Clouds rolled as the sky remained clear as if washed clean.
Heading north from the capital, past the plains of the Central Province, lay undulating mountain ranges and increasingly desolate wilderness.
It was a long journey.
If an ordinary cultivator traveled by sword, it would take seven or eight days of non-stop flight while constantly guarding against high-altitude astral winds and reckless flying beasts.
But at this moment, the Zhenyue-class flying boat beneath Gu Chengming’s feet—a weapon of war jointly created by the Daqian Ministry of Works and the Hunyuan Sect—was not only as massive as a mountain but also engraved with intricate defensive formations. As it cut through the clouds, not a single bump could be felt.
Of course, the most reassuring thing wasn't the ship's sturdiness, but the figure standing at the very front of the deck.
Zhou Qingmu wore her purple-gold official robes, her cloak fluttering in the astral wind.
She simply stood there with her hands behind her back, not even needing to release any pressure for the clouds within a hundred miles to automatically disperse. The normally fierce aerial demons wailed and fell from the sky long before they could get close.
This was the weight of the Director of the Daqian Night Guard Division.
Gu Chengming withdrew his gaze from the bow and turned around to look helplessly at the figure sprawled ungracefully on a soft couch, clutching a handful of melon seeds.
"By the way..."
Gu Chengming poured himself a cup of tea, finally asking the question that had puzzled him since he boarded:
"Elder Yu, why are you on this ship as well?"
This vessel carried the elites of the Night Guard, headed to the northern border to risk their lives.
While the Wenjian Sect was an external sect friendly with Daqian, Yu Wenqiu was a sect elder. Theoretically, she shouldn't be on the Night Guard's deployment list.
Hearing this, Yu Wenqiu turned over with some dissatisfaction, flicking a melon seed shell accurately into a nearby wastebasket.
"Little Gu, you’re being too formal."
She patted the crumbs off her hands, sat up straight, and said righteously, "Who says this elder can't come? This elder has an official post!"
"An official post?" Gu Chengming raised an eyebrow.
"Naturally."
Yu Wenqiu rummaged through her storage pouch for a long time before finally fishing out a worn, rounded waist token and slapping it onto the table.
It was a Night Guard junior banner token. Looking at the design, it was an old model from decades ago.
"There, see for yourself."
Yu Wenqiu pointed at the token, her tone actually carrying a bit of pride. "Back before I returned to the sect to become an elder, I spent some time in the capital, okay? I held a position in the Night Guard back then. Although I didn't go on many missions... and I was mainly responsible for logistics and intelligence analysis, I was still a bona fide junior banner."
She tucked the token away and collapsed back onto the couch, saying lazily, "After I went back to the sect, I didn't return the token. Daqian didn't say anything either. The salary stopped, but they still recognize the identity."
At this point, she blinked, a hint of cunning flashing in her beautiful eyes. "This is what they call 'once a Night Guard, always a Night Guard.' Do you understand the value of having a post?"
Gu Chengming looked at the old token and realized.
While this kind of honorary post sounded like a sinecure for someone just collecting a title, it also proved Daqian's strategy for winning over cultivators—as long as you were willing to lend your name, even if you didn't work, they would maintain the relationship.
"I see."
Gu Chengming nodded and refilled Elder Yu’s tea. "Since we are colleagues, I’ll have to rely on Junior Banner Yu’s care during this trip."
"Easy, easy."
Yu Wenqiu found the title quite pleasant and sipped her tea happily. "Once we reach the northern border, just follow me. I might not be good at fighting, but I'm a professional when it comes to finding a comfortable place to slack off."
After their chat, Yu Wenqiu went back to slacking, while Gu Chengming returned to his own meditation room.
The room wasn't large, but it was soundproof and equipped with a spirit-gathering formation.
Gu Chengming sat cross-legged on a cushion and took out the jade slip Vice Commander Liu had shoved into his hand before they left.
—The Red Dust Phantom Step.
This was a movement technique—more accurately, a very special one that sat between physical arts and illusions.
Gu Chengming sank his consciousness into the jade slip. As the obscure lines of text flowed through his sea of consciousness, his brows relaxed and furrowed intermittently.
"Using red dust qi as a guide, and one's own charm as an anchor, turning reality into void, one step, one phantom..."
This technique had an extremely high conception.
Ordinary movement techniques focused on speed, shrinking distance, or riding the wind.
But the Red Dust Phantom Step focused on confusion.
