Genius in the whole system: The useless young lady dominates the world

【Mysterious Shadow Realm】

Lu Lingxi and Nalan Rongzhi stood side by side, their brows furrowed as they gazed at the scene before them.

“The defenses of this Xuanming Shadow Domain are far more stringent than we imagined. It seems that forcing our way in is not the best course of action,” Lu Lingxi said in a deep voice, her gaze sweeping over the men in black around her, searching for any possible weaknesses.

Nalan Rongzhi smiled slightly, with a hint of unruliness and confidence: "Although we cannot confront them directly, it is not difficult to infiltrate them."

As he spoke, he took out a black cloak from his sleeve, embroidered with mysterious runes that could make a person's aura blend into the surrounding environment for a short time, making them extremely difficult to detect.

"By wearing this, we can temporarily avoid their notice."

Nalan Rongzhi handed the cloak to Lu Lingxi Yao, then activated his spiritual power, his figure instantly becoming blurred before merging into the night.

Lu Lingxi took the cloak, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. She quickly put it on, and the two exchanged a glance before heading towards the Xuanming Shadow Domain.

They moved through the darkness, taking advantage of the gaps in the men in black's patrols, using the cloaks to conceal themselves. Whenever a man in black approached, they slowed their pace, adjusted their breathing, and minimized their presence.

After successfully avoiding it once, Nalan Rongzhi said softly, "Yaoyao, remember to stay close to me. There are many traps and mechanisms here, and you may get caught in one if you are not careful."

“Yes,” Lu Lingxi nodded solemnly.

And so, like two cheetahs in the night, the two silently made their way toward the core of the Xuanming Shadow Domain, eventually arriving at the Xuanming Palace.

The two followed a squad of men in black deeper into the Xuanming Palace. As they went further, a suffocating and eerie atmosphere filled the air. Then, a huge altar appeared before them, on which dozens of spirit masters were bound. Their eyes were filled with despair, and their bodies trembled slightly with fear.

"What are they doing?" Lu Lingxi asked in a low voice, observing nervously.

A dark spirit master dressed in black robes stood in the center of the altar, his hands raised high, chanting incantations. As he chanted, thick black mist surged from the ground, wrapping around the spirit masters. When the black mist dissipated, their once vibrant bodies instantly turned into terrifying mummies.

“This…this is evil magic!” Nalan Rongzhi said in a deep voice.

However, at that moment, a faint sound broke the silence; Lu Lingxi Yao accidentally stepped on and broke a dry branch.

The dark spirit master on the altar suddenly turned his head, his deep eyes instantly locking onto their location, his voice as cold as frost, carrying a bloodthirsty killing intent.

"Anyone who trespasses into the Xuanming Palace shall die!"

Lu Lingxi and Nalan Rongzhi exchanged a glance, then rolled to one side in unison before quickly escaping and finally hiding in an abandoned house.

However, just as they regained their footing, an even more powerful pressure than that of the previous Dark Spirit Master suddenly struck, making the small space almost suffocating.

"Who?"

A deep, powerful voice echoed in the room, and with it, a figure slowly appeared. This person was dressed the same as the man in black, and his face was covered by a black cloak, making it impossible to see his features.

Lu Lingxi and Nalan Rongzhi stood back to back, their breathing becoming rapid and heavy in the face of this sudden turn of events.

Before Lu Lingxi could speak, a dark figure flashed in front of her like a ghost, and a hand exuding a chilling aura grabbed Lu Lingxi's slender wrist.

Lu Lingxi reacted extremely quickly, her wrist slipping out of the black-clad man's palm like a water snake, and then she lightly leaped away, putting distance between herself and him.

Immediately afterwards, he swung his long sword at the man in black's vitals. However, the man in black did not seem to take this blow seriously. He curled his lips into a cold smile, neither dodging nor avoiding, and once again grabbed Lu Lingxi Yao's arm. At the same time, Nalan Rongzhi's figure shot out from the side like an arrow, and his fist, accompanied by a whistling sound, struck the man in black's face.

