Chapter 15#

“Ah Mian, Ah Mian…”

Yu Lin took this name from his dusty memories and gently chewed on it.

For some reason, he inexplicably linked the pair of dark eyes from his memory to Chu Fengmian.

He shook his head and asked, “Senior Sister, do you still remember the little beggar you once saved?”

Yu Yuan was startled, searched through her memories, and barely found that figure. “I remember, what about him?”

Yu Lin frowned slightly, pondering for a moment. “Liu Yufeng. Yu Ling’s elder brother was the arrogant and overbearing Young Master Liu of Fuyang City back then.”

A cold glint flashed in Yu Yuan’s eyes. “It was him, after all.”

If this was the Liu family of Fuyang City, combined with what Chu Fengmian said, were they so arrogant and overbearing because they were relying on the help of the demon race? If not, then why would they be involved with the demon race?

He was increasingly unable to understand.

In that case, he and Yu Ling had also met before.

Yu Lin’s gaze paused, and Yu Ling’s calm and unperturbed eyes, when she hid behind her brother, surfaced in his mind.

A hunch told him that Yu Ling was not as simple as she appeared on the surface either.

Three days later, they would depart for the Mountain Sea Sect. Since the demon race had appeared, he should be able to get some answers.

…

“Immortal Monarch Chongwu, are you sure it’s in this direction?”

The boat had been sailing on the sea for three days and three nights.

The vast and boundless spiritual sea was calm and still, and in the distance, a faint patch of darkness on the horizon was chilling.

Immortal Monarch Chongwu frowned slightly, his fingertips moving as he calculated again, then shook his head, confirming, “It is this direction.”

Yu Lin leaned boredly against the side of the boat, gazing into the distance.

“Yu Lin, Yu Lin…”

A series of ethereal and long sounds came from the coastline, reaching his ears with waves of shimmering ripples.

He didn’t know when he had naturally zoned out, and he subconsciously called out, “Jun Ti…”

The moment he spoke, he only heard a low sigh, and the ethereal transmission in his ears receded like a tide.

“Look! The Mountain Sea Sect is ahead!”

Sword Sovereign Yuanzhi widened his eyes in surprise. The Mountain Sea Sect, which they had searched for three days and three nights without any progress, suddenly appeared so clear and obvious before everyone.

Immortal Monarch Chongwu’s hand paused, a hint of doubt rising in his eyes. The divination just now indicated that several more days were needed for the Mountain Sea Sect to emerge before them.

Now, as he looked at the gradually clearer outline of the Mountain Sea Sect ahead, he couldn’t help but be on guard.

He turned and whispered, “The Mountain Sea Sect has been hidden for many years; no one knows the situation inside, and there might even be demon cultivators lying in ambush now, so it’s best to be careful.”

Sword Sovereign Yuanzhi nodded. This time, he brought several disciples with high sword technique talent to gain experience; they were all his treasured proteges, so he naturally feared they might perish and thus guarded them carefully.

Ling Guangyi remained silent beside them.

He was always cautious and understood his master’s thoughts and intentions with just a glance at his expression, stepping back to protect his junior brothers and sisters.

Suddenly, a black wave surged from the direction of the horizon, splitting and flowing in all directions!

They instinctively turned their heads to look. The sea, which had been calm and peaceful moments before, now inexplicably had several boats, all being battered and capsized by the waves.

These were likely the sects that had received news and arrived early at the Mountain Sea Sect.

“An illusion.”

Immortal Monarch Chongwu straightened up, in a state of alert.

Before his words finished, a giant black wave surged towards them!

The wave broke through the air, stirring up roaring gales. For a moment, the sea surface buzzed incessantly, and drops of rain dripped onto the deck.

Immortal Monarch Chongwu quickly conjured a protective formation to shield the boat.

The translucent protective formation was solid, like a sturdy barrier. However, unexpectedly, as the wave hit, the protective formation shattered into pieces as if it were made of paper!

Immortal Monarch Chongwu was startled and quickly shouted for everyone to lie down, pulling Yu Lin down with him.

But after the wave broke through the barrier, as if it had a will, the next second, the surging waves poured back into the sea, leaving only a few rustling, gentle water droplets.

“Thump-thump!”

The sudden change came and went quickly. Yu Lin had not yet recovered when he was caught off guard by Immortal Monarch Chongwu grabbing his hand. His heart thumped rapidly, and his face turned pale with fright.

Immortal Monarch Chongwu lightly touched his already cold fingertips. “Frightened?”

That black wave had made him uncomfortable. He shook his head, barely composing himself. “I’m fine.”

In an instant, the sea returned to its calm and peaceful state, and the capsized boats were gone without a trace.

“Immortal Monarch, does this wave recognize your aura?”

Now that they were nearing the Mountain Sea Sect, and Immortal Monarch Chongwu was an old acquaintance of the Lady Monarch, Sword Sovereign Yuanzhi naturally assumed that the retreat of the waves was thanks to Immortal Monarch Chongwu.

However, Immortal Monarch Chongwu said with a serious expression, “Impossible. The Lady Monarch and I haven’t met for thousands of years, and her divine soul has also been damaged; she couldn’t possibly recognize my aura.”

Another gust of wind came, bringing a mist that enveloped them, gently guiding their boat inward.

The Mountain Sea Sect was getting closer.

…

Lush green trees blocked the path; the Mountain Sea Sect was like an ancient relic left behind by the world.

