Competing with the Male Lead for the Female Lead (Transmigration) - Chapter 16

Three days later, Sheng Baihe, using a method unknown to others, crafted several wooden tablets about two fingers wide. The tablets were dark brown, and upon closer inspection, one could detect a faint fishy and ashy scent. This smell was akin to wood that had been soaked in bl00d for several days until the bl00d thoroughly permeated it, and then dried over a large fire.

Facing everyone’s doubts, Sheng Baihe frankly stated, “The strange birds in the painting will attack anyone who enters the scroll, except for descendants of the Lin family. However, outsiders also have a way to enter. After bathing and concealing their aura, carrying this wooden tablet will also prevent the strange birds from attacking.”

Having learned a bitter lesson from the previous tragic experience, no one dared to readily believe Sheng Baihe again, even though he had risked his life to enter the painting and save people before.

Therefore, no one spoke for a moment.

Wen’s father only pondered slightly before saying, “Go back and prepare. Gather here in an hour.”

Although there might be danger, the allure within was even greater. Since they had embarked on the path of cultivation, they possessed more of a spirit of adventure than ordinary people, more or less.

The other disciples remained silent not out of fear, but because they were still too young, lacking the decisiveness to make such a decision and unable to bear the consequences.

Thus, no one objected to Wen’s father’s decision.

Sheng Baihe brought seven wooden tablets, meaning only seven people could enter. Besides Sheng Baihe, Wen Ran, and Wen Wuning, Wen’s father also selected four other disciples with the Wen surname.

“Elder Brother.” Wen Ran’s injuries hadn’t fully healed. After everyone dispersed, Wen Wuning followed Wen Ran, her worry evident.

Wen Ran’s gaze lingered for two seconds on the almost invisible scar below Wen Wuning’s eye, then he raised his hand, signaling her not to say more. “Go prepare.”

An hour later, the seven were fully equipped and ready to depart.

Watching the seven people quietly discussing the precautions within the painting, Wen’s father’s left eyelid suddenly twitched violently. He pressed his temple, but there was no relief. This made his heart suddenly feel very uneasy as he looked at his two children, both exceptional individuals.

Towards these two children, he had been more strict than affectionate.

“Father.”

Coming back to his senses, the seven had already walked up to him, waiting only for his nod before entering the painting.

Staring at his son and daughter for a long while, until his eyes slightly reddened, Wen’s father slowly nodded.

Both Wen siblings sensed that something was wrong with their father, but it wasn’t convenient to ask at the moment.

The other disciples noticed tears streaming down their master’s face after Wen Ran and his group entered the painting, although their master quickly turned his head and wiped them away.

These disciples felt a pang of unease in their hearts, unsure of what was happening.

Wen’s father no longer had the mind to consider whether his actions would cause his disciples to overthink. He sat down, looking old and frail.

A strong premonition filled his heart as he stared despondently at the painting.

His two children wouldn’t be coming back.

The seven who entered the painting cautiously walked down the round platform. The white birds above the distant palace didn’t fly towards them. Wen Ran led the group to proceed cautiously for a while, and after confirming that the wooden tablets Sheng Baihe had brought were indeed effective, he led them to quickly run towards the palace.

Wen Wuning closely followed the others while surveying their surroundings. Just as seen in the painting, everything around was thick fog. This place was likely a sub-dimensional space as well.

The distance didn’t seem far from outside the painting, but after entering, they realized it wasn’t short. The closer they got, the more they felt the palace’s grandeur. The entire palace was like a lurking giant beast, its massive mouth open, waiting for them. Wen Wuning felt uneasy.

Wen Ran led the way. They didn’t stop at all, directly entering the palace. The palace was vast and empty, with eight towering white jade pillars supporting the roof beams.

They weren’t surprised not to see any treasures. As Wen Ran instructed, they split into pairs to search for hidden mechanisms or secret rooms. The four disciples other than Sheng Baihe, Wen Ran, and Wen Wuning paired up and dispersed. When it came to the three of them, Wen Ran intended for Sheng Baihe and Wen Wuning to go together, and Sheng Baihe also thought so. But when they separated, Wen Wuning followed Wen Ran.

The seven searched for nearly half an hour and discovered an underground palace beneath the main palace. Passing through a long tunnel, the seven entered the underground palace.

The underground palace was much smaller than the palace above. It housed many memorial tablets and portraits.

“These are the ancestors of the Lin family.” Wen Ran’s gaze moved from the engraved words on the memorial tablets to the surrounding portraits.

