Chapter 1759: The Sect Leader's Talisman

Thousands of miles away, in a dilapidated inn, Zu An and his companions settled down to rest. The inn's owner and staff had been dealt with and thrown into the woodshed. When Zu An and his group arrived last night, these people, seeing Qiu Honglei and Jing Teng's captivating beauty, harbored ill intentions. They secretly put knockout drops in the food, planning to rob and assault them.

However, Zu An was immune to poisons, and Qiu Honglei, hailing from the Demonic Cult, was rich in jianghu experience, so they immediately sensed something was amiss. Seeing their scheme exposed, the owner and staff simply charged forward, but they hadn't expected that these seemingly delicate women and handsome young men would be so formidable in combat. They were quickly wiped out.

Zu An and his party had traveled a long and dusty road, especially Wei Suo, who had been vomiting daily and was half-dead. They decided to stay here for a few extra days to recuperate.

"Sigh, every inn seems to be a den of thieves. We've barely met any good people on this journey; this world is truly terrifying," Qiu Honglei remarked from her room, nestled in Zu An's arms.

"It's precisely because of the human heart that demons run rampant," Zu An mused, recalling Jing Teng's earlier description of this world. He hadn't fully understood it then, but these past few days of immersive experience had made him truly empathize.

"Ah Zu, I'm worried about Master. I wonder how she's doing now," Qiu Honglei said, her eyes filled with concern.

"Don't worry, your Master's cultivation is sky-high, and her jianghu experience is extensive; she'll definitely be fine," Zu An said softly, gently tucking a strand of hair from her face, though he felt a pang of worry himself.

Even among Grandmasters, Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen were top-tier experts. Coupled with their years of traveling the world and their immense jianghu experience, self-preservation would certainly not be an issue for them.

In comparison, he was more worried about Xie Daoyun. When they were sucked into that black hole, he saw Xie Daoyun also rush in to save someone. The young woman had grown up in a prominent aristocratic family, a sheltered young lady from a deep boudoir. Her previous trip to Mount Zi was her first time traveling far alone, making her as pure as a blank sheet of paper. Although her cultivation wasn't low, this world was full of treacherous people. Open attacks were easy to dodge, but hidden arrows were hard to guard against.

Unfortunately, he had no idea where she was now, and there was no way to help. He could only pray that, like them, she had entered this world accompanied by either Yun Jianyue or Yan Xuehen.

The two chatted for a while longer, and under his soothing presence, Qiu Honglei gradually drifted off to sleep. Zu An gently pulled the blanket over her. Even in sleep, the contours of Qiu Honglei's face were flawlessly perfect—snowy skin, vermilion lips, elegant brows, and a delicate nose. It made one involuntarily marvel at how some people were so favored by heaven.

Under normal circumstances, Zu An might have entertained some romantic notions, but in this perilous world, with an uncertain path ahead and worries about the others, he truly couldn't spare any other thoughts.

After staying with her for a while, he quietly left the room. After closing the door and heading towards his own room next door, he suddenly noticed Jing Teng sitting on the opposite rooftop. The normally dispersed moonlight seemed drawn to her, forming a hazy glow around her. Observing closely, he could see shimmering specks of light entering her body, followed by the exhalation of something dim.

Zu An was somewhat surprised. He had heard legends of spirits and monsters absorbing the essence of heaven, earth, sun, and moon, and now he was witnessing it firsthand.

Jing Teng gazed at Zu An with her beautiful large eyes, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Why aren't you sleeping with your girlfriend? I've never seen such a stunning beauty as Miss Qiu before. She possesses an innate charm; truthfully, even as a woman, I find her quite captivating."

Zu An frowned. "Our relationship is as pure as the moon and sun; we've always been respectful. There's none of that mess you're imagining."

Jing Teng said, surprised, "I didn't expect a lecher like you to actually be a proper gentleman!"

Zu An's face darkened. "Did I lust after you or something? How did I become a lecher?"

"You know yourself," Jing Teng snorted, then ignored him, jumping directly from the rooftop and slamming her room door shut.

Zu An was left bewildered in the wind. Wasn't that last time just an illusion? Why was she holding onto it for so long?

At Wang Family Wharf, Xie Daoyun and Yun Jianyue descended from the patriarch's room and encountered Wang Neishi, who was waiting. Seeing the two women, Wang Neishi was visibly surprised. "You succeeded in your transaction with my father?"

"Yes, thank you for the introduction, Second Young Master," Xie Daoyun replied with a gentle smile.

"Ah, it's nothing, nothing at all," Wang Neishi said, a hint of disappointment in his expression. He had originally hoped they would be in dire straits, allowing him to descend like a divine soldier and rescue them, leading to the two women naturally offering themselves to him...

