Shun Long was holding Liu Mei tightly with one arm and had her chest placed against his own, while with the other arm he was grabbing Little Silver's back, afraid that if he let go, he would be trapped in this place forever.
However, no matter how long he held on for, he could feel the pressure around him that was evergrowing.
This feeling was similar to diving inside a lake, trying to reach the lake's bottom, but the pressure around your body would only grow, while the lake's depths were actually nowhere in sight.
Time continued to pass, and 1 hour later, Shun Long felt himself being completely suffocated under the sandstorm's pressure.
No matter how hard he tried to hold on, he could feel his grip loosening from Little Silver's back, almost as if he was unable to hang on any longer.
Seeing that he had no other choice left, he was about to summon Little Black and have the black dragon cover him with his gigantic black wings, when the pressure around him suddenly disappeared.
Shun Long could feel that he was able to open his eyes again, while at the same time, he could feel a light breeze brushing past his face, almost as if he had entered an entirely different world.
When he opened his eyes, Shun Long's gaze didn't fall on his surroundings, but on Liu Mei who seemed to have already lost consciousness.
Of course, if it wasn't because he was cultivating in the 'Monarch's Eternal body' and had already reached the peak of the fourth stage, Shun Long didn't think that he would have managed to stay conscious either.
Taking out a pill bottle from the 'Stone of Time', he gently parted Liu Mei's lips open, before he placed a 'Sun-healing pill' in her mouth.
Only after verifying that the pill had dissolved into essence and was slowly being absorbed inside Liu Mei's body did he finally heave out in relief before he raised his head to look at his surroundings.
An endless blue sea appeared in Shun Long's eyes, extending far past the horizon, while behind him was the scorching hot desert.
The sharp contrast where the sandstorms suddenly ended and the sea began to appear, was an extremely peculiar, as well as beautiful sight.
''Is this some kind of formation?''
This was the only logical conclusion that Shun Long could come to, that could explain how the terrifying sandstorms suddenly ended, while the calm sea appeared at the same time.
Although Little Black also heard Shun Long's question, it seemed that he wasn't aware of the answer either.
A few minutes later, Liu Mei finally opened her eyes, while her body still hadn't gotten rid of the pain that the sandstorm had caused to her, causing her to still be in pain.
As she regained her consciousness, the sea that extended for thousands of miles instantly appeared in her gaze, before she turned her enchanting eyes that were barely covered by her black robes to look at Shun Long, and asked in a shocked voice
''Long-ge, where are we?''
Pointing at the ever-raging sandstorms behind him Shun Long smiled lightly, and as he continued to hold Liu Mei in his arms he then said
''We just passed the desert.''
After taking a moment to realize what was going on, Liu Mei nodded her head, before she turned her eyes to observe her surroundings with curiosity in her eyes.
At the same time, Shun Long took out Cui Guoliang's map from the 'Stone of Time' and spread it in front of him.
He knew that this Dao King and his wife, were both trapped somewhere inside this sea.
Although Shun Long had 'promised' Cui Guoliang that he would come and save him only after he became a Dao King, it was very likely that he and Liu Mei would already be in the central region by then, and returning back to the 'Night star continent' may not be that easy.
Additionally, since matters had changed with Duan Zhu stirring up the entire 'Night star continent' by entering the depths of the 'Dragon Lord's villa', Shun Long decided to take this chance and check Cui Guoliang's condition.
''Of course, as long as I don't have to put myself, Mei'er, or Little Silver at danger, and things are really the way that Cui Guoliang described them to be, then I don't mind saving him in passing.''
After making up his mind, Shun Long turned his eyes towards the beast skin map in his hands, before he focused on the large X mark that wasn't too far from where the desert ended.
''According to Cui Guoliang's directions, the place where he is trapped in, is near an isolated island that is covered by snow, not too far away from this area.''
After taking a few moments to verify his approximate location, Shun Long first took a look at the calm sea waves around him, before he had Little Silver fly towards his southeast.
Of course, there was no way that Shun Long or Liu Mei would believe, that this sea was really as calm as it seemed to be on the surface.
