Chapter 290: The Heavens

In the sky, a colossal blue face materialized from what appeared to be mist. Initially light and faint, it gradually solidified as it descended.

Wu Zun’s forehead glistened with cold sweat. He bowed his head even lower, not daring to look up.

"Shang Cang..."

An ethereal voice echoed from the air: "I know."

Wu Zun remained bowed in place, utterly motionless. Despite the frigid golden peak of the sacred mountain, sweat continued to trickle down his forehead, drop by drop.

After a moment, he cautiously raised his eyes to the clear blue sky. The face had vanished without a trace.

Wu Zun let out a sigh of relief and quickly descended the mountain, hurrying far away.

A long time passed.

On the golden peak, faint lights shimmered like rippling waves. As the lights subsided, two golden-eyed Suan Ni emerged, pulling a Bao Rao carriage.

At the center of the Bao Rao stood an elaborate canopy, adorned with strings of jewels and treasures forming curtains. The canopy featured three tiers of golden roofs, each smaller than the one below, round and stacked.

Four golden pillars, each as thick as a forearm and seven chi high, supported the canopy. Beside each pillar stood a beautiful maiden, with vital energy forming rings behind their heads and their robes fluttering in the wind. Their attire was varied in color: green, red, yellow, and white. The girl in green held a jade bottle, the girl in red cradled a seven-string qin, the girl in yellow held a sword with both hands, and the girl in white embraced a pipa.

Beneath the canopy, visible through the strings of jewels, a man in purple robes sat upright, exuding an extraordinary presence.

The two Suan Ni glowed with brilliant light, their feet treading on auspicious clouds as they swiftly pulled the Bao Rao toward the Central Plains.

Unlike Wu Zun, who had cautiously avoided the vast Da Xu, this Bao Rao plunged directly into it, streaking across the sky as a beam of light toward Yan Kang Guo. The occupants seemed completely unconcerned about the dangers of Da Xu.

As night fell, darkness enveloped the Da Xu. Yet, the two Suan Ni emitted an overwhelming aura, shining brightly even in the gloom as they pulled the Bao Rao through the night.

In the darkness, waves of demonic energy surged, suddenly coalescing into a colossal black hand that lunged toward the light from the Bao Rao and Suan Ni. Wherever it passed, the light was devoured, leaving only shadows.

When the black hand reached the Bao Rao, all light vanished. At that moment, the carriage’s bead curtains swayed, and the girl in red plucked the strings of her qin, producing two clear, ringing notes.

Upon hearing the qin, the black hand hesitated briefly before retreating.

"Shang Cang?" a hoarse voice called from the darkness.

The girl in red nodded: "Qiao Xing Jun of Shang Cang."

The demonic creature in the darkness withdrew and vanished. From then on, no other demons disturbed the Bao Rao.

Though the Da Xu appeared incredibly perilous at night, it was surprisingly lively. All sorts of terrifying beings roamed, and strange events occurred frequently.

The Bao Rao continued at a steady pace toward the east. Beneath the canopy, Qiao Xing Jun gazed at the current Da Xu and shook his head: "The remnants are not cleansed; the poison lingers."

As the Bao Rao flew through the sky, cutting through the darkness, those in the Da Xu below looked up as if witnessing a star moving slowly through the night.

The nights in Da Xu were shrouded in darkness, with no stars or moon in the sky. Beasts hiding in ancient ruins and people in remote villages couldn't help but gaze upward, mesmerized by this unprecedented spectacle.

Suddenly, the star plummeted, streaking across the sky and crashing into the Da Xu, leaving those who witnessed it with a pang of regret.

With a thunderous boom, the Bao Rao spiraled out of control from the air, heading toward the source of the Yong Jiang. In the darkness, two mountain peaks loomed like a gateway, and the Bao Rao plunged diagonally between them.

The two Suan Ni struggled desperately to steady the carriage but failed, letting out panicked roars.

The four girls on the carriage were thrown into chaos. Only then did they realize they had somehow transformed into skeletons!

Looking ahead, they saw the two Suan Ni had also become running skeletons!

Glancing into the carriage, they found a skeleton sitting there.

The skeleton snorted coldly, unperturbed: "Who dares pull down my Bao Rao? Is Feng Du still harboring ill intentions?"

Ahead, haze and mist stretched endlessly, with vague gigantic shadows standing within. Red lights flickered in the mist, moving along with the Bao Rao—like lanterns following its path.

But they were not lanterns; they were pairs of eyes.

The shadows in the mist faded one by one, and the red lights disappeared.

The two Suan Ni's flesh and blood returned, and the Bao Rao no longer felt heavy. They quickly exerted themselves to pull it back into the air. The four girls saw their own flesh restored and breathed a sigh of relief.

Qiao Xing Jun's body also returned to normal, and he said calmly: "Feng Du, defying You Du's rule and even challenging Shang Cang—you must be eliminated soon."

