Luo Huaijing and Ying Muqing looked at Gu Yan in a different place, then glanced at Gu Yao, with a hint of understanding.
In the Tianlin Continent, they were also surnamed Gu. It was not clear whether they were acquaintances with Gu Yao or even had a blood relationship. However, Gu Yan had been taken into the Changxian Sect early on and now stood in opposition to Gu Yao.
The two of them didn't know what to say, so they simply remained silent.
Upon hearing Gu Yan's threat, Gu Yao chuckled, "Whether we can escape or not is a matter for the future. But now that you have fallen into our hands, whether you live or die is no longer up to you. Instead of worrying about others, you should worry about your own life."
Gu Yan's eyes revealed a malicious gaze. If he had the chance to escape, Gu Yao believed this person would definitely do everything possible to kill him and Chi Changye. The once broad-minded person became even narrower.
"Who are you exactly? How do you know my identity? Even if I die, let me understand." While saying this, Gu Yan's mind desperately tried to figure it out. This person knew him, and he must also know this person. So, out of the people he knew, who was most likely to fit this person's identity?
Gu Yao wasn't interested in telling him his identity, so let him suffer. He patted the kitten's head and transmitted his voice, "Little one, after dealing with him, remember not to devour his soul."
The black kitten meowed and pounced at Gu Yan. Bound tightly, Gu Yan couldn't break free, and could only watch helplessly as the kitten stepped all over him. A destructive force spread through his body, and Gu Yan finally felt extreme fear. He shouted, "No! I'll tell you anything you want to know, save me..."
"Are you Gu Yao? Gu Yao's younger brother? Hurry and save me, I'm your eldest cousin. Spare me, I had no choice, please..."
At the critical moment, he called out Gu Yao's name, revealing that he came from the Tianlin Continent, mentioning his identity in such a familiar tone. Although he believed it was impossible, at the last moment, only this one name remained in his mind. He had come to seek revenge on himself.
However, Gu Yao only uttered two words, "Too late."
It was too late. In that scheme back then, Gu Yan was the hidden culprit, responsible for the original body's death. How could the mastermind behind it all live in peace?
Black flames surged out from within, quickly spreading throughout his body. Only when the burning of flesh ceased did the screams stop. At the last moment, Gu Yan knew who had caused his demise, but what use was that? He could never understand why Gu Yao possessed such power to oppose him. How much had Gu Yao sacrificed to obtain his current strength, even transforming into this half-human, half-ghost appearance? Yet, he still died at Gu Yao's hands. He was unwilling to accept it.
"Even if we're unwilling, what can we do? A gust of wind blows by, not even leaving ashes on the ground.
Changye walked over and embraced Guyao's shoulders, taking him to the side to rest. No one had any objections; everyone needed to rest and think about how to proceed.
Lou Huaijing and Ying Muqing glanced at each other and sighed in unison. Although they had thought there might be a blood relationship, they hadn't expected to be actual cousins. Their relationship was quite close. However, these cousins were no different from mortal enemies now. In the end, the expression on Guyan's face made them believe that even if there was an opportunity, Guyan would not let Guyao live.
Guyan finally died, and Guyao felt a weight lifted off his heart. Otherwise, it always felt like a time bomb, not knowing when it would explode.
Having distanced themselves enough from the others, Guyao leaned on Changye's shoulder and whispered, "Kitten, give us his memories."
The kitten glanced disdainfully at its owner, opening its mouth and spitting out a bubble. Changye reached out and tapped the bubble, saying, "I'll do it."
Accepting another person's complex memories as a burden to one's own soul, Chi Changye believes that accepting Gu Yan's memories would not be a pleasant process for Gu Yao. Therefore, it is better for him to do it.
In fact, he could have directly searched Gu Yan's soul if there were no restrictions placed on it. However, soul searching is frowned upon in the cultivation world because nobody wants to become the subject of someone else's soul search. Besides harming the soul, nobody is willing to expose their secrets to another person. Therefore, if it can be avoided, soul searching in front of others should be avoided.
Gu Yao also took a moment to recover before. The previous heavenly tribulation was truly astounding. Under the immense power of the heavens, it felt as if he was being crushed. Fighting against enemies after that was a test for them. If they could overcome it, they would transform; if they couldn't, death was the only way.
After practicing for a while, Gu Yao opened his eyes again and felt a refreshing clarity in his mind. It seemed that his soul had become more solid. At the same time, Chi Changye also opened his eyes and organized the memories he had absorbed. He reached out and pointed at Gu Yao's brow, transmitting some information to him.