It didn't pursue ultimate speed but utilized the cultivator’s own aura and charm to create countless phantoms that were hard to distinguish from the real body through the disturbance of red dust qi during high-speed movement.
These phantoms weren't simple reflections of light and shadow, but existences carrying a portion of the user's aura and karma.
To put it simply, it made the enemy feel that every shadow was real, every shadow was smiling at them, or every shadow was drawing a sword against them.
"The threshold for this... is indeed a bit high."
Gu Chengming withdrew his consciousness and rubbed his brow.
This technique had demanding requirements for the practitioner.
First, the physical body had to be strong enough; otherwise, it couldn't support the sudden bursts of multiple direction changes and aura shifts.
With the help of Hundred Bones Resonating and Myriad Phenomena Transformation Fist, Gu Chengming met this requirement—he was even overqualified.
Second, and most critical, was charm.
Or more accurately, the affinity and control over red dust qi.
If a hideous cultivator with a sinister aura practiced this, the phantoms produced would be ghostly and easily seen through no matter how high their cultivation was.
Only someone who was inherently attractive and could freely command the karma of the red dust could bring out the technique's full potential.
"No wonder Vice Commander Liu said this technique had been gathering dust in the vault for years because no one could master it..." Gu Chengming muttered to himself.
But for him now, it seemed tailor-made.
Inside his sea of consciousness, the 【Yin Yang Creation Strategy】 trembled slightly, appearing very interested in this technique.
【Yin Yang Creation Strategy commented: Isn't this prepared specifically for you?】
【With the Charm Bone as the foundation and red dust as the guide... it's a good thing this is a movement technique. If it were modified into a charm art, I'm afraid few female cultivators could withstand a single movement from you.】
Gu Chengming automatically filtered out the improper comments from the technique.
He took a deep breath and began to try and circulate his true essence and red dust qi according to the technique’s instructions.
"Buzz—"
As his thoughts moved, the strand of pink red dust qi—inherited from Fu Xiaoxiao and continuously polished recently—rose from the depths of his qi sea.
It didn't transform into threads to tug at karma as usual but instead dispersed into his hundred bones and meridians, entangling with his blood and qi power strengthened by Hundred Bones Resonating.
It was a strange feeling, like dyeing a rushing river with the colors of a beautiful sunset.
Gu Chengming closed his eyes and began to visualize the phantom in his mind.
This wasn't something created out of thin air; it required a connection.
He needed to feel the gazes and attachments from the vast red dust world that were wrapped around him.
Gradually, in his perception, the flying boat was no longer an enclosed space but a massive node woven with countless karmic threads.
He 'saw' it.
Right next door, there was a pale gold thread, carrying a bit of laziness and warmth—that was Yu Wenqiu.
She trusted him completely and without defense; that emotion of 'feeling safe as long as you are here' flowed slowly through the thread.
And further away at the bow...
That thread, as thick as a pillar supporting the heavens and radiating purple-gold majesty, was Zhou Qingmu. It was an emotion of appreciation, expectation, and heavy protection.
Extending further...
Even a thousand miles away, he could vaguely sense several threads extending from the direction of the capital.
One was fiery red and passionate, yet pulling with a bit of feigned indifference—that was Fu Xiaoxiao’s 'you are not allowed to forget this seat.'
There was another lazy and free-spirited thread, yet possessing the casualness of 'since I taught you, don't embarrass me'—that was Senior Qin Qing.
There was even an extremely thin, cold black thread—the severed karma of the Longevity Sect. Although the person was dead, that resentment seemed to be lurking in some corner.
"Is this... the red dust?"
An realization rose in Gu Chengming’s heart.
The so-called red dust wasn't just noise and love or hate, but the countless threads that tightly bound people together and people to the world.
The true essence of the Red Dust Phantom Step wasn't about creating illusions, but using these real connections to infinitely amplify, overlap, and displace one's presence.
"Condense!" Gu Chengming shouted inwardly.
He suddenly mobilized that perceived red dust karma, trying to condense a phantom next to him that was real enough to fool others.
His qi sea surged, and the red dust qi boiled like water.
He felt the critical point; as long as he crossed it, he would have mastered the basics of this high-level movement technique.
However...
At the moment the phantom was about to take shape.
Pop.
A soft sound, like a bubble bursting, occurred.
The phantom that had already been outlined suddenly collapsed without warning.
It wasn't due to a lack of spiritual energy or control.
It was because the gathered red dust qi and karmic power... were simply too massive.
