Looking at Painted Shadow's departing figure, Gu Zheng quickly followed and retreated outside.
That old man's cultivation was at least at the peak of the Great Heavenly Realm. When he appeared, there was no sign at all. In fact, when he thought about it, he might have been discovered when he approached.
However, because of Painted Shadow, he only appeared when they approached.
Thinking of this, he was already drenched in cold sweat. The plan that he thought was flawless was completely useless in front of absolute strength.
Fortunately, his identity didn't arouse the other party's suspicion. In addition, Painted Shadow was on him, which caused the other party to misunderstand.
If he really relied on the Black Tower, he would probably have to preserve half his life to get out.
While thinking about his mistake, Gu Zheng and Painted Shadow quickly arrived at the residential area. Painted Shadow, who was originally advancing, suddenly stopped. Seeing this, Gu Zheng also immediately stopped.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" Painted Heart tilted her head and looked at Gu Zheng.
"I was just bored and walked around to see if there was anything here." Gu Zheng really didn't know how to explain. Although this little girl was young, she wasn't stupid. He reluctantly found an excuse.
"Tch? Do I believe you? Why don't you find out how long I, Painted Shadow, have been here? That old man won't appear here, so don't find excuses. "
As expected, when Painted Shadow heard Gu Zheng's excuse, she looked at Gu Zheng as if she was looking at an idiot. She spoke even more disdainfully.
"Alright, actually, I'm just curious about why the palace city is sealed. I heard a piece of news from the lonely city. It's said that a strange demon soul was captured by the other party. I'm very curious. You should know that we Illusion Race have a special ability, but just changing our appearance isn't enough.
"If we want to grasp the other party's core, we have to at least come into contact with them. The longer the time, the higher the chance of obtaining it. Correspondingly, our strength will also be stronger. This is also why I couldn't wait to come over and take a look. Who would have thought that the defenses here would be so tight?"
Gu Zheng had already thought of a perfect explanation in this short amount of time. Only this could explain his actions reasonably. Even if that old man heard it, it wouldn't matter.
Even he was impressed by himself. Fortunately, he had chosen the identity of the Illusion Race. It was simply perfect.
"So that's how it is. No wonder you wanted to come here alone. But since you're Big Sister Meng Zhen's Heart Moving Heart, you can ask her to help you. It's a pity that I'm from the 'Painting' generation. When I grow up, I can only become part of the 'Meng' generation. There's still a long way to go. Otherwise, I would have already helped you." Hua Ying said regretfully.
"I didn't expect you to have such potential. Congratulations." Gu Zheng didn't expose him. He just flattered him.
The highest among them was the Meng generation, followed by the Painter generation, and then the Huan generation. However, as long as it was a female Painting Soul, the lowest would be the Painter generation. Only when one's cultivation reached the Human Soul level would they automatically become the Meng generation. For example, Painting Shadow, her name was Meng Ying.
However, if they didn't break through, they would forever be part of the calligraphy generation. As for the group of elders, they were all one level higher. The higher they were, the more powerful they were.
"Hehe, of course. Everyone knows that I will become the next Mengying." Painted Shadow cracked a smile. She was so happy that it was as if she could already see her becoming a respected Mengying.
"From the looks of it, do you often play around here? Aren't you afraid that someone will investigate you? "Gu Zheng didn't return so quickly. He wanted to use this opportunity to gather some information.
No matter how much Painted Shadow pretended to be mature, in Gu Zheng's eyes, she was still a child. He wouldn't be suspicious.
"Hehe, no one will investigate. That place was originally meant for us to play. Behind it is the Heavenly King's residence. Otherwise, why would there be no one guarding it? There are only people helping to repair and clean it every once in a while. It's too boring here. The elders also don't allow us to go out, so we can only do this." Painted Shadow said proudly.
She was a frequent visitor here. She would often drag others here to play.
"Right, aren't you curious? We can sneak over. In any case, if we're caught, we'll just be locked up for a while. "Suddenly, Painted Shadow's eyes lit up as she said this to Gu Zheng.
