377: Chapter 377 The Art of Imagination and Unexpected Foreshadowing

Su Changge fell silent for a moment after hearing the words "saved our souls".

[What do you mean by saved your souls?]

[I just found the Evil Qi a bit repulsive and accidentally triggered a special effect that scared those Blood Pattern Camp people into kneeling. That's all.]

[Your soul is perfectly fine inside you, and I don't even know your name. Where does this talk of saving souls come from?]

But he did not correct him; he simply stood there, his gaze resting on An Tingyuan's face with a calm expression.

An Tingyuan was held by that gaze, but instead of retreating, he straightened his back and continued.

"Senior may not know, but these people from the Blood Pattern Camp Cultivate by relying on the Evil Qi Dragon Vein of the Blood Pattern Dragon Demon Tu Lie. The Evil Qi they carry is not just ordinary earthly evil; it is Soul-Invading Qi refined by Tu Lie using Blood Pattern methods. Any Cultivator who fights them for a prolonged period will have their Divine Soul eroded—at best, their three souls will be shaken; at worst, their soul will dissipate into the blood evil."

As he spoke, his companions behind him all kept their heads lowered, but their ears were pricked toward the conversation.

"The Soul-Invading Evil Qi from those people earlier dispersed completely after Senior spoke. The layer of blood-evil mist attached to our Divine Souls also vanished at that moment. This was not suppression, but total purification. If Senior did not possess heaven-shocking methods, this would be impossible."

Su Changge stood there, not responding.

Zhao Tian, standing nearby, finished listening to this, glanced sideways at Su Changge, swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue, and lowered his head again.

There was a shift in Ye Qingyao's eyes. She looked at An Tingyuan and asked,

"You mentioned earlier that you were taken in by Shi Lie of the Po Yue Ancient Stronghold. Where is the Po Yue Barbarian King, Shi Lie, right now?"

An Tingyuan answered respectfully.

"The Prince is currently at the Po Yue Ancient Stronghold, located within the mountains of the western section of the Dragon Spine Mountain Range. The ancient stronghold has been rooted here for hundreds of years and is one of the largest forces in the western section of the Dragon Vein Ancient Continent."

Ye Qingyao nodded, did not pursue the matter further, shifted her gaze back to Su Changge, and waited quietly.

An Tingyuan looked at Su Changge again, his expression even more solemn.

"Senior, I have a request that may be inappropriate. I hope Senior will forgive my presumption."

Su Changge's eyes shifted slightly, signaling him to continue.

"I wish to report back to the Prince and invite him to personally visit Senior. May I ask if Senior could grant us your itinerary so that I may convey the message to the Prince?"

Su Changge was silent.

[...]

[This is not a good idea.]

[Shi Lie is a Barbarian King at the Late Stage of Undergoing Tribulation who can crack the earth with a single punch. I am at the Qi Refining First Layer; if he punched me, they wouldn't even be able to find three ounces of my ashes. Him coming to visit me is one thing, but me visiting his territory is another. The risk levels of these two things are a hundred and eight thousand miles apart.]

[But I don't know where they are planning to go right now. If I can let Shi Lie know I am here in advance, perhaps I can borrow his influence to get a feel for the situation in the Dragon Vein Ancient Continent and avoid a few other dangerous places along the way.]

[Ye Qingyao's Mahayana Stage cultivation is a life-saving trump card, but she cannot be a twenty-four-hour personal bodyguard. If I encounter a real chaotic situation, I still have to rely on maneuvering.]

He thought for two breaths, then spoke in a steady, unhurried tone.

"No need to convey any message."

An Tingyuan's expression sank slightly.

Su Changge continued.

"If Shi Lie has the intention, he will come on his own."

An Tingyuan was stunned for a moment, then slowly nodded. The sinking feeling in his eyes vanished, replaced by a different look, one carrying a hint of certainty he didn't even realize.

Beside him, one of the younger Cultivators couldn't help but lower his voice, leaning into his companion's ear to say something, the volume just enough for the people on Su Changge's side to hear half of it.

"Senior said he will come on his own... This means the Prince's sincerity is the key. Senior does not need to be invited; he is waiting to be found."

The person next to him nodded, his expression carrying the solemnity of someone who had just been enlightened.

Su Changge's brows twitched slightly.

