Chapter 544: Primal Water, Hongze's Remains

Chapter 544: Primal Water, Hongze's Remains

As the flying boat sailed past the mountains, the array sensed the treasures and began to absorb them, creating quite a ruckus in the process.

Suddenly, Cang Haigui noticed a group of warriors flying out from both sides of the mountain, attempting to block the boat's path.

Among those who took action was a Realm Master-level expert!

Xu Yan, Meng Chong, and the others, including Fang Hao who was studying artifact refinement and arrays, all released their auras in an instant and raised their hands to ward off the attack.

Their eyes widened as they recognized the attackers.

"People from the Unchanging Temple?" Xu Yan asked, slightly surprised.

Aside from the Unchanging Temple, he couldn't think of any other force that would be in this area.

Moreover, this group was led by three Realm Master-level experts, with the rest being Supreme Realm cultivators.

"They must be here for the Hongze World!" Cang Haigui said in a low voice.

There was no other reason for the Unchanging Temple to send a team to this area.

"Beings of the World!" One of the Unchanging Temple's experts exclaimed excitedly as he sensed the auras on the boat.

"Capture them! A great reward awaits!" A Realm Master-level cultivator from the Unchanging Temple ordered.

"Three Realm Masters, this could be tricky. Even if we join forces, we won't be able to handle them," Fang Hao frowned.

Although these three Realm Masters were weaker than Blood Maniac, they were still a force to be reckoned with. With their current strength, it would be impossible to take them all on at once.

If there were only one Realm Master, they would certainly be able to defeat him, but against three, their only option was to evade.

"We can't kill Realm Masters, but the rest are nothing!" Xu Yan said with a cold smile.

The fact that the Unchanging Temple wanted to capture them as soon as they discovered they were Beings of the World indicated that there was indeed an irreconcilable conflict between them.

"Let's go! Avoid the Realm Masters!" Xu Yan pointed, and a sword light instantly appeared.

A deep blue glow emanated from Cang Haigui, enveloping the boat. With his defensive capabilities, he could withstand the attacks of the three Realm Masters and ensure the boat remained unharmed.

As soon as Xu Yan made his move, Meng Chong and the others followed suit. Their targets were the other members of the Unchanging Temple, excluding the three Realm Masters.

Boom!

The cultivators from the Unchanging Temple, with their strength comparable to the Supreme Realm, stood no chance against Xu Yan's group. In mere moments, they were slain.

"How dare you!" The leading Realm Master from the Unchanging Temple roared in anger and launched a fierce attack.

Hum!

Cang Haigui maneuvered the boat swiftly to dodge the attack while also extending his defense to cover the entire vessel, blocking the incoming strike.

After Fang Hao's improvements, the boat's speed had increased significantly, and it was now much more agile. It weaved through the Unchanging Temple's encirclement, always staying out of reach of the three Realm Masters.

Wherever the boat passed, members of the Unchanging Temple fell.

Boom!

Suddenly, the three Realm Masters from the Unchanging Temple joined forces and unleashed an attack, creating a grayish light circle that contracted from all directions, aiming to trap the boat within.

"Escape!" Xu Yan said, his eyes narrowing.

The light circle unleashed by the Unchanging Temple was formed from the essence of unchanging qi, and if they were trapped, it would take a while to break free.

Swish!

The boat activated its displacement array, and just as the light circle was about to enclose them, it shimmered and escaped through a gap in the closing circle.

"The Unchanging Temple has been living in the Land of Unchanging and has developed powerful techniques using the unchanging qi," Xu Yan said, raising an eyebrow.

"During the great battle, we also noticed that the Unchanging Temple's offensive techniques carried the characteristics of unchanging qi, but they weren't particularly strong. That joint sealing technique they used just now is new to me. Perhaps it's a secret art of the Unchanging Temple?" Cang Haigui nodded in agreement.

"Since that's the case, let's show them what I, Xu Yan, am capable of," Xu Yan said as he turned to look at the group from the Unchanging Temple who were pursuing them. With a slight smile, he raised his hand, and the unchanging qi in the surroundings transformed into invisible sword intent.

Threads of unchanging qi, like invisible sword strands, permeated the Land of Unchanging. They were silent and deadly, their sword intent hidden yet incredibly sharp.

"Let's go! Avoid them!" Xu Yan said after setting up his technique.

"Alright!"

Each time Cang Haigui witnessed Xu Yan's sword techniques, he was left in awe of their profoundness.

