With the beauties by his side and a group of subordinates following closely behind, Zhang sped across the sky in order to catch up to the cultivators from the Dragon G.o.d Palace and the rest of the experts who were leaving long streaks across the sky as they flew through a sea of clouds.
Soon enough, the ma.s.sive camp that housed countless tens of thousands of people turned into a tiny speck, going completely out of view as the group flew further and further away.
“You do you four want to have a seat?” Zhang asked as he waved his hand and activated a magical ring that he had obtained from the first saint level expert that he had killed, making a fluffy white colored cloud form underneath his feet.
“I’ll race you.” Ai said with a giggle as she activated a similar looking magical ring of her own and also made a fluffy white colored cloud form under her feet before accelerating ahead of Zhang.
“I guess a little fun won’t be a problem.” Zhang thought with a shrug as he signaled for the other beauties to come over.
“Just what and see what happens when I catch you, Ai!” Zhang said with a laugh as Yuying, Ling, and Lingqi landed atop behind him and while the fluffy cloud they were standing on began to accelerate at unbelievable speeds, prompting Ai to look back and stick her tongue out in a childish manner.
Basically, ignoring everyone else present, Zhang and Ai raced across the sky, while performing an a.s.sortment of eye-catching aerial maneuvers and in a flash, nearly half a day had gone by.
“Ai, why are you slowing down so much? Are you getting tired now?” Yuying said with a laugh as She and Zhang, along with Ling and Lingqi closed in on Ai.
“Catch me if you can!” Ai yelled in a cheerful manner as the cloud she stood atop of performed a spiral spin before accelerating once again.
“Even if you run to the ends of the earth, I’ll still be able to catch you!!” Zhang yelled as the cloud underneath his feet miraculous became three times faster, allowing him to catch up to Ai in a fraction of a second.
“Think fast!” Zhang laughed as he leaped into the air and pounced onto Ai, pushing her onto the puffy cloud that she was standing atop of.
“Looks like it’s time to collect my reward” Zhang said with a laugh as he gently caressed Ai’s face before planting a light kiss on her cheek, causing them to blush.
“Hey! Technically we won the race too!” Lingqi said as she gracefully landed beside Zhang and Ai.
“Then I guess you deserve a reward too.” Zhang said with a chuckle as he grabbed Lingqi’s arm and pulled her down onto the fluffy cloud and planted a kiss on her cheek. Before long, Yuying and Ling also joined in on the fun, however, things did not progress very far because there were dozens of people scattered throughout the sky around them and the situation would have become too awkward.
As saints, everyone’s senses were extremely heightened, meaning if they focused solely on Zhang and the beauties, despite being dozens of feet away they would be able to see everything that was happening.
“When do you think we’ll arrive?” Yuying asked as Zhang made the cloud they were laying on descend and fly inches atop of the calm ocean’s surface.
“Don’t know, but I’m sure the inheritance of a supreme expert must be hidden somewhere where few can go.” Zhang said as he looked up into the clouds.
“You guys can wake me when we get there.” Ai said with a yawn as she cuddled up in the puffy cotton-like cloud.
“It’s getting pretty late, you three should rest a bit also. If something happens I’ll wake you all.” Zhang said as he watched his wives with a caring expression on his face. By now the sun was about to set and night was quickly arriving, many hours had flown by since the journey began and countless islands and a vast amount of ocean had been left behind, however, the miniature metallic dragon was still soaring through the sky without any hint of slowing down.
With a calm melody provided by the shifting waves, the beauties all quickly dozed off and drifted to the land of dreams as the sun departed and the moon and stars arrived to illuminate the dark skies.
After his wives fell into a deep slumber, Zhang waved his hand and withdrew large warm looking blanket from his interspatial ring. Then with utmost care as to not wake anyone, Zhang gently draped the blanket over the sleeping beauties.
“Young Lord of the Blood Coral Cove, it seems you care for them very much.” A calm tone sounded into Zhang’s mind.
“Of course I do, Lord Long Zhiming. If I didn’t then I wouldn’t have dared to offend you when that two old bag of bones threatened me.” Zhang responded through his divine sense as he looked into the direction where the group of cultivators from the Dragon G.o.d Palace were.
“It seems your words have a hint of truth to them.” Lord Long Zhiming replied.
“I a.s.sure you that everything I’ve told you consists of only the truth.” Zhang said through his divine sense in a rea.s.suring tone.
“If you can show your worth to the Dragon G.o.d Palace then I will guarantee that no harm will befall you and your wives.” Lord Long Zhiming said.
“Simply tell me what you want to be done, be it a mountain of blades or a sea of sizzling oil, as long as you can guarantee their safety then I’m willing to do anything.” Zhang said as a determined look appeared on his face.
“Judging from the direction we are heading our path will soon by blocked by the Demonic Reef and we’ll have to cross the Shoal of Serpents. As we cross the Shoal of Serpents, there a few a certain thing that I want you to retrieve. If you can do that, I will do as I promised.” Lord Long Zhiming said.
“If that is what it takes to earn your trust my lord, simply tell me what you want me to acquire for you.” Zhang said as a shower of questions arose in his mind.
“Demonic Reef? Shoal of Serpents?” Zhang thought as his imagination ran wild, trying to conjure up an image of the places Lord Long Zhiming mentioned.
“Good! When the time comes, I will tell you what I want you to retrieve.” Lord Long Zhiming said before cutting off communication with Zhang.
“As long as I don’t have to retrieve anyone’s head everything will be fine and according to plan.” Zhang thought as a slightly devious grin surfaced on his face for a fraction of a second before disappearing without a single trace as his eyes once again gazed down at his four wives who were sleeping cozily atop the fluffy cloud.
