Talisman Emperor

Chapter 1664 – The Temple Guardian

Besides feeling shocked, everyone couldn’t help but feel envious.

Luo Shaonong was simply domineering to the extreme. For the sake of pursuing Shentu Yanran, he was even willing to seize the ninth-grade Emperor Rank Ancestral Dao Root for her. How many women in the world could obtain such favor from him?

Perhaps only a peerless beauty like Shentu Yanran could obtain such a profession of love from him.

When some women heard this, they even felt slightly envious of Shentu Yanran. Because if they were able to obtain such words from Luo Shaonong, then even if they had to be his servant or slave, they would probably agree without the slightest hesitation.

Unfortunately, this was obviously impossible.

Because even they had to admit that no matter if it was in terms of identity, status, or their own cultivations and reputation, all of them were far inferior to Shentu Yanran.

There were also some that felt very uncomfortable in their hearts, like the members of Chen Xi’s group. At this moment, all of them were slightly displeased because Luo Shaonong was obviously trying to take Shentu Yanran away from their group while right before their very eyes. Isn’t he a little too arrogant!?

If Shentu Yanran left, then it would be equivalent to their group losing the assistance of a Spirit God Exalt, and such a loss was too severe.

Especially because there was no lack of cultivators who’d admired Shentu Yanran since a long time ago. So, when they heard Luo Shaonong, it was simply no different from forcefully taking away the woman they admired.

This was the influence of a mere sentence from Luo Shaonong, and this obviously showed how great his power and influence were.

Le Wuhen frowned, and he seemed slightly displeased. However, he didn’t say anything in the end. Because Luo Shaonong had invited Shentu Yanran over while Shentu Yanran wasn’t his subordinate, so it wasn’t good for him to say anything.

The corners of Yuqiu Jing’s mouth twitched, and he couldn’t help but glance at Shentu Yanran as if he was worried that she would agree.

On the other hand, at this moment, Shentu Yanran had suddenly sent a voice transmission to Chen Xi. “Fellow Daoist Chen Xi, do you think I should agree to his invitation?”

Chen Xi had been constantly watching coldly from the side because he felt that this matter wasn’t related to him at all. So, he couldn’t be said to feel anything because of it.

However, when he heard Shentu Yanran asking for his opinion at this moment, he couldn’t help but be stunned, and then he laughed bitterly and said via voice transmission, “I don’t have any suggestions. Miss Yanran, don’t make it difficult for me.”

Shentu Yanran pursued an answer and said, “Then what if I bring you over along with me to work together with Luo Shaonong. Would you agree?”

Chen Xi’s brows raised as he said, “That would probably be inadvisable, right?”

“I think so too.” Shentu Yanran smiled. “Then I’ll listen to you.”

Chen Xi was instantly stunned. Listen to me? But I clearly didn’t give you any suggestions.

Both of them had conversed via voice transmission, and it had occurred in an instant, so no one had noticed it.

Only Le Wuhen seemed to have noticed something. He couldn’t help but glance at Chen Xi with surprise, and then he smiled in a seemingly encouraging manner.

At the same time, Yuqiu Jing that stood by Shentu Yanran’s side seemed to have noticed something as well, and he frowned imperceptibly while his expression was slightly gloomy.

“Sorry, I’ll strive myself to obtain the things that I want. I appreciate Brother Shaonong’s good intentions.” Thank you.” Meanwhile, Shentu Yanran had already smiled lightly, and her red lips parted lightly as she declined in a tactful manner.

This wasn’t really unexpected .However, when they obtained a confirmed answer, Le Wuhen and the others still heaved sighs of relief in their hearts.

Chen Xi remained indifferent towards this. Because no matter what choice Shentu Yanran made, it would affect him at all, and he refused to admit that Shentu Yanran had listened to his suggestion and acted in this way.

But it was very obvious that Le Wuhen and Yuqiu Jing were slightly suspicious. However, the former felt rather appreciative while the latter felt slightly gloomy.

When he heard Shentu Yanran refused him, not only did Luo Shaonong not become enraged, he roared with laughter instead and said, “Yanran, do you know that this is what I admire the most about you? Don’t worry, once we enter the Ancestral Root Grounds, then I won’t stand idly by so long as you have any request of me.””

Everyone else felt another wave of envy when they heard this. They were clearly aware that only a peerless beauty like Shentu Yanran could enjoy such treatment, and all of them could dream of obtaining such treatment.

Shentu Yanran smiled and didn’t speak any further.

Her gaze glistened. She glanced at Chen Xi who stood at the side yet noticed that Chen Xi still revealed a calm and indifferent expression, and it seemed as if Chen Xi was completely unconcerned and indifferent towards everything that occurred in the surroundings. She couldn’t help but bite her moist and plump red lips before she sent a voice transmission with a pitiable tone. “Look, I’ve already refused a such a gift granted by the heavens. So, once we enter the Ancestral Root Grounds, you can’t ignore me when I’m in trouble.”

Chen Xi was instantly stunned. What exactly is wrong with this woman today?

“What? You refuse?” Shentu Yanran’s voice became even more pitiable, and she blinked her clear eyes. If it was anyone else that heard these words, that person would have definitely been overwhelmed by impulse and blurt out words of agreement.

However, Chen Xi sighed and said, “Miss Yanran, I don’t have the mood to joke right now.”

Shentu Yanran nodded and said, “I know. Your mood seems to have become slightly unusual after you saw that Young Miss.”

As she spoke, she glanced imperceptibly at Zhen Liuqing that stood in the distance.

Chen Xi was shocked in his heart. What acute powers of observation! She was actually able to notice such a minor detail!