Since it wasn't easy for her to come out under the cover of her companions, then she might as well have some fun. That was what she wanted.
"How are we going to get there? That old man Xu you speak of is so powerful. Even if we can't get there, there are still two guards. You and I can't get past them." Gu Zheng shook his head.
Before that old man had come, he had already prepared to retreat. Those two guards were Demonic Souls. They were Wen Tianhou's most trusted subordinates. They didn't need to eat or drink, nor did they need to be replaced. As long as they were willing to stand there for thousands of years, there wouldn't be a problem.
He didn't have the confidence to sneak in under the old man's nose. He needed to go back and plan carefully to find a safe way. However, the old man's appearance made him completely give up on that idea. The old man wasn't a simple Demonic Soul. He didn't have the slightest confidence that he could hide from him.
Now, he thought that he could only use the Black Tower to take the risk and sneak into the old man's place. Although the Black Tower could accurately reach the old man's place through the connection of weapons, the fluctuations would be too great and would be easily detected by the old man. Once the old man was prepared, he wouldn't be able to take Xiao Ying away.
This was his last helpless method. However, when he heard Painted Shadow's words, his heart was filled with anticipation. Judging from the old man's appearance, it was clear that he had a way around.
"Don't you know how long I, Painted Shadow, have been here? I've long since found a way around. If you're not afraid, I'll take you to see it." Painted Shadow said proudly.
"Whether I'm bragging or not, we'll know once we see it." Gu Zheng deliberately said.
"Sure, but that place isn't here. Come with me." Painted Shadow immediately said, unwilling to admit defeat. She immediately flew in the direction of leaving this place.
Gu Zheng followed Painted Shadow and retreated more than half the distance. They were getting closer and closer to the side of the mountain range. When he thought that the old man would dig a hole in a hidden place, Painted Shadow stopped and brought him into a very ordinary room.
This room wasn't too different from the other rooms. It was even some distance away from the edge. The only difference was that there was very little junk inside, as if it had been deliberately placed here.
"We're not that stupid. If we dig a hole outside, the old man will quickly discover it. Right now, there's a simple formation outside. If we go in, the old man will know immediately. However, before the old man can find out, we've already dug a tunnel that leads there."
Without waiting for Gu Zheng to ask, Painted Shadow explained on her own. While she was at it, she felt around the ground in a corner. Then, she grabbed onto something and pulled. A stone slab was pulled up, revealing a pitch-black hole.
"Let's go. Only this way can the old man not discover us. In any case, those cleaners won't notice this. Don't use soul power to avoid attracting their attention."
Painted Shadow smiled at Gu Zheng and then jumped down.
Gu Zheng didn't hesitate. Hearing the old man's words, it seemed that this wasn't the first time he had done this. He also jumped down and covered the stone slab.
The cave wasn't deep underground, but the tunnel was incomparably wide. It was enough for Gu Zheng to stand up and walk inside.
The pitch-black tunnel wasn't an obstacle. Painted Shadow quickly led the way in front. She wasn't worried that Gu Zheng wouldn't be able to keep up.
In just half the time it took to brew a cup of tea, Gu Zheng climbed out of a very deep hole. His surroundings suddenly became empty, and a wide space appeared in front of him.
"Did you guys complete this?"
Gu Zheng looked around. He could see the rough excavation marks at the edge. It was clear that the expansion hadn't been completed yet.
"Of course. Now, we can use a bit of our power. The formation outside has also provided us with a lot of convenience. As long as we don't cause too much of a commotion, the outside won't be able to discover us." Painted Shadow said proudly.
Gu Zheng naturally understood what she meant. For this place, they had started to set up a long time ago. Even Wen Tianhou hadn't noticed that the mountain range beside him, which he thought was safe, had actually been opened up by them. They must have used some method that he didn't know about. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to hide it so easily.
"Where do we go from here? Is this the only place?"
Gu Zheng looked around with an even more exaggerated expression to make Hua Ying feel even more proud. Only then did he ask.
In this short period of time, he did not see any passageways that led to other places. And according to his estimation, these two positions were actually at the same level as the room. There was still a long way behind it. They could not have directly dug a passageway that led directly to the inside.
"Of course not. This is usually a place where we play hide and seek. Moreover, there are many key points that can't be touched. Next, it's up to me."
As Painted Shadow spoke, she walked towards the corner. When she got close, she raised her hand. The painting that belonged to her lit up with a green light and hung on the wall like a painting.
"Hurry up and follow!"
Painted Shadow waved at Gu Zheng and walked into the world within the painting. Following the flickering of the surface of the painting, her figure disappeared from the cave.
Seeing this, Gu Zheng didn't hesitate and followed. He also walked into the painting. He didn't think that she would harm him. Otherwise, she wouldn't have brought him to such a hidden place. Clearly, relying on Meng Zhen's status as a heartthrob was enough to make her believe him.
Even if she wanted to trap him and play with him, with her strength, it was impossible.
With a blur, Gu Zheng found himself in another cave. This cave was much smaller than the previous one. There were a few tunnels on the side, but he didn't know where they led.
Painted Shadow was standing at the side. When she saw Gu Zheng come over, she reached out and her painting returned to her hand.
This time, Gu Zheng didn't know where they were. The other party used this to avoid detection and then opened up hidden tunnels in safe places. She was really amazing.
Although the person in charge here was definitely not Wen Tianhou himself, to be able to avoid detection by Wen Tianhou's core subordinates and open up a tunnel for fun, it was really admirable.
Seeing Gu Zheng's shocked expression, Painted Shadow was very pleased. She waved her small hand and directly directed Gu Zheng to follow her to the tunnel on the side.
Gu Zheng was also very obedient. He followed behind her like a big follower.
After a few turns, Gu Zheng didn't know where they were. When Painted Shadow's face was filled with exhaustion, they finally walked out of a cave.
This cave was only three meters wide, and the way out was very narrow. It was barely enough for Painted Shadow to go out, but with Gu Zheng's physique, it was impossible for him to go through.
"Don't, the other party can sense us. Don't do anything big." Painted Shadow saw that Gu Zheng wanted to change his position and immediately stopped him in a small voice.
"I can't go out!"
Gu Zheng knew what the other party was worried about. They had already circled around to the true rear of Wen Tianhou, and the defense was extremely tight. In fact, even though he was crawling in this narrow cave, the unknown danger was like a thorn that pricked at his temples.
"Go in here. I'll lead you. Don't come out. If your body appears here, it will be detected." Painted Shadow pointed at the painting in her hand, indicating for Gu Zheng to go in.
After thinking for a while, Gu Zheng didn't resist the weak suction force from the painting. His entire body turned into a ray of light and merged into the small painting. Suddenly, Gu Zheng's figure appeared on the small painting.
Then, Painted Shadow placed the painting on top of her head. This way, Gu Zheng could see the outside clearly, and it would be more convenient for them to communicate. Only then did they crawl out of the crack.
Although Gu Zheng was hidden in the painting and couldn't use his divine sense to look outside, he could only rely on his eyes to look around. However, when he came out, he could clearly feel that the connection had tightened.
"The cave at the bottom left in the distance!" Gu Zheng said from the painting. He knew that Painted Shadow could hear him.
"Okay, be careful! Don't let out even a bit of your aura. Otherwise, we will be discovered in an instant. "
Painted Shadow's voice appeared in Gu Zheng's mind. She repeatedly reminded Gu Zheng to avoid the other party from coming out and ruining things.
Their current location was also halfway up the mountain. They needed to cross a considerable distance before they could reach the location Gu Zheng had mentioned.
That location was very inconspicuous. Moreover, there were many caves here. No one knew if they were dead ends or if there were other mysteries inside. However, Painted Shadow believed that Gu Zheng should be using the magic unique to the Illusion Race. He should be able to detect a trace of information that others couldn't easily detect.
Painted Shadow's body gradually became illusory. Her entire body turned into a pitch-black transparent fog. She attached herself to the stone below and was very inconspicuous.
Even if they scanned the area, they wouldn't be able to find any trace of her.
Painted Shadow carefully moved her body forward bit by bit. Her speed wasn't fast at all. It wasn't even one-tenth of her normal speed. However, she didn't attract any attention. Under Gu Zheng's worry, she actually managed to get close to the side in a short time.
"Rest for a while. Otherwise, if something happens inside, you won't be able to react at all."
After arriving at the entrance and confirming that Xiao Ying was inside, Gu Zheng said to Painted Shadow. He could feel her tiredness even from inside the painting.
"No, once I change back, the other party will definitely discover me. Help me keep an eye on her. We're already at this point, so I have to see that strange creature." Painted Shadow was a bit out of breath as she said.
Gu Zheng's heart stirred. A mass of Qi slowly came out of his body and filled the painting. Although it didn't replenish anything for Painted Shadow, it indirectly gave her some energy.
Perhaps she was too confident that no one could come here. This cave entrance didn't have any defensive measures, allowing Painted Shadow to smoothly sneak in from the side.
This made Gu Zheng secretly sigh at their luck. Even if there was only a shallow defensive formation, they still wouldn't be able to enter, let alone dig a passage from the side. That was even more impossible.
Even the passage outside had taken them thousands of years to dig it to such a small scale. Or perhaps it could be said that it was only the foundation.
The entire passage emitted a gloomy and cold aura. This made Gu Zheng, who was hiding in the painting, feel uncomfortable. On the other hand, Painted Shadow wasn't affected at all. Instead, she felt even more spirited. It seemed that this place was more suitable for her to adapt to.
The passage was very long, far longer than the time they had spent before. The surrounding aura was oppressive. At this time, even Painted Shadow couldn't be distracted by talking to avoid exposing her identity.
They didn't know how long they had walked in this long and narrow passage. Suddenly, the path in front of them widened. From where Gu Zheng was standing, he could see a bright place in the distance. Two silver Ghost Generals were standing guard there.
Behind him was Xiao Ying's position. He was immediately sure of this.
At the same time, Xiao Ying, who had completely turned into a black cocoon, suddenly raised her head. Her entire body had completely turned black, and her eyes were filled with black fog. A trace of green light suddenly emerged from her eyes, causing her sinking mind to become slightly clearer.
"Young master, you're here. I can't hold on any longer. I'll wait here for you to wake me up."
Raising her head to look at the door, Xiao Ying raised her arm with great difficulty and pointed at her chest with a trembling finger.
Just as she spoke, the green light in her eyes disappeared, and her arm drooped down. She fell unconscious again, and her body shone with a black light, tightly binding her.
However, in the deepest part of his heart, there was originally nothing there. The Demonic Soul did not have a so-called heart, but now there was a golden symbol hidden there. There was a trace of green light surrounding it, helping it to hide there and not be detected by the black fog.
However, just as Gu Zheng looked over, the two silver Ghost Generals seemed to sense him and looked over, scaring Gu Zheng so much that he immediately looked away to prevent them from noticing him.
Even so, the two Ghost Generals looked at each other, and the Ghost General on the left left its position and walked over, causing Gu Zheng to feel nervous.
This was because as long as the other party came here, even if the painting was hidden well, given the other party's cultivation, he would still be able to detect their presence.
As long as they lightly waved their hands, they wouldn't be able to resist at all and would be dealt with.
"Can we leave?" Gu Zheng asked anxiously.
They were already right in front of him, and he was so close. In the end, he had only glanced at them out of the corner of his eye, and had attracted their attention. He was really unwilling to be discovered like this.
"I can't. This area has been completely locked on by them. If I move, I will be discovered, unless …" Painted Shadow immediately denied.
She wasn't very worried. After all, even if she was discovered, her life wouldn't be in danger. However, if the other party discovered the hidden passage on her side, her heart would ache.
"Don't say unless, it'll be too late. Let's avoid them first, and then I'll agree to one of your conditions." Gu Zheng was even more anxious now. Seeing that the other party was still hesitating, he immediately urged.
"Alright!"
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