370: Chapter 370 Do you have time tonight?

The defense line of Wan Shou Mountain was still shrouded in the smoke of war.

A sudden Erosion Beast Tide, like a black flood, slammed against the city walls, their roars shaking the sky. The massive fleet of the Moonshadow Sect hovered above the battlefield.

The sea-covering ships (Soul Transformation rank) struck first. Blue light exploded from the Kui Water Yin Thunder Towers on their hulls, and cold, bone-chilling pillars of thunder crashed down, detonating large patches of frost among the beast horde and instantly freezing a vast number of low-level Erosion Beasts.

A Bibo Flowing Formation was erected around the hulls, and light curtains with water patterns deflected the incoming flying Erosion Beasts.

The light-chasing moon ship (Body Integration rank) followed closely. The Moon Brilliance Divine Light Tower at its bow condensed a cold radiance, sweeping across the battlefield like a ribbon of silk. The Erosion Beasts struck by the beam visibly slowed down, as if trapped in a viscous swamp of moonlight.

Its defensive Formation, Mirror Flower, Water Moon, unfolded, and distorted light caused incoming energy attacks to deflect away.

"Roar!"

A tremendous pressure erupted from deep within the beast tide. An Erosion Beast resembling a giant ape, covered in pitch-black bone armor, roared as it charged out. Its aura had clearly approached the Tribulation Transcendence Stage!

Behind it, several Void Refinement Stage Erosion Beasts followed closely.

On the city walls, the Disciples of Wan Shou Mountain and other Sects, witnessing the terrifying might of the giant ape Erosion Beast, instantly grew restless, their faces turning deathly pale.

"Hea... Heavens! Tribulation Transcendence Stage?!"

"The aura... no, it seems to be only at the Void Refinement Stage... but it is still so terrifying!"

"It is over... this time..."

Panic spread like a plague. A young Disciple who had just arrived was so weak at the knees that he could barely stand.

A calm voice rang out amidst the noise,

"What are you panicking about! The Moonshadow Sect is here! Have you not seen their immortal boats?!" This statement acted like a stabilizer, allowing the panicked Disciples around to regain some composure.

The giant ape Erosion Beast swung its massive claws, tearing through the air. The resulting gale actually caused the defensive light curtains of several sea-covering ships to fluctuate violently.

At the highest altitude, the tianque divine boat (Tribulation Transcendence rank) moved.

The massive hull quickly adjusted its orientation, and the Tai-Void Divine Thunder Tower at the bow, which was emitting terrifying fluctuations, instantly lit up with a blinding purple-white light.

Hum—!

A beam of purple-white thunder tore through the sky, bombarding the chest of the giant ape Erosion Beast.

The giant ape Erosion Beast sensed fatal danger and instinctively roared, crossing its bone-armored claws in front to block the attack.

However, in the face of absolute power, this defense was like paper.

The purple-white thunder beam pierced through with unstoppable force, snapping the claws instantly! The thunder light continued unabated, blasting a charred hole through its chest that was visible from both sides.

Through that enormous hole, one could see the few Void Refinement Stage Erosion Beasts behind it.

While the tianque divine boat launched its attack, the attacks of other Erosion Beasts also fell like raindrops onto its massive hull.

One could see a huge phantom of a Taiji diagram slowly rotating on the surface of the hull, its halo flowing endlessly, dissipating those violent energies into nothingness.

Under the crushing strikes of the Moonshadow Sect fleet, the beast tide quickly collapsed and retreated.

On the smoke-filled city walls, Sect Leader Zheng Nanxun of Wan Shou Mountain clasped his hands towards Ling Hao beside him.

"Supreme! This time, it is all thanks to the Divine Might of the fleet! Why not rest at the defense line tonight and enter White Rock Province tomorrow?"

Ling Hao scanned the Disciples cleaning up the battlefield and the Cultivators repairing the city walls below, then shook his head.

"The situation in the Ten Thousand Miasma Demon Forest is urgent; it concerns both provinces and cannot be delayed. We shall depart immediately."

The Elders of Wan Shou Mountain, the Sect Leader of the Chixiao Sect, the Island Revered Master of Xuangui Island, the Valley Revered Master of Qinglan Valley, and other Sect representatives present all showed expressions of admiration and self-reproach upon hearing this.

Such dedication to public duty, disregarding one's own exhaustion—this was the true responsibility of a great Sect!

