Night had fallen, and Ji Xia, Zhao Wu, and Fan Zhu had traversed much of the floating island, yet their search yielded nothing.
"This island is peculiar," Zhao Wu remarked, scanning the surroundings. "The way those beasts rampaged and prostrated earlier suggested something extraordinary. But now that we're here, it's just like any ordinary mountain—full of common rocks and trees, without anything out of the ordinary."
Fan Zhu, now dressed in a light white robe that enhanced her refined beauty, also scrutinized the island. Ji Xia walked beside them, casually discussing the customs and landscapes of the Grand Sigil Kingdom. Despite their exploration, the island offered no clues.
Ji Xia activated his Sun Spirit Sight multiple times, but he found no traces of spiritual energy emanating from the island, a strangeness that puzzled him.
Suddenly, Zhao Wu's innate sigil reacted. He looked up, his expression brightening. "The strong of the Grand Sigil Kingdom have arrived!"
Ji Xia's Sun Spirit Sight focused in the direction Zhao Wu indicated. In an instant, vast distances seemed to shrink, revealing three figures clad in black robes embroidered with mysterious sigils, flying toward them.
These three emanated overwhelming auras, far exceeding even the domineering presence of Zhang Yi from earlier. Only cultivators who had mastered spirit mastery could rely on their spiritual energy within spirit embryos to perform flight techniques and traverse the skies.
These three were spirit masters, their power eclipsing that of divine arts practitioners. A single one of them could annihilate an entire small nation like Jiujun or Zhouqing.
They strode through the sky as if walking on flat ground, each step spanning dozens of meters. Within a mere dozen breaths, they descended upon the floating island and appeared overhead.
"The royal court dispatched three Upper Sigil Generals! This floating island must hold an enormous secret!" Zhao Wu's face lit up with delight before he exchanged a look with Fan Zhu. The two communicated silently with nods.
The three spirit masters—two men and one woman—descended gracefully. Zhao Wu and Fan Zhu's expressions shifted slightly upon recognizing the female figure, yet they quickly bowed deeply.
"Zhao Wu of the Zhao Sigil Clan pays respects to the three Upper Sigil Generals!"
"Fan Zhu greets the three Upper Sigil Generals!"
Ji Xia mimicked their gesture, placing his hand on his chest and bowing courteously.
The elder male spirit master, his kind face exuding wisdom, glanced at Ji Xia before smiling at Zhao Wu and Fan Zhu. "Ah, so it's you two juniors. What about the other three who accompanied you?"
The female spirit master, who appeared to be in her forties with sparse hair and sharp, angled eyes, fixed her gaze on Zhao Wu. "Where is Ji Xiu?"
Zhao Wu's eyes flickered as he solemnly replied, "Honored generals, we were ordered to gather the blood of desert creatures, but a beast tide forced us to flee. Wu Mao, being of low cultivation, was caught and devoured by a beast..."
The female spirit master cut him off impatiently. "I don't care about his fate. I asked you about Ji Xiu. Where is he?"
Fan Zhu stepped forward, her expression grave. "Aunt Ji Ning, I was about to report. The four of us were driven onto this floating island by the beast tide, where we encountered two young powerhouses who attacked us without reason. After a prolonged battle, Ji Xiu and Lu Yuqi... both fell."
"What?" Ji Ning's face darkened further, her already fearsome visage becoming even more terrifying. "Are you saying Ji Xiu and Lu Yuqi are dead?"
"Indeed, Upper Sigil General," Fan Zhu confirmed. "Had it not been for this gentleman, Brother Qin Ji, stepping in to save us, Zhao Wu and I would not have survived either."
Ji Ning's ghastly face grew grimmer as she gave Ji Xia a fleeting glance before turning to Zhao Wu. "Show me where Ji Xiu fell."
The group returned to a picturesque spot along a clear river. Three graves stood solemnly by the riverside, their headstones aligned in a neat row.
"You buried Ji Xiu?" Ji Ning's sharp eyes narrowed, her chilling gaze sweeping over Ji Xia, Zhao Wu, and Fan Zhu.
An immense pressure surged from Ji Ning, bearing down on the trio like a tempest. They felt as if saplings caught in a hurricane, struggling to stay upright.
"The young master of the Ji Sigil Clan has fallen, and instead of retrieving his body to pay homage, you buried him on the spot and dared to erect a tombstone? Do you think our clan has no one to honor him properly?" Ji Ning's voice was ice-cold, filled with thunderous anger.
Her fury intensified, cracking the ground beneath her feet into a sprawling web of fissures. Under the oppressive aura of a spirit master, even their inner spiritual wheels stagnated, leaving their spiritual energy deathly silent.
Ji Xia's robust physique and replenished spiritual energy from the Great Snow Mountain resisted valiantly, but the overwhelming pressure still bore heavily on him.
Then, deep within his Great Sun Spirit Furnace, two three-legged golden crows emerged, blazing brilliantly. They circled above him, absorbing Ji Ning's oppressive energy and expelling it into the furnace. Purple flames surged from the furnace's four legs, refining the pressure into nothingness.
Relieved, Ji Xia marveled at the latent power of his furnace. "I thought its only use was to suppress chaotic spiritual energy and accelerate cultivation, but it seems it has more to offer."
The elderly male spirit master remained composed, his kind smile undisturbed, while the middle-aged spirit master formed sigils mid-air.
The sigil shrank until it merged into his right eye, imbuing it with a tiny rune. Covering his left eye, he cast a beam of spiritual light from his right, scanning the graves.
"Lu Yuqi's body is still intact. Ji Xiu's remains have been reduced to fragments. Wu Mao's grave is empty."
"Fragments?" Ji Ning's fury surged anew, her aura shattering the surrounding air like breaking glass.
Zhao Wu and Fan Zhu gritted their teeth under the pressure. Despite the turmoil, Ji Xia stood firm, his composed demeanor catching the attention of the three spirit masters. He bowed respectfully, his expression unyielding.