Chapter 1757: Pointing Enlightenment

"Thank you, Prince Lieyang," a hint of joy finally appeared on the blue-dressed woman's usually cool face. "Do you know where they are now?"

She was, of course, Chu Chuyan. Back in the Daoist Sect's secret realm, their group discovered that the realm was vastly different from what was recorded in the sect's texts. It took them much longer than expected to complete their assigned mission.

The group had benefited greatly. Finally, they gathered at the designated spot, waiting to leave the Daoist Sect's secret realm.

To their surprise, they couldn't leave. They tried every method imaginable, but nothing worked. Then, a white light flashed across the sky, a terrifying black hole appeared in their world, and everyone was sucked inside.

When she awoke, she found herself in this world, with no sign of the others.

She spent some days investigating the whereabouts of her companions. While the others were important, Pei Mianman was her good friend, and their relationship was, furthermore, quite awkward. Naturally, she didn't want anything to happen to Pei Mianman; otherwise, how would she explain it to Ah Zu once they got out?

She soon discovered that this world was much larger and more chaotic than she had imagined. Finding a few people here was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Later, as she passed through a valley, she casually rescued a group of people who were being attacked by bandits. It turned out that their leader was a prince from a nearby kingdom.

Although this kingdom was nowhere near as powerful as the Great Zhou Dynasty, it was considered one of the strongest nations in the surrounding region.

And that prince was none other than Prince Lieyang, the most promising heir to the throne of that kingdom.

Those attackers were not bandits at all, but elite assassins hired by his competitors.

Upon seeing Chu Chuyan, Prince Lieyang was instantly captivated by her otherworldly beauty. Citing gratitude for saving his life, he invited her back to the royal capital.

Chu Chuyan initially had no intention of dealing with him, but then she reconsidered. She knew nothing about this world, and having the power of a kingdom to assist her would make searching for her companions much easier. So, she agreed.

In recent days, the prince's constant overtures had greatly annoyed her. Combined with the lack of any news, she had already decided to leave that very day.

"I haven't yet ascertained the specific whereabouts of your companions, miss," Prince Lieyang quickly said, seeing her cold expression. "However, a major event has recently occurred. A grand tomb has appeared in Zhichuan, rumored to be the site of Immortal Lord Baopu's ascension. It's said to contain countless treasures, and even his lifelong magnum opus, 'Baopuzi,' is likely within. This place holds the opportunity for immortal ascension."

"Immortal ascension..." Chu Chuyan was noncommittal. In her world, countless people dreamed of becoming immortals, but it always ended in futility. "What does any of this have to do with my companions?"

Prince Lieyang quickly replied, "Of course it does. Almost all the powerful cultivators in the world are heading to Zhichuan now, seeking to open that grand tomb and explore the immortal opportunities within. Your companions are skilled practitioners; they would certainly be interested in going there. Instead of searching for them like a needle in a haystack across the entire world, it would be better to go directly to Zhichuan. You'll likely be reunited with them there."

Chu Chuyan nodded subtly upon hearing this. "Thank you for the information, Prince. I will depart for Zhichuan immediately."

Prince Lieyang smiled. "Miss Chu, there's no need to worry. I've already made all the arrangements. I will accompany you to Zhichuan."

Chu Chuyan shook her head. "Thank you for your kindness, Prince, but I've already troubled you greatly these past few days, and I don't wish to further delay your important affairs. Besides, I'm accustomed to traveling alone and am not used to being with others."

Although her tone was gentle, her refusal was quite firm.

Prince Lieyang was taken aback. He forced a smile and said, "In that case, I won't detain you, Miss Chu. I wish you a safe journey."

"Thank you, Prince." Chu Chuyan gave a slight nod, then gracefully drifted away. She had already planned to leave that day, and had no luggage to take with her.

As her beautiful, captivating figure gradually faded into the distance, the brilliant smile on Prince Lieyang's face completely vanished.

A nearby attendant said resentfully, "This woman is simply ungrateful. What woman can you not have, Your Highness? Yet, after all the attention you've given her these past few days, she still puts on airs."

"Slap!" The response was a red handprint on his face.

Prince Lieyang said coldly, "Either give me constructive advice, or stop spouting such idiotic nonsense."

The attendant immediately became subservient and dared not speak further.

Another attendant nearby, seeing this, revealed a hint of schadenfreude. "Prince, it's actually not that hard to win a woman's heart. Miss Chu is different from those common beauties you've been with before. She's very powerful and doesn't need to rely on others, which is why your usual methods haven't been effective."

Prince Lieyang nodded in deep agreement. "Continue."

