The Thirteen Trials of the Deceptive Monk

“You could call him a heretic monk without a problem,” Lü Wenjun said. “Should we pursue him, senior?”

"Keep going until I tell you to!" Xiao Qing yelled.

She caught up without using any magic, though her speed was only slightly slower. Without a word, Lü Wenjun gave chase, pursuing the thief's figure amidst the monotonous transparent rocks and overgrown weeds.

Smoke is extremely difficult to find in broad daylight, yet the thief's golden boots still gleam even when transformed into smoke. Lü Wenjun patiently pursued, and as the distance gradually closed, he suddenly accelerated, flicking his wrist to release a dazzling light from beyond the universe.

The beam of light struck the thief precisely at his golden boots, forcing him to fly backward. Realizing the danger, the thief drew his sword to strike, but Lü Wenjun fired the beam with one hand and conjured a divine weapon with the other, his white blade striking the thief's back first!

Boom!

With a muffled thud, the thief collapsed to the ground. The twins' magic absorption not only dispelled the mist but also caused him to convulse on the ground, clutching his head. Lü Wenjun twirled his white blade and said, "That's enough, thief. Where did you steal those magical tools for shoes?"

The thief gritted his teeth: "A magical artifact...?"

"Otherwise, there's no reason why it would retain this weakness while in smoke form. We didn't hear any noise during the theft and the fight, so it must be a magical artifact that 'erases noise,' right?"

The thief craned his neck to look at him and laughed.

“Young wizard,” he said hoarsely, “some skill, but no experience. You’ve given yourself away, yes, you’ve extinguished all my worries… And now I’m giving you a good opportunity. Why don’t you try to guess who we are?”

The thief wore a white turban, a light jacket, and trousers that were narrow at the top and wide at the bottom—typical Arab attire. He referred to himself as "we," suggesting a group operation. And when it comes to stories of thieving gangs in the Arab world, the most famous is, of course…

Lü Wenjun looked around: "...The Forty Thieves?"

"You're right, wizard!"

The thief let out a sharp, thin whistle, and the instant the whistle sounded, a full 39 shadows appeared under the blazing sun. Headbands, sharp knives, and upturned gold boots—the other 39 identical bandits stood on the rocky cliff, firmly surrounding Lü Wenjun.

This was by no means a premeditated ambush, as he had already confirmed that no one was around. The 40 thieves all looked and acted exactly alike—this was the thief's ability as a phantom spirit, magic that created something from nothing!

"We forty great thieves are a story remembered collectively!" the forty thieves laughed in unison. "Therefore, any one of us is equivalent to all of us. You, wizard, certainly have some skill, but let's see how you defeat the combined might of forty of us in a one-on-one fight!"

The master thief drew his dagger, pulled out his musket, brandished his torch, and pushed an oil canister. Unlike the fools of the Thousand-Year Cave, this was a forty-strong force of equal strength, attacking with murderous intent.

"I've learned my lesson, senior..." Lü Wenjun sighed.

A small pink head bobbed up and down behind her as Xiao Qing walked over unhurriedly.

“A phantom spirit of the Fantasy Realm basically possesses abilities equivalent to a Fantasy Mage. Don’t be misled by its origin; what matters is the level of the original text—even an insignificant little thing in a fairy tale has such special spells.”

The bandit leader threw down the oil tank, and his accomplices fired rockets and threw torches, creating a scene of raging fire and boiling oil.

Xiao Qing gently pushed the knife guard.

"Then, I'll show you the abilities of the Wizard of Wonders."

The oil tank and the rocket disappeared in mid-air.

No, it didn't disappear, it was "replaced".

The phantom's magical creations were dismantled, and the magic was reassembled by the mage's will, forming a superior "spell." From the empty space came the sounds of the shakuhachi and shamisen; the strings vibrated, playing a monotonous lament, like a woman's mournful sigh, or a lover's desperate cry.

“Mages of the Fantasy level and above possess self-constructed spells based on their own pursuits. Their power far surpasses the three replaceable spell slots, making them the absolute core in combat at the same level.”

"Therefore, the battle of the Strange Tales Mage is a battle of his own magical techniques."

As the faint melody spread, the environment transformed in an instant. Rocks became corridors, wooden planks were laid on the ground, and a dry landscape garden was built on the wasteland beside them, with water flowing gently to the music. In the blink of an eye, the group was no longer in the mountains, but had arrived at a wabi-sabi corridor. Many thieves stood in the corridor like visitors, while the laughter of courtesans drifted from behind the screens.

