Chapter 38: Preemptive Ambush

The big yellow dog came to a halt, lowered its head to sniff, and hesitated, its tail wagging tentatively from side to side.

Zhuzi narrowed his eyes slightly and signaled for everyone to stop. "We'll split up to search. If anyone finds something, give a shout. They couldn't have gone far in such a short time!"

The flat terrain below made them too easy to spot, and he suspected the group might have headed up into the mountains. Zhuzi led a team toward the slopes.

In the forest, several people lay on the hillside, watching the scattered torchlight below.

Fine! The young man decisively lowered the curtain, terrified that someone might see he was traveling with the others.

For a time, no one could come up with a better plan, so they were forced to maintain the status quo.

The Great Emperor, as if he had found a long-lost treasure, hurriedly cradled the divine turtle in his arms and pressed his cheek against it with a kiss. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that this turtle, much like its kin, possessed a unique physique.

"Senior! It really is you!" Ji Cheng looked at the suddenly appeared elder, his eyes filled with disbelief. He never expected that the one arriving to rescue him would be the same eccentric, wine-loving old man he had crossed paths with in the heavens long ago.

From the moment they stepped through the Gates of the Heavenly Kingdom, the Heavenly Dragon and the Heavenly Phoenix were truly awestruck, their eyes dazzled by the myriad of exotic palaces and wonders. The Heavenly Dragon was the first to break the silence.

Therefore, he only taught them basic cultivation knowledge, choosing not to speak of the affairs within the various cultivation realms as Jiang Qiuge had; he simply saw no need.

In truth, Boyi was a virtuous and humble man. He was one of the founding heroes of the Xia Dynasty and had made significant contributions during the great flood control efforts. After the Great Yu passed away, Boyi followed the benevolent example of his predecessor and deferred the throne to Yu’s son, Qi.

Rou Ji replied solemnly, explaining that such vital intelligence had already been sent back to the Imperial Court, though Lin Xiao had left in such a rush that he had not seen it.

However, Lin Xiao’s expression remained grave. Not giving anyone else a chance to speak, he landed and immediately began to address them.

The three of them walked out of Teaching Building No. 3, following Qi Xueshan toward a nearby single-story white bungalow.

A long blade, shimmering with golden light, tore through the dark, silent sky. It descended with such force that the entire space trembled, threatening to shatter the boundaries of the world.

The bowl had a chipped rim and tea stains crusted at the bottom; it looked older than the young man sitting beside it.

Not every genius could invent artificial superficial skin with primitive equipment at the age of thirteen, carving out their own path to greatness.

"Start searching. Take whatever food you can find, and grab the gas canisters for the portable stoves if there are any. Don't bother with the other junk." Lin Sheng watched Chang Zhao holding a broken frying pan and shook his head in silence.

There were no other demons nearby, so even if the disciples were a bit tipsy, they would not be in any danger.

With a wave of her hand, a black vortex suddenly appeared in mid-air, and a jet-black pterosaur emerged from it. With one golden eye and one blood-red eye, it let out a long cry and bowed its head before the man standing at her side.

Yu Zhi frowned. "Is this the intention of the Yue family, or is it just the Fifth Master Yue?" Hadn't she already refused them? Why hadn't they given up yet?

Whenever this happened, they felt especially envious of the Minister of the Grand Court of Justice. Look at the life he led; they regretted not having moved faster to snatch Wen Jiuxiao for themselves back then.

Yu Zhi shrugged. "I assumed someone else would have told you." Suddenly remembering something, she slapped her forehead. "They must have thought I would tell you, and I thought they would tell you, and as a result..." She spread her hands. As it turned out, neither side had said a word.

"How could that be? You're still inside—how could we possibly leave you behind?" I blurted out, refusing him immediately.