Wuxia: Starting Off With 60 Years of Inner Strength

He took one last look at Eternal Town and drew a deep breath.

"...You can’t just stand by and watch me die, can you?"

After saying this, he opened his eyes. They were filled with the desperate resolve of one facing death head-on.

With a flicker of his body, he gave chase.

The group stopped outside the walls of Eternal Town.

Jiang Ran looked back and saw that, surprisingly, no one was missing.

He couldn’t help but chuckle and said softly,

"Everyone be careful. We’re on our own now."

With that said, he pushed off the ground, and the Celestial Nine Steps flowed out naturally.

His figure blurred into a series of afterimages as he ascended.

In the blink of an eye, he had soared over the town wall.

Luo Qingyi had three signature skills: his Lightweight Technique, his fist techniques, and finally, the treasured heirloom clothes he wore.

His Lightweight Technique was even superior to Jiang Ran’s.

Back in Cangzhou Prefecture, he had used a throwing dart to deliver a message to Jiang Ran, who discovered him and gave chase.

If his Inner Energy hadn’t been weaker than Jiang Ran’s, Jiang Ran might not have been able to catch him at all.

Now, as he used it, its prowess was evident. He even made it look much more effortless than Jiang Ran’s Celestial Nine Steps.

As a master of the Shuiyue Sword Sect, Ruan Yuqing was naturally no ordinary martial artist.

Her movements were ethereal and graceful. With her sleeves fluttering, she landed right beside Jiang Ran.

Jiang Ran looked up just in time to see a figure descend from the sky, the tips of his toes tapping the ground without stirring even a speck of dust.

It was Li Tianxin!

Jiang Ran gave him a somewhat startled look.

"That Lightweight Technique... I’ve never seen you use it before."

"There’s a lot you haven’t seen."

Li Tianxin snorted. "I’ve always been one to hide my true skills."

Jiang Ran studied him for a moment, but he really couldn’t see what was so "hidden" about him.

He waited for another two breaths, but the Great Master did not appear.

After a moment of contemplation, Jiang Ran said,

"Let’s not wait... The Great Master isn’t on the same path as us, after all. He probably doesn’t intend to come in. Let’s go.

"I saw where that sedan chair went just now."

"Alright."

As the saying goes, since we’re here, we might as well see it through.

Before entering, they had all wrestled with their own thoughts, but now that they were actually inside, they felt much calmer.

Led by Jiang Ran, the group hurried toward the location of the eight-bearer sedan chair.

Along the way, there wasn’t a single soul in sight.

A short while later, they saw the bridal procession arrive before a palatial building.

It passed through the main gate and continued deep inside.

Just as Jiang Ran and the others were about to follow, they heard a thunderous CRASH.

The main gate had slammed shut.

Jiang Ran and the others exchanged a look and, without hesitation, leaped into the air and over the palace’s outer wall.

Once they landed inside, however, they found themselves trapped within a network of narrow alleys.

The alley walls were deep crimson, engraved with golden patterns.

"This..."

Luo Qingyi frowned slightly. "What is this place?"

"When we were outside, did you get a clear look at the name of this palace?"

Li Tianxin asked hurriedly.

Ruan Yuqing shook her head. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Jiang Ran say,

"It’s called... the Ghost King Palace!"

"The Ghost King Palace?"

Ruan Yuqing’s brows knitted together. "Why does that sound... somewhat familiar..."

"You’ve heard of it?"

Jiang Ran quickly asked.

Ruan Yuqing nodded, then shook her head.

"I think I have, but... I can’t remember."

Jiang Ran pondered for a moment. A thought suddenly struck him, and he was about to reach out and grab Ruan Yuqing.

But then he heard Luo Qingyi shout angrily,

"Who’s there?"

’Someone’s here?’

Jiang Ran froze. ’Why didn’t I hear anything?’

He saw that Luo Qingyi had already taken off, his fists clenched. In a flash, he reached the end of the alley and roared,

"Where do you think you’re going!?"

A thought raced through Jiang Ran’s mind:

’This is bad... Don’t chase him!’

He shot forward, his steps swift, but by the time he reached the mouth of the alley, Luo Qingyi was already gone.

He immediately leaped into the air to survey the area.

A living person couldn’t possibly vanish into thin air like that.

But to his left and right were only more narrow alleys, with no sign of Luo Qingyi whatsoever.

From his high vantage point, he quickly looked back toward Ruan Yuqing and Li Tianxin.

He found Ruan Yuqing still standing there, but Li Tianxin was nowhere to be seen...

"Where’s Li Tianxin?"

Jiang Ran leaped back and asked urgently.

Ruan Yuqing looked at Jiang Ran strangely.

"Young Hero Li is right here."

She pointed at an empty spot and asked Jiang Ran,

"What’s wrong with you? Can’t you see him?"

Jiang Ran let out a soft breath and took Ruan Yuqing’s wrist.

He channeled his internal art. A flicker of confusion passed through Ruan Yuqing’s eyes. When she came back to her senses, she discovered that the Li Tianxin who had supposedly been standing right beside her, holding his saber and waving at Jiang Ran, had vanished like a puff of smoke!

"This..."

Ruan Yuqing’s expression changed drastically.

"The Ghost King Palace!!

"This is the ’Mind-Bewitching Ghost Wall’ of the Ghost King Palace!"

"The Mind-Bewitching Ghost Wall?"

Jiang Ran studied Ruan Yuqing. "You remember things about the Ghost King Palace now?"

Ruan Yuqing nodded repeatedly.

"I must have been deceived by the Mind-Bewitching Ghost Wall just now. I completely forgot all the rumors about the Ghost King Palace...

"But even now that I remember, the rumors about this place are still few and far between.

"I only know that a Ghost King resides within this Ghost King Palace.

"The Ghost King’s martial arts are unfathomably profound, and he seems to have intricate ties to the Heartless Ghost Mansion.

"And according to those who claim to have escaped from the Ghost King Palace, the entire place is enveloped by the Mind-Bewitching Ghost Wall.

"Step inside, and you’ll be trapped in a ghostly domain where everything you see and hear is a mixture of truth and illusion.

"Therefore, you cannot trust what you see with your eyes, nor can you trust what you hear with your ears.

"Only by doing so is there a sliver of hope for escaping the Ghost King Palace alive."

"What a ’Mind-Bewitching Ghost Wall’..."