The door of the mansion closed, Mu Qingge stood inside a cave dwelling, surveying the surroundings.
What lay before her was rely a path that extended inward, with walls around her smoothed and glistening with fluorescent light. The ice pillars stretching from the ground to the ceiling—whether they were carved or naturally ford—was a mystery.
"Co here." That elderly voice spoke again.
Mu Qingge listened carefully, the voice seed to emanate from deep within the cave dwelling.
’From the sound, it doesn’t seem to harbor any malice. Yet, who could dwell in this cave for ten thousand years?’ With these doubts in her heart, Mu Qingge stepped forward, slowly making her way deeper into the cave dwelling.
Drip!
A droplet from an ice pillar fell onto the corroded ice below, making a light sound.
Mu Qingge turned towards the sound, noticing that the ice corroded by the water droplets now had a groove, like a small bowl.
Following the only path, Mu Qingge gradually ventured deeper, and after three turns, her field of view suddenly widened. A cave dwelling, akin to the size of a room, appeared before her.
"Divine Strategy!" Upon entering the cave dwelling, Mu Qingge had no ti to survey anything else as her gaze was imdiately captured by the scroll suspended in the middle of the cave.
Unable to contain herself, she hurried towards the gold-glowing scroll, overwheld with excitent, her hands even trembling slightly; she had waited for this day for so long.
Having already possessed the Divine Strategy Upper Volu, she could instantly recognize it to be the Divine Strategy Middle Volu! After all, there was no difference in appearance between the upper and middle volus.
Delighted, Mu Qingge was thrilled beyond asure, the task she had awaited for so long was now within reach.
As long as she obtained the Divine Strategy Middle Volu, her mission for this trip would be complete.
But just as she stepped within arm’s reach of the Divine Strategy Middle Volu, a transparent fla, looming with dark blue and tinged with pale gold, suddenly erupted from the ground, enveloping her whole.
Startled, Mu Qingge realized she had been sowhat reckless before.
The sight of the Divine Strategy Middle Volu caused a montary lapse in her caution.
Standing within the flas—which erupted suddenly from the underground ice layer, and were just over a person’s height, perfectly encircling her—the flas seed to lack any heat. Even though they coated her, there was no discomfort. This anomaly made her furrow her brows slightly.
Through the luminous transparent flas, Mu Qingge steadied her mind, scanning the cave dwelling environnt.
The cave dwelling was circular. There was nothing else inside, except for the Divine Strategy Middle Volu floating in the air just within her reach. It appeared empty with no peculiar features.
"Little fellow, you’re called Mu Qingge, aren’t you?" The sudden resurgence of the elderly voice instantly filled Mu Qingge’s eyes with wariness.
"Who are you? Co out!" Mu Qingge’s clear eyes darkened slightly.
Even wrapped within the flas, her speech was unaffected.
"Who am I?" The elderly voice emitted a faint chuckle, the laughter tinged with sorrow and bitterness.
Mu Qingge frowned lightly but did not rush to speak.
After the laughter subsided, the elderly voice continued, "Little fellow, I never imagined a woman like you could break through to this point, make it this far. Have you co here to compete with others for the position of Young Master? Surely you know, in the history of the Mu Clan, there has never been a female Family Head."
Mu Qingge’s eyes narrowed sharply, her heart sank. ’Who is the owner of this voice to see through her disguise so easily? Her Illusionary Artifact was crafted by Sang Lanruo and had forbidden techniques set up by Si Mo. Si Mo once said that those whose cultivation didn’t surpass his couldn’t see through its disguise. Yet the owner of this voice saw through her true form at a glance—doesn’t this an his cultivation surpasses that of Si Mo?!’
This possibility sent shock waves through Mu Qingge’s heart.
In her mind, Si Mo was already extrely powerful, at least beyond what she could currently contend against. If the strength of this voice owner exceeded that of Si Mo, wouldn’t acquiring the Divine Strategy Middle Volu today be an uphill battle?
While tumultuous thoughts churned within Mu Qingge, she suddenly felt a pain on her left ear.
Out of the corner of her eye flickered a slight purple light, focusing her gaze, she realized that her Illusionary Artifact had been removed from a distance by soone.
Deprived of her Illusionary Artifact, her identity could no longer be hidden, instantly transforming from an enchanting young master into a stunning beauty srizing the world.
Mu Qingge’s face darkened, a cold edge covered her exquisite features.
The purple earring now hovered in a spot not too far in front of her.
"Hmm, such beauty is seen only once in many millennia. Gifted, wise, and such radiant looks; no wonder as a woman you’d have ambitions to vie for Family Head." The elderly voice, after so scrutiny, offered its evaluation.
Yet, Mu Qingge rely scoffed.
"I’ve never coveted the position of Mu Clan’s leader. I’m here solely for the Divine Strategy." Mu Qingge stated her purpose clearly.
