*Crack.*

Strolling upon the expanse of floating ice, all that remained of Fan Wushu’s earlier feat, the azure depths of the sea lay beneath. The stark white of the frost meeting the deep blue created a spectacle of ethereal beauty, a harmony beyond the mundane.

Zuo Guangshu meticulously analyzed the lingering traces of Dao techniques, seeking a crucial opening for their next confrontation. Fan Wushu’s ice-condensing Dao technique possessed a truly formidable restraining power, demanding greater exertion from him.

“Let’s move,” Jiang Wang said.

Zuo Guangshu paused, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. “Where to?”

“Following behind them, of course. Let’s see where they’re heading,” Jiang Wang replied as if stating the obvious.

“…” Zuo Guangshu hesitated. “Zhong Liyan is genuinely unkillable.”

Jiang Wang couldn’t help but chuckle wryly. “Aren’t you going to consider whether *I* can kill him?”

“Then why do you intend to follow them?”

“Tell me, do you currently know which direction to go?”

“I do not.”

“But clearly, they do,” Jiang Wang said, already turning to depart.

“Hey!” Zuo Guangshu hurried to catch up. “But they’re chasing that Kui Niu! The Kui Niu’s dwelling, Flowing Wave Mountain, isn’t connected to the Arctic Heavenly Cabinet Mountain, and who knows where that Kui Niu has flown off to!”

Jiang Wang cast him a look of utter disbelief, as if observing a simpleton. “Do you believe that?”

Zuo Guangshu pondered for a moment. “If it’s Zhong Liyan… it’s highly probable!”

“…Either you or Zhong Liyan is definitely a fool,” Jiang Wang declared. “I, however, still trust my judgment.”

Zuo Guangshu flew alongside him, querying, “What judgment?”

Jiang Wang raised his index finger, a wisp of smoke materializing and then coalescing into a sprig of green grass, bowing as if in solemn remembrance. During the earlier clash, he had already imprinted the divine soul aura of both Zhong Liyan and Fan Wushu. Now, he merely needed to employ a remembrance secret technique to guide their path.

“Zhong Liyan and Fan Wushu are both extraordinary individuals; we shouldn’t get too close. Merely trail the aura, not the people themselves.” Lord Jiang’s tone was calm, clearly well-versed in such clandestine pursuits.

Zuo Guangshu obediently acknowledged with an “Oh.” Big Brother Jiang’s professionalism was such that he dared not argue.

Maintaining a steady distance with the remembrance secret technique, Jiang Wang flew neither fast nor slow. “Right, you just said it’s genuinely possible that Zhong Liyan is chasing the Kui Niu? Why would you think so?”

“Because he seems to have suffered a setback at the Kui Niu’s hands,” Zuo Guangshu explained.

“What kind of reason is that?” Jiang Wang rolled his eyes. “Should we then go chase and kill the Ying Fish?”

“No, no. Zhong Liyan’s character is precisely like that,” Zuo Guangshu clarified. “He’s the sort of person who, if you stepped on him at the age of two, would still remember to step back when he’s twenty. Do you understand? He abandoned techniques to cultivate martial arts simply because he lost to Dou Zhao and was incredibly unwilling. But he felt that on his existing path, there was no hope of defeating Dou Zhao. Thus, he chose the new path of martial arts… No one in the Zhong Li family agreed, but he still did it, and was almost exiled by the family.”

“The process was quite arduous… But now he’s doing quite well, isn’t he? His martial arts talent is exceptional, truly powerful!”

“Yes, he’s doing quite well now. How could he not be? The very people who wanted to exile him at the beginning are now all exiled by him, over thirty individuals, even including a dog that nodded in agreement at the time…”

Zhong Liyan abandoning techniques to cultivate martial arts after losing to Dou Zhao was, for a long time, considered self-destructive. From the perspective of familial interests, it was inevitable that some would seek to punish him. Typically, in such situations where someone rises again, perhaps only the main instigators would face repercussions. After all, they were clan members, and the family’s overall interests needed to be maintained. Those who merely spoke out initially couldn’t possibly have anticipated this outcome. Zhong Liyan, however, truly went through with the exile. And to exile over thirty people, even including a dog…

“*Cough cough*, that truly is very vengeful,” Jiang Wang mused for a moment. “I didn’t particularly offend him just now, did I?”

