Chapter 1917: Why Force Me

Although Lu Ye hadn't been in the Asura Field for long, having only completed one trial previously, he keenly sensed that something was amiss with the current situation.

What he was experiencing now was completely different from his first encounter before entering a trial scenario. Lu Ye's first thought was that something was wrong with the Asura Field. However, he quickly reasoned that the Asura Field was, after all, a supreme treasure of the starry sky, having existed for tens of thousands of years before his arrival. How could it possibly malfunction so easily, especially at such a coincidental moment? But if not, how else could the current situation be explained?

As his thoughts raced, the dense darkness suddenly thinned, and Lu Ye abruptly realized he could feel his own presence. Faint light filtered through cracks in front of him. He blinked and pushed his hand forward.

With a soft creak, bright light flooded his vision.

Taking a few steps forward, the sounds of birdsong and the scent of flowers instantly filled the air. He looked around, realizing he was likely deep in an ancient mountain forest. All around him were massive trees, several people wide, with fluffy canopies like open umbrellas. Not far ahead, a shimmering lake sparkled, and the fresh scent of grass and earth wafted to his nose. He glanced behind him and saw that he had emerged from a thatched hut. The small hut in the wilderness exuded an air of seclusion.

It seemed he had unknowingly entered a trial scenario. But... why hadn't he received any information or details about this scenario? Thinking back to his strange experience just now, Lu Ye felt that something was fundamentally off.

After a brief moment of contemplation, he raised his hand, took out his Asura Token, and immersed his mind in it to check. The Asura Token offered no information in return. What did this mean? Why had the Asura Field thrown him into such an ambiguous place? What was his mission for this trial?

*Gurgle...*

As Lu Ye pondered, a faint sound suddenly came from by his feet. He looked down and saw something the size of a baby's fist rolling on the ground. It looked extremely familiar. Lu Ye's heart skipped a beat; he knew it was bad news. He quickly lifted his foot and stepped on the object!

He frowned deeply, his entire body stiff, his expression troubled and looking utterly distressed. After a long while, he finally sighed, knowing that what was meant to be would be, and what was unavoidable couldn't be escaped. He slowly lifted his foot and squinted down. A large character for "misfortune" (霉) instantly filled his vision!

Why was it the character for "misfortune"? Lu Ye moved extremely quickly, trying to cover the character with the sole of his foot, but it was useless. The "misfortune" character transformed into a faint glow, pierced through his foot, and struck directly between his eyebrows. Lu Ye's heart sank, and he immediately felt an ominous premonition, as if an invisible, intangible weight had enveloped his entire being. He removed his foot, bent down, picked up the object from the ground, and with a flick of his hand, threw it into the lake in front of him.

A bad start! With no discernible information or clues, he had no idea what he was supposed to do in this trial. To make matters worse, the Destiny Die had even cursed him with bad luck. He clearly remembered tying the Destiny Die securely to his waist with a very sturdy rope that couldn't possibly break for no reason. Yet, it had broken just now. Was this truly a sign of impending misfortune? Having personally witnessed a late-stage Moon-Gazer being instantly obliterated by the Asura Field's rules in the treasure vault, Lu Ye knew how unpredictable the Destiny Die was and had no intention of using it casually, especially in such circumstances. But he couldn't stop it from falling on its own...

However, on second thought, "misfortune" seemed better than "danger." If it had truly landed on "danger" this time, Lu Ye wouldn't know what peril he might face. He immersed his mind and checked his Talent Tree. Sure enough, gray mist was rising from the Talent Tree, burning away the power of the Destiny Die. However, from his previous experience, Lu Ye knew this process would take several more days. He secretly decided not to go anywhere for the next few days, opting to live in seclusion here to avoid any unfortunate incidents. And judging by the environment he appeared in, it seemed his identity was indeed that of a reclusive master.

Glancing at the lake in front of him, Lu Ye sighed and leaped in. Throwing the Destiny Die away had been a fit of pique; after all, it was a supreme treasure, how could he just discard it so casually? Diving underwater, he easily found the discarded Destiny Die and tucked it directly into his robes. But just as he emerged from the water, Lu Ye frowned, noticing two figures had appeared in front of his thatched hut. One was tall and thin like a bamboo pole, the other short and round like a sphere. Their appearances were indescribable and did not inspire confidence. Sure enough, bad luck was upon him. Even his decision to live in seclusion for a few days couldn't bring him peace.

At that moment, these two uninvited guests were coldly scrutinizing Lu Ye. The tall one spoke, "Boy, have you seen an old man with a child?"

"No," Lu Ye replied decisively.

The tall one studied him intently, as if trying to discern if he was lying. However, Lu Ye genuinely hadn't seen an old man with a child, so his expression was frank and sincere.

