Ye Qiu sat on Elder Niu’s back amidst the void. He looked down and saw endless rolling mountain peaks below.
He instantly realised this was not Central Continent.
Though Ye Qiu had never been to Central Continent, he knew it housed three great dynasties and must be extraordinarily prosperous.
At the very least, it would have several proper cities.
But here,
Towering mountains and steep ridges.
Not a soul in sight.
“Dali, where is this?” Ye Qiu asked.
Elder Niu rolled his eyes, unable to answer.
“Did you take the wrong direction?” Ye Qiu pressed.
Elder Niu stammered, “Master, I, I am not familiar with the cultivation world…”
“I know you are not familiar with the cultivation world, but did the old fellow not tell you the location of Central Continent? How could you get it wrong?” The more Ye Qiu thought about it, the more something felt off. He turned his head and saw the Long-Browed Real Person looking away.
“Old fellow, what is going on here?” Ye Qiu asked.
The Long-Browed Real Person acted as though he had not heard, his gaze still darting everywhere.
“Old fellow!” Ye Qiu raised his voice.
Only then did the Long-Browed Real Person turn back. He looked at Ye Qiu with feigned confusion. “Little brat, were you calling me?”
“What exactly is going on?” Ye Qiu asked again.
“What do you mean, what is going on?” The Long-Browed Real Person pretended ignorance.
“Where are we?” Ye Qiu demanded.
The Long-Browed Real Person glanced left and right, then shook his head. “This poor Taoist does not know.”
“How could you possibly not know?” Ye Qiu said. “Most of the coordinates in the cultivation world are stored in your head, are they not?”
“I am going to Central Continent.”
“Why have we ended up here?”
“Oh yes, were we not heading to Central Continent? How did we end up here?” The Long-Browed Real Person asked. “Brother Dali, did you take the wrong direction?”
Was it not you who told me to go this way?
Elder Niu said, “I am not familiar with the cultivation world, and I have had no sense of direction since I was young…”
“Nonsense!” Ye Qiu snapped sternly. “Niu Dali, tell me the truth. What exactly is going on?”
Elder Niu glanced back at the Long-Browed Real Person, saw the latter winking furiously at him, and could only steel himself. “Master, it is all my fault. I…”
Ye Qiu said coldly, “Niu Dali, if you do not tell the truth, you can return to the demon clan right now. I do not need your protection.”
At these words, Elder Niu panicked at once. “Master, do not drive me away. Actually, it was the Taoist who told me to come this way.”
Damn it, he sold me out so quickly. I am furious.
The Long-Browed Real Person glared at Elder Niu, deeply displeased.
“Hmph.” Ye Qiu gave a cold snort. “I knew it. It must have been you, old fellow, who told Dali to do this.”
“Dali would never normally go against my wishes. This time he listened to you. If I am not mistaken, you surely told him it was all for my own good.”
“Old fellow, what exactly are you trying to do?”
Since matters had reached this point, the Long-Browed Real Person dropped the pretence.
“Little brat, I told you that going to Central Continent would be fraught with danger.”
“If we go rashly, we will surely encounter much trouble. At worst, all three of us would have to live in hiding.” The Long-Browed Real Person said, “Everything I have done has been for your safety.”
Ye Qiu’s face darkened. “If you did not want to go to Central Continent, you could have told me openly. Why secretly instruct Dali to change course?”
“Old fellow, do you realise you have ruined something important for me?”
“I am going to Central Continent to seek the remaining half of the human race’s fortune.”
“Once I obtain the human race’s fortune, even if my cultivation is low, I can still become the master of the human race.”
“Then, with a single thought, I will be able to find my father.”
Ah?
The Long-Browed Real Person was stunned. “Little brat, why did you not say so earlier?”
“If I had known you were going to Central Continent to seek the human race’s fortune, I certainly would not have secretly told Brother Dali to change direction.”
“Little brat, this is your fault.”
“If you had told me sooner, I would definitely have listened to you.”
“Moreover, something so important, and you did not tell me in advance. Do you still see me as a friend?”
“Little brat, I have shared life and death with you, yet you keep secrets from me.”
“You have truly chilled my heart.”
Ye Qiu was speechless.
This old fellow not only refused to admit his own mistake but turned the tables and blamed him. Truly shameless.
“It is not that I did not want to tell you. I simply wished to avoid complications. I had planned to speak once we reached Central Continent. Who knew you would have Dali bring me to this godforsaken place?”
Ye Qiu swept his gaze into the distance. He already had a guess and asked, “Old fellow, where exactly did you plan for Dali to take us?”
The Long-Browed Real Person blurted out, “Azure Cloud Sword Sect!”
Ye Qiu snapped irritably, “I knew it. You old fellow want to go to Azure Cloud Sword Sect.”
The Long-Browed Real Person said, “Little brat, I must clarify. My going to Azure Cloud Sword Sect is entirely for your sake.”
“First, Fairy Baihua is at Azure Cloud Sword Sect. You have not seen her for so long. You must miss her greatly, yes?”
“Second, your sweetheart Yun Xi is the young lady of Azure Cloud Sword Sect. With her protecting us, we will face no danger there.”
“Third, Azure Cloud Sword Sect teems with experts. Once we reach their territory, the Yin-Yang Sect will not dare to act against us lightly.”
“Fourth, as the foremost great sect of Eastern Desolation, Azure Cloud Sword Sect must possess many treasures and cultivation resources. We can lie low there, cultivate, and only confront the Yin-Yang Sect once our realms have risen.”
“Given your relationship with Yun Xi, we will surely receive the best cultivation resources.”
“When we parted last time, Yun Xi said that when I go to Azure Cloud Sword Sect, she would gift me a saint artefact.”
Ye Qiu replied, “You keep saying it is for my sake. I think you are simply coveting that saint artefact.”
The Long-Browed Real Person chuckled. “It is not only the saint artefact. I also fancy fine wine, beautiful women…”
“Enough.” Ye Qiu interrupted impatiently. “Change direction at once. We are going to Central Continent.”
“This is a grave matter. It cannot be delayed.”
“And also…”
Before Ye Qiu could finish, multicoloured auspicious clouds suddenly spread across the distant horizon.
At the same time, deep within the mountain range beneath those clouds, a golden beam of light shot skyward like a colossal pillar holding up the heavens, piercing straight into the firmament.
In the next instant, waves of terrifying divine might blanketed everything, shaking hearts and souls.
“What is that?” The Long-Browed Real Person noticed it and cried out in shock.
Elder Niu’s eyes gleamed brightly. He said gravely, “Such powerful dragon might!”
Though they were far away and merely facing the residual aura, their bodies still felt immense discomfort.
“Dragon might?” The Long-Browed Real Person was utterly shocked. “Could there be an adult true dragon within those mountains?”
