txolops Chapter 145 The Nascent Soul Realm Expert's Speculation! Turmoil in the Star Sea!
Chapter 145 The Nascent Soul Realm Expert's Speculation! Turmoil in the Star Sea!
The fifth floor of the inner hall of the Void Heaven Palace.
Several hours after Lin Chuan and his two companions teleported away, figures began to return one after another.
The first to return was the bearded man.
His face was full of resentment. He had obviously been looking around outside and found that although he had obtained the Heaven-Mending Pill, he still felt that something was missing. The Void Heaven Cauldron was the biggest goal of this trip, but now he had forgotten about it. The more he thought about it, the more something felt wrong.
Immediately afterwards, Wan Tianming, Tian Wuzi, and Mu Tengzi also returned.
Halfway through their pursuit of the barbarian, they suddenly realized—the Heaven-Mending Pill was good, but the Void Heaven Cauldron was the true treasure!
It would be a huge joke if someone else got the benefit.
Then came the Extreme Yin Ancestor and the Qingyi Hermit.
All six Nascent Soul cultivators returned without exception.
However, when they stepped into the white light barrier surrounding Hanlitai, everyone was stunned.
What about the Void Heaven Cauldron?
The giant cauldron that should have been in the deep cave, enveloped in azure ice flames, has now vanished without a trace!
What about the Azure Ice Flame?
The raging blue flames, which even Nascent Soul cultivators dared not touch, have completely disappeared!
Even those three people—Xuan Gu, Han Li, and Wu Chou—have all disappeared!
"This...how is this possible?!"
The bearded man stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief.
They had only been gone for a few hours when the Void Heaven Cauldron was taken away.
Who has that ability?
Wan Tianming's eyes flickered as he slowly scanned everyone present. Finally, his gaze landed on the Extreme Yin Ancestor.
"Ji Yin, two of the three who disappeared were closely related to you—one was your grand-disciple Wu Chou, and the other was your newly accepted disciple Han Li. Could it be that you secretly instructed them to take the Void Heaven Cauldron and the Azure Ice Flame?"
Upon hearing this, both the bearded man and the hermit Qingyi turned their gazes toward the Yin Ancestor.
The Yin Ancestor's face stiffened, then he flew into a rage!
"Bullshit! Wan Tianming, stop spouting nonsense!"
His beard and hair stood on end as he pointed at the empty, deep cave and roared, "Gentlemen, I've already told you, my good-for-nothing grandson has been killed! If it weren't for this Heavenly Barrier, I would have sensed his death!"
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his anger, and turned to the bearded man.
"Brother Man, speaking of which, that last person—that green-robed cultivator—seems to have a connection with you, and he's also the strongest. Could it be that he killed my grandson and disciple and took the Void Heaven Cauldron?"
The bearded man frowned.
The Xuan Bone... he did indeed put it in. But that old guy only has a wisp of remnant soul left, how could he have this ability?
"Ji Yin, stop changing the subject." Wan Tianming sneered. "Your disciple Han Li may only appear to be at the early stage of Core Formation, but who knows if he's hiding his true strength? Besides, if it really was that green-robed cultivator, why would he kill your grandson? Your grandson had no grudge against him..."
"That's enough!"
The bearded man waved his hand, interrupting the argument.
"What's the point of arguing now? The Void Cauldron is gone. The most urgent thing is to find those three missing people!"
His gaze swept coldly over the crowd.
"Regardless of who took the Void Heaven Cauldron, these four are the most suspicious—the green-robed cultivator, Han Li, Wu Chou, and..."
He paused, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.
"There's one more person."
Wan Tianming interjected, "You mean that Core Formation cultivator with the strange escape technique?"
"right."
The bearded man nodded. "That kid who ran away first, when I chased after him, I sensed a faint presence near the entrance to the fifth floor. At the time, I thought it was my imagination, but now I think he might have been here too."
"A fake infant cultivator was able to hide right under our noses and even take the Void Heaven Cauldron after we left?" Qingyi Jushi was somewhat skeptical.
"Don't underestimate anyone," Wan Tianming said in a deep voice. "That person's speed was so fast that even Brother Man couldn't catch up with him. He might have other ways to hide. If he really took the Void Heaven Cauldron, then this person's cunning and methods should not be underestimated."