With the moon’s luminescent rays shining down upon them further amplifying their appeal, and a curtain of constellations looming up above acting as accessories, the four beauties seemed otherworldly as Zhang kept watch over them as they continued to slumber.
Like a guardian made of stone, Zhang continued to watch the loves of his life without batting a single eye. Deep down to his very core he wished that moments such as these could last forever, sadly as life would have it, the sweetest memories usually only lasts but a flicker of a moment while an endless amount of struggle and hardship awaited.
“Thank you… Thank you for going on this journey they call life with me… Thank you for keeping me from a dark b.l.o.o.d.y path...” Zhang said in a low inaudible tone as he stroked Yuying’s silky reddish hair while looking at the other three beauties.
Although it may seem to most that it was Zhang who was containing the beauties and keeping them from being cold-hearted murderers, it was, in fact, the other way around.
It was the four beauties who were actually keeping Zhang from walking down a much bloodier path filled with death and destruction. Perhaps if they were not around, Zhang wouldn’t even bother to contemplate the consequences of his actions and simply slaughter all who happened to stand in his way.
Despite not currently being a holy man, had Zhang never meet Yuying, Ai, and Lingqi or had his love for Ling never come to fruition then it is certain that Zhang would have decided to seek revenge on the Siw.a.n.g Empire already and would have surely left a trail of blood in his wake.
Luckily as he encountered his wives one after the other, Zhang’s personality had undergone many subtle changes. He no longer charged head first into danger without sparing a second thought and instead began to think about the future a tiny bit more.
He also gained a slight sense of compa.s.sion that he had somewhat lacked before. Zhang would kill when necessary to secure his wellbeing and the wellbeing of the beauties but wouldn’t needlessly slaughter. He would kill the mastermind but spare the soldiers who were simply following orders. He can forgive and forget those who had wronged him, something that many people would not be able to do if they were put in his shoes.
While the old Zhang was more than willing to sacrifice himself for the people around him, the new Zhang was willing to fight to live another day with his loved ones
Despite continuing to watch over his four lovely wives, while seconds soon turned into minutes and minutes soon turned into hours, and finally when night turned into day, Zhang did not seem the least bit fatigued at all, rather there was a faint smile present on his face the entire night. It was as if, simply watching the four beauties sleep, rejuvenated his body and his soul.
Zhang continued to drift in a blissful state of mind until a deafening roar rang into his ears, shattering his tranquility and waking the four beauties from their trip to the land of dreams.
Looking into the distance toward the miniature dragon, a ma.s.sive chain of oddly shaped mountains came into view. This chain of mountains stretched across the horizon as far as the eye could see, seemingly without end, their peaks penetrated so high up into the clouds that it seemed like they could reach the heavens.
“Coral?” Zhang mumbled as he noticed that a few of these oddly shaped mountains resembled the shape of coral.
“Everyone should rest up a bit, we will soon reach the Demonic Reef and will have to pa.s.s through the Shoal of Serpents. Once we reach the Demonic Reef and enter the Shoal of Serpents, I advise everyone to be on high alert or risk losing their lives. This place is extremely dangerous.” Master Shan Jin’s voice echoed through the air as he warned everyone of the dangers that were to come.
“Master Shan Jin, what makes the Demonic Reef and Shoal of Serpents so dangerous?” Zhang asked.
“The entirety of the Demonic Reef is covered in what is called, Black Thorn Coral. Anyone or anything that is caught by the Black Thorn Coral and infected by its venom is turned into stone and becomes a part of the Demonic Reef, regardless of whether they are regular cultivators or high saints...” Master Shan Jin said, sending chills down the spines of many of the people who had never been to the Demonic Reef before.
“Although they are very dangerous, the Black Thorn Coral are usually dormant during the day so we should be fine as long as nothing unusual happens. As for the Soul of Serpents, it is a large sand bar that happens to be the only path that cuts through the Demonic Reef within a thousand miles. Cushioned between two steep cliffs, it is the den of a large number of ancient demonic beasts. When these ancient demonic beasts work together they are powerful enough to slay full saints and ripe apart high saints.” Master Shan Jin said.
“However as long as no one takes flight and everyone proceeds on foot, we shouldn’t be attacked.” Master Yu Xui said in a rea.s.suring tone.
“How long will it take us to pa.s.s the Shoal of Serpents on foot?” Zhang asked.
“Roughly a day should be all it takes if no one dallies. I will deactivate the Dragon’s Compa.s.s now and after an hour’s rest we will resume our journey and head toward the Shoal of Serpents.” Lord Long Zhiming’s voice could be heard in the distance as he could be seen flying toward a small island covered entirely in white colored sand.
Soon after hearing Master Shan Jin, Master Yu Xui, and Lord Zhiming, everyone present flew toward the small sandy island to rest, however, that was not the case for Zhang and the beauties.
“Darling, let’s go and have a look, I want to collect some of that venom that Master Shan Jin was talking about. If I can get a sample maybe I can brew some of my own.” Lingqi said while her eyes twinkled with excitement. Like any other poison user, upon hearing about a poison that can petrify, Lingqi was instantly intrigued.
“Can we, please? As long as we are careful nothing should happen.” Lingqi begged after Zhang fell into deep thought after hearing her request.
“Yea let’s go have a look.” Ai said in an energetic voice.
“You know these two will keep bugging you until you let them go.” Ling said with a laugh.
“Fine, let’s go. But if there is even the slightest hint of danger we are heading back here until everyone else begins to move.” Zhang said in a stern voice as he couldn’t bring himself to turn Lingqi down after seeing the pleading expression she was making.
“Master Shan Jin, Master Yu Xui, we are going to have a look around the reef, if anything we’ll meet you all at the entrance into the Shoal of Serpents.” Zhang said before he made the fluffy cloud that the group was standing on speed through the air and toward the Demonic Reef.