Zuo Guangshu remarked pointedly, “Exchanging a few words shouldn’t count. But if we continue to follow, it’s hard to say…”

Jiang Wang, surprisingly amenable to advice, said, “Alright. I understand. If I must offend him, then I’ll find a way to do it cleanly.”

Zuo Guangshu was left speechless.

What did you understand? Did you even hear what I said?

The two groups who crossed paths, inevitably, discussed each other.

Fan Wushu, sleeves billowing, flew rapidly through the air, his expression somewhat listless, completely lacking the earlier frost that had swept across a hundred *li*. However, their conversation remained quite serious.

“They all say Zuo Guanglie buried the last fate of the Zuo family, but I see this young Zuo is also not ordinary, not as weak as others claim.”

“What fate or not fate? Win, and you have it; lose, and you have nothing,” Zhong Liyan said casually. “Zuo Guanglie was renowned throughout the world, yet perished in the valley battle. Does that count as a win or a loss? Now the Duke of Huai’s manor completely ignores those voices, clearly lying low, not wanting Zuo Guangshu to show too much.”

“Speaking of which, Jiang Wang surprises me even more,” Fan Wushu said. “I watched him win the championship at Guanhe Terrace, consecutively defeating Qin Zhizhen and Huang Sheli. At that time, he hadn’t even achieved the Heavenly Mansion realm, yet I already felt his future was immeasurable. But I truly didn’t expect that after becoming the Huanghe champion, he could still maintain such terrifying progress. In fact, just now, I had a very strong feeling that if I were to fight him to the death today… perhaps I am already not his equal.”

Zhong Liyan slanted a glance at him. “I say, Lord Fan, what modesty are you performing in front of me?”

After the Huanghe Meeting concluded, Fan Wushu was granted a title due to his outstanding performance at Guanhe Terrace. He was also a Viscount, on the same level as Jiang Wang. Of course, a Viscount of Qi country and a Viscount of Li country were not comparable.

Fan Wushu smiled bitterly. “Jiang Wang is a person skilled in both techniques and swordsmanship, and he has achieved the Heavenly Mansion realm. The divine powers he displayed were all extraordinary, and he still has one not yet revealed. He is indeed a figure capable of leaving his name in the inner mansion. In a life-and-death struggle, I truly don’t have much confidence.”

Zhong Liyan also became slightly serious, contemplating for a moment before saying, “Based on the power he has publicly shown so far, it’s impossible for him to kill those several person-demons. So his hidden divine power must be very terrifying, likely a top-tier divine power. If he were to fight you to the death, it would depend on how well he controls that divine power.”

“I wouldn’t bet well,” Fan Wushu shook his head and asked, “What about if he were to fight *you* to the death?”

“Wait until he builds the fourth star tower, then we’ll talk.” Zhong Liyan smiled and dismissed it, his strong confidence brimming in his words.

But immediately after, a wisp of electric light leaped from his left arm, and his entire body suddenly twitched, as if having a fit, his momentum completely gone. Forcibly expelling the last trace of lightning within his muscles, Zhong Liyan gritted his teeth. “This dog-bitch-raising Kui Niu, making a killing move at our first meeting. Don’t let me find an opportunity; I must stew it!”

He had earlier heard the sound of the Kui Niu and then decided to go forward and investigate. As a result, they were bombarded by the Kui Niu the moment they met face-to-face. They were bombarded so severely they had to flee in panic. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He ran far away and then turned back, determined to teach the Kui Niu a profound lesson. As for accidentally encountering the Smoke Armor duo, he merely intended to conveniently eliminate a competitor, which led to that brief confrontation.

