On the flying ship.
Elder Mu nodded and glanced down at the Cloudfall Mountain Range. After a moment's hesitation, his aged voice rang out:
"Using karma to calculate the whereabouts of a Great Emperor is harder than scaling the heavens."
He paused, then continued slowly, "But if this woman named Ruoyu is merely the Great Emperor's woman, I can still find her."
Jiang Youlong and Hua Hongyi exchanged glances with the others, their faces lighting up with joy.
The flying ship slowed, then came to a complete stop in the sky. The group leaped off.
They flew into the Cloudfall Mountain Range.
The Cloudfall Mountain Range stretched endlessly, its winding ridges crisscrossing one another. Low hills and plains stood alongside peaks soaring ten thousand zhang into the clouds.
This was a paradise for demonic beasts.
It was also a place where cultivators came to explore and temper themselves. Disciples from many sects came here to gain experience.
Six thousand years ago, Lin Feng had met Yuan Ruoyu here.
And so began a series of events.
As Jiang Youlong and the others entered the Cloudfall Mountain Range, a breath of primordial desolation washed over them.
Ancient trees blotted out the sky and sun.
From time to time, roars from demonic beasts shook the mountains in the distance.
"Two thousand years ago, I came here to search for a spiritual herb. Looking back now, time really does fly!"
Hua Hongyi's eyes flickered, a trace of nostalgia appearing in them.
Zuo Qingtian laughed beside her, his tone teasing. "What a pity you didn't meet a Great Emperor here. Otherwise, you might have had a romantic encounter of your own."
"Hehehe..."
Hua Hongyi laughed, her body swaying like a flower in the breeze as waves rippled across her chest. She licked her lips.
"If I really met a Great Emperor, I wouldn't mind trying out some wild passion under the open sky."
Zuo Qingtian watched her, a lecherous flame flickering in his eyes.
Jiang Youlong turned around with a smile. "Even if you had met one, how would you have known he'd become a Great Emperor someday?"
Hua Hongyi paused. "That's true."
The group made their way through the mountains.
Their steps seemed slow, but each one carried them a great distance.
Whenever a demonic beast darted out of the forest, they casually killed it.
Jiang Youlong and the others didn't even bother to look at them.
These low-tier demonic beasts were of no value to them.
About half an hour later, Jiang Youlong stopped up ahead. After a moment's thought, he said solemnly,
"Any farther, and we'll be entering the inner region of the Cloudfall Mountain Range. Most of the demonic beasts there are at least Tier Three!"
Jiang Youlong continued,
"According to the diary, the Immortal Great Emperor and Ruoyu weren't very strong back then. They certainly wouldn't have ventured too deep, so I think they spent most of their time in the outer region."
Elder Mu, who hadn't spoken since they entered the mountain range, nodded.
"Exactly. Then let's calculate karma here."
Elder Mu was shrouded in mysterious fluctuations, his features obscured. His voice was old and hoarse.
"Guard me here. Remember, I must not be disturbed while making my deduction. And if the other party's cultivation is higher than mine, I'll be able to make no more than three attempts!"
"Whether we can find even a single clue will depend on fate."
Jiang Youlong, Hua Hongyi, and Zuo Qingtian all grew serious and nodded solemnly.
They then split up, each guarding one direction.
All three were at the early stage of Void Refinement, and each had a magical treasure for protection. In this outer region, they were unlikely to encounter any danger.
Once everything was ready, Elder Mu began circulating his cultivation art and making his deduction.
"Lin Feng. Ruoyu!"
"About six thousand years ago, one was at Qi Refining, the other at Golden Core."
That was what he had learned from the diary.
Even when calculating karma, it helped to know some information beforehand.
Elder Mu's magical power surged, his robe and beard whipping in the wind as an incomparably mysterious fluctuation burst from his body.
The mysterious fluctuation enveloped him and glowed. A moment later, he narrowed his eyes and entered a strange space.
He was still in the Cloudfall Mountain Range.
But the scene before him began to change ever so slightly, shifting in an illusory, dreamlike way.
Strands of strange light appeared before him.
The lights were dazzling and brilliant, weaving together into a dreamlike web.
Elder Mu's eyes were half closed, as if he were neither awake nor asleep. Like a man plucking a zither, he reached out and brushed against each strand of light.
Each time he touched one, scenes flashed through his mind.
A bearded middle-aged man was setting a trap to hunt demonic beasts.
A ragged young man was being hunted. He leaped off a cliff.
A cultivator fought a demonic beast, blood spraying everywhere as the battle raged.
Deep in the wilderness, a young cultivator couple kissed, lost in the moment.
One scene after another flashed through Elder Mu's mind.
Unfortunately, none of them showed what he was looking for, so he continued to pluck at the other lights.
More and more scenes appeared.
Fine beads of sweat formed on his forehead. His face grew pale, and his aura weakened.
These events had all taken place six thousand years ago.
Even with his current cultivation, his magical power would not hold out if he kept this up for too long.
Just then!
Elder Mu's expression shifted. Two strands of light before him were far brighter and more solid than the rest.
They were also intertwined far more deeply.
He reached out and gently touched them. The scene before him changed, turning blurry, illusory, impossible to grasp.
One figure was completely unpredictable, impossible to foresee.
The other was also shrouded in thick mist, appearing and disappearing, impossible to make out or see through.
"Lin Feng, are you really sure?"
A clear voice suddenly rang in Elder Mu's ear.
It was crisp and pleasant, like pearls falling onto a jade plate.
Elder Mu's mind shook. His face lit up with delight, and he burst into laughter. "Lin Feng!"
"The Immortal Great Emperor! I found him. I finally found him!"
At the same time.
Almost the instant Elder Mu touched that thread of karma, Yuan Ruoyu, seated on a Lotus Platform in the Jade Pool Holy Land, suddenly opened her eyes.
"Which insignificant fool dares scheme against this Venerable!"
As soon as her voice rang out, a thunderclap seemed to explode in Elder Mu's mind. The scenes and voices alike turned to ash!
His divine sense seemed to be dragged into an abyss by an immeasurable force...
Elder Mu's mind reeled with shock and terror!
He hurriedly severed his divine sense and broke free from the karma, avoiding the danger of sinking into the river of time.
"Hah..."
He had just breathed a sigh of relief when his mind lurched again. An intensely powerful sense of danger surged over him!
His whole body broke out in gooseflesh!
"Not good!"
"The other party is far stronger than me. They're following the thread of karma right to us!"
In his panic, Elder Mu shouted to Jiang Youlong, "Quick! Protect me! Keep me safe!"
Jiang Youlong's face turned grave. He immediately shot into the air and summoned a massive shield.
The shield glowed with brilliant golden light as countless inscriptions and visions of the Great Dao blazed across it.
A beam of light fell, protecting Elder Mu.
Rumble—
The next moment, an immensely powerful divine sense swept in from the horizon and struck Elder Mu.
"Pfft..."
The shield exploded into countless fragments. Elder Mu's body flew backward, blood spurting from his mouth...
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