The screen suddenly collapsed, revealing a blood-stained kimono and a merchant wielding a butcher's knife. The beautiful courtesan had been hacked to pieces, her belly ripped open, and the crazed man, still laughing shrilly, swung his knife at her.

"What a sharp knife! It's like trying to fill a basket with water!"

As laughter echoed through the corridors, numerous doors burst open, revealing a torrent of crimson blood. Scenes unfolded: courtesans devouring their masters, madmen slaughtering prostitutes—a riot of carnage. Bathed in blood, the sword-wielders turned in unison, their blood-red demonic blades slashing at the thieves!

"He's gone mad!" "We can't escape!" "I've been slashed!" "Knives are everywhere—"

The forty thieves fled in panic, their previous confident and arrogant demeanor gone, replaced by fear and timidity, infected by the frenzied atmosphere.

The first thief, still conscious, raised his fist and shouted, "Don't be fooled! It's just a mere illusion! A low-level illusionist's barrier trick. Half of you escape the barrier's range, and the other half will come with me to kill the real thing!"

As he predicted, though many lovesick men and women filled the Bloodstained Corridor, their forms were all unsteady. His longswords, though piercing their bodies, left no trace of blood; it was merely a bluff. The thieves, emboldened by this, 20 scattered, leaping onto rooftops to escape the illusion's reach, while another 20, led by their leader, launched a surprise attack, their gleaming blades aimed straight for Asami's head!

Asami Haru drew his sword.

It slashed out a crimson arc of light.

"—True transformation, cage fishing vase flower street sin awakening."

Then, the magician vanished. A web of blood bloomed in the bustling red-light district, teeming with demons and thugs.

That was a fatal strike aimed straight at the vital points. The sharp blade, cursed by the spell, sliced ​​through the most vulnerable parts of the human body like water being cut through. Limbs were severed, heads were separated, those who could scale walls fell to the ground, and those who had inflicted wounds with knives were torn to pieces.

Asami Haru appeared at the end of the red-light district, sheathing his sword. Then, forty slashes crisscrossed the area, and all the bandits died simultaneously!

"It's done, call it quits!"

The music suddenly faded, and the lovesick men and women vanished. Lü Wenjun looked closely, but there was no longer any red-light district or covered walkway.

However, dozens of people lay groaning in the desolate mountains, as if it were all a daydream.

"In short, don't yell..."

Asami Haru scratched her hair, preparing to begin her usual process of calming down.

Most of these are derivative effects of the spell. The senior isn't actually a ferocious guy; he won't kill you with a single blow, so don't cry...

It's basically the same routine every time. After the spell is activated, the allies are more terrified than the enemies. Dealing with those ghostly faces is more of a headache than the battle itself...

"Wow, that's amazing, senior."

"……what?"

Then this time, for some reason, I saw an unusually excited face.

"Incredible! This spell!!" Lu Wenjun exclaimed excitedly. "How did they manage to do that? A spell should only have one effect, right? The core of this spell should be the final strike, but it not only created a barrier-like simulated environment but also added phantoms of vengeful spirits, and those phantoms can even speak!!"

Xiao Qing was caught off guard: "Well, because it's 'True Transformation,' it's more complex to construct than the three ordinary spells, so its scope is also wider..."

"So, in addition to its simple effects, the True Transformation Technique can also achieve complex effects through sound, light, and environment, right?" Lu Wenjun clenched his hands. "Although it's a secondary ability similar to 'special effects,' it's still a core component of the technique. And the core... the final slash... I understand now, 'Cage Fishing Bottle Flower Street Drunken Awakening' is a recreation of the climax of that drama!"

"No way, you've even seen this?"

"The Cage Fishing Bottle: Awakening in the Flower Town" is a famous Kabuki play in Japan. It tells the story of a merchant who spends a fortune to force a Yoshiwara courtesan into marriage. When she refuses, he becomes enraged and slaughters her, resulting in a bloody massacre in Yoshiwara. The sword he wields in the attack is said to be one of the many cursed swords, Muramasa, and is called "The Cage Fishing Bottle" because of its exceptionally sharpness, which is like drawing water from a bamboo cage when cutting.

Lu Wenjun spoke eloquently: "The change in environment and the appearance of vengeful spirits are both a reproduction of the stage of Yoshiwara's entertainment district. After the stage is built and the result of the tragedy is reproduced, a 'sure-hit' attack is launched against all enemies within the barrier. This is the true power of the spell—considering that the phantoms do not have obvious wounds, this spell inflicts damage on the spiritual level. Am I right?"

