Chapter 52

Ten days later, the envoy to the Water Kingdom of Dangyu was ready to set off.

Including Zhang Yan, there were about sixty people in the group, led by a cultivator named Wu Zhen, who was at the third level of the Bright Qi stage. They would be traveling to the Water Kingdom on a flying tower, which was much faster than ordinary flying boats and could reach their destination in less than a month.

Among the twelve alchemists sent by the Pill Cauldron Academy was Dou Ming. He had already extricated himself from the matter, but never expected Zhang Yan to drag him back in. Now, he had no official position and had to follow Zhang Yan’s lead, so he kept his head down throughout the journey, afraid of losing face in front of everyone.

Zhang Yan paid him no mind. Just before they set off, he received a letter with elegant handwriting and a jade pendant attached. From the handwriting, it was clear that this was from the same person who had invited him to admire the moon previously.

The letter read: "Because of my willfulness, I have caused you trouble. I am very uneasy, and can only offer this token of my apology. The road ahead is rugged, I hope you will take care of yourself."

There was no signature at the bottom.

Zhang Yan looked at the jade pendant. With his extensive knowledge of Daoist texts, he immediately recognized the origin of the jade. It was called the "Moonlit Heart Jade," used to aid cultivation. It was said that under the bright moon, the wearer could increase the speed of their qi circulation by several times, making it a valuable treasure.

Zhang Yan had intended to ask the female attendant who delivered the letter who she was and why she had sent the jade, and what she meant by "caused trouble." However, the attendant seemed to have been instructed not to answer and simply bowed before hurrying away. Zhang Yan watched her go and smiled. Since he couldn't guess her identity, he decided not to waste his time on it. Cultivators should follow their hearts; why worry about trivial matters? When the time was right, everything would become clear.

He turned around, lifted the hem of his robe, and slowly stepped into the tower.

Once inside, a strongman led him to his pre-arranged quarters. After going upstairs, he glanced around and noticed a familiar figure dart past a corner, causing his brows to furrow. It was none other than Feng Ji!

What was he doing here?

Zhang Yan immediately felt that something was amiss.

He looked around and found that his quarters were on the fourth floor, a rather subtle arrangement. He noticed that the entrances to the upper and lower floors were guarded by strongmen, and their gazes would occasionally sweep over him.

Once everyone was on board, Wu Zhen waved a talisman, and the tower gently lifted off, steadily flying eastward toward the Water Kingdom.

Zhang Yan casually walked around the tower, discovering that it was divided into seven floors, could accommodate a hundred people, and had a hexagonal shape with red-painted pillars, round windows, and golden bells hanging from the eaves. A divine beast sat atop the tower, and a copper gourd for gathering qi was placed at the peak. When the tower flew, clouds and mist enveloped the bottom, creating a mesmerizing sight.

However, after walking around, he felt something was off. After some thought, he realized the problem: he saw many disciples from noble families, who usually had strongmen and female attendants accompanying them. This journey to the Water Kingdom would take over a year, so it was reasonable to have more strongmen, but not a single female attendant. This seemed rather unusual.

Unless they didn't intend to go very far!

Thinking of Feng Ji's presence, his eyes narrowed. He had known someone would try to harm him, but he thought they would wait until they reached the Water Kingdom. Now it seemed that some people didn't want him to reach there alive.

He recalled the people who entered the tower. Wu Zhen was undoubtedly the most powerful, making him the hardest to deal with, but there might be other cultivators of similar strength. He needed to be prepared.

If they were within the sect, everyone would be restrained by rules and various factions, allowing for strategic maneuvering. But now, outside, everything was decided by strength. Any schemes or tricks were useless here.

Zhang Yan's eyes flashed, and he sat back in his room, calling out to Luo Xiao in his mind.

Bound by the Essence Blood Oath, they could sense each other's location and well-being, even if they were thousands of miles apart. He had been doing this for ten days, but had received no response. This time, after a short while, he felt a sudden jolt in his heart, and he was delighted, knowing that Luo Xiao was rushing to him.

He put his mind at ease and decided to meditate and practice breathing exercises to refine more Kunling Turbid Qi, increasing his self-defense capabilities.

After more than ten days, he successfully refined another mouthful of Kunling Turbid Qi and felt Luo Xiao getting closer.

The tower remained quiet, but he didn't let his guard down. He kept his three magical treasures within reach, ready to face any unexpected situations.

He wondered where they were now.

He opened the door and stepped out, frowning. "This direction, it seems we're heading toward Surge Lake?"

Surge Lake was one of the Three Ponds, ruled by Qu Yue, a carp spirit who had practiced for over a thousand years. After the ceasefire between the Three Ponds and the Qingcang Sect, he was the first to stop fighting. Although it was possible to reach the Water Kingdom through the territory of the demons, the journey wasn't shorter, and it seemed provocative.