The six Nascent Soul cultivators exchanged glances and finally reached a consensus—
Whoever they are, we must find these four people as soon as possible!
A massive manhunt sweeping across the entire Chaotic Star Sea has begun.
……
At this moment, Lin Chuan was speeding across an unfamiliar sea area, riding his escape light.
The teleportation from the Void Heaven Palace is random. The moment he was teleported out, he only felt a flash of white light before his eyes, and the next moment he appeared on a vast sea, with no one around.
Yuan Yao and Han Li were not by her side.
However, he and Yuan Yao had already made an agreement—after they went out, they would meet at a nearby island called Wind Howl Island.
Lin Chuan took out the nautical chart, identified the location, and sped towards Wind Howling Island.
He secretly made plans along the way.
He's taken the Void Heaven Cauldron; those Nascent Soul stage monsters certainly won't let it go easily. Once the news spreads, the Star Palace will likely also be watching him. He can't go back to Heavenly Star City; it's the Star Palace's stronghold, and going back would be like walking into a trap.
We can only go to the open sea.
Only by staying far away from the Inner Star Sea and the spheres of influence of those powerful forces can one truly be safe.
……
Several days later, Lin Chuan arrived at Wind Howl Island.
This island is only a few hundred miles in circumference, but he chose it as the meeting point simply because it had a name on the nautical chart.
The island was desolate, with only a few scattered trees. Lin Chuan sat quietly waiting at the foot of a secluded cliff on the island.
The next day, a streak of light finally appeared on the horizon.
Yuan Yao!
She looked a little tired, but her eyes lit up with joy the moment she saw Lin Chuan.
"Brother Chuan!"
She quickly came to greet him and took Lin Chuan's hand.
"Have you been waiting long?"
"Not long." Lin Chuan smiled slightly and gently squeezed her hand. "It's good that you've arrived."
The two briefly exchanged their experiences after being teleported.
Yuan Yao was teleported to a sea area about 300 miles away from the Void Heaven Palace. She carefully made her way here.
"Brother Chuan, where do we go next?"
Yuan Yao asked, her eyes filled with confusion.
She was also a wanted person—she had killed the young master of the Qingyang Sect, and the Qingyang Sect had been putting a bounty on her head. Now that the matter of the Xutian Palace had caused such a commotion, her situation would only worsen.
"The Inner Star Sea is probably not a good place to stay."
Lin Chuan pondered for a moment.
He seized the Void Heaven Cauldron. Whether those Nascent Soul cultivators suspected it was him or not, they all wanted to arrest those involved and confront them. When the news reached the Star Palace, they would also be keeping an eye on him.
We can't go to Tianxing City.
"You mean, we're going to the outer sea?" A glint of light flashed in Yuan Yao's eyes.
"Um."
Lin Chuan nodded. "We'll only be safe if we go to the outer sea. It's far from all the major powers there, and nobody can interfere."
"But..." Yuan Yao hesitated, "We need a teleportation array to get to the outer sea. The nearest teleportation point is in Tianxing City."
"Then let's go to Tianxing City."
Lin Chuan's gaze was firm. "Before the news spreads, let's use the teleportation array to leave before the Star Palace is placed under martial law."
……
The two immediately set off, speeding towards Tianxing City.
However, as they got closer to Tianxing City, things started to look strange on the road.
The cultivators that one might occasionally encounter on ordinary days were now appearing in groups—three to five people in a group, or even a dozen or more people in a group, moving in a hurry and looking wary.
A month later, Lin Chuan finally encountered his first Core Formation stage cultivator.
The moment the man saw Lin Chuan and Yuan Yao, his expression changed drastically. He became extremely wary and fled far away, showing no intention of approaching to talk to them.
One such case is understandable.
But after encountering two Core Formation cultivators with the same expression and behavior in the following days, Yuan Yao finally sensed something was wrong.
"Brother Chuan, why are these people all acting like they've seen a ghost? Has word of the Void Heaven Palace already spread?"
"Don't panic."
Lin Chuan held her hand, his tone calm yet firm.
No matter what, I will protect you.
Yuan Yao looked at him, and the unease in her heart gradually dissipated.
She believed him.