Indeed, it was just as they had speculated before. Gu Yan belonged to the category of advanced test subjects. He had gained some of the power of demonic beasts. Otherwise, with Gu Yan's talent, it would have been impossible for him to reach the level of Foundation Building Completion now without any extraordinary encounters.
The success of this kind of experiment was based on countless failures of lower-level test subjects. There is definitely more than one existence similar to Gu Yan, such as the opponent encountered by the Silver Wolf Clan Chief, which also has some relevance.
Gu Yan took the initiative to come over and went through the ordeal of transforming his body, so he received some heavy usage. Many of the scattered practitioners here were brought in by him. Anyone who dared to betray him has become a lower-class monster.
Gu Yao's face changed again and again. It's true that this person is better off dead. Keeping him would definitely lead to trouble. In order to climb higher, Gu Yan can completely resort to any means and abandon anything, including his favorite woman, family, parents, or even his own body, just to obtain power and eventually reach the peak.
"So, this place is..."
Chi Longye nodded, "This place is not like our Tianlin Continent. It is still within the range of Qianhao Continent. I sensed this when we passed through the teleportation array before. This teleportation array is not as powerful as the one we used to come from Tianlin Continent, so the distance it can transport is limited. This place is actually an island, and beyond the Blood Forest is the sea. There are only two sea areas on the Qianhao Continent, one to the south where we came from, and one to the north."
"So, are we currently on a northern island?"
"Very likely."
Xu Chen in the space also confirmed their speculation, they did not leave the Qianhao continent, which made Gu Yao feel relieved. Otherwise, if the other party controlled the teleportation array, how would they leave here? Wouldn't they be trapped in this place? It would be even more difficult than their previous situation of being unable to leave Tianlin continent.
Since this point has been determined, the two of them need to take action and gather Lou Huaijing and the others, briefly explaining the situation.
There are only two options in front of them. One is to leave through the teleportation array, but in doing so, they would likely fall into the hands of the other party. If the Poison Ghost Old Monster is dead, the other party cannot remain unaware. Perhaps the teleportation array has already been set up, waiting for them to walk into the trap.
The second option is to find a way out at sea. They might get lost in the vast ocean, or they might encounter unpredictable dangers in the sea and eventually meet their demise there.
"Destroy the teleportation array. We will go by sea," Lou Huaijing decisively chose this option. He would never step into the teleportation array. The other party would not let him leave alive. Perhaps they would even forgo the idea of using him as a waste and directly kill him to silence him. His identity had become the biggest obstacle.
"I'll go with senior brother," Ying Muyi firmly boarded Lou Huaijing's boat.
Two people hesitated, but Timeconstrictor didn't give them much time to consider. "Let's go. We will find the teleportation array. I hope you have made your choice by the time we reach there."
Although the cat burned Gu Yan's body, it did not burn the storage ring on his body. Timeconstrictor took out a flying artifact from inside, which was coated with a special material that prevented the monsters in the blood-colored forest from attacking. This way, they saved time that would have been wasted on the way.
Gu Yan remembered the route to the teleportation array, so they quickly arrived at the original location, seeing a row of stone houses and the teleportation array hidden in a cave below.
Timeconstrictor did not control the flying artifact to land but stayed in the air, asking, "Who wants to leave?"
"I, we, better follow the senior fellow." The originally hesitating duo, at this moment, gritted their teeth and made a decision. Although it is perilous at sea, it is still better than certain death. Moreover, they are truly afraid of falling into the same fate as before, becoming inhuman monsters. "Let's take action then."
Chí cháng yè directly launched attacks from above, sword energy fell onto the cave, splitting the stones outside the cave into pieces. Thunder spiritual energy also struck, causing the protective array of the teleportation formation to become unstable in a short time.
Lóu Huái Jǐng and his group also launched attacks together, manipulating their spiritual weapons to fiercely strike downwards, as if shattering glass. The protective shield finally collapsed, and another thunder strike directly hit the teleportation formation, instantly shattering a corner into pieces.
Gu Yáo had been observing the changes in the teleportation formation. He was worried that they arrived too late and that someone had already come over. Now that the teleportation formation was completely destroyed, they could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Just now, the teleportation formation seemed to have lit up, perhaps indicating that the other side was preparing for teleportation*.
Lóu Huái Jǐng and Yìng Mù Qīng also breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. Fortunately, we acted fast. If we were a step late, someone might have already come over."
The people sent over would definitely not be weaker than the Foundation Establishment stage. Their group might not have been able to match them in battle. Other people also became relieved. It was only now that they felt completely safe^.
Chí cháng yè struck again, destroying the stone houses on the other side completely. Li Cháng Huī and the others didn't see anything unusual before, but during the process of destroying the stone houses, they noticed black smoke rising from beneath. Their expressions turned ugly instantly. It's no wonder why they easily fell for traps while resting in the stone houses earlier. It was like being immersed in toxic gas.
