Setting Out!
Upon hearing this, everyone's faces showed a mixture of solemnity and anticipation.
Hu Liena, Xie Yue, Yan, Dugu Yan, and Ye Lingling were well aware of the dangers of this journey, but the opportunities on Sea God Island and the power Lin Xia displayed ignited a burning passion within them. Becoming stronger, and securing a foothold in the impending storm, was a consensus among them.
They all nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with unwavering resolve.
Only Qian Renxue, in the depths of her golden eyes that shone like stars, showed a barely Frisk trace of reluctance and worry.
She looked at Lin Xia's slightly tired yet spirited profile, and at the companions surrounding him, and finally just pursed her lips slightly, suppressing all her emotions back to her heart.
She understood her own path and Lin Xia's choice. She reached out and gently patted Lin Xia's shoulder, her fingertips carrying a trace of warm Soul Power that flowed into his body to alleviate his exhaustion. Her voice was soft yet powerful.
"Be careful. Sea God Island... is no small matter."
She didn't say anything more, but all her concern and blessings were conveyed in those few words and her eyes.
Lin Xia felt the warmth on her shoulder and the pure, luminous Soul Power, and her heart warmed. She turned to meet Qian Renxue's gaze and nodded emphatically.
"Don't worry, Sister Xue'er. I will bring them back safely."
The next morning, just as the sky began to lighten, the side gate of the Spirit Hall's headquarters quietly opened.
Two sturdy carriages, each pulled by a powerful Soul Beast, are ready.
Lin Xia, Hu Liena, Xie Yue, Yan, Dugu Yan, and Ye Lingling boarded the car in turn.
Lin Xia turned back one last time, her gaze piercing through the courtyard, as if she could Infiltrator the closed palace doors and the figure standing behind them.
He took a deep breath of the cool morning air, resolutely turned around, and climbed into the carriage.
"Set off."
At his command, the driver cracked his whip, the crisp sound breaking the silence. The wheels rolled over the Plate road, making a rumbling sound, and headed towards the Heaven Dou City.
Qian Renxue stood by the window of a pavilion at the highest point of the camp, the morning breeze ruffling her golden hair.
She watched the two carriages gradually disappear into the mist, eventually merging into the flow of traffic leaving the city and vanishing on the western horizon.
In those golden eyes, the reluctance finally melted away completely, like ripples spreading across a lake after a pebble has been thrown in, eventually settling into a deep calm and a distant longing.
She didn't say a word, but stood quietly for a long time until the sunlight completely dispelled the morning mist before turning and leaving, her back view carrying an indescribable loneliness.
The journey that followed was long and monotonous.
The carriage sped westward along the wide official road, the scenery outside the window gradually transitioning from bustling towns to rolling hills and flat fields.
To save time and conserve the horses' stamina, the group only disembarked briefly when necessary to stretch and allow the tired horses to rest.
Most of the time, the carriage was filled with a quiet, meditative atmosphere.
Lin Xia closed her eyes to rest and try to recover her Soul Power. At the same time, she constantly looked inward, feeling the increasingly close connection with the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud and experiencing the meaning of the vast ocean contained within it.
Hu Liena and the others also seized the time to cultivate and adjust their state, Stockpile for the unknown challenges to come.
Only the monotonous sound of wheels rolling over the road and the occasional chirping of birds punctuated the silence.
Ten days later, the carriage had penetrated deep into the western border of the Heaven Dou Empire. The terrain began to become desolate, and the population gradually thinned out.
They changed horses in a decent little town. The four new horses were strong, with glossy coats, muscular builds, and great stamina, enough to carry them to their final destination—the seaside port.
The air became damp, carrying a faint, salty tang—the scent of the approaching sea.
The road was flanked by vast farmlands, but it was nearing dusk, and the setting sun had painted the western sky orange-red. It should have been a time when farmers were returning home and smoke was rising from their chimneys, but the fields as far as the eye could see were deserted and unusually quiet.
The carriage continued for a while, then its speed noticeably slowed down. The driver, a seasoned deacon of the Spirit Hall, spoke with a hint of doubt and wariness as he gently tapped the carriage wall.
"Your His Highness the Holy Son, esteemed officials, something seems amiss up ahead."
Lin Xia opened her eyes, a flash of brilliance appearing briefly in her blue pupils.
"Explain."
"We're almost at that village ahead, it's called Qingshui Village. I've run this route a few times before, I remember. But... but the village is eerily quiet, so quiet!"
"Moreover, there should still be people tidying up their farm tools in the Rototiller outside the village, but there's not a soul in sight, not even a single animal."
The driver's voice carried a hint of unease.
The atmosphere inside the carriage instantly became tense.
The group exchanged glances, all seeing wariness in each other's eyes.
Their extensive combat experience and Lin Xia's previous earnest reminders made them exceptionally sensitive to any anomalies.
"Let's go down and take a look."
Lin Xia said in a deep voice, and took the lead in pushing open the car door and jumping out. Hu Liena, Xie Yue and the others followed closely behind, their movements swift and silent.
The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the earth a blood-red hue.
The crowd stood beside the carriage, looking in the direction the driver pointed.
About half a mile away, a small mountain village built against the mountain came into view.
The village is not large, with about a hundred households, and the gray-tiled, mud-walled houses are scattered in a well-organized manner at the foot of the hillside.
However, the scene before them was completely out of place with the tranquil pastoral landscape.
Dead silence!
Absolute silence enveloped the entire village.
There were no roosters crowing or dogs barking, no children Play Rough, no women calling for people to come home, and not even a wisp of smoke could be seen.
The entire village seemed to have been muted, sinking into a chilling silence, with only the creaking of the wind through the dilapidated doors sounding particularly jarring.
Lin Xia gazed into the distance; his eyesight, enhanced by the Vast Sea Power, far surpassed that of ordinary people, instantly capturing even more heart-stopping details.
Destroy!
The village was marked by shocking signs of destruction.
Huge gaps have appeared in the walls and houses of many farmers.
It wasn't the sharp cuts from swords and blades, but rather large swathes of collapse and shattering!
The walls were covered with Spider Web -like cracks, and some places looked as if they had been smashed and collapsed by a tremendous force, revealing dark holes inside.
The roof tiles were blown off and scattered all over the ground, and many beams were crooked and about to collapse.
The marks of destruction, with their jagged edges, bore the obvious characteristics of blunt force Tackle, as if they had been repeatedly struck by a massive stone hammer, battering ram, or some extremely heavy, rough-edged, and brute force.
Some wooden doors were smashed to pieces, with sawdust embedded deep in the earthen walls.
Some of the Shi Mo were overturned and rolled into the mud, still bearing fresh scratches.
What's even more chilling is that amidst that mess, under the collapsed earthen walls, beside the broken thresholds, and on the only dirt path in the village... dark red, deep brown, and even not-yet-dry bright red bloodstains can be seen everywhere!
The crimson glow of the setting sun spilled onto it, causing the bloodstains to reflect an eerie and dazzling halo.