“Is this the main ancestral hall of the Lin family?” a disciple guessed.

Huge totems were carved on the ground. Standing on them, they couldn’t see the full picture. The underground palace had two side chambers, one storing natural treasures and the other filled with divine weapons.

Having found the treasure trove, they should have left. But since they had made a special trip, with various treasures before their eyes, even if they couldn’t take them, they at least wanted to feast their eyes. Wen Ran said to everyone in the main hall, “Be careful. Don’t touch anything inside casually. Gather back here after the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.”

Three disciples went to the side chamber containing natural treasures, while Wen Wuning and another disciple headed to the other room. Sheng Baihe didn’t care for these treasures, so he followed Wen Wuning. Wen Ran stayed in the main hall to study the totems on the ground.

As soon as the three entered this side chamber, they felt an yin and evil baleful aura.

“It’s the baleful aura of these weapons,” Sheng Baihe said.

As soon as they entered, the weapons became restless but were suppressed by a pair of swords.

The three were drawn to this pair of swords and walked straight up to them.

“A hundred years ago, a meteorite fell to the ground. Beasts within a hundred-mile radius became agitated, and infants cried every night. Later, the common people invited a craftsman to take away this meteorite and forge it into two swords, one red and one green. On the day these two swords were born, the heavens and earth shook, and ghosts and wolves howled,”

Sheng Baihe paused, lowered his head, opened a jade slip, and continued slowly, “These two swords are slender and light as willow leaves. The red sword is unsharpened because its fiery nature is difficult to control, while only the green sword can restrain it…”

“Then this pair of swords is perfect for Senior Brother Sheng and Senior Sister,” said the fellow disciple who came here with them.

What this fellow disciple thought was that Senior Brother Sheng’s calm personality could suppress the fiery nature of the red sword, while Senior Sister’s cold personality could be neutralized by the green sword.

Sheng Baihe felt pleased hearing this. It indirectly acknowledged him and Wen Wuning as a couple. He was just surprised not to hear Wen Wuning refute it. Sheng Baihe looked beside him and saw Wen Wuning staring at the red and green swords hanging on the sword stand, seemingly not having heard the comment.

It seemed she had also taken a liking to these two swords. Sheng Baihe was about to speak when a deep, calm voice interjected from behind.

“Try taking down this green sword.”

Wen Wuning turned her head. Her elder brother had also arrived at some point.

Since her elder brother had already spoken, Wen Wuning didn’t decline. She reached out and grasped the hilt of the green sword. A chilling sword intent immediately flowed from her palm into her entire body.

She forcefully pulled out the green sword.

As soon as the green sword left the sword stand, it transformed into a streak of green light, quickly flying two circles around the side chamber. The faintly restless weapons in the room fell silent. The green light circled Wen Wuning once and returned to her hand.

Wen Wuning opened her palm, and the green light instantly transformed into a cold, sharp green sword. When she closed her palm, the sword turned back into green light and slowly disappeared into her palm.

Truly a divine weapon.

Suddenly, the green light in Wen Wuning’s hand flashed, transforming into a sword that emitted an uneasy sword hum. Everyone looked up and saw that the red sword, having lost the green sword, was vibrating violently.

“Junior Brother Sheng, why don’t you try first?” Wen Ran said.

The red and green swords were a pair. Although Wen Ran was unwilling to see his younger sister and Sheng Baihe as a couple in his heart, Sheng Baihe had made a great contribution in finding this place. Moreover, he seemed to also want the red sword, but whether he could subdue its fiery nature was another matter.

Sure enough, as soon as Sheng Baihe’s hand touched the hilt, he encountered strong resistance from the red sword. Although Sheng Baihe gritted his teeth and persisted, he never managed to tame the red sword. Finally, when he recoiled his hand like it had been burned, his palm was already scorched black and continuously smoking. Sheng Baihe stared at the red sword with a gloomy gaze.

“Let me try,” Wen Ran said.

“Elder Brother, be careful,” Wen Wuning reminded him.

However, before Wen Ran’s hand even touched the violently vibrating red sword, the red sword suddenly let out a sword cry and actually broke free from the sword stand. Like a headless fly, it darted around the side chamber, crashing into weapons and knocking them over. The four people in the side chamber hurriedly dodged the wildly flying red sword.

The knocked-over weapons all became restless. Seeing that this side chamber was about to turn into a chaotic weapon melee, the green sword in Wen Wuning’s hand transformed into green light, flew out to chase the red sword, circled it twice, and the red sword gradually calmed down. Finally, guided by the green sword, it came to Wen Wuning.