A month later, Gu Yáo and his group were still drifting at sea.
On the Qian Hao Continent, some cultivators referred to this place as the North Sea, while others called it the Ghost Mist Sea. This was because a fog would rise in this area at regular intervals. In the fog-covered region, everyone would lose their sense of direction, and there seemed to be eerie sounds within the fog that would disturb the cultivators' souls. That's why some people called this fog the Ghost Mist.
At first, when Gu Yáo and Chí Cháng Yè set out to sea, they didn't know about this. Some other cultivators didn't think about it either since it wasn't the purpose of their journey to come to such a faraway place.
After drifting at sea for some time, one night, the sea suddenly became foggy, and someone exclaimed, shouting the words "Ghost Mist." It was only then that Gu Yáo and Chí Cháng Yè understood what was happening, thanks to an explanation from Lóu Huái Jǐng and Yìng Mù Qīng.
Not to mention the others, Lóu Huái Jǐng and Yìng Mù Qīng also felt a sense of exasperation. They had been on the Qian Hao Continent for quite some time, yet they hadn't taken the time to familiarize themselves with the environment there?
Fortunately, the first encounter with the Ghost Mist only lasted for one night and dispersed the next day. However, when daylight broke, they discovered that the ship they were on had drifted away from where they had stayed the previous night. So even without the Ghost Mist, they had lost their direction.
When they first left the Blood Forest, they were heading in a specific direction, thinking that they would eventually see land. But now, they might have been going in the opposite direction.
The ship continued to move forward, and Gu Yáo and Chí Cháng Yè stood at the bow, looking at the sea. Occasionally, sea creatures would leap out of the water. Fortunately, they hadn't encountered any powerful sea creatures, or else the ship might not have withstood the encounter.
Although called a ship, it was actually a modified flying artifact, propelled by wind and water on the sea. In the sky, the hurricanes were severe, and unless one was familiar with it like the seabirds, it was better to stay on the sea.
They had realized this when they passed through the teleportation formation. This teleportation formation was not like the one they used to come from the Tianlin Continent, so the distance it could transport was limited. In reality, this place was an island. Beyond the Blood Forest was the sea, and there were only two seas on the Qian Hao Continent, one to the south where they came from, and the other to the north."
"So, are we currently on an island in the northern sea?"
"It's very likely."
Xǔ Chén, who was in the spatial realm, confirmed their speculation. They had not left the Qian Hao Continent's spatial area, which eased Gu Yáo's worries. Otherwise, if the other side controlled the teleportation formation, how would they be able to leave? They would be trapped in this place, which would be even more difficult than their situation when they couldn't leave the Tianlin Continent back then.
"Since this has been decided, the two of them will take action and gather Lou Huaijing and the others, briefly explaining the situation.
There are only two options in front of them. One is to leave through the teleportation array, but it's very likely that they will fall into the hands of the other party. If the Poison Ghost Old Monster is dead, the other side would definitely notice. Perhaps they have already set up a trap on the other side of the teleportation array, waiting for them to fall into it.
The second option is to find a way out on the sea. They might get lost in the vast ocean or encounter unpredictable dangers, ultimately meeting their demise in the sea.
"Destroy the teleportation array, let's go via the sea," Lou Huaijing decisively chose this path. He would never step into the teleportation array because the other side would not let him leave alive. They might not even bother with using his body for their own purposes, but instead kill him directly to cover their tracks. His identity became the biggest obstacle.
"I'll go with Shixiong (senior brother)," Ying Muye fully boarded Lou Huaijing's ship.
Two people showed hesitation on their faces, but they didn't have much time to consider. "Let's go. We'll go find the teleportation array, and we hope you've made your choice by the time we get there."
Although the little cat burned Gu Yan's body, it didn't burn the storage ring on him. Chi Changye took out the flying artifact from inside it. This artifact was coated with a special material that prevented the monsters in the Bloodcolored Forest from attacking them actively, saving them time on the road.
Gu Yan had the route to the teleportation array in his memory, so they quickly arrived at the original location. They saw a row of stone houses and the teleportation array concealed beneath a cave below.
Chi Changye didn't control the flying artifact to land, but instead remained suspended in mid-air and asked, "Who wants to leave?"
"We...we better follow the senior," the two people who were hesitant before clenched their teeth and made a choice. Although the sea posed risks, it was still better than facing certain death. Besides, they were genuinely afraid of ending up like before, turned into monstrous beings. "Let's get started then."