Gu Chengming had underestimated the weight of the karma he carried.
This wasn't just the attention of a few people; it was the fame of being tenth on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, the reputation of a 'slaughter god' whispered among the people of the capital, and even the remnants of the world's momentum after he slew the dragon.
This power was too heavy. The current framework of the first level of the Red Dust Phantom Step simply couldn't support such a massive sense of reality.
As a result, the energy that should have dispersed into a phantom instead poured back into Gu Chengming’s body upon collapse.
"Ugh..."
Gu Chengming grunted as he felt a swelling sensation in his dantian.
This backflowing power didn't cause him harm; instead, because it was of the same origin, it was instantly partitioned and consumed by the 【Yin Yang Creation Strategy】 and Hundred Bones Resonating in his body.
The bottleneck of the Second Realm, Third Level peak was shattered without even a symbolic resistance under this pure surge of energy carrying the aspirations of the masses.
Crack.
An invisible barrier shattered.
Before the surrounding spiritual energy vortex could even form, it was directly swallowed by Gu Chengming’s domineering physical body.
His qi sea expanded, and his true essence was refined.
The dragon-shaped qi seed residing in the center of his qi sea seemed to have overeaten, letting out a burp. Its scales became clearer, and even the faint outline of a mane began to grow.
Second Realm, Fourth Level.
Gu Chengming slowly opened his eyes. Feeling the power within him that was almost overflowing, his expression became a bit strange.
He looked down at his hands, then at the jade slip of the Red Dust Phantom Step on his knees.
"What is this?"
Gu Chengming didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
He clearly wanted to practice a movement technique, but the technique failed, and the phantom that required fine control just exploded.
But because it exploded so thoroughly and the energy recovery was so perfect, it actually pushed his cultivation up by a level?
This kind of 'practicing went wrong but resulted in a breakthrough' plot seemed absurd no matter how he looked at it.
Although he hadn't mastered the Red Dust Phantom Step yet, this attempt had deepened his understanding of red dust qi.
Moreover, the breakthrough in cultivation was real.
At the Second Realm, Fourth Level, combined with his terrifying physical body and various trump cards, if he encountered a Longevity Sect deacon like the last one, he probably wouldn't even need to shout "Emperor Bai, help me!" and could suppress them with his normal combat power alone.
"So be it."
Gu Chengming pushed open the door of the meditation room, feeling the cold wind blowing through the corridor.
"With higher cultivation, it should be easier to bear the weight of that karma when I practice this technique in the future."
He straightened his clothes and walked toward the deck.
Since he had broken through, he might as well get some fresh air and scrounge some Flowing Cloud Pastry from Elder Yu.
On the deck, the wind was still biting.
But Gu Chengming now felt that the wind on his face was quite refreshing.
He walked over to Yu Wenqiu. The elder was still in the same position, except the melon seeds had been replaced by candied fruit.
Seeing Gu Chengming come out, Yu Wenqiu lazily lifted her eyelids. Then, her movements suddenly froze.
She sat up straight and looked Gu Chengming up and down several times, a hint of shock flashing in her eyes.
"You... broke through?"
How long had it been since he went in? Two hours?
"I had a small realization."
Gu Chengming didn't hide it, taking a piece of candied fruit from her plate and stuffing it into his mouth. He said indistinctly, "Just good luck. Something went wrong while practicing, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise."
"Something went wrong... and you still broke through as a blessing in disguise?"
Yu Wenqiu looked at the candied fruit in her hand and suddenly felt the sweetness had become bland.
She lay back down, pulled up her blanket to cover half her face, and stared at the sky gloomily with only her eyes showing, muttering:
"There’s no justice in this world anymore..."
"Sleep, I'm going to sleep. If I don't sleep, my dao heart might become unstable."
Gu Chengming couldn't help but chuckle at her defeated look.
The flying boat cut through the clouds, heading north.
After passing the bustling lands of the Central Province, the mountains and rivers below gradually became vast and desolate. The once mild wind began to carry tiny ice shards, and the light cotton-like clouds turned into heavy lead-gray ones, pressing so low it felt like one could touch the dome of the sky by raising a hand.
Gu Chengming stood at the side of the ship. His thin martial attire had already been replaced by a black fur-lined cloak for warmth under Yu Wenqiu’s strong suggestion.
The true essence from his recent breakthrough galloped through his meridians. The fullness of the Second Realm, Fourth Level made him feel warm even in this biting astral wind.
"We’re half a day’s journey from Falling Snow Pass."
