Lin Xiao sped out from An Miao’s island. Outside the island, an elder was already waiting to guide him.
Following the elder as they skimmed thousands of li across the lake, Lin Xiao arrived at another island.
This island was not large, but it still covered more than ten li in every direction. Neat, formal buildings stood within.
Long Tutian was already waiting at the edge of the buildings.
Lin Xiao descended and landed in front of him. “Senior Brother, what has happened?”
“I never thought you would actually kill Elder Bei.”
Long Tutian said casually, then continued. “But something has indeed happened. I heard the Ji family headquarters captured two of your friends, Ling Hu and Zi Ling. I don’t know if it’s true.”
As he spoke, Long Tutian took out the severed beast claw and arm that the Ji family had sent.
“What!”
Lin Xiao’s expression hardened. Thick killing intent surged from him.
The beast claw, the tiger arm. It was unmistakably Ling Hu’s arm.
He had never imagined that Zi Ling and Ling Hu had also come to the Sacred Continent.
And now they had been seized by the Ji family headquarters. The Ji family had even cut off one of Ling Hu’s arms and sent it as a message.
Lin Xiao clenched his fists. His eyes filled with ancient, icy chill. A sudden urge to slaughter an entire clan rose within him.
He hated nothing more than people touching those close to him, using them to threaten him.
At that moment, he had already placed the Ji family on his list for extermination, if he ever gained the strength.
“They are my brothers and friends from the Southeast Domain. The news cannot be false.”
Lin Xiao said in a low, grim voice.
On the Sacred Continent, no one knew their names. And with a beast arm sent as proof, there was no doubt. The message was real. The Ji family had captured them.
“What conditions did the Ji family set?”
Lin Xiao asked in a steady voice.
“You must go to the Ji family headquarters within three months. Otherwise, they will first send a corpse.”
Long Tutian replied.
“Hah.”
Lin Xiao clenched his fists again. His nails dug into his palms. The killing intent grew even denser.
“If we return through an array controlled by the Ji family, we will certainly walk into an ambush.”
Long Tutian seemed to have anticipated Lin Xiao’s reaction. He knew Lin Xiao would calm down. His own face remained composed. “Canglong Gate also has a state-level great array in the Sacred Continent. We should return through Canglong Gate’s array, then plan our move against the Ji family. That would be safest.”
“We will do as Senior Brother arranges. Those two must not come to harm.”
Lin Xiao said solemnly.
He then asked, “Senior Brother, I met two friends. One is an old acquaintance, a Martial Saint with the Blood Demon Physique. The other is the Demon Frog Demon Saint. He possesses the Heaven-Swallowing Demon Disc. With their help, could we topple the Ji family?”
“The Demon Frog and a Blood Demon Physique Martial Saint?”
Long Tutian was startled. “With those two, our chances of rescuing them rise greatly. You yourself now possess Martial Saint combat strength. It is time to set the plan in motion. However, the Ji family has deep foundations, and Sacred Heaven Gate is involved behind them. Toppling them will not be easy. We return to Yang State at full speed first.”
Lin Xiao nodded. Only then did he remember Sacred Heaven Gate. He had also slain one of their Martial Saints. They would surely act. When the time came, he would face more than just the Ji family.
The Ji family still possessed heavy treasures. Toppling them was indeed impossible.
His primary goal was to rescue the captives.
Save them first. As for the Ji family, there would be time later. They had plenty of people. Opportunities would come.
Lin Xiao solemnly accepted Ling Hu’s arm. He looked down at it, then raised his eyes to the south. His teeth ground together. His voice was heavy. “This arm will be repaid with the entire Ji family.”
Hearing this, even Long Tutian felt a jolt in his heart. It seemed to awaken memories of his own hot-blooded, world-defying youth.
Yet he suppressed it. A dragon in the deep abyss does not fly lightly. When it does, it soars to the heavens and shakes the world. The two set off at once. Lin Xiao followed Long Tutian towards the outer edge of Spirit Pool Island. He asked the guiding elder to pass on his farewell to An Miao.
After leaving Spirit Pool Island, on the way to Eight Directions City, Lin Xiao gradually calmed. He transmitted via divine sense to Long Tutian. “By the way, Senior Brother, we must reach them as quickly as possible. Because while I was in Cold Demon Ridge, I did something else.”
“What?”
Long Tutian asked, surprised.
“At the time, I was ambushed. To help the Blood Demon Physique break through, I killed one Martial Saint each from Tianji Sacred Ground, the Jiang family, the Hong family, and the Ying family.”
Lin Xiao said.
“What?”
Long Tutian was shocked. He could barely process it.
Back in his day, he too had been domineering, daring to kill anyone. Yet he had never reached the point of slaying Martial Saints.
Now Lin Xiao had begun killing Martial Saints. He had slain one from the Ji family through his own strength.
And now he had killed Martial Saints from four major powers. His boldness surpassed even Long Tutian’s own youth.
“How did you do it?”
Long Tutian asked, full of astonishment.