"Kill him," the tall one said, then flew forward first, his powerful divine sense spreading out, clearly searching for something. The shorter cultivator then ferociously lunged at Lu Ye. With his spiritual power surging, he was surprisingly a mid-stage Moon-Gazer.

Lu Ye was helpless. He had already decided to live in seclusion for a few days, waiting for his Talent Tree to dispel his bad luck before venturing out. Why... did they have to force him? This misfortune... was it his own bad luck, or the bad luck of these two uninvited guests? It was hard to say.

A ringing sound echoed as his long blade unsheathed. The tall cultivator, who had already flown some distance ahead, suddenly turned back. His pupils abruptly contracted as he witnessed his companion's head flying high, while the young man who had just emerged from the lake had vanished. Suddenly, a strong sense of alarm rose in his heart. The tall cultivator immediately turned to look to the side, where a bright flash of a blade met his eyes. With a *thud*, Lu Ye passed him, and blood gushed from behind. The bamboo-like body was severed into two, plummeting towards the lake. The next instant, the lake surface turned a deep crimson. Standing above the lake, Lu Ye shook his Pan Mountain Blade and returned it to its sheath.

Just then, he suddenly turned and looked in a certain direction. Some sounds were coming from there, seemingly a baby's cry. He immediately dashed over, arriving behind a large tree in the blink of an eye. Looking intently, he indeed saw an infant still in swaddling clothes. The infant was being held by an old man, beneath whom a pool of blood was spreading. A massive wound was visible on the old man's chest and abdomen, his internal organs shattered to dust. His eyes were dim; had he not been powerful, such injuries would have long been fatal. Lu Ye immediately recalled the question from the dead tall cultivator and understood. It was no coincidence that those two had found this place; they must have been tracking the old man and the infant. Not only was the old man severely wounded, but he also showed signs of poisoning, with a dark pallor on his face. This reminded Lu Ye of the two cultivators he had just killed; when they activated their spiritual power, a similar aura seemed to surround them. There was no doubt; the old man had been injured by those two Moon-Gazers.

Lu Ye's sudden appearance made the old man's dim eyes flicker, but upon realizing Lu Ye was not one of his pursuers, they brightened considerably. With a trembling hand, he raised the crying infant in the swaddling clothes and spoke with difficulty, "Fellow Taoist, go to... Cloud Luo... Holy Land!" Lu Ye looked at him, thoughts swirling in his mind. This trial was different from the last; he hadn't received any useful information. Yet, now he was encountering a dying man entrusting him with a child. So, perhaps his current mission was to take this infant to the so-called Cloud Luo Holy Land? Under normal circumstances, Lu Ye wouldn't hesitate, but with misfortune clinging to him, he wasn't sure if he should accept.

He had no time to ponder. After uttering those words, the old man coughed up a torrent of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs, then slumped his head and died on the spot. The infant he had been holding tumbled straight towards the ground, already crying, now crying even more fiercely. Just as the infant was about to hit the ground, Lu Ye caught him with one hand. Looking back at the old man, he had already dissolved into specks of light and vanished, making Lu Ye realize that the old man was undoubtedly a 'shadow' (a projection or simulation). The two Moon-Gazers he had just killed didn't seem to be 'shadows', and he had no idea where they came from.

Holding the swaddled infant in his arms, Lu Ye's face was etched with worry. The trials of the Asura Field were truly bizarre; for someone like him, who killed without mercy, he was now tasked with escorting an infant to some Cloud Luo Holy Land. By comparison, Lu Ye still found killing to be more straightforward. This journey was indeed plagued with misfortune, with bad luck leading the way. But since this was a trial mission, there was no reason to refuse, as it was related to acquiring the Asura Seal. His plan for seclusion had gone up in smoke.

The infant's cries were not loud, seeming somewhat weak. Lu Ye extended his divine sense and, with a brief check, knew it was due to the baby's extreme weakness. Judging by the child's appearance, it didn't seem to be even a month old. He wondered what kind of background could attract the pursuit of two Moon-Gazers. So, the first thing to do now was... find some food for this child!

With this thought, Lu Ye leaped into the air. He didn't know where the Cloud Luo Holy Land was, so he naturally chose a direction at random.

Half a day later, in a small village at the foot of the mountain, Lu Ye stood at the entrance of a house. Beside him, a rough-looking man squatted on the ground, occasionally glancing at him with eyes full of fear. Inside, a woman held the infant in her arms, gently patting it with a look of maternal kindness. The sound of the infant sucking and gulping could be heard. Lu Ye felt that perhaps he wasn't entirely unlucky after all, as he had found a nursing woman without much effort. He entrusted the infant to her, asking for her help, and the woman readily agreed.