The No.1 Undercover in the Immortal World-Chapter 609 - 117 The Wish-Fulfilling Treasure

"Ruyi, Ruyi, follow my heart’s desire, change a thousand times, gather and disperse at will..."

Zhen Li subconsciously murmured the sounds emitted from the Jade Ruyi, and in a moment, the words she recited flew out one by one from the Jade Ruyi, hovering in front of Zhen Li. She could feel that these words indeed contained some kind of magical power, a power that could change at will according to her heart’s desire.

Seeing the three people struggling in the water, Zhen Li had no time to think further.

If it was up to her will, could she not save them?

No sooner had Zhen Li thought this, the words merged into one and then split into three streams. Three rays of light rushed toward Lu Lihua, Bai Gan, and Gao Qing, each transforming into a bubble, enveloping them in its midst.

The three gasped for breath. Since they had stepped into the realm of cultivation, this was the first time they had felt such pain and the first time they realized how fragile human life really was. When disaster struck, they didn’t even have the power to struggle.

Seeing that the three were rescued, Zhen Li finally breathed a sigh of relief.

This Jade Ruyi was an unknown treasure, but it was indeed powerful.

However, although their crisis had been lifted, the mishap continued unabated. Water kept spraying from beneath the boat, initially colorless, so Zhen Li and the others did not detect its source at first. Gradually, the water spraying from beneath the boat turned azure.

The ship trembled and swayed constantly, with ever more water splashing out—a water filled with the aura of destruction that made Zhen Li and the others feel a deep unease.

"Let’s get out of here quickly!"

Realizing that Zhen Li was their pillar of support, Lu Lihua and the others quickly gathered by her side.

As expected of someone from the Taiqing Daoist Temple, impressive indeed!

Zhen Li had never imagined that there would come a time when she would be someone else’s pillar to hold onto. She had always been the weakest among them; so this was what it felt like to be relied upon.

It was precisely because she was relied upon, that Zhen Li also felt the heavy responsibility on her shoulders.

Now, Lu Lihua and the others wanted to leave, but the azure water gradually surrounded them. To leave on their own could be dangerous; naturally, they stayed close to Zhen Li, whose vicinity hadn’t been inundated.

In the Cultivation World, clinging to a powerful ally wasn’t considered shameful.

Yet, Zhen Li didn’t have a good way to deal with the destructive-water, so she had to place her hope in the Jade Ruyi.

"Ruyi, Ruyi, follow my heart’s desire..."

Once again, Zhen Li recited the incantation and words flew out of the Jade Ruyi. They felt a powerful force ushering them through the barrier of azure water, across the waterways of Cloud Dream Marsh, and then through the Great Mist, finally taking them to shore.

The four fell onto the ground. Lu Lihua and the others got up. The Great Mist was nowhere to be seen, clearly close by, but none of them had the courage to turn back now.

Turning around, Lu Lihua was about to thank Zhen Li, but she discovered Zhen Li had already passed out. The Jade Ruyi, which only required the incantation to unleash its magical power, lay fallen on the grass beside them.

It seemed that the Jade Ruyi was not so easy to use; utilizing the Jade Ruyi required a certain price to be paid. But for something that could save lives at a critical moment, who cared what the price was!

Money tempts the heart. Lu Lihua had to admit that she too was tempted.

She slowly walked over to Zhen Li’s side and with great determination, picked up the Jade Ruyi and placed it back into Zhen Li’s hand.

"We shouldn’t linger here too long, let’s hurry back and report what happened here to the Palace Master!"

Lu Lihua was not the only one who coveted the Jade Ruyi; Bai Gan and Gao Qing felt the same.

But the two of them had slightly different attitudes.

"I just want to borrow the Ruyi for a bit. Since it changes with the heart’s desire, I wonder if it could help me find my brother."

"Lu Lihua probably wouldn’t agree, right?"

"Given her meager cultivation level, we could easily take it without her noticing."

"No, Lu Lihua is a friend. Stealing from someone else, when Lu Lihua finds out, she will surely get angry."

"I’ll just use it for a bit and return it later!"

"Don’t fool me!"

The two had a covert dialogue, finally agreeing on a consensus.

But as they were about to act, a streak of sword light descended.

The newcomer was none other than Wang Wanqiu, who had been roaming Cloud Dream Marsh for some time. She had already sent a message back, but not content, she continued searching the marsh. Fortune favors the diligent, and she finally felt a surge of power and hurried over, now facing Lu Lihua.

Then she saw Gao Qing and Bai Gan.

The world is indeed small.

Wang Wanqiu recognized them, knowing they were from the Southern Border. It was ironic that although they were in Ziyang City, Wang Wanqiu had never seen them; Wang Wanqiu was among the higher-ups who mainly dealt with the middle tier, while Gao Qing and Bai Gan were considered lower tier.

"You two, how come you are here?"

Wang Wanqiu asked coldly, "A stranger’s heart must differ." The hardships she had suffered in the Southern Border were not forgotten by Wang Wanqiu; while her vengeance had been taken, she still had no fondness for those who cultivated Gu worms.

Her mentor had disappeared for thirty years just because of a Gu worm, and her mentor’s master had taken his own life for vengeance—and Lin Yun had been afflicted by the Azure Dragon Gu Worm...

With all this in mind, even if she hadn’t been in distress in the Southern Border, she would have already been hostile toward Gu cultivators, let alone having suffered at their hands.

Sensing Wang Wanqiu’s undisguised intent to kill, Gao Qing’s heart went cold.

Wang Wanqiu’s arrival was terribly ill-timed. Had they obtained the Jade Ruyi, they might have stood a chance against her. Now, with their strength, they were nothing more than easy prey.

