# Chapter 1108: Scared Out of Their Wits
With a single command from Lei Qianfeng, Lei Tiangang personally made his move, lunging out like a massive bird, charging straight toward Xiao Mo Li.
Although the target before him was merely a young girl with an aura only at the King Xuan Realm, his pouncing momentum was extraordinarily fierce. Having been thoroughly trampled underfoot by Ling Yun for nearly a month, the sixty-four halls under his command had suffered devastating losses. As the chief hall master, Lei Tiangang had naturally been suppressing a bellyful of rage and resentment. This girl before him clearly had some connection to Ling Yun—capturing her would finally represent a major breakthrough in the pursuit of Ling Yun.
As he charged violently forward, the surrounding air was roughly pushed aside. But his movement caused Wu Guike's expression to change dramatically. He then abruptly lunged toward Lei Tiangang, his movements as swift as if someone had suddenly stabbed him in the rear. It was even accompanied by a desperate roar that utterly shattered his previously proud demeanor, born of sheer urgency.
*Boom!!*
A hastily mustered force struck solidly against Lei Tiangang's back. Caught completely off guard, Lei Tiangang was blasted sideways through the air, landing awkwardly on the ground. After stumbling to steady himself, he saw that his attacker was none other than Wu Guike. He froze in place, stunned and uncertain, not daring to speak.
Lei Qianfeng was also full of shock and confusion: "Guike, what is the meaning of this?"
Wu Guike paid them no attention whatsoever. Instead, after breathing a quiet sigh of relief, he hurriedly strode forward several steps before coming to a proper halt ten paces away from Xiao Mo Li. His body leaned slightly forward, his face fluctuated with complex emotions—he seemed to want to smile, yet couldn't manage it through his terror. In the end, he could only force out an extremely stiff and ugly grin: "Your... Your Highness, that idiot just now had eyes but couldn't recognize Mount Tai. He nearly offended Your Highness. Did he... startle you?"
Lei Qianfeng and Lei Tiangang instantly turned to stone. Wu Chengyan, who had been about to cast down his divine sense, also descended from the air, his face full of shock.
Wu Guike's current posture of leaning forward and forcing a smile was nothing less than fawning... no, it was more than just fawning. As the son of the Shenwu Realm King, his previous arrogance, pride, and even noble bearing had vanished without a trace. His eyes, expression, and actions contained not only terror but also unmistakable servility!
Both Wu Chengyan and Lei Qianfeng were absolutely certain that Wu Guike, even when facing his own father Wu Sanzun, would never show such a terrified expression.
"Oh?" Xiao Mo Li blinked her eyes and gave him a very serious once-over before curving her brows: "Ah! No wonder you look so familiar. It feels like I just saw you not long ago. Let me think... You're from... hmm! Shenwu Realm... Wu Gui... Wu Gui... Anyway, you're one of those little turtles! Right or not!"
Wu Sanzun had many children, and those born in the last century all had the generation character "Gui" in their names—things like Wu Guiyun, Wu Guilin, Wu Guike, and so on. And coincidentally, "Wu Gui" happened to be a homophone for "turtle." But given the power of Shenwu Realm and the status of the Realm King's son, anyone who dared to make that connection to his face would be outright courting death.
Yet Xiao Mo Li, right in front of Wu Guike, slapped the phrase "a few little turtles" across his face, directly including him and his siblings. Instead of getting angry, Wu Guike showed a flattered expression and said with some agitation: "This one is Wu Guike. For Your Highness to actually remember me is truly my utmost honor."
Lei Qianfeng and the others were utterly stunned. Their minds were in chaos, practically losing the ability to think. And the Black Soul hall master who had just recognized Xiao Mo Li earlier now had bulging eyes and an open mouth, yet could produce no sound at all.
"Young Master, this young lady is...?" Wu Chengyan asked cautiously, deeply shocked.
But Wu Guike did not turn around, nor did he answer. Even if he had ten thousand times the courage, he would never dare to casually reveal the girl's identity. He tried his hardest to show the gentlest smile and bent his waist another eight degrees, speaking with extreme humility: "I wonder if Your Highness has graced this place for..."