The Bao Rao continued along the Yong Jiang. By dawn, they could see the edge of the Da Xu, just over a thousand li away.

Suddenly, a sword light shot up from below, exploding in mid-air. The brilliant sword glow erupted instantly, outshining the sun.

The Suan Ni and the four girls quickly shut their eyes. When they opened them, the girls exclaimed in surprise—the tremendous sword light had vanished, and in front of the Bao Rao appeared a majestic landscape of towering mountains and rivers, stretching endlessly.

Strangely, this scenery had not been there before, and it seemed to float on the sea of clouds, as if growing from the clouds themselves.

Rivers flowed from the mountains, with the roar of water echoing. They could see waterfalls cascading down cliffs, like flying jewels and cascading jade.

This verdant landscape hovered in the clouds, appearing entirely natural, not like a mirage.

"Stop," Qiao Xing Jun said slowly from the carriage.

The two Suan Ni halted immediately. Qiao Xing Jun rose and looked toward the end of this landscape, where the mountains and rivers continued to extend, as if growing on their own. The cloudy peaks were vast and imposing, with more mountains and rivers emerging from beneath the clouds.

At the edge of this scene, flashes of sword light darted about, hard to catch but not escaping his eyes.

It was as if someone were using a sword as a brush, painting a grand rivers-and-mountains scroll in the clouds!

"That old cripple is still alive," Qiao Xing Jun said with a smile.

"Go down. An old friend lives here."

The two Suan Ni quickly pulled the Bao Rao downward. As it descended into the clouds, the landscape above sank with it. Wherever the Bao Rao dropped, the mountains and rivers followed, always blocking their path.

Finally, the Bao Rao landed, and the sky-borne landscape grew smaller, retracting until it vanished completely. In its place stood a small village by the river.

Through the bead curtains, Qiao Xing Jun saw an old man without limbs lying on a lounger at the village entrance. The lounger creaked as it rocked back and forth. The limbless elder basked in the spring sun, looking utterly at ease.

"You're crippled," Qiao Xing Jun said without dismounting, from behind the curtains.

"Without hands or legs, you still think you can block my way? You're overestimating yourself."

The village chief squinted his eyes, the lounger rocking on its own as he lay comfortably: "If that's the case, why not try? I've lost my limbs and have only a few years left. You must be confident you can kill me, right?"

Qiao Xing Jun snorted coldly: "You don't have many years left, and you can't protect the new Ren Huang. But I won't risk my life against your dying one."

"Then go back if you won't fight me."

Suddenly, the village chief's vital energy formed into limbs, and he stood from the lounger, walking toward the Bao Rao. The two Suan Ni shuddered in terror, and the four girls on the carriage looked on in utter horror. In their eyes, the withered old man grew larger and more imposing with each step, his small frame swelling to fill the heavens and block their view entirely!

"You can't protect the new Ren Huang!"

Qiao Xing Jun stood up, and the Bao Rao's canopy began to whirl wildly. The pillars grew larger, thicker, and taller, while the canopy expanded in the wind. The jewels hung like stars surrounding the Xing Jun.

The four girls seemed tiny before him, and even the pure-blooded Suan Ni appeared pitifully small.

With a sharp ring, the yellow-robed girl's sword unsheathed and flew into Qiao Xing Jun's hand.

Qiao Xing Jun swung his sword, and the elder did the same. Their sword lights clashed in an instant, causing the Yong Jiang to stop flowing. The sword glow was dazzling but fleeting.

When it faded, the village chief was back on his lounger, which creaked as it rocked. Qiao Xing Jun had resumed his seat, and the Bao Rao returned to its normal size—as if the giants and stars had been mere illusions.

"I won't kill the Ren Huang, but others will," Qiao Xing Jun said from behind the curtains, gazing at the elder.

"Young ones from Shang Cang will go after him."

The village chief replied lazily: "As long as it's not you old fossils, let them come."

Qiao Xing Jun stared at him intently, then said suddenly: "Return to Shang Cang."

The two Suan Ni turned the carriage around and soared into the air, heading west.

On the carriage, the green-robed girl said: "Xing Jun, why are we turning back like this..."

Qiao Xing Jun remained silent, then suddenly groaned. Drops of blood fell from the Bao Rao, landing in the mountains and forests below. Where the blood touched, flowers bloomed wildly, and plants grew rampant, turning the hills green with blossoms everywhere.

A gust of wind blew the canopy backward, sending it tumbling into the Da Xu, while the jewels scattered across the wilderness.

"Don't bother picking them up—just head back to Shang Cang quickly!" Qiao Xing Jun said, his face pale.

The four girls were startled, and the two Suan Ni sped up, racing westward.

At the entrance of Can Lao Village, the lounger suddenly shattered, and the village chief fell to the ground, his voice hoarse: "Yaoshi, Yaoshi!"

Yaoshi rushed out, complaining: "Always showing off without your limbs—what did you expect? Don't move—let me check your injuries!"