Nan Wan glanced at Fan Yue, noting he was merely a locust tree spirit, not even a half-immortal. With a dismissive look, he replied impatiently, “Fine. Daoist Bai, my time is pressing—let’s not waste any more of it.”
“Yes, yes, of course. I’ll follow at once.” Daoist Bai hurriedly took Fan Yue’s hand and followed, leaving her fortune-telling stall behind without a second thought.
The Yun Xiao party halted just outside the city gates. When Nan Wan stopped, Daoist Bai glanced up at the sky and cautiously asked, “Your Excellency, I heard the foreign city gates close at midnight tonight, and it lies thousands of miles away in the wilderness. Judging by the time, we may not make it…”
Nan Wan shot her a look. “So, Daoist Bai, you know what I seek. But do you know who I am?”
“The emblem of clouds, the blue sword—I believe you must be Lord Nan Wan of Yun Xiao,” she replied politely.
Nan Wan didn’t deny it. “Rest assured, Daoist. I have it under control.”
As he spoke, he raised his palm, and a blue stone appeared in front of them, emitting a soft glow with faint, complex runes etched across its surface.
“A Space-Stone?” Daoist Bai gasped.
The Space-Stone wasn’t a natural spiritual item but one created by an expert in refining, using spiritual stones and intricate formations. It could teleport people across thousands of miles in an instant. Under semi-divine rank, even peak celestials could only fly by sword, unable to cross such distances in the blink of an eye—but the Space-Stone made it possible. As its name implied, it could “melt” spatial barriers.
It was notoriously difficult to craft, requiring no less than a thousand spirit stones to make. As expected, Yun Xiao truly was a powerhouse among celestial sects.
“You’ve got a good eye, Daoist.” Nan Wan looked at her with a touch of surprise, privately thinking that Shun Feng Pavilion hadn’t exaggerated. Despite her greed and unsavory appearance, this Daoist had some skill and discernment.
“Heh, Your Excellency flatters me. I’ve only heard rumors. As expected of Yun Xiao’s chief disciple, with even treasures like this at hand.” Daoist Bai’s gaze greedily fixed on the Space-Stone. With something like that, wouldn’t it be easy to go anywhere, traversing the three realms and sneaking a look at the grand masters of each mountain and palace?
“This was crafted by my master. While it’s rare, it can only be used once and won’t bring us back.” Seeing her stare so intently at the Space-Stone, Nan Wan added with a cool tone.
So it was a single-use item. What a pity! Daoist Bai sighed inwardly. It made sense. If such a treasure could be used repeatedly, Yun Xiao would have long since dominated the celestial realms.
“Daoist, stay focused. The Spatial Formation requires full concentration. If your mind wanders, it may destroy your spiritual platform.”
Nan Wan extended his hand, releasing a wave of celestial energy that enveloped the Space-Stone. The stone began to tremble, and a three-meter-wide formation spread out from it, glowing on the ground.
The Yun Xiao disciples followed Nan Wan into the formation, steadying their breathing and protecting their spiritual platforms. Daoist Bai quickly pulled Fan Yue along, copying the others as she used her faint spiritual energy to shield both her and Fan Yue’s platforms.
The blue light intensified, casting a beam over the group. Just as they were about to be lifted off the ground, the earth suddenly trembled. A massive figure rushed toward them from the city gate.
“You wretched Daoist! I finally caught you!” It was none other than the blacksmith Hua Hong, with her face painted like a monster’s, wielding an iron hammer in one hand and a fistful of chicken bones in the other. She stormed toward them like a whirlwind.
Daoist Bai gaped at the furious Hua Hong, momentarily too stunned to react.
“Where do you think you’re going? Give me back my chicken’s life!”
Hua Hong reached out to grab Daoist Bai. Whether the Yun Xiao disciples were too focused on guarding their platforms or too frightened by her monstrous face, they froze in place. In that instant, one of Hua Hong’s feet slipped into the formation.
The blue light flashed, activating the array. In the blink of an eye, everyone vanished, leaving only a few lonely chicken bones drifting down to the ground at the city gate.
0 Comments