Seeing that neither of the two moved, the elder patiently repeated: “May I invite you both to come with us?”

Chu Xinghui glanced at the black bird, secretly released it under the cover of the night, and then poked Xie Liufeng from behind.

Xie Liufeng understood his meaning, took a step forward, drew his sword, and smiled at the strange people in front of him: “Since this is business, there shouldn’t be any forced selling, right?”

The elder continued to smile: “How could there be forced selling? Outsiders are our important guests. The whole town has gathered here to show our sincerity in inviting you both.”

Xie Liufeng glanced at Chu Xinghui behind him, continuing to draw attention while wearing a natural expression of worry: “Oh, but your boat is small and old, and it just had a hole in it. You haven’t signed any contract guaranteeing the safety of the guests before crossing the sea. There’s too much safety risk… Your attitude towards important guests is really negligent.”

With each sentence Xie Liufeng spoke, the elder’s expression darkened.

In the end, the elder could no longer hide his impatience, raised his hand, and was about to use force to invite the two stubborn guests to board the boat.

Xie Liufeng subtly moved his hand.

Before the elder could attack, Xie Liufeng cut off his hand.

Thick blood dripped onto the ground, mixing with the dirt and fallen leaves, releasing a nauseating, strange, and fishy smell.

Xie Liufeng glanced at the severed hand, feeling slightly apologetic: “Sorry, I slipped and accidentally cut off your hand. It looks quite serious. It’s broken. It won’t affect the boat ride, right? Or should I take you to the clinic?”

The elder: “…”

His expression darkened completely, and he charged at Xie Liufeng again.

…But the newly grown hand was much more transparent than the original one, looking almost like a ghostly apparition.

And it seemed, though it was hard to tell, that after the elder’s new hand appeared, the villagers behind him had also become a bit more transparent.

Chu Xinghui glanced at these ghostly figures and continued to instruct the black bird to make small movements.

Xie Liufeng stood firm, keeping Chu Xinghui behind him, and no longer hesitated. He directly cut off the elder’s life vein with his sword.

The elder collapsed immediately.

…As expected, the elder quickly reappeared in front of them.

This time, the villagers’ figures had changed even more obviously, with almost all of them becoming semi-transparent.

It was as if these people were sharing the same degree of materialization.

At the same time, the black bird had silently dug up all the bones and swallowed them in a way that was inconsistent with its size.

Chu Xinghui immediately grabbed Xie Liufeng: “Alright, let’s go!”

Finally, the elder noticed that Chu Xinghui had secretly done something behind the scenes and immediately jumped up, shouting: “They took the materials! Quickly! Catch them!”

Xie Liufeng held tightly onto Chu Xinghui’s hand with his other hand, no longer caring about whether these people were transparent or not. The two of them ran, carrying the bones they had dug up.

The “villagers” became agitated and followed behind the two, chasing them.

The commotion was much bigger than before.

Moreover, these people were like ghosts, suddenly appearing in front of the two without any sound.

Chu Xinghui and Xie Liufeng quickly dealt with a few of the villagers who got too close, but the villagers soon crawled back up from the ground, becoming increasingly transparent.

In the end, almost all of the villagers became mere blurry outlines but still clung to the two relentlessly.

It seemed as if the pile of bones was something more important to them than their own lives.

The two of them dove into the mountains again, intending to use the complicated terrain to shake off these beings.

This chase lasted for quite a while, and the moon was almost about to set.

The surrounding light gradually dimmed, and those semi-transparent beings behind them became even more obvious. The outlines of the villagers seemed to faintly emit a golden glow.

Xie Liufeng held onto Chu Xinghui’s hand and turned a corner, suddenly feeling that something was off.

He looked back and saw that the space beside him was empty.

Where was his partner?

Xie Liufeng tried calling out to Chu Xinghui’s name: “…Xing Xing?”

“Chu Xinghui?”

He called out several times, but no one responded.

There was no trace of Chu Xinghui’s presence.

Not only that, but the villagers, who had been persistently chasing them, had also vanished.

