The dwarf old man waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry. I have already ordered people to find various demon beasts to replenish your flesh and blood, and I have gathered materials to shape a powerful true body for you. I will certainly make sure you seize the title of champion at the Qingyun Gathering!”
Xie Tinglan looked down indifferently. “I feel my bottleneck loosening recently. The hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones you gave me before have already been absorbed.”
“There are two hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones in here.” The dwarf old man threw a storage bag at him. “Go kill someone; treat it as a bit of field experience.”
He was generous when it came to cultivating his disciple, but the boy had to contribute something to the Fuxian Sect in return. This fellow was a demon after all, with a gloomy and mercurial personality. He couldn't wait until the Qingyun Gathering to put him to work; otherwise, there was always the possibility that the brat would turn on him, which would mean he had been exploited for nothing.
Xie Tinglan reached out and caught the bag, water splashing off his body. Not trusting the old man, he opened the storage bag to see for himself that there were indeed that many spirit stones inside. His expression softened slightly.
“Fine.”
He carefully put away the storage bag. He couldn’t help but imagine how his Master would react if she saw him bringing back so much money and increasing his cultivation by using someone else's resources. Would she smile and praise him for being capable? If he became even stronger, he would surely be able to leave this godforsaken place ahead of schedule.
He didn't need his Master to come fetch him; he would go find her himself.
At this moment, Xie Tinglan was like a child whose parents had divorced and who had been assigned to the father who didn't love him. He was finding ways to scam money out of him, taking and eating everything he could so that he could eventually defect back to his mother.
Xie Tinglan looked up, remembering the dwarf old man’s words, and slowly asked.
“Kill who?”
“The legacy disciple of the Xuandu Sect’s Grand Elder, Zhou Shuoyi. He is at Foundation Establishment Great Perfection.”
The dwarf old man had grown accustomed to his money-grubbing nature—a trait he shared with his former master. It was said that dragons loved shiny things and precious treasures, but no one had ever mentioned that snakes liked them too.
He sat on a rock and puffed on a tobacco pipe.
“He is a key figure for the Xuandu Sect in the upcoming Qingyun Gathering. Go meet him. If you can’t kill him, at least seriously wound him.” As a member of the older generation, it wasn't appropriate for him to personally take action against a junior.
As long as it was a clash between juniors, the old fogies would turn a blind eye.
“Alright.”
Xie Tinglan lowered his eyes. The Xuandu Sect was in the Far Cold Lands, which meant he would have to pass through the Cangling Kingdom again. There had been no news regarding the incident at the Cangling Kingdom’s secret realm to this day. He didn't know if it had remained undiscovered or if they had found out and were searching for them in silence.
...
Beiqiong Kingdom, Fengyi City.
The sky was just beginning to brighten, and the glow on the horizon was gradually being overtaken by sunlight.
Wen Li had led her two disciples through the night without pause. They had used the teleportation pavilion in Wuho City, paying extra to take the VIP channel and teleport directly to Fengyi City without having to wait in line.
“Stop!”
Wen Li and the others had barely stepped two paces out of the teleportation pavilion’s entrance when a stern shout erupted from behind them.
Hua Cishu instinctively tried to look back, but Wen Li pressed down on his head and continued walking forward.
“Word has come from the capital. All teleportation pavilions within the borders of the Beiqiong Kingdom are to cease operations. From this moment on, any cultivators who haven't left the teleportation pavilion must remain inside temporarily.”
“What happened? Suspending all teleportation pavilions in the Beiqiong Kingdom... Think of how many spirit stones will be lost and how much business will be delayed! Was this order issued by the Saint Emperor himself?” For something this massive, only a member of the imperial family at the rank of Imperial Prince or higher could have given the command.
“I don't know. Regardless, it can't be anything good. I’ve been here for hundreds of years and I’ve never seen a nationwide lockdown. Alright, don’t ask questions you shouldn’t. Just guard the entrance and exit—no one is allowed to leave.”
“Yes, sir.”