"Although there are other uses, it's mostly correct..." Xiao Qing clicked her tongue in amazement. "By the way, what's wrong with you? You're usually scared, aren't you? You chatter away and cry and scream in fright?"

"Such an interesting spell is too much to analyze, let alone be afraid of," Lu Wenjun pondered. "But as for the effect... it seems like I can't avoid it. Without a countermeasure, the spell will definitely fail on the spot!"

Xiao Qing slapped him irritably: "Nonsense, you're only at the Otherworld level! Why would you naturally consider dealing with a True Transformation? You can't possibly win. From now on, if you encounter an opponent above the Mysterious Realm level, just run! Got it?"

"Yes Yes."

"Go and interrogate him now!"

Lu Wenjun slapped the master thief a few times, then said with a sinister smile, "What is your purpose in stealing? Who is instructing you? I advise you to tell me quickly, or I'll send you on another round of rouge-strewn streets."

The notorious thief immediately panicked and cried out, his voice almost trembling with fear: "I'll talk! I'll talk! It's Cinderella!!"

"……who?"

The notorious thief pleaded, "Two wizards, please be aware that it was Cinderella who ordered us to do this!!"

Chapter 81 Cinderella and the Forty Thieves

In the Western Regions, there lived a witch named Cinderella, blessed by her godfather and possessing many extraordinary abilities. From a young age, she harbored great ambitions, wishing to travel to the distant Eastern Lands, but she was too deeply engrossed in the original texts to set out.

Not long ago, due to unrest outside the library, Cinderella and her godfather seized the opportunity to escape. They approached the Forty Thieves, who had also fled, offering to help them gather travel expenses, promising a future reward. Although the witch was timid, her godfather was quite skilled in magic, and the Forty Thieves, left with no choice, agreed. Given the circumstances, we hope the two wizards will show mercy and not let those scoundrels of the red-light district suffer further…

"That's what the master thief said."

"What kind of nonsense is this?!" Xiao Qing exclaimed. "And why use a classical Chinese storytelling style? Do Arabs speak like that?!"

Lü Wenjun chuckled awkwardly: "Just a sudden whim..."

"I'm telling you, you really do have some issues with your head, don't you? Where's Cinderella now?"

Lu Wenjun pointed to his feet: "They built a secret base around the Water Heaven Pillar."

Trista Academy's terrain is divided into three tiers. The top tier consists of the Philosopher's Peak and the Academy itself; the middle tier is the Four Seasons Forest; and the bottom tier is the area surrounding the misty Frost Lake. The Water-Sky Column refers to the great waterfall connecting the middle and lower tiers, which is also the place where the carp leaps over the Dragon Gate when they first enter the academy.

"This is troublesome..." Xiao Qing muttered, "It's easy to attract strange things when performing a spell in that area."

"Are you referring to the ghosts over in the lake district, senior?"

"Ah, that's about it."

Lu Wenjun thought of the antlered evil spirit Wendigo. If he accidentally dragged this thing into the red-light district while fighting the phantom spirits, it would indeed make things very troublesome.

"There's no other way, let's go to the Contract Hall first." Xiao Qing waved for him to follow. "I didn't bring any protective spells today, so fighting in the cave terrain will be a bit troublesome."

That's a bit strange. It's hard to imagine Xiao Qing carrying a protective spell. With her personality, she's more likely to just unleash her full power through infusion, and even if she can't use true transformation, it won't be a big deal. The reason for specifically changing the spell...

Since it's impossible to guarantee an instant kill with True Transformation, they changed the technique to avoid injuring newcomers; that's probably the thinking.

"Wait a moment, senior," Lü Wenjun raised his hand. "How about I give it a try?"

Xiao Qing glared: "You—"

"Please, I also want to gain some experience in dealing with phantom spirits," Lu Wenjun said with a fawning expression. "Besides, I have a rough idea of ​​what they really are."

Xiao Qing crossed her arms and frowned, saying, "Tell me about it."

·

Inside a cave on the west side of the Water Heaven Pillar.

"Young Master Ding, I have been feeling quite anxious all day. Should we reconsider our plans?" Cinderella said.

This Cinderella, dressed in a white ballet gown, wearing a jeweled crown and golden dancing shoes, was a quintessential Western princess. Meanwhile, the young hero she spoke of stood before a fishpond, gazing down at it.

