Regarding Fu Lingchuan, what did she know? Recalling all the clues about this person, Feng Miaojun’s gaze flickered. Could it be…

The Merman King’s expression was solemn: “That shouldn’t be. There’s no natural defense in the city. When the cloud formation presses down from the sky soon, their position will be immediately exposed.” There was still about an hour before the ritual ended, and during this time the blessing ceremony couldn’t be moved. Fu Lingchuan shouldn’t choose to perform the spell in the city. Once surrounded there, he would have no terrain advantage to defend, nowhere to escape.

“Only a little more than an hour left,” another person said with an unpleasant expression. “Won’t Lord Yang Shan explain? Fu Lingchuan visited him before stealing the Crab Spirit. Who can say he has nothing to do with this?” Judging by their bearing and attire, they didn’t seem to be subordinates of the Merman King.

“Fu Lingchuan sought out many people on this trip,” the Merman King said coldly. “Lord Yang Shan has already clarified that he has nothing to do with the Crab Spirit incident. After the establishment of New Xia, Fu Lingchuan wouldn’t submit to him either. Besides, if Lord Yang Shan wanted to leave, who among those present could stop him?”

This final question silenced everyone.

To say nothing else, just considering Lord Yang Shan’s cultivation level, there was likely no match for him here. The mermen were already frantic in their pursuit of Fu Lingchuan, and at this moment, they didn’t want to deal with another powerful enemy like Lord Yang Shan.

Just then, a merman ran up from the mountain and bowed to his king: “The messenger we sent was intercepted midway. I’ve just sent someone to issue the order to search for Fu Lingchuan’s accomplices.”

This would waste even more time. The Merman King’s face turned slightly cold: “Intercepted? That means Fu Lingchuan’s accomplices are also taking action. You…”

Before he could finish speaking, someone pointed to the distance and said in a strained voice: “Look there!”

Everyone looked where indicated and saw that another strange phenomenon had appeared in the sky:

The increasingly thick, black cloud formation that seemed about to fall at any moment suddenly accelerated its rotation, and then a tornado extended downward from the center of the vortex, pointing vertically toward a ship far on the horizon!

These people were visibly moved: “On the ship! They’re performing the ritual on a ship!”

Everyone’s deductions had been constrained by the concept of “island.” Fu Lingchuan was neither on Cone Tail Mountain nor in the city, but had chosen the distant sea to perform his ritual! The altar couldn’t be moved during the spell-casting process, but the ship carrying the altar could move!

Now both the ocean currents and wind direction were favorable. Going east with the current, the speed would be substantial. Judging by the position where the cloud tornado descended, it was at least tens of li away from the island. It wouldn’t be easy for everyone to catch up.

Feng Miaojun immediately recalled that Lu Chuanying had mentioned Fu Lingchuan had sent people to look for large ships setting sail tonight.

So this was what it was for?

The Merman King’s face turned ashen, uttering just one word: “Chase!” After two steps, he added, “Order the entire island to evacuate.” Then he led the way, striding down the mountain.

He hadn’t expected that the Crab Spirit and Fu Lingchuan had expended such great effort to set up Cone Tail Mountain, only to place a few diversions to mislead, concealing their escape route to the sea.

Tens of li of sea journey—at the mermen’s speed, they should be able to catch up before the time limit. The prerequisite was that they had to move quickly.

The people on the peak vanished in an instant.

Feng Miaojun rubbed her throbbing temples. What should she do now? Fu Lingchuan had played a masterful hand, and there was no way she could catch up now. What gave her some comfort was that the mermen’s attention was temporarily drawn to Fu Lingchuan, so they certainly had no time to pursue Feng’s group.

As for Feng’s people, as long as they could get a ship to sea now…

Just as she was thinking this, a red firework suddenly rose from the seaside, especially brilliant in the night sky.

That was the direction of the dock.

Seeing this, Feng Miaojun couldn’t help but feel great joy!

Before separating from her foster mother, they had agreed that once Feng’s group boarded a ship and left port, they would send a signal. Now it seemed that Lu Chuanying was indeed capable, able to arrange for a ship and help Feng’s group escape amid chaos.

Standing high, she naturally could see far. From the peak, she could see red dots at the dock, with several points extending to the sea—these were torches lit by people and oil lamps on the ships.

Ships had already set sail.

Feng’s group had recognized the opportunity early and departed ahead of time. Otherwise, once the evacuation order spread, the entire island would fall into panic, and chances to board ships would have to be fought for.

Now the ocean current was favorable. A merchant ship should be able to travel more than twenty li in an hour. If the power of heavenly lightning radiated outward from Spiral Float Island as its center, then its transmission into the sea would have a diminishing effect.

With Lu Chuanying and Peng Bai’s full protection, might Madam Xu survive?

She stood at the peak, the wind howling as if it were her foster mother’s cries.

Madam Xu probably also understood that her foster daughter wouldn’t be able to meet up with them in time. With only an hour left, unless Feng Miaojun grew wings, she couldn’t reach the dock, let alone go to sea.

If Fu Lingchuan successfully designated Spiral Float Island as the sacrificial vessel and heavenly lightning descended, all living beings within about thirty li of the island center would likely perish. Could Feng Miaojun’s cultivation withstand heavenly lightning?

She suddenly laughed silently, and Bai Ban saw self-mockery on her face.

Her entire life she had desperately struggled to survive, only to be unable to escape such a fate in the end.

Feng Miaojun sat down cross-legged, took Bai Ban off, and placed it in her palm, saying softly: “I dissolve our master-servant agreement. You should go. I know you have ways to protect yourself. Liquid metal is special; you might survive this heavenly lightning.”

Liquid metal monsters were the most unusual form of life in this world, different from flesh and blood bodies. Though heavenly lightning was formidable, for Bai Ban, which had acquired incredibly solid properties, the chances of survival were much greater than Feng Miaojun’s.

She might have no chance to live, but she didn’t want to drag Bai Ban to death as well.

Bai Ban hadn’t expected her to say this. It transformed into a white marten, tilting its head and saying: “What does Mistress plan to do next? Why not go to the lower part of Spiral Float Island to take shelter?”

“It’s all the same wherever I go. Within an hour, I can’t possibly get thirty li away from the island. The sea below Cone Tail Mountain is full of whirlpools; I simply can’t swim out.” She had originally planned to use Fu Lingchuan’s diversion to escape the lightning tribulation, but now he had made a superior move and fled tens of li away. The sea area beneath her feet was a concentration of marine disasters, with numerous hidden reefs creating countless whirlpools and undercurrents. Even fish that accidentally strayed in might not get out, let alone a land creature. “I just hope the mermen can stop Fu Lingchuan in time.”

She had always been afraid of death, but now strangely felt not a shred of fear, as if death were still far away from her.

It wasn’t far—perhaps only an hour remained.

She had always tried so hard to survive, only to die here quietly in the end.

At this moment, she inexplicably thought of Yun. Their lives were connected; if she died, he couldn’t live alone either. If they met in the underworld, would he be so angry that he would strangle her again?

Feng Miaojun shuddered.