The man in black was slightly taken aback, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He quickly shifted his body to the side, about to retreat, but how could Lu Lingxi give him a chance to catch his breath? She leaped into the air, her long sword flashing like lightning as it slashed across the man in black's arm.

Even though the man in black was at the Emperor Spirit Realm, he was caught off guard by the perfect teamwork of the two. A shallow sword mark was clearly visible on his arm, and blood slowly seeped out. He had actually been cut by a little girl.

"court death!"

The man in black roared, his aura surged instantly, and spiritual energy suddenly condensed in his palm. Then, he slammed his palm down hard on Lu Lingxi Yao's head.

Nalan Rongzhi was shocked to see this and tried to stop her, but it was too late. At this critical moment, a soft glow suddenly appeared on Lu Lingxi Yao's shoulder. Within the glow, a butterfly-shaped mark could be vaguely seen, fluttering as if it were alive.

Upon witnessing this scene, the man in black's eyes flashed with disbelief, and he muttered to himself, "Phantom Butterfly..."

The Phantom Butterfly is the totem of the Shadow Clan, a mark formed from the blood of closest relatives, which only appears when encountering a close relative.

While the man in black was stunned, Nalan Rongzhi took the opportunity to pull Lu Lingxi Yao back.

Lu Lingxi looked at the butterfly mark on her shoulder with a puzzled expression, wondering why it had suddenly appeared.

At this moment, the man in black withdrew his attack stance and slowly asked, "What's your name?"

Faced with the man in black's sudden change, Lu Lingxi was filled with doubt, but she still said firmly, "My name is Lu Lingxi!"

The man in black asked again, "Is it the Lu Ling clan from the Holy Spirit Continent?"

Lu Lingxi nodded gently. The man in black looked at the girl in front of him in surprise. She was the same age as the child Jiu Ge had given birth to back then. However, that child was found to be useless in both spiritual and martial arts when he was three years old. The girl in front of him was full of spiritual power and her strength was quite good. She was completely different from the useless person in his memory. Only the charm between her eyebrows was somewhat similar to Lu Lingchenxuan.

The man in black continued tentatively, "You... are Yueying Jiuge and Lu Lingchenxuan's daughter?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Lingxi's heart tightened, and a look of urgency flashed in her eyes. She quickly asked, "You...you know my mother and father? Where are they now?"

The man in black took a deep breath and slowly began to speak. A deep sorrow appeared on his face, a pain that pierced the heart but was beyond saving.

"Your mother, Yueying Jiuge, sacrificed herself for the safety of the Yueying Clan, bringing them temporary peace. As for your father, Lu Lingchenxuan, he went into the endless void in search of your mother's whereabouts and has been missing ever since."

From this sincere expression of emotion, Lu Lingxi Yao sensed that the other person was truly sad, and her doubts gradually dissipated. However, what followed was curiosity and confusion about the identity of the person in front of her.

"So, who are you?"

The man in black slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with tenderness. "I am your uncle—Yueying Peiran. Yueying Jiuge is my sister. Over the years, we have been searching for a way to open the endless void, just for that faint hope, but we have ultimately failed to achieve our goal."

After his brother-in-law Lu Lingchenxuan stepped into the endless void, his father instructed him to visit Jiuge's two children often and also intended to bring them into the Moon Shadow Clan for careful nurturing.

Unexpectedly, one was exceptionally gifted, while the other was crippled in both spiritual and martial arts. The two siblings shared a deep bond, and if one of them were taken away, the other would surely be heartbroken.

Therefore, they had no choice but to let them remain at the Lu Ling family's residence. Lu Lingyuntian, the head of the Lu Ling family, was their grandfather and would naturally protect them.

After that, the situation of the Moonshadow Clan changed drastically, and he never visited them again. Unexpectedly, so many years have passed, and the child who was once ridiculed by the world as a "dual failure in spirit and martial arts" has grown into a young man.

