On the other hand, although Dahuang Empress Ji Liuyun ordered a lockdown on news regarding Lu Ning, rumors of all kinds spread throughout the entire Northern Domain at an unbelievable speed.
The news that Tianmo Sect Master Lu Ning had appeared outside the Heavenly Capital of the Dahuang Dynasty and severely injured a Mahayana Perfection expert of the dynasty with a single palm sent shockwaves throughout the Northern Domain’s cultivation world.
Everyone who heard this news reacted with disbelief at first.
It was just too outrageous!
Hadn’t Tianmo Sect Master Lu Ning been ambushed by the three righteous leaders, suffering severe injuries and a regression in cultivation?
How could he possibly still possess such terrifying power?
Severely injuring a Mahayana Perfection expert with one palm?
What a joke!
That was a Mahayana Perfection cultivator!
Even another expert at the same level couldn’t have accomplished it so effortlessly.
However, more and more details began to surface.
For instance, the Dahuang Dynasty suddenly announced an indefinite lockdown of the imperial city, refusing all outside visitors.
Also, someone had used a Recording Stone from a distance to capture the earth-shattering scene at the time.
Although the image was blurry, the overwhelming, world-destroying pressure could still make one’s heart tremble with fear even through the stone.
Gradually, more people began to believe that this seemingly absurd news was likely true.
For a time, the entire Northern Domain was once again plunged into panic because of the name of that great demon.
That man… That demon who once single-handedly suppressed the entire Northern Domain, making it impossible for anyone to lift their heads… He was back!
And he was even more unfathomable and terrifying than before!
…..
Xuantiān Holy Land, Sect Master Peak.
Upon receiving this news, the Xuantiān Sect Master dropped and shattered her favorite glazed jade cup.
Her exquisitely beautiful face was now filled with terror and disbelief.
“Impossible… This is absolutely impossible!” she cried out, her voice trembling.
“We clearly gravely injured him back then. How could he have recovered his strength in such a short time, even surpassing his former self?”
Beside her, the Manor Lord of Wanjian Mountain Manor and the Pavilion Master of Miaoyin Pavilion also wore extremely grim expressions.
They had paid a heavy price to ambush Lu Ning back then.
Thinking they had eradicated the threat forever, they never imagined this demon not only survived but had become even more terrifying.
“What do we do now?”
The Miaoyin Pavilion Master’s voice carried a hint of a sob.
They had offended Lu Ning deeply back then.
Given that demon’s vengeful nature, once he had a free hand, the first ones he would settle scores with would undoubtedly be the three of them, the “chief culprits.”
The mere thought of that man possibly showing up at their doorstep at any moment sent chills down their spines.
“Stop panicking!” The Xuantiān Sect Master forcefully suppressed the fear in her heart and shouted sternly.
“As formidable as he is, the combined strength of our three holy lands is not to be trifled with either! Immediately relay my order: activate the mountain-protecting grand formation! All disciples are forbidden from leaving! Enter the highest state of alert! Furthermore, send people immediately to contact other righteous sects, and also the Dahuang Dynasty! I refuse to believe that no matter how powerful Lu Ning is, he can oppose the entire world!”
Although the Xuantiān Sect Master’s voice was loud, her slightly trembling hands betrayed the fear in her heart.
She knew a storm of blood and violence that would sweep across the entire Northern Domain was imminent.
And the source of it all was simply the return of that man.
When Lu Ning regained her senses, the sound of clear birdsong reached her ears.
She slowly opened her heavy eyelids.
What greeted her was a stretch of azure sky and a few willow branches swaying in the wind.
She found herself lying on a patch of soft grass, surrounded by blooming exotic flowers and unusual plants.
Not far away, a crystal-clear stream gurgled as it flowed.
Where… is this place?
Lu Ning struggled to sit up but found her entire body devoid of strength.
[Ding! Warning! The host is in the mandatory period of weakness following the use of the ‘Equal Match Experience Card.’ All attributes are significantly reduced, and meridians are severely damaged. The host is advised to begin recuperation as soon as possible.]
The system prompt sounded in her mind, causing Lu Ning’s heart to sink heavily.
She instinctively turned her senses inward to examine her own body.
The situation was even worse than she had imagined.
Within her Dantian and Qi Sea, the Golden Core she had painstakingly formed with Gu Qinghuan’s “help” now appeared dull and lustrous.