[What I said was: If Shi Lie intends to pay a visit, he will naturally find his way here. I don't need you to go and convey messages to arrange it for me, so there is no need to do this.]

[This is the literal meaning.]

[How did you interpret it as: Senior does not need to be arranged, but is waiting for those destined to find him in a profound state of being.]

Ye Qingyao, standing beside him, heard those words, and something flowed gently through her eyes. Her lips didn't move, but the expression itself clearly expressed her judgment: she felt that the interpretation of those few people was, by and large, correct.

Su Changge moved his gaze away from those people and turned to Ye Qingyao.

"Where to next?"

Ye Qingyao thought for a moment and replied.

"The Dragon Spine Mountain Range is the core of the Dragon Vein Ancient Continent. The four major forces all rely on the mountain range, each entrenched in different directions. We are currently on the outskirts of the northern end of the Dragon Spine Mountain Range. If we want to understand the layout here, we need to travel along the outer edge of the mountain range to first survey the distribution of the various forces, and then decide how to approach the location of that ancient Seal."

"Travel along the northern edge," Su Changge said.

"The northern edge is close to the Blood Pattern Canyon."

Su Changge was silent for a breath.

"Understood."

Ye Qingyao glanced at him, said nothing more, and began walking toward the north.

An Tingyuan stood where he was, and after Su Changge began to walk, he bowed deeply once more, performing one last salute.

"Senior's great kindness is etched in my heart. If there comes a day when I can repay it, I will never shirk."

Su Changge walked a few steps, not looking back or speaking.

Zhao Tian walked at the back; when he passed by An Tingyuan, he slowed his pace slightly and whispered.

"Take care of yourselves."

An Tingyuan looked up at Zhao Tian, then at the back of Su Changge walking in front. His eyes held something extremely complex—shock, gratitude, and the feeling of being pushed forward from behind by something massive.

One of his companions leaned in, his voice very low.

"Brother An, what is the background of this Senior?"

An Tingyuan stared at that retreating figure for a long time.

"I don't know."

He paused and took a breath.

"But when we report back to the Prince, tell him that we encountered a true person who has attained the Dao here. He is not the type of powerhouse built up by accumulating cultivation; he is something else... This Disciple cannot explain it clearly, just say he is the type of person whose words cause Evil Qi to retreat on its own and the world to resonate with righteous sound."

The companion swallowed hard.

"Will the Prince believe us?"

An Tingyuan withdrew his gaze, looked at the figure that had already walked far away, and was silent for a moment before answering.

"Whether he believes it or not is up to the Prince, but we cannot fail to report what we have seen with our own eyes."

He turned around, took his companions, and walked toward the east, his steps steadier than when they had arrived.

And Su Changge's retreating figure walked further and further away in the wind of the wasteland, passing over two rolling hills, slowly disappearing into the yellowish-brown horizon, until it could no longer be seen.

Zhao Tian caught up with Su Changge. After walking for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, there was absolutely no one else around. The three walked through the wasteland, the silhouette of the Dragon Spine Mountain Range becoming clearer ahead. The golden light flowing between the mountains became more distinct, and from time to time, a low tremor would rise from the ground beneath their feet, heavy and rhythmic.

Zhao Tian looked left and right, confirmed there was no one else, and then spoke.

"Junior Martial Uncle, those people are planning to go report to the Po Yue Barbarian King, Shi Lie, right?"

Su Changge walked on without answering.

"Shi Lie is at the Late Stage of Undergoing Tribulation and dominates the region with his Physical Body. A single punch can trigger tremors in the earth-element Dragon Vein. Should we think of a contingency plan for this person in advance?"

Su Changge walked a few steps, then spoke in a steady tone.

"Contingency for what?"

"In case he comes looking for us, we..."

"If he comes, he comes to request an audience."

Zhao Tian swallowed the rest of his sentence, thought about it, nodded, and muttered to himself.

"That's true. No one would attack directly when requesting an audience."

Ye Qingyao walked beside Su Changge, glanced sideways at Zhao Tian, and said nothing.

The three walked in the wasteland. The wind came from the north, sweeping up a layer of loose soil from the ground, leaving a thin layer of yellow on the surface of their boots.

The Dragon Spine Mountain Range was getting closer and closer ahead.