novelraw Chapter 249 - 117: Amusement Hall II
Chapter 249 - 117: Amusement Hall II
Luo Sheng was still shocked by the identities of Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu. Upon hearing Gu Qingqing’s words, he quickly snapped back to reality, hastily nodded, and led the way for the two of them.Although when he first saw Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu, he felt that their identities were not simple and they might be the direct disciples of some top forces. This was because, although the clothes they wore looked ordinary, they were all of Magic Artifact Level, a detail that the staff at the Amusement Hall could recognize. However, he did not expect their identities to be so prestigious.
In familiar territory, Luo Sheng quickly calmed down and prepared to introduce the Amusement Hall’s projects to them in a manner that might earn him some extra Spirit Stones today.
To know, his reason for working as a guide at the Amusement Hall was not only because of the decent wages but also because, if he met wealthy clients like Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu, they would tip him, adding to his income significantly.
Therefore, Luo Sheng was very enthusiastic in his introduction.
"The first floor generally features simpler projects. You two can look around to see if there’s anything you like. If nothing interests you, we can head upstairs. The Amusement Hall consists of three floors, each offering different projects. The first floor has the lowest expenses, and to proceed to the second floor, your Jade Scroll must contain at least one hundred mid-grade Spirit Stones." He pointed to the projects on the first floor and introduced them.
Jun Wu showed no interest in these and looked at Gu Qingqing, "Which one does Geng Geng like?"
Gu Qingqing glanced around, not particularly interested in the first floor’s projects, and shook her head, "Let’s check out the second floor."
"This way, please," Luo Sheng quickly gestured invitingly and led them towards the stairs.
The stairways to the second and third floors of the Amusement Hall were guarded, and the guards’ cultivation levels were not low. The guards on the second floor were at the eighth rank, maintaining order in the Amusement Hall and checking visitors’ Jade Scrolls.
Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu handed their Jade Scrolls to the guards, who returned them after a brief check, inviting them in.
When they first entered, there were quite a few people on the first floor. Once on the second floor, they were surprised to find even more people than on the first.
"Although the second floor requires your Jade Scroll to have at least one hundred mid-grade Spirit Stones, those who come to the Amusement Hall usually have some wealth and can afford it. Additionally, the projects on the second floor are much more interesting than those on the first, so more people are drawn here," Luo Sheng explained quickly when he saw their confusion.
Gu Qingqing nodded in understanding and scanned the second floor to see what projects were available.
"The second floor projects are different from the first. The western area is for shows, with various performances requiring a mid-grade Spirit Stone for entry. The northern section houses the gambling den with various games. Patrons can choose based on their preferences, with a minimum of one mid-grade Spirit Stone per bet, no upper limit. The southern part features an Illusion Array like the Trial Tower. Entry requires five mid-grade Spirit Stones, containing various Illusion Realms and Killing Arrays. Although one won’t die there, it allows for combat training. The eastern section is divided into two parts: one for chess challenges and the other for military exercises," Luo Sheng introduced every area of the second floor.
Gu Qingqing wasn’t interested in the shows and had never visited the gambling den, so she took Jun Wu’s hand and headed to the northern area.
The gambling den was quite crowded, with four large tables surrounded by people. The closest to Gu Qingqing was a size-betting game, currently in progress with a big bet just opened. The losers shook their heads in regret, while the winners basked in their victory.
Gu Qingqing peered inside and moved with Jun Wu to a numbers guessing table. Following Luo Sheng’s introduction, they decided to place a mid-grade Spirit Stone bet on "six" after the dice were rolled.
When everyone finished betting, the cover was lifted, revealing the number as "seven." Gu Qingqing’s mid-grade Spirit Stone was taken, and she pouted a bit with dissatisfaction.
Gu Qingqing placed a couple more bets, each time a mid-grade Spirit Stone. With better luck, she won both times. With a one-to-three payout ratio here, she won six mid-grade Spirit Stones.
