As if to confirm his current thoughts, sure enough, clusters of dark light suddenly surged from the land below. The dark light rose and spread out rapidly, like black snakes with their heads and tails connected, enveloping the entire Flowing Light Cloud Boat.
In that pitch-black depth, a dark shadow gradually emerged, like a tattered rag doll, its true form yet unrevealed.
The face of the tattered doll gradually cracked open, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth, which was extremely terrifying!
"Another Foundation Establishment!"
The cloud boat emitted light, and the formation responded automatically, determined to shatter the deep darkness.
But all of this was useless.
The tattered puppet emitted a cackling laugh and emitted streaks of black light, like black snakes, which poured down like a torrential rain, causing the entire protective formation of the cloud boat to buzz.
On the cloud boat, Chen Shuangbai suddenly flew up, but did not break free from the protection of the cloud boat formation. Instead, she raised her Law Sword and sent a streak of indigo Sword Qi flying towards the opponent from afar, but it was like a mud ox entering the sea, having no effect whatsoever.
He turned his head and looked around. He saw that although some of his fellow disciples were flustered, most of them remained calm. Several disciples with solid auras also flew up, each Law Artifact, with various kinds of light intertwining in their hands.
But Qi Refining is Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment is Foundation Establishment.
Cultivators of higher cultivation levels always crush those of lower cultivation levels.
The Foundation Establishment cultivator, who had not yet revealed his true form, laughed heartily, showing no fear of the various Qi Refining techniques. He was solely focused on breaking the cloud boat formation, and his attacks became even more ferocious, making the massive cloud boat seem as if it were about to capsize at any moment.
Chen Shuangbai's heart skipped a beat, and she was thinking about what methods she could use to hurt this person... At the very least, she could scare him and buy him some time so that her sect could send reinforcements.
But just then...
He suddenly sensed a familiar aura and looked down sharply. He saw a gray-eyed female cultivator step forward, gazing at the sky, solemnly raising her hands high, holding a scroll in her hands.
As soon as the scroll appeared, a series of wonderful sounds, such as the babbling of flowing water and the harmonious blending of mountains and water, rang out. With a splash, the scroll opened, revealing a landscape painting in ink, with a great river rushing and towering mountains, a beautiful scene of nature.
"[ Sharp Mountains and Embracing Rivers Painting ]!"
"Impossible!"
"Shouldn't this thing still be in Wu Province?"
Upon seeing this diagram, the Foundation Establishment cultivator cried out in horror. Without regard for anything else, he immediately withdrew his spell and fled straight to the ground.
But this Supreme-Grade Spirit Artifact, [ Sharp Mountains and Embracing Rivers Painting ], had been waiting here for a long time, precisely to prevent any unforeseen circumstances. How could it be allowed to escape?
Yan Heng held the scroll high, her face calm and composed, pouring all her Law Power into the scroll in her hand.
The illusory image of a surging river flowed out of the painting. It was not real river water, but streams of ink-black water light condensed to the extreme. It carried a heavy and vast meaning, flowing across the sky and instantly filling the sky. It actually arrived first after the other party, and took the lead in the escape of the Bandit Cultivator, turning into an ink-black river chasm that stood in front of him!
The Bandit Cultivator left and right, his dark light leaping up and down, but he could not avoid the rivers and chasms formed by the inky water. Instead, his retreat was constantly blocked, and he was being surrounded step by step.
"No! Open it!"
Even the Foundation Establishment cultivator dared not die immediately. He frantically activated his magic power, and his body surged with dark light, transforming into countless ferocious ghost heads and black snakes, sweeping in all directions and impacting the surrounding dark river phantoms, but he made no progress.
"The river flows, locking the land; the mountains stand, suppressing the heavens! Seal!"
Upon seeing this, Yan Heng let out a soft shout and poured all her Law Power into the treasure map. Three dark mountain phantoms rose from the ground in the painting, positioned in the Three Realms, and surrounded by the dark river phantom, suppressing it below. Then, they transformed into a ball of dark light and fell back into the treasure map.
From beginning to end, the Foundation Establishment cultivator was powerless to resist.
After suppressing a Foundation Establishment, the [ Sharp Mountains and Embracing Rivers Painting ] dimmed its light, automatically rolled up, and fell back into Yan Heng's hands, as if nothing had happened.
Yan Heng swayed, her face ashen, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of her mouth. She staggered and was supported by her fellow disciples, who gave her some medicine. She had actually forced herself to use Spirit Artifact that was only usable by the Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators with only Qi Refining Stage cultivation, and thus suffered a serious injury.
" Senior Sister Yan... are you feeling any better?"
Fan Caiwei huddled together with several fellow disciples from Heavenly Spring Peak and asked with concern.
Yan Heng waved her hand and said softly, "I'm just a little weak because my Law Power is exhausted... Don't worry about me, I'm fine."
To be able to activate the [ Sharp Mountains and Embracing Rivers Painting ], Supreme-Grade Spirit Artifact, with Qi Refining Stage... that is already extremely remarkable.
Chen Shuangbai took a deep look at this blind senior sister, thinking to herself—she was probably also a fellow disciple hiding many secrets.
However... he didn't think too much about it.
This senior sister has a father who is Foundation Establishment cultivator, so her family must have quite a background, and it's normal for her to have some secrets.
For example, myself...
Just as Chen Shuangbai revealed the treasure map and suppressed the Foundation Establishment cultivator within it, Wu Shangxiu, who was chasing another Foundation Establishment cultivator, returned. Although he did not capture anyone, a few drops of blood gradually dripped from the white ribbon formed by the white waves, indicating that he had also returned victorious.
She landed back on the Flowing Light Cloud Boat, which began to glow again and headed towards the Sunken Jade Valley once more.
The treasure map landed in her hand. She weighed it lightly, a smile on her face, and told Yan Heng to go and rest.
Seeing this, Chen Shuangbai knew in his heart that it was most likely that his own side was doing this on purpose, feigning weakness and deliberately capturing prisoners.
As expected.
The rest of the journey was incredibly smooth.
As they approached the territory of Sunken Jade Valley, the number of cultivators coming and going increased. Numerous flying magical Law Artifact intertwined in the sky and below, drawing arcs of light. Many disciples of the Jade Guarding Hall also came forward to inquire about the situation at the front.
After disembarking from the cloud boat, Chen Shuangbai immediately went to pay her respects to her master, Yi Chongyue.
On Deer Deep Waters Peak.
Yi Chongyue received the news early on, but instead of going into seclusion, he quietly waited for his only disciple to return.
As expected.
Not long after, Chen Shuangbai appeared, riding on a white cloud, slowly approaching from afar. She landed on the peak, walked into the main hall, and bowed deeply to him, saying, "Disciple greets Master!"
Yi Chongyue quickly pulled him up, looked him over carefully from head to toe, smiled, and said "good" several times.
"Truly worthy of being my personal disciple!"
"Not only has your cultivation made a breakthrough, but you have also comprehended the Sword Light Differentiation... I have already heard that the day you faced the Pang Household disciple from your Spirit-Seeking Sect, you split your sword into sixteen sword shadows with a single strike, which truly astonished many people."