Chapter 848: Senior Brother Lu, We Meet Again

The Wind Rises in Kyushu

Some sounds came from outside, likely startling Li Baxian and the others. Lu Ye quickly rose and pushed the door open. He found Li Baxian and his companions looking up at the sky, their expressions filled with shock. Following their gaze, Lu Ye's own expression froze in astonishment.

The scene in the sky was even more bizarre than what he had witnessed inside the wooden hut. As far as the eye could see, a colossal floating landmass stretched across the void. Although it appeared incredibly distant from the ground, it already seemed to blot out the sky and earth, completely obscuring the scorching sun and casting a vast shadow over the entire Cloud River Battlefield.

At that very moment, almost everyone across the Cloud River Battlefield, if they looked up, could witness the sheer grandeur of this floating landmass. It didn't look complete; it seemed to be a mere fragment of a much vaster and more magnificent realm.

What was terrifying was that this floating landmass was descending towards the Cloud River Battlefield at a slow yet steady pace, exerting an undeniable pressure. The phenomenon of spatial and temporal overlap was precisely a result of this!

It was difficult to imagine how such an immense floating landmass could traverse the void, and even harder to comprehend the catastrophic event that would unfold if it were to land on the Cloud River Battlefield.

“Fourth Senior Brother, what’s happening?” Lu Ye asked, his voice serious. “I don’t know,” Li Baxian replied, shaking his head. He hadn't seen any more than Lu Ye. He, too, had been cultivating just moments before, sensed something amiss, and came out to investigate.

“Regardless, this is no place to linger. Junior Brother, let’s return to Kyushu first,” Li Baxian said, turning to Lu Ye. Feeling the increasingly distinct repulsive force around him, Lu Ye nodded. “Under these circumstances, we absolutely must return to Kyushu.” The repulsive force was clearly the work of Kyushu’s Heavenly Mechanism. Not only him, but almost all cultivators on the Cloud River Battlefield would likely be expelled. So, even if someone wished to stay and investigate, they probably wouldn’t succeed.

The startling anomaly had also agitated the wolf pack in Hui Tian Valley. While Lu Ye and the others could return to Kyushu for refuge, these wolves had no way of leaving the Cloud River Battlefield. They were born there and would mostly die of old age in that realm, unless a cultivator favored them, took them as a spirit beast, and formed a beast bond. Only then could they enter and exit the Cloud River Battlefield alongside their master.

If it were just one or two demonic wolves, Lu Ye and his companions could bring them back to Kyushu. But the pack currently gathered in the spiritual land exceeded three hundred. Such a vast number simply couldn't be taken away. Moreover, these demonic wolves served as a natural barrier for the spiritual land, playing an irreplaceable role in its future protection.

As if sensing Lu Ye’s concern, Li Baxian said, “We can’t do anything about them. Besides, I have a feeling this isn’t a natural disaster. The Heavenly Mechanism should have its own way of dealing with it!” Lu Ye nodded. If such a situation truly were a natural disaster, then apart from the cultivators who could return to Kyushu, the entire Cloud River Battlefield would likely be devoid of any living creatures, and even the cities would turn to dust.

As the two were speaking, the invisible repulsive force around them suddenly intensified significantly. Lu Ye’s vision involuntarily spun and inverted, and he realized he had been expelled from the Cloud River Battlefield. When he regained his senses, he was already inside the Heavenly Mechanism Hall of his sect in Kyushu. Two figures abruptly appeared beside him: one was Ju Jia, and the other was Hua Ci, with whom he had only recently parted. Cultivators expelled from the Cloud River Battlefield in this manner would all appear in their respective sect’s Heavenly Mechanism Hall.

Hua Ci was eating something, her cheeks puffed out. Her sudden return to Kyushu left her bewildered. She quickly swallowed what was in her mouth and asked blankly, “Lu Ye, what happened?” “I don’t know.”

“Why are you all back?” Shui Yuan’s voice rang out. She had sensed Lu Ye and the others’ aura and came to investigate. Since advancing to the Cloud River Realm and entering the Cloud River Battlefield, only Lu Ye had returned twice. Hua Ci and Ju Jia had remained there the entire time, so their simultaneous appearance naturally surprised Shui Yuan. “Second Senior Sister!” The three bowed respectfully.

“Something happened on the Cloud River Battlefield,” Lu Ye began to explain, detailing the previous anomaly. “Second Senior Sister, do you know what that floating landmass is? Why were we expelled from the Cloud River Battlefield?” Shui Yuan was surprised. “Such a thing happened?” She then grew thoughtful. “Now that you mention it, I think I heard the old man talk about a similar situation before. But he just mentioned it in passing, and I didn’t ask much. Why don’t we ask the old man? He’s old; he should know something.” Lu Ye nodded. “I’ll go pay my respects to the Sect Leader now.”

“Not so fast,” Shui Yuan smiled slightly. “The old man has guests. Let’s wait a bit.” Lu Ye immediately felt uneasy. “Could it be that the Sect Leader went and abducted another sect’s disciple again?”

After getting a taste of success before, the Sect Leader had done this kind of thing quite often in recent years. Now, in all the major sects of Bing Province, mentioning Tang Yifeng of the Azure Blood Sect only made them shake their heads. The Sect Leader’s image as a highly respected and virtuous figure, painstakingly built over many years, had long since completely collapsed in the cultivation world of Bing Province. Now, mentioning Tang Yifeng could practically be equated with the word “bandit.” Ordinary bandits steal wealth; Tang Yifeng steals people! This led to major cultivation sects in Bing Province recruiting disciples covertly, no longer daring to do so openly. The Sect Leader’s demonic claw had even extended to several adjacent provinces. It was through the Sect Leader’s immense efforts that the Azure Blood Sect was now thriving at the Spirit Stream Realm level, with top-tier talents everywhere.