“At the time, besides the four Martial Saints, there was actually an Array Saint from the Southwest Domain…” Lin Xiao recounted everything that happened in Cold Demon Ridge, omitting only the token from the Heaven-Swallowing Spirit Emperor. He spoke of throwing the God-Beating Bamboo into the cold ravine and going to the Demon Frog clan.
“It seems we can no longer delay moving the Tianji Demon-Suppressing Tower. We must act sooner.”
Long Tutian sighed softly. “The Sacred Continent is vast. It will take time for news to reach everywhere and for the major powers to gather. We return to Yang State first, resolve the Ji family matter, then make further plans.”
Lin Xiao nodded. That was his thinking too. They must not let those powers arrive first. Otherwise, rescuing the captives would become far harder.
Not long after, Lin Xiao and Long Tutian reached Eight Directions City and quickly arrived at the inn where Huo Ruyan and Qing Yan were staying.
As soon as the two entered the courtyard, the pair emerged from their rooms.
Qing Yan stared at Long Tutian. Deep wariness showed on his face. This was the first time Lin Xiao had seen Qing Yan display such gravity. Before, he had always been indifferent.
Even when rejected by Huo Ruyan, he had not cared this much.
“Who is this…” Huo Ruyan asked first.
“Long Tutian, my senior brother from Sacred Origin Academy.”
Lin Xiao answered. He then said to Long Tutian, “These two are my friends, Huo Ruyan and Qing Yan.”
“You carry an aura that makes me wary. The aura of a dragon.”
Qing Yan said gravely to Long Tutian.
“The spirit beast clans truly have sharp senses. Correct. I possess divine dragon bloodline.”
Long Tutian admitted openly.
“Divine dragon bloodline.”
Qing Yan’s face changed. He then said, “My father was right. The human race is indeed powerful.”
“The Demon Frog clan is also fearsome.”
Long Tutian replied.
Listening to their exchange, Lin Xiao was unsure if they got along, but he did not dwell on it. He spoke. “Two of my friends have been captured by the Ji family, at their headquarters in Yang State. I must hurry to save them…” “I will go with you.”
Before he finished, Huo Ruyan answered at once.
“Brother Qing Yan, attacking the Ji family will completely offend them…” Lin Xiao turned to Qing Yan. Before he could finish, Qing Yan spoke. “I promised my father I would help you. Naturally I will not stand idly by. Moreover, I wish to test the strength of your human race’s experts.”
A trace of battle intent appeared on Qing Yan’s face.
Though he was a hundred years old, in the Demon Frog clan he had only just reached adulthood. He was still in his youthful phase, naturally possessing a youth’s vigour and recklessness.
Their Demon Frog clan might be spoken of as endangered when considering the long term, but on the continent, they remained a terrifying existence.
“I will remember this great favour.”
Lin Xiao turned to Long Tutian. “Senior Brother, let us set off.”
Long Tutian nodded and led the three away.
Long Tutian had already planned the route. Along the way, they passed several large and small teleportation arrays. These arrays were controlled by various powers, but with enough money, they could be activated at any time.
With the four’s wealth, paying was effortless.
In just over half a month, the four reached the teleportation array controlled by Canglong Gate.
This array lay within a mountain range, somewhat hidden. Several Canglong Gate elders guarded it. It counted as a small branch of Canglong Gate.
“Though no Martial Saint guards this array, it is close to the territory controlled by the Spirit Phoenix clan. The Spirit Phoenix clan has ties with Canglong Gate. The two powers do not interfere with each other. However, if someone attacked here, the Spirit Phoenix clan would intervene. Thus, it has remained peaceful these years.”
Arriving, Long Tutian explained.
Lin Xiao was surprised. This place was actually close to Canglong Gate.
Canglong Gate even had connections with the Spirit Phoenix clan.
He wondered what abilities the Canglong Gate master, or previous generations, possessed to have ties with the Wang family grand elder and the sacred beast Kunshan Lizard.
When the four landed, an elder in pale white robes embroidered with dragons flew over. He bowed to Long Tutian. “Elder Long, everything is prepared.”
“Thank you for the trouble, Elder You.”
Long Tutian returned the courtesy politely, then followed the elder deeper into the mountains.
Soon they reached a valley overgrown with weeds.
Lin Xiao could not help wondering. This hardly looked like the site of a great array. It resembled a wild, abandoned valley.
Perhaps the array had not been used in so long that grass had grown over it.
Or perhaps it was deliberately concealed.
“Elder You, begin.”
Long Tutian said to the You-named elder.
The elder nodded. A key appeared in his hand. He channelled power into it. Mysterious radiance shone forth. The key rose into the air and inserted itself into the valley.
Hiss. Hiss.
The entire valley trembled. Lines of patterns lit up above the weeds.
“We enter.”
Long Tutian moved at once, speeding into the valley.
Lin Xiao, Huo Ruyan, and Qing Yan followed.
A glow enveloped them. A spatial tunnel gate appeared overhead. An inexplicable force pulled them into the tunnel.
“In a few days, wind and thunder will reveal sharp horns. Watch him bring rain across the heavenly lake. This continent will grow lively again.”
Watching the group vanish into the array, Elder You gave a long sigh.
