Reuniting with Long Zhi

At the borderland between the Heavenly Court and the Buddhist Gate, mountains stretched on without end.

The most perilous pass closest to the Heavenly Court's border with the Nine Provinces was called Azure Firmament Cascading Springs.

From thousand-foot cliffs, icy springs tumbled down in layer after layer, crashing against swathes of blue-black rock below.

Water mist rose, filling the entire valley.

This place was governed by neither decrees of the Heavenly Court nor teachings of the Buddhist Gate. Only the wind and the thunderous mountain waters rang out without rest, day and night.

Above Azure Firmament Cascading Springs, three figures flew unhurriedly across the sky.

Two men and a woman, their auras full and abundant—all were powerful cultivators who had stepped into the Painting Realm. Long Zhi.

Yet despite having entered the Painting Realm, the three still moved through this place with considerable caution.

There was no other reason.

The true master of the lands surrounding Azure Firmament Cascading Springs was Azure Firmament Cave.

The Azure Firmament Cave Master's cultivation had already reached the consummate stage of the Roaming Void Sea.

Even if the Heavenly Court regarded this place as an uncivilized rural wilderness—

A consummate Roaming Void Sea powerhouse was worthy of sufficient respect wherever they stood.

As the three traveled in silence.

Suddenly.

One of the men, handsome as carved jade, wearing a scholar's headscarf and a crane-feather cloak, frowned slightly and looked toward the woman beside him. "Fellow Daoist Long."

"Tell me honestly. How confident are you in recruiting Azure Firmament Cave this time?"

At those words.

Long Zhi's expression stiffened slightly.

But now that they had reached the territory of Azure Firmament Cascading Springs, it was naturally no longer appropriate for her to keep making things up.

After hesitating for a moment, she could only answer