Chapter 61 - Li Haoran, Part One
Onboard a huge s.h.i.+p sailing in the Thousand Islands Seas...
Inside his private room, Gu Hai sat in cross-legged position as his consciousness sunk inside the s.p.a.ce in his glabella.
Just as before, the black piece hovered at the top, lording over everything. And in the middle, floated a white crystal, seemingly suppressed by the black piece and unable to move.
At the bottom, where once used to be a hundred thousand endgames was reducing in number as they still continued to merge four boards together into one. There were too many endgames which Gu Hai was momentarily unable to completely merge.
At this time, a sound broke the silence of the private room as Gu Hai gradually opened his eyes, looking at Gao Xianzhi and Chen Tianshan who came in.
"How is it?"
"Your Grace, don"t worry, our s.h.i.+p is sailing all the way to Nine-Five Island!" answered Gao Xianzhi with a smile.
"However, it will take a bit longer, at least three months or so!" mentioned Chen Tianshan.
Listening to this, a frown crept up on Gu Hai eyebrows before he nodded, "Let"s hope nothing goes amiss!"
"Oh? Throne Master, we are perfectly safe here! At most, there will be some trouble at Nine-Five Island. What could go wrong in the meantime?" asked Chen Tianshan, perplexed.
"That day, we may have fooled a majority of cultivators with the clouds array. However, some intelligent people would naturally come to realize something after some time. Three months in the sea is a bit long, I hope nothing goes wrong!" stated Gu Hai. He was a bit worried.
"What!?" Chen Tianshan was slightly taken aback.
"Your Grace, a majority of the people should be rus.h.i.+ng about for the Golden Saturn Peach, why didn"t Your Grace use...?" asked Gao Xianzhi, a bit distressed.
If Gu Hai had eaten the last Saturn Peach in front of everyone, why would they be facing so much trouble?
Gu Hai shook his head as he said, "You don"t understand, since it"s the last one, it is even more precious! This one is more precious than the ten of them, because this is the only one! The only one of its kind!"
"Oh?"
"Its temptation is a double-edged sword! If it"s not used properly, we will only be harming ourselves, but if we use it properly, then!?" stated Gu Hai confidently.
"En?" Gao Xianzhi"s expression flickered.
Yet again, a confused look appeared on Chen Tianshan"s face; apparently, he could not guess Gu Hai"s intentions.
Gu Hai only shook his head. He didn"t elaborate.
---
After ten days...
The Tianyuan Island had already returned to what it was before. Nevertheless, cultivators still shuttled in and out of Xiantian Endgame World. Those who wanted to hunt Gu Hai down had already left. And those who didn"t want to, they naturally remained.
---
Inside the Xiantian Endgame World...
BOOM!
Fights were still happening, but most of them had stopped at this moment.
Even though all the Hundred Years Longevity Peaches were gone, the Hundred Years Longevity Peach Tree was still there. Maybe they could not take the whole tree, they could still take a branch and plant it; it might be possible, or it might not!?
Nevertheless, many cultivators were still unwilling to give up attacking.
However, Ninth Young Master had brought many natives with their cloud beasts, and had once again regained control after having secured the Hundred Years Longevity Peach Tree.
"ROAR!" The hydra let out a roar, which was followed by the roars of the thousand cloud beasts behind it.
In the face of this, thousands of cloud beasts in the outer ring stopped, albeit momentarily.
"Humph, ladies and gentlemen, calm down! It"s impossible to move the Hundred Years Longevity Peach Tree. Even if you could take it, it would still be useless!" Ninth Young Master shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Why?" the congregation of cultivators asked in disbelief.
"You think you can grow the longevity herb by just planting and watering it a bit?" Standing atop the hydra head, Ninth Young Master coldly rebuked them.
Hearing this, many cultivators knit their brows.
"Look at the roots of the Hundred Years Longevity Peach Tree, they are inserted into s.p.a.ce, not in the soil. Even if you take it, how are you going to plant it? The nutrients it absorbs are the forces of s.p.a.ce and time, its roots are planted in s.p.a.ce and time. Even if I give it to you, how are you going to plant it?" shouted Ninth Young Master.
Glancing at the roots, everyone realized it was indeed the case. Can we still plant it after taking it home?
