"Fusheng City, Fusheng City..."
The little girl, swaying unsteadily as she rode her spirit horse, followed beside Chen Yan, mumbling these words.
Si Youyou had, of course, heard the legends of Fusheng City.
Back during the Floating Light Summit Dao Inquiry, many had suspected that the then six-year-old Si Youyou was a native of Fusheng City.
"Chen Yan, is it really true that newborns in Fusheng City are born at the Martial Spring Realm?"
"Hmm."
Chen Yan only answered absentmindedly.
He had something on his mind.
The very fact that there was an inn on this Fusheng Island was strange in itself. Therefore, from the very beginning, that inn and its Qi Sea Realm waiter had naturally aroused considerable suspicion in Chen Yan.
When he had first landed on Fusheng Island, he had discovered many abandoned boats on the shore.
Besides that, there were also a few scattered shoe prints on the sandy beach.
Why were there so many abandoned boats?
Moreover, up until now, they still hadn't seen anyone besides that waiter from the inn, even though they had seen relatively fresh shoe prints on the beach...
After leaving the inn, realizing that his and Si Youyou's current situation might be more delicate than imagined, Chen Yan had spread his spiritual sense out like an invisible spider web, monitoring any movement within dozens of zhang around him.
He could clearly perceive the heartbeat of a frog in the grass over ten zhang to his left front, and the buzzing of insect wings to his right rear.
Then, the buzzing of insect wings suddenly ceased, as if severed by something sharp.
It was killing intent.
Chen Yan activated his Martial Spring, surging with vast true qi; his Protective True Qi nearly solidified into substance.
*Clang—!*
The moment that sharp, slicing qi attacked towards Chen Yan's direction and collided with his Protective True Qi, it produced a sound like metal striking metal.
The ambusher was also at the Spirit Connection Realm, and not weak at that.
The slight turbulence within the true qi in Chen Yan's meridians when he withstood the slash just now was proof enough.
In the blink of an eye, Chen Yan's spiritual sense quickly pinpointed the enemy's exact location.
After the failed sneak attack, the opponent seemed to be using all their strength to activate a movement technique to change position, but this also exposed a greater opening to Chen Yan.
The Clear Rainbow derived from the Hidden Immortal Art surged. Chen Yan intended to end the fight swiftly.
But just as he prepared to strike, another fierce surge of true qi attacked from the opposite direction of the fleeing enemy.
And the target of this attack was Si Youyou beside him.
Chen Yan's outwardly released Protective True Qi vibrated, easily shattering that fierce true qi aimed at Si Youyou.
Immediately after, the figure that had just been fleeing suddenly stopped and changed direction. The speed of the movement technique the person activated was at least ten times faster than during the escape.
And the direction they pounced towards was precisely Chen Yan's location.
Chen Yan saw that figure clad in gray-green martial attire, holding a high-grade spiritual blade, appear almost instantaneously right in front of him.
Too fast! Too ruthless!
He hurriedly raised his hand to block the opponent's slash.
His Protective True Qi, not fully deployed in time, was cleaved through by that spiritual artifact, which also left a cut over two inches long on his left arm.
If Chen Yan hadn't reacted quickly, this single slash would likely have severed his left arm outright.
The situation was extremely critical. Chen Yan activated the Li Fire Seal with all his might and slapped the spiritual artifact with a backhanded palm.
Crimson Li Fire instantly erupted, clinging to the blade like maggots to bone, madly burning and devouring the true qi attached to this spiritual artifact.
The cultivator in gray-green martial attire quickly realized the peculiarity of the technique Chen Yan was employing.
If the close-quarters combat continued, he would likely suffer a great disadvantage.
Understanding this, the cultivator in gray-green martial attire acted decisively. His movement technique erupted again as he sought to retreat rapidly.
But how could Chen Yan easily give him the chance to escape?
Great Derivation Art·Thunder Cage Descent!
He transformed his outwardly released Protective True Qi, through the Great Derivation Art, into dozens of chains crackling with blinding lightning arcs, weaving them into a massive cage of thunder that descended headlong upon the gray-green figure, aiming to cut off its retreat.
But just then, another fierce surge of true qi attacked towards Si Youyou's direction.
Chen Yan's expression darkened. He immediately directed one of the thunder chains to intercept that fierce true qi aimed at Si Youyou.
Immediately after, a sharp, stinging pain attacked his flank.
The gray-green clad cultivator in front of him, seizing the moment of Chen Yan's distraction, launched another slash towards him.
At such close range, Chen Yan had dodged with all his might, yet he was still wounded by this slash.
And just as Chen Yan prepared to counterattack again, that gray-green clad cultivator had already activated his movement technique to swiftly disengage, putting over ten zhang of distance between himself and Chen Yan.
In the span of mere moments, Chen Yan had already exchanged five or six moves with these two ambushing Spirit Connection Realm cultivators.
And Si Youyou just sat dumbfounded on her spirit horse.
Everything had happened too fast. Only cultivators at the Spirit Connection Realm or above, relying on their spiritual sense, could react to what had just transpired.
Si Youyou, whose cultivation remained at the Qi Sea Realm, simply wasn't qualified to participate in this fight.
Chen Yan's expression grew increasingly grave. This wasn't a problem of cultivation level or realm.
The enemies' combat experience was simply too seasoned.
From the very beginning, the gray-green clad cultivator's escape had been to draw his attention.
Then the other hidden enemy seized this opportunity to attack Si Youyou.
That fierce true qi wasn't a fatal attack, but merely intended to disrupt Chen Yan's judgment.
Clearly, the opponent's tactics were effective.
The timing was grasped with hair's-breadth precision.
A mere moment of combat had already left Chen Yan lightly wounded.
Immediately after, yet another fierce surge of true qi attacked towards Si Youyou's direction.
Chen Yan's gaze began to turn even more resolute and determined. Dozens of strands of Clear Rainbow surging within his Martial Spring were all activated, attacking towards the direction of the gray-green clad cultivator, while he turned sideways and used his left arm to directly block that fierce true qi aimed at the young girl.
Chen Yan held nothing back.
Aside from the spiritual energy and immortal energy derived through the Great Derivation Art, the Clear Rainbow light within his Martial Spring was undoubtedly his strongest killing move.
Dozens of clear-colored rainbows pulsating with destructive aura enveloped the gray-green clad cultivator.
That Spirit Connection Realm cultivator in gray-green attire frantically activated his movement technique, trying to evade, but under such saturated, such swift, such terrifying Clear Rainbows, all struggle seemed futile.
Instant annihilation, not even a speck of residue remained.
Next, the other one...
Chen Yan thought this, but he suddenly realized the true qi in his meridians was beginning to circulate sluggishly.
In shock, he looked at the blade wounds on his left arm and flank. The skin around the wounds had already turned a gray-black color.