Curly-Whisker Abyss.
It is located in the southwest of the Lesser Heaven-Turning Realm of the Nine Nether Domain.
As its name suggests, it is filled with Black Abyss, with cliffs and bottomless pits in all directions. When you are in it, you may not realize it, but if you step out and look at it from the outside, you will see that these abysses are like thick, tangled whiskers, stretching for thousands of miles.
The inner abyss.
Many passages lead to the depths of the void, with countless overlapping spaces leading in all directions, making the situation here complex, chaotic, and unpredictable. Numerous merchant groups, guilds, and caravans use the 'Curly-Whisker Abyss' as a transit point, traversing the various void passages to reach all corners of the land. At the same time, demons and Evil Cultivator have also taken a liking to this place, gathering here in droves to become bandits, engaging in robbery and plunder.
These people were known as the "Curly-Bearded Raiders".
The 'Curly-Bearded Raiders' is extremely powerful, and with his familiarity with the terrain, he has the advantage of playing on his home turf. Whenever something goes wrong, he can simply retreat into the depths of the Earth Abyss or the Heavenly Abyss and everything will be fine.
At worst.
Even if they escape through the constantly changing void passages, they are difficult to catch.
Such a favorable location also attracted powerful figures who had made vengeful enemies outside to come here. A few devoted themselves to cultivation, while most became outlaws.
Therefore.
The 'Curly-Whisker Abyss' has become a chaotic and difficult-to-pacify place, yet it presents both fortuitous opportunity and dangers. Some who venture into the 'Curly-Whisker Abyss' discover an unknown void passage leading to distant lands or even a lower realm, reaping riches and building an unparalleled empire. Others who venture here encounter the 'Curly-Bearded Raiders,' and one wrong move leads to utter ruin.
One thought can lead to heaven.
One thought.
That's all there is to it.
"Deep within the 'Curly-Whisker Abyss,' there is a shortcut through the void to the Seventh Battle Domain," Gu Jin added after introducing the 'Curly-Whisker Abyss' to Lu Qingfeng.
Upon hearing this, Lu Qingfeng immediately understood.
Such a chaotic territory, close to the outside world and easy to escape from, is the best choice to strike.
When Gu Jin heard Lu Qingfeng ask the question, he had a sudden thought and guessed the reason. He said loudly, "'Curly-Whisker Abyss' is dangerous, but most 'Curly-Bearded Raiders' are discerning. There are few blind 'Curly-Bearded Raiders Bandits' who would dare to rob a caravan like 'Jade Dragon' that is not a merchant caravan and has little profit. Even if they do, 'Jade Dragon' can escape quickly if it is no match for them."
The "Curly-Bearded Raiders" prioritizes profit above all else.
Robbing a powerful troop transport ship like the "Jade Dragon" is naturally not as lucrative as robbing a passing merchant caravan.
Lu Qingfeng listened and smiled at Gu Jin, but his eyes were still fixed on the crisscrossing Curly-Whisker Abyss in front of him, and he was not at ease.
Whoosh!
The "Jade Dragon" rode the wind, broke through the clouds, and plunged into the Curly-Whisker Abyss.
The world has changed.
Suddenly, things were different.
A wind rose from all sides. This was no ordinary wind, but Nine-Heavens Astral Wind from the depths of the Heavenly Earth Abyss and the Nine-Earths Wind that would blow away mortal Spirit Birth and low-level cultivators into ashes in an instant if they were not sheltered by cliffs and forests.
Even Core Formation True Person and Primordial Spirit True One who flee within must be extremely cautious. The slightest carelessness could result in being swept away by the gale and the Xunfeng, endangering their lives. Furthermore, within these layers of abysses, void storms sweep forth from the depths of the void, creating honeycomb-like passageways that can keep even Mahayana True Immortal busy dealing with.
Even a top-tier warship like the 'Jade Dragon' would find it difficult to withstand a stronger void storm.
There are many dangers.
Fortunately, void storms are rare occurrences, happening only once every thousand or ten thousand years, and are considered natural disasters. Ordinary storms are easily ignored by the 'Jade Dragon'. Charging forward, braving the strong winds and Xunfeng, it headed straight for the depths of the Curly-Whisker Abyss.
The terrain of Curly-Whisker Abyss is complex. It is not a single vertical or horizontal line, but rather a series of cliffs that stretch across the landscape, and even mountains formed by the convergence of storms, interspersed with each other to create deep abysses.
Or perhaps in the sky.
Or underground.