Some people gave up, but there were some who were still unwilling. But so what? Without Gu Hai"s army and with all the natives of this world now reorganized by Ninth Young Master, they were simply unable to steal away the peach tree.
The risks were too high, and the prize was like the moon in the water. Everyone started hesitating.
The two sides were in a stalemate.
BOOM!
At this time, a loud crash resounded from the entrance far away.
"Ahhhh!"
"Such a huge flying s.h.i.+p!"...
A large number of cultivators were sent flying followed by the loud crash.
RUMBLE!
Slowly, two enormous flying s.h.i.+ps flew out of the entrance.
"Everyone quickly leave, the Ascendant Hall is taking over!" a loud shout reverberated from a flying s.h.i.+p.
Long Wantqing"s White Cloud and the Divine Battalion"s flying s.h.i.+p had arrived.
"Ascendant Hall? It"s the Ascendant Hall again!?" Cries of surprise rang out from all around.
------
Atop the flying s.h.i.+p...
Long Wanqing"s eyes flickered with a trace of anxiety.
"I wonder if Meng Tai and Gu Hai found anything!?" said Long Wanqing, knitting her brow.
Fire Throne Master Ding Rui frowned as well, as she spoke in a loud and clear voice, "Meng Tai, where the h.e.l.l are you?"
Ding Rui"s voice seemed to have a penetrating power as it reverberated through the world.
(All the cultivators) "..."
Ninth Young Master and the natives, high up the sky. "..."
All the cultivators around seemingly calmed down as they blankly gazed at the two flying s.h.i.+ps, with gazes filled with helplessness, confusion, and desolation.
All the cultivators looked at the flying s.h.i.+p in an extremely strange manner.
Meanwhile, the flying s.h.i.+ps flew higher and higher.
Grandmaster Liunian soon noticed the oddity. "Why do I feel that something doesn"t smell right? Why does everyone have that strange look in their eyes when looking at us...?"
"Hundred Years Longevity Peach Tree? Cloud beasts?" On the other flying s.h.i.+p, Divine Battalion Commander Li Haoran"s eyebrows suddenly started twitching.
For them, the information of cloud beasts wasn"t any confidential secret.
The same was true for the Hundred Years Longevity Peach Tree.
But why is everyone looking at us with that weird look in their eyes?
"Meng Tai!? Why have you not come out?" shouted Fire Throne Master Ding Rui coldly.
Nonetheless, everything remained quiet all around.
-------
At the entrance of a palace inside a forest, Great Elder and that sickly young man once again walked out, followed by several subordinates dressed in black robes.
"Ke ke ke ke, Ascendant Hall people? Aren"t they done?" said the sickly young man, coughing a bit.
Great Elder nodded in response before taking a long, deep breath; apparently, he was also extremely unhappy.
Atop the two flying s.h.i.+ps, Long Wanqing, Ding Rui, Grandmaster Liunian, and Li Haoran also sensed that something wasn"t right.
Everyone all around, whether it was the natives or the outsiders, all of them were looking at them strangely!
"Ascendant Hall? It"s Ascendant Hall again!? What is it with you guys? Wei Shengren has already been asked to leave by your lot, so why are you here again?" Ninth Young Master"s eyes immediately went wide in anger.
"En?" Long Wanqing was slightly taken aback for a moment.
Grandmaster Liunian also had an astonished look on his face, because, from Ninth Young Master"s voice, it sounded like they had suffered a huge loss at the hands of Ascendant Hall members. All of the onlookers also had a furious look on their faces at this moment.
"Wei Shengren has been asked to leave by us? By Ascendant Hall members?" Old Matron Ding Rui"s eyes immediately turned bright. "It seems Meng Tai has finally done something worthwhile!?"
Listening to Ding Rui"s words, the look on the face of a cultivator upon a nearby cloud beast became weirder.
Grandmaster Liunian also noticed this oddity. He immediately asked that nearby cultivator, "Fellow Daoist, can you tell me what happened before we arrived? Where are my Ascendant Hall disciples? Where is Gu Hai?"
"That"s right! Where did Meng Tai and the others lead Wei Shengren? Is Gu Hai dead?" Ding Rui also asked.