The Pursuer
As the setting sun fades, the vast sky is stained with darkness, and the clear light of the full moon cascades down upon the world like a waterfall.
Several figures hovered in the void beneath the night sky.
The followers all wore uniform white robes with wide sleeves and narrow collars, embroidered with either the mythical beast Bai Ze or the divine beast Pixiu, their strange patterns gleaming with a faint golden light.
The leader of them was a woman.
She wasn't dressed in white, but rather in a black robe. The smooth silk hem of the robe fluttered in the night breeze, vaguely outlining her graceful and curvaceous figure. Her black hair was styled into a high bun, adorned with a red bead on a hairpin. Her eyebrows were slightly upturned, and her clear eyes held a cunning glint that captivated the soul.
Below these figures lay a valley shrouded in thick fog.
The white mist under the sunlight now shimmered with a bewitching red glow under the moonlight, and the shadowy clouds stretched out in the vast valley, resembling a strange, boundless ocean.
Hearing the eerie howls faintly emanating from the mist below, a man dressed in a long robe with wide sleeves and a narrow collar, holding a compass, suddenly asked in a low voice:
"Your Excellency, these two have indeed entered the All Swords Valley as the Pavilion Master predicted. Should we report this to the Pavilion Master first?"
Tianye's eyes scanned everything below with great interest, her red lips parted slightly, and her whisper contained a subtle hint of allure:
"These two are quite interesting. Master has never made a mistake in deducing people using the Heaven Derivation Divine Art, but these two seem to have some kind of predictive ability, and they always manage to escape from our encirclement."
As he spoke,
Tianye slightly turned her head, crossed her arms, and looked at the man beside her with a smile:
"Xiao Jianqing, I remember you seemed to know these two people back when you were at the Qionghua Sect?"
The white-clad man holding the compass was Xiao Jianqing.
He fled even earlier than Xu Yuan and Tianyan, and after betraying the Qionghua Sect, he went through several ups and downs before finally being successfully recruited into the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion.
Upon hearing Xiao Jianqing's composed eyes flickered twice. After a moment's thought, she replied softly:
"Reporting to the Holy Maiden, I naturally recognize Senior Brother Jing He and Tianyan Sister Tianyan. However, I come from a humble background and have never had any deep interactions with them, only nodding acquaintances when we meet."
Tianye seemed slightly surprised upon hearing this:
"You are all core disciples with similar cultivation levels, yet you have no friendship with each other?"
Xiao Jianqing into the beautiful, captivating golden eyes of the saintess before him:
"Everything I, Xiao, said is true. Jing He and the other two are direct descendants of the sect leader's lineage, so naturally they wouldn't be too close to someone like me who comes from humble origins. Besides, back then, I, Xiao, should have been considered part of the lineage of the Second Elder of the Qionghua Sect."
Upon hearing this, a slight smile appeared in Tianye's pale golden eyes:
"Internal strife?"
"Yes." Xiao Jianqing, a sigh flashing in his lowered eyes.
Seven years later,
Today, Qionghua Sect is considered a first-rate sect in the local area, but in the grand scheme of things, it can only be considered a second-rate sect.
and,
They are still declining over time.
While there were external factors at play, the main reason was internal problems within the Qionghua Sect.
These problems had already begun to emerge before Xiao Jianqing betrayed the sect.
The incident seven years ago merely brought all these problems to a head.
Tianye shook her head slightly, pointed her finger towards the southern void, her tone carrying a charming smile, yet with a hint of sarcasm:
"The infighting among the higher-ups of Qionghua is escalating. If this continues, Qionghua Tantric Sect may be reduced to a third-rate sect within a century. As a former disciple, don't you want to say something?"
Xiao Jian lowered his head, his tone tinged with complexity:
"I was indeed fortunate to embark on the path of cultivation thanks to Qionghua, but I have already repaid that debt of gratitude within its walls over the decades I have spent there."
