Whoosh—
The hems of their robes snapped in the wind as Xu Yan and the other two descended steadily from thirty zhang in the air.
They found themselves in a dense, ancient forest. Towering trees blotted out the sky, and the earth beneath their feet was soft. When they stamped down, muddy water splashed up.
They had been flying for an hour, so the three of them stopped to recover their spiritual power.
Xu Yan used his Spirit Eye technique, peering through the forest. Keeping watch for danger, he also studied the terrain and the flow of the wind.
They were probably in a marsh. Much of the energy between heaven and earth had settled beneath the ground.
Xu Yan crouched, and Wondrous Method, Fortune-Summoning Edict Script faintly appeared in his palm.
He pressed his hand to the earth and used the Edict Script to examine the flow of energy beneath it.
The energy below the earth's veins was even more chaotic and muddled. Yet amid the disorder, Xu Yan still discovered a peculiar current, long and unbroken like a dragon vein, stretching far into the distance beneath the earth.
"Little Brother Xu, did you find anything? Where should we head next?" Yao Yu asked.
"Follow me."
Xu Yan's thoughts stirred, and he rose into the air once more.
Yan Qihu and Yao Yu followed close behind.
After traveling roughly a hundred li, they emerged from the forest marsh.
The three of them entered a wooded area. The mountains here were not tall; the highest stood only twenty zhang.
Low shrubs covered the verdant hills, and a clear, pure qi rippled through the air.
Most of the hills stood about twenty zhang tall, like sharp swords thrust point-down into the earth, stretching away in close-set ranks.
Xu Yan and the other two flew through the woods.
Two hours passed, and dusk fell. Golden sunlight spilled over the stone forest, cloaking it in a shimmering mantle.
A rushing sound came from nearby.
Xu Yan turned his head, squinting as a flash of spiritual light appeared in his pupils.
He landed on a hill and peered deeper into the woods.
Yan Qihu and Yao Yu immediately took out their magical artifacts, keeping a wary eye on their surroundings.
Fifty zhang ahead stood a hill twenty-one zhang tall. A waterfall streamed from its peak, ran down its slope to the foot, then divided into more than a hundred creeks that wound in every direction!
More importantly, Xu Yan noticed that the dozen or so hills around it were all slightly shorter, as if they were guarding this one.
The Edict Script in his palm glimmered faintly.
Xu Yan spread his spiritual sense over the area. The terrain and its feng shui were extraordinarily peculiar, as if they formed a naturally occurring array.
[Dragon Head Mountain's water formation: A hundred streams flow without end, ceaseless and unbroken. It has a teleportation effect and can instantly transport people three thousand li east.]
"An Ancient Teleportation Array!"
Xu Yan's gaze flickered. Without drawing attention, he took out the Gold Whistle Talisman.
"Brother Xu, what is it?" Yan Qihu asked, puzzled.
"There's an Ancient Teleportation Array fifty zhang ahead. Don't let on. We'll decide what to do once Brother Fang and the others arrive," Xu Yan said calmly through his spiritual sense.
"Understood!"
Yao Yu and Yan Qihu exchanged startled looks. They hadn't expected Xu Yan to find an Ancient Teleportation Array on the very first day, and night was already drawing near.
Many of the specters in the Immortal Treasury only came out at night.
Whoosh!
Xu Yan activated the Gold Whistle Talisman. It buzzed, transformed into a streak of golden light, and shot away behind them at incredible speed, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Just then, Xu Yan furrowed his brow and turned to look behind him.
A faint aura seemed to flicker through the stone forest.
Xu Yan was extremely cautious. He immediately rose into the air and spread his vast spiritual sense across the area.
With a sharp tremor of his hand, the Green Pattern Sword appeared in his grasp.
"Fellow Daoist, why not show yourself?"
Xu Yan called out casually.
Yan Qihu and Yao Yu tensed, keeping their eyes fixed on that spot.
There was clearly no one in the distance, and neither of them could sense the slightest movement of qi. But seeing Xu Yan poised for battle, they too became fully alert.
Several breaths passed in silence, with only the wind howling by.
"Half-Immortal Xu has a keen eye."
An ominous, sinister voice suddenly came from beyond the woods. A black-robed cultivator walked out, calm and unhurried.
The man looked no older than twenty-five or twenty-six, and his cultivation was at the Third Pulse Opening Stage. He seemed like a ghost, as though he had blended into the surrounding rocks. A Nine-Star Chain pattern was embroidered on his sleeve.
"Are you from Nine Star Kui Island?" Xu Yan asked coldly.
"I am Tuoba Kan." With a lean face, Tuoba Kan strolled forward and said, "Brother Murong said that following Half-Immortal Xu might lead us to something worthwhile. I truly didn't expect you to find an Ancient Teleportation Array so quickly. I'm impressed."
If he hadn't activated his own Gold Whistle Talisman just now, he wouldn't have given himself away.
His concealment technique was exceptionally skilled.
"Fellow Daoist, isn't this inappropriate? We were the ones who discovered this place first," Yao Yu said with a frown.
"Rest assured, once my young master arrives, he certainly won't leave you empty-handed." Tuoba Kan narrowed his eyes, then looked toward the terrain and streams nearby, stroking his chin. "This array has limited capacity. It can transport at most a dozen or so people. This is going to be tricky."
After reaching Spirit-Sealing City, the group from Nine Star Kui Island had gathered more than a dozen others. By now, there were over thirty of them.
Yan Qihu was getting angry. He stared at Tuoba Kan and couldn't help saying, "You're a scion of an Aristocratic Clan, so you shouldn't be short on people. Why not go look for one yourself?"
"But haven't we found it?" Tuoba Kan's eyes turned cold, though a smile hung on his lips. "Here's a word of advice: if you want to live, it's best not to get any other ideas."
As far as Tuoba Kan was concerned, giving Xu Yan and the others some spiritual wealth and Spirit Treasures was already an act of generosity.
In the Immortal Treasury, life and death were no longer matters of concern. What rules could there be? Just because you found something first didn't mean it belonged to you.
Xu Yan gripped the Green Pattern Sword tightly. Tuoba Kan's words filled him with murderous intent, but his face remained calm.
The law of the jungle had been on full display throughout their journey. If Yan Qihu and the other Rogue Cultivators hadn't banded together early on, the Aristocratic Clans would have stripped them bare long ago.
As Xu Yan weighed his options, his thoughts racing, the sound of people flying toward them came from afar.
"So soon?" Tuoba Kan turned to look.
Xu Yan and the other two looked as well.
But the newcomers weren't Fang Che and the others, nor were they from Nine Star Kui Island.
Three cultivators arrived, each with the head of a demon and the body of a human.
One was a young Heavenly Fox. Unlike Tushan Jiuyuan, his fur was grayish brown.
The other two had bright red horns growing from their heads. They were tall and powerfully built, each half a head taller than an ordinary human.
The young Heavenly Fox held a compass. He had also tracked his way here, and when he saw that Xu Yan and the others had arrived first, surprise showed in his eyes.
The three demons landed on a hill, then looked over at Xu Yan and the others.
Their demonic eyes brimmed with murderous hostility.
"This is troublesome," Tuoba Kan said, narrowing his eyes as he regarded the three demons. His brows lifted.
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