Chapter 3404: Shared Hardships and Mutual Support

The main headquarters of the Nine-Yuan Merchant Alliance.

It was a vibrant, spring-like manor, where many rare spirit flowers, seldom seen elsewhere, could be observed.

Su Xiangdong sat in a cyan stone pavilion, his gaze somber. Buzizai stood by his side, reporting to Su Xiangdong, his expression respectful. "We have dispatched people to gather information near the eight dangerous areas of the Thousand Spirit Continent," Buzizai reported, "but so far, there's no news of Fairy Su."

The Thousand Spirit Continent has eight dangerous areas. Some are natural restricted zones, while others are ancient battlefields, all fraught with peril. The Nine-Yuan Merchant Alliance had stationed people near these eight dangerous areas to gather information about Su Jianjia.

Su Xiangdong instructed, "Jianjia might no longer be in the Profound Yang Realm. Perhaps she has gone to another realm. After some time, our alliance will send people to the Kunlun Realm; you should go with them. Inquire about Jianjia's whereabouts discreetly; do not make a spectacle of it." The Nine-Yuan Merchant Alliance is a merchant organization, prioritizing peaceful wealth generation. However, after developing for so long, it's inevitable that they have offended other major powers. Su Xiangdong did not want his enemies to learn about Su Jianjia's disappearance. Su Jianjia possessed a realm-breaking treasure. If she encountered a powerful enemy, she might have used it to escape to another realm. Generally, traveling to other realms requires finding a suitable location; breaking through randomly could lead one to any unknown realm. If unlucky, one might even enter a netherworld, which would be disastrous.

"Yes, Elder Su," Buzizai readily agreed.

The Fallen Immortal Sand Sea is one of the eight dangerous areas of the Ganling Continent. Legend says it is the battlefield left behind after a magical battle between Heavenly Venerate Xuanling and an earth-element true dragon. It poses dangers such as mirages, celestial winds, fire poison, and demonic beasts. Even Integration cultivators risk death if they venture in.

A deafening roar erupted from high in the sky, as a massive golden light flared conspicuously aloft. A sky-shattering dragon's roar echoed, and a colossal cyan flood dragon flew out from the golden light. Its body was covered in blood, and many of its scales had fallen off.

A graceful young woman in a golden dress stood high in the sky, her expression icy. "A seventh-tier flood dragon!" the young woman in the golden dress snorted. "No wonder my grand-nephew was no match for you. Prepare to die!"

Her face turned cold. She chanted an incantation, and the phantom of a woman above her head struck the void with its right hand. The void hummed, and countless golden lights emerged, transforming into tens of thousands of glittering golden flying knives. The tens of thousands of golden flying knives slashed towards the cyan flood dragon. A ripple spread above the flood dragon's head, and a glittering golden hand appeared out of thin air, striking towards it. The cyan flood dragon exhaled a hazy cyan hurricane, shattering the golden hand. Its body glowed brightly with cyan light, sending all the incoming golden flying knives hurtling back.

The young woman in the golden dress chanted another incantation. The numerous golden flying knives converged, forming a dazzling golden greatblade. It slashed onto the cyan flood dragon's body with a dull clang, causing several scales to fall off. The young woman in the golden dress opened her mouth, and a golden rainbow shot out, vanishing instantly. She flicked her sleeve, and two shimmering golden wheels flew out, transforming into two golden rainbows that streaked directly towards the cyan flood dragon. As the two golden wheels reached the cyan flood dragon, it met them with its claws. A metallic clang resounded, and faint bloodstains became visible on the flood dragon's claws.

The void above them rippled, and a resplendent golden colossal bell appeared out of thin air. An image of a strange beast with a tiger's head, ape's body, and bird's wings adorned its surface. The golden bell emitted a stream of golden light, enveloping the cyan flood dragon. Just as the cyan flood dragon was about to evade, the strange beast on the bell seemed to come alive, letting out an extraordinarily bizarre roar. The cyan flood dragon's head sank. By the time it recovered, it was already enveloped by the golden light. Its body rapidly shrunk and was drawn into the golden bell.

The young woman in the golden dress chanted an incantation, and the golden colossal bell swayed gently, emitting 'clang, clang, clang' sounds. A large mass of severed flesh fell out from the golden bell. With a flash of spiritual light, it transformed into a Substitute Orb. The Substitute Orb shattered into countless fragments.

