Deep within the Skeleton Star Sea beyond the Returning Light Heavenly City lies an extremely ancient and mysterious region— the Heaven-Reaching Ancient Vine. It is a colossal vine that is almost immeasurable in scale. It grows from the void of the universe, its trunk as thick as a mountain range, winding around the void and star fields, extending upwards, and even giving birth to independent small worlds among its branches.
Countless shattered star remains and ancient continents are entwined with vines, resembling islands suspended in the sky. Within one particularly hidden section of this vine world, several figures are concealed among a patch of gray-black broken rocks. Their auras are deliberately suppressed, yet they still exude an undeniable pressure.
It was a hastily assembled ambush team. Three powerful individuals, two cultivators at the Realm Breaking Realm · Supreme, and one cultivator at the Mystic Void Realm Initial Stage were gathered around a stone platform covered with array patterns, discussing in hushed tones.
One of the Realm Breaking Realm · Supreme cultivators was clearly getting impatient. He frowned as he looked towards the star passage leading to Heavenly City and muttered, "Boss, why hasn't that kid come out yet? We've been waiting for so long."
Another person chimed in, "Yeah, is that kid Hua Jingmeng reliable or not? What if we just wait here for nothing?" His gaze held a hint of disdain. "And he's just a mere Realm Breaking Realm kid; it's giving him too much credit that the three of us have to personally intervene."
The previously silent Mystic Void Realm Initial Stage cultivator slowly raised his head, his voice low and calm. "Let's wait a little longer. This star path is the only way to reach the outer realms after Returning Light Heavenly City. As long as that kid really leaves the city, he will definitely pass through here." Another cultivator at the Realm Breaking Realm · Supreme suddenly lowered his voice and asked, "Boss, Hua Jingmeng promised one hundred God-Level Resonance Crystal... can he really produce them?"
This sentence caused everyone to fall silent for a moment, then someone sneered, "One hundred God-Level Resonance Crystal? If the Hua Lineage can really produce so many casually, then only that woman Hua Qingyan probably has that ability." The leading Mystic Void Realm cultivator slowly waved his hand, his gaze cold and deep. "Your vision is still too short-sighted."
"Our goal has never been that good-for-nothing Hua Jingmeng; he's nothing but a clown. The real target is the Hua Lineage itself." He paused, a deeper meaning creeping into his voice. "While Hua Jingmeng may be insignificant, his sister Hua Feiting, holds some sway within the Hua Lineage. If we can help him get things done this time..."
"We'll naturally have the opportunity to get close to Hua Feiting. If we do more for her then, our status will rise accordingly, and we might even be able to stand on equal footing with those brats from the Realm Breaking Heavenly Sect." He said, his eyes flashing slightly, a greedy smile appearing on his lips. "Moreover, it's said that the kid named Qin Yu possesses quite a few treasures. If we can kill him, those treasures will naturally be ours."
The two men immediately showed expressions of agreement, one of them chuckling, "The boss really has foresight." The leader then turned his gaze back to the starry passage, his tone cold. "Just wait, he'll appear."
Meanwhile, in another bustling district within Returning Light Heavenly City, Qin Yu had quietly arrived at Wugui Datong Piaohao, one of the city's largest financial institutions. This piaohao was not just an ordinary money exchange; it was also a core hub for financial guilds, escort agencies, and cross-regional trade routes. The entire hall was as magnificent as a palace, with cultivators coming and going in an endless stream.
Qin Yu was currently standing in the main hall of the escorting guards, waiting in line. In the center of the hall, a steward in charge of registration was loudly announcing the mission information. "Cultivators at the Realm Breaking Realm Initial Stage and above, please line up in an orderly manner! Today, a batch of extremely precious healing medicinal materials needs to be escorted to the North City - Stele Forest Imperial City!"