Shui Yuan chuckled, “Ever since Madame Yun ‘drafted’ the old man for work, he hasn’t had time to go out.” “That’s good!” Lu Ye let out a long breath. When he turned, he saw Ju Jia with his hand pressed against the Heavenly Mechanism Pillar, a worried expression on his face. He probably wanted to see if he could enter the Cloud River Battlefield. An anomaly had occurred there, but the wolf pack remained in the spiritual land, which worried him considerably. “Fourth Senior Brother said it shouldn’t be a natural disaster, so don’t worry too much,” Lu Ye consoled him. Ju Jia nodded glumly, remaining silent.

“The old man should be done with his conversation. Let’s go,” Shui Yuan said, her expression shifting as she sensed something. As a Divine Sea Realm grand cultivator, her perception was naturally much more acute than Lu Ye’s and the others’. Following Shui Yuan out of the Heavenly Mechanism Hall, they headed towards the Council Hall and waited outside.

They then heard the Sect Leader’s voice coming from inside: “Young friend, please consider carefully. My Azure Blood Sect is rather isolated in Bing Province and isn’t truly suitable for your sect to attach itself to. If you are interested, I can help recommend a few top-tier sects. I wouldn’t dare say much else, but this old man still has some small influence.” Another voice rang out: “This junior has thought it through very clearly. After arriving in Kyushu, I came straight to you, Elder. Other sects might indeed be stronger than yours, but everyone in my sect recognizes only one person, and recognizes only your esteemed sect. With all that happened previously, this junior has hidden nothing; you should understand the reasons.”

The two must have finished their discussion and were now walking out. “In that case, let’s choose an auspicious day and announce it to Bing Province.” “Thank you, Sect Leader Tang, for your kind assistance.”

Outside the hall, Lu Ye’s expression suddenly became very strange because the voice coming from inside… sounded somewhat familiar? Hua Ci, standing beside him, also showed a surprised look, poking Lu Ye’s waist with her finger and whispering, “Did I hear wrong?” “I thought so too…” Shui Yuan looked puzzled: “What are you two talking about?”

Before Lu Ye could answer, the Sect Leader stepped out from the hall. Looking at him, the Sect Leader had the air of an immortal, easily inspiring goodwill in strangers. When Lu Ye first met the Sect Leader, he immediately felt this elder was trustworthy and subsequently sought his help. And accompanying the Sect Leader was another person. She was valiant and spirited, dressed as a man, yet without losing her feminine grace, while also possessing masculine strength. This contradictory blend added a unique temperament. Her gaze lifted, meeting Lu Ye’s eyes, which were full of astonishment.

She smiled slightly: “Senior Brother Lu, we meet again!” Hua Ci’s long eyelashes blinked repeatedly; she could hardly believe her eyes, let alone that she would see this person here. Lu Ye was equally astonished, so much so that for a moment he forgot to greet her. “What? Are you very surprised to see me, Senior Brother?” How could he not be surprised?

“Why is Palace Master Pang here?” Lu Ye asked, bewildered. In his previous thoughts, the Peerless Continent should have become a secret realm in Kyushu, allowing Cloud River Realm cultivators to enter for training. So, he had never imagined that Pang Huanyin would actually appear in Kyushu, let alone come to the Azure Blood Sect! However, thinking it over, the Peerless Continent already had a Heavenly Mechanism Pillar, and Kyushu’s Heavenly Mechanism had established a connection with it. If Kyushu cultivators could go to the Peerless Continent, then people from the Peerless Continent should also be able to come to Kyushu.

“From now on, there is no more Peerless Continent. We are also people of Kyushu,” Pang Huanyin explained with a smile, clearly pleased by Lu Ye’s expression. “What do you mean?” Lu Ye was confused. “How should I put it…” Pang Huanyin mused for a moment, then said, “After you left, I received guidance from Kyushu’s Heavenly Mechanism, asking if I was willing to have the Peerless Continent merge into Kyushu. Of course, I agreed, and after some effort, the entire Peerless Continent migrated towards Kyushu. This journey was quite fantastical; if Senior Brother wants to hear it, I can tell you all about it later.”

“Migrated?” Lu Ye sounded as if he’d heard something out of a myth. It was a fragmented continent, not a person; how could it migrate? But he quickly realized: “That enormous floating landmass above the Cloud River Battlefield… is the Peerless Continent?” Hua Ci beside him also suddenly came to her senses. If that were the case, it would make sense! “The Heavenly Mechanism’s guidance said this: because the Peerless Continent’s origin is incomplete, it’s not qualified to merge directly into Kyushu proper. It can only merge into the Cloud River Battlefield. Once the merger is complete, any cultivator on the Cloud River Battlefield can freely go to the Peerless Continent. As for how it will merge, I don’t know. I came to your esteemed sect first with the Heavenly Mechanism’s permission.” Furthermore, she appeared directly in the Azure Blood Sect’s Heavenly Mechanism Hall, which clearly indicates the Heavenly Mechanism facilitated her arrival. Otherwise, as someone from the Peerless Continent, how could she have found the Azure Blood Sect so quickly?