Tianye's bright eyes were filled with laughter:
"That's true. The higher-ups at Qionghua only know how to pour all sorts of precious resources into their own blood relatives and direct descendants, while the real geniuses are kept out. Such a sect is indeed not worth people being willing to die for."
"This is also why I, Xiao, am willing to serve the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion," Xiao Jianqing added calmly.
Upon hearing this, Tianye gave the other person a deep look and waved his hand:
"There is also infighting within the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion. Those Venerable Ones and those major Lineage are just as scheming and ruthless in their pursuit of power and profit."
"At least the Pavilion Master is here."
Xiao Jianqing interrupted Tianye, his gaze sweeping across the surrounding mountains and forests. "In this prosperous age, the flowers are full of stench, but only the Pavilion Master remains pure."
"."
Tianye paused for a moment, then chuckled softly.
The silver bells jingled softly, their sound carried on the breeze beneath the bright moonlight.
The reason why the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion has been able to exist for so long is not only because of the deductive power of the Yantian Art, but also because each generation of pavilion masters is a rational being to the point of being ruthless.
Without desires, there are no demands, and even less will one abuse the vast power in one's hands.
The laughter subsided, Tianye lowered his eyelids, and a strange sigh flashed in his bright, star-like eyes.
Becoming the Pavilion Master is the lifelong aspiration of every Holy Son and Holy Daughter.
But when that time really comes...
Is she... really still herself?
Composing himself, Tianye smiled slightly.
"Alright, go and inform your master about this."
Xiao Jianqing hesitated slightly, then said in a low voice:
"Holy Maiden, this place is adjacent to the Ancient Abyss, and tens of thousands of miles away from the Heaven's End Mountain Range. Arranging for the Saint Venerable to come here will probably take a long time."
So what you mean is?
"This area seems to be the territory of the Moon-Inviting Sect. They seem to have signed a blood pact with us, so the Heaven Pavilion Token should be sufficient."
"Stupid."
Tianye's red lips parted slightly, uttering a single word. Turning her head slightly, her peach blossom eyes lost all their allure, her pale golden pupils filled with indifference. "The Charm God Tree Seed is incredibly precious. For seven years now, no one in the world has dared to mention sharing this treasure. It's only because of the prestige of my Heavenly Oversight Pavilion and Taiqing Dao Palace that we took the initiative to ask for their help, giving them an excuse. But things have changed since then."
Although they have tried their best to cover up the truth of the matter, they are still pursuing the killer under the pretext of murdering the Holy Son.
However, over the course of seven years, news of the emergence of the Charm God Tree Seed spread like wildfire, and now, in this vast world, many forces are eyeing this lucrative opportunity.
"Yes, I'll take my leave now."
Xiao Jianqing.
Having said that, he was about to transform into a beam of light and leave, but before he could depart, he paused and tentatively asked:
"Your Majesty, if I may be so bold as to ask, how were Senior Brother Jing He and the others able to predict the Pavilion Master's deductions?"
"Since you know it's presumptuous, why did you even speak?"
"."
Upon Xiao Jianqing quickly bowed and said, "It was I who overstepped my bounds."
Go quickly and come back quickly.
Tianye slightly raised his hand, his robes falling to reveal a small section of his fair and smooth forearm, and waved his hand. "You don't need to inform your master. The Saint Venerable is waiting in Jing'an City. Ten days should be enough time for you to inform him."
Buzz--
With a buzzing sound and the sound of air being torn apart, Xiao Jianqing instantly transformed into a streak of purple light, gradually turning into a tiny dot and disappearing into the sky.
Everything returned to calm.
Tianye stood in mid-air, her clothes fluttering, her pale golden eyes fixed on the mist below, her gaze deep and unfathomable, as she murmured to herself:
"Not only can they sense and deduce, but they also know that the Ghost Mist can shield the Heavenly Derivation Technique. Master said that those two may have learned the Yantian Art from Tianrui through some means, but judging from the traces of their Cultivation Method, it is completely unlike the Yantian Art."
