An obsession too deep, and a single thought could lead one into demonic deviation.
"However, we need to leave this place first." Sensing several auras gradually approaching, Wu Fei emerged from his thoughts and spoke calmly.
Yin Fan's gaze darkened for an instant before he put the silver fish Wu Fei had caught into his storage ring.
Wu Fei watched from the side as the protagonist summoned the Blazing Cold Sword, which transformed into a broad, massive sword. Yin Fan leaped onto it, then reached a hand out to him.
Taking Yin Fan's hand, Wu Fei stepped onto the Blazing Cold Sword. Their figures became a ball of spiritual light and vanished into the horizon.
This had been the norm for Wu Fei and Yin Fan lately. Cang Xiao led his men in a relentless pursuit of Yin Fan throughout the Flame Spirit Realm, yet they always fell a step behind, detected before they arrived, allowing the two to leave first.
The sect leaders grew even warier of Yin Fan, never imagining that their discovery was entirely due to someone they had all overlooked: Wu Fei.
Although Wu Fei was born with an Exquisite Heart, its effects were not suited to combat. Moreover, in the eyes of Cang Xiao and the others, Wu Fei was only at the Spirit Transformation Stage, so they paid him no heed.
Who could have imagined that the Buddha Spirit Sect's Buddhist disciple was not at the Spirit Transformation Stage, but a Buddhist cultivator at the Mahayana Peak Stage?
However, after so many interruptions, though Wu Fei appeared calm, his patience had actually reached its limit because of Cang Xiao and the others' round-the-clock pursuit. A trace of impatience lurked deep in his eyes.
Just before stepping onto the flying sword, a cold gleam flashed through Wu Fei's eyes. The hand behind his back shifted slightly, and a streak of spiritual light silently fell into the freshly extinguished fire.
A quarter of an hour later, a dozen or so Mahayana cultivators landed where Wu Fei and Yin Fan had grilled their fish, surveying the mess on the ground.
"One step too late again!"
"How does he discover us every time?"
Just then, a sudden crack sounded from the still-warm fire, and a flash of silver light burst forth.
At the same time, a hundred li away, Wu Fei's mind stirred slightly as he sat cross-legged on the Blazing Cold Sword.
The Illusion Pearl has been activated...
The illusion realm spirit he had encountered in the great inheritance tomb had once given Wu Fei several Illusion Pearls. Once activated, they could draw everyone within a hundred paces straight into an illusion, where they would see what they feared most in the depths of their hearts.
Cultivators cultivated not only their bodies, but their minds as well. When confronting their deepest fears in person, the slightest misstep could damage their Dao hearts. Once their Dao hearts were damaged, further progress in cultivation would become difficult.
The corner of Wu Fei's mouth curved slightly as he reflected that he could finally enjoy a few days of peace.
The Blazing Cold Sword sped over a vast forest of enlightenment trees. Their pale red looked even lovelier than Flame Spirit Mountain outside. Wu Fei and Yin Fan already had plenty of enlightenment tea leaves in their storage rings, so they merely admired the beautiful scenery.
To put it bluntly, they could not be bothered to go down. One had an innate Exquisite Heart, while the other had a Myriad Spirits Body. Enlightenment tea did little for them, merely adding flowers to brocade.
Sitting beside him, Yin Fan stared at Wu Fei for a long time, his gaze gradually deepening. Suddenly, he raised his hand and touched a fingertip to the space between Wu Fei's brows.
Wu Fei, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, abruptly opened them. His gaze fell on Yin Fan's somewhat gloomy face, and he paused briefly.
What was the protagonist...
As Wu Fei wondered about the reason, the finger on his forehead began sliding gently downward. Its touch was barely perceptible as it followed his straight, high nose before finally hovering against the Buddhist disciple's pale lips.
Wu Fei lowered his eyes, his gaze darkening slightly. "What is the meaning of this, Devil Venerable?"
As he spoke, the finger that had merely hovered there suddenly touched his lips.
Yin Fan's voice was slightly low. "Buddhist disciple, now that you're hiding here and there with me, do you regret it?"
At those words, Wu Fei understood. So that was the crux of the matter.
"If I regretted it..."
Yin Fan's gaze shifted slightly. "Then I would tie you up and take you to the Devil Domain if I had to!"
"Why would I still be fleeing to the ends of the earth with you, Devil Venerable?" After a pause, Wu Fei slowly finished the sentence Yin Fan had interrupted.
Yin Fan: "..."
After finishing his sentence, Wu Fei watched with inward amusement as embarrassment flashed across the protagonist's face, followed by a faint blush.
A light flush colored the Devil Venerable's otherwise refined face, yet he still struggled to maintain his slightly fierce expression.
Only after he had admired the sight to his satisfaction did Wu Fei say, "Can you rest easy now, Devil Venerable?"
Yin Fan withdrew his hand and coughed lightly, changing the subject. "There's a spiritual herb in the Devil Domain that's perfect for grilling fish. Once we reach the Devil Domain, you must have a proper taste of my cooking, Senior Brother Wu Fei."
Wu Fei merely pretended not to have noticed anything. With a faint smile, he said, "Then I'm sorry for the trouble in advance, Junior Brother Jing."
A little while later, Yin Fan suddenly noticed something amiss. He glanced behind them, a trace of puzzlement rising in his eyes. This time, the Heavenly Sword Sect's sect master had actually not brought his men after them...
He considered it for a moment, then slowly shifted his gaze to Wu Fei, who sat upright and proper. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he leaned closer and asked, "Senior Brother Wu Fei, did you do something?"
Wu Fei had known all along that he could not hide it from the protagonist. His expression unchanged, he said, "I merely used a little trick to temporarily trap the Heavenly Sword Sect's sect master and the others for a few days."
Hearing this, Yin Fan did not press him about what exactly he had done. With a gentle smile on his lips, he propped his chin on his hand and watched Wu Fei.
Having temporarily resolved a major problem, Wu Fei relaxed his mind a little, unaware that fortune and misfortune went hand in hand, and an even greater danger was about to arrive.
The Blazing Cold Sword passed over the enlightenment trees and flew leisurely above a deep blue, calm, unruffled sea.
The seawater had neither ripples nor waves, and for a time, it was rather pleasant.
Gradually, however, Wu Fei's expression grew somewhat grave. He lowered his gaze to the azure sea below, his brow furrowing slightly. "This seawater seems a little strange."
No matter how calm a sea was, it would never be utterly without ripples. Yet they had flown over it for a quarter of an hour without seeing so much as a splash.
Hearing this, Yin Fan also focused his attention on the water.
Just then, a deep vortex abruptly appeared on the previously tranquil surface. Before Wu Fei and Yin Fan could react, an immense suction pulled them down in an instant, sword and all.
The moment they entered the water, the Buddhist prayer beads in Wu Fei's hand immediately wound around Yin Fan's wrist. Spiritual Qi covered them both, only to be dispersed moments later by the force of the vortex.