Before he could finish, his heart suddenly jolted, and cold sweat broke out on his back. Someone with her terrifyingly high status coming to a place like this must be for something important—how could he possibly be qualified to inquire about it?
Amidst his cold sweat, he was quick enough on the uptake and rapidly changed his words: "To encounter Your Highness at this place is Guike's immense fortune. If there is anything Guike can be of use for, Your Highness need only command. Guike would go through fire and water to accomplish it."
Of course, this statement was merely polite flattery. Although he thought highly of himself, he never believed he could actually be of any help to the girl.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing his words, the girl's eyes lit up: "Wow! Really? That's wonderful!"
Wu Guike was taken aback and quickly said: "To be able to serve Your Highness is Guike's honor. I wonder if Your Highness..."
"Hehehehe. Actually, it took me a lot of effort to come all the way here because I'm looking for something. If Little Turtle is willing to help, that would be just perfect."
The girl was already extremely beautiful, and when she smiled lightly, she was like a lotus blooming for the first time—incomparable. Wu Guike dared not look directly at her, but his scalp inexplicably tingled, and a strong sense of unease suddenly surged within him. He could only steel himself and ask: "May I ask what item Your Highness is seeking?"
"It's not anything very valuable," Xiao Mo Li said with an utterly innocent expression. "Just a small stone. Its name seems to be 'Nine-Star Buddha God Jade.' Little Turtle, do you happen to have this kind of stone on you?"
The moment the name "Nine-Star Buddha God Jade" left her mouth, Wu Chengyan's brow instantly furrowed. Wu Guike's heart tightened sharply, and he immediately said: "Nine-Star Buddha God Jade is a rare treasure of heaven and earth, extremely difficult to find—something one can only encounter by fate. Guike has dreamed of obtaining one but never had the fortune. However, since Your Highness has commanded it, after returning to Shenwu Realm, Guike will immediately issue orders to search for it with all our strength. If there is any news, I will certainly... find a way to inform Your Highness."
"Is that so?" The girl was still smiling, but with a tiny change in the curve of her lips, a dangerous aura suddenly emerged behind her radiant smile—subtle yet enough to make everyone's hearts tremble: "But an old grandpa from Tianji Realm said that just last month, you happened to obtain a piece of Nine-Star Buddha God Jade, and that old grandpa personally handed it to you. Could it be that the long-bearded old grandpa lied to me?"
A certain long-bearded old grandpa from Tianji Realm had just been sold out by Xiao Mo Li with a single sentence, causing both Wu Guike and Wu Chengyan to change color in shock.
It was only at this moment that Wu Guike suddenly realized in alarm: the reason the girl was here was clearly to target him specifically—not some chance encounter!
Cold sweat poured down Wu Guike's back in an instant, and his whole body went numb. He never dreamed that someone like him—a "small fry" who would never be worthy of her notice—could actually be singled out by her one day. For a moment, he didn't know whether to feel honored or terrified.
He did indeed have a piece of Nine-Star Buddha God Jade on him. He had searched for it for many years, paid a tremendous price, and obtained it through an extraordinary stroke of fortune. The Xuan Shen Assembly was two years away. With this Nine-Star Buddha God Jade, he had absolute confidence to elevate his profound strength by a large margin within two years, making a name for himself throughout the Eastern Divine Region at the assembly.
Therefore, no matter what, he would not be willing to just hand it over to someone else. But the girl before him was someone he absolutely could not afford to offend—a terrifying existence who could decide his life and death with a snap of her fingers. Even with ten lives, he wouldn't dare to incur her wrath.
Drenched in cold sweat, Wu Guike lowered his head in panic: "Your Highness, I did indeed have the fortune to obtain a piece of Nine-Star Buddha God Jade some time ago. But it's not that I'm unwilling to give it to Your Highness—it's just that it is extremely important to me. If..."
"Aiya aiya, Little Turtle, don't be so nervous," Xiao Mo Li said with a giggle, tilting her head. "I didn't say I was going to take it by force. Although I really want the Nine-Star Buddha God Jade, it is after all your possession. How could I ask you to give it away for free? A lovely girl like me isn't that kind of unreasonable bad person."