The area is completely concealed by cliffs on all sides, yet it is riddled with roads leading in all directions. One wrong step and you could easily get lost. It's not a simple, flat plain where you can simply ram your way deeper into the terrain.
"The 'Jade Dragon' can detect the location of void passages leading to the outer realms, and thus plan its route."
While explaining to Lu Qingfeng, Gu Jin was also keeping watch on the surroundings through the 'Jade Dragon'. Although the 'Curly-Bearded Raiders' was unlikely to attack the 'Jade Dragon', there was no guarantee that nothing would go wrong. Moreover, there were currently six top-tier True Immortal with ill intentions on board the 'Jade Dragon', so they could not afford to be careless.
Time passed.
Gu Jin was on high alert at all times.
Seeing this, Lu Qingfeng decided not to disturb them and took his leave to return to the second floor.
I just came down.
Then a Daoist priest walked towards them.
This man was strangely shaped, with a sunken nose, bulging eyes, high cheekbones, and a skeletal frame. His face, hands, and feet were blacker than ink, while his wide lips were redder than rouge. When he slightly opened his mouth, he revealed two rows of snow-white, closely spaced teeth; the three colors contrasted sharply, making his features even more distinct.
Upon seeing him, Lu Qingfeng immediately recognized him as one of the seven top True Immortal on the 'Jade Dragon', including Gu Jin. He was from the Flame God Palace and called himself 'Iron Umbrella Daoist'. He learned from Gu Jin that this Iron Umbrella Daoist was originally a friend of the Three Mountains True Lord of the Flame God Palace, but he was reincarnated after encountering a calamity.
Years have passed.
He ascended from the lower realm thousands of years ago, cultivated into True Immortal, awakened some of his Past-Life Wisdom, and his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds. Now he has recovered to his peak, even surpassing his former self. In the Lesser Dragon-Tiger Realm, he is considered a well-known figure below the Earth Immortal.
"I had heard of this name in the East Sea before. The High Person Golden Light, who was skilled in using the 'Earth-Lung Venomfire Divine Sand,' had suffered a great defeat at the hands of the Iron Umbrella Daoist. It's a pity that when I came to the East Sea, the Iron Umbrella Daoist had already disappeared without a trace. It is said that he had completed his cultivation and ascended to the Upper Realm."
"I didn't expect that."
"Coming from the Three Mountains and Nine Rivers, the Iron Umbrella Daoist has such a background."
Lu Qingfeng thought to himself, but his face remained unchanged as he looked at the Iron Umbrella Daoist coming towards him.
The latter revealed his tricolored teeth and said in a loud voice, "I have long heard that there is a True Immortal from the Mountain-Water Realm on this ' Jade Dragon. I, Tiesan, have come to pay my respects."
The Iron Umbrella Daoist spoke up, his bulging eyes looking at Lu Qingfeng, silently observing him without changing his expression.
"The Mountain-Water Realm?"
Lu Qingfeng sneered inwardly, but feigned ignorance on the surface, saying, "So you are Fellow Daoist Iron Umbrella from the Flame God Palace. It's an honor to meet you."
He first returned the greeting with clasped hands to Fellow Daoist Iron Umbrella, and then pretended to hesitate before saying, "This humble Daoist has been cultivating in the Lesser Nether Capital Realm for many years, and only recently traveled to the Lesser Dragon-Tiger Realm. I don't know where the 'Mountain-Water Realm' you mentioned is. Have you mistaken me for someone else?"
Lu Qingfeng would never admit it unless he was absolutely certain that he had been exposed.
During the six years they spent aboard the "Jade Dragon," the Left Bank Demon King of Chilian Mountain, the Daoist Quechao Vermilion-Glow Mountain, and Master Mai Xin of Formless Zen Monastery all came to test him multiple times. However, Lu Qingfeng himself concealed his heavenly secrets and did not let his aura leak out, making it difficult for him to see through with the naked eye alone.
The reason these people noticed Lu Qingfeng was because...
Firstly, because Lu Qingfeng frequently interacted with Gu Jin and Zhu Yang.
The former is the commander of the 'Jade Dragon' and one of the four top True Immortal of Heaven-Piercing Gorge, while it's no secret that Lu Qingfeng escaped the Mountain-Water Realm with the help of Han Ling'er. With this relationship, his closeness to Gu Jin becomes easier to explain.
As for Zhu Yang, given their abilities, it wouldn't be difficult for these people to find out that Zhu Yang ascended from the Three Mountains and Nine Rivers. As for the fact that Zhu Yang had dealings with Lu Qingfeng when he was in the lower realm and had joined forces against an enemy, it's unknown whether these people knew that.
