A group of people headed toward the stone platform.
"Mr. Lin, once you enter the spatial passage, you can take out the wooden boat I gave you earlier. The method of use is simple; there is an energy input point at the bow. Just inject Dou Qi, and it will activate. With the boat's speed, you'll reach the Central Plains in about twenty days."
Luo Cheng glanced at the young man walking beside him.
"Alright."
Lin Xiu nodded.
Upon reaching the stone platform, he led Yun Yun and the other two into the passage.
"One more person is missing."
Someone said to Luo Cheng.
"I'm not blind."
Luo Cheng glared at him. "Matters concerning a Dou Ancestor are not something you should worry about. Mind your own business."
His tone was serious, with a hint of warning.
If it weren't for the good temper of these people, Xiao Yao might have brought disaster upon the family.
"Arrange the ships as soon as possible. The spatial wormholes have been unusable lately, causing significant losses to the family."
He flicked his sleeve and left alone.
…
Behind the spatial wormhole, there wasn't the terrifying chaotic flow of time and space but rather a platform.
Ahead lay an endless passage, with faint silver spatial barriers on either side.
These were formed by powerful Spatial Strength.
Lin Xiu withdrew his gaze and took out the spatial boat.
The small wooden boat, which appeared ordinary in the outside world, seemed to return home here, expanding with the wind, and in the blink of an eye, it turned into a vessel several meters long.
Faint silver Spatial Strength continuously flowed along the hull.
The first time they saw it, Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran let out a gasp of surprise.
"Get on the boat."
As soon as Lin Xiu spoke, a purple figure rushed aboard ahead of them.
Zi Yan stood on the boat, waving at him, "Hurry up! I can't wait to get to the Central Plains."
"It'll take at least twenty days. What's the rush?"
Lin Xiu landed at the bow of the boat. After Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran had boarded, he placed his hand on the upright pillar.
That was the energy input point that activated the spatial boat's movement.
As energy was injected, a powerful thrust erupted from the stern, and the spatial boat immediately shot forward.
Inside the spatial wormhole, all was silent.
Because there was enough energy in the Yuan apertures to provide support, Lin Xiu alone managed the energy supply for the spatial boat without needing anyone else to take over.
After their initial curiosity faded, the three women began their cultivation.
Lin Xiu sat alone at the bow, his thoughts gradually drifting away.
Regarding this part of the spatial passage, Lin Xiu had some recollection. Xiao Yan, for instance, was separated from Xiao Yi Xian and the others due to a spatial storm and ended up in a city near Han Yue's Family.
However, this time, because he was worried about Xiao Yi Xian, Lin Xiu specifically avoided certain times. According to normal reasoning, this should allow him to avoid any issues and reach the Central Plains smoothly.
Lin Xiu wasn't exactly afraid of spatial storms. After all, he was already a Dou Ancestor and had a certain understanding and application of Spatial Strength.
The only thing that troubled him now was Xiao Yi Xian. But since she had already left, finding her wouldn't be easy, so he could only wait until his strength grew before considering it further.
"Maybe after returning from the Central Plains, I can go to Qingshan Town to look for her," Lin Xiu noted in his heart.
In the following days, the spatial boat continued to travel through the passage without encountering any trouble. After about eighteen days, there wasn't much distance left to the Central Plains.
Lin Xiu, as usual, injected energy into the spatial boat when he suddenly frowned and removed his hand. The energy flow was interrupted, and the spatial boat came to an abrupt stop.
He looked ahead, observing closely.
The walls around the passage began to bulge inward as if something was trying to break in from the outside.
"What is that?"
Yun Yun walked up beside Lin Xiu, also staring at the disturbance, feeling a bit uneasy.
In a place like this, her Dou Emperor strength was far from sufficient. This was a space filled with dangers, even for a Dou Emperor.
"It might be a spatial storm. All of you, come to my side. Let me be clear, I can't guarantee that I'll be able to protect you," Lin Xiu said, glancing at Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran.
It was obvious that by "all of you," he wasn't including Zi Yan.
The two women turned slightly pale but said nothing. In this place, if they tried to manipulate him morally, they might die even before the spatial storm arrived.
So, when someone powerful speaks, just listen and don't argue.
The master and disciple tightly clasped their hands, extremely nervous.
The passage walls quickly split open, but the anticipated spatial storm did not appear. Instead, a black mist seeped through the crack.
"Hehehe... Lin Xiu, I didn't expect to find you here. This saves me the trouble of going to the Northwest Region."
A strange laugh accompanied by a chilling voice echoed from the mist, spreading throughout the passage.
"Someone from the Hall of Souls!?"
Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran were shocked, exchanging surprised glances.
Lin Xiu suddenly looked at them, causing them to freeze for a second. Then, as if realizing something, they quickly shook their heads.
"It's not them; you don't need to suspect them."
The person within the black mist had already guessed Lin Xiu's thoughts and clarified directly. "The guardian who went to investigate last time sent your aura back to the Hall of Souls before dying. If you had entered the Central Plains earlier, you'd probably have been living in the Hall of Souls for quite some time now."
"You're here to capture me? Aren't you afraid of Jia Nan Academy?"
Lin Xiu tightened his grip on Zi Yan's shoulder, pulling her closer to him, while his gaze remained fixed on the black mist.
"Hehe, afraid now, are you? But when you killed the Hall of Souls' guardian, you didn't seem afraid at all," the Venerable's voice was laced with sarcasm. "Three guardians couldn't take you down, so today I want to see how you escape from me."
"Alright, I'll oblige you."
Lin Xiu's figure suddenly became ethereal, and his voice seemed to come from a different direction.
In that brief moment, he had already taken Zi Yan and appeared a thousand meters away.
"Such speed?"
The voice from within the black mist now carried a hint of surprise. The mist surged forward, chasing after them.
It was as if the figure within the mist could teleport, each time reappearing a thousand meters away, surpassing even Lin Xiu's Six Thousand Lightning Movements by a significant margin.
Unlike Lin Xiu's movement, the black mist was surrounded by significant Spatial Strength fluctuations. This was clearly an effect achieved by the Dou Venerate's powerful control over Spatial Strength.
"Teacher, we..."
Nalan Yanran had thought they were done for, but things turned out differently. There was no spatial storm, and not even any real danger.
"Don't speak. We'll take turns injecting energy and continue toward the Central Plains. Lin Xiu is distracting the enemy for us; we can't let his efforts be in vain."
Yun Yun's eyes reddened slightly. In that situation, Lin Xiu could have quietly left with Zi Yan without any issues.
"Huh?"
Hearing this, Nalan Yanran finally realized what was happening. After thinking it over, she found that her teacher was right.
She quickly asked, "Teacher, should we keep moving forward now, or go back?"
To go back would mean returning to the Northwest Region to inform Jia Nan Academy about the trouble Lin Xiu encountered.
"To the Central Plains!"
Yun Yun's expression gradually steadied. "We'll go to the Falling Star Pavilion and find Xiao Yan, asking him to request Venerable Feng's help."
Xiao Yan and his teacher still owe Lin Xiu a promise, and Yun Yun believed that once they knew about this, they would definitely come. Unless they break their word.
Another reason that led Yun Yun to make this decision was that returning to the Northwest Region would take too long, far less timely than seeking help from Xiao Yan.s
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