It was even covered in fine, dense cracks, as if it might shatter at any moment.
Her meridians were even more atrophied and ruptured, not much better than after she was besieged by the three righteous leaders.
The price for that one-minute experience card was simply too great.
[System, where am I now?] Lu Ning asked in her mind.
[Ding! Conducting spatial positioning…]
[Positioning complete! The host’s current location is: Northern Domain, Baihuagu Restricted Area – Fallen Immortal Ravine.]
Bai… Baihuagu?
Hearing these three words, Lu Ning’s mind instantly went blank.
After all her calculations, she never expected her random ultra-long-distance teleportation would so accurately deliver her right into Su Yuexi’s territory!
This was truly like escaping a dragon’s pool only to fall into a tiger’s den!
No, this was even more terrifying than a tiger’s den!
Ji Linglong might be insane, but her mind was relatively simple.
As long as you went along with her and indulged her, there was basically no mortal danger.
Gu Qinghuan might be a rebellious disciple, but her morbid possessiveness towards Lu Ning, at least to some degree, ensured Lu Ning wouldn’t be killed by her.
But Su Yuexi was different!
This woman, in the later stages of the game, was decisive in killing, ruthless, and vicious.
Her hatred for Lu Ning, this “enemy,” was carved into her bones.
If she were to discover Lu Ning in this current state, utterly powerless… the consequences…
Just thinking about it made Lu Ning shudder with fear.
No! I must leave this place immediately!
However, just as she struggled to get up, the system’s voice sounded again.
[Ding! New main quest issued: Survive in Baihuagu.]
[Quest Description: Please survive in this location. Upon quest settlement, rewards will be issued based on a comprehensive evaluation of the host’s survival time and quest completion rate.]
[Quest Hint: The most dangerous place is often also the safest.]
After seeing the newly issued system quest, Lu Ning felt she had to earn a wave of rewards from the system.
Otherwise, leaving Baihuagu without some means of self-preservation would still be far too dangerous.
Right at that moment, she suddenly remembered another reward she had obtained upon settling the quest back in the Dahuang Imperial Palace.
[The ‘Flawless’ Disguise Mask!]
This item was practically a lifesaving straw tailor-made for her current situation, perfect for hiding right under their noses.
She immediately issued a command to the system in her mind.
[System! Use the ‘Flawless’ Disguise Mask immediately!]
[Ding! ‘Flawless’ Disguise Mask has been used.]
As the system prompt sounded, a mask as thin as a cicada’s wing and nearly transparent materialized before Lu Ning, then slowly fused into her face.
A cool sensation instantly spread throughout her body.
Lu Ning felt her bones, even the aura she emitted, undergoing some miraculous changes.
She looked down at her hands and found that the originally slender, fair hands had become slightly rougher, with more distinct knuckles.
She hurriedly crawled to the nearby stream and used the clear water to examine her current appearance.
The water’s reflection showed a completely unfamiliar face.
It was a face that looked to be in her early twenties, utterly ordinary, even somewhat plain and unremarkable.
The features weren’t ugly, but combined, they held nothing remarkable.
It was the type you’d forget the moment she disappeared into a crowd.
The only slightly distinctive feature was the pair of eyes.
Perhaps due to Lu Ning’s soul, the eyes remained clear and bright, but they were now shrouded by an aura of icy indifference.
Paired with this plain face, it instead gave off an aloof, unapproachable vibe.
Beyond her appearance, her entire demeanor had undergone a dramatic transformation.
That feminine softness and beauty were completely concealed, replaced by a sharpness akin to an unsheathed sword.
Even the spiritual energy fluctuations she emitted changed from the originally mixed gray-white disguise to a type of sword essence carrying the aura of Geng Metal.
Now, she looked entirely like a solitary, cold, and aloof female sword cultivator, taciturn and single-mindedly focused on cultivation.
“Not bad.”
Lu Ning looked at the reflection in the water and nodded in satisfaction.
The disguise mask had altered her appearance according to her mental image, and the effect was even better than she had imagined.
Undetectable by anyone below the Ascension Realm—this meant even if Su Yuexi stood before her, she would absolutely not recognize her.
[Since I’m changing my identity, I need a new name.]
Lu Ning stroked her chin, pondering for a moment.
[I’ll be called Lu Fan.]