Zhao Wuya and Huang Yuanwu looked at Chu Xuan with a mix of emotions. Before the fall of the Heavenly Seal Sect, they had sensed something amiss and had excused themselves on a sect mission to avoid the impending disaster.
Indeed, as they had anticipated, Heavenly Seal Sect was annihilated by the Heaven Burning Sect.
Afterward, they roamed from place to place, disguising themselves as low-level cultivators. They even spent some time disguised as Foundation Establishment cultivators among the Hundred Sects Alliance.
They had thought that this would be their life from then on. However, they were astounded when Wan Wuying found them not long ago, claiming to have a token that granted access to the extraterritorial battlefield.
They had thought he was long dead. And yet, he had emerged alive from the Sighost Palace? But where did this battlefield token come from?
When they learned that the token was obtained by both Chu Xuan and Wan Wuying together, their astonishment increased even more. Wan Wuying's former disciple had become a Golden Core cultivator?!
Huang Yuanwu, having never met Chu Xuan, was not too shocked. The most shocked was Zhao Wuya, who had personally seen Chu Xuan before.
Back then, Wan Wuying had brought Li Xuanming, Chu Xuan, Liu Zhenxiong, Wu Teng, and others to the Heavenly Seal Sect's Flying Mountain Hall, seeking to cleanse their demonic cultivator identities and join the Heavenly Seal Sect as cultivators from the Extremely Yin Cave.
It was Zhao Wuya who had received them!
Zhao Wuya was deeply moved. "Fellow daoist Chu... it's only been a few years, and you've gone from a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator to a Golden Core cultivator. I never expected this, truly unexpected… All the disciples under old Wan, dead or betrayed, and in the end, it's only you who remain."
Chu Xuan merely smiled. Life is unsentimental. Other than himself, who could have guessed that he would be the last one standing?
In secret, Wan Wuying handed a storage bag to Chu Xuan, whispering, "The rest of the tokens have been auctioned off, and your seventy percent share of the proceeds is inside."
Chu Xuan accepted it tacitly.
"Let's go, we're heading to that ancient teleportation array," said Wan Wuying, beckoning Chu Xuan and the others to follow.
Four streaks of light whirled through the sky, swiftly reaching a manor. This manor housed the ancient teleportation array and was usually manned by disciples of Feather Transformation Heaven Palace, with at least three Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed here. But now, it was deserted.
The reason was all too simple.
With the death of the Nascent Soul cultivators from Feather Transformation Heaven Palace and the tragic end of its Nascent Soul ancestors, coupled with a significant drop in prestige, the sect had no choice but to retract its power. Particularly after the upheavals caused by Shang Tianjue in Southern Wilderness. The major sects in Eastern Border, Northern Cold, and Western Land remained intact.
The remaining Nascent Soul cultivators certainly wouldn't miss the chance to bring down Feather Transformation Heaven Palace during its time of weakness.
What goes around comes around—it's my turn today! And, well, even if it's not at my home, it certainly won't be at Feather Transformation Heaven Palace! Let's do this!
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The reason they chose this location over a guarded ancient teleportation formation was straightforward.
Despite its retraction, Feather Transformation Heaven Palace was still a formidable force with Nascent Soul stage cultivators.
Chu Xuan and Wan Wuying, being demonic cultivators, would certainly not approach Feather Transformation Heaven Palace directly. An unguarded ancient teleportation formation was obviously the better choice.
"Is this the ancient teleportation formation?" Chu Xuan surveyed the enormous structure before him, marveling at its size.
The ancient teleportation formation was more than ten zhang high and wide—over thirty meters in both length and width according to Blue Star's measurements!
"I've heard that such ancient teleportation formations were crafted by superior sects. Even Feather Transformation Heaven Palace lacks the capability to construct such a device," Huang Yuanwu remarked.
"I also heard that the materials used to build ancient teleportation formations are incredibly hard, such that even late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators can't leave a mark on them with their full power!" Zhao Wuya added, touching the surface of the formation in awe.
Wan Wuying nodded, "Activating this teleportation formation requires a significant amount of spirit stones. Now that Feather Transformation Heaven Palace has withdrawn, we need to provide our own spirit stones. Did everyone bring the spirit stones?"
Chu Xuan and the others nodded, "We did."
"According to what we agreed earlier, you two will contribute a thousand medium spiritual stones, and we two hundred," Wan Wuying stated calmly.
Zhao Wuya and Huang Yuanwu, despite the pinch, nodded in agreement. After all, the tokens were in the hands of Wan Wuying and Chu Xuan.
A total of one thousand two hundred medium spiritual stones were then fed into the ancient teleportation formation.
Initially, the large number of medium spiritual stones seemed to disappear into the formation like stones sinking into the ocean, showing no reaction at all.
It wasn't until one thousand medium spiritual stones had been inserted that a faint glow began to emanate from its surface.
Once all the spirit stones were in place, the surface of the formation finally shone with layers of brilliant light, swirling continuously.
As Chu Xuan observed the ancient teleportation formation closely, he noticed it resembled a curtain of water, filled with intense spatial fluctuations.
Wan Wuying spoke in a deep voice, "Take out the battlefield tokens. These serve as coordinates, allowing us to teleport to the extraterritorial battlefield without losing our way."
"We should all arrive close to each other if we use the same ancient teleportation formation," he continued. "Once we land, we'll regroup as quickly as possible and head to the nearest city."
Chu Xuan and the others nodded slightly and took out their respective tokens.
"I'll go first!" Huang Yuanwu called out, holding his battlefield token and resolutely stepping into the teleportation light screen first, followed by Wan Wuying and Zhao Wuya. Chu Xuan was the last to enter.
Shortly after the four men entered, about ten breaths of time passed, and the light screen quickly dimmed before finally vanishing. The ancient teleportation formation returned to its usual appearance.
...
On Dragonfish Island, Yuan Zichu, Zhu Yuqiao, and Wu Dalang stood in front of an ancient teleportation formation.
Wu Dalang, with his arm around Zhu Yuqiao's slender waist, expressed his gratitude, "Fellow daoist Yuan, if it weren't for you, both Qiao'er and I would never have obtained this battlefield token."
He continued with heartfelt thanks, "Also, Qiao'er, being a formation master, was originally to be forcibly conscripted by Shang Tianjue to guard the Eight Directions Immutable Array. If you hadn't helped us fake her disappearance, she might have ended up mindless like the other Golden Core formation masters."
Wu Dalang bowed deeply, "Words cannot express my gratitude. From now on, you are my brother in life and death!"
Yuan Zichu quickly helped him up, feigning anger, "Fellow daoist Wu, there's no need for such formalities! The three of us escaped Feather Transformation Heaven Palace's pursuit together. Considering our life-and-death experiences, it's only right to share the battlefield token with you.
As for helping to create the illusion of disappearance, it's the least I could do. I've exchanged many ideas on the art of formations with fellow daoist Zhu, considering her almost a master of mine, so it was only natural to help!"
Wu Dalang, tears brimming in his eyes, said, "I am over four hundred years old, and my lifespan nearing its end. Only by entering the extraterritorial battlefield can I hope to find a chance at reaching the Nascent Soul stage!
Fellow daoist Yuan, your actions have given me a new lease on life! I've decided, if Qiao'er and I have children, they shall be named Wu Zichu!"
Yuan Zichu, "...That might not be necessary."
Wu Dalang, overcome with emotion, exclaimed, "I will go first!" Holding the token, he stepped into the ancient teleportation formation.
Yuan Zichu and Zhu Yuqiao, holding hands and exchanging smiles, followed him into the formation.