She was quite uncomfortable with the sarcastic tone in that voice.
It seed that, in the voice’s perception, won shouldn’t stir waves or vie to overlook the nine heavens. Yet her ticulous disguise as a man was also driven by her internal ambition.
Mu Qingge sneered inwardly.
"For the Divine Strategy? Or are you saying you don’t want to beco the head of the Mu Clan?" The disdain in the voice grew stronger. "Since you’ve made it here, you should know that obtaining the complete Divine Strategy is a prerequisite for becoming the head of the Mu Clan. I see you should have already obtained the Divine Strategy Upper Volu, but you just haven’t cultivated it properly."
After speaking, a derisive chuckle followed.
Mu Qingge’s eyes turned gloomy, and her lips pressed into a line. She no longer wanted to explain herself; the owner of that voice, whoever it was, felt to her like a conservative stickler.
Why bother wasting words to justify herself?
Suddenly, a purple earring shot towards Mu Qingge. With lightning speed, it appeared before her in an instant.
Her eyes narrowed, and she reached out to catch the purple earring, holding it in her palm but not wearing it again.
"You should leave; this isn’t a place for you," the ancient voice said slowly.
These words utterly angered Mu Qingge.
She had gone through so much to get here for the Divine Strategy Middle Volu, and after her hard-earned breakthrough, this faceless figure wanted her to leave?
She laughed coldly and said to the voice, "Give the Divine Strategy Middle Volu, and I’ll leave imdiately and never return."
"Still dreaming of the Divine Strategy Middle Volu? I haven’t forced you to hand over the Upper Volu already, out of respect for your Mu Clan bloodline. Inviting you into the cave was only to explain things to you. You should leave quickly and not waste ti," the voice, now tinged with impatience, said.
A cold glint flashed in Mu Qingge’s clear eyes.
She suddenly asked, "What gives you the right to disqualify ? I ask you, did the ancestors of the Mu Clan specify that female descendants are not allowed to participate when establishing this rule?"
The ancient voice fell silent.
Mu Qingge continued, "Not answering ans no stipulation, so both n and won can participate. I got here on my own ability, and you want to dismiss with a made-up rule? Do you see as easy to bully?"
Again, the voice was silent.
At this point, Mu Qingge’s anger boiled, her expression growing colder as she continued, "Today, whether you agree or not, I will take the Divine Strategy Middle Volu. If you want to kill , go ahead!"
With that, she turned to reach for the Divine Strategy Middle Volu.
The flas enveloping her body surged even higher.
"Do you know what a Mu Clan head must bear?" The long-silent voice finally reappeared.
Mu Qingge’s hand was already raised, reaching for the Divine Strategy Middle Volu.
Hearing his words, she rely gave a cold smile and continued to reach forward.
However, just as her hand was about to touch the Divine Strategy Middle Volu, she felt a sharp pain in her palm, forcing her to withdraw it.
Looking at her withdrawn hand, she was surprised to find it a bloody ss.
’It seems this Divine Strategy is not so easily acquired.’ A cloud passed over Mu Qingge’s mind.
She didn’t care about her injury; though it looked terrifying, it wasn’t that serious. In just monts, her palm healed completely, showing no trace of injury.
"rely at the Silver Realm Third Layer, yet such powerful healing ability!" A hint of astonishnt ca through the ancient voice.
Mu Qingge’s eyes scanned the surroundings, trying to find where the speaker was hiding.
Seeing through her thoughts, the voice said, "Don’t bother looking. If I don’t want you to see , you’ll never be able to."
Mu Qingge withdrew her hand, offering no explanation for her healing ability.
"You see, the Divine Strategy Middle Volu isn’t yours," the voice said.
Mu Qingge sneered, "What a joke. If this Divine Strategy had a destined owner, why would the Mu Clan go to such lengths to set up this competition? Obviously, it’s a rit-based opportunity, and anyone who makes it here has a chance. You simply look down on because I’m a woman and won’t disclose the testing thod, hoping I’ll give up."
"You’re quite clever," the voice said begrudgingly.
Mu Qingge’s smile grew more sarcastic, "It doesn’t matter if you won’t tell . Do you know soone else is competing to get here, and he’s the man you wish for? When he arrives, you’ll naturally tell him how to get the Divine Strategy Middle Volu. Once he has it, I’ll just take it from him."
The ancient voice fell into silence once more.
The teasing in Mu Qingge’s eyes grew heavier; she stood by the Divine Strategy Middle Volu, neither rashly taking action nor willing to leave.
"A woman like you, so stubborn," the voice finally said after a long pause.
Mu Qingge raised an eyebrow and replied, "Stubborn is an overstatent; I consider myself quite reasonable. It’s just that your decision is unacceptable to ."
"Alas, what a pity! If you were a man, you would indeed be a great candidate!" the voice lanted.
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