If Cui Guoliang and his wife were really trapped somewhere inside this place, then this is more than enough to prove, that even Dao Kings will face danger here.
After all, in the end, Little Silver was only a an early rank 6 magic beast that was as strong as a rank 3 Dao King!
Although Shun Long was confident that it could beat most early stage Dao Kings, it wouldn't necessarily be much stronger than Cui Guoliang and his wife!
Half an hour soon passed as Little Silver continued to fly forward, when a number of islands appeared in the distance ahead.
As the black panther approached closer, Shun Long could finally see clearly the appearance of these islands!
There were 5 islands that looked like they had been intentionally placed next to each other, the biggest of which was almost as big as the 'Silver sword city' itself, while the smallest one was actually even smaller than a single city in the mortal world.
However, each island was completely different from the others.
The first island was actually filled with thunderclouds gathering in the sky above it, while the second island right next to it was like a paradise.
The only thing that these islands had in common, was that there were absolutely no traces of humans or magic beasts living on them.
As he stared at the islands in front of him, Shun Long's gaze was suddenly focused on the fourth island.
Unlike the other islands around it, it was the only island that was actually covered in snow!
Liu Mei's gaze followed Shun Long's, as her eyes soon fell on the island that was covered with snow as well.
She clearly remembered that according to the map that Shun Long had, Cui Guoliang was trapped somewhere near this place.
And yet, Shun Long only stared at the island for a few moments, before his eyes turned to look at the sea below it.
This was the place where Cui Guoliang was trapped inside!
Shun Long thought seriously for a few moments, and in the end, he didn't have Little Silver dive inside the sea right away, but instead, he turned his head to look at Liu Mei, before he said with a light smile on his face
''Mei'er give me your robes.''
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''Ah?''
A confused look appeared on Liu Mei's face when she heard Shun Long's words.
Realizing the ambiguous meaning behind his words, Shun Long shook his head with a wary smile on his face, before he took off his black robes and placed them inside the spatial ring in his hand.
Before Shun Long could explain what he meant, Liu Mei's face had turned red from embarrassment, before she took off her black robes and handed them to Shun Long.
For a moment, she had misunderstood Shun Long's actual intentions, making her face turn redder than a tomato.
Of course, Shun Long couldn't put the blame on Liu Mei.
Instead, he knew that it was his poor choice of words that caused this misunderstanding.
Looking at Liu Mei with a smile on his face, Shun Long placed his arms around her waist, and pulling her into a hug, he first pointed at the sea below them before he said
''If Cui Guoliang and his wife are really trapped inside the sea, then having the black robes on will do more harm than good.''
Liu Mei's eyes suddenly widened completely forgetting the embarrassing moment from a moment ago, and looking like she had just realized what Shun Long meant to say, she looked at him with shock in her eyes before she asked for confirmation
''Long-ge, is it because people will recognize us in the future?''
Nodding his head, Shun Long turned his eyes towards the depths of the 'Dragon Lord's villa', at the gigantic pillar of light that was visible even from his current location, and said with a serious look in his eyes
''There is no way that we can continue going forward using just Little Silver's strength.
In the end, if we are going to go to the depths of the villa, Little Black will have to show himself!
Although it's unlikely that Cui Guoliang would be able to make the connection in the future, between the 2 people who are sitting on the 'Silver-winged panther king's' back, and those 2 who will be sitting on the black dragon's back, it's not entirely impossible for it to happen.
Of course, the only thing that these 2 groups will have in common will be the similar cultivation at the peak of rank 9 of the Spirit realm.
Additionally, although Cui Guoliang knows our identities, he doesn't know that we were wearing black robes before we entered the 'Dragon Lord's villa'.
Even the people outside the villa only saw 2 people riding on the black panther's back.
Although it's possible that they will be able to make the connection between the 2 people who are riding on the black panther now, and the people who will be riding on Little Black, that will only be nothing more than an assumption in the end.
As long as Cui Guoliang doesn't see us covering ourselves, it's practically impossible for him to make the connection.''
As Shun Long finished his words, he then added inwardly
''And even if he does make the connection, when he realizes the consequences of offending the person behind Little Black, it's unlikely that either Cui Guoliang or his wife will come out to say anything.''