The attendant smugly glanced at his dumbfounded colleague. "So, you must first shatter her pride and her reliance on herself."

"Are you saying..." Prince Lieyang's eyes lit up, but he quickly shook his head. "Miss Chu's cultivation is very high; dealing with her won't be easy. It would certainly require mobilizing some of the capital's top experts, and if it were exposed later, it could easily backfire."

The attendant's eyes widened instantly, thinking, *Wouldn't it be enough to just succeed in getting her body at first?*

*So, you actually want her heart too.*

Of course, he dared not voice this thought. Instead, he said, "We don't need to make a move ourselves. With the grand tomb in Zhichuan appearing, experts from all over the world will surely flock there. When Zhichuan is swarming with masters, and Miss Chu is as beautiful as a celestial fairy, some people are bound to be unable to resist making advances on her. Her two fists won't be able to contend with four hands, and there will inevitably be a time when she's in dire straits. At that point, Your Highness can descend like a divine soldier, act as a hero rescuing a beauty, and everything will naturally fall into place, won't it?"

Prince Lieyang was overjoyed. "Xiao Zhu, excellent! How did I never realize how clever you are? Much better than Xiao Sha."

"It's all thanks to Your Highness's cultivation," the attendant named Zhu said proudly, glancing at Xiao Sha, who could only sulk silently.

Meanwhile, as Zu An and his party traveled towards Zhichuan, they encountered various demons and monsters almost every day. However, Zu An's divine sword was invincible, and Qiu Honglei was a top expert, having defeated the chief disciple of the Nine Dao Sect. Although Wei Su's cultivation was slightly lower, he had navigated the jianghu for years to reach his current standing, making him full of clever ideas. Furthermore, Jing Teng was a demon herself and possessed some exceptionally mysterious abilities. Thus, the four collaborated, and even when facing several difficult opponents, they managed to resolve them through their combined efforts.

"I think something's wrong," Qiu Honglei finally said after they defeated another ghost. "We've encountered far too many spirits on this journey. On the first day, we could travel nearly two thousand li, but now we can barely cover five hundred li a day."

Jing Teng's expression was a little unnatural. "I've told you before, demons and monsters run rampant in this world, so encountering this many isn't unusual."

"Is that so? I specifically asked some cultivators in that town yesterday," Wei Su chuckled, his eyes gleaming. "They said that while traveling is dangerous and they do encounter some spirits, the frequency is nowhere near ours." After spending these days together, he had become somewhat immune to Jing Teng's beauty and could think normally again.

Zu An moved to encircle Jing Teng from the other side. "The first time we met that bride ghost, she specifically targeted you. Back then, you explained that she might have been coveting your body, wanting to absorb your demonic power and then use your form to charm others. At the time, I truly believed that explanation. But in the days that followed, many ghosts have been coming for you. It seems there's something on you that they desire. Aren't you going to explain this?"

Seeing the three subtly forming an encirclement, Jing Teng looked hesitant.

Qiu Honglei frowned. "We've considered you a companion this whole journey, yet you've deliberately hidden something like this, causing us to almost lose our lives several times. It's quite disheartening, isn't it?"

Wei Su nodded in deep agreement. Thinking of the suffering they had endured these past few days, he felt an urge to cry.

At this moment, Zu An spoke. "If you have any difficulties, just tell us. After spending this time together, you should have some understanding of our personalities and character. You should know whether we're trustworthy or not."

Jing Teng gave him an annoyed glare. This fellow was taking advantage and still acting innocent.

Nevertheless, she finally spoke. "They're probably after Immortal Lord Baopu."

"Immortal Lord Baopu?" The group was taken aback simultaneously; the name sounded unfamiliar.

Although the appearance of the grand tomb in Zhichuan seemed to be known throughout the world, the information was actually heavily restricted. Only high-ranking officials from various factions and some exceptionally powerful individuals in this world had the opportunity to know about it. It was difficult for "newcomers" like them, who had just entered this world, to grasp such knowledge.

"I don't know how long ago, the path to immortality was severed, and for countless years, no one was able to become an immortal. However, several centuries ago, one person actually achieved immortality. He was Immortal Lord Baopu..." Jing Teng recounted.

Wei Su raised his hand, confused. "What does this have to do with you?"

Jing Teng looked in a certain direction, a wistful expression on her face. "I told you before that it's very difficult for plants and trees in this world to transform into human form. They either have to absorb the essence of heaven, earth, sun, and moon over countless years, or they experience a miraculous encounter and are enlightened by someone. I belong to the latter category."

She paused, then added, "It was Immortal Lord Baopu who enlightened me all those years ago."