The boat accelerated, and by now, the pursuers from the Unchanging Temple had entered the range of Xu Yan's sword intent.

Screams suddenly filled the air as the invisible sword intent claimed its victims. The sword strands were concealed yet exceptionally sharp, and in mere moments, six to seven out of ten pursuers had fallen.

"Retreat!" The three Realm Masters from the Unchanging Temple halted, their eyes filled with shock and uncertainty as they sensed the hidden killing intent. They knew they were dealing with a formidable sword technique.

"That's true," Xu Yan acknowledged.

A hint of worry crept into Cang Haigui's voice as he said, "I just hope we can find the Hongze World first. Only then will we have a chance."

The flying boat increased its speed, and they temporarily deactivated the array that sought and absorbed treasures, focusing all their attention on locating the Hongze World.

"I think I understand why the Unchanging Temple wants to invade and occupy the worlds," Xu Yan mused. "When the worlds were created, they devoured the unchanging qi and tamed the violent spiritual energy. As the worlds grow stronger, they inevitably break through the mists and consume more unchanging qi, forming a protective barrier. The power of the Unchanging Temple is somehow connected to this unchanging qi."

"It's possible that the leader of the Unchanging Temple intends to consume the worlds to undergo some kind of transformation and enhance themselves," Xu Yan continued, deep in thought.

"We had suspected as much, which is why the great battle was unavoidable. Unfortunately, in the end, the six great worlds were defeated," Cang Haigui sighed.

The unchanging land stretched endlessly, shrouded in mist, making it impossible to discern direction. Fortunately, Cang Haigui had lived in the unchanging land for a long time, and the area where the Great Desolate World was located was relatively familiar to him.

In the days following their encounter with the Unchanging Temple's team, they hadn't come across any more of their patrols.

"Where has the Hongze World drifted off to?" Cang Haigui asked, his expression helpless. At that moment, the flying boat had ventured far beyond the Great Desolate World and into uncharted territory within the unchanging land.

They had now entered a relatively unfamiliar part of the unchanging land.

However, their quest to find the Hongze World continued, and the flying boat pressed on. Xu Yan, Meng Chong, and Jiang Buling took the opportunity to cultivate, gaining a deeper understanding of the unchanging land and their own martial paths.

Fang Hao, meanwhile, delved further into his studies of artifact refinement, array formations, and the esoteric grand formations unique to the unchanging land.

It seemed like none of them were particularly concerned about the search for the Hongze World.

Suddenly, the flying boat came to an abrupt halt.

"Old Turtle, have you noticed something?" Xu Yan opened his eyes and asked.

"Something's amiss over there!" Cang Haigui replied, his voice carrying a hint of gravity, as he pointed toward the left front direction.

Xu Yan and the others looked in that direction and saw a vague outline of a massive mountain in the distance. This mountain was not only enormous but also exceptionally sturdy, bearing the marks of time's passage.

The presence of an ancient mountain suggested that it was the remains of a powerful unchanging true spirit that had perished and transformed into this form.

The strength of this true spirit had likely been on par with a World Lord, placing it among the strongest of its kind.

"What have you found?" Xu Yan asked, his brows furrowed in concentration.

Despite the distance and the misty environment, Xu Yan's Heaven's Eyes failed to reveal anything unusual within the mountain.

"The aura of water!" Cang Haigui's voice trembled slightly as he maneuvered the flying boat closer to the mountain. Cautious of the possibility of encountering a powerful true spirit or cultivators from the Unchanging Temple, he approached slowly and carefully.

As they drew nearer, Xu Yan's eyes narrowed as he noticed something peculiar.

"It's inside the mountain," Xu Yan remarked thoughtfully.

"The aura of primal water," Cang Haigui said, his voice a mix of excitement and surprise.

"There are no true spirits or Unchanging Temple cultivators within. Let's go take a look," Xu Yan said solemnly.

As a water spirit himself, Cang Haigui possessed an exceptionally keen sense for the presence of water, and the fact that he could detect it from such a distance spoke volumes about the water's extraordinary nature.

Whoosh!

The flying boat drew closer to the mountain and entered through its opening.

The ancient mountain bore the marks of time's passage, indicating that it had existed for an incredibly long duration.

Xu Yan, the others, and Cang Haigui disembarked from the flying boat and stood before a pool of water.

Cang Haigui's expression was a mix of excitement and melancholy.

"It truly is primal water!" he exclaimed.

The pool's surface was calm, its water clear as a dewdrop, giving the impression that the entire pool contained nothing more than a single droplet.

