Chapter 394 - 215: Tai Su Xu Village (2)

Chapter 394: Chapter 215: Tai Su Xu Village (2)

Gongyang Daoist laughed heartily. "Nine deaths and one life is nothing to fear. If I regret this later, wouldn’t that be far more terrifying than the great fog of the South Sea?"

Though he didn’t say it explicitly, his ambition was clear.

Daoist Tan knew he couldn’t change his mind. Shaking his head, he took two jugs of fine wine from his sleeve. He didn’t bother with goblets or cups, simply handing one over and saying, "I wish you a smooth journey!"

Gongyang Daoist didn’t take it, however. Gazing into the distance, he said suddenly, "Brother Tan, look at that fog."

"Is it dispersing?"

"Huh? What fog—" Daoist Tan didn’t immediately comprehend. Halfway through his sentence, he startled and looked up. In the distance, several beams of golden light suddenly pierced the mist and shot into the sky. A Divine Wind began to swirl, as if an Immortal had swept a hand through the air—

—and the thick, inky blot that merged sea and sky was wiped clean. Vague mountains and towering ancient trees came into view as an old continent was revealed to the world once more.

The Nanzhan Treasure Continent!

Daoist Tan had never in his wildest dreams imagined that he would witness such a scene on this trip for his friend’s sake. He was dumbfounded, grabbing the corner of Gongyang Daoist’s sleeve and shouting, "It’s dispersed! The great fog of the South Sea has dispersed!"

Seeing the treasured continent he longed for appear before his very eyes, Gongyang Daoist, by contrast, was quite composed. He gently pressed down on Daoist Tan’s hand and suddenly looked up again.

The sea of clouds parted as several thousand-zhang-long Tai Su Cloud Ships descended, followed by spirit beast chariots, Daoists riding cranes, and Flying Pavilions winding through the clouds, leaving the two men completely overwhelmed by the spectacle.

"Tai Su Cloud Ships!" Though not from the Divine Continent, Daoist Tan was quite knowledgeable and identified them in a single glance. "That’s it. The Nanzhan Continent has been hidden in fog since ancient times; there’s no way it could change in an instant. This must be the work of the Immortal Gods from the Tai Su Orthodox Sect..."

Gongyang Daoist didn’t reply, his head still raised. Clusters of colorful escaping lights sped across the sky toward the Nanzhan Treasure Continent, dyeing the sea of clouds crimson like a sunset. At the very end, a magnificent Celestial Palace descended, almost obscuring half the Celestial Vault. Warriors stood before its pillars, each one exuding a solemn and majestic, breathtaking aura.

"What a grand display," Daoist Tan muttered, clicking his tongue in amazement. "This must be some distinguished and powerful figure from the Tai Su Orthodox Sect."

Just as a sense of longing filled Daoist Tan’s heart, Gongyang Daoist suddenly retracted his gaze. His expression grew solemn. "Brother Tan, I intend to set out for Nanzhan at once. Will you come with me?"

"What?" Daoist Tan asked. "The Nanzhan Treasure Continent was revealed by the Tai Su Orthodox Sect. What could we possibly do by going there now?"

Gongyang Daoist said in a low voice, "An orthodox Xuan Sect acts with a certain magnanimity. Have you ever heard of a great sect employing scorched-earth tactics, or a Xuan Sect expert oppressing Loose Cultivators?"

’I’m not so sure about the scorched-earth part, but oppressing Loose Cultivators isn’t exactly rare...’ Daoist Tan was grumbling inwardly when Gongyang Daoist said, "I trust the Tai Su Orthodox Sect is not so petty."

’Besides, if they really did act that way, wouldn’t they be destroying their own reputation?’ Gongyang Daoist told himself, his resolve firming.

Seeing his friend’s expression, Daoist Tan rubbed his nose, then gritted his teeth. "Fine. I’ll accompany you on this one."

"Excellent!" Gongyang Daoist laughed, his eyes on the horizon. He murmured to himself, "The great fog parts the very moment I arrive. I wonder if this is a matter of fate, or a lack of it."

Having made their decision, the two wasted no more time. They steered their ship and headed out into the South Sea.

Along the way, they periodically saw escaping lights flash across the sky. Around noon, an inverted flying mountain peak tore through the air. The well-traveled Daoist Tan immediately exclaimed, "The Spirit Treasure Sect!"

The gate of the Spirit Treasure Sect, Inverted Mountain, was located on the South Sea Coast of Zeji Land. As one of the three major sects, their reaction was predictably swift. Daoist Tan couldn’t help but remark, "With our level of cultivation, even with this treasure ship, I’m afraid all the world’s major sects will have arrived by the time we reach Nanzhan."

Even though the Nanzhan Treasure Continent was now visible from the South Sea Coast after the fog parted, who didn’t understand that things are always farther than they appear?