Wu Guike was startled.
"I can trade you something for it. I guarantee it's just as good as the Nine-Star Buddha God Jade," Xiao Mo Li said, fluttering her long eyelashes while speaking in a very reasonable tone. "And if Little Turtle sees it and doesn't want to trade, I definitely won't force you. Is that alright?"
"..." Xiao Mo Li's words put Wu Guike somewhat at ease, and also sparked a bit of curiosity: "May I ask what item Your Highness is referring to?"
"It's this!" Xiao Mo Li opened her small hand, revealing a round black profound stone lying on her fair, tender palm. It was actually an ordinary Mysterious Shadow Stone.
Before Wu Guike could ask, Xiao Mo Li had already pinched it with her fingers. The images and sounds recorded within the Mysterious Shadow Stone were immediately presented before everyone's eyes.
One glance was enough for Lei Qianfeng and the others to recognize the location in the image—it was the main hall of their Soul Sect!
And the people in the image... Wu Guike, Wu Chengyan, Lei Qianfeng, Xiao Qingtong... all of them were there!
"Before you go tearing that Ling Yun apart into pieces, you'd better worry about yourself first! What exactly is going on with that Royal Wood Spirit? My father was rarely this genuinely angry because of this matter! You'd better give me a proper explanation..."
That was Wu Guike's voice, accompanied by a fierce tone.
"The matter of the Royal Wood Spirit is absolutely not false! After we captured that Royal Wood Spirit, we intended to present it to your father immediately, but we were careless and it was taken away by Ling Yun!"
Lei Qianfeng in the Mysterious Shadow Stone answered in panic.
...
"Leaving aside the matter of the Royal Wood Spirit, the Wood Spirit Pearls and cultivation cauldrons you've been tributing in recent years have also been decreasing. It will be very difficult to pacify my father's anger over this matter!"
"Guike, it's not that your uncle has been negligent. It's just that in recent years, Wood Spirits have become fewer and fewer, and high-quality cauldrons are increasingly hard to find. It's really... Guike, when you return, you must put in a good word for me to your father. Especially regarding the Royal Wood Spirit—your uncle wouldn't dare deceive your father even with ten thousand times the courage."
"Is it really just 'fewer and fewer'? Or... have you been monopolizing Heiya, creating leverage, and secretly selling some of the Wood Spirit Pearls that should have been tributed to others instead?"
...
From the moment he saw the first image and heard the first voice, Wu Guike's face had turned deathly white. By the time Xiao Mo Li cheerfully put away the Mysterious Shadow Stone with a smile, his entire body had gone limp, his legs had turned to jelly, and every part of him from his internal organs to his limbs was trembling violently.
And Wu Chengyan, who was guarding at his side, had also completely changed color. The terror rippling through his constricted pupils was not much less than that of Wu Guike.
Royal Wood Spirit, tribute Wood Spirit Pearls, cultivation cauldrons... spoken clearly from Wu Guike's own lips...
Hunting Wood Spirits was prohibited—this was a decree jointly issued by the Zhou Tian God Realm and the other three King Realms. If the images from this Mysterious Shadow Stone were to spread, it would not simply be a scandal for Shenwu Realm. It would inevitably bring sanctions from the Zhou Tian God Realm!
Even more terrifying was that this Mysterious Shadow Stone had been produced by this girl!
And he, as one of the "main characters" in the Mysterious Shadow Stone, would be utterly disgraced in the Divine Realm if this came to light. In Shenwu Realm, the consequences and his situation would be even more unimaginable.
Although many star realms secretly collected Wood Spirit Pearls and even hunted Wood Spirits... doing things secretly and having them exposed to the public were two completely different concepts!
Wu Guike's pupils had nearly lost all color. He looked like a man whose soul had been scared out of him, nothing left but trembling. This was absolutely the greatest fright he had ever received in his entire life.
"Just who... who are you?! Why are you plotting against us?!" Wu Chengyan stepped forward, shielding Wu Guike, his face no longer able to regain its composure.
