“Sect Master.”
Jiang Xie stood outside the cave, his spiritual sense spreading outward. “That guy really left without looking back.”
Jun Changxiao said, “His inner turmoil remains unresolved. Getting him to join the Eternal Sect will be difficult.”
“Should we capture him and lock him up, have Zhao Doudou counsel him?” Jiang Xie suggested.
“No need.”
Jun Changxiao said, “People have their own aspirations. We cannot force them.”
Dai Lü: ???
…
Under the night sky, the Spirit-Crossing Valley appeared exceptionally cold and eerie.
Young Master Yuan struggled forward step by step. He wasn’t afraid of such an environment—he was long accustomed to it. He just worried that Jun Changxiao might suddenly catch up.
Fortunately, after walking out of the valley, the other party never appeared, and he finally breathed a long sigh of relief.
However.
When Young Master Yuan steadied himself and looked ahead at the seemingly endless darkness, his expression couldn’t help but become despondent. “Where should I go now?”
He had always lived at the Demon Emperor’s Gate, treating it as his home. Now that he’d been misunderstood, he certainly couldn’t return.
“Young Master!”
Suddenly, a call came from behind.
Young Master Yuan turned around and saw the black-robed elder clutching his buttocks, hurrying over. He asked in surprise, “Elder Lin, why did you come?”
Elder Lin said, “Wherever Young Master goes, I, Lin Lan, will follow to the death!”
After Jun Changxiao took Young Master Yuan away, he had quietly followed.
The Demon Emperor’s Gate couldn’t tolerate the Young Master, so naturally it couldn’t tolerate his confidant either. If he remained at the Demon Emperor’s Gate, he would surely die a terrible death.
“Elder Lin.”
Young Master Yuan roughly guessed the reason and said guiltily, “I’ve dragged you down!”
Elder Lin said, “Young Master must never say such things. You saved this subordinate’s life. Even if it means climbing mountains of swords or descending into seas of fire, I will not refuse!”
This is what it means to see true friendship in adversity!
This is it!
Young Master Yuan was deeply moved. He wished he could embrace him and cry his heart out.
“Young Master, how did Jun Changxiao let you go?” Elder Lin asked in confusion.
“This isn’t the place to talk. Let’s leave quickly, lest that fellow catches up.”
“Right!”
The two hastily departed.
After daybreak, they stopped in a cave several hundred miles away.
“Young Master.”
Elder Lin said, “What are your plans for the future?”
“Ah.”
Young Master Yuan sighed. “I can’t return to the Demon Emperor’s Gate. I can only wander the world.”
Thinking of how he had dedicated himself wholeheartedly to the sect for so many years, only to end up in such a state, he felt both heartbroken and unwilling.
Elder Lin said, “We are demonic cultivators. If we travel the martial world, the slightest carelessness and discovery will lead to siege by righteous sects.”
Young Master Yuan furrowed his brow.
Only now did he realize that after leaving the Demon Emperor’s Gate, even living an ordinary, peaceful life in the Starfall Continent would be a luxury.
“Elder Lin.”
Young Master Yuan was at a loss. “Do you have any suggestions?”
“Young Master.”
Elder Lin said seriously, “Since we cannot stay here, we can go to the East Sea!”
“The East Sea?”
Young Master Yuan asked, “Yu Prefecture?”
“Exactly!” Elder Lin said.
Young Master Yuan said bitterly, “The East Sea’s Yu Prefecture is so far away, and the sea has all kinds of disasters. We’ll probably die at sea before we even arrive.”
Although the East Sea’s Yu Prefecture and the mainland were separated by a great distance, given this world’s martial arts level, they should theoretically be able to travel freely. Yet there was always very little contact between them.
This was because the endless sea connecting the two places had many natural disasters.
Rainstorms and typhoons were the lowest level; falling ice blades and fireballs were merely routine occurrences.
Throughout history, perhaps some people had successfully reached the East Sea’s Yu Prefecture, but ninety percent of martial artists would die on the way—even Half-Saints and Martial Saints were no exception.
It could be said that the sea area between the mainland and the East Sea’s Yu Prefecture was even more terrifying than the Grand Line in One Piece. Ever since the Great War of the Emperors shattered the continent into four parts, the martial artists who had died there were as numerous as the sands of the Ganges River.