“Is she a woman that you like?” Shentu Yanran asked curiously.

“Miss Yanran, can you please not mention this matter?” Chen Xi’s face sank while a trace of incomprehensible agitation surged from within his heart.

Shentu Yanran smiled, and then she said with a gentle voice, “I already understand.”

She didn’t speak anymore after this.

When Chen Xi and Shentu Yanran were speaking, they’d utterly not noticed that a wisp of gloominess, envy, and hate had flashed in Yuqiu Jing’s eyes as Yuqiu Jing gazed at him.

......

After Chen Xi’s group arrived, another 10 plus cultivators arrived successively, and as time passed, it was practically a rare occurrence for someone to arrive.

“When exactly will the door open? We’ve already been waiting here for an entire day. How long more to we have to wait?”

“Soon. According to the deductions, the guardian will probably make an appearance in the next two days. Just wait a while longer.”

“Now that we’re speaking about the guardian of the temple, I wonder if he’s as formidable as the rumors say.”

“It’s best not to question the guardian’s strength. I heard from my Seniors that the guardian has always been guarding this place since the Ancestral Root Temple existed. It has already been countless years until now, and he had experienced innumerable storms and tempests. Yet now, he’s still safe and sound, and this obviously shows that his strengths is unfathomable.”

“Exactly. On the way here, the seniors of my sect kept instructing us that we shouldn’t offend the guardian no matter what. Otherwise, the consequences would be horrifying.”

Along with the passage of time, and when the guardian didn’t make an appearance after so long, all the cultivators in the surroundings couldn’t restrain themselves from engaging in discussions.

“After the guardian makes an appearance, we’ll choose to take the test of the Life Door.” Suddenly, Le Wuhen stared at the two doors before the Ancestral Root Temple in the distance as he sent a voice transmission to Chen Xi and the others.

All of them nodded successively, and none of them objected.

Because they were clearly aware that since Le Wuhen chose this test so confidently, then he’d definitely made sufficient preparations a long time ago.

Only Chen Xi was slightly curious, and he asked Shentu Yanran who stood by his side. “Could it be that there’s something special about these two doors?”

Shentu Yanran glanced at him and said, “You’re not angry anymore?”

Chen Xi was stunned, and then he instantly understood that she was speaking about that moment from before when she spoke about Zhen Liuqing. He couldn’t help but smile bitterly and speak in a helpless manner. “Am I that petty?”

Shentu Yanran combed the strand of hair behind her ear, and then she said with a smile, “It’s good that you aren’t angry anymore. Now that I speak of it, you were truly scary when you were angry just now. It truly terrified me just now.”

Chen Xi sighed and said, “Don’t speak in that way. If others find out that I terrified you, then they’ll definitely skin me alive. At the very least, that Young Master Luo Shaonong would be the first to make a move against me.”

“I never expected that you know how to joke as well.” Shentu Yanran chuckled, and then she glared in a seemingly angry manner at Chen Xi. Only after that did she reveal a serious expression and said, “Those two doors of life and death are the tests of the guardian....”

According to Shentu Yanran, there was a grand path of ascension that spanned a distance of 54,000km behind the door of life, and the path was filled with an inexhaustible amount of the ancient corpses of gods.

The strength of these corpses was roughly comparable with a top-rate Domain Enlightened Spirit God. This wasn’t the main point; the main point was the amount of corpse was enormous and inexhaustible. It could be described as endless.

When cultivators accept this test, they could only rely on their own strength to walk through this path, and only then would they be considered to have passed the test.

On the other hand, the door of life similarly had a grand path that spanned a distance of 54,000km standing behind it. However, this path was something cultivators had to search for themselves.

There were no opponents within there, yet it was filled with boundless killing intent. There were spatial storms, chaotic torrents of space, spatial rifts, various natural disasters.... It could be said that every single step one took was filled with killing intent. Once one took a wrong step and was unable to find that single path to success, then that person would be eliminated!

Comparatively speaking, no matter if it was the door of life or the door of death, even though the tests behind them were different, the level of danger was on par and each had its own merits.

“So, in this way, when we accept the test later, we have to face the inexhaustible corpses of gods that lay behind the door of life?” After he found out about all of this, Chen Xi was instantly shocked in his heart. This exam couldn’t be said to be difficult, yet it could be said to be simple as well. Because the slightest moment of carelessness would cause one to be eliminated and be unable to enter the Ancestral Root Grounds.

“Yes. According to the strength of our ground, it wouldn’t be difficult to pass through the door of life so long as we act slightly carefully.” Shentu Yanran smiled as she spoke.

Chen Xi nodded, and he couldn’t help but sigh with emotion in his heart. For the sake of fortuitous encounter, thousands of cultivators were willing to traverse to God Burial Ocean and enter the Desolate Manku Ruins. After that, they experienced difficulties in the form of successively traversing the Chaos Beast Boundary and the area covered in Desolate Manku Qi. Now, they have to face a test.

This obviously showed

how difficult it was to obtain this fortuitous encounter.

This was the path of cultivation. One fought with the heavens and the earth for fortune, and it just happened to be like thousands of boats setting sail on a long stretch of the river. Competition was everywhere!

Om!

Right at this moment, a wave of strange fluctuation suddenly swept out like a ripple from the Ancestral Root Temple. In an instant, it caused the surroundings to go silent, and then everyone’s gazes shot towards the same direction successively.

There was an extremely ordinary and ancient limestone altar there, and it stood in between the doors of life and death.

Yet at this moment, a wisp of ethereal and illusory light had suddenly appeared on the surface of the altar, and then a figure that was seated cross-legged was gradually formed there....