Eternal Life through Drawing Lots

With Fang Yang looking on, the escort team finally split into two groups.

Minghai Profound Blade and his men changed their original objective, traveling far to the Sea-Suppressing Pass region.

Meanwhile, Fang Yang, Dongfang Xuezhi, and their group stuck to the original plan, heading straight for Grass Jiao Swamp.

Perhaps troubled by their decision to part ways, Dongfang Xuezhi was not in a cheerful mood for the entire journey.

But the moment she arrived at the command post in Grass Jiao Swamp, she received a shocking piece of intelligence.

There was trouble at Sea-Suppressing Pass!

Instantly, her expression grew complicated.

"Sea-Suppressing Pass is a crucial strategic point. Is it really about to fall?" Fang Yang’s brows furrowed slightly.

To Fang Yang, this urgent piece of intelligence felt somewhat surreal.

And yet, it had happened just like that.

For reasons he couldn’t quite place, the situation felt incredibly tricky.

If Sea-Suppressing Pass was lost completely, the territories of the Minghai Race would gradually fall into enemy hands.

As a result, the entire front line would be forced to contract rapidly.

’If Sen Yue is defeated, as an Enforcer with an unusual relationship with him, I’ll probably get dragged into this too!’

At that moment, Fang Yang looked up at the sky.

He could only see a dim, dark sky, his path forward unclear.

A great storm was brewing!

"This is terrible. Doesn’t that mean Minghai Profound Blade and the others have walked right into a trap?"

"Sigh, there was nothing to be done. Their hearts were in the right place."

"So, are we still going to head to the Sea-Suppressing Pass area later?"

"Let’s see how the situation develops. We’ll handle the business here first, then decide on the rest."

"I suppose that’s all we can do. Sigh, who could have expected things to change so suddenly? It’s only been two or three days..."

The crowd sighed, lamenting the turn of events.

No one could have possibly imagined that just as the first signs of a rout appeared at Sea-Suppressing Pass, the area would be plunged into a great vortex.

It just went to show: the alliance of the five Golden Clans either didn’t make a move, or when they did, it shook the heavens and the earth.

As the commander of the mission, Dongfang Xuezhi sighed softly, pressed down the hem of her skirt, and slowly sat down.

She said nothing more.

But in her heart, she felt incredibly lucky.

If not for Fang Yang’s support, she probably would have changed course midway and gone to Sea-Suppressing Pass with them.

’Could it be that Fang Yang knows something I don’t?’

She cast a seemingly casual glance at Fang Yang.

The more she considered it, the more plausible it seemed.

「Night.」

Dark clouds shrouded the sky, concealing the stars.

Only a faint glimmer of light was visible in the heavens.

Fang Yang and Dongfang Xuezhi walked side-by-side along the edge of a lake.

"I never would have imagined that Hei Liwu would take action personally."

Dongfang Xuezhi remarked with a sigh, "He is truly worthy of his lineage as a descendant of the Black Moon Great Saint. A single punch from him is like a water whale flipping over, churning up both land and sea."

"The Black Moon Great Saint? A water whale flipping over?" Fang Yang asked in surprise.

Dongfang Xuezhi nodded.

She then went on to explain the details about Hei Liwu.

Although Hei Liwu was a blood descendant of the Black Moon Great Saint, he was from a branch family.

But one day, he had a fortuitous encounter and obtained the Heart of the Black Moon Water Kun.

After that, he devoted himself to arduous cultivation in seclusion, quietly advancing to the Tier Five realm.

When he emerged from his seclusion, he stunned the world, overpowering the other experts of the Hei family to successfully become one of their Eight Great Dao Seeds.

Now, his power is surging. He has become the patriarch of the Hei family and grasped the Mystical Skill of "Converging Luck and Power," appearing as if he’s walking the great path of a Yun Dynasty sovereign.

If not for the existence of Sen Yue, who is akin to a Young Venerable, the most dazzling figure in the Xuan Domain today would be Hei Liwu.

One could only imagine just how terrifying such a person was...

"Daoist Brother, you might not be aware, but within the Xuan Yu Blessed Land, there is an inheritance left behind by the Black Moon Great Saint."

"I believe that within that inheritance, there must also be fortuitous treasures like the Heart of the Black Moon Water Kun!"