Liu Mei was stunned, as she stared at Shun Long with a gaping mouth.
At the same time, a feeling of admiration and pride had sprouted in her heart as she looked at Shun Long who confidently explained this thought process.
Indeed, it's important to pay attention even to the smallest details.
As for the reason why Shun Long didn't choose to ride on Little Black's back before entering the 'Dragon Lord's villa' and then switch to Little Silver, Liu Mei didn't need him to explain this as she could already understand the reason by herself.
Since Shun Long wasn't aware, whether he and Liu Mei would be teleported to a random place inside the villa after passing through the villa's entrance, or whether they would arrive at the same place as every other Dao King who had entered before them, in case it was actually the latter and there were some peak rank 9 Dao Kings who spotted the black dragon, the trouble that this matter would have caused would probably be at the same level as the treasures at the core of the 'Dragon Lord's villa' itself!
It was very likely that even Sheng Jun's group would be searching for the 2 black robed people who were riding on the black dragon if that was the case, leaving no room for Shun Long and Liu Mei to move freely.
Without any more delay, under Shun Long's directions, Little Silver directly dove inside the sea right in front of the snowy island.
The crystal clear waters of the sea turned turbulent, as big waves rose the moment that the panther's body entered inside.
Although Little Silver's speed was many times slower inside the water than it was in the air, it was still as fast as an early rank 5 magic beast inside the sea.
Although the water was cold and it gave off a chilly feeling once it touched a person's body, this wasn't a problem for either Shun Long or Liu Mei, as Little Silver continued diving deeper inside.
2 minutes later, Little Silver arrived at the depths of the sea, where a shocking scene appeared in Shun Long's and Liu Mei's eyes.
At the bottom of the sea, tens of gigantic whirlpools seemed to have formed a maze, trapping inside them a handsome, golden-robed middle-aged man along with a beautiful middle-aged woman.
Shun Long instantly recognized the middle-aged man as Cui Guoliang.
Although his avatar inside the palace of the 'Vermilion realm' was that of a young man's, and his golden-hair back then were much more lustrous, Shun Long only needed a glance to recognize the man inside the maze.
As for the middle-aged woman next to him, she was obviously the same voluptuous 'young woman', whose statue was erected right outside the 'King's palace' in the 'Vermilion realm'.
At the same time, almost as if he had felt Shun Long's gaze on him, Cui Guoliang raised his head to look at the handsome young man in blue robes, and the white-veiled young woman who were sitting on top of the 'Silver-winged panther king', and a look of disbelief appeared on his face, completely unable to believe the scene in front of him!
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Seeing the sudden change in expression in Cui Guoliang's face, the woman next to him followed his line of sight, before her body started to tremble.
An expression of despair appeared in her eyes as she looked at the 2 people who were sitting on top of a magic beast and were heading in her direction.
Wan Zedong could easily guess, that once someone saw 2 Dao Kings trapped in between the whirlpools, only one thought would come to their mind
''Push them to death and take everything they have on their bodies!''
After all, both Wan Zedong and Cui Guoliang, had to expend all the qi that they absorbed from their surroundings, to resist the terrifying whirlpools from crushing their bodies.
Even if a late-stage Nascent Soul expert ended up attacking them while she and Cui Guoliang were in this situation, Wan Zedong knew that that person would only need a few moments until he killed the 2 Dao Kings in front of him!
At the same time, turbulent waves had been raised in Cui Guoliang's heart, and for a moment, the powerful Dao King thought that he was hallucinating.
''Isn't this the same brat that came to my secret realm 3 years ago? How can he be at the peak of the Spirit realm?
No, this is impossible... it has only been 3 years since I sent him to the 'Silver sword city'!
But isn't that my 'Silver-winged panther king'???''
As these thoughts flashed through Cui Guoliang's mind, the expression on his face turned from disbelief into joy, then to incredulousness and fear.
He could clearly remember that Shun Long wasn't even a Heaven grade cultivator when he had left his palace 3 years ago.