"Ladies, please rest at the mansion for a few days. My father and I will be away for a few days, and then we'll return to assist you."

Yun Jianyue was somewhat surprised. The talisman Wang Youjun had just used made no sound, yet it seemed everyone in Wang Family Wharf had received the notification. The talismanic arts of this world were truly remarkable.

Xie Daoyun replied, "There's no need. We wish to accompany your esteemed father."

"You're going too?" Wang Neishi was genuinely surprised this time. He suddenly recalled that his father had been missing a key person for some time. "Could you be the one skilled in array formations?"

Seeing her nod, Wang Neishi's expression immediately turned complex. With her immense talent, his father probably wouldn't allow him to trifle with her. However, he quickly changed his mind. Only a woman with such talent and beauty was worthy of him. Perhaps he should just propose to her directly later. As for her potentially disagreeing, that wasn't even a consideration for him. No woman in the world could refuse to marry into the Wang family, especially when he was the dashing Second Young Master Wang.

Soon, the group arrived at the Wang family's dockyard. A large ship was moored there, its scale, grandeur, and the intricate runes covering its hull far surpassing Wang Neishi's previous vessel. Dozens of people had gathered by the pier, and Xie Daoyun was secretly alarmed. These individuals all possessed high cultivation levels; her own cultivation was only considered mid-to-low among them, and a few even approached Yun Jie's level. The Wang family truly lived up to its reputation as a top aristocratic clan in this world.

What exactly was Wang Youjun planning? A large group of high-level experts wasn't enough; he also needed to bring these two along?

Wang Youjun scanned the entire scene. "Everyone's here. Depart!"

Soon, the large ship hoisted its sails and set off. Several Wang family experts unleashed talismans, and the vessel smoothly ascended into the air, then flew eastward. Before long, Xie Daoyun and Yun Jianyue noticed the large ship flying over the sea, and they could faintly discern the worry in each other's eyes. On land, it would be fine, but over the vast sea, with no ground to stand on, if they fell out with the Wang family, it would likely be difficult to return.

Yun Jianyue couldn't help but recall Zu An's ability to control water. If he were here, they wouldn't have to worry about anything...

Soon after, a massive fish suddenly burst from the sea, opening its cavernous mouth to bite the flying ship in mid-air. Since high-altitude flight was forbidden in this world, the large ship could only fly at a low altitude. With a single leap, the enormous fish was already high enough to reach the ship. Its gaping maw was the size of the ship's bow. If it truly latched on, the flying ship would likely disintegrate and plunge into the sea.

Yun Jianyue was about to act when suddenly, dazzling lights erupted from the flying ship. The Wang family experts, seemingly prepared, unleashed their various magical attacks. Struck by so many spells, the monster exploded into a bloody mist, its shattered remains falling into the sea. Immediately afterward, the seawater surged. Other monsters, seemingly drawn by the scent of blood, rushed towards it. The injured monster fish tried to bite its surroundings several times with its large mouth, but it was severely wounded and couldn't possibly resist. Before long, a massive skeleton became exposed in the seawater.

Xie Daoyun felt a chill run through her. She thought, if they accidentally fell into the sea, wouldn't there be nothing left of their bodies?

Wang Neishi walked over with a smile. "No need to be afraid, Sister Xie. Our Wang family has many experts. With us protecting you, there won't be any problems."

Xie Daoyun couldn't help but roll her eyes. This playboy was truly too familiar; who was his "sister"?

In this manner, they encountered sea monsters several times along the way. However, the Wang family's experts were indeed formidable, usually killing the monsters with a single strike. Yun Jianyue was greatly impressed, thinking that the Wang family was indeed powerful. The combat strength of this ship's crew alone almost rivaled the high-ranking members of their Holy Cult. Moreover, members of the Wang family were distributed among various powers; only a small portion remained at Wang Family Wharf. This showed just how vast the Wang family's influence was.

The flying ship continued its journey for over a day until a thick fog suddenly appeared ahead. Just reaching its edge, visibility dropped to zero.

Wang Youjun found Xie Daoyun. "Miss Xie, what do you think we should do next? I've sent many ships in to investigate before, but unfortunately, none have returned."

"This shouldn't be naturally formed fog, but rather a labyrinth array deliberately set up by someone," Xie Daoyun observed for a moment, her fingers quickly performing calculations. She then pointed in a certain direction. "The air is a dead end. To pass through the dense fog, we must travel on the sea surface. That direction is the 'gate of life'; we'll see the situation once we enter from there."

Wang Youjun nodded and waved his hand. The entire flying ship directly descended onto the sea surface. Seeing Xie Daoyun's confident demeanor, Wang Youjun felt greatly reassured. He thought, this time, there might truly be a chance to obtain those three Patriarchal Talismans from Sun En!