Chapter 342: Spiritual Realm

Gazing at the cup filled with the mist of the Red Phoenix liquor, Zhongshan smiled faintly and looked up at Qitianhou.

Normally, Qitianhou's pride would never stoop so low, yet he had done so now. It seemed his obsession with Qianyou ran deep indeed. But what did it matter how deep it ran? Even if it ran deep, she was not his!

Qitianhou was the first to finish his drink, and Qianyou hadn't expected him to drug the wine. Thus, she drank it all in one go, followed by Ada and A'er, who had no reason to refuse. As for Yuanfei and Yuanxin, their wine was poured by another maid and they were naturally unafraid.

"Dongfanghou, why aren't you drinking?" Qitianhou stared at Zhongshan.

With a faint smile, Zhongshan finished his drink in one gulp.

Once everyone had finished their drinks, Qitianhou smiled satisfactorily.

"Alright, Gulin, if you have something to say, say it!" Princess Qianyou spoke.

"Good, since you've asked, I'll say it! I want you... to be my woman!" Qitianhou abandoned his previous courtesy, speaking with dominance.

"Huh..." Princess Qianyou immediately stood up. "Gulin, I've made it clear to you. It's impossible between us. I appreciate your care when we were young, but we can only have a sibling relationship. Please don't say such things again!"

Seeing Princess Qianyou stand up, Gulin widened his eyes. "Qianyou, you were originally my wife. What's wrong with being my woman? Sibling relationship? Haha, what a joke. How could someone who belongs to Gulin be a sister? Is it because of him?"

"This has nothing to do with Zhongshan. My decisions are mine alone!" Princess Qianyou retorted.

"In that case, what if I kill him?" Gulin suddenly produced a purple-gold patterned dragon staff.

"You dare!" Princess Qianyou's eyes widened suddenly, swiftly moving to shield Zhongshan.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly tensed. Yuanfei and Yuanxin stood up, Ada and A'er quickly following suit.

However, just as Princess Qianyou shielded Zhongshan, in that instant, her body seemed to sway as if about to fall, her face flushed red.

Ada and A'er were similarly affected by the Red Phoenix liquor.

The world's number one aphrodisiac proved itself.

The three tried to detoxify quickly, but Yuanfei suddenly dashed in front of Ada and A'er, palm aimed at each. Ada and A'er swiftly met his palms.

"Boom!"

The collision caused no major damage but effectively halted Ada and A'er's detoxification efforts.

Ada and A'er quickly stepped back, but Yuanfei pressed on, preventing their detoxification.

Meanwhile, Yuanxin moved to stand before Zhongshan, a stick in hand aimed directly at him. With astonishing speed, he imprinted a hand seal on Princess Qianyou, sealing her power and preventing her from detoxifying.

"You... you drugged the wine?" Princess Qianyou stared incredulously at Gulin.

Never would she have imagined that her childhood companion would drug her. Disappointment filled her eyes.

"Drugged it? Hahaha, you forced my hand. It's because of this guy. If you were still by my side, would I have done this? Qianyou, you are mine. No one can take you away. Even if I can't win back your heart, I will have your person!" Gulin suddenly grew extremely agitated.

"You... you've become terrifying!" Princess Qianyou stepped back, retreating to Zhongshan's side.

Now, everyone was trapped, so Gulin and Yuanfei paid no mind to Princess Qianyou's actions.

"Terrifying? I don't want it to be this way either. All of this is caused by him. Zhongshan, if it weren't for him, would I be like this? Today, I give you two choices: either be my woman, and I'll let Zhongshan go, or I'll kill Zhongshan, and you'll still be my woman!" Gulin's eyes turned bloodshot as he spoke.

"Whoosh... Whoosh... Whoosh..."

The Red Phoenix mist gradually intensified, causing Qianyou's face to flush deeper red.

Kill Zhongshan? The princess's initial disbelief turned into hatred, directed at Gulin. She hated her childhood playmate.

She glanced at Zhongshan, a flicker of anguish passing through her eyes. It was an agonizing decision, extremely difficult to make.

Yuanxin's staff pointed directly at Zhongshan. At Gulin's command, Zhongshan would be smashed to pieces.

Die? How could Princess Qianyou let Zhongshan die? But now, the drug's effects grew stronger, and Princess Qianyou found it increasingly hard to endure.

At that moment, Zhongshan, before Princess Qianyou, revealed a faint smile, gently grasping her hand.

"You scoundrel!"

Qitianhou roared, and as if receiving a command, Yuanxin swung his staff at Zhongshan.

Zhongshan turned, eyes cold.

"Boom!"

A flash of golden light burst from Zhongshan. Yuanfei was sent flying backward, along with Zhongshan's clothes exploding from the backlash of a cassock he wore.

A ninth-grade magic treasure, the Purple Wood Cotton Cassock.

Meanwhile, Princess Qianyou's eyes gradually cleared. Zhongshan had extracted all the drug's power with a gentle touch.