After indulging a bit, Gu Qingqing left the gambling den, casually handing a mid-grade Spirit Stone to Luo Sheng, before pulling Jun Wu along to the southern area. Compared to gambling, she preferred combat. Although they had just returned from Canghui City, in Canghui City she resolved the venomous snakes and such using talismans from Rong Ye, not engaging much directly.
After handing over the Spirit Stones, the two entered the Illusion Array together.
The scenery before them shifted, and they appeared inside a high tower, which was hollow and occupied a large area. It was somewhat dilapidated; Buddha statues inside were in disrepair, covered with cobwebs and the ground full of dust. In front of the statues was a very old table, with scattered incense burners and candlesticks atop.
Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu surveyed their surroundings, noticing Buddhist carvings on the walls. The Arhats seemed perilous, with frightening visages to match.
They stood back-to-back, maintaining vigilance despite the apparent emptiness.
Technically, this was their first time fighting side by side. While Gu Qingqing was indifferent, Jun Wu was delighted. His original intent in accompanying Gu Qingqing was to have quality time together without outside interference; battling together ironically realized his wish.
Of course, if the surroundings weren’t so eerie, he might have been happier.
"Who dares trespass the Buddha Tower?" A booming voice resonated within the tower, accompanied by movement in the eyes of the carved statues on the walls.
"Who’s skulking about? Show yourself!" Gu Qingqing did not let these phenomena intimidate her, coldly calling out.
"The trespasser of the Buddha Tower shall die!" The voice ignored Gu Qingqing’s words, echoing once more in a resonant tone.
The final word "die" seemed emitted from the mouths of all the statues on the walls, endlessly reverberating inside the Buddha Tower.
Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu both knitted their brows, uncomfortable with the surroundings.
At this moment, the statues’ mouths suddenly opened, shooting arrows towards Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu.
Their expressions tensed instantly, drawing their weapons.
The gleaming cold light of the silver scimitar swiftly cut through the air, cleaving all incoming arrows in two, scattering them on the ground.
The white Mixed Immortal Silk uncoiled from Gu Qingqing’s sleeve, swirling around under her control to knock all the arrows to the floor.
The two of them cooperated and directly evaded the first wave of attacks.
After the arrows were shot down, there was a brief moment to catch their breaths. The two exchanged glances, and immediately the second wave of attacks arrived.
This time, there were a dozen or so semi-transparent figures. These figures resembled the statues on the walls, particularly resembling those Rakshasas. Each one looked ferociously at Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu, roaring as they rushed towards them.
The speed of these entities was very fast. In the blink of an eye, they were in front of Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu. If the two of them hadn’t been through many battles and reacted quickly, they might have been scratched. The enemies’ attacks were very sharp and strong, and using only swords and knives was useless against them.
When Jun Wu’s blade clashed with the enemy’s claws, sparks flew. A hint of surprise flashed in Jun Wu’s eyes. With a powerful push, the enemy was sent flying, but it quickly readjusted its direction and flew back towards Jun Wu.
Gu Qingqing’s Mixed Immortal Silk pierced through the enemy’s body, but the opponent only paused momentarily and wasn’t harmed. Gu Qingqing’s expression tightened, and she quickly informed Jun Wu of this.
If Spiritual Power wasn’t infused into weapons, they couldn’t harm the enemy. Once Spiritual Power was infused, it was different—they could injure the enemy.
After identifying the weakness, the two quickly dispersed the dozen or so figures.
After taking a short rest, the statues before them suddenly started moving. The originally cross-legged statues unexpectedly stood up and walked down, approximately three meters tall with a gigantic form, appearing somewhat clumsy.
Its face always wore a smiling expression, seemingly benign, yet its actions were anything but compassionate.
It reached out its enormous palm, grabbing at Gu Qingqing. Its movements were extremely swift; in the blink of an eye, its hand was in front of Gu Qingqing. She retreated while using the Mixed Immortal Silk to attack its palm, but unfortunately, it was futile. Its palm was impervious to knife or sword, making it impossible to injure, and its speed was relentless.
Jun Wu quickly stood in front of Gu Qingqing, using the scimitar in his hand to attack the statue’s palm. Despite fighting and retreating, they were eventually backed against the wall, yet the palm remained unhurt, only showing a few scratches.