Chi Changye launched an attack from above, sword qi descending upon the cave and splitting the stones outside into pieces. Thunderous spiritual energy struck down as well, causing the protective formation around the teleportation array to become unstable.
Lou Huaijing and the others also joined in the attack, manipulating their spiritual artifacts to fiercely strike downward. It seemed as if crystal was shattering, and finally, the protective barrier collapsed. Another bolt of lightning struck directly onto the teleportation array, instantly obliterating one corner into fragments.
Gu Yao had been watching the changes in the teleportation array. Previously worried about arriving late and the opposing side already having arrived, now the teleportation array was completely destroyed. Finally, he could breathe a sigh of relief. Just a moment ago, the teleportation array seemed to light up briefly, indicating that the other side was probably preparing to use it to teleport.
Lou Huaijing and Ying Muqing also breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. Fortunately, we acted quickly. If we were any later, there might have been someone coming."
The people sent over will definitely not be weaker than Yuan Ying stage cultivators. They may not be able to fight against them. The others also relaxed, finally feeling completely safe.
Chi Changye made another move and destroyed the remaining stone houses on the other side. Li Changhui and the others didn't notice anything before, but during the process of destroying the stone houses, they noticed black smoke rising from beneath. Their faces instantly turned ugly. No wonder they easily fell for the trap while resting in the stone houses. It was as if they were immersed in poison gas.
...
One month later, Gu Yao and his group were still adrift at sea.
On the Qianhao Continent, some cultivators referred to this place as the North Sea, while others called it the Ghost Mist Sea. This is because a layer of fog rises over this sea area at regular intervals. In the fog-covered area, everyone loses their sense of direction, and there seems to be a sinister voice within the fog that disturbs cultivators' souls. That's why some people call this fog the Ghost Mist.
At the beginning, when Gu Yao and Chi Changye set out to sea, they were unaware of this fact. Some cultivators also didn't realize it, after all, they wouldn't have come this far if it weren't for this incident.
After drifting at sea for a while, one night, the sea suddenly became foggy, and someone exclaimed in shock, shouting the words "Ghost Mist." It was only then, with an explanation from Lou Huaijing and Ying Muqing, that the two of them understood what was happening.
Not to mention the others, Lou Huaijing and Ying Muqing also felt a sense of embarrassment. They had been on Qianhao Continent for a while, yet they didn't take the time to familiarize themselves with the environment.
Fortunately, the first encounter with the Ghost Mist only lasted for one night and dissipated the next day. However, when daylight came the next morning, they found that the ship they were on had drifted away from where it was anchored the previous night. So even without the Ghost Mist, they had lost their direction.
When they first left the Bloodcolored Forest, they were determined to travel in a certain direction, thinking that eventually they would come across land. But now, it seemed they might be going back the way they came.
The ship continued to move forward, and Gu Yao and Chi Changye stood at the bow, looking out at the sea. Occasionally, sea creatures would leap out of the water, but fortunately, they didn't encounter any excessively powerful ones. Otherwise, the ship might not have held up.
It's called a ship, but in reality, it's a modified flying artifact that has been transformed to be powered by wind and water currents on the sea. The strong hurricanes in the sky make it less desirable to fly in the air, unless one is a seabird that has adapted to it. It's better to stay on the surface of the sea for travel.
"It's been over half a month since we encountered the Ghost Mist weather last time. I wonder when it will appear again. What should we do now?"
We can't keep wandering at sea forever. The path we have traveled in the past half month has had no overlap with the previous one. Therefore, we have no way of knowing which direction we are heading in. We haven't encountered a second ship either, leaving us with nothing to say.
Lou Huaijing walked out of the cabin. He and Ying Muqing formed one shift, while Gu Yao and Chi Changye formed the other. The two shifts took turns keeping watch, guarding against any attacks from sea creatures. Currently, it was Gu Yao's shift on duty.
"Are you worried about the appearance of the Ghost Mist?" Lou Huaijing asked.
Chi Changye glanced at him lightly. "Isn't that a useless question? Lou, what are your thoughts on the Ghost Mist? Are we going to be at its mercy forever?"
Gu Yao smiled and said, "Actually, it's not entirely a bad thing. If it weren't for the frequent occurrence of the Ghost Mist at sea, it's likely that someone would have come searching for us and killed us to silence us."
Lou Huaijing also chuckled, finding humor amidst the hardship. "One thing we can be certain of is that the other party is definitely more familiar with these Ghost Mist seas than we are. Apart from the island in the Bloodcolored Forest, they might have other islands too, where they are engaged in similar activities. But until now, they haven't appeared to search for us, which indicates that they can't behave recklessly here either."
Gu Yao and Chi Changye nodded, acknowledging the reasoning.