However, since he wasn't suppressing his aura with the 'Monarch's Hourglass' right now, Cui Guoliang could clearly sense that he was already at the peak of rank 9 in the Spirit realm!
For a second, he even started doubting the experiences that he had received from his own soul incantation!
As for Wan Zedong, she was completely oblivious to Cui Guoliang's thoughts.
Although she already knew that her husband had found someone to save them within the next few thousand years, Wan Zedong didn't hold any hope in her heart for that person to appear.
After all, how difficult was it for someone to become a peak Nascent Soul stage expert?
How difficult was it for that person to reach the Dao King realm?
And even if they managed to reach the Dao King realm, who could assure her that, that person would then enter the villa to fulfill their oath to Cui Guoliang?
And even in the situation that that person really manages to become a Dao King and enters the 'Dragon Lord villa' in the future, and even if he was also willing to come and help Cui Guoliang, the dangers inside the villa were enough even for Dao Kings like herself and Cui Guoliang to get trapped and even die!
Would that person necessarily be able to save them?
In her heart, Wan Zedong didn't hold the slightest hint of hope for that matter to happen.
Instead, she was certain, that the first time that someone found them, she and Cui Guoliang would die.
Of course, although she knew that this was the truth, Wan Zedong was unwilling to die!
This was why she had chosen to resist with all her might, being trapped in this place for thousands of years, hoping that the natural formation that she and Cui Guoliang had fallen in, would at some point disperse by itself.
Although this hope was nothing more than an illusionary, distant dream, it was still the only thing that could give hope to Wan Zedong.
At the same time, Shun Long instantly recognized the whirlpools around Cui Guoliang that were a natural formation.
Although Shun Long wasn't well versed in formations, during the past 2 years, he had taken some time to study the very basics.
Although he had no idea how to break this formation and save Cui Guoliang, he knew that entering inside directly was equivalent to death.
At the same time, Shun Long was able to determine Cui Guoliang's level of cultivation.
He was a peak rank 3 Dao King, while while the voluptuous woman next to him was an early rank 3 Dao King.
As for the strength of the whirlpools around them, Shun Logn didn't know how strong someone needed to be to break free from it, but he could guess that even rank 5 Dao Kings may have to use their full strength to free themselves.
However, Shun Long also knew that Cui Guoliang was a formation master himself.
Since he had asked him to come to this place, it was very likely that he had a plan to free himself.
With a smile on his face, Shun Long had Little Silver take a step forward, and under Cui Guoliang's and Wan Zedong's shocked gazes, he cupped his hands as he looked at Cui Guoliang and said
''Senior.''
Cui Guoliang felt his mind short-circuiting after hearing Shun Long confirm his identity, while Wan Zedong turned her head to look at her husband with a curious expression on her face, while unconcealed joy flashed in her eyes.
She couldn't believe that the young man in front of them happened to know Cui Guoliang!
Although she could sense that Shun Long was still a peak rank 9 Spirit realm cultivator, she didn't belittle him thanks to the early rank 6 magic beast that he and the young woman behind him were riding on.
Just the 'Silver-winged panther king' by itself was strong enough to fight against her and Cui Guoliang on even ground.
Seeing the inquiring expression on his wife's face, Cui Guoliang puffed out his chest, and with a huge smile on his face, he suppressed the shock in his heart as he said proudly
''Hahaha! Zedong, this is the young man I found to help us! What do you think? Isn't my foresight impressive? HAHAHA!''
As soon as he finished speaking, Cui Guoliang turned his attention towards Shun Long, and with that same bright smile on his face that was about to reach his ears, he continued to suppress the whirlpools around him as he said
''Kid, I don't know what kind of monster you actually are to breakthrough all the way to the peak of the Spirit realm from the peak of the earth grade in just 3 years, but I am very happy you are here! As long as you can help me get out of this place... I swear to my Dao of Water that half of my treasures will be yours!''
Cui Guoliang didn't hesitate for even a moment, as he took a serious oath to his Dao of Water!
Forget about half of his treasures, the middle-aged Dao King was even willing to give everything up in order to escape from this place.
After all, he had been trapped here for thousands of years, and every day that he stayed in this place, was an extra day of danger.