Lu Lihua was somewhat perplexed to see Wang Wanqiu locking horns with her two friends.

From the looks of it, Wang Wanqiu clearly knew Bai Gan and Gao Qing.

"What’s going on?"

"Those two are from the Southern Border, and neither holds a low status. Coming to the Central Plains, who knows what they’re plotting."

Wang Wanqiu’s one hand rested behind her back, and she had already pinched a sword-gesture.

Although her cultivation level had soared exponentially, allowing her to win battles without resorting to tricks, Wang Wanqiu’s mindset hadn’t shifted, she was still so professional when it came to assassinations and stealth attacks.

Bai Gan and Gao Qing had underestimated the outsiders. The Central Plains was a slippery place, with treacherously complex human hearts.

There wasn’t a single simple soul to be found; the higher the cultivation, the more scheming each person was.

Who would have thought that a powerhouse close to the Defiant Heavenly Realm would choose to launch a surprise attack against two mid-realm cultivators?

However, Lu Lihua was not deceived by Wang Wanqiu’s actions. Sensing Wang Wanqiu’s murderous intent and the lethal move she was preparing, Lu Lihua quickly intervened, "Elder Wan Qiu, they are my friends, not bad people."

"Heh? You’re too naive. Just now, I could feel their ill intentions towards you. You should know, ’those who are not of our kind, have different hearts.’"

Wang Wanqiu still didn’t realize what kind of demon she was, but she could sense the evil thoughts in people’s hearts.

Although she couldn’t detect Bai Gan’s malicious thoughts, since the two were in league, they obviously couldn’t be treated differently.

Lu Lihua felt somewhat bewildered, as she no longer knew whom to trust.

But just to let Wang Wanqiu kill them, Lu Lihua felt her conscience would not sit right with it.

"Elder, they are both disciples of Guanghan Palace. How to deal with them should be decided by our Palace Master alone."

In the end, Lu Lihua chose to speak up and save Bai Gan and Gao Qing. By invoking the name of Guanghan Palace, she instantly dissipated the Sword Qi that Wang Wanqiu had been ready to unleash.

She watched Lu Lihua coldly and said with a flick of her sleeve, "You truly are someone Palace Master Jiang has taken notice of; you have guts indeed. But I will report today’s events to your Palace Master in full detail."

Wang Wanqiu was not one to act recklessly without concern for the consequences; even though she was in the right, she would consider the bigger picture.

Now that Shenxiao Sect and Guanghan Palace had once again become strategic allies, for the sake of command convenience, a Shenxiao Sect member like her could arrange for Guanghan Palace members to do things. But as Lu Lihua said, only Guanghan Palace should punish its disciples. If she killed a disciple of Guanghan Palace, no matter the reason, it could cause more distrust between the two sects, which were already not very close.

Feeling Wang Wanqiu’s scrutinizing gaze, Lu Lihua felt tingles on her scalp. She knew very well how formidable Wang Wanqiu was—an Elder Lin Yu’s disciple from the mighty Shenxiao Sect, and her own cultivation seemed very high too. Offending such a powerful figure, she feared she would suffer in the future.

From Wang Wanqiu’s demeanor, one could tell she was not one to harbor broad-mindedness.

However, in this life, there were inevitably certain things one must do.

Even if it meant being targeted later on, Lu Lihua had no regrets.

"Elder, rest assured, I will also explain the whole situation to the Palace Master, and I am willing to take full responsibility for everything," she said resolutely, and Bai Gan was moved.

The people from outside are all so righteous!

"That’s what you said."

Wang Wanqiu’s expression remained frosty, and then, she threw out her Spirit Sword which quickly grew large enough to carry several people.

"Get on, and don’t force my hand!"

Wang Wanqiu gave Bai Gan and Gao Qing an unfriendly look.

After exchanging a glance, Bai Gan and Gao Qing nodded at each other.

Resigned, Bai Gan stepped onto Wang Wanqiu’s Immortal Sword, and Gao Qing, also in a resigned manner, slowly moved toward the Flying Sword.

Lu Lihua had started to realize something was off, but remembering how they had looked after her previously, she couldn’t bear it.

However, Lu Lihua had already done all she could. At most, she could later plead on their behalf before the Palace Master. Considering they hadn’t committed any misdeed and even if they were indeed from another race, they might be given a lighter punishment.

Lu Lihua, while supporting the unconscious Zhen Li, walked over and was about to say something to pacify the two when suddenly, Gao Qing erupted, snatching Zhen Li from Lu Lihua’s hands. The small curved knife was also placed at Zhen Li’s throat.

"Don’t come any closer, or I’ll kill her!"

During their time in Ziyang City, while Bai Gan was studying formations and Artifact Refining, Gao Qing had been researching the complex network of alliances within the Central Plains.

Taiqing Daoist Temple was one such unique force.

Since Zhen Li was from the Taiqing Daoist Temple, having her as a hostage should keep Wang Wanqiu from acting rashly.

"Foolish!"

Wang Wanqiu was furious. Had it not been for Lu Lihua’s meddling, she would have eliminated them with a single stroke of her sword, ridding herself of future trouble. And now Lu Lihua had allowed Gao Qing to abduct Zhen Li, infuriating her even more.

Wang Wanqiu’s angry scolding made Gao Qing spit out blood, sending a shock of fear through her heart. Was this the dread of facing a top-tier powerhouse?

But Wang Wanqiu hadn’t drawn her sword to kill her, which meant the hostage in her hand was indeed valuable.

Now, the only escape route lay within the Great Mist not far away...