Chapter Ninety: The Labyrinth of Illusions

By this time, night had fully fallen, and only a slender new moon hung in the sky, casting a faint, fragile light.

The clan leader, Zhang, had already ordered everyone to light torches, and the whole area was bright with firelight. It was obvious that they all very much wanted to follow Li Sibo into the bamboo grove and uncover the secret hidden within.

In truth, Li Sibo had long wanted to go in as well. After all, Caiyao was still missing, and every extra minute of delay meant another measure of danger.

But now it was already night, and with so many people insisting on going in with him, it was more than he could bear.

It would have been one thing if the four elders and the clan leader wanted to follow him inside, but even so many young men from the Phoenix Initiation realm wanted to go too. With his own cultivation only just having broken through into the Zither Heart realm, he could not even guarantee his own safety, let alone what would happen if they truly encountered a demonic beast—who would protect them then?

With a helpless glance at the clan leader, Zhang, he said, “It’s already so late. If everyone goes in now and runs into danger, what then? Why don’t I go in alone instead? I’ll just take a look. If there’s any danger, I’ll come right back out. I should still be able to protect myself.”

Clan Leader Zhang understood what he meant and waved a hand. “Young Hero Li, how about this: I’ll go in with you and take a look. With two of us, we can look out for each other.”

Li Sibo nodded and was just about to speak when Elder Ma cut in first. “Clan leader, let us go instead. You are the head of the clan, and your responsibilities are immense. You cannot afford the slightest mishap.”

“Yes, clan leader, let us go.” Elder Yuan, Elder Chen, and Elder Zhao all voiced their support as well.

“Enough. There is no need for further discussion. My mind is made up. Everyone stay here and wait. Young Hero Li and I will go in and investigate. Whether or not we find any clues, we will return within one hour. If we have not come back after an hour, then it means we have met with misfortune. In that case, there is no need for sorrow; continue to nurture the clansmen and wait for the right opportunity.” Having said this, he no longer looked at the others, but turned instead to Li Sibo, as if asking for his opinion.

Li Sibo nodded to Clan Leader Zhang. Since he had said as much, he naturally had to give him face. Besides, an extra person helping would be a good thing, and Clan Leader Zhang’s cultivation was not low.

Li Sibo also felt deep admiration for him. A man like that was worthy of being clan leader.

Seeing that the clan leader had made up his mind and left no room for discussion, the elders said no more.

Li Sibo and Clan Leader Zhang prepared a few items, and after Zhang gave the crowd a few more instructions, the two of them entered the mysterious bamboo grove together.

Following the traces on the ground as they pressed forward, the moment they entered the grove and had not gone far, Li Sibo felt his spirit clear and his whole body grow comfortable, as though refreshed from head to toe. After walking another dozen paces, the wind rustling through the bamboo came from time to time with a soft, whispering sound. Listening closely, that sound seemed to beat with a certain rhythm, like a bewitching tune. Li Sibo’s mind began to wander, and an empty haze appeared in his eyes.

Suddenly, it was as though someone tapped him on the shoulder from behind, and at the same time a voice said, “Young Hero Li... Young Hero Li...”

Li Sibo shivered violently and came back to himself. Cold sweat was already pouring from him, and the battle qi within his body had become restless, pressing against his control.

He hastily activated his Violet Light Divine Eyes, and pure Xuantian Art true qi flowed into his mind, allowing him to fully regain his senses at last.

“I’m guessing it’s because you’ve only just broken through into the Zither Heart realm, so your state of mind hasn’t yet fully stabilized,” Clan Leader Zhang said, seeing that Li Sibo was all right, and only then did he relax. Had Zhang not been by his side to warn him, he would already have been bewitched.

“Could this be an illusion technique?” Li Sibo asked, looking at Clan Leader Zhang. He had once seen a related explanation in the scripture tower of his sect, but the outer-sect records only mentioned it in the broadest terms and gave no further detail.

“An illusion technique?” Clan Leader Zhang had never heard of such a thing. “I only saw you swaying around and thought something might be wrong, so I came over and tapped you. But you gave no response, and it took me calling to you several times before you woke up.” He answered truthfully.

“Thank you,” Li Sibo said with a smile. “By the way, did you hear the sound of the wind through the bamboo just now?”

“I did. Why?” Clan Leader Zhang replied frankly, not understanding what Li Sibo was asking.

Li Sibo gave a helpless wave of his hand. “Forget it. Let’s keep moving forward. From here on, we must be doubly careful.”

Though he did not understand, Clan Leader Zhang nodded. Being careful could never be wrong.

Li Sibo mocked himself inwardly. Tonight truly deserved the name of a dark and stormy night.

The moon was only that one thin crescent, yet the wind was strong. Even within the bamboo grove, the torch in Clan Leader Zhang’s hand flickered fitfully in the gusts, nearly going out several times.

Li Sibo carried the Xuantian Sword in his hand, while his Violet Light Divine Eyes continuously swept the surroundings, searching for traces on the ground.

Clan Leader Zhang held an ebony treasure sword in his right hand and a torch in his left, following closely behind. He did not have Li Sibo’s Violet Light Divine Eyes, and without the torch he could see almost nothing.

After walking several dozen more paces, there was still nothing unusual apart from the wind, and the traces on the ground remained the same. Yet Li Sibo suddenly stopped.

Li Sibo frowned and examined the traces carefully, muttering, “This place is really eerie.”

Hearing this, Clan Leader Zhang hurried closer to inspect them as well. “Young Hero Li, have we come back to where we were just now?”

Li Sibo nodded. “It seems so. Look at these marks. This is the very place where I was bewitched by that sound just now. We lingered here for a while, so I’m quite familiar with these traces.”

“Could we be lost? Or were these traces deliberately left here by someone to mislead us?” Clan Leader Zhang grew somewhat nervous and looked around again, but still found nothing out of the ordinary.

“Both are possible. But I think it is more likely that this place is a maze array, and we have been trapped,” Li Sibo said helplessly.

If this were truly a maze array, then they would have no real way out at all. Neither of them knew much about formations, and if they were trapped here, no one knew how long it would take before they could leave.

“Then what should we do now?” Clan Leader Zhang had no idea either, and could only seek Li Sibo’s opinion.

Though anxious in his heart, Li Sibo knew that anxiety would not help. As the Xuantian Palace true qi moved through his body, his state of mind gradually recovered.

“Don’t rush. Let me analyze it for you. The reason I think this is a maze array is because of this road.”

“What’s special about the road?” Clan Leader Zhang did not understand.

“Look. Besides the path marked by traces on the ground, there is another one beside it. If this were a normal bamboo grove, how could there be two such clearly distinct paths?”

“This? ...”

“You’re right. These two paths are unmistakably distinct, as though they were specially laid out for us to walk on,” Clan Leader Zhang said, suddenly enlightened by Li Sibo’s words.