It was the distance between two continents, after all. Daoist Tan couldn’t help but sigh.

"Brother Tan, there’s no need to wear yourself out with worry," Gongyang Daoist said, his composure unshaken. "We’ve come this far; we can’t just give up. Besides, among Loose Cultivators, you and I are already considered incredibly fortunate."

"You’re right, you’re right." Daoist Tan felt a pang of shame and fell silent.

Strangely enough, though the two had been prepared for a journey of ten to fifteen days, the next half-day of travel was remarkably smooth and fast. Before they knew it, they were already near Nanzhan. Only then did they discover that the continent was enveloped by layers of Divine Wind. In the most violent sections, the gales condensed into astral blades that whistled and CLANGED without cease, slashing back and forth like attacks from a Flying Sword.

From the whistling alone, they knew its power was absolutely terrifying. It was obvious that while the Nanzhan Treasure Continent was no longer shrouded in fog, it was now encircled by a shocking grand formation. Forcing a way in would be no easier than it had been before.

"So the Tai Su Orthodox Sect isn’t just doing a good deed after all," Daoist Tan said, dejected.

"That can’t be right," Gongyang Daoist muttered. He stood up, frowning in thought for a moment, then suddenly pointed toward the sky. "Brother Tan, look in the distance. Is that a Magical Artifact of the Upper Profound Sect?"

Daoist Tan looked up but found he couldn’t see it clearly, so he could only say he didn’t know.

Undiscouraged, Gongyang Daoist declared, "We’ll head that way, too."

Daoist Tan had great faith in him, so the two steered their ship around. It wasn’t long before they saw an opening. Their spirits lifted, but they remained vigilant as they piloted their treasure ship through it. A crescent-shaped island came into view.

Gongyang Daoist looked out and saw spiritual light glittering on the island. Rows of Magic Altars had already been constructed, the tallest appearing to be 888 zhang high. The area was guarded everywhere by Tai Su Taoists, Dao Soldiers, and Warriors.

Seeing this, Daoist Tan’s legs started to tremble. "The Tai Su Orthodox Sect has such a massive presence here... what if outsiders aren’t allowed? If they kill us, we’ll have no one to plead our case to..."

Gongyang Daoist took a shallow breath and said calmly, "Brother Tan, don’t panic. Do you see anyone from the Spirit Treasure Sect or the Upper Profound Orthodox Sect? I don’t see any Divine Wind whistling behind the island. Perhaps this is the path into the continent opened by the Tai Su Orthodox Sect."

Daoist Tan looked past the altars. Though his view was partially obstructed, his eyes were sharp. He suddenly spotted an escaping light speeding inside, its trail vanishing a moment later.

Daoist Tan was overjoyed. "Brother Gongyang, you were absolutely right," he said, and began to pilot the ship inward.

"Wait!" Gongyang Daoist started to call for him to stop, but he was suddenly shaken to his core. A deafening BOOM exploded between heaven and earth, and a boundless flash of lightning flared before his eyes, forcing them shut.

’It’s over!’ Gongyang Daoist’s mind was BUZZING, a bitter taste filling his mouth. ’Was I being too clever for my own good?’

The next moment, he felt the deck beneath him vanish. It seemed his treasure ship, which he had spent his entire fortune building to rival a Top-Grade Magical Artifact, had been shattered and was now sinking. Then, he heard a cry of pain from behind him.

’What is this?’ Gongyang Daoist realized his eyes weren’t in pain. He cautiously opened them and, with a quick grab, snatched the trembling Daoist Tan. A profound light flared from beneath his feet, holding them both aloft and preventing them from falling into the sea. Only then did he look back.

A thick, black mist, like the smoke from a wolf-dung beacon, erupted from their treasure ship and shot into the sky, trying to flee back the way it had come. Then came another BOOM!

From atop the 888-zhang-high Magic Altar, a bolt of crimson lightning struck down. In a flash, it overtook and slammed into the black mist.

"AAAH!" Another scream of agony erupted from the black mist. It could resist no longer. A charred, corpse-like body emerged from within and plunged stiffly into the sea.

Daoist Tan, held in Gongyang Daoist’s grasp, had just opened his eyes. Upon seeing this scene, his body gave a violent shudder, and he squeezed his eyes shut again, becoming completely still.

Gongyang Daoist had no time for him. He looked up at the Magic Altar and saw a stately Daoist with his hair tied back by a sword-shaped pin and dressed in ceremonial robes slowly walk out. The man stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing into the unseen distance. He spoke faintly, yet his voice rolled like thunder across the horizon—

"Xuzhuang of Tai Su is here."

"The Nanzhan Treasure Continent has been opened by my Tai Su Orthodox Sect for all cultivators of the Xuan Sects under heaven."

"Any cultivator of the Demon Sect is forbidden from approaching within one hundred li of the formation’s gate. Violators will be executed without mercy!"