"If our lord becomes the final victor of the ’Battle of Xuan Yu,’ then you will have a high chance of entering the Black Moon Great Saint’s legacy ground..."

After speaking, Dongfang Xuezhi took a yellowed and tattered sheepskin scroll from her storage pouch.

She chuckled. "I got this map from a street stall somewhere. The seller claimed it was a map of the Black Moon Great Saint’s hidden inheritance, but who knows if it’s real or not."

As she spoke, she handed the sheepskin map to Fang Yang without a second thought.

It was at this exact moment that Fang Yang understood: this sheepskin map was that Tier Four opportunity.

He looked down to examine it.

The map was quite peculiar, as the lines drawn on it formed the perfect outline of a black whale.

The areas for the eye and the heart were specially marked with small dots.

However, one would have to study it in detail to truly discern its secrets.

It was difficult to commit to memory with just a single glance, giving it a slightly mystical quality.

Fang Yang lowered his gaze, seemingly lost in thought.

After a moment, he asked, "Miss Xuezhi, this map may be of use to me. May I trade you something else for it?"

"Huh?" Dongfang Xuezhi said, astonished. "If it’s useful to you, then just take it. I haven’t even properly thanked you for your escort along the way."

In truth, seeing Fang Yang’s reaction, Dongfang Xuezhi knew that the map was, in all likelihood, real.

But even if it was, it had nothing to do with her.

Even if they managed to enter the Xuan Yu Blessed Land, she would never be able to obtain a priceless treasure like the Heart of the Black Moon Water Kun.

After all, she was not a member of the Changkong Clan!

Therefore, in her hands, the map was nothing more than a worthless piece of paper.

That being the case, why not gift it to Fang Yang and earn a simple favor?

Besides, if even she could get her hands on this map, then Hei Liwu and the other blood descendants of the Black Moon Great Saint were even more certain to possess one.

"Since you insist, it would be rude of me to refuse."

Fang Yang expressed his thanks and put away the sheepskin map.

Perhaps to Dongfang Xuezhi, this map wasn’t worth much.

But to Fang Yang, this map was a Tier Four opportunity.

In the future, if he could truly ride Sen Yue’s coattails into the Xuan Yu Blessed Land, then this map would reveal its true purpose.

’It seems the path of the Kun Peng and I are truly fated to cross...’ Fang Yang thought, a realization dawning on him.

Afterward, he and Dongfang Xuezhi strolled along the lake’s edge, exchanging various items they each required.

Perhaps they were Pills, perhaps Elemental Artifacts, or perhaps intelligence...

The objectives of the two were quite clear; they each took what they needed, their exchange perfectly in sync.

Once the Battle of Xuan Yu was over, it was highly likely they would form an alliance to exchange cultivation resources with one another.

Watching from a distance, their two guardians, Second Uncle Fang and Dongfang Shuanghua, were quite gratified by the sight.

...

Meanwhile, in a small hut in Grass Jiao Swamp.

Le Shiyu, who was staying there, was startled to hear of Fang Yang’s arrival.

She had a complicated, indescribable feeling toward Fang Yang.

Back in the final battle of the grand military tournament, Fang Yang had decisively crushed Cyan Aura!

Because of this, the image of Fang Yang’s cold and stern figure had taken root in her heart, replacing the space once occupied by Cyan Aura.

Since then, through one extraordinary feat after another, that cold and stern image of Fang Yang had slowly grown within her heart, branching out and taking hold.

「The next morning.」

Le Shiyu sat before her window, applying her makeup in the mirror.

She subconsciously took extra care with her appearance, adding a touch of extra charm.

Then, she slowly rose and made her way toward Bluestone Plaza.

At Bluestone Plaza, Dongfang Xuezhi and her group were busy receiving and transferring supplies.

However, when Le Shiyu arrived, she only saw the figures of Dongfang Xuezhi and her companions.

She did not see any sign of Fang Yang.

It turned out Fang Yang had already left, not lingering long in Grass Jiao Swamp.

"Sigh~"

A sigh escaped Le Shiyu’s lips, her tone complex.

She herself didn’t know why she had wanted to come here.

But she knew one thing for certain: her feelings for Fang Yang were growing more and more complicated...