Chen Yan had a puzzle.
That was why True Person Minghua's Dao Basis and Realman Sun and Moon's Dao Basis were both palm-sized spheres of light, while Realman Star-Paying Respects's Dao Basis was a golden key.
However, all questions seemed insignificant in his current predicament.
Fusheng City.
He had to get to Fusheng City as quickly as possible.
Setting out from Shengyuan Mountain, Chen Yan's flight to Fusheng Island, located off the coast of the Chenping Continent's Southern Region, would normally take only three days.
But now, it would take five.
Because he had to detour around Heavenly Summit Mountain, located at the center of the Chenping Continent.
Just as Kong Yang had said, the two Ascenders of Heavenly Summit Mountain would, of course, come to stop him.
And he was carrying True Person Minghua's Dao Basis to Fusheng City precisely to rid himself of the terrifying bomb he currently carried, one powerful enough to destroy the world thousands of times over.
Chen Yan couldn't be sure whether True Person Jingchen and Realman Lingxuan knew the inside story of Fusheng City like Mr. You did.
But he had to prepare for the worst.
The shortest route was to fly from the Northwestern Region to the Northern Region, then from the Northern Region to the Southern Region.
But to detour around Heavenly Summit Mountain, he had to fly from the Northwestern Region to the Chenping Continent's Western Region, then enter the Southern Region from the Western Region.
Currently, Chen Yan was high above the border between the Chenping Continent's Northwestern and Western Regions.
The Chenping Continent was divided into five regions.
They were the Eastern Region, Southern Region, Northern Region, Western Region, and Northwestern Region.
The reason for this division was not because the Chenping Continent had the Five Great Sects.
Long before the establishment of the four great sects—Lingxiao Temple, Star Heaven Sect, Wind Ravine Valley, and Kongshan Sect—the Chenping Continent had already been divided into five regions.
The reason for separating the Western and Northwestern Regions was a mountain range spanning millions of li that isolated them from each other.
The Martial Immortal Mountain Range.
This mountain range had always been named as such.
At this moment, Chen Yan was passing over the Martial Immortal Mountain Range. This range also blocked vast amounts of moisture blowing inland from the southern seas off the Chenping Continent's Western Region to the Northwestern Region, resulting in abundant rainfall and numerous rivers to the west of the Martial Immortal Mountains.
Therefore, Chen Yan was currently within dense cloud layers, his field of vision nothing but a vast expanse of white.
Suddenly, an extremely abrupt turbulence of heaven and earth spiritual energy disrupted the true qi within Chen Yan's meridians. This forced him to reduce his altitude.
As a Myriad Transformations Realm cultivator, Chen Yan's spiritual sense perception range was limited to within a hundred zhang.
This was an incredibly terrifying perception distance, but placed against the vast, boundless sky, coupled with the disruption of his true qi, it seemed somewhat inadequate.
He began to dive downward.
The cloud layer parted.
The scene that appeared before his eyes caused Chen Yan's eyes to widen in shock, a chill shooting straight to the crown of his head, even making his hair stand on end.
Because, originally, he should have been at the edge of the Martial Immortal Mountain Range.
Yet, after passing through the cloud layer, the scene presented before his eyes was actually—
Mirage Palace.
Or rather, the ruins of Mirage Palace.
Mirage Palace, currently the oldest in Chenping Continent's history, ranked among the continent's Five Great Sects, which had historically produced four Immortal Ascension Realm cultivators and possessed two immortal artifacts, had been utterly destroyed in an instant by the thunderous methods of the two Ascenders from Heavenly Summit Mountain.
And Realman Sun-Eroding's whereabouts were also unknown.
Mirage Palace was located in the southwestern corner of the Chenping Continent's Western Region.
It was still millions of li away from Chen Yan's originally planned route!
Why was he here?
No, that's not right!
Realizing the situation was extremely dire, Chen Yan could no longer afford to worry about the disruption of true qi in his meridians. He channeled his Martial Spring with all his might, attempting to leave this place as quickly as possible.
But just then, he felt an extremely terrifying pressure descending from directly above him.
Chen Yan jerked his head up to look at the cloud layer.
He saw a massive ship's bow, decorated with gilded cloud crane patterns, descending from the sky and heading straight for him.
He recognized this giant ship; it was the Kongshan Sect's flagship.
Chen Yan wanted to dodge, but no matter how hard he channeled his true qi, he couldn't move an inch.
He could only watch helplessly as that mountain-like giant vessel, over seven hundred zhang long, carrying the force of ten thousand jun, crushed down toward him!
Thud!
A dull yet terrifying impact sound rang out.
Chen Yan had absolutely no ability to resist. His body was sent hurtling toward the ground like an insignificant pebble.
Blood gushed wildly from his mouth, and all the bones and tendons throughout his body were completely shattered.
For a Myriad Transformations Realm cultivator, this was definitely not a fatal injury.
After all, innate true energy could repair the physical body.
But such severe injuries still left Chen Yan on the brink of death.
The over-seven-hundred-zhang-long ferry pressed down on Chen Yan.
After an unknown length of time, the Kongshan Sect's flagship actually began to slowly rise.
The bright light reaching the deep pit in the ground felt somewhat blinding to Chen Yan, whose consciousness was blurred and who was severely injured.
Then, he saw it.
He saw that figure in moon-white daoist robes at the edge of the pit.
And the familiar face of a young girl.
Chen Yan stared at the girl's face for a moment, then managed a difficult smile:
"This junior pays his respects to True Person Qiu."
The disheveled, battered young cultivator lying at the bottom of the pit addressed the girl who held the giant ship aloft with one hand.
The girl stood at the edge of the pit, expressionless.
"Why go to such lengths?"
Qiu Siruo said indifferently:
"Out of consideration for past ties, this seat will give you a piece of sincere advice. The great tide is coming, unstoppable. Everything that has happened in these sixty-thousand-plus years is illusory… Rather than struggling bitterly, it would be better to hand over True Person Minghua's Dao Basis, then find a secluded place to peacefully live out what little remains of your life."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yan only said with considerable effort:
"If True Person Qiu believes everything that happened in these sixty-thousand-plus years is illusory, then why are you so fixated on True Person Minghua's Dao Basis?"
"Meaningless word games."
Qiu Siruo said coldly.
"……"
Chen Yan had no words. He just looked at the girl who had once followed closely by his side, carefully clutching the hem of his clothes, and shook his head:
"As expected, she's completely gone."
"Are you referring to Si Youyou, or Qin Yue?"
Qiu Siruo said indifferently:
"I am me. Whether it's Si Youyou or Qin Yue, everything they experienced was my own personal experience."
It was just insignificant.
"Cough, I have a question I'd like to ask you, True Person Qiu."
Chen Yan coughed lightly twice, then slowly spoke, his voice sounding strained.
"Ask."
Realizing the situation was extremely unfavorable, Chen Yan could no longer afford to worry about the disruption of true qi in his meridians. He channeled his Martial Spring with all his might, attempting to leave this place as quickly as possible.
"Youyou… was she happy in the end?"
Hearing this question, Qiu Siruo fell silent for a moment, then shook her head:
"She wanted to die."
"Is that so…"
Muttering this to himself with a sigh, Chen Yan revealed a smile.
The Clear Rainbow and true qi within his Martial Spring were frantically drained, and his meridians began to rupture.
Immediately after—
A flash of Clear Light.