The gray brick houses were built crookedly, as if they would collapse at any moment, yet the exterior wall bricks seemed as sturdy as if they had endured hundreds of years of wind and sun.

“Senior Sister! Someone’s here!” An eight or nine-year-old boy saw them coming and said to a girl one or two years older than him.

The girl looked at them doubtfully and replied, “How could anyone come?”

The boy’s expression was exaggerated; he dramatically patted her head. “Senior Sister, could it be that you forgot what Master said a few days ago…”

Yu Lin couldn’t help but chuckle as they talked as if no one else was around.

Sword Sovereign Yuanzhi stepped forward and asked, “Young friends, may I ask where your master is?”

The boy blinked twice at him, saying playfully, “I won’t tell you!”

After he finished speaking, he actually stepped forward, grabbed Yu Lin’s hand, and ran.

Yu Lin: “?”

Before he could react, he was pulled forward a few steps.

The boy looked thin but was surprisingly strong. Not knowing what the boy intended, he could only turn his head, give Immortal Monarch Chongwu a meaningful look, and follow.

“Why are you pulling me?”

Yu Lin looked down at the child and asked.

The boy grinned and turned his head. “Pretty big brother, just follow me!”

In just a moment, they arrived at a sparse clearing of trees. Yu Lin had a bad feeling and abruptly pulled the boy. “Don’t go over there!”

The boy turned back confusedly. “Why not? Master is just ahead!”

Before the boy finished speaking, a gust of air swept over. Yu Lin protected the boy, crouching slightly, his robes fluttering with the air current.

Immediately afterward, he heard a lazy chuckle, “Someone has come?”

He looked in the direction of the sound and saw a demon race girl, about his age, standing in the clearing, her left hand unconsciously fiddling with a string of purple beads.

Behind her followed several tall and burly demon cultivators.

Two demon cultivators stood on either side, and tied between them were two people from the Mountain Sea Sect.

The bound white-haired elder was likely the “Master” he spoke of, and the other was a girl with gentle blue eyes.

The girl’s hands were bound, and a tiny cut on her face was bleeding. Yet she was calm as if there was no danger, looking up at Yu Lin with a gentle smile.

“You’ve come.”

An ethereal and distant voice entered Yu Lin’s ears, and a pair of blue eyes shimmered.

“Priestess-sama…” The boy was startled, softly calling out.

The young Priestess’s eyes were gentle; she closed them and lightly exhaled.

For a moment, the air currents in the surroundings fluctuated, gently rippling, and the entire space was enveloped in a soft, golden filter.

Amidst the ripples, she untied herself and the white-haired elder. The demon cultivators standing beside her had also fainted at some point.

She turned around, raising her head slightly, and said, “Youngsters of the demon race, how dare you act so presumptuously here!”

The demon race girl half-closed her eyes, waved her hand towards the back, and the demon cultivators behind her charged forward.

Numerous dark black demon energy orbs appeared in the air, rapidly smashing to the ground.

The young Priestess’s figure flickered, and in an instant, she pulled the elder to the other side of the clearing. She glanced at Yu Lin and snapped her fingers.

“Master!”

The elder was instantly teleported beside Yu Lin, steadying himself by holding the boy’s hand.

With the people transferred, the young Priestess had no more worries and slowly raised her hand.

At this moment, Sword Sovereign Yuanzhi and his group also caught up. Immortal Monarch Chongwu, uncertain of the situation, exchanged a look with Yu Lin. “Go help first.”

After the young Priestess raised her hand, golden light from all directions gathered before her. “The person I was waiting for has arrived; I don’t wish to be entangled with you further.”

The golden light met the next wave of demon energy orbs, impacting and blooming into white energy fragments, scattered like starlight in the air.

The demon race girl slightly bared her teeth, gently rubbing the string of beads in her hand. Her other hand, from somewhere unknown, pulled out a fan. She fiercely fanned it towards the young Priestess!

Suddenly, strong winds gusted, and chilling winds howled. The young Priestess felt a chill down her spine, followed immediately by the demon race girl teleporting behind her, striking directly at her back!

“Bang!”

Immortal Monarch Chongwu waved his hand, and a white light orb struck directly into the gap between them. The demon race girl had no choice but to retreat and avoid it.

Taking advantage of the demon race girl’s retreat, the young Priestess pursued, her golden light striking directly, causing the demon race girl to be repelled two steps instantly.

She looked at Immortal Monarch Chongwu with a sinister gaze and coldly said, “Why are righteous path people interfering? Do you also want this Demon Gate Key?”

“What if we do?”

She chuckled mockingly, “They all say the righteous path is impartial and selfless, yet they also covet our demon realm’s possessions? Just a bunch of hypocrites.”

Immortal Monarch Chongwu was too lazy to argue with her, stepping forward to help the young Priestess, instantly forming a two-on-one situation.

Sword Sovereign Yuanzhi and his group blocked the demon cultivators she brought. The demon race girl was no match and could only dodge frantically.

The Demon Gate Key was extremely important, and the demon cultivators she brought were all powerful. They could only barely fend off the moves of these demon cultivators.

Seeing the unfavorable situation, the demon race girl softened her voice, “Immortal Monarch, why are you helping this waste who only received half a heritage? Wouldn’t it be better to cooperate with our demon race and get a bigger share?”

Immortal Monarch Chongwu said indifferently, “I never cooperate with the demon race.” As he spoke, his offensive intensified, causing the demon race girl’s face to contort savagely.

Suddenly, she sensed something, her face filled with surprise, and she called out sweetly towards the side, “Feng?”