When he had felt the entire 'Dragon Lord's villa' shaking 2 days ago, and that gigantic pillar of light that shot to the sky, the first thing that came to his mind was that he would end up being buried inside this place at the bottom of the sea.
Thankfully, as a Dao King who was proficient in the Dao of Water, Cui Guoliang could directly filter the oxygen inside the water, otherwise, after thousands of years, both he and his wife would have died from the lack of oxygen.
At the same time, Wan Zedong nodded her head, clearly agreeing with Cui Guoliang's words. Even if Shun Long asked her to give up her own treasures as well, Wan Zedong was already prepared to agree!
There was nothing more important to the 2 Dao Kings than to escape from this place!
Since he had already decided to help Cui Guoliang and pay back his debt, Shun Long had no reason to decline, and after taking a look at Liu Mei who was standing next to him, he nodded his head, before he looked at Cui Guoliang and asked
''Senior, what do you need help with?''
Nodding his head, Cui Guoliang exhaled a sigh of relief inwardly after seeing that Shun Long didn't extort him for more treasures this time, and pointing at the whirlpool that he was suppressing, he then said
''It's simple! All you have to do, is have the silver-winged panther attack the center of the whirlpools until they weaken enough to naturally disperse!''
Of course, although it seemed simple at fiirst glance, Cui Guoliang knew that this matter was much more difficult than it seemed.
If someone was trapped inside the formation, then it was simply impossible to attack the center of the whirlpools.
Additionally, even if Cui Guoliang could somehow destroy a single whirlpool, another one would soon take its place.
Unless it was a peak rank 5 Dao King or an even higher level expert, then Cui Guoliang guessed that it was impossible to escape from this formation without using help from someone who was outside!
At the same time, if Cui Guoliang wasn't a Dao King who had comprehended the Dao of Water, as well as a body cultivator at the same time, he was certain that he and his wife would have long since perished.
Nodding his head, Shun Long looked at the whirlpool in front of Cui Guoliang, which was completely covered by a thin layer of his 'Dao of Water', before he had Little Silver attack the whirlpool's center.
Cui Guoliang watched with excitement, as well as envy in his heart, as the black panther opened its mouth, and let out a powerful roar.
The roar turned into a shockwave that traveled towards the whirlpool in front of him, before it accurately struck the whirlpool's center!
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Under Cui Guoliang's and Wan Zedong's shocked eyes, after just one hit, the whirlpool that Cui Guoliang was suppressing instantly weakened by more than half.
Just based on the power of this shockwave alone, the 2 Dao Kings could infer, that the black panther's strength was definitely at the peak of the early stage of rank 6!
Even 2 peak rank 3 Dao Kings may not necessarily be able to win in a fight against it!
As soon as the second shockwave landed on the whirlpool's core, the whirlpool that was already weakened instantly dispersed, making Cui Guoliang who was suppressing it have his eyes lit up with excitement.
And yet, the moment that the first whirlpool disappeared, a second one moved from the surrounding ones and soon took its place, as it continued to pressure Cui Guoliang and Wan Zedong.
The look in Cui Guoliang's face however, was no longer that of wariness or despair, but instead it was one of excitement, as he stared at the silver-winged black panther with shining eyes.
As the water around him surged, Cui Guoliang used his expertise in the 'Dao of Water' to suppress the new whirlpool that appeared in front of him.
At the same time, Little Silver opened its mouth again, as it directed another shockwave towards the center of the new whirlpool.
Time passed like this, and one by one, the whirlpools around Cui Guoliang and Wan Zedong disappeared.
From the original 20, there were only 4 whirlpools left.
Even Wan Zedong's eyes were staring at Little Silver like she was looking at her own ancestor, and with a look of excitement, she shouted at Shun Long in a voice filled with hope
''Just one more whirlpool left! Please do your best!''
Nodding his head, Shun Long didn't stop Little Silver, who opened its mouth as it let out another powerful shockwave.
This time, the moment that the shockwave landed at the center of the whirlpool, all of the remaining 4 whirlpools started to tremble at the same time.
