Translator: Cinder Translations
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As the Star Chariot Divine Ship suddenly tilted and dove toward the sea, Song Wen quickly raised his voice to stop it.
"Zhu Yin, what are you trying to do? The sea is the demon clan's territory. If you recklessly enter, are you seeking death?"
Zhu Yin glanced back at Song Wen. Seeing his stern expression, it seemed like he was ready to act at any moment.
"Fine, I'll listen to you."
Zhu Yin, helpless, used a spell to lift the ship's bow, causing it to rise above the water's surface and fly into the air.
Just after their words fell, a violent surge of spiritual power suddenly emanated from the deep sea, about two to three hundred miles ahead.
Immediately following this, massive waves erupted, causing a great tumult in the sea.
"Boom!"
A flying ship broke through the water's surface.
It was the very ship that Daoist Lan Yin had been piloting.
As the ship lifted into the air, another figure emerged from the water—Xuan Jiao.
The roles of attack and defense had suddenly reversed.
However, Yun Xu was nowhere to be seen.
Seeing this, Zhu Yin hurriedly turned the ship toward the direction of the Four Symbols City.
Although she wasn't sure what had occurred beneath the sea, Daoist Lan Yin's sudden panic and Yun Xu's disappearance clearly indicated that they had encountered danger under the water.
Though the Star Chariot Divine Ship was slower than Daoist Lan Yin's ship, they were only a few hundred miles away from Four Symbols City.
Zhu Yin and Song Wen reached the city ahead of Daoist Lan Yin.
Just as Daoist Lan Yin's ship entered the city, she formed several hand seals, which landed on the massive stone sword in the center of Four Symbols City.
The stone sword suddenly erupted with blinding light, illuminating the entire city.
A giant protective formation rose up, enveloping the entire city within.
This stone sword, which had long been rumored to hide an ultimate sword technique, was in fact the core of the city's protective formation.
Xuan Jiao's massive form appeared outside the formation.
In its vertically slit eyes, a mocking and disdainful expression showed.
"Lan Yin, you're quite alert, not falling into the formation. But what about Yun Xu? Isn't he trapped? Aren't you going to save him? Are you just going to watch him die?"
Lan Yin glared at Xuan Jiao, her voice cold with fury.
"Xuan Jiao, don't get too cocky. I've already informed the Wu Ji Sect and the Cui Family. You and Xing Wen Yao won't escape the Central Region."
"This place is millions of miles from the Wu Ji Sect and the Cui Family. By the time they arrive, we'll have already withdrawn. Hahaha..."
Xuan Jiao's massive body slithered through the air, its gaze filled with pride as it looked at the humans huddled inside the formation.
It had always been the humans who flaunted their strength in front of the demon clan, but now, the tables had turned, and it was the demon clan's time to revel.
"Lan Yin, what happened? What's going on beneath the sea? Where's Yun Xu?" Zhu Yin asked in rapid succession.
Daoist Lan Yin glared at Xuan Jiao, who was soaring high above, her teeth clenched as she spoke through gritted teeth.
"Xuan Jiao intentionally let me injure it to lure us out. Xing Wen Yao, that traitor, set up the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation in the deep sea, and Yun Xu is trapped inside. Moreover, Xing Wen Yao also has a fourth-tier humanoid puppet. This puppet is comparable to a late Nascent Soul cultivator, and its body is nearly indestructible."
Zhu Yin's expression grew worried. "Does that mean Yun Xu is in danger?"
Daoist Lan Yin's lips curled into a faint smirk before she shook her head, not answering.
She sat cross-legged and began meditating to recuperate.
It seemed she wasn't worried about Yun Xu's safety at all.
Seeing this, Zhu Yin didn't ask further questions. She knew Yun Xu must have some method to ensure his safety.
Song Wen, however, remembered that Xing Wen Yao had previously used the same Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation and a fourth-tier puppet against Jing Wuming.
After a while, Xuan Jiao, clearly feeling bored, flicked its tail and turned to leave.
One hour later,
Daoist Lan Yin was still sitting in meditation, seemingly unconcerned about the demon clan taking advantage of their momentary weakness to attack the Liangyi Sect's twin islands.