The faint sounds of discussion reached the ears of the three people as they walked away.
Wen Li maintained a calm expression as she led the two of them on her flying sword, leaving the city at a moderate pace.
Once they were far from the crowds, she immediately accelerated, and they vanished into the sky.
First, they entered a forest to change their appearances and clothing. Then, she sprinkled bone ash collected in the Western Province over them to mask their scent, applied Spirit-Erasing Talismans, and headed deep into the mountains.
Hua Cishu had no spiritual energy, so he could only stand on the sword with her, clutching Wen Li's leg as she flew.
Zongzheng Huangyue followed behind. Looking at the brightening sky, she knit her brows.
“Master, based on what happened at the teleportation pavilion just now, the Wangquan imperial family already knows about the tomb and is pursuing us. The imperial family has reigned for thousands of years; they have many ways of tracking people. If we remain within the Beiqiong Kingdom, we will be discovered sooner or later. Why don’t we return to the Houchi Kingdom...”
“If we return to the Houchi Kingdom, Zongzheng Yingchu will be waiting for me to walk right into his trap. With him there, I won't be safe either.” Wen Li cautiously watched the shifting forest below. “Don’t worry. As long as we leave the Eastern Province, the Beiqiong Kingdom can turn the world upside down and they still won't find us.”
As long as she ran fast enough, danger couldn't catch her.
“Master, you're taking us to another province.” Zongzheng Huangyue understood instantly, but she was puzzled. “But aren't there uncrossable seas and heavenly chasms between provinces?”
Only Soul Formation cultivators knew the details of the Interprovincial Passages. Of course, every hundred years, the geniuses selected from each province’s Qingyun Gathering would use these passages to travel to the Central Province for the Aptitude Battle, but the secrets of these paths were never explained to them in detail.
“If they were truly uncrossable, how would I have come to the Eastern Province from the Northern Province?” Wen Li explained the existence of the Interprovincial Passages to the two of them.
Hua Cishu, who was hugging Wen Li’s leg, lowered his eyes. Even Soul Formation cultivators had to rely on Interprovincial Passages to travel between provinces. If so, just how powerful was the person who had captured him, torn through space with a single hand, and thrown him from the Central Province to the Eastern Province in the blink of an eye?
And why would such a person target a half-human, half-demon like him, who didn't even have spiritual energy?
Zongzheng Huangyue listened in wonder. It turned out there really were passages between provinces; she simply hadn't been qualified to know about them yet. But since her Master had said that the Interprovincial Passages were built and guarded by the top powers of each province, how could her Master take them there now?
She didn't ask, however, because she saw a lake appearing on the landscape beyond the layers of dense forest.
The three of them landed. Wen Li did a quick inspection of the surroundings and was relieved to find that the traces she had left behind hadn't been disturbed.
“Both of you, stand back and wait.”
With a flick of her right hand, Hold On instantly transformed into a long sword in her palm. She performed hand seals to set up several talismans and then plunged the long sword into the ground by the lakeside.
Splosh!
Boom—
Powerful spiritual energy roared forth along Hold On, transforming into a blade of light dozens of zhang long. It instantly sliced into the lake, sending up a colossal tidal wave hundreds of zhang high. A straight line split the lake, parting the fish, shrimp, and algae.
It forcibly carved a path through the bottom of the lake.
Wen Li’s cold, elegant eyes remained steady. She immediately called out to the two of them, “Don’t just stand there! Get down there quickly!”
Zongzheng Huangyue and Hua Cishu immediately jumped into the lake. The moment they touched the path at the bottom, the ground beneath them suddenly shifted. An array that occupied the entire lake and stretched as far as the eye could see instantly manifested.
The two of them vanished into the lake.
Wen Li stowed Hold On and jumped in after them.
Splosh—
The moment she vanished, the lake water that had been held back immediately resumed its flow. It crashed together violently, once again stirring up massive waves and sending many fish and shrimp flying onto the shore.
The area returned to its original state: just a simple lake.
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