When the large hand came down, Jun Wu pulled Gu Qingqing to the side. The large hand slammed against the wall, knocking down a lot of dust.
Then, another hand stretched out, rapidly grabbing at them.
Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu stepped on the large hand, flying into the air, finally landing on the statue’s head. Yet, the statue persisted in trying to catch them.
The Mixed Immortal Silk quickly wrapped around the statue’s eyes, blinding it. The statue instinctively tried to grab the silk but was instead restrained by Gu Qingqing, who used the Mixed Immortal Silk to bind its hands as well. Since the Mixed Immortal Silk was an Immortal Artifact, breaking free would require breaking the silk, which was no easy task, leaving it to struggle incessantly.
Its enormous body caused the nearby tables to shatter during the struggle. Even many of the statues on the wall were knocked down. Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu dodged while searching for its weak point.
Jun Wu consistently attacked potential weak points on its body, like the heart, abdomen, eyes, etc., with the scimitar. However, its exterior was too solid, making it impossible to break through for the moment, resulting in a stalemate.
Fortunately, they soon found its weakness. Gu Qingqing drew her sword, and together with Jun Wu, they chopped off its head. Once the head fell off, the statue immediately stopped moving, then crumbled into pieces on the ground.
After landing on the ground, the two exchanged glances and simultaneously smiled.
Soon, the scenery before them changed once again, returning to the room inside the Amusement Hall. Seeing the two of them, Luo Sheng hurriedly approached. He checked the time and noticed that they had taken less than a quarter of an hour, a hint of admiration flickering in his eyes.
It should be noted that they chose the ninth-level Killing Array, which others had attempted before, but success was rare. Finishing within an hour was already considered a high achievement. Yet Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu had done it in under a quarter of an hour, giving Luo Sheng a renewed appreciation for their cultivation.
"How do you two feel?" Luo Sheng found Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu not particularly difficult to get along with, and his courage increased. He handed them some Spiritual Dew as he inquired.
"It feels okay," Gu Qingqing took the Spiritual Dew, sipped it, and nodded.
As for Jun Wu, naturally, whatever Gu Qingqing said went, so he nodded in agreement.
"Want to go for another round?" Jun Wu asked Gu Qingqing.
Gu Qingqing thought for a moment and shook her head. "No, I want to experience some other things."
Jun Wu nodded and didn’t say anything further.
After resting for a while, the two proceeded directly to the challenge of the chess game and the battlefield command. Gu Qingqing wasn’t proficient in these areas and let Jun Wu handle them. Being the Saint Heir of Yunlan Sacred Land, Jun Wu was groomed as an heir from a young age, so he was well-rounded. These tasks were basic operations for him, and he quickly prevailed, earning Gu Qingqing’s admiration, which made Jun Wu eager for more praise.
After roughly experiencing the second floor’s offerings, Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu decided to check out the third floor.
"To enter the third floor, you need to have five hundred medium-grade Spirit Stones in the Jade Scroll," Luo Sheng hesitated, looking at the two. Earlier, he had overlooked this detail concerning their recharge, but for them to proceed to the third floor, they first needed to recharge the Jade Scroll with Spirit Stones.
Spirit Stones weren’t an issue for Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu. Led by Luo Sheng, they headed to a counter on the second floor and recharged their Jade Scroll with an additional three hundred medium-grade Spirit Stones, and then followed him to the third floor.
Just like on the second floor, their Jade Scroll was checked for Spirit Stones before they were allowed entry.
The third floor, compared to the second floor, was more private with most rooms resembling private chambers. Each room required an upfront payment of twenty medium-grade Spirit Stones to enter.
"This is a small auction house where different items are auctioned daily. Some are elixirs, others are Spiritual Medicines, or refining materials, and the variety is vast. However, only ten items are auctioned each day, selected randomly, so what you might encounter depends on luck. Previously, someone won an Immortal Rank Magical Artifact and others won precious elixirs," Luo Sheng explained, pointing at the round room in the center for the two of them.