296: Chapter 296 Heading North

The faint morning light filtered through the branches and leaves of the ancient Wutong trees in the courtyard of Fengqi Palace, casting mottled light and shadows.

The air was filled with the faint, fresh scent of vegetation, and in the pond, a few carp swam happily.

In the courtyard, Ling Hao, Ye Xinglan, Shui Wanqing, Gu Qingyao, and Yue Qianqian were gathered.

Ye Xinglan had changed back into her dark purple star-patterned Daoist robe, her silver-white double buns were perfectly neat, and her small, porcelain-white face was calm.

She looked at Ling Hao and said:

"Supreme, the power of Heavenly Secrets recovered slightly last night, so I immediately cast a divination for Fengyi."

"The hexagram indicates extreme danger."

"Due to the betrayal of the Four Great Families, I fear she only has my First Disciple and Third Disciple accompanying her. She is isolated and without aid, and the situation... is precarious. But..."

"The latter half of the hexagram takes a turn for the better, showing 'fortune hidden within misfortune, turning danger into safety.' This sign of 'fortune,' in some mysterious way, may lie with you, Supreme. Although the Heavenly Secrets are revealed, they are not immutable; I implore you, Supreme, to depart immediately and rush to the aid of the north."

Ling Hao nodded with a solemn expression, looked at Ye Xinglan's small face, and suddenly asked: "Is your body... alright?"

Ye Xinglan's slender body trembled slightly, then returned to normal, though a blush seemed to appear on her small face. She answered calmly: "Thank you for your concern, Supreme. The poison has been completely removed; there are no major issues."

Ling Hao, however, keenly captured that momentary anomaly and understood in his heart.

The detoxification process yesterday... it seems he hadn't restrained his strength enough. Ahem... after all, it was his first time practicing Dual Cultivation with such a "little" National Revered Master, so it was inevitable... to get a bit... excited.

His face remained calm as he flipped his hand to take out a warm, moist jade bottle and handed it over. "This is Sheng-Sheng Creation Spring; you should know its efficacy."

Ye Xinglan looked at the spring water, a complex light flashing through her purple eyes. After a moment of hesitation, she reached out her small hand to take it. "Thank you, Supreme."

Gu Qingyao, standing to the side, silently observed the interaction between the two, as if she had sensed an unusual atmosphere.

The Supreme should be a total stranger to Revered Master, but this attitude... it feels like he is... very concerned?

And Revered Master has always been as indifferent as water, yet when facing the Supreme, she seems shy? She is even willing to accept such a precious gift? This is definitely not her usual style.

Could it be that because of the life-saving grace and the detoxification help from yesterday, Revered Master has been moved?!

Gu Qingyao's thoughts raced, but her expression remained gentle and composed.

In contrast, Yue Qianqian was looking around with her small head, her attention already captured by the spirit birds jumping among the Wutong leaves. She completely failed to notice the subtle atmosphere, only feeling that Revered Master's complexion was much better and that the good person, the Supreme, was truly amazing. Then... that was it.

Ling Hao withdrew his thoughts and asked: "Your First Disciple and Third Disciple are in the north assisting Fengyi with the defense; how are they doing? Could you tell me a little bit about them so I can recognize them if I meet them?"

Ye Xinglan nodded, her voice clear and cool: "My First Disciple is named An Hongxiu. She practices both body and technique, is at the fifth level of Void Tempering, excels at using a Po Jun long spear, and has a personality as fierce as fire."

"My Third Disciple is Lan Zhiwei. She is at the fourth level of Void Tempering. She is meticulous in thought, proficient in Formation deduction, possesses a special Physique, and can draw upon starlight to set up Formations, being especially skilled in defense and trapping enemies."

