Yun Che’s expression darkened. The news that the national sealing formation had been broken was extremely unfavorable to him—once those Fire Beasts arrived, their target would undoubtedly lock onto him alone.

  The mere thought of being hunted by that sky-filling tide of flame made his scalp prickle. He immediately resolved that the map must be obtained as soon as possible. As for the Heavenly Departure Pill, it seemed there was no longer time to wait until the end of the month to earn it.

  Frowning, he calculated swiftly. The map was in Feng Luan’s possession, and there was no way to accumulate one hundred and fifty merit points in time through killing alone. After a brief moment of contemplation, his eyes flashed with decision.

  With a movement of divine sense, the locations of Yang Xiong and Lin Tao appeared clearly in his mind. Quietly stepping back, he sped toward Yang Xiong.

  As a patrol disciple stationed at the peak for the Ming God Hall, Yang Xiong dared not slacken for even a moment. Yet his gaze frequently drifted toward the summit. When the shattered Nascent Soul had flown past earlier, he had already sensed that something grave was about to unfold.

  Suppressing the heaviness in his heart, he was about to head northwest when his mind trembled. Changing direction abruptly, he flew toward a distant forest in the north. Upon entering, he scanned the surroundings and bowed respectfully.

  “Yang Xiong greets Master.”

  Yun Che stepped out from behind a tree, studied him briefly, and asked calmly, “Where is Zhou Zihong?”

  Though puzzled, Yang Xiong did not dare question him. After thinking for a moment, he replied, “Junior Sister Zhou should be in the third division, fourth squad. I’m not entirely certain.”

  Yun Che looked at him steadily. “I have already returned Zhou Zihong’s soul blood.”

  Yang Xiong trembled violently. His breathing quickened before he forced himself to calm down. He lifted his head, lips parting as if to speak.

  Yun Che’s expression remained indifferent. “If you can bring Zhou Zihong here, your soul blood will be returned.”

  Yang Xiong’s eyes reddened. After a long silence, he asked hoarsely, “Is Master speaking the truth?”

  Yun Che nodded.

  Without hesitation, Yang Xiong took out a jade slip, pressed it to his forehead, murmured something, and tossed it into the air. It flashed gray and vanished.

  An incense stick’s time later, the sound of a flying sword cutting through the air approached. A woman with delicate features and graceful bearing descended—Zhou Zihong.

  She put away her sword and was about to speak when she noticed Yun Che. Her face paled instantly.

  With a wave of his hand, Yun Che tossed Yang Xiong’s soul blood to him. Shame flickered across Yang Xiong’s face. Avoiding Zhou Zihong’s gaze, he hurriedly left the forest.

  Zhou Zihong bit her lip, face pale. After a long silence, she said softly, “Feng Luan… is my mother. The moment she saw me, she sensed something wrong…”

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  Yun Che shook his head. “That matter is past. There is no need to mention it again. I want to ask you for a favor.”

  Zhou Zihong was silent for a moment. “The map?”

  He nodded. “My homeland lies in a distant land. Without the map, I cannot find my way back.”

  She studied him with complicated eyes. Then she said coldly, “Kill two people for me.”

  “What cultivation level?”

  “One is mid-Foundation Establishment. The other is late-stage Foundation, at great completion.”

  “Agreed.”

  “You know them. Xu Si—Ma Liang’s childhood companion. And Zhou An, the man entangled with her. You needn’t kill them now. Do it when you leave. As for the map—within one hour, I will deliver it.”

  After speaking, she looked at him deeply before flying away.

  “Ma Liang… this is the last thing I’ll do for you.”

  Yun Che watched her retreating figure thoughtfully. His divine sense spread and swiftly located Xu Si. He had left a strand of divine sense on her long ago; finding her now was effortless.

  Half an hour later, he returned and sat cross-legged, waiting.

  When he found Xu Si in a secluded place behind the mountain, she was entwined with Zhou An in passion. Yun Che watched briefly, then silently left behind a delayed divine sense within Zhou An—one that would erupt in half a month—and departed without a sound.

  Soon, a Qi Condensation female disciple arrived instead of Zhou Zihong. She tossed a jade slip into the forest and left immediately.

  Yun Che caught it, examined it briefly with divine sense, and placed it into his storage bag before vanishing underground once more.

  After combining the three maps, he learned that Flameburn Kingdom lay on the Yanwu Continent, separated from Zhao Kingdom by a place called the Demon Cultivation Sea.

  To return to Zhao, one must pass through this legendary land of demonic cultivators.

  The map emphasized one point repeatedly: this place was extremely dangerous—even Nascent Soul cultivators did not dare enter lightly.

  The Demon Cultivation Sea was not truly a sea. In ancient times, during a great war, a mighty cultivator had evaporated the entire ocean with a single divine art to slay his enemies. Since then, it had become a boundless sea of mist. Marine life had gradually evolved to survive within the fog.

  Moreover, once each year, the mist would revert to seawater for a single month before transforming back into fog again.

  Its harsh terrain made resources scarce and spirit veins rare. Robbery and murder were commonplace. Over time, it became a gathering place for demonic cultivators and fugitives.

  Yun Che digested this information as he traveled underground. Suddenly, he sensed movement above.

  In the sky, a panicked woman fled—Su Wanqing of Luohe Sect. Behind her chased a slick-faced young man, taunting her.

  Yun Che observed briefly. The youth was mid-Core Formation. Yun Che did not wish to invite trouble.

  But he was discovered.

  Forced to emerge, he was immediately attacked. Su Wanqing cried out in relief upon recognizing him and rushed to his side.

  After narrowly evading flying swords, Yun Che seized her arm and plunged underground, unleashing Earth Escape to its limits.

  The pursuer soon fell behind.

  Three days later, Yun Che and Su Wanqing reached the border of Flameburn Kingdom. Fire Beasts roared in pursuit behind them.

  “Can you refine the Heavenly Departure Pill before they arrive?” Yun Che asked coldly.

  Su Wanqing trembled. She could not.

  Instead, she revealed she could refine nearly all pills of Luohe Sect—including many ancient formulas.

  This moved Yun Che. In his eyes, she became a walking pill furnace—one that might greatly accelerate his cultivation.

  Without hesitation, he dragged her into the Demon Cultivation Sea.

  Thick mist rolled before them. Cold yin energy seeped through the air.

  Behind them, countless Fire Beasts gathered at the border—but none dared enter. One that tried screamed as the mist corroded its flaming body into gray ash.

  Yun Che finally relaxed slightly.

  The Demon Cultivation Sea was vast—thousands of times larger than Flameburn Kingdom. If he hid within it, even the Fire Beasts would struggle to find him.

  Grasping Su Wanqing, he descended deeper into the mist.

  Open a cave abode. Break through to Core Formation.

  This was his only goal.

  Only by forming his Golden Core and becoming the strongest beneath the Nascent Soul Realm would he have any chance of surviving within the Demon Cultivation Sea.