A hundred miles away, a cyan light flared in the void, revealing Long Qingfeng. His body was covered in blood, and his face was pale. He appeared to be severely depleted of vitality. They had been pursued by cultivators from the Tianxin Clan. Two late-Integration cultivators led the chase. Wang Xiangrong stayed behind to hold off one of the late-Integration cultivators, while the other late-Integration cultivator, accompanied by two Integration cultivators, pursued Long Qingfeng and Wang Ruyi. Long Qingfeng then stayed behind to cover Wang Ruyi's escape. The late-Integration cultivator dealt with Long Qingfeng, while the other two Integration cultivators chased Wang Ruyi.

Long Qingfeng gasped for breath. He had delayed for so long that Wang Ruyi should have managed to escape. "Didn't I tell you not to worry about me? I had a way to escape," Long Qingfeng said, though he was deeply moved.

"We are husband and wife," Wang Ruyi said earnestly. "We live together, we die together. I merely lured away those two Integration cultivators to make it easier to deal with them." She had studied artifact refining under Wang Changsheng, achieving a high level of skill, capable of forging mid-grade Sky-reaching Spirit Treasures. She had also cultivated swordsmanship under Wang Qingshan, so eliminating two early-Integration cultivators was trivial for her.

"A Substitute Talisman! Hmph, next time, let's see what you'll use to substitute yourself," the young woman in the golden dress sneered, her face turning cold as she prepared to unleash another divine ability.

A piercing sword cry rang out, and a hazy red sword light swept forth. Wherever it passed, the void tore open, creating a long, terrifying fissure. The young woman in the golden dress chanted an incantation, and the phantom of a woman above her head opened its mouth and spewed out a golden light, shattering the red sword light. The sky suddenly darkened, and a massive cyan thundercloud appeared high above, crackling with lightning and rumbling with thunder. After a booming thunderclap, a thick golden lightning bolt struck down, heading straight for the young woman in the golden dress. She hastily conjured a golden shield to block it.

A piercing sword cry resounded, and tens of thousands of identical red flying swords shot forth, appearing poised to dismember the young woman in the golden dress. The young woman in the golden dress dared not delay. She quickly summoned a glittering golden small mirror, which emitted a thick golden light beam that shattered the incoming red flying swords. Seizing this opportunity, Long Qingfeng's body erupted with cyan light, transforming into a cyan rainbow that pierced through the air and vanished into the horizon.

The young woman in the golden dress's eyebrows furrowed. Just as she was about to give chase, an entirely golden crow flew towards her with great speed. Even before it got close, an astonishing wave of heat assailed her. The young woman in the golden dress changed her incantation, and the phantom of a woman spewed out a thick golden light that struck the golden crow. The golden crow merely swayed slightly. A golden colossal bell descended from the sky, enveloping the golden crow. 'Clang, clang, clang' sounds echoed as the golden colossal bell swayed gently, and a glittering golden orb fell out.

"Spirit artifact transformed!" The young woman in the golden dress inwardly cried out in alarm. The golden orb emitted dazzling golden light before exploding. The golden light engulfed the golden colossal bell, and a powerful shockwave ripped through the void. The young woman in the golden dress spat out a mouthful of vital essence blood, her face slightly pale. Not long after, the golden light dissipated. The golden colossal bell floated in mid-air, its surface showing numerous fine cracks, indicating significant damage.

"You seek death!" the young woman in the golden dress roared, furious.

Ten thousand miles away, a red flying boat swiftly soared through the sky, carrying Wang Ruyi and Long Qingfeng. A fierce wind swept through the desert, blowing countless yellow grains of sand into the sky. Yellow sand filled the air, making it impossible to see one's hand before their face. Wang Ruyi chanted an incantation, and the red flying boat's spiritual light greatly intensified, speeding forward. A golden rainbow pursued them, but not long after, it stopped, revealing the young woman in the golden dress. She glanced at the sky-obscuring yellow tornado. After a brief hesitation, she turned back, deeming it unwise to risk her own life just to kill two Integration cultivators. The red flying boat was sucked into the yellow tornado by the powerful airflow and vanished.