The moment that the second attack followed, the whirlpools were on the verge of collapse, but this time, they didn't instantly disappear.
It was only after the third and fourth shockwaves finally found their targets that the whirlpools collapsed one after the other.
The ground beneath Cui Guoliang's and Wan Zedong's feet started to tremble, before the seabed slowly cracked.
The formation that had been restraining the 2 Dao Kings for thousands of years finally disappeared, as Cui Guoliang and his wife anxiously shot towards the water's surface like fish that were being chased by a shark!
The moment that the golden-haired middle-aged man and the voluptuous woman appeared above the sea surface, tears welled up in their eyes as Cui Guoliang mumbled to himself
''Finally...''
Wan Zedong hugged him tightly, and with her eyes that were filled with tears of joy she looked at the golden-robed man in front of her and said joyously
''Brother Liang... we are finally free! I thought that we were going to die in this place, and get buried at the depths of the sea, without seeing the sun ever again!''
Cui Guoliang nodded his head, his eyes unable to hide the turbulent emotions inside them, before he turned his gaze towards the black panther that had just come out from the sea as well, and then looked at the handsome blue-robed young man and the white-veiled young woman who was standing next to him.
Surprisingly, Cui Guoliang cupped his hands and bowed as he said in an amiable tone, completely different from the arrogant Dao King that Shun Long was used to deal with in the past
''Little brother Shun, thank you for saving me! I always thought that you would need at least a few hundreds, if not thousands of years until you came to this place. However, you took the risk to come here and help me and Zedong escape when you are still at the peak of the Spirit realm!
I, Cui Guoliang am not someone who forgets grudges or goodwill. Please accept my token of gratitude.''
As he finished speaking, Cui Guoliang didn't wait for Shun Long to respond, before the peak rank 3 Dao King took out a small, golden-colored spatial ring from his robes and threw it towards him.
Catching the spatial ring, Shun Long didn't decline, and without checking the ring's contents, he directly placed it in his pocket, intending to have a look at it later.
Then, he turned his eyes towards Cui Guoliang before he cupped his hands and said with a smile on his face
''Senior, since I promised to help you, then of course I wouldn't go back on my word. Just the fact that you let me have Little Silver in the past, was enough for me to come and save you today. I will not forget the gratitude that you showed me in the past either!''
A shocked look flashed through Cui Guoliang's and Wan Zedong's eyes as they turned their eyes to look at the early rank 6 'Silver-winged panther king' in front of them.
Cui Guoliang clearly remembered that the magic beasts that he had allowed Shun Long to choose from, were still at the early rank 5.
As for the 'Silver-winged panther king' that he had chosen back then, it was definitely a magic beast that his own servant, Old Tao couldn't help advance to the middle of rank 5 no matter what he did.
The disappointment that Cui Guoliang had felt for this magic beast had exceeded the joy he felt for having it. He had clearly deemed that the 'Silver-winged panther king' was useless and wouldn't be able to advance again in its life.
And yet, 3 years later, this same magic beast had already reached the early rank 6, and is now probably as strong as he himself is, if it isn't even stronger!
Of course, Cui Guoliang could also read in-between the lines of Shun Long's words causing him to chuckle awkwardly.
He knew that Shun Long had surely noticed his envious gaze earlier as he stared at the rank 6 black panther, so mentioning that this was part of his reward, was the same as asking Cui Guoliang to forget any plans of asking him to return the panther.
Of course, this thought had flashed through Cui Guoliang's mind, but he wouldn't push this matter either if Shun Long refused.
Putting aside the fact that he wasn't one hundred percent certain of beating the panther in a head-on fight, even if he could, Cui Guoliang wasn't a person who would go back on his word and try to backstab the person who had just saved his and his wiwife's lives.
Cupping his hands, Cui Guoliang had a smile on his face as he looked at Shun Long, before he shook his head in a self-deprecating manner, as he then took out a large piece that looked like white iron from his spatial ring and held it in his hands.
His gaze turned complicated, but there was joy amidst his pain as he said to Shun Long
''If it wasn't for this little thing, me and Zedong wouldn't have suffered for the past thousands of years like that!''