Chapter 96 - Chapter 96: 096, [Guardian in the Instance]

Chapter 96: 096, [Guardian in the Instance]

Translator: 549690339

Seeing Lu Xun nonchalantly jump into the well, Ji Li also closed her eyes and followed him down.

Then, she felt as though her body had punctured a thick membrane, and with a soft pop, the force of her fall was dissipated.

Her body was then enveloped in a warm current of air and gently drawn to the ground.

Amazing!

When she opened her eyes, she was shocked by the sight in front of her!

It was as though she had plunged into a hidden world at the bottom of the well!

She saw a massive stone door and wondered what could be inside.

The surrounding area was vast with a few small houses built around.

“Could the ground beneath Qingling City be hollow?” Ji Li pondered.

She was right, the underground of Qingling City… was indeed hollow.

The city sat upon the shell of a mystical turtle, a fact rather than a legend.

So, they were actually inside the turtle shell!

And of course, the inside of a turtle shell is hollow.

It was evident that the mystical turtle and the Demon Sect shared a common history. However, even Lu Xun did not fully understand this connection. Perhaps there were untold stories yet to be revealed by the players.

Within the Turtle’s Longevity, a few disciples guarded the realm, yet they lacked strength and merely handled minor affairs.

The most important guardian was the one referred to as “Guardian”!

The moment they appeared, patrolling disciples immediately approached to question them.

Lu Xun drew out his badge from the Small Study, and a chorus of respectful greetings rang out.

“We greet the Young Elder.”

Lu Xun’s identity was easy to recognise – his badge from the Small Study combined with his striking beauty equaled the youngest elder of the Demon Sect.

The greetings were so loud that they startled the Guardian. A man in a black robe appeared before Lu Xun amidst a flash of black light. He had an odd-looking protruding mouth and a bald head, much like Shen Yan. However, unlike Shen Yan who lacked even eyelashes, this man had eyebrows.

These two could have an online ugliness contest, as they each had unique ugly features.

This was the Guardian of the Turtle’s Longevity, not a human but a demon, a Crocodile Demon.

Legend has it that he was once indebted to Senior Yanli, and in repayment, he had been standing guard here for many years.

Despite his ghastly look, he possessed unfathomable strength. As long as he was there, no incidents were reported within the Turtle’s Longevity.

“Elder E.” The disciples greeted him, usually referring to him as Elder E.

Elder E scrutinised Lu Xun from head to toe, then clucked his tongue in admiration. “So you’re the new disciple Master took in? Handsome lad, you’re even more striking than Yanli. Incredible.”

His voice was loud and somewhat piercing.

He seemed to remember something, then said to Lu Xun, “Young lad, how’s life on the Mountain… huh? Hehe!”

There was some playfulness in Elder E’s expression.

“Thank you for your concern, Elder E. I’m very well. Both my seniors treat me quite well,” Lu Xun replied with a smile.

“Both your seniors? Master isn’t on the mountain?” Elder E was surprised.

“Yes, Master hasn’t returned to the mountain,” Lu Xun honestly answered.

“I see, I see,” muttered Elder E, not making much sense.

Lu Xun didn’t quite understand.

Did he mean Lu Xun was having a good time because the Master wasn’t on the mountain?

But what did that have to do with Lu Xun being more handsome than Yan Yanli?

But Elder E didn’t seem keen to delve deeper into the subject. Even behind closed doors, no one dared gossip about the Master. This demon was no exception.

“Boy, are you two here for the trial?” asked Elder E.

Lu Xun nodded.

“Who’s first?” Elder E asked again.

Lu Xun wanted to go first, but Ji Li beat him to it. “Sir, I would like to go first!”

The reason Ji Li wanted to move first was that she noticed the wooden plaques hanging on the wall, filled with names. It looked like a…ranking board?

Exactly, it was a ranking board. The ranking board had a hundred spaces. If your performance during the trials was outstanding, you could make the board.

Ji Li wanted to go first to pave the way for Lu Xun, then tell him about the inside details. This should aid him during the trial, and perhaps help him rank higher on the leaderboard.

Having no idea about the actual conditions inside the Turtle’s Longevity, Ji Li thought Lu Xun’s eminent status warranted a high rank. Otherwise, he might feel disgraced?

Contrary to Ji Li’s assumption, Lu Xun had a grasp of what went on inside the Turtle’s Longevity. He had read through several forum posts and was mentally prepared.

But he was determined to make it to the ranking board.

Not only did he plan to rank, but also rank impressively!

Because once ranked, the game gave rewards. The higher the rank, the more plentiful the rewards!

Typically, the reward was experience points. Despite the Turtle’s Longevity being a trial ground only accessible to players below level 20, the experience reward was substantial.

Lu Xun craved experience points. He wanted to level up to over 10, to move past the Qi Consumption stage and step into the Initial Realm, where controlling objects and flying was possible.

“Then I can fly and let the magical weapons whisk me around. Just the thought of it makes me feel ecstatic,” he reflected.

If Ji Li wanted to go first, Lu Xun had no objection. Instead, he started focusing on the names on the leaderboard.

Xiao Ran appeared to have attempted the trial, ranking second. True to Luotian Sect’s top seed and future Chief Disciple, he asserted his presence in another sect’s trial ground and still managed to rank second.

Thankfully, the first-place was still held by a member of the Demon Sect, which saved them some face.

And the person ranked first was someone he knew all too well.

Ranked first was Gu Xiaoman, his second senior sister.

To this day, she was the only one who had completed the trials successfully!

The trial seems to have a long history, even my second senior sister has attempted it.

Mao Nanbei hasn’t come to the Turtle’s Longevity, which made sense. When she transformed, her strength was already beyond the second realm, disqualifying her from the trial conditions.

As for why his Third Senior hadn’t come, Lu Xun did not know. Zhuge Lai Fu, the third member of the group, would have surely made it to the rank if he attempted, wouldn’t he?

Under the guidance of the disciples from the Demon Sect, Ji Li walked toward the stone door, marking the start of her trials. Elder E and Lu Xun had a brief chat before Elder E disappeared. No one knows where he went.

With nothing to do, Lu Xun found a spot to sit and meditate. After closing his eyes, he began surfing the internet for interesting news.

“Sigh, fewer and fewer girls are sharing their photos on the forum. The number of guys in drag is increasing, though. What’s happening to our society?” Lu Xun expressed his thoughts as he scrolled through the forum.

Suddenly, a post rapidly growing in popularity caught his attention.

The comments on the post were multiplying swiftly, indicating that it was going to be a hot topic – probably on the level of the Knight Guild posting Lu Xun’s handsome photos on the forum.

A look at the title stirred Lu Xun’s curiosity.