Of course.
Some people could use superior seafaring skills to avoid various natural disasters and successfully travel between the mainland and the East Sea’s Yu Prefecture, but they were ultimately very few.
Elder Lin said, “Here we must not only be wary of the righteous sects, but also of Jun Changxiao and the Demon Emperor’s Gate. Better to gamble on going to the East Sea’s Yu Prefecture!”
“Yes!”
Young Master Yuan said painfully, “We must also be wary of Jun Changxiao and the Demon Emperor’s Gate!”
Based on his understanding of the Gate Master, since he was mistaken as a traitor, once found he would surely face certain death!
Elder Lin continued, “Moreover, the East Sea’s Yu Prefecture also has established powers. With Young Master’s talents, you might be able to carve out a place for yourself there!”
These words deeply stimulated Young Master Yuan. After brief consideration, he made up his mind. “Alright, let’s go to the East Sea’s Yu Prefecture!”
His heart was very weary.
Especially having the Eternal Sect as an opponent—every time he was defeated miserably. So the only option was to stay far from troubled lands, far from Jun Changxiao, and venture to the more distant East Sea.
…
Spirit-Crossing Valley.
Just as dawn broke, Jun Changxiao received intelligence from Li Luoqiu.
Recently, more and more drifting bottles had floated from the southeastern Shi Prefecture, all containing Master Fan’s calls for help.
One distress message particularly caught his attention.
The content read: The East Sea’s Yu Prefecture is brewing a grand plan that will concern the survival of the Nine Provinces. If you want to know more, quickly send someone to rescue me!
A grand plan?
Concerning the survival of the Nine Provinces?
Jun Changxiao stroked his chin. “Is it really that frightening?”
The various powers of the nine provinces had also learned of this matter but paid it no heed. After all, the Planar Battlefield had opened, and the Demon Emperor’s Gate was taking advantage of the chaos to cause trouble—this also concerned the Nine Provinces’ survival. How could they have time to rescue Master Fan?
“Sect Master.”
Elder Ding said, “Master Fan keeps sending distress calls via drifting bottles. There may truly be something going on.”
Jun Changxiao said, “We’ll find time to go take a look.”
By “find time,” he meant after all the epic quests were completed, which meant inevitably waiting another half year or more.
Young Master Yuan and Elder Lin arrived at the southeastern Shi Prefecture a few days later. After making many inquiries, they found an expert with a hundred years of seafaring skills and boarded a ship to cross the sea.
Strangely enough.
Being in the vast, boundless ocean, Young Master Yuan’s state of mind rarely calmed down, and he thought to himself, “Is it because I’m no longer enemies with that fellow, and I’ve found release?”
“Jun Changxiao!”
He stood up and shouted toward the mainland’s direction, “I can’t defeat you, so I won’t play with you anymore!”
“Farewell!”
“Never to meet again!”
…
Spirit-Crossing Valley.
Relying on Jiang Xie’s powerful Nascent Soul body, the resources hidden in the deepest places were all swept clean. Only then did Jun Changxiao happily give the order to return to the sect.
“Flap!”
“Flap!”
The Demon Ridge Black Shadow beat its wings, carrying him and Xi Jingxuan toward southwestern Yang Province.
The two had another chance to be alone together.
However, Jun Changxiao remained silent the entire way. Instead, he opened the Pill Refining Pavilion and auto-matched the Superior Body-Tempering Pill.
“What is this Yellow Springs Day Trip thing?”
“Ding!”
With a thought, it auto-matched.
“Hm?”
Seeing it matched in the Pill Refining Pavilion, Jun Changxiao asked in surprise, “A pill?”
He clicked on the newly appeared Yellow Springs Day Trip. Not only were the quantities of medicinal materials needed for refining listed, there was also a brief introduction. The content read: Yellow Springs Day Trip, also called the Yellow Springs Pill. After a martial artist takes it, they will enter a state of suspended animation lasting 24 hours.
The corner of Jun Changxiao’s mouth twitched. “After taking it, you enter a death-feigning state that lasts 24 hours. It really is a Yellow Springs Day Trip!”
—