Yu Wenqiu was bundled in thick fox fur, her eyes fixed on the faint gray-white line in the distance.
That was the Northern Great Wall of Daqian, the boundary between the human race and the demon domain.
"Once we’re there, we can see Senior Sister Luo."
Yu Wenqiu stuffed a piece of dried meat into her mouth and mumbled, "The journey has been excessively peaceful. It seems those demon brats know how to be afraid. Knowing Director Zhou is personally overseeing this, they’ve tucked their tails between their legs."
Gu Chengming smiled and looked at the largest flagship in the front. Zhou Qingmu was stationed there.
This journey had indeed been too smooth.
Forget about attacks from great demons; even slightly larger birds steered clear from a hundred miles away.
It felt as if the entire northern border was making way for the Night Guard.
"Perhaps it’s the calm before the storm?" Gu Chengming remarked casually.
"Ptooh, ptooh, ptooh! You jinx!" Yu Wenqiu glared at him. "Little Gu, do you not know how to talk? We’re almost there, where’s this storm coming from? This is called the Imperial Army heading north to pacify the land while demons scatter!"
Gu Chengming laughed and was about to say a few auspicious words to follow the elder's lead.
Suddenly, he keenly noticed that the wind around them had stopped.
It wasn't a natural cessation, but as if something had forcefully sucked the air out of this part of the world.
The flags that were just fluttering suddenly hung limp. The heavy clouds froze in mid-air, and even the roar of the flying boats cutting through the air became extremely faint at this moment, as if swallowed by some invisible medium.
"Something's wrong..."
Yu Wenqiu practically shot up from the couch. Her lazy aura vanished instantly, replaced by a grave expression.
"Little Gu! Come here!"
Before Gu Chengming could react, Yu Wenqiu grabbed his wrist with incredible strength.
In the next moment.
The sky fell.
Without any warning or sound, the heavy lead-gray clouds above were suddenly torn apart from the heavens by an indescribably massive black hand, like fragile paper.
The giant hand didn't fall directly, but the sheer force it carried the moment it emerged from the clouds turned into physical pressure. Like an inverted mountain, it slammed toward the front of the flying boat fleet.
"BOOM—!!!"
It seemed the only sound left in the world.
The Zhenyue flagship, representing the pinnacle of Daqian's artifact crafting and engraved with countless defensive formations, was like a delicate toy before this giant hand.
The layers of glowing protective barriers couldn't even hold for a single breath before shattering in a series of agonizing cracks.
The massive hull groaned as it was forced downward by the terrifying power. The stern tilted high, nearly disintegrating in the air.
"Impudent!!!"
A clear, angry cry erupted from the flagship.
A blade light like a rising sun, carrying the domineering will to cleave through everything, shot up from the nearly capsizing deck to strike the black giant hand.
Clang!
The sound of metal clashing echoed through the clouds. The resulting shockwave swept in all directions, shattering the clouds for miles around.
The giant hand was halted by this strike. A wound deep enough to see bone appeared on its palm, and black demon blood spilled like a waterfall, each drop turning into poisonous rain that corroded the earth.
Zhou Qingmu hovered in mid-air, her hair disheveled and her purple-gold official robes flapping wildly in the gale.
She held a long blade, her face cold as frost as she glared into the depths of the torn clouds.
"Cowards hiding in the shadows! Show yourselves!"
Following her shout, several mocking chuckles echoed from the clouds.
The laughter shook the heavens, carrying nauseating stench and frenzy.
"Director Zhou sure has a temper."
"This king just saw this flying boat was exquisitely made and wanted to borrow it to play with. Why the need for blades and spears?"
The mist dispersed.
Three figures slowly emerged in the sky, surrounding Zhou Qingmu’s flagship in a triangular formation.
The one on the left had a ferocious wolf head. The one on the right had wings on its back and green skin with fangs; a single flap of its wings sent astral winds howling, the sharp aura stinging one's skin.
And the one in the middle was the one who had just attacked.
It wore heavy armor and had the form of a bull. Lava-like fire flowed in its red eyes, and it radiated a heavy demon aura enough to crush mountains.
"Wolf Lord Xuan Shuo... Bat Lord Bi Qiong... Rock Sovereign Yue Ting..."
Zhou Qingmu narrowed her eyes and spoke each name. Her fingers holding the blade turned white from the force. Her voice was as cold as if squeezed through her teeth:
"Good... very good!"
