Translator: CinderTL
Shui Bing's words plunged Zhong Jun into momentary hesitation.
Wei Qian suddenly interjected, "Shui Bing, if you can't provide a reasonable explanation, I won't allow this 'true Ye Bing' you speak of to board the ark, even if we have to turn back now."
Shui Bing replied, "Please rest assured, fellow daoists. I harbor no ill intentions. The truth is, for the past twenty years, the 'Shui Bing' who communicated with you through the Dual Polarity Sect token was not me, but another person. For certain reasons, she couldn't board the ark in the Qianchang Wilderness. Since I also wished to travel on the Qicang Flying Ark, I assumed her name and accompanied you all first. Once we're deep within the Rotting Miasma Ridge, I'll arrange for her to board."
"Then what's your real name?" Wei Qian asked.
"My true name is Xiao Ying," Shui Bing answered, "and I'm a close friend of Shui Bing."
"Xiao Ying?" Wei Qian's expression turned thoughtful, then his eyes widened slightly as if a memory had surfaced. "You're the Xiao Ying known as the 'Poison Mistress'?"
Xiao Ying replied, "Fellow Daoist Wei Qian is indeed well-informed, to even know of someone as insignificant as myself."
Wei Qian said, "You are far from being an unknown figure. Your name resonates like thunder in Clear Leaf City, known to all. Over a century ago, you concocted a poisonous elixir at a small market town not far from Clear Leaf City. The concoction failed, releasing a massive cloud of toxic fumes. Tens of thousands of low-level cultivators in the market town perished miserably, their bodies dissolving into pools of yellow sludge. Since then, that market town has become a forbidden zone, its land poisoned and still retaining extreme toxicity to this day."
Xiao Ying smiled faintly, as if hearing a compliment. "Those were merely some reckless acts from my younger days, fellow daoist. Why bring them up now?"
Wei Qian pressed, "If you are not Shui Bing, then who is she? 'Shui Bing' must be an alias, right? What is her true identity?"
Xiao Ying replied, "Fellow daoist, you should ask her yourself. She should be arriving soon."
As soon as she spoke, Wei Qian and Zhong Jun tensed, their gazes snapping forward. They sensed someone approaching rapidly.
Moments later, a figure pierced through the layers of miasma, appearing ten zhang ahead of the flying ark.
The newcomer wore a white robe and a wide-brimmed conical hat. A thin veil hung from the hat's edge, concealing the person's face and blocking any attempts to probe with Divine Sense.
"Why hide your identity, Your Excellency?" Wei Qian said. "Unless you reveal yourself, we cannot allow you to board."
The Qicang Flying Ark had already activated its formation shield. Though far weaker than the Profound Kunming Harmony Formation's defenses, it was still beyond the capabilities of an ordinary Divine Transformation Stage cultivator to breach.
While Wei Qian and the others couldn't precisely gauge the newcomer's cultivation level, their escape speed and the aura they exuded suggested they were indeed a Divine Transformation Stage cultivator.
At these words, the newcomer raised a hand and lifted the bamboo hat from their head.
Instantly, a peerless beauty was revealed.
"Are you Ye Bing?" Wei Qian asked, his tone uncertain.
"Fellow Daoist has met me before?" Ye Bing asked, puzzled. She didn't recall ever encountering Wei Qian.
Wei Qian replied, "I've never met you personally. However, I've seen the Ye Family's bounty notice for you."
Ye Bing said, "Since Fellow Daoist Wei Qian knows I'm wanted by the three great families, you must also realize I have no foothold left in the Qianchang Wilderness. My only hope lies in reaching the Qicang Domain. Therefore, I would never act against your interests. On the contrary, I will do everything in my power to assist you in navigating the dangers of Rotting Miasma Ridge."
Wei Qian didn't respond immediately. Instead, he turned to Zhong Jun for his opinion.
Zhong Jun remained silent for a moment before finally flipping his hand to retrieve the flying ark's control array disk. He opened a gap in the formation shield, allowing Ye Bing to board.
Ye Bing stepped onto the Giant Flying Ship and bowed respectfully to Zhong Jun, Wei Qian, Song Wen, and the others.
"Thank you all," she said.
With a flip of her hand, she produced a thousand high-grade spirit stones and offered them to Zhong Jun.
"Fellow daoists have all paid their passage fees, and I should be no exception. Fellow Daoist Zhong Jun, please accept these thousand high-grade spirit stones to power the Profound Kunming Harmony Formation and the flying ark's burst of speed."
Seeing the spirit stones floating in mid-air, Zhong Jun's face suddenly lit up with a benevolent smile.
"Then this old man will accept without ceremony."
After Zhong Jun pocketed the spirit stones, the Giant Flying Ship resumed its journey.
Guided by the Dual Polarity Sect's route map and with the Divine Sense of the four Divine Transformation Stage cultivators fully extended, constantly scanning their surroundings, the journey proceeded smoothly. They skillfully avoided all dangerous areas.
As for the low-level demon beasts, swarms of poisonous insects, and the occasional fifth-tier demon beast they encountered, the four cultivators easily dealt with them, causing no delays to their progress.
However, as they ventured deeper into the Rotting Miasma Ridge's core, the miasma grew increasingly dense, severely interfering with their Divine Sense and steadily shrinking their perception range.
Even Ye Bing, the cultivator with the highest cultivation level, could only sense a few hundred zhang ahead.
With such limited perception, yet constantly venturing deeper, the journey was fraught with peril. At any moment, they could stumble into the territory of poisonous insects or encounter powerful demon beasts hunting for prey.
The group had no choice but to proceed with extreme caution, reducing the flying ark's speed again and again.
Moreover, the overwhelmingly dense miasma was visibly corroding the ship's formation shield.
Patches of mottled marks continuously appeared on the shield's surface, as if countless invisible poisonous insects were silently gnawing at it.
Eighty-one recessed slots along the deck's edge each held a high-grade spirit stone. Pure Spiritual Qi was continuously extracted from these stones and channeled through formation patterns into the shield, constantly repairing the corrosive damage.
Zhong Jun waved his hand, and eighty-one high-grade spirit stones flew into the air, replacing the depleted ones in the slots.
"We've been in the Rotting Miasma Ridge for half a month now," Zhong Jun said. "Following the route provided by the Dual Polarity Sect, we've already covered more than half the journey. With another half-month, we should be able to traverse the most dangerous core region of the Rotting Miasma Ridge."
No one responded to Zhong Jun's words.
It was too early to speak of such things.
Chirp—
Suddenly, a long, drawn-out cry echoed from the distant sky.
"Danger! It's an avian demonic beast! Lower the ship's altitude immediately!" Wei Qian shouted.
In truth, Wei Qian's warning was unnecessary. Zhong Jun had already formed a magic seal with his hands and channeled it into the flying ark's control array disk.
Instantly, the ark's prow dipped sharply downward.
The entire vessel plunged toward the ground like a hunting eagle, hurtling through the undulating mountain range in the blink of an eye, skimming close to the winding terrain.
Just then, the miasma above churned violently, and a terrifying aura descended.
The group looked up to see a colossal avian creature burst through the miasma, its wings spanning several miles. Each flap stirred up gale-force winds, causing the miasma to seethe like boiling water.
"Damn it! It's a sixth-tier Purple Cloud Dove!" A flicker of panic flashed in Zhong Jun's eyes.
(End of the Chapter)
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