However, Song Wen and Zhu Yin were beginning to grow restless.
Song Wen stood up and walked in front of Daoist Lan Yin, cupping his hands and speaking.
"Senior Lan Yin, Zhu Yin and I still have urgent matters to attend to, and it is inconvenient for us to stay in Four Symbols City. Would it be possible to open a gap in the city's protective formation, allowing us to leave first?"
Daoist Lan Yin opened her eyes, looking at Song Wen with confusion.
"You wish to leave now? You must think this through. The situation outside is unclear, and perhaps Xuan Jiao and Xing Wen Yao are hiding outside the formation. We can't be sure."
Song Wen replied, "Thank you for the reminder, Senior. I understand the risks."
Lan Yin glanced at Zhu Yin, who was following Song Wen's lead, and no longer tried to persuade them.
"Since both of you insist on leaving, I won't stop you. You've done a favor for the Liangyi Sect. In the future, if you find yourselves in danger, you may seek refuge in our sect."
"Thank you, Senior Lan Yin." Song Wen and Zhu Yin cupped their hands in gratitude.
Song Wen didn't take Daoist Lan Yin's promise too seriously, but Zhu Yin seemed quite excited.
Daoist Lan Yin said, "You should leave from the west side, where the chances of encountering demon forces are lower."
The west side of Four Symbols City faced the direction of Extreme Islands, which had not been attacked by the demon clan. Therefore, Daoist Lan Yin believed it was safer to leave from there.
"Senior Lan Yin, we will leave from the southern land instead," Song Wen said.
Daoist Lan Yin stared at Song Wen. "Are you sure?"
Song Wen nodded.
The reason he insisted on leaving from the south was that in the past hour, the Shadow Gu had scouted an area of a thousand miles in the southern direction and found no signs of demon activity.
Daoist Lan Yin said, "In that case, go to the southern edge of the formation's barrier and wait there. After one incense stick, the exit will open. But it will only remain open for a brief moment, so you must act quickly."
After thanking Daoist Lan Yin and bidding her farewell, Song Wen and Zhu Yin quickly made their way toward the south.
Soon, they arrived beneath the towering formation barrier.
Suddenly, a gap the size of a person appeared in the barrier. Without hesitation, they rushed through the formation.
"Conceal your presence and follow me," Song Wen instructed Zhu Yin.
Leading the way, Song Wen guided them through dense forests and high mountains.
Before long, they had traveled over five hundred miles, then shot up into the sky, disappearing into the vast, dark expanse.
Once they reached the high sky, Song Wen continued heading south, though his speed wasn't fast, about the pace of a cultivator in the early stages of the Golden Core realm.
Zhu Yin followed closely behind, not urging him. The longer she traveled with Song Wen, the more she appreciated his calm and steady demeanor.
The journey was smooth, and half an hour later, they were a thousand miles away from Four Symbols City.
Song Wen, with his nerves tense, finally relaxed a little. He suddenly stopped.
"Why are we stopping?" Zhu Yin asked, her expression wary.
She had mistakenly thought that Song Wen had detected some hidden danger.
"Wait a moment," Song Wen replied.
"Wait for what?" Zhu Yin pressed on.
"You'll know soon enough. Don't worry, there's no danger," Song Wen reassured.
Before long, six tiny Gu, about the size of sesame seeds, fluttered their wings and landed in Song Wen's hands.
Throughout the journey, these tiny creatures had been scouting ahead, which was why Song Wen had been traveling so slowly.
"You actually raise Gu, and six of them are in the early stages of the third tier!" Zhu Yin exclaimed in surprise.
The longer she interacted with Song Wen, the more she realized how many hidden methods and tricks he had up his sleeve.
Song Wen collected the Gu back into his body and continued, "Let's release the Star Chariot Divine Ship now."
Following his instructions, Zhu Yin summoned the Star Chariot Divine Ship and asked,
"Where do we head now?"
"Continue south, toward the outer sea," Song Wen replied.
In this world, the demon and human clans were constantly fighting in the inner seas, but compared to that, the outer sea was much more peaceful. There was a lower chance of disturbance when forming a nascent soul in the outer sea.
(End of the Chapter)
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