Nearby, Sect Leader Shi Qingxuan of the White Rock Holy Land watched Ling Hao's upright and resolute silhouette amidst the smoke of the setting sun, and a ripple passed through her calm eyes.

At this moment, his decisive and steadfast demeanor was not at all like the lecherous person rumored.

...

The tianque divine boat broke through the cloud layer, sailing at high speed towards White Rock Province.

On the bow deck, Ling Hao and Shi Qingxuan stood side by side, the gale blowing their robes.

"Sect Leader Shi,"

Ling Hao spoke, "After arriving in White Rock Province, you and my Disciple Chi Wanhe shall proceed to the Holy Land first. I need to accompany someone to a place first, and then I will rejoin you."

Shi Qingxuan frowned slightly upon hearing this, a trace of urgency flashing in her eyes:

"Supreme Moonshadow, the situation in the Ten Thousand Miasma Demon Forest is critical, time..."

"No rush."

Ling Hao interrupted her,

"Did you not say there is still half a year to a year? This little delay will not affect the overall situation."

Shi Qingxuan was at a loss for words.

Just a short while ago, he was telling Sect Leader Zheng that it was "urgent," yet now he was changing his itinerary to accompany someone?

She looked at Ling Hao, her eyes carrying a trace of helplessness.

Facing Shi Qingxuan's gaze, Ling Hao's expression was calm. Sometimes, one just needs to be a bit thick-skinned.

Shi Qingxuan could not help but ask: "Can someone who makes Supreme Moonshadow so concerned be a Personal Disciple?"

Ling Hao shook his head:

"Just an ordinary Elder."

Shi Qingxuan was even more puzzled: "Then you..."

Ling Hao's gaze turned towards the members of the Moonshadow Sect busy or resting on the deck of the divine boat.

"The Moonshadow Sect does not ask about the quality of Spiritual Roots or the level of talent; we only look at whether their Heart-Nature is pure and kind. Those who can enter my Moonshadow Sect and take root here will not be wicked, scheming people."

"They may each have their own experiences and sorrows, but here, they are all people worth cherishing."

"The Moonshadow Sect is their home, a harbor where they can anchor with peace of mind. As the Sect Master, I do not ask for much; I only wish for every person in the Sect to find peace of mind here and find a happiness that belongs to them. This world places too many shackles on women; the Moonshadow Sect only wishes to grant them freedom."

These words were not intentionally concealed and fell clearly into the ears of every Moonshadow Sect Elder and Disciple.

On the deck, Chi Wanhe's eyes turned slightly red as she whispered:

"Revered Master..."

Back then, she was a person with no Spiritual Root and was on the verge of erosion, yet she was able to be accepted into the Moonshadow Sect and even became Revered Master's first Disciple!

Lu Changning silently clenched her fists, her eyes full of admiration.

She was the same; with a Yellow-grade Spiritual Root, she would have been discarded like trash in other Sects, but in the Moonshadow Sect, she stepped onto the eighth turn of the Nine-Turn Corridor and was lucky enough to be accepted as a Disciple by Revered Master.

Du Yuqing looked at Ling Hao's back, her gaze firm.

As a person with no Spiritual Root, she was an even more typical example.

The other Elders and Disciples also stared fixedly at Ling Hao, their faces filled with worship.

Only Qin Zhaoxue had a smile in her eyes.

Yue Xinxi stood by the ship's railing, watching Ling Hao's upright back, and the corners of her mouth curled into an arc involuntarily.

Shi Qingxuan's heart rippled once again. She remembered Ling Hao's unnegotiable attitude when he insisted on establishing the resonance dao tower.

Without guarantees, never let the Disciples take risks!

This almost paranoid protectiveness towards his subordinates seemed to have a deeper interpretation at this moment.

She watched Ling Hao silently, and for the first time, she felt a glimmer of understanding for this "lecherous and romantic" Sect Master that went beyond appearances.

...

Not long after, a slightly smaller Moonshadow Sect flying boat detached from the tianque divine boat Formation and flew in another direction.

Chi Wanhe, Qin Zhaoxue, and the others stood on the deck of the tianque divine boat, watching the flying boat disappear into the end of the sea of clouds together with Shi Qingxuan.

Inside the flying boat, Yue Xinxi took a deep breath and walked to Ling Hao's side as he stood by the window.

She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her light green ru skirt, and whispered.

"Hey... tonight... do you have time?"