"Three fifth realm demon kings coming together. It seems you intend to completely tear up the treaty signed with my Daqian?"
Rock Sovereign Yue Ting let out a thunderous sneer.
"Zhou Qingmu, save your empty threats. Do it!"
With a loud shout, the auras of the three great demon kings erupted. They wasted no more words, each displaying their divine abilities and charging toward Zhou Qingmu with world-destroying power.
"Everyone! Scatter! Break through on your own!"
Zhou Qingmu only managed to shout this single command before she turned into a streak of purple-gold light, actively meeting the three demon kings.
She had to hold back these three beasts; otherwise, the mere aftershocks would wipe out the entire fleet.
At the same time, the once orderly flying boat fleet completely fell into chaos under the terrifying pressure.
"Quick! Turn! Scatter and break through!"
"Activate the backup formations! Full speed away!"
The massive hulls struggled to turn in the air, trying to escape this death zone.
Gu Chengming’s boat was on the left wing of the fleet. At this moment, it was also running at full power toward the mountains in the southwest.
The cabin was deathly silent. Everyone gripped their weapons, their faces pale.
"Something’s wrong."
Gu Chengming stood on the deck, gripping the railing tightly as his gaze swept around.
Three demon kings surrounding Zhou Qingmu was indeed a killing trap.
But... the demon race's hidden moves surely wouldn't be limited to just these three top-tier combatants.
"ROAR—!!!"
As if to confirm his suspicion.
From the mountains below, one beast roar after another suddenly echoed.
Countless black dots rose from the forests like locusts—uncountable flying demons.
And within that black tide of beasts, over a dozen exceptionally strong auras—clearly fourth realm great demons—were charging toward the scattering flying boats.
"Watch out!" Yu Wenqiu shouted.
Her old waist token had been tucked away at some point, replaced by a crystal-clear longsword radiating freezing sword intent.
Boom!
The flying boat shook violently.
A massive wind blade struck from the side and below without warning, slamming hard into the boat's protective shield.
The glowing shield flickered and let out an overburdened wail before shattering. The gale rushed in, and wood splinters flew everywhere. A monstrous bird with a wingspan of several yards, covered in green scales, landed heavily on the deck accompanied by a foul wind.
It folded its wings, its turgid vertical pupils scanning the people on the deck like a pack of lambs waiting for slaughter.
A fourth realm early stage Green-Scaled Eagle Demon!
"Good luck. The food on this ship is very much to my liking."
The eagle demon let out a piercing, strange laugh, its gaze finally locking onto Yu Wenqiu, who had the strongest aura.
Yu Wenqiu’s expression was grave. Although she usually seemed lazy, her quality as a Wenjian Sect elder was fully displayed in such a crisis.
She didn't hesitate for a second. With a turn of her sword, she stepped directly in front of Gu Chengming.
"Little Gu, hold onto me!"
Yu Wenqiu’s voice was incredibly fast. "This beast is in the fourth realm and a flying demon. We can't beat it up here. The boat is finished; we have to abandon ship!"
As she spoke, a strange silver light suddenly lit up in her eyes.
It wasn't sword intent, but a more profound fluctuation, as if she could see through the essence of the void.
—Heavenly Eye, open!
In her vision, the once chaotic space instantly became clear. Countless threads representing spatial nodes intertwined in her eyes.
She quickly locked onto a safe node hundreds of miles away.
"Trying to run?"
Although the eagle demon didn't know what methods Yu Wenqiu had, its demonic instincts allowed it to sense the slight fluctuation in space.
"Playing with spatial shifting in front of this lord? Naive!"
Screech—!
A sharp cry rang out. The eagle demon’s wings flapped violently, and countless green feathers turned into a sky full of blades, sealing off all the surrounding space.
At the same time, its talons, seemingly cast from iron, lunged toward Yu Wenqiu's face with terrifying force that tore through the air!
Too fast! The explosive speed of a fourth realm great demon was not something a third realm cultivator could easily react to, let alone when Yu Wenqiu was currently mostly focused on constructing the spatial tunnel.
If she retracted her move to defend, the spatial tunnel would collapse, and both of them would be shredded by the spatial turbulence.
If she didn't... she would be heavily injured by this strike.
Just as the talons were about to touch Yu Wenqiu’s brow.
A figure stepped into this death trap.
It was a back that wasn't particularly broad, wearing a black cloak and not even holding a sword.
Gu Chengming stood in front of Yu Wenqiu.
He had no time to draw his sword, nor time to set up a formation.