Fan Wushu was well aware of Zhong Liyan’s character, hence he offered no advice. He merely said, “Speaking of which, the Huanghe Meeting is truly a grand event, an unforgettable experience in life. Every prodigy before fighting believes themselves to be the only winner, because everyone is winning all the way, having never lost. But the champion is only one; only that person is the undisputed absolute prodigy.”

He was subtly reminding Zhong Liyan not to underestimate Jiang Wang. In the recent confrontation, Zhong Liyan was indeed unwilling to pay too high a price and agreed to cease. Who knows if the one who initiated the truce, Jiang Wang, was the same? But he didn’t say it was acceptable. As soon as he spoke, Zhong Liyan became indignant. “Whose prestige are you boosting? How great is the Huanghe Meeting? Wait until I deal with the Kui Niu, then I’ll go back and find him!”

Fan Wushu was speechless. The Huanghe Meeting might not be how great, but you didn’t even qualify to attend, did you? Of course, these words couldn’t be spoken aloud; otherwise, Zhong Liyan might actually turn back now. He could only change the topic and ask, “Do you still remember the purpose of entering the Mountain Sea Realm this time?”

“To chop Dou Zhao,” Zhong Liyan said without hesitation.

“…” Fan Wushu, in a tone of helplessness, said, “Lord Zhong Li, when you invited me to help, you didn’t say it like this.”

“How did I say it?”

“How did *you* say it, you ask *me*?!”

Zhong Liyan retreated to the side, avoiding his spittle. “Then I said too many words; how can I remember them all?”

“You spoke repeatedly of sharing Huang Weizhen’s God Descend secret with me!” Fan Wushu roared, his anger boiling.

“Oh, don’t get agitated,” Zhong Liyan waved his hand, as if explaining, as if dismissing it. “I just said it casually; you shouldn’t take it seriously.”

Fan Wushu pressed on, “Which sentence did you say casually?”

“You’re incredibly annoying. Chopping Dou Zhao and grabbing the God Descend secret are not in conflict.”

Fan Wushu remained relentless. “There still needs to be a priority, right? Which comes first and which comes after?”

Seeing him about to explode, Zhong Liyan thought for a moment and then said, “Theoretically, Huang Weizhen’s God Descend secret is the most important, the highest priority! I said I’d share it with you; I won’t deceive you. Of course, in terms of specific actions, we’ll definitely deal with Dou Zhao first if we encounter him first, and grab the God Descend secret first if we encounter it first. If Dou Zhao and the God Descend secret are together, to ensure we seize the God Descend secret, we definitely have to first eliminate Dou Zhao as a threat.”

“Now that’s more like it!” Fan Wushu nodded with satisfaction.

The vengeful duo, just like this, continued to track the Kui Niu while “discussing.”

“How about we forget about it?”

In the void, a voice spoke dully. “Mother said eating fools makes you foolish.”

“Then what about the two behind us?” another voice asked.

“Those two are even more foolish; they can’t even find their way. Eating them would be outright poisonous.”

“Let’s go, let’s go,” the latter voice sighed.

A double-headed, four-armed ape-monkey, over a *zhang* in length, its two heads conversing with each other. It made several continuous leaps through the void, already leaving this sea area. The 《Mountain Sea Strange Beasts Records》 has a record: In Chong Mountain, there is a god called “Nian Zheng.” Ape-bodied with a red face, double-headed and skilled in speech, its four arms tear through the void, often taking the void as its path. It enjoys sleeping and is adept at eating the hearts of the wise.

Nian Zheng, hidden within the void, looked out again, and here was already another location in the Mountain Sea Realm. They had buried Nian Qi in many places within the Mountain Sea Realm; once touched, they would immediately receive a notification and then rush to feast. The floating mountain in front of them was adorned with beautiful scenery. On the mountain, a peach forest bloomed, the peach blossoms in full splendor. Within the peach forest, two figures walked.

One, clad in resplendent attire, possessed a beautiful demeanor. With each step, she moved with a rhythm, more captivating than the peach blossoms themselves. Her figure was already considered tall, yet the person beside her was even taller by a head, wearing a hood and wrapped entirely in a gray long robe, completely concealing their form. Every step they took was of precisely equal distance, as if the path ahead had been meticulously calculated before the first step was taken.