The fishpond was made of gold and silver jewels, and various magical artifacts and manuscripts stolen by thieves were placed around it like offerings. The water in the pond was clear, but there were no fish swimming in it, only a glowing fish skeleton.

Young Master Ding examined the fish bones carefully and said, "Miss, don't worry. I see that the fish bones have become more spiritually potent today. I'm afraid that after one or two more sacrifices, they will be restored to their original state. At that time, our wishes will be fulfilled, so what is there to worry about?"

Cinderella stammered, "But everyone should have returned long ago, yet there hasn't been a single word. I'm truly worried..."

Young Master Ding sighed, "They're thieves by nature, used to their freedom. What concept of 'punctuality' do they have? Besides, with my wish protecting them and your golden shoes to help them, even if the wizard targets them, they can escape—"

Boom!dong dong!

Before he could finish speaking, a rough knocking sound rang out at the cave entrance. Young Master Ding, his face contorted in distress, shouted, "Password!"

"Open Sesame!"

“That’s wrong…” Cinderella whispered.

"Yesterday it was 'Morgana,' the day before it was 'Crystal Shoes,' changing it every day is just deliberately making things difficult for us!" the thief raged. "Enough nonsense, open the door! This is our skill!"

Fearing that his shouts would attract unwanted attention, Young Master Ding quickly moved the large rock blocking his path. Before he could even get a good look, the thief rudely shoved him aside, and he saw the pair of golden boots silently walk towards the fishpond.

"What are you doing?" Young Master Ding was annoyed.

"Let's divide the spoils and get out of here!" the thief sneered. "This wretched place is teeming with wizards, and we've been targeted lately. If we don't leave soon, we'll be caught and taken back! We stole all these valuables and books, so we should keep half of them!"

"You...!" Young Master Ding exclaimed angrily, "We agreed to travel together as a trio, how can you go back on your word at the slightest sign of trouble?!"

"You think you can keep your word with me?" the thief sneered.

The thief grabbed handfuls of stolen goods and tossed them into his bag. The two men, fearing he would summon the Forty Thieves from the cave, hesitated to act, and could only watch as he slung his bag over his shoulder and walked away. Young Master Ding slammed his fist against the wall, cursing, "If only I had known!"

"Young hero, fish!" Cinderella suddenly screamed.

The two men only knew that most of the stolen goods by the fishpond were missing, but they then realized that even the fish bones in the pond had been silently taken by the thief! Young Master Ding was so angry that his face turned black, and he shouted, "Follow me, hurry and chase after them!"

He dragged Cinderella out of the cave. Cinderella, knowing the gravity of the situation, disregarded propriety and hurriedly pulled a pumpkin from her bosom: "Use my carriage—"

She had just tossed the pumpkin into the air when a beam of light suddenly shot out and snatched the pumpkin carriage away. The "thief" from before was hiding not far from the cave exit. He put the pumpkin carriage into his pocket, threw away his headscarf and fake beard, and who else could it be but Lü Wenjun?

“Golden shoes, fish bones, a pumpkin carriage—that’s pretty much all Miss Cinderella can do.” He put on the Spring-Heeled Jack mask. “And what skills does Mr. Ding possess?”

Young Master Ding hurriedly pulled an oil lamp from his jacket and shouted, "Magic Lamp, I make a second wish to you: defeat this man and retrieve the fishbone and the carriage!"

Thick blue smoke billowed from the oil lamp, the smoke condensing and solidifying into a burly, muscular, blue-skinned giant. Lu Wenjun looked up at the genie and chuckled, "So it's Mr. Aladdin!"

The genie slammed down with his muscular arms, his height reaching an astonishing four meters, his fists like azure steel hammers! Lü Wenjun pulled back his hat brim and jumped to avoid it, but he was jolted when he landed. The genie's arm strength was immense; although his fists missed, they created a crater several meters deep, the impact spreading across the ground and nearly causing Lü Wenjun to lose his balance.

The genie unleashed a barrage of punches, causing the surrounding earth to shatter as if bombarded by mortars. Lü Wenjun deftly dodged the attacks, his eerie blue gaze drawing arcs of light through the dust. In terms of pure power, the genie undoubtedly surpassed most heretical sorcerers; however, his speed remained within the reaction range.

"Okay, let's flatten him like that!!" Aladdin shouted.

Just then, the colossal figure before Lü Wenjun vanished, leaving behind a towering shadow. The genie had transformed into smoke! He materialized behind Lü Wenjun, his fists striking out with Aladdin's roar…

It struck the overlapping white twin swords!