The events recorded in the Mysterious Shadow Stone had happened less than three quarters of an hour ago. That meant she had been lurking near them at least that long.
And he hadn't sensed a thing.
Xiao Mo Li looked up at him slightly. The smile faded from her face, and her lips pouted with displeasure: "This uncle, you're so fierce. Don't you know you should speak gently to a pretty girl? Hmph, you're not allowed to say another word, or else I'll kill you."
The girl's voice was crisp and melodious, extremely pleasant to hear. But as her final words fell, Wu Chengyan felt a chill run through his entire body. An inexplicable fear suddenly arose in his soul and mind. His already contracted pupils instantly shrank several times further.
"Chengyan, shut up immediately!" Wu Guike had somewhat regained his senses and hastily pushed Wu Chengyan aside. The latter retreated a step and then clamped his mouth shut, not daring to utter another word. That momentary, inexplicable terror had frozen his entire network of meridians, leaving him stiff for a long time.
"Little Turtle, the thing in my hand is absolutely one of a kind in this world. You've already seen it, right? Quite amazing, isn't it? So, would you like to trade your Nine-Star Buddha God Jade for it?"
An innocent, carefree smile once again appeared on the young girl's face. She held the Mysterious Shadow Stone in her palm and said in a very understanding tone: "If you don't want to trade, I absolutely~ absolutely~ won't force you, okay?"
The Nine-Star Buddha God Jade could grant him a significant boost in profound power in a short time. But if the Mysterious Shadow Stone in the girl's hands fell into the hands of a King Realm, it could potentially destroy his entire life. Wu Guike had no choice at all. Trembling, he nodded: "I'll trade... I'll trade... Please... allow Your Highness a few days of patience. The Nine-Star Buddha God Jade is valuable after all, and I left it in Shenwu Realm. It will take some time to go back and retrieve it."
"Sure, sure!" Xiao Mo Li agreed without hesitation. "I happen to have not visited that white-bearded uncle in the Zhou Tian Realm for a long time. I can go find you together with the white-bearded uncle then."
Wu Guike's entire body jolted violently. The last shred of fantasy in his heart shattered completely, and his lips trembled even more violently: "Your... Your Highness, I suddenly remember now that before I left, I actually... brought the Nine-Star Buddha God Jade with me. Please... accept it."
As he spoke, his hands shakingly held up a gleaming white jade stone. The moment the jade appeared, the entire world seemed to brighten by several degrees.
Nine-Star Buddha God Jade!
Xiao Mo Li's eyes sparkled. With a small grab of her hand, the jade stone instantly flew into her grasp. The jade was delicate, as smooth and lustrous as her own skin, inlaid with nine stars. It radiated the light of the bright moon interwoven with the radiance of starlight.
Xiao Mo Li's lips curved upward into a smile. She cheerfully put away the Nine-Star Buddha God Jade and then flicked her finger. The Mysterious Shadow Stone that had nearly scared Wu Guike out of his wits flew into his hand: "Little Turtle, this was a trade you made willingly. I absolutely~ completely~ did not force you!"
Taking the Mysterious Shadow Stone, he clutched it tightly in his palm until he crushed it into powder with his profound energy. He raised his head, forcing a smile uglier than tears: "Yes... I was... of course I was willing. Thank you... Your Highness... for granting me this."
"That's right, that's right." Xiao Mo Li nodded in satisfaction. "I originally thought you might not be willing to trade with me. It turns out this thing is so valuable."
A shimmering little fang peeked out from between her slightly parted lips. Xiao Mo Li extended her little hand, and between her delicate white fingers, she suddenly produced another Mysterious Shadow Stone: "Actually, I still have one more here. Would Little Turtle like to trade something else for it? Hehehehe."
Wu Guike's head shot up: "Your Highness, you..."
"This one is definitely different from the previous one... but it's really disgusting." Xiao Mo Li's starry eyes curved into two slender new moons: "Last night, while I was out playing, I suddenly saw Little Turtle and a big sister called 'aunt by marriage' take off their clothes and hug each other doing all sorts of strange things. Even though I found it super disgusting, I was also curious, so I secretly recorded it. Would you like to take a look?"