Xie Liufeng stopped, carefully searched around the area, and his expression gradually darkened.

 

*

 

Chu Xinghui was still running forward, unaware of what had happened.

—Until, at some point, the transparent beings chasing him suddenly vanished without a trace.

At the same time, the hand that had been tightly holding his also disappeared without him noticing.

There was no trace of Xie Liufeng anywhere.

He had lost track of him.

The moon had completely vanished from the sky, and the night had deepened, silent and still.

Chu Xinghui felt the air around him grow cold. He seemed to smell the sea breeze, along with a strange, fishy scent that was characteristic of the boat used to cross the sea.

He gripped his sword hilt, stopping in place.

He wasn’t sure how long he waited, but suddenly, a warm golden light pierced through the endless darkness.

Chu Xinghui heard a gentle, jade-like voice behind him: “…The destined one, I have finally met you.”

He turned around and saw a young man with a refined appearance and a gentle smile.

The young man wore a simple deep green robe, with intricate and mysterious patterns embroidered on the cuffs and hem. If looked at for a long time, one could vaguely sense the rhythm of the Great Dao contained within them.

Apart from the golden light surrounding him, he seemed to blend seamlessly with his surroundings when silent.

No matter from which angle, he appeared to be someone easy to like, someone who inspired trust.

But Chu Xinghui remained cautious toward this strange figure who had appeared so suddenly.

After all, Qin Suyun’s soul had also seemed convincing at first glance.

Chu Xinghui did not lower his sword but instead asked: “Senior, who are you?”

The young man wasn’t bothered by his wariness and introduced himself: “As you can see, I come from the Upper Realm.”

Hearing this, Chu Xinghui’s brows twitched, and he immediately raised his sword.

The young man smiled understandingly and explained: “Do not be nervous, young friend. I do not come from the current ‘Upper Realm,’ but from the true Upper Realm. You should understand the difference between these two concepts.”

Chu Xinghui furrowed his brows, observing him carefully.

This statement matched their previous suspicions.

For some inexplicable reason, Chu Xinghui suddenly felt that he should trust this person who had appeared out of nowhere.

He pondered this sudden trust, which felt strangely familiar, and slowly lowered his sword.

The young man glanced at his hand holding the sword, and his smile grew even more warm.

Chu Xinghui then asked about Xie Liufeng’s whereabouts: “Where is the person who was with me?”

The young man answered: “He is elsewhere. For this matter, it is better for just the two of us. Having more people would be counterproductive.”

Chu Xinghui disagreed with his logic: “I don’t think so—more people means more strength, doesn’t it?”

The young man shook his head with a smile: “Young friend, there’s no need to test me. I have no intention of harming your companion. It’s just that the matter at hand is of utmost importance, and I really don’t want any distractions.”

Realizing he couldn’t inquire about Xie Liufeng’s whereabouts for now, Chu Xinghui moved on and asked a new question: “May I ask what you are called, Senior?”

“Name? It’s been a long time since anyone asked me for my name.” The young man looked at Chu Xinghui with some emotion, then thought for a moment before answering gently: “Guan Feng, just call me Guan Feng.”

Chu Xinghui nodded to him and addressed him: “Senior Guan.”

He shifted his gaze, finally taking a moment to observe his surroundings.

The thick darkness from earlier had dissipated, and the moon, which was about to fall, reappeared in the sky.

The faint moonlight reflected on the sea, creating shimmering waves.

Beneath their feet was the boat that Xie Liufeng had damaged. Now, the large hole in the bottom of the boat had been filled with a glowing golden bone.

The boat moved swiftly and steadily, as if walking on flat ground.

They were now on the sea.

Guan Feng, seeing that Chu Xinghui was gazing at the sea, bowed deeply and sincerely apologized: “I apologize for my boldness. The things I wanted to do could cause harm the longer they are delayed. Since you were reluctant to cross the sea, I had no choice but to bring you here. Please rest assured, I have no ill intentions, and your companion is not in any danger.”