"Escort personnel must be between the Realm Breaking Realm · Middle Stage and the Mystic Void Realm · Middle Stage. Upon completion of the mission, each person will receive two God-Level Resonance Crystal as a reward! Only ten slots are available!" This news immediately caused a stir among the crowd. One cultivator in line couldn't help but exclaim, "Two God-Level Resonance Crystal? Tsk tsk, that's quite a lot. Usually, the highest reward for those missions is only a thousand energy crystals."
Another person nearby nodded in agreement. "That's normal. I heard this batch of medicinal herbs is for the grand martial arts competition to be held in the North City · Stele Forest Imperial City the day after tomorrow. There will definitely be many cultivators injured then, so healing resources must be prepared in advance."
Someone chimed in, "The North City · Stele Forest Imperial City is the Chi Lineage's territory, so the arrangements are indeed very thoughtful." Another cultivator couldn't help but complain, "This is far better than the last martial arts competition held in the West City · Godfall Imperial City. Back then, the Shangguan Lineage was in charge, and they didn't even provide healing medicine, food, or lodging, leaving many people feeling utterly humiliated." Several people nearby nodded in agreement, "The Chi Lineage is much more considerate."
Time passed quickly, and one by one, the people in line completed their registration. Soon it was Qin Yu's turn. The head of the escort agency in charge of registration looked up at him, scanned him with his divine sense, and nodded. "Realm Breaking Realm · Middle Stage cultivation. Are you familiar with the escort mission requirements? Which escort route do you choose?"
Qin Yu didn't say much. He just pointed to the direction marked on the mission crystal wall - Beicheng Beilin Imperial City. The person in charge nodded, took out a token engraved with the escort bureau's seal from the storage box and handed it to him. "Okay, this is your escort token. Please gather in the waiting area on the right."
Qin Yu took the token and turned to walk towards the right-hand group, where seven cultivators were already waiting. Five of them were at the peak of the Realm Breaking Realm · Supreme, and the other two were at the Mystic Void Realm · Middle Stage. Including Qin Yu, there were a total of eight people, and they were still missing two escorts.
Just as he stood still, one of the tall, composed cultivators at the Realm Breaking Realm · Supreme suddenly laughed heartily, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Fellow Daoist, my name is Shen Qingchen, from the North City · Stele Forest Imperial City. I just happened to be returning to the city on my way back from this mission. May I ask how I should address you?"
Qin Yu responded with a slight fist and palm salute, "Qin Yu." Shen Qingchen nodded, revealing a hearty smile, while the other six people beside him also gave Qin Yu brief greetings. After all, they would be escorting the entire batch of medicinal herbs to North City this time, and they would look out for each other to some extent, so the atmosphere was quite amicable.
Inside the main hall of Wugui Datong Bank, the lights were bright, and people continued to move about in the hall. However, in the area on the right side, which was specifically used for escort missions, the atmosphere gradually became quiet and tense. Qin Yu and Shen Qingchen, along with eight other escorting cultivators, were already standing in the waiting area, each concealing their aura, waiting for the last two spots to be filled.
Not long after, two figures suddenly appeared at the entrance of the main hall. The two stepped into the hall almost simultaneously, their steps steady and their auras restrained, but the surrounding Spiritual Qi became slightly heavier the moment they appeared. Both were at the peak of the Realm Breaking Realm · Supreme. One was tall and thin, with a slightly sinister face, deep-set brow bones, and eyes as cold as a snake lurking in the shadows; the other was burly, with broad shoulders and back, his whole being like a heavy black stone, his aura thick and oppressive.
They entered the assembly area without greeting anyone, simply scanning the group. Their gaze lingered for a moment when it passed over Qin Yu, as if confirming something. Qin Yu noticed this as well. His expression remained calm, but a faint chill flickered in his eyes; he understood completely. "Heh... looks like they're keeping up pretty closely."
Shen Qingchen was clearly unaware of the undercurrents. Always cheerful and outgoing, he immediately stepped forward after the two joined the group, cupped his hands in greeting, and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoists, I am Shen Qingchen, from the North City · Stele Forest Imperial City. We are here together to escort medicinal herbs, so please take care of me along the way."