"Is this the primal water?" Xu Yan asked, astonished. The water was indeed extraordinary; it seemed as if a single drop could transform into a mighty river.

"Yes," Cang Haigui confirmed. "I've only seen one person capable of nurturing primal water."

Cang Haigui's face held a nostalgic expression.

"Is this primal water related to Hongze?"

Fang Hao took out a large jar, preparing to collect the primal water.

"Aside from Hongze, no one else could have done it. After his fall, he was devoured by that person from the Unchanging Temple, and parts of his remains and power may have scattered, which is why there's a pool of primal water here."

Cang Haigui sighed with a hint of sadness.

A hint of fear flashed in his eyes as he involuntarily recalled the traumatic event.

"Old Turtle, this water must be of great use to you. Can it enhance your strength?"

Fang Hao asked as he collected the water.

"It's too little; it won't be of much use to me now. I'm just feeling nostalgic."

Cang Haigui shook his head.

With his current strength, to advance further and become a powerhouse on par with a Realm Master, this small amount of primal water wouldn't be enough.

Moreover, as a turtle of the Great Desolate World and having comprehended the Heavenly Dao, he had already found his own path to improvement.

And if he could receive guidance from Master Xu Yan, that would truly be a momentous opportunity.

"In that case, I'll take it all. This primal water will definitely be of great use to Senior Sister," Fang Hao said as he took out another jar and began collecting the primal water.

Primal water was rather unique; it couldn't be stored in ordinary storage items like a bag, but Fang Hao had crafted specialized containers for storing precious treasures, so storing the primal water posed no problem.

"There are remains at the bottom of the pool!" Xu Yan said in a low voice.

After the primal water was collected, a section of pale blue bone fragment, resembling a rib, became visible at the bottom of the pool.

The bone fragment was beaded with water droplets, and this pool of primal water had formed over time from the essence of that bone.

Looking at the bone fragment, Cang Haigui felt a surge of emotions.

He had followed Hongze for a long time, and the bond between them was deep.

Cang Haigui picked up the bone fragment and examined it for a while before sighing and handing it to Fang Hao.

"Old Turtle, don't you want to keep it as a memento?" Fang Hao asked, puzzled.

"I'm afraid," Cang Haigui replied with a bitter smile.

Fang Hao was taken aback, then understood. He nodded and put away the bone fragment, placing it in one of the jars.

Holding the relic of Hongze, Cang Haigui couldn't help but recall the catastrophic event that had befallen the Hongze world, and the fear he felt then resurfaced. Thus, despite his desire to keep Hongze's remains as a memorial, he ultimately discarded the idea.

Fang Hao marveled at Cang Haigui's courage; it was a miracle that he hadn't been scared to death back then.

"Since Hongze's remains are here, the Hongze world must be nearby. It should be in this vicinity!" Cang Haigui said solemnly.

After exiting the mountain, they boarded the flying boat, and Cang Haigui began calculating the possible direction in which the Hongze world had drifted.

Meanwhile, Fang Hao activated the boat's array to search for treasures within the mountain, collecting them along the way.

To his surprise, he even acquired a small tree.

"This tree should be useful for refining pills. I'll take it back for Senior Sister," Fang Hao said as he kept the tree.

"According to my calculations, this mountain is influenced by Hongze's remains to a certain extent, even though the Hongze world is now dead.

"Due to this influence, the direction in which this mountain drifted is not far off from that of the Hongze world. Based on my observations and judgment, the Hongze world is most likely in that direction," Cang Haigui said excitedly, pointing ahead.

"Let's go! We'll find the Hongze world soon!" Cang Haigui maneuvered the flying boat, speeding forward.

The boat traveled swiftly, leaving the mountain far behind. Xu Yan and the others were also thrilled, as they would soon witness another world besides the Great Desolate World.

Even if it was a dead world, it would still be a remarkable sight.

Standing on the boat, they scanned the horizon as they journeyed on, encountering a few small mountains along the way but nothing out of the ordinary.

After traveling for about a day and night, however, there was still no sign of the Hongze world, and Cang Haigui began to feel dejected.

"This shouldn't be! My calculations shouldn't be wrong!"

"What does a dead world look like?" Xu Yan suddenly asked.

"A dead world is devoid of radiance, shrouded in darkness and desolation, with an air of death hanging over it," Cang Haigui replied somberly.

"Look, is that the Hongze world over there?" Xu Yan pointed to the side.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end