CHAPTER 241: THE TRUTH BEHIND THE PRISON SEAL

The space around Red Fox gradually returned to normal.

Nantian Yijian soon noticed that she had been sealed inside a cage. He leapt within his own cage, shouting in disbelief, "Lady Red Fox... she's been sealed inside the cage too!"

He slammed his hands against the transparent wall, calling out to Lu Chen, desperate for him to notice Red Fox.

But Lu Chen had already walked away with the Hunyuan Greatsword, completely unaware of what had happened behind him. Still uneasy, Nantian Wan'er quietly followed from a distance.

Meanwhile, Jun Laoye turned toward Red Fox's cage. She showed no sign of panic or worry. She simply lay there lazily.

Just as Jun Laoye reached for his brush to write a message asking what was going on, a memory surfaced. It was the final instruction Ancestor Suitian had sent him before being trapped: "Remain composed to all changes."

He thought, Lady Red Fox seems calm. Lord Wind Dragon's main body hasn't returned either, and the ancestor never checked on me again after sending this message.

Jun Laoye's gaze drifted to the Scripture Hall's backyard. "This... could it be..."

From afar, rows of cultivators perched along the cliff's edge, all staring toward the ravine.

"The ancestor must already know of our situation. But why hasn't he sent anyone to help? Could this be some kind of trial?"

Jun Laoye lightly touched his identity token, trying to contact the ancestor for an explanation. The result was the same. The barrier prevented any message from getting through.

He turned again to Red Fox's cage, tracing glowing words in the air with his spirit qi, asking if this was part of a trial. Red Fox ignored him completely, her gaze fixed on the direction Lu Chen had gone.

Nantian Yijian glanced toward Jun Laoye's cage. He saw the glowing script fading and hurriedly drew a line of words in the air, pounding the wall. "Little Jun, did you find out anything?"

Jun Laoye glanced at the fading script, shook his head, and slumped against the transparent wall, sitting in defeat. He felt he was close to uncovering the truth, yet that final thin veil remained unpierced.

Hidden from view, Little Pup murmured, "Let's begin... But why is this skeletal giant only at the third level of the Qi Condensation Realm? That's far too weak to serve as a trial opponent. Young Master could defeat it easily."

His eyes flickered with violet light, piercing into the skeletal giant's forehead. He chuckled softly, then vanished behind a withered tree.

The violet light merged into the giant's forehead, instantly boosting its cultivation by an entire realm. A crushing aura burst forth, and the giant's cultivation surged to the third level of the Sunken Core Realm.

The ground beneath it cracked and collapsed entirely. With a roar, the skeletal giant erupted from the shattered earth, soaring into the air.

Lu Chen stared at the massive pit the giant had left behind. "Fiend, so you finally decided to show yourself after hiding for so long...."

He gazed into the massive pit. The darkness within was bottomless, filled with a devouring force that threatened to consume everything.

Lu Chen activated his Divine Eye and looked up. Sensing that the skeletal giant's cultivation was only the third level of the Sunken Core Realm, he smiled. The third level of Sunken Core Realm was just within the limit of what he could handle for now.

He exchanged glances with his three avatars. "If it's only at the third level, this will be easy."

He stomped his right foot, unleashing multiple enhancement spells. Layers of radiant light enveloped him as he and his avatars released their full power.

"Lu Qing, Wind Dragon has been sealed by that mysterious cage. It's just the four of us now. This will be our first battle against a Sunken Core Realm opponent, but we should manage."

Lu Qing glanced at Lu Chen, his spirit qi flaring within his Heavenly Pool. "Understood, Original. But I suspect this skeletal giant might only be a vanguard. We must finish this quickly."

Lu Chen nodded, and his spirit qi burst outward. The Divine Tree's vines twisted together into a long spear. He grasped it, coated the weapon with primordial spirit qi, and hurled the blazing crimson spear toward the skeletal giant.

The giant roared midair, slamming onto the ashen ground before him. It bellowed again, bringing its massive skeletal palms together and smashing them down toward Lu Chen.

Lu Chen grinned. Standing atop a miniature Innate Bagua Diagram, he shouted, "Green Sovereign Divine Tree!"