Ling Hao understood and said to Shui Wanqing beside him: "Grand Elder Shui, Wutong City still needs manpower to stabilize the situation. You can stay here to assist the National Revered Master and the others in handling the aftermath. At the same time, you can ask the National Revered Master to issue an order in the name of the Divine Dynasty to search for the whereabouts of your niece, Shui Liuli. They are more familiar with the Wutong Divine Dynasty and might be faster than the Dao Tower network."

Upon hearing this, Ye Xinglan raised her purple eyes slightly and looked at Shui Wanqing: "Niece?"

Shui Wanqing's eyes were filled with worry as she explained: "Indeed. My niece, Shui Liuli, her appearance, her cultivation... should be at the Golden Core Stage. Her features are very distinct: silver hair like moonlight, purple eyes like crystals, and her Luck is quite special; she can often turn danger into safety. She... was separated from me within Cangwu."

Yue Qianqian turned her head abruptly and tugged on Gu Qingyao's sleeve in surprise: "Senior Sister Qingyao! Silver hair and purple eyes! Isn't that the female Cultivator you mentioned yesterday who ransacked several Sects in Songhua County?"

Upon hearing this, Shui Wanqing's face had originally shown joy, but upon hearing the latter part, her expression changed again, and she said resolutely: "Impossible! Liuli is pure by nature; she would never do something like ransacking a Sect! There must be a misunderstanding!"

Gu Qingyao also reacted immediately and comforted her: "Elder Shui, do not worry. If that silver-haired, purple-eyed girl is truly your niece, there must be some hidden reason for the ransacking of the Sects. I will immediately arrange for people to go to Songhua County to investigate in detail; we must get to the bottom of the truth and find her whereabouts as soon as possible."

Hearing Gu Qingyao's reply and the arrangements made, Shui Wanqing felt slightly relieved and nodded gratefully to Gu Qingyao: "Thank you, Miss Gu."

...

With matters in Wutong City slightly settled, Ling Hao did not delay any longer. His figure flashed, and he appeared in the high sky outside the city.

Looking north, ink-black clouds churned at the horizon, almost covering half the sky. The heavy Devilish Qi, even from a great distance, made one's heart feel oppressed.

He galloped north along the defensive line. What he saw along the way was shocking.

The layers of defensive checkpoints originally built relying on the terrain of mountains and rivers had now collapsed and been damaged in many places. Having lost the support of the elite forces of the Four Great Families, the entire defensive line appeared riddled with holes and teetering on the brink of collapse.

The scorched earth was covered in traces of Devilish creatures running rampant, with broken weapons and the remains of Cultivators scattered about. The surviving garrison Cultivators were all wounded, their faces filled with exhaustion and despair, yet they still relied on the remaining Formation nodes and damaged city walls to struggle against the low-level Devilish creatures surging in like a tide.

The sounds of battle cries, the roars of Devilish creatures, and the wails of the wounded intertwined, forming a tragic, apocalyptic scene.

Ling Hao's expression was cold and stern; the tragic scenes he saw along the way caused the killing intent in his heart to gradually rise. He did not stop, but wherever he passed, whenever he encountered high-level Devilish creatures attacking teetering strongholds, or large groups of low-level Devilish creatures gathered together, he would casually flick out a few streams of finger energy.

The finger energy fell, instantly grinding large swaths of Devilish creatures into dust, winning a moment of respite for the Cultivators who were struggling to hold on.

The survivors below felt the pressure lift and looked up in confusion, only to see a blurred stream of light cutting across the sky, heading north. One after another, they excitedly bowed toward the direction where the light disappeared, shouting, "Thank you, Senior, for your help!"

Ling Hao did not reduce his speed, his Divine Thought sweeping over the devastated land below. Suddenly, he frowned, his gaze turning sharp as lightning, shooting toward the far north. The energy fluctuations erupting there were abnormally chaotic and powerful, far exceeding ordinary Void Tempering battles!

"Four Devil Emperors... besieging two Void Tempering experts?" Ling Hao's eyes narrowed, he took a step forward, the Void Realm in front of him tore open, and he vanished from the spot.