At this moment, Gulin realized something was amiss. Throughout it all, Zhongshan seemed unaffected by the poison?

"Gulin, from today onward, our ties are severed!" Princess Qianyou's voice carried fury.

With that, she grabbed Zhongshan's hand and rushed out of the hall!

"Damn it, the Hundred Ape Array!" Qitianhou suddenly shouted.

Outside the hall, Ada and A'er were already in dire straits, eyes bloodshot but still somewhat clear-headed compared to Yuanfei, who was much worse off.

"Ada, A'er, come here!" Zhongshan called out.

Ada and A'er reflexively rushed to Zhongshan's side, shielding him and Princess Qianyou.

Zhongshan placed a palm on each of their backs. In an instant, their eyes cleared up.

The recovered duo was drenched in cold sweat.

Escape!

But it was too late. Following Gulin's roar, a hundred giant apes suddenly surrounded the hall. Each towering around forty meters tall, they wielded massive clubs, pointing directly at Zhongshan and his group. Among them were Yuanxin, Yuanfei, and countless guards from the Wan Yuan Palace.

Princess Qianyou, Zhongshan, Ada, and A'er were trapped!

"Qitianhou! How dare you defy me like this?" Princess Qianyou glared fiercely.

The moment Princess Qianyou uttered "Qitianhou," it marked the complete severance of their former friendship. Defiance was emphasized, affirming her status as princess!

Gulin stepped out of the hall, shaking his head. "Qianyou, you won't escape. I won't let you! Today, Zhongshan will die!"

"Let me die?" Zhongshan's voice chilled.

"I know your cassock is a ninth-grade magic treasure, but even so, it's not invincible!" Qitianhou's voice turned cold as he planted his purple-gold patterned dragon staff firmly into the ground.

Boom! The entire valley trembled.

Zhongshan raised an eyebrow as he glanced at the purple-gold patterned dragon staff. It seemed to be a ninth-grade magic treasure as well.

"Today, let's see whose treasure is more powerful, your Golden Cicada Cassock or my staff!" Qitianhou flourished his long staff.

But just as Qitianhou prepared to strike, he suddenly paused. Not just him—everyone froze momentarily. Within the circle of apes surrounding them, where only Qianyou, Zhongshan, Ada, and A'er had been, there was now another person, a woman in red!

The arrival of the woman in red was so abrupt that it seemed as though no one had noticed her until she spoke.

"Who are you?" Qitianhou raised an eyebrow.

"The wife of Xiao Wangzhi, Sword Hong!" the woman in red declared suddenly.

"Sword God Palace? Sword Hong?" Qitianhou's eyes widened.

"Activate the Hundred Ape Array!" Qitianhou roared once more.

Hummm...

A clear sound rang out. Zhongshan suddenly felt the surroundings turning extraordinarily clear and white. Everything around them vanished into a white expanse. Only the four of them remained, alongside the unexpected appearance of Sword Hong.

"The Hundred Ape Array is formed by a hundred combined-phase apes, using their spiritual awareness and magical power to construct a spiritual realm, similar to the mental duel between King Daxuan and Nalan Piaoxue of old!" Princess Qianyou immediately explained to Zhongshan.

"The Hundred Ape Array? Is this the formation that killed my husband?" Sword Hong looked to the sky, taking a deep breath.

Whoosh...

Suddenly, a figure appeared before everyone—Yuanxin. In Yuanxin's hand was Qitianhou's purple-gold patterned dragon staff, hurtling towards Sword Hong with extreme speed.

Sword Hong moved swiftly, a black sword thrusting towards the dragon staff.

Boom!

In the white expanse, countless shadows of clubs suddenly appeared, each exuding a powerful and violent aura, all converging towards Sword Hong. However, with just one swift motion of her sword, Sword Hong effortlessly destroyed all the club shadows surrounding her. She then pierced her sword towards the purple-gold patterned dragon staff.

Ding!

The sword and staff collided with a crisp sound. Yuanxin staggered back hundreds of meters, while Sword Hong only took a single step back.

Sword Hong had defended against the attack aimed at her, but what about the other four? The club shadows seemed to deliberately avoid Ada, A'er, and Qianyou, directly slamming towards Zhongshan.

From all directions, clubs shadows overwhelmed the area, forming a domain-like structure aimed at reducing Zhongshan to a pulp.

Hawoooooo...

A strange sound echoed, and the terrifying club shadows suddenly vanished into thin air. Gone, just like that! Ada, A'er, and Qianyou looked strangely at Zhongshan, who had just been in danger from the club shadows surrounding him!

Gone?

Gone, devoured—devoured by Zhongshan's Root Spiritual Awareness Eight Extremities Heavenly Tail. At this moment, Zhongshan felt strangely as if even in this mental realm, the Eight Extremities Heavenly Tail could manifest itself!

The Eight Extremities Heavenly Tail manifested?

So, this was the mental duel?