“How is it?” Nian Zheng’s left skull asked.

“How about we forget it?” the right skull replied listlessly. “One can’t be eaten, and the other has nothing to eat.”

“Why do you only know how to say ‘forget it’? Can we even get by like this?” The left skull was highly indignant. “If you want to go, go by yourself!”

The right skull’s temper also flared. “Go then, go!”

The two-headed ape-monkey with four arms struggled for a moment, each arm pulling in a different direction.

“Alright, I’ll compromise,” the left skull said, displaying a sense of overall consideration. “If we catch them, I’ll let you have the first bite.”

“How about we forget it? I feel like we can’t catch them…”

“Are you saying ‘forget it’ again? Believe it or not, I’ll bite you?”

“Okay, okay,” the lazy right skull conceded. “We’ll go catch them—hey, where did the people go?”

“Search the mountain!” The left skull was full of momentum.

“How about we forget it? *Yawn*… I’m very sleepy.”

“Don’t you dare yawn at this moment! *Yawn*…”

The double-headed ape lay down in the void and simply fell asleep like that.

On the other side of the floating mountain, the two figures quietly flew far away. After a certain distance, they flew faster and faster.

“What a pity, what mountain this is, what treasures are on the mountain, we didn’t have time to explore it all,” Qu Shunhua said with regret in her voice.

“Did that strange beast chase after us?” the gray-robed person asked faintly. This was a very standard female voice, neither too coarse nor too fine, just perfectly average. However, being this standard somehow made it less pleasant. Furthermore, perhaps because she spoke infrequently, there was a slight sluggishness in her speech.

“Nian Zheng can’t see people; it should immediately fall asleep,” Qu Shunhua said with great confidence.

“Oh, like that,” the gray-robed person responded faintly, as if she didn’t particularly care about an existence that could tear them apart.

Qu Shunhua was already accustomed to this. She only said, “It’s too dangerous here; we can’t explore slowly. We should go directly to Heavenly Mountain… Master Moon Chan, can you still not determine the position?”

The Moon Chan Master, wrapped in the gray robe, shook her head.

“Even you cannot… It seems this time the openness of the Mountain Sea Realm is beyond imagination,” Qu Shunhua murmured. “I also don’t know if Guangshu knows.”

She clearly had great faith in the Moon Chan Master’s ability to determine positions. The fact that the Moon Chan Master couldn’t determine the position directly reflected the unusualness of this world to her.

“Openness?” Moon Chan Master asked.

“The range of the Mountain Sea Realm’s opening varies each time, so the experiences of the participants are all different. Your position determination ability is unrelated to the present world, derived from within yourself. It shouldn’t, in theory, be interfered with… The rules of the Mountain Sea Realm actually influence the participants themselves at such a profound level, which means it is opening more widely.” Qu Shunhua analyzed, “It’s likely due to the return of the lost Nine Chapters Jade Bi. This time, the Mountain Sea Realm’s opening is not limited to seven chapters. I also don’t know if it’s 《Ai Ying》 or 《Bei Hui Feng》?”

Her understanding of the Mountain Sea Realm was clearly deeper than Zuo Guangshu’s.

“What’s the difference?” Moon Chan Master asked in a flat tone.

Qu Shunhua paused, then shook her head. “Probably… none.”

“What is that sound over there?” she suddenly asked.

Moon Chan Master followed the sound and turned her head, only to see a flash of electric light rapidly moving away.

“Kui Niu?” Qu Shunhua asked.

“I need more information…” As she spoke, Moon Chan Master had already flown towards that direction.

Qu Shunhua followed closely. After flying rapidly for about thirty *li*, Moon Chan Master stopped.

“It’s the Kui Niu, it’s chasing one person,” she said with certainty. “No, it’s two. And the trace of the other person is too faint… I almost missed it!”

In her tone, for the first time, there was an emotion similar to surprise. It was as if being “missed” by her was a very difficult feat.