out, "Brother Zhao Ke, in your opinion, which direction should we go now?"
Zhao Ke thought for a moment and smiled, "This place is too desolate. It's best to choose a clear landmark and head in the direction of that brown mountain range!"
This scene was also in the original novel. Zhao Ke took the lead when there was no leader and led a group of people towards...a tragic road of no return.
The female lead also encountered the Tier-Heaven Beast attack by following them and was later saved by Situ Yun.
Shen Qiqi looked at Liu Shuang next to her and asked, "Senior sister, why don't we follow them?" It was also a chance to run into the so-called demonic realm young master Situ Yun, who was a loyal and handsome person!
Liu Shuang nodded, "Let's go together." She also had something to discuss with Situ Yun.
The two of them quickly blended into the crowd, trailing behind the others as two ordinary passersby.
Zhao Ke did as he said and led the group towards the brown mountain range.
The scenery on the way was still very bleak, with the scorching sun blazing down and no relief from the heat. At first, everyone was talking and laughing, as if they were on a tourist trip. But as the weather became too hot, their energy gradually diminished and they fell silent.
Shen Qiqi walked hand in hand with Liu Shuang, holding a popsicle in one hand. She had made this popsicle in the Baicaoyuan (Hundred Herbs Garden), using a water elemental spell to freeze well water and adding some concentrated orange juice to make it deliciously refreshing.
Liu Shuang occasionally turned her head to look at her with an inscrutable expression.
Seeing that she was very interested, Shen Qiqi held out the popsicle to her and said, "Senior sister, do you want to try it?"
Liu Shuang looked down and focused on her hand. "What is this?"
"It's a popsicle! It cools you down and is a must-have for summer," Shen Qiqi said with a smile, with a circle of orange juice still lingering on her cheek. "Come on, have a bite. If it's not good, I'll take my head off and let you kick it!"
Liu Shuang couldn't help but be moved by her overly enthusiastic recommendation and nodded slightly.
Shen Qiqi reached out to hand her the popsicle, but to her surprise, Liu Shuang lowered her head and took a small bite directly from her hand.
When she raised her head, her plump lips were covered with a thin layer of water, enchanting and tempting.
Liu Shuang looked at her and said, "Not bad."
Shen Qiqi was stunned and asked in a small voice, "Do you...do you want more?"
Liu Shuang shook her head. "You eat it."
Shen Qiqi hung her head, biting off a piece of the popsicle. The pure ice couldn't melt the high temperature on her cheeks caused by enduring her Senior sister's beauty attacks every day. It was truly a sweet burden.
She sucked on the crispy ice all the way, looking particularly conspicuous among the tired group of people.
Soon someone asked in surprise, "Junior sister, what are you eating?"
After finishing the popsicle, Shen Qiqi licked her fingers and took out another strawberry-flavored popsicle from her pocket. "Popsicle."
Another person exclaimed in shock, "How could you bring these things to the Nightmare realm?!"
"I have other things too," Shen Qiqi patted her Qiankun bag, which was full of various snacks, "Do you want them? Exchange them with spirit stones, first come first served."
The Qingli sect has always adhered to rules and austere cultivation as its principles, and its disciples are all proud and lofty. How could they admit to being attracted by these small snacks? Sure enough, the person shook their head vigorously and politely declined, "No, no need."
Shen Qiqi shrugged regretfully.
In fact, everyone was already hot and thirsty. After he refused, the others felt awkward to ask for it and had to pretend they didn't care.
After walking for a while, someone suddenly shouted from the front of the line, "Hey, I think I see a lake!"
Everyone immediately stretched their necks to look forward, and someone agreed, "I see it too!"
"Me too, just up ahead!"
Instantly, everyone rushed forward with enthusiasm and their steps became more powerful.
Shen Qiqi tiptoed to look and sure enough, not far ahead, there was a clear lake surrounded by a few trees. The breeze blew by, and the greenery was lush and refreshing.
After being hot for most of the day, everyone lost their senses and swarmed towards the lake, surrounding it instantly.
Someone eagerly looked at Zhao Ke and said, "Senior Brother Zhao, we're all really hot. Why don't we all jump in together and cool off?"
Zhao Ke pondered for a moment and quickly agreed with the hungry looks of the crowd.
But Shen Qiqi did not move, instead pulling Liu Shuang away quickly.
Liu Shuang turned to look at her and asked, "What's wrong?"
Shen Qiqi, who knew the plot, sighed and looked at the crowd jumping into the water like dumplings. She shook her head and said, "There's something wrong with this place."
Liu Shuang's eyes sank, lost in thought.
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Thank you, everyone, hehe =v=
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or watered me with nutrients from 23:08:00 on September 1, 2020 to 23:56:58 on September 2, 2020~
Translator's note: Hmm~~ something dangerous must be lurking~
To Be Continue!...