Chapter 110

Chapter 110: Seeking a Way Out

Yun Xi was busy sending Qin Tong Shuang silent messages, breaking down Ming Ya’s carefully hidden tricks within her “tea-like” words, pointing out traps and pitfalls so clearly that Qin Tong Shuang’s eyes widened in surprise.

But suddenly, everyone stopped talking and turned toward Zhou Lang Chen. His jade token at his waist had suddenly begun to glow strangely.

Zhou Lang Chen brushed his fingers across the jade, his eyes brightening with relief. He lifted his head and said, “I’ve just received a message from my fellow disciple junior brother. This token will guide us to join them.”

Without waiting for a reply, he quickly judged the direction, and in a flash, his figure dashed forward first.

The others hurried to keep pace. A message meant others were here too, and joining them quickly might give everyone more clues about their strange situation.

After traveling just a short distance, Yun Xi realized where they were headed—the City Lord’s estate.

“Senior Sister Mu,” Yun Xi whispered, “We’re heading to the City Lord’s residence.”

“I noticed,” Mu Ning Zhu answered quietly, “Let’s watch carefully first.”

Clearly, Mu Ning Zhu had realized this as well.

Almost half an hour later, they saw Zhou Lang Chen finally meet up with two other cultivators wearing robes of the Famed Sword Sect. The three were extremely emotional upon seeing each other.

After exchanging hurried words, Zhou Lang Chen turned back and shouted, “We must hurry! After sunset, everywhere except the City Lord’s residence will collapse, crushing anyone who remains outside!”

Their hearts jolted with fear at this revelation. Without hesitation, Mu Ning Zhu tossed out her flying sword, pulling Zhang Yan onto it to swiftly skim forward, keeping close to the ground.

Seeing Mu Ning Zhu’s cautious approach, Yun Xi quickly followed suit, pulling Qin Tong Shuang aboard her own sword and gliding along at ground level.

Qin Tong Shuang muttered unhappily, “When we get back to the sect, I’ll definitely break through to Foundation Establishment!”

Yun Xi pressed her lips together, feeling lucky she had already achieved Foundation Establishment.

Zuo Die’er and Ming Ya were both Foundation Establishment cultivators, each using their own flying swords. But Zuo Die’er flew slightly higher and immediately activated a restriction, knocking her painfully to the ground.

Ming Ya had no choice but to stop and help her foolish friend, while Yun Xi and Qin Tong Shuang exchanged knowing glances, quietly thinking how naïve and silly this Zuo Die’er truly was.

Large cultivation cities usually had flying bans to prevent accidents, yet Zuo Die’er had made such an obvious mistake.

When everyone finally entered the City Lord’s estate safely, Zuo Die’er rushed tearfully toward Zhou Lang Chen seeking comfort. But Zhou Lang Chen barely spared her two hurried words before turning to question his junior brothers from the Famed Sword Sect.

Yun Xi and her companions stayed quiet, attentively listening, intent on gathering as much information as possible.

Just then, nearly a hundred cultivators emerged from inside the estate, all looking toward the newcomers with expressions of shared sympathy and misfortune.

It took another hour before Yun Xi and the others fully understood their predicament.

Every cultivator trapped here shared similar experiences, though some hadn’t been sent here after attempting to leave Twin Peaks City. Instead, they’d simply lost consciousness, waking directly in this strange, empty replica known as Hollow City.

Initially, they’d found themselves alone, exploring aimlessly. Then suddenly, the city had begun violently shaking as if crushed by another dimension overlapping their own. Many cultivators died tragically before discovering the City Lord’s estate was the only safe haven from this strange spatial pressure.

Now, each day, the Hollow City returned to normal by morning, and the trapped cultivators ventured out once more, desperately searching for a way home. They quickly discovered communication charms couldn’t reach outside this space—only internal messages worked.

Finally, cultivators from the Famed Sword Sect managed to use their identity tokens to send out distress messages from within the City Lord’s estate. Yet even those who answered the call ended up trapped as well.

“Senior Brother Zhou, this is what happened. What should we do now?”

Zhou Lang Chen’s brows furrowed deeply in thought, unable to offer an immediate solution.

The other cultivators looked equally uncertain.

Yun Xi cleared her throat softly, breaking the silence, “This fellow daoist, may I ask exactly where you sent out the distress message?”

The cultivator from the Famed Sword Sect glanced at Yun Xi’s young, tender face, then respectfully answered, “We tried everywhere in Hollow City, but only messages sent from the City Lord’s residence managed to reach outside.”

Yun Xi exchanged a knowing glance with Mu Ning Zhu before looking toward Zhou Lang Chen.

Quick to catch on, Zhou Lang Chen lifted his head, “Fellow Daoist Wei, you mean the City Lord’s estate acts as a bridge between two spaces, allowing messages through?”

“Exactly. Earlier, didn’t Fellow Daoist Zhou also mention wanting to investigate the City Lord’s estate?” Yun Xi replied softly, adding, “Perhaps the mastermind behind this realized we were catching on, and purposely sent us here.”

“Young fellow daoist,” interrupted a charming female cultivator wearing a violet robe, her alluring eyebrows slightly raised, “you’ve also noticed everyone around keeps repeating the same first-day experience of entering the city?”

“Yes,” Yun Xi responded sweetly, “Did this pretty elder sister notice it too?”

“Naturally,” the violet-robed cultivator smiled seductively, “My cultivation art emphasizes spiritual sense far stronger than the physical body. It’s impossible for anyone to erase my memories.”

As the woman approached gracefully, Mu Ning Zhu quickly sent Yun Xi a quiet warning, “This cultivator is from Blossoming Harmony Sect. Their cultivation techniques charm and manipulate through powerful spiritual sense. Be cautious around her—don’t let her trick you into losing your purity.”

Yun Xi promptly nodded in understanding.

The cultivator from Blossoming Harmony Sect, assuming Yun Xi had similarly strong spiritual abilities, asked curiously, “How did you realize what was happening?”

She wasn’t dismissive, but Yun Xi looked far too young for her divine sense to be superior.

Yun Xi shyly smiled, responding softly, “My family elders care deeply for me and left an imprint on my soul.”

This clever explanation subtly warned everyone she had powerful clan patriarchs behind her, deterring unwanted trouble.

“I see.” The cultivator smiled knowingly.

Zhou Lang Chen summarized sharply, “So, combining all our clues: there’s a powerful hidden cultivator within Twin Peaks City, forcibly erasing outsiders’ first-day memories to trap them. Anyone who notices and tries leaving ends up transported here, effectively preventing news from spreading.”

He paused briefly, adding, “The City Lord’s residence is the only place overlapping both spaces safely. Thus, we must find an exit within the estate.”

The violet-robed woman nodded approvingly, “Precisely, Fellow Daoist Zhou. But we’ve already searched this place countless times, top to bottom.”

Zhou Lang Chen’s junior brother sighed heavily, “Senior Brother, she’s right. The earliest among us have already been stuck here for over a month. There’s nowhere left to search.”

Yun Xi suddenly interjected thoughtfully, “Could it be we’re waiting for a certain special moment or event before something is revealed?”