No, something was wrong!

He noticed a few more strongmen today, and their expressions were somewhat hostile. Zhang Yan's eyes turned sharp, sensing a deep danger approaching. It seemed that the moment they reached Surge Lake would be when the attack would begin!

He sneered, his eyes filled with killing intent, and gripped the Ruyi Divine Dart in his sleeve. Although Luo Xiao hadn't arrived yet, waiting passively was not an option. He decided to take the initiative and catch them off guard!

A thousand miles away from Surge Lake, a flying palace a mile long and wide hovered above a cloud.

In the center of the grand hall, a man sat on a high platform. He had a prominent nose, broad forehead, eyes like a hawk, and a chin like a pillar. He wore a purple-gold crown with long tassels hanging from his shoulders, a black dragon golden armor, a large cloak made of phoenix feathers, and black boots with beast heads. His physique was twice as imposing as an ordinary person, and his presence was overwhelmingly intimidating.

This man was Su Yihong, the eldest son of the Qin Yang Su family.

He looked north, where dozens of lights were flying toward the floating steps in front of the palace. These were all cultivators at the Xuan Guang stage, with the leader at the third level. He stepped forward and bowed, saying, "He Guo greets Senior Brother Su."

Su Yihong asked in a deep voice, "What is the situation?"

He Guo laughed loudly, "Old Carp Qu is still in the dark, completely unaware. This is the perfect opportunity for us to act."

"Good!" Su Yihong stood up, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "This matter today concerns our plans for the next hundred years. Is there anyone who wants to back out?"

His eyes were filled with authority, and the dozens of cultivators all looked solemn. He Guo led them in a bow, saying, "We will follow Senior Brother's orders."

Su Yihong nodded in satisfaction, slowly sitting down and gripping the roaring lion head on the armrest. "Several elders in the sect once promised me that if I could capture Deep Spring Gorge, they would grant me this place to establish my own residence outside the sect. I have been fighting for years and have already reached the entrance of Old Carp Qu's Nine-Bend Stream Palace. I was just one step away from achieving my goal, but now someone wants to make peace with the Water Kingdom. This time, I will not let them have their way!"

He Guo said loudly, "Senior Brother, just tell us what to do, and we will all be united."

Su Yihong said, "Second Brother has been traveling for twelve days on the flying tower. Calculating the time, it should take him at most one more day to reach here. Once Second Brother captures the true disciple named Zhang Yan and brings his head, we can use the excuse of a true disciple being killed to attack the Nine-Bend Stream Palace, conquer Deep Spring Gorge, and kill Old Carp Qu. Once we occupy this water palace, we will see if the demon fish Qu Yue can hold back."

Someone said, "I have heard of Zhang Yan before. He once accidentally killed Second Brother's spirit pet and captured many of his fellow disciples, causing Second Brother a great loss of face. This time, we can settle the score with him."

Su Yihong nodded and turned to a young cultivator behind He Guo, saying, "He Fang, you go to assist Second Brother. To ensure success, after capturing Zhang Yan, kill all the people with him. If Second Brother objects, tell him it's my order."

He then threw something to him, saying, "I will give you a talisman to capture his soul. Find a spirit beast, erase its soul, and replace it with his. Then give it to Second Brother, making him a beast for eternity."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall broke out in cold sweat, not daring to breathe.

He Fang, however, was excited. He stepped forward, took the talisman, and patted his chest, saying, "Senior Brother, rest assured. I will bring back Second Brother and Zhang Yan's head shortly."

He turned to leave, but felt his arm being grabbed. Looking back, he saw his elder brother He Guo chasing after him. He was surprised, "Elder Brother, what is it?"

He Guo warned, "I've heard that Zhang Yan is cunning and good at scheming. Be careful on this mission. Don't be careless. Remember, your mistake is a small matter, but don't ruin Senior Brother's plans."

He Fang was displeased, "Elder Brother underestimates me. Zhang Yan doesn't even have the Bright Qi stage cultivation. Why should I fear a Xuan Guang second-level cultivator?" He shook off his arm and turned to leave, but He Guo grabbed him tightly and forced something into his hand, "Take this. It's the 'Purple Luan Heart Hammer' that Senior Brother gave me last time. Use it."

He Fang tried to refuse, thinking, "Elder Brother really underestimates me."

But He Guo insisted, and he had no choice but to accept it, muttering a few words. He walked to the floating steps, and with a burst of Xuan Guang, a crimson light shot into the sky.

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PS: Slowing down the pace a bit. One update tonight, and I'll resume tomorrow. I'll find a chance to make up for the missed chapters.

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