Chapter 289: Strong Reaction

After a day's time, Yuan Yao and her group had already arrived outside the Cloudwater Realm.

After they disembarked from the spirit boat, the people coming and going around them unconsciously turned their gazes toward them.

The reason was simple: Yuan Yao and the other eight possessed appearances and demeanors too outstanding, as if immortals had descended into the world. Moreover, the powerful aura emanating from them exuded an invisible pressure, such that even a slight carelessness would cause one to be cowed by it.

The fabric of their clothