Yunzhong Commandery.
Yunzhong Commandery was located in the northeast of the Great Zhou. Within Yunzhong Commandery, there were very few plains. There were many forests and strange peaks. Peaks that were thousands of feet tall could be seen everywhere. The peaks were often shrouded in clouds, hence the name "Yunzhong".
Further east from Yunzhong Commandery was no longer within the Great Zhou. It did not even belong to the Zu Continent. Instead, it was Yingzhou.
Compared to Zu Continent, Yingzhou was just a barren land.
The environment of Yingzhou was harsh. There were many mountains, swamps, and poisonous miasma. There were no human countries. Even most daemons were unwilling to live there.
The border between Yunzhong Commandery and Yingzhou was an ancient mountain forest that stretched as far as the eye could see.
The trees in the forest were extremely lush. There were often giant trees that were dozens of feet tall, blocking out the sun. Poisonous miasma would begin to rise from the ground a hundred feet into the forest. The people of Yunzhong Commandery regarded this place as a forbidden area.
At this moment, a figure arrived from outside the forest. When he was about a hundred feet away from the forest, he slowly stopped and hovered in the air.
Li Mu held a jade talisman in his hand as he gazed into the depths of the forest.
He had used three days to travel all over Yunzhong Commandery. Shangguan Li's Life Talisman did not react at all.
Just as he was about to give up, the jade talisman in his hand suddenly gave off a warm feeling.
This meant that Shangguan Li was within fifty kilometers of him.
Li Mu followed the direction of the Life Talisman and found this place.
Li Mu frowned slightly as he gazed at the forest filled with poisonous miasma up ahead.
Stepping into the forest meant stepping into the territory of Yingzhou.
Yingzhou was different from Zu Continent. Since ancient times, it had been a barren land. The poisonous miasma was not suitable for humans to live in. It was not beneficial to cultivators either.
Apart from some poisonous insects and daemons, regular daemons were unwilling to enter this place.
The people of Yunzhong Commandery called the "Ancient Mountain Forest". The daemons born in this place would be nourished by the poisonous miasma from birth. Their intelligence would be eroded, making them more dangerous than regular daemons. They would occasionally run out and cause trouble for the people of Yunzhong Commandery.
No wonder there was no news from Shangguan Li. The terrain here was complicated, and the mountains were stacked on top of each other. Mr. Mei did not receive Shangguan Li's message, most likely because the signal was not good.
Shangguan Li was not far ahead. Li Mu did not hesitate too much and quickly flew into the forest.
At the same time, deep in the forest, in a valley.
Shangguan Li raised her head and looked up. The canopy of the ancient trees above her covered the sky and the sun. They had been trapped here for three days.
Along the way, Cui Ming had almost been caught several times, but he had managed to escape.
Later on, they were trapped here by Cui Ming's scheme.
Someone had set up a huge formation in this valley. This formation was extremely powerful. Entering the formation was very easy, but exiting it was harder than ascending to the heavens.
With the few of them working together and the Dharma treasure that His Majesty had bestowed upon her, they could even put up a fight against a powerhouse in the early stage of the Sixth Realm. However, they could not break this formation from the inside.
Not only that, this formation also blocked her from sending messages, causing her to completely lose contact with the Fairy's Capital.
In the past few days, Cui Ming and the person who set up the formation did not do anything to them. They only trapped them. It was likely that they wanted to wait for their magic power to be depleted so that they could get rid of them effortlessly.
A middle-aged woman walked over and shook her head. "It still won't work. They probably want to trap us to death, or use us as bait to kill more powerhouses from the imperial court."
The fact that Cui Ming was a spy from the Demon Sect had already caused the imperial court to lose a lot of face.
If he set up the imperial court again and caused the imperial court to lose even more powerhouses, not only would it cause the imperial court to lose even more prestige, it would also fuel the Demon Sect's arrogance.
Shangguan Li took out a piece of spiritual jade and held it in her hand. As she recovered her magic power, she said in a low voice, "I just hope that no one else will come …"
Outside the valley, on top of a mountain.
Cui Ming stood with his hands behind his back. The man wearing a black pearl crown glanced at him and asked, "Why don't you just kill them?"
Cui Ming said calmly, "It would be too much of a pity to kill them. Shangguan Li is the Empress' personal female official. Keeping her alive is more valuable than killing her. Moreover, only by keeping them alive can the imperial court send even more powerful powerhouses. When that time comes, we can take their souls and absorb their cultivation. Wouldn't the two of us be able to advance further?"
"You people from the Meizong Sect are really sinister and vicious." The man glanced at him and asked, "Aren't you afraid that you'll attract the most powerful powerhouses? When that time comes, the formation won't be able to trap them, and both of us will die."
Cui Ming smiled and said, "Don't worry. I know the imperial court better than the Meizong Sect. The number of powerhouses at the peak of the Sixth Realm in the imperial court can be counted on one hand. They can't come here. At most, they can only send the beginner Sixth Realm. You spent so much time to set up such a formation. It's not just to trap a few Fifth Realm powerhouses, right?"
The black-robed man glanced at him and said, "I'll say this first. Whether it's these people or those who come later, I don't want any of their Dharma treasures. However, I want all of their Soul Energy."
Cui Ming didn't think much and nodded. "I promise you."
After the two of them reached an agreement, the black-robed man fell silent for a moment and asked again, "You've been hiding in the Great Zhou court for so long. You must know a lot of secrets. About half a year ago, Chu Jiang Of Gojoseon died. Do you know what happened?"
Cui Ming shook his head and said, "This is a top secret in the imperial court. Other than the officials in the North County, I'm afraid only a few people in the imperial court know about it. Why? Is there a problem with Chu Jiang Of Gojoseon's death?"
The black-robed man said in a low voice, "His cultivation is slightly higher than mine. He hid in the North County for five years to use the Eighteen Hell Formation and sacrifice hundreds of thousands of people in the county city to reach the Sixth Realm. Once the Eighteen Hell Formation is set up, it can trap Dongxuan to death. Only Transcendents can break it. According to what I know, he clearly set up the Eighteen Hell Formation that night, but he still failed in the end …"
Cui Ming looked at the valley below and asked, "How is this formation compared to the Eighteen Hell Formation?"
There was a hint of pride in the black-robed man's voice. He said slowly, "Although I don't have 18 Ghost Generals under my command, this valley is a wonderful place to gather Yin. With a little use of the surrounding terrain, I can borrow the power of heaven and earth to set up this formation. Even a Sixth Realm expert would find it difficult to escape. It's only stronger than the Eighteen Hell Formation, not weaker …"
Cui Ming smiled and said, "Then there's no need to worry. If you can refine the souls of these people, I'm sure His Highness Emperor Song will be able to become the head of the Ten Kings of Hell, right?"
The black-robed man didn't speak again, but he snorted coldly in his heart.
His cultivation was already at the peak of the Spectral Soul Realm. He wasn't inferior to Chu Jiang Of Gojoseon at that time. If the Great Zhou court sent another Sixth Realm expert, then with the help of that person's soul power and these people in the battlefield, he had a glimmer of hope to take another step forward.
At that time, he wouldn't even have to bow down to the Nether Saint.
When Emperor Song thought of this, he couldn't help but smile. But in the next moment, his eyes moved slightly, and he said, "Hide your aura first. Someone is coming …"
…
Li Mu held Shangguan Li's Life Talisman in his hand as he flew all the way here.
Dangers lurked everywhere in this desolate mountain forest. Even cultivators couldn't inhale too much of the poisonous fog and miasma in the forest. He didn't know how many poisonous insects and ferocious beasts he encountered along the way.
These insects and beasts were nourished by the miasma, so it was very difficult for them to develop basic spiritual intelligence. But their strength couldn't be underestimated. It was impossible to guard against them, and they greatly delayed his search for Shangguan Li.
Li Mu flew in the air in the forest. The Life Talisman in his hand became hotter and hotter.
This meant that the distance between him and Shangguan Li was getting closer and closer.
When he flew to a certain valley, the Life Talisman in his hand was already burning hot.
This meant that Shangguan Li was near him.
In the valley, Shangguan Li looked at Li Mu who was floating in the air. Her expression changed, and she warned loudly, "Don't come over!"
Li Mu heard the voice and flew into the valley. Looking at Shangguan Li who was not far ahead, he asked, "What did you just say?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed something unusual and looked around.
Looking down from the valley, there seemed to be nothing unusual here.
But after landing in the valley, Li Mu immediately noticed that something was wrong.
There was no trace of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi here. There seemed to be a large formation around, blocking the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi outside. Li Mu flew out but encountered an invisible barrier.
He was trapped in a formation.
Shangguan Li covered her face with both hands. After a long time, she asked with a sullen expression, "How did you find this place? Is there anyone else?"
Li Mu waved the Life Talisman in his hand and threw it to Shangguan Li. "There's no one else. Sister Mei couldn't contact you. Coincidentally, I went back to the North County for a vacation, so I asked His Majesty for your Life Talisman and also looked for you. What's with this formation?"
Shangguan Li's expression turned ugly. "We fell into Cui Ming's trap and are trapped here."
She glanced at Li Mu and said, "I didn't expect that I would die with you …"
Li Mu also glanced at her and shook his head. "You may want to die, but I don't want to die."
He took out the spiritual snail and activated it with his mana. He tried to contact the Empress, but there was no response.
It seemed that this formation was the reason why Shangguan Li could not send messages.
Shangguan Li walked over and said, "We've been attacking this formation for three days, but there was no result. This formation can trap a Sixth Realm cultivator. Cui Ming used this to attract the strong cultivators of the Imperial Court. I didn't expect that the person who came was you …"
Her words made Li Mu very uncomfortable.
It was as if he was here to die for nothing.
It was not like he had never seen a formation that could trap a Sixth Realm cultivator to death. The last person, Chu Jiang Of Gojoseon, also set up a similar formation. Grass should have grown on his grave by now.
Li Mu might not have the ability to set up such a formation.
However, he had never been afraid of anyone who wanted him to destroy it.
The formation was not the main point. Li Mu looked at Shangguan Li and asked, "Where's Cui Ming?"
As Li Mu's voice fell, a burst of laughter suddenly came from outside the formation.
Cui Ming floated outside the formation, his face full of surprise. "Li Mu, it's actually you!"
Li Mu could tell that Cui Ming was very happy. Moreover, it was a joy that came from the bottom of his heart.
There was not even a hint of hatred on his face.
However, this was precisely the expression of hatred that was the deepest.
Li Mu made him lose his reputation and his official position. He made him a fourth-rank official and the son-in-law of a dynasty. In just a few days, he became a wanted criminal. He made him work so hard for 20 years, but in a single night, he was liberated. If Li Mu were in Cui Ming's shoes, he would also hate him.
When hatred reached the extreme, it would also turn into joy.
Of course, he was not happy because he was reunited with Li Mu after a long separation. He was happy because Li Mu had fallen into his hands.
The black-robed man floated beside Cui Ming and asked, "He's Li Mu, the Li Mu who caused you to end up like this?"
The smile on Cui Ming's face gradually disappeared. He looked at Li Mu with endless hatred and said, "When the time comes, don't kill him directly. I want him to suffer all kinds of torture in this world. Only then can I vent the hatred in my heart …"
He was just a fourth-level cultivator. Emperor Song did not take him seriously at all. He said, "Do as you wish."
Cui Ming floated in the air and sneered, "Li Mu, oh Li Mu. You didn't think that you would fall into my hands so soon, did you?"
Li Mu looked up at him and said disdainfully, "You're not the son-in-law anymore, and you still call yourself 'this prince'. The princess' residence has now taken someone else's surname. There's a new son-in-law who calls himself 'this prince'. He lives in your house and sleeps with your wife. Fortunately, you two don't have children. Otherwise, he would beat your children …"
Cui Ming's face became extremely gloomy. He gritted his teeth and said, "That bastard!"
Shangguan Li asked in a low voice, "Are you telling the truth?"
Li Mu said in a low voice, "I'm going to die anyway. Can't I just disgust him a little before I die?"
Cui Ming seemed to be really disgusted. His face darkened and he left without saying a word. He did not even mock Li Mu anymore.
Shangguan Li also did not say anything. She sat on a tree stump and stared blankly ahead. No one knew what she was thinking.
Li Mu sat beside her and asked, "Are you afraid of dying?"
Shangguan Li moved her butt to the side and said indifferently, "What's there to be afraid of dying? I just don't want Her Majesty to be sad."
Li Mu tilted his head and looked at her. He found that when she said this, her expression was very calm. It seemed that she really was not afraid.
This made him look at Shangguan Li in a new light. She was about to die, but she was still thinking about whether others would be sad. She truly loved the Empress. If it were Li Mu, he would definitely not be able to do this.
After a moment of silence, Shangguan Li took out a piece of Fu-lu from her sleeve and handed it to Li Mu.
Li Mu looked at her and asked, "What are you doing?"
Shangguan Li said expressionlessly, "This is a Heaven-grade Fu-lu. It can allow you to teleport hundreds of miles away. In a while, we will do our best to break this formation. You can immediately use this talisman to escape to the county city of Yunzhong County …"
Li Mu asked, "If you can break the formation, why don't you use it yourselves?"
Shangguan Li said indifferently, "If we explode our Primordial Spirits together, we can attack the weak points of this formation. We can break a hole in this formation. You can take the opportunity to escape."
The cultivation of Taoism cultivators was based on their Primordial Spirits. If their physical bodies died, their Primordial Spirits would not be destroyed and could be reborn. If their Primordial Spirits exploded, their souls would truly be destroyed.
Li Mu never thought that Shangguan Li would give her only chance to live to him.
She had always disliked him …
Li Mu looked at her and asked, "Why?"
Shangguan Li looked into the distance and said, "Her Majesty can do without us, but she can't do without you."
At this moment, Li Mu suddenly felt some admiration for Shangguan Li.
Although he did not like her much in the past, of course, he coveted her position more. He wanted to replace her and become the Empress' closest vassal. But now it seemed that in some matters, he would never be able to compare to Shangguan Li.
Not only could she give her life for the Empress, she could even give her life for her love rival … her political rival, who often competed with her for favor. It was enough to show her unadulterated loyalty to the Empress.
Shangguan Li finally looked at Li Mu and said, "If you can escape, I hope you can wholeheartedly assist Her Majesty in governing the Great Zhou so that Her Majesty can escape from that cage as soon as possible …"
Li Mu waved his hand and said, "You make it sound so serious. Isn't it just a broken formation? It's not a big deal …"
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