Chapter 59: The Eerie Villa

Just then, the heavily shut gate of the manor suddenly creaked open.

This caused Wu Weihe and the others to step back once more.

Yu Qi watched their reactions with some confusion, but it was clear that they feared this manor deeply.

He had no idea what terrifying presence lay within, but in his current state, stepping outside even a single step would surely mean death at Wu Weihe’s hands.

He couldn’t stay here forever—after all, Mu Qingnan and Dong Yun were still outside. To escape quickly, there was only one path left: to enter the manor.

With this resolve, he stepped forward into the manor, catching Wu Weihe and the others off guard.

The gate slammed shut tightly behind him with a resounding boom.

“Elder Wu, what do we do now?” a follower asked, a bead of cold sweat forming on his forehead.

“Stay here and keep watch. I’ll go back and report to the sect leader,” Wu Weihe said, uncertain himself. Although Yu Qi’s entry into this nameless manor was tantamount to a death sentence, he still had to inform the leader.

***

Once inside, Yu Qi carefully surveyed his surroundings.

The manor was filled with vibrant red maple leaves; houses and corridors intertwined among them, both alluring and beautiful.

“Is anyone here?” Yu Qi called out.

No one answered. The only sound was the gentle rustling of leaves stirred by the breeze.

Recalling the fear etched on Wu Weihe and the others’ faces, a flicker of curiosity stirred within Yu Qi as he stepped deeper inside.

Standing among the corridors, he paused beside a house and peered through the window.

Inside, the room was filled with typical furnishings; on a table, a bronze pot emitted wisps of blue smoke, the scent of sandalwood wafting gently.

Clearly, someone lived here.

Yu Qi walked onward, glancing into each room he passed.

He noticed that the furnishings were nearly identical in every room, even the sandalwood pots were placed in the exact same position.

Continuing on, he arrived at a garden. Apart from a pavilion standing within, the entire place was awash in red maple leaves.

As he strolled amidst the foliage, he suddenly felt a gaze upon him from behind. He quickly turned around.

“Who’s there?”

At that moment, his body sprang forward, exiting the garden.

***

Yu Qi’s eyes swept over the nearby houses. Since entering the Observation Microstate realm, his perception had sharpened considerably.

Just moments ago, he had sensed someone watching him, but now, upon stepping outside, he could detect no trace of anyone.

Approaching one of the houses, he tried to push open the door, but no matter how hard he pressed, it wouldn’t budge.

He moved to the next house, with the same result—completely unyielding.

“What kind of place is this?” Yu Qi muttered, unsettled by the sea of red maple leaves and the eerie silence devoid of any human sound.

He hastened to a nearby wall and leapt up, attempting to climb over.

But an invisible barrier, like an air wall, blocked him, forcing him back into the courtyard.

“Damn it! Break it!”

Yu Qi held the demonic seed in his hand, dark energy radiating from it before swiftly absorbing back into his body.

His pupils turned gray as he leapt again, channeling the “Light” technique.

The broken sword in his hand transformed into numerous illusions, stabbing rapidly at the invisible barrier.

Yet the barrier remained unscathed. Each strike sent ripples across its surface before it stilled once more.

Meanwhile, the rustling of maple leaves grew louder, almost mocking his efforts.

Yu Qi realized he was trapped.

Breathing heavily, he ceased his relentless attacks.

“Looks like I can’t get out for now.”

His eyes scanned the surroundings before settling on a tall pavilion at the manor’s center.

Unlike the other buildings, this pavilion had no windows; aside from a firmly shut door, the rest was sealed tightly.

Night gradually descended. Moonlight illuminated the swaying maple leaves surrounding him, casting shadows that resembled demons and deepening the manor’s eerie atmosphere.

At that moment, a faint sound came from beside Yu Qi. He turned to see a door to a house next to the pavilion opening.

“Is this an invitation to enter? Very well. Since I can’t leave, I’ll see what secrets this manor holds.”

Accepting his predicament, Yu Qi stepped inside.

As soon as he was inside, the door shut behind him. He turned and tugged at it—it was as unyielding as before.

***

Realizing he couldn’t leave, he looked around the room.

Strangely, the table was laden with various dishes, still steaming hot as if freshly prepared.

“Could there be a powerful cultivator living here? Did they let me in just to toy with me?”

This thought crossed Yu Qi’s mind. Aside from the seventeen great masters, he could think of no one else with the strength to manipulate doors from afar.

Despite this, seeing the food aroused his appetite, and his stomach rumbled.

He grabbed some and ate.

After finishing, seeing no chance to leave, Yu Qi sat cross-legged on the bed and began cultivating the forging technique of the Zhutian clan alongside the stepping technique of the Tayan clan.

He had no choice but to devote all his time to cultivation.

If he were stronger, he wouldn’t be hunted by a petty sect like the Vulture Sect, nor trapped in this place.

His thoughts lingered on Mu Qingnan—given their and Dong Yun’s strength, if Wu Weihe discovered them, death would be certain.

As the dark energy around him slowly grew, Yu Qi’s mind calmed.

Time passed swiftly during cultivation. Unconsciously, morning arrived. Yu Qi exhaled a breath of stale air and opened his eyes.

But what he saw made his eyes widen in fear.

The leftover food from last night had vanished, replaced by a fresh breakfast still steaming hot.

“Could someone have entered this room while I was cultivating?”

The thought sent chills down his spine, making his hair stand on end.

Though cultivating, any sound around him would have been detected.

Yet this person managed to replace the food without a trace.

Their strength must be tremendous.

If they wished, they could have killed Yu Qi easily.

Realizing he was still trapped in such a strange and dangerous place, his briefly relaxed heart tightened once more.