Chapter 152: Visions from the Nether Ruins

Qin Tian stored the steamed buns into his spatial ring. At this moment, Yue Fei swayed over with a seductive gait and asked, "How do you two gentlemen find the dishes?" The older woman's smile was remarkably alluring. To be honest, I truly found it difficult to associate her with the rumor of human-flesh buns!

I stood up and replied with a smile, "The food is excellent, and the wine is wonderful as well. Many thanks to the proprietress for your hospitality. I wonder if there are any lodgings nearby?"

To investigate the human-flesh bun incident, I needed to stay at this Renmin Inn and take action after nightfall. Since there were no other inns in the immediate vicinity, I asked the question despite knowing the answer. Yue Fei smiled faintly and said, "You two gentlemen might as well stay at our establishment. There are no other inns around here."

Her reply suited my intentions perfectly. I smiled and, adopting the conversational tone of an otherworldly local, said, "Splendid! We will be troubling you then!"

Yue Fei's face seemed to wear a permanent smile. "You gentlemen are too polite. Naturally, soldiers of the World Alliance must be treated with the utmost care; otherwise, the Alliance Leader would surely have my head! Would the two of you care for another two steamer baskets of buns?" she asked, glancing at the two empty little steamers on the table.

I waved my hands hurriedly. "No need, we are quite full."

"I am still hungry!" Qin Tian protested as he put down his empty bowl. I quickly shot him a meaningful glance, and Qin Tian reacted swiftly, adding, "Sister Yue, this wine is rather good. Bring us two more jars, please."

"It seems this gentleman truly appreciates good wine. This is our house specialty, aged to perfection. Just wait, it will be served immediately." Yue Fei swayed away.

I murmured to Qin Tian, "Do you still want to sample the flavor of those human-flesh buns?"

Qin Tian waved his hands frantically. "No, but I am genuinely starving!"

It made sense; we had been traveling since early morning without even pausing for breakfast. How could he not be hungry? Yet, I dared not touch the other dishes at the Renmin Inn. Who knew if they had been laced with poison? If my suspicions were correct and the buns were stuffed with human meat, there was no guarantee the proprietress hadn't poisoned the dishes before turning us into meat buns as well!

At this thought, a chill ran down my spine. However, the wine appeared harmless. Whether or not to eat became a troubling dilemma. While I was deep in thought, Qin Tian had already dug in—a plate of braised fish, two vegetable dishes, and a plate of braised pork. The sight of the meat killed my appetite, but seeing Qin Tian wield his chopsticks made my mouth water uncontrollably.

"How is it? Any unusual sensations?" I watched him relish the food, wanting to test whether the dishes were problematic. Even if they were poisonous, as long as the toxin didn't kill me instantly, I could use my demonic energy to neutralize it within Qin Tian's body. This was a technique I had figured out on my own; if mutant zombie venom could be purged, surely there was no poison more formidable than that!

"Old Li, you're quite crafty! Using me as a poison tester, though fortunately, everything seems fine. This fish is staying on my side," Qin Tian said, pulling the plate of braised fish closer to himself.

"Heh, I didn't force you; your hands were just too fast. Besides, with me, your older brother, around, what is there to worry about? Eat your fill. I've been craving vegetarian food lately anyway, so I'll let you have the fish."

Before long, Yue Fei brought up the wine, and Qin Tian and I began drinking alongside the food. Gradually, the alcohol rose to our heads, and we started chatting wildly about everything and nothing. Surrounded by the hazy atmosphere, I was soon about seventy percent drunk. I chose not to use my inner energy to dissolve the alcohol; firstly, because I genuinely wanted to experience the sensation of being drunk, and secondly, to avoid arousing the suspicions of the older woman, Yue Fei. A mild drunkenness was necessary, though I could easily dispel the alcohol at any moment with a mere flick of my true qi.

After several courses of food and rounds of wine, I swayed, leaned against the table, and asked Yue Fei to arrange two guest rooms for us. It was just past noon, still quite early before dark. Qin Tian and I discussed the matter in our room and decided to make a trip to the World Alliance headquarters. He wanted to see Leng Wushuang, while I intended to seek out Blue Moon and inquire about the whereabouts of the demon fox.

Stepping out of the Renmin Inn, the bustling street was lively with activity. Various stalls lined both sides of the road, and squads of soldiers marched past from time to time, presumably maintaining order on behalf of the World Alliance. Navigating the crowded street, the flow of people gradually thinned out ahead. This endless road stretched straight toward the distant horizon, where a few scattered trees stood idly along the roadside. A gust of autumn wind swept through, sending fallen leaves fluttering into the air. Autumn was nearly over, and before I knew it, I had been in this unfamiliar world for over a year! I had slowly grown accustomed to the lifestyle here—no roaring traffic, no glittering neon lights, everything peaceful and serene. Only at night would illicit transactions unfold in the shadows! No matter the place, the plane, or the dimension, justice and evil always coexisted, and depending on one's perspective, the definition of good and evil shifted. Take Chu Jun, for instance: to me, he was a villain because he had captured my friends. Of course, that was merely my speculation. To the people of the World Alliance, however, he was a hero, having forged a sanctuary for countless fragile humans in a chaotic era!

The World Alliance headquarters was still some distance from the Renmin Inn. Though I had been here before, I had never stepped inside. The Demon-Suppressing Pagoda stood as the tallest structure in the Alliance, its nine tiers visible from afar. Outside the city walls, a section of the fortification had been breached, with numerous laborers actively constructing expansions. It seemed they intended to enlarge the city.

At the entrance of the World Alliance headquarters, two guards stood motionless like sentinels from the twenty-first century. Just as I was about to step inside, a sudden wave of darkness clouded my vision, making me feel as though I were about to faint. I quickly steadied myself against Qin Tian as a sharp pain pierced my mind. The pain came and went in a flash, subsiding after a mere second or two, and I sensed a faint trace of spiritual consciousness.

An image flashed through my mind: I saw Murong Xue locked in combat with a gigantic creature dozens of yards long, over ten yards tall, and supported by four thick legs. Murong Xue appeared injured, and right as one of the giant creature's massive feet came crashing down, the vision abruptly cut out!

"Old Li, are you alright? You haven't been poisoned, have you? Why do I feel completely fine?" Qin Tian asked, supporting me.

Judging from the sudden vision, it strongly resembled the telepathic projection of spiritual consciousness I had used once before. I recalled that during my duel with the High Priest, a wisp of my spiritual consciousness had broken free from my body, drifted through the cosmos, and been drawn into the Nether Ruins Star. If I was not mistaken, those images likely originated from the Nether Ruins Star.

Could Murong Xue and the others be trapped on the Nether Ruins Star? But how did they get up there? Was it Chu Jun who sent them, and what was his objective? What exactly was the colossal beast in that vision? Murong Xue was likely in grave danger, yet Qin Tian and I currently lacked the power to bridge such a vast distance. I could only hope she and the others remained safe. It was imperative that I rapidly increase my strength, become powerful enough to reach the Nether Ruins, and rescue them!