I Can Recognize Everything, But the Information is Wrong

"Just ahead is the Spice Manor. How should we inquire about our big brother's presence?"

Under the night sky, they watched the fortress's gate tightly closed in front of them.

On the arrow tower within the fortress, guards were on watch. The second-in-command said to Tian Lin and Lang Guan, "We don't know what alias our big brother is using."

Without a name, it was naturally difficult to ask about Listening Rain's whereabouts.

Fortunately, Tian Lin already had a plan.

He said to Lang Guan, "We don't need anyone to pass our message, so it doesn't matter if we don't know Lao Qi's alias."

After speaking, Tian Lin stood on a large rock and shouted into the manor with all his True Qi.

In an instant, thunder-like sounds echoed through the world and clouds, as if thousands shouted the words 'Lao Qi.'

Those unfamiliar with Tian Lin's voice, and those not ranked as Lao Qi, wouldn't know who Tian Lin was calling.

However, if Listening Rain was indeed inside the Spice Manor, he would certainly hear and recognize Tian Lin's voice.

"The Spice Manor has an array; besides resisting foreign invasions, I don't know if it blocks out sound. Can Big Brother hear you, the way you're shouting, second brother?"

Since Listening Rain didn't respond for a long time after Tian Lin's shout, Lang Guan asked this.

Soon, a flaming arrow shot towards them from the direction of the arrow tower.

The arrow missed Tian Lin but exploded beneath the rock beside him.

The explosion shattered the large stone into fragments, which scattered in all directions like concealed weapons.

Thanks to Tian Lin waving his sleeve, a strong wind blew the scattered stones away from the siblings, Lang Guan, and the second-in-command.

Otherwise, the power from the shrapnel's explosion would be no less deadly than arrow shots.

Forget the siblings with no cultivation; even Lang Guan and the second-in-command couldn't guarantee being unharmed.

"The fortress reacted. As long as Lao Qi is inside, he will definitely hear our voice."

Tian Lin began pulling them back, avoiding another couple of arrows from the Spice Manor.

He continued, "Now, what we need to do is stay outside the fortress and wait for Lao Qi to contact us when the manor transports logs at the start of the month."

Lang Guan and the second-in-command were not optimistic; they felt that even if Listening Rain was in the Spice Manor and heard Tian Lin's call, it was unlikely he would emerge to meet them.

The difference in status was too great. If it weren't for Houtu's presence, the old fellow might have killed them long ago.

Now, due to the oath, even if the old fellow refrains from killing them, wouldn't he avoid them?

In the end times, more people mean more mouths to feed. While Tian Lin, with his Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, might help the old fellow,

Lang Guan and the second-in-command were Qi Refiners and a burden to the old fellow, only eating without contributing.

"It would be best if we could see the boss at the start of the month, but if we don't, we don't have much food left."

Clearly, if they couldn't receive aid from Listening Rain by the month's start, there was a risk of starving to death.

For the following days, they meditated and cultivated in the mountain hollow outside the fortress.

They didn't shout into the fortress, and the guards on the fortress's arrow tower stopped shooting arrows at them.

Tian Lin's group was still okay; they were cultivators and had sufficient provisions on them.

However, the young brother and sister suffered more, as the dry rations they had were far from enough.

According to Tian Lin and his group's estimation, these two siblings would likely starve by the month's start.

Even though Lang Guan really liked the young brother, he could barely protect himself and couldn't share his food with the siblings.

As for the second-in-command, he didn't care or dislike the youth, so he wouldn't think of sharing his rations.

Another two days passed, and while the sister was still holding on, the brother was struggling.

As far as Tian Lin knew, to save food, the young brother gave his rations to the little girl.

More terrifyingly, even if all the rations were given to one person, it was unlikely they'd last until the month's start.

"What kind of sin would cause the heavens to deliver punishment resulting in the starvation of millions?"

In the next two days, they saw Hua Hualang passing by.

This group of Hua Hualang appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

Covered in ragged clothes, they approached the Spice Manor's gate with the aid of walking sticks.

But, before they could get close, several flaming arrows shot from the arrow tower, killing them.

The remaining individuals, frightened by the arrows, dared not approach.

Yet they didn't retreat, choosing instead to sit on the grass until they turned into corpses.

—

"It's said that Daqi's sin lies in its king, Zhou, daring to desecrate the Queen Mother."

This act angered the Heavenly Emperor, leading to punishment that annihilated the Daqi Dynasty and its people."

Above the Immortal Sinking Pond, Elder Mei stood by the shore.

At this time, the entire sea surface of the Immortal Sinking Pond had completely frozen into 'ice.'

The thick ice prevented outsiders from entering and those inside the sea from leaving.

"If it was Zhou who sinned, why did ordinary people end up dying?"

Standing beside her grandfather at the seashore, Mei Xianfu said in some indignation, "Yet the real culprit, Zhou, managed to escape!"

"The Heavenly Emperor delivered punishment intending for the entire Daqi Dynasty to perish."

Yet heaven possesses the attribute of mercy, not setting an absolute death situation. Hence some from Daqi survived while most perished.

Zhou was a king with ancestral protection, probably surviving for this reason."

Elder Mei said, "This Immortal Sword-created predicament holds its way out in the Central State. Tian Lin and his group must find a way to reach the Central State to resolve it."

What Elder Mei discussed was a conjecture from the upper echelons of the Sword Sect.

Most who came to the Immortal Sinking Pond to seek the Immortal Sword were from the Sword Sect.

The Sword Sect had three Nascent Soul Elders trapped in the Immortal Sinking Pond.

Unlike other sects, the Sword Sect had few disciples, and those who attained Nascent Soul through the Sword Dao were even rarer.

Thus, the entrapment of the three Nascent Soul Elders immediately alarmed the Sword Sect's Sect Master.

This Sword Sect Master was a Sword Cultivator in the Divinity Transformation Realm. Although only in the early stage of Divinity Transformation, the ice sealing the Immortal Sinking Pond couldn't stop him.

The powerful cultivator arrived days before.

In two to three days, this Sword Sect Master broke through the ice layer.

He left two of the Sword Sect's Nascent Soul cultivators guarding the ice opening, ensuring the Sword Qi from the Immortal Sword couldn't reseal the Immortal Sinking Pond.

Meanwhile, he stormed directly into the Heavenly Gate, vowing to break the illusion with force and rescue the Sword Sect Elders trapped by the Immortal Sword.

Alarmingly, after entering the illusion, the Divinity Transformation Realm cultivator had been out of contact for more than a day.

The Sword Sect Elders guarding outside were concerned for their Sect Master's safety yet lacked the courage to enter and search.

Elder Mei, stationed outside the Immortal Sinking Pond, also didn't have the courage to venture inside to rescue Tian Lin.

After all, no one knew the nature of the illusion created by the Immortal Realm. If someone lost their cultivation upon entry, what use would entering be?

If at the time Tian Lin emerged and he couldn't leave?

Furthermore, according to Sword Sect insiders, the illusion was a test by the Immortal Sword to choose its master.

The Immortal Sword would recognize only one as its master, so only that individual could escape the predicament.

Unless the Divinity Transformation Realm cultivator managed to break the illusion's grip and forcibly extract those inside. Otherwise, if Elder Mei entered and found Tian Lin, who would leave and who would stay to face death with just one slot to escape?