Vines sprouted rapidly, weaving into a thick shield above his head. The three avatars flanked him, each gripping a greatsword formed from vines. At Lu Qing's command, they infused their swords with wind, lightning, and water elemental energy.

The skeletal giant gazed down on them with a mocking gleam in its hollow eyes. With a sinister laugh, it slammed its fists onto the vine shield. The tremendous force pressed the shield down, driving it toward Lu Chen.

Watching the shield near its limit, Lu Chen snorted. "Damn... this beast has monstrous strength."

He clenched his teeth and channeled spirit qi from his Heavenly Pool, coating the Hunyuan Greatsword in flames. Radiant energy surged beneath him, vines bursting from his body and intertwining to form a full-body armor. Spirit qi flared as he raised the vine shield again, ready to charge.

Lu Chen said, "Lu Qing, let's move."

Lu Qing gripped his massive vine sword tightly. "Understood, Original. But... the Queen is hiding behind that tree. Should we worry about her?"

"I know where she is. With Red Fox watching over her, there's no need to worry. Our top priority is defeating this skeletal giant."

Through their shared bond, Lu Chen had already sensed Nantian Wan'er following behind him. He knew that even if he tried to force her to stay back, she would find a way to follow, and that would only put her in danger. It was better to keep her close at hand behind him: that way, he could open the portal to the small world at any time and send her inside if needed.

Lu Qing hesitated. "Uh... but Red Fox was sealed just now. Without her, the Queen could get hurt."

"What? Red Fox, too? That's impossible."

As Lu Chen spread his divine sense, it only took him a moment to figure out that Red Fox was indeed trapped in a cage. He sighed. "Well then... Things just got complicated."

Turning to where Nantian Wan'er was hiding, he called out, "Wan'er, Red Fox has been trapped as well. Be extra careful. If danger arises, enter the small world immediately."

Startled, Nantian Wan'er froze for a moment before stepping out from behind the withered tree. "Ah... I got caught..."

Lowering her head awkwardly, she said, "Don't worry, Lu-gege. I understand. If danger arises, I'll enter the small world right away."

Lu Chen extended a vine beneath her feet, ready to send her into the small world at a moment's notice.

Once everything was in place, doubts surfaced in his mind. It makes sense for Wind Dragon, a Sunken Core Realm beast, to be sealed. But Red Fox is already at the Human Core Realm. How could she be trapped so easily?

The one who released that cage must be after the fragments. If they could seal Red Fox effortlessly, why not me? And this skeletal giant's strength doesn't add up either. If the person who sealed Red Fox is this powerful, why is the giant only at the third level of the Sunken Core Realm?

Thoughts kept swirling in his mind as the skeletal giant hammered at the vine shield relentlessly.

"What's going on?" he muttered. "What's the truth behind Red Fox being trapped? Could the one who sealed Red Fox and this skeletal giant belong to different factions? But judging by all the signs, they must be on the same side..."

Lu Qing called out, "Main body, Wind Dragon said only Void can destroy Void. Should we test that theory? Or shall we free Red Fox first? It will be much easier to take down this giant with her help."

"That is an option," Lu Chen replied, fending off the giant's blows. "But we can't be sure if using the Planetary Jade Token to unleash Void will break the cage. Until we confirm it, we can't act rashly."

"So we wait for the right moment?" Lu Qing asked.

Lu Chen nodded, his mind racing as he held off the giant's relentless assault.

Lu Qing unleashed a wave of sword qi through the air. "Original, I've noticed something strange. Don't you think the giant is trying to herd us toward the ravine?"

"Herd us toward the ravine?"

Lu Chen leapt several zhang back, sidestepping to the left. As expected, the giant leapt after him, hammering the ground to drive him north, straight toward the ravine.

Watching the creature's behavior, he pieced together the connection between the giant and the ravine. "So that's it... Now I understand."

He slapped his forehead, bracing his shoulder against the vine shield as his energy surged. "I should've realized earlier... no wonder Wind Dragon shattered this thing with a single blow. No wonder... no wonder!"