"Uncle?" Lu Lingxi was somewhat incredulous at the sudden appearance of her uncle.

Yueying Peiran nodded slightly, then asked in confusion, "How did you end up here?"

“I came here to follow the clues about my father’s disappearance, but I accidentally stumbled into their ceremony. In desperation, I had no choice but to hide here.”

Lu Lingxi's voice carried a hint of helplessness, then she asked urgently, "Uncle, why are you here? Your attire... could it be...?"

Yueying Peiran said firmly, "I am merely infiltrating among them to find a way to the endless void, and then to rescue your parents."

Lu Lingxi suddenly realized something and asked in confusion, "How did Father get in back then?"

Yueying Peiran solemnly reminded him, clearly afraid that Lu Lingxi Yao would follow in her father's footsteps. "He deliberately broke his oath and was then dragged into the endless abyss by the power of darkness. Remember, you must never follow your father's example unless absolutely necessary. You must cultivate diligently, and when your cultivation reaches the Divine Travel Realm, you may be able to open the door to the endless void."

Upon hearing this, Lu Lingxi Yao, now knowing her parents' whereabouts, decided to cultivate while searching for her grandfather and clansmen, striving to reach the Divine Travel Realm as soon as possible.

“Uncle, we want to disrupt their ritual and destroy this altar,” Lu Lingxi said with a determined look in her eyes.

Upon hearing this, Yueying Peiran said seriously, "Xiyao, this altar is the source of their power. You must be careful. Once the operation begins, there is no turning back. I will go and distract the people on the altar later. You must hurry."

Nalan Rongzhi analyzed, "I think this black mist seems to originate from underground. If we can find the source of this power, we might be able to destroy the entire ritual in one fell swoop."

Lu Lingxi nodded in agreement, and at the same time drew out a seemingly ordinary staff from her waist that contained powerful spiritual energy. At the top of the staff was a gem that shimmered with a faint light.

“I can use my spiritual power to sense the flow of the earth's veins and find the location of that power. Nalan Rongzhi, you are responsible for covering me. Once I find the source, I will make my move immediately.”

Yueying Peiran said worriedly, "In that case, you two must be careful!"

Lu Lingxi closed her eyes and concentrated. Her staff gently touched the ground, and as she guided it, a warm and pure spiritual energy overflowed from the gem in the staff, exploring deeper into the earth's veins.

Soon, she suddenly opened her eyes and pointed to a corner of the altar, "There! Deep underground, there is a powerful spirit-gathering array that is driving all of this!"

Nalan Rongzhi flashed forward like a ghost, rushing towards the designated location. His sword light was like a dragon, instantly severing several streams of black mist that tried to block his way. Then, he formed hand seals and chanted ancient sealing incantations. Layer upon layer of silver halos formed around him, eventually converging into a dazzling beam of light that pointed directly at the spirit-gathering array hidden underground.

As the spirit-gathering array was powerfully destroyed, the entire altar began to shake violently, and the black mist receded like a tide, revealing the ancient runes hidden beneath.

Taking advantage of the moment, Lu Lingxi raised her staff high, the gemstones shone brightly, and a beam of purifying light shot down, completely destroying the evil core.

With a deafening roar, the altar collapsed. The dark power lost its support, and the controlled mummies fell one after another, turning into wisps of smoke and dissipating into the dust.

In an instant, the hall was in chaos. Taking advantage of the chaos, Lu Lingxi secretly released the spiritual cultivators who had been captured by the men in black.

Looking at the mess before him, it would probably take a long time for the Xuanming Palace to recover.

Lu Lingxi and Nalan Rongzhi exchanged a smile. Their goal had been achieved, and there was no need to linger any longer. They then turned and stepped into the vast night, leaving the Xuanming Shadow Domain, this place of trouble.

Meanwhile, Lu Lingxi Yao's uncle, Yueying Peiran, stayed behind. He continued to infiltrate the Xuanming Palace, gathering intelligence and clues that would benefit them.