However, the two cultivators seemed not to have heard him at all. They merely glanced at him coldly, neither returning the greeting nor speaking, as if Shen Qingchen Does Not Exist at all.
An awkward silence fell over the room. Shen Qingchen stood there for a moment, then shrugged helplessly, turned and walked back to the group, muttering under his breath, "What's wrong with them? We're all supposed to look out for each other, and they don't even show basic respect."
Qin Yu merely smiled upon hearing this, saying nothing more, but in his heart, he had already seen through the two men's intentions. "Now that you've followed me here, let's see how you plan to make your move."
Just then, a side door on the other side of the main hall suddenly opened, and a person in charge dressed in a black and gold deacon robe strode out. He glanced at the entire group, nodded after confirming that everyone was present, and said in a steady voice, "Alright, all the escorts are in place."
As he spoke, his gaze swept over each of the ten people, then he continued, "I believe you are all already familiar with the escort rules, so I won't repeat them. This batch of medicinal herbs must be safely delivered to the North City — Stele Forest Imperial City. Upon arrival, there will be designated personnel to hand over the goods to you. The reward will be settled immediately upon completion of the mission."
He turned slightly to the side, raised his hand, and pointed to the giant transport platform deep inside the hall. "The vehicles are ready. Let's go."
As the steward finished speaking, a massive spirit-patterned gate slowly opened deep within the hall, and a rich medicinal fragrance immediately wafted out. A colossal transport vehicle was parked in the center of the platform; it was no ordinary vehicle, but a heavy-duty transport artifact specifically designed for cross-domain escort.
The entire divine chariot was tens of feet long, and its body was forged from dark black star iron. Its surface was covered with dense defensive array patterns, each of which emitted a faint blue-gold glow, like layers of chains interwoven to form a complete protective barrier.
The sides of the vehicle are inlaid with huge crystal energy cores, which store surging spiritual energy. Once activated, they can travel at high speed in the void. In front of the divine vehicle is not an ordinary carriage shaft, but four "Star-Patterned Giant Beast" formed by rune arrays. Their form is between beast and spirit, their bodies are made of silver-blue runes, and their eyes are like burning spiritual fire. As long as the vehicle array is activated, they will drag the entire transport vehicle to fly between star fields.
Inside the carriage, rows of sealed crystal boxes containing medicinal herbs were neatly arranged. Each box was engraved with complex protective runes, and the boxes were dark blue with faint traces of flowing medicinal patterns on their surfaces. The herbs were clearly extremely precious, and even through the seals, one could sense their rich life force.
The entire transport vehicle is surrounded by a ring-shaped defensive array. If attacked, the array will automatically activate to form a protective formation, enveloping the entire vehicle and its escorts.
The ten escorting cultivators quickly took their positions, clearly indicating that the bank had already arranged a defensive formation. Two Mystic Void Realm · Middle Stage cultivators stood at the front and rear of the hearse, serving as the core of the team; five Realm Breaking Realm · Supreme cultivators were distributed on both sides and above the hearse, with three responsible for flank protection and the other two responsible for the protection of the top of the hearse.
Qin Yu and two other Realm Breaking Realm · Supreme cultivators were positioned in the central area of the hearse, forming an inner protective circle. This allowed them to provide support to the surrounding area at any time and to directly protect the carriage if necessary. The two Realm Breaking Realm · Supreme cultivators who had just joined the team stood on the left and right edges of the group, their gazes seemingly wary of the surrounding starry sky, but in reality, they would occasionally glance at Qin Yu's location.
As the array was activated, the transport vehicle slowly rose, the Star-Patterned Giant Beast emitted a deep spiritual roar, and the array patterns on the vehicle's exterior gradually lit up. The ten-person escort team slowly drove out of the massive gate of the Wugui Datong Pawnshop amidst the surrounding spiritual light.
Under the Returning Light Heavenly City was ablaze with lights, while the hearse, laden with precious medicinal herbs, resembled a mobile star iron fortress. Guarded by ten cultivators, it slowly drove out into the starry sky, and the real journey officially began at this moment.