However, given these two factors, coupled with the fact that the origin and identity of the "Eight-Wastes Daoist" on the "Jade Dragon" were the most questionable, Lu Qingfeng became the biggest target in the eyes of these top True Immortal.
The reason they didn't take any action along the way was probably because they didn't dare to act rashly without being completely certain.
Iron Umbrella Daoist had remained inactive until now, when the Jade Dragon entered the Curly-Whisker Abyss and was about to reach the outer realm, he finally could not hold back any longer.
"From the Lesser Nether Capital Realm?"
The Iron Umbrella Daoist's ugly face betrayed no emotion, yet he spoke, "This humble Daoist spent many years cultivating in the Lesser Nether Capital Realm in the past, and is quite familiar with it. May I ask which part of the Lesser Nether Capital Realm Fellow Daoist Eight Desolations comes from?"
"Last-Rite Mountain".
"The wilderness is a place I imagine you have never heard of, fellow Daoist."
Lu Qingfeng said with a smile.
Since he had spoken, he had a plan. The information he had obtained from Gu Jin about the Lesser Nether Capital Realm was enough for him to handle most situations. After all, although the Lesser Dragon-Tiger Realm and the Lesser Nether Capital Realm were adjacent, these top True Immortal cultivated in the Lesser Dragon-Tiger Realm year-round and might not know much about the Lesser Nether Capital Realm.
This Iron Umbrella Daoist claims to have cultivated in the Lesser Nether Capital Realm, but that's most likely a lie and not very credible.
"Last-Rite Mountain".
"Although this place is a bit remote, it is a beautiful and secluded place suitable for cultivation. I have an old friend here who is in charge of the Thirty-Six Earthfire Great Grottoes in the Last-Rite Mountain, which is a holy place for fire magic practitioners. Since you practice fire magic, I imagine you have had many interactions with my old friend."
The Iron Umbrella Daoist continued to probe.
Lu Qingfeng chuckled upon hearing this and said, "Fellow Daoist is joking. Senior Lan Shan is in charge of the Thirty-Six Earthfire Great Grottoes of the Last-Rite Mountain. His cultivation is profound and his status is esteemed. I am merely an ordinary True Immortal. How could I possibly be worthy of Senior Lanshan's attention?"
Verbal clashes.
Lu Qingfeng handled the situation with ease, revealing no flaws whatsoever. No matter how the Iron Umbrella Daoist tried to trap him, he could easily deal with it. In this way, although it was difficult to dispel the Iron Umbrella Daoist's doubts, it also made it difficult for him to draw a conclusion.
Iron Umbrella Daoist, having failed to probe Lu Qingfeng, was in no hurry to leave. Instead, he pulled Lu Qingfeng aside and continued their conversation, appearing quite engrossed. Lu Qingfeng, while dealing with Iron Umbrella Daoist, also kept an eye on his surroundings.
In the second layer.
The Left Bank Demon King of Chilian Mountain, using the alias 'Fang Xiang,' remained hidden in the shadows, waiting to strike.
Several True Immortal gathered around the Daoist Daoist Quechao Vermilion-Glow Mountain, conversing as if discussing the Dao.
Master Mai Xin of Formless Zen Monastery, dressed in an apricot-yellow monk's robe, stood as still as a mountain, practicing the Miaofa.
On one side, there was another white-haired youth named Qi Lingyu, the ninth disciple under the master of Plum Blossom Cave of Jade-Congealing Cliff. Although he looked young, his reputation was no less than that of the others.
Before Qi Lingyu stood a female Daoist priest, strikingly beautiful with a youthful face and an ethereal, otherworldly air. The two conversed intermittently, seemingly old acquaintances.
This is the interior of the 'Jade Dragon'.
Outside the 'Jade Dragon', Lu Qingfeng sensed something and saw two cliffs on either side ahead, as if cleaved by a knife and axe, standing tall and imposing. Within them lay a Threadline Abyss, pitch black and impenetrable. As the 'Jade Dragon' entered the Threadline Abyss, the hairs on Lu Qingfeng's back stood on end, and his heart tightened instantly.
"They're here!"
He thought to himself.
The next moment.
Hundreds of caves opened up in the cliff walls on both sides, each gleaming with an eerie light. With a 'clang', crossbow bolts rained down!
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P. S.: Tomato's "Flying Sword Asks the Way" finished last night. Those who are interested can start reading now.