The green light returned to Wen Wuning’s hand. The red sword, as if looking for it, circled around Wen Wuning. Wen Wuning tentatively reached out her hand, but the red sword resistantly released fiery red sword power. Wen Wuning withdrew her hand in time to avoid being injured.

But it still caused Wen Ran and Sheng Baihe’s expressions to darken. Wen Ran said, “Let’s go out first.”

They let Wen Wuning move first while they kept a close watch on the red sword, in case it suddenly attacked and hurt someone.

Wen Wuning restrained her aura to avoid startling the red sword and slowly walked towards the main hall of the underground palace. The red sword followed.

The seven people gathered in the main hall and saw this strange scene: a red sword that looked difficult to handle was circling around Wen Wuning, causing no one to dare approach her.

Inside the painting, they didn’t dare to act rashly. They planned to deal with this red sword after leaving the painting.

However, the change occurred the moment they prepared to leave.

No one noticed a snake-like thing crawling out of the side chamber where the divine weapons were stored, silently approaching them.

“Ah—”

As the scream rang out, the red sword circling around Wen Wuning suddenly shot out. While everyone was shocked, the red sword *chiang*ed as it stabbed into the ground, pinning the snake-like thing to the stone floor, no matter how frantically it twisted, it couldn’t escape.

Everyone looked closely and realized it was actually a curved sword.

“It’s the Owl Wing Sword, forged from the spine of an owl wing,” Sheng Baihe said. He had just flipped through the introduction of this sword in the side chamber.

The sword body was segmented and retractable. When extended, it was as flexible and fierce as an iron whip. When retracted, it was a poisonous sword that could cut through iron like mud.

“How are you?” The injured disciple was right beside Wen Wuning. Wen Wuning turned her head and asked.

This disciple’s face and lips were pale, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He tightly gripped his cut left arm and shook his head. “I’m fine.”

But as soon as he finished speaking, they saw his skin redden and crack at a pitifully visible speed. Beneath the cracks, where flesh should have been, were black-red flames. In the blink of an eye, his glowing red skin rapidly turned black and turned to ash.

This wasn’t the power of the Owl Wing Sword.

It was his bloody wound. Fresh bl00d dripped onto the ground, triggering the restrictions in the underground palace. The underground palace seemed to shake, and black fire immediately spread, instantly turning everything it touched into ashes. The first to suffer was this disciple who had shed bl00d.

In just the blink of an eye, this person disappeared silently.

Perhaps until his death, he didn’t know what had happened.

“Wuning!”

While everyone was stunned by this horrifying scene, Wen Ran was the first to react. Seeing the black fire rushing towards the nearest Wen Wuning like a demon, Wen Ran’s heartbeat instantly stopped, and his body rushed forward, pulling Wen Wuning away and pushing her towards the tunnel entrance with a palm strike.

The moment the black fire entered his body, Wen Ran only had time to shout one sentence to his only younger sister, “Run!”

In the instant she was thrown out, Wen Wuning saw with her own eyes Wen Ran cry out miserably, his head thrown back, countless black flames shooting out from his cracking skin.

Tears gathered in her eyes. Before she even landed, Wen Wuning forcefully threw the green sword backward, using the force to fly towards Wen Ran.

But just as she flew out, her wrist was grabbed and pulled back with great force.

The memorial tablets and portraits in the underground palace were all swallowed by the black fire. The weapons in the side chambers flew out, also trying to escape this place.

In the dark tunnel, hurried gasps were mixed with the miserable cries of various weapons fleeing in panic.

Escaping the tunnel, escaping the underground palace, the entire underground palace transformed into a black monster, this monster extending its massive mouth towards the crazed strange birds in the sky.

As the black monster devoured the entire secret realm, the only two remaining people flickered and appeared in the main hall of the Wen family.

Sheng Baihe was still shaken, his hands and feet weak, panting heavily.

The disciples in the hall were so frightened they couldn’t speak.

Sheng Baihe looked down at the person he had brought out.

“Wuning!”

Wen Wuning stared motionlessly at the burned painting, her expression blank.

“Don’t look, Wuning.” Sheng Baihe felt a pang of heartache and turned her body around, embracing her with lingering fear.

Fortunately, she was alright.

The tears that had been hanging in Wen Wuning’s eyes finally fell at this moment. She said blankly, “My elder brother…”