Facing this claw strike that could pierce through gold and stone, he could only do one thing.
—Emperor Bai, help me!
【This Emperor is here!!!】
Deep within his sea of consciousness, the long-dormant silver-haired phantom suddenly opened its eyes at this moment.
A vast, domineering, and supreme imperial will instantly took over Gu Chengming’s body.
His internal strength was drained in an instant, all of it gathering in his ordinary-looking right fist.
Time seemed to slow down at this moment.
Gu Chengming could clearly see the transition in the eagle demon's eyes from contempt to shock. He could see every pattern on those talons.
He didn't retreat. He didn't dodge. He simply threw a punch.
This punch was only to clear the way!
"BOOM—!!!"
Fist and talon slammed into each other in mid-air.
There was no blood and flesh flying as imagined, nor the sound of bones shattering.
Only a visible white shockwave expanded madly in a ring from the two of them.
The floorboards on the deck instantly turned into powder, and the wreckage of the flying boat was blown dozens of yards away by the shockwave.
The Green-Scaled Eagle Demon felt an indescribably terrifying giant force travel from its talons.
That power was extremely domineering, not only ignoring its protective demon qi but also rushing straight through its arm’s meridians to its internal organs, shaking its demon core violently.
Its massive body was actually forced backward by this giant force!
Although it only flew back a few yards and didn't suffer any substantial damage, for a fourth realm great demon to be forced back by a direct punch from a second realm human ant was an absolute humiliation!
The eagle demon stabilized its figure, the mockery in its eyes turning completely into rage. "Ant! You seek death!!!"
However, it no longer had a chance.
The single second bought by this punch was enough for Yu Wenqiu.
"Go!" Yu Wenqiu bit the tip of her tongue.
She didn't care about the enraged eagle demon and grabbed Gu Chengming’s waist—he was already devoid of strength.
Space underwent a bizarre distortion at this moment.
The figures of the two became blurred, like reflections in water shattered by a stone.
The eagle demon’s second strike, fueled by its rage, slammed hard into the blurred afterimage.
Rip—
The void was torn, but there was no one there.
Only a few pieces of shredded black fabric slowly drifted in the gale.
The wreckage of the flying boat burned in the sky. The roars of the three demon kings were now only two. At some point, Zhou Qingmu had already severed the head of one demon king.
The sensation of spatial teleportation was not pleasant.
It felt like being stuffed into a washing machine, spinning at three thousand revolutions per second, before finally being slammed onto the ground, body and soul included.
The moment Gu Chengming landed, his stomach churned.
His body, already drained of strength by the 【Emperor Bai, help me!】 punch, was now weak to the extreme.
He could only hear the whistling wind, mixed with the slight stinging pain of snow hitting his face. He had already prepared for the worst-case scenario.
Like landing in some godforsaken snowy wasteland or an ancient forest filled with great demons, and then playing out a scene of 'The Revenant' or 'Wandering with an Elder' with his slacker Elder Yu.
Gu Chengming struggled to prop up his body. Through his blurred vision, he saw a white figure standing in front of him.
The snow was too heavy, and with his soul exhausted, he couldn't see clearly for a moment. He only felt the figure was cold and solitary, yet possessing a strange sense of familiarity.
"Elder... Yu?" Gu Chengming called out instinctively.
He thought, How did Elder Yu not fall flat on her face this time? She can actually stand so steadily?
However, the figure didn't respond to his call.
She only looked down slightly, watching these two 'refugees' who had suddenly dropped out of the void with a gaze filled with confusion and a bit of scrutiny.
And at that figure’s waist was a 'clinger' who was currently hugging her leg for dear life.
Gu Chengming: "..."
He blinked and finally saw clearly that the 'clinger' was none other than his Elder Yu Wenqiu, who had just been so majestic opening her Heavenly Eye to lead them in their escape.
As for the white-clothed woman whose leg she was hugging—who looked helpless but hadn't kicked her away...
"Waaah! Senior Sister Luo!"
Gu Chengming looked around and finally realized they weren't in any wilderness, but on a towering black fortress that pierced the clouds.
Beneath his feet were hard obsidian tiles, and beside him was a city wall engraved with complex formations. And beyond the city wall was the vast, demon-aura-filled northern snow plains.
This was... Falling Snow Pass?
—Although he had heard Elder Yu say she had a very powerful escape technique...
But wasn't this a bit too powerful?
She could actually teleport precisely onto a 'big leg'?
Rate on N.U.