As he spoke,
Tianye raised his hand and gently pressed his brow, his eyes showing confusion:
"There's always a sense of unease, like my consciousness has been altered?"
While pondering in his heart,
A sudden change occurred in the world.
A dazzling red light suddenly rose from the distant mist below, illuminating almost half of the sky.
Everyone present gasped at the sight.
After a while,
A white-clad man behind Tianye hesitated and said:
"Holy Maiden, this aura... seems to be Yingui at the Saint level?"
Walking through the withered and eerie forest, Xu Yuan and Tianyan did not walk slowly, covering a hundred meters in the blink of an eye.
The Ghost Mist Forbidden Zone is relative. For the two of them at the Origin Beginning Realm, as long as they don't encounter any terrifying beings, there is basically no danger.
After half a month, they had basically gotten used to the environment of the All Swords Valley, and during that time they had killed quite a few creatures from the Ghost Mist.
Without exception, these little cuties have all undergone some degree of demonic mutation.
It became very deformed, somewhat similar to the nuclear radiation in Xu Yuan's previous life.
In addition, they even encountered humans at the bottom of the valley.
Oh no, it would be more accurate to say "ghost" or "devil".
It's not the complete transformation into Yingui like Ghost Seven back then, but rather something akin to a ghost cultivator who uses ghost energy to cultivate.
His entire body was withered and pale, his eye sockets were sunken, and his pupils were emerald green, like a zombie.
However, they never encountered anything that could pose a threat to them.
The Valley of All Swords Valley night fell, and the two walked silently through the withered forest.
They were looking for a suitable hiding place, and in the past two weeks they had found several good locations, but Xu Yuan rejected them all.
As a Origin Beginning cultivator of the Origin, even amidst the Ghost Mist, one must maintain a sense of ritual in life.
Even if it's not nestled against a mountain or by a river, at the very least, we can't live in some godforsaken cave.
As he advanced, Xu Yuan continued to circulate his Cultivation Method, remaining vigilant about his surroundings.
The terrain All Swords Valley remains that of a mountain valley, only the trees inside have grown somewhat ugly.
After traveling several dozen miles, and casually killing some Yingui and deformed little creatures that stumbled upon him, the lush forest suddenly opened up.
In the forest surrounded by ghost trees,
A waterfall cascades down from a great height, crashing into an ancient pool below and splashing water everywhere. The surrounding mist makes it seem like a fairyland.
Tranquility
It's hard to imagine that such an elegant place could exist amidst this Ghost Mist.
Seeing this, Xu Yuan subconsciously glanced at the girl beside him, only to find that she was also looking at him.
It was obvious that Tianyan was quite satisfied with this place.
"This?" Xu Yuan asked.
Tianyan did not answer immediately. A brilliant light, as bright as the rising sun, shone in his eyes. He glanced around and then replied in a low voice:
"Hmm, this place is still some distance from the center of the Ghost Mist, and it's quite secluded."
Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan said, half-jokingly:
"So this will be our home from now on?"
"."
Tianyan ignored him, her petite figure walking to the riverbank on her own. Seeing Xu Yuan still standing there, she turned back and gave him a reproachful look, her voice clear and crisp:
"What are you still standing there for? Do you want to be buried under the open sky?"
Xu Yuan grinned and strode forward:
"If you, Tianyan, were to be buried under the heavens, that wouldn't be unacceptable."
A ripple of emotion stirred within Tianyan, and a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips. But he quickly realized the deeper meaning behind those words and glared at the lecherous man.
Do you know how to build a house?
Xu Yuan recalled the wilderness skill points he had accumulated in his previous life and whispered:
"A matchbox could be used for building."
"That's enough. Go and cut some timber, and we'll build a small hut here."
"Hmph, I think it's fine indoors, but sleeping under the open sky is a bit too wild."
"Build two rooms."
"Then you can wait to be buried under the open sky."