Chu Xinghui, inexplicably pulled away from Xie Liufeng’s hand, had already mentally prepared for this kind of thing.

However, he found the roundabout and secretive way of speaking quite familiar, and couldn’t help but ask: “Senior Guan, what’s your connection to the Bihai Taohua Island?”

Guan Feng froze for a moment: “How did you know? Before I ascended, I was indeed a disciple of Bihai Taohua Island.”

Chu Xinghui: “…”

The matter of ascension was rare. Most ascended cultivators from this realm were recorded in the classics. Chu Xinghui remembered clearly that there wasn’t any ascended senior named Guan Feng in the records.

Although it wasn’t impossible that this person in front of him was a missing entry in the records, it was more likely that this was an alias.

But for now, that wasn’t important.

Chu Xinghui recalled the villagers who had been chasing him and Xie Liufeng, urging them to cross the sea quickly, and asked Guan Feng: “Were those villagers from your side?”

“Of course not.” Guan Feng shook his head: “I am temporarily staying in this realm due to certain reasons. To have a place to reside, I created this illusion. Lacking a source of power, I’ve been in a long state of slumber, rarely awake, waiting for the destined one to come and awaken me. I do not know who took over this illusion afterward, or why they tried to lure outsiders to cross the sea.”

He gave a bitter laugh, glancing at the boat under their feet: “And I naturally don’t know why my remains were turned into this boat.”

Chu Xinghui didn’t comment on whether or not he believed his explanation and continued to inquire about the reason behind his abduction: “Then, Senior Guan, why did you have to bring me across the sea?”

When this topic was raised, Guan Feng pressed his head with his hand, unable to suppress a sigh: “Of course, of course. Since I brought you here by force, both in reason and in feeling, I should let you know the whole story. I mentioned you being the ‘destined one.’ You must have noticed it by now, right?”

Chu Xinghui nodded.

Guan Feng adopted a posture of open honesty: “To be frank, the reason I descended is to solve the most urgent issue in this realm.”

He explained his purpose: “All the chaos in this realm stems from the Book of Fate. So, I’ve come here to completely destroy the Book of Fate.”

Chu Xinghui thought he might be looking in the wrong place and offered some candid advice: “Since you know all this so clearly, Senior, you should also know that the Book of Fate is now in the Upper Realm — I mean the Upper Realm where Qin Suyun is. You should find a way to go to that Upper Realm, not take such a roundabout path to get here.”

Guan Feng’s smile turned more bitter: “It’s not so easy. The reason I was able to come to this realm is because I was born here before my ascension. But the Upper Realm you speak of… normal gods can’t access it.”

Chu Xinghui, sensing an opportunity to gather more information, showed some interest and adopted an attentive posture: “Please tell me more.”

When the topic shifted to the Upper Realm, Guan Feng, though trying to suppress it, still revealed an odd expression: “That is a land of exile, where the cultivators who ascended through various methods of defying the Dao of Heaven reside. Also, the gods who committed acts against the heavenly laws in the true Upper Realm and were punished by the Dao of Heaven, losing their divine names, now live there. If it weren’t for the Book of Fate, that land of exile should remain independent of all realms and should not be connected to any other realm.”

Chu Xinghui observed his expression carefully.

Guan Feng spoke with obvious disdain for this so-called “land of exile,” but his expression also betrayed a strange and subtle affection.

Chu Xinghui didn’t comment and continued to listen.

Guan Feng quickly redirected the topic to Chu Xinghui: “I’m sure many people have already told you that you are the child of the Dao of Heaven. But do you know what being the child of the Dao of Heaven truly means?”

Chu Xinghui remained silent.

He had a rough sense of Guan Feng’s intentions by now.

Guan Feng quickly began answering his own question: “The child of the Dao of Heaven is the agent of the Dao of Heaven’s will, possessing the luck that everyone envies and a fate destined for ascension. But things have two sides. The Dao of Heaven bestows so many blessings upon the child of the Dao of Heaven… If they encounter an insurmountable crisis, the child of the Dao of Heaven will be the perfect martyr.”

He looked at Chu Xinghui with pity in his eyes, continuing his explanation: “This illusion was created by me. Right now, I have a method that allows me to temporarily connect to the Book of Fate within this illusion using my divine power. The Book of Fate is, after all, related to the Dao of Heaven, and to completely destroy it, the power required must be at the Dao of Heaven level. And this power is something only you possess…”

He paused for a moment, then bowed deeply to Chu Xinghui: “At that time, I will be fully relying on you.”

Chu Xinghui felt a sense of “as expected” in his heart.

So that’s the reason.

No wonder Yue Yao had said that this journey would end in death.

Now, his life could either destroy the Book of Fate, repair the Heavenly Ladder, or be used to die after the Heavenly Ladder was severed… Truly, it was a life with many uses, quite the valuable life.

Guan Feng finished explaining his plan and looked at Chu Xinghui with intense eyes, waiting for his response.

Chu Xinghui furrowed his brows, seemingly deep in thought about this matter, which concerned both his own life and the fate of the realm.

Guan Feng, seeing his expression, couldn’t bear it: “If you really don’t wish to do this… perhaps you could leave now. Although it will lead to countless deaths and injuries in this realm, since I’ve made up my mind to come here, I will certainly find another way.”

Chu Xinghui looked at him for a moment, and before he could express his opinion, Guan Feng murmured: “But I don’t know how long it will take to come up with another way… By then, what kind of catastrophic destruction will this realm face?”

He suddenly reacted and sincerely apologized to Chu Xinghui again: “No, no, no, I shouldn’t have said those things in front of you. I didn’t mean to kidnap you. Just forget what I said and follow your own heart.”

Upon hearing this, Chu Xinghui immediately relaxed his brows and politely bid farewell to Guan Feng: “If that’s the case, senior, you can handle it yourself. I will leave now. I believe a true god will have a better way to achieve this goal.”

He was just a small cultivator who had just broken through to the Nascent Soul stage, with no great power. Why were these old beings, who didn’t know how many years they had lived, scheming about his small life every day?

After saying that, he didn’t hesitate to rise into the air with his sword, intending to leave.

Guan Feng stretched out his hand, trying to stop him: “Friend, wait—”

Chu Xinghui hovered in the air for a moment, then nonchalantly jumped down and changed his words, expressionless: “I was just joking. Since it concerns the fate of this world, I will of course consider it carefully.”

It was truly a pity that although he could fly with his sword in this sea area, he couldn’t move an inch.

It seemed that he couldn’t escape for now.

He didn’t know what kind of feelings Guan Feng had when, knowing he couldn’t escape, he still gave him the opportunity to choose.

Guan Feng expressed his admiration and encouragement for his change of heart: “Friend, you truly are the son of heaven, concerned for all the people of the world. You are indeed a blessing to this world.”

Chu Xinghui wasn’t interested in the compliments. He stood on the boat, glanced at the scenery not far away, and asked Guan Feng: “Is the destination on the island ahead?”

The sky was just beginning to brighten.

Guan Feng also looked at the island in the distance and couldn’t help but show a satisfied smile: “Exactly. Please follow me to the island.”

 

*

 

Meanwhile, Xie Liufeng was searching for people everywhere.

He found the empty town and the boat that had disappeared without a trace, as well as the sea that couldn’t be crossed without a boat. He even found the weak point of this illusion… but still hadn’t found any trace of Chu Xinghui.

In the end, after searching in vain, Xie Liufeng decided to use some forceful methods.

If he couldn’t even find a living person, then this useless illusion no longer had any reason to exist.

Xie Liufeng began to channel his spiritual energy, preparing to completely dismantle the illusion from all angles.

Now, he only had his soul left. Using so much spiritual power was dangerous.

But now that his Dao companion had been abducted to who-knows-where, he didn’t care about the risks anymore.

Xie Liufeng soared into the air, infusing his spiritual energy into his spiritual sword, selecting the weakest point in the entire illusion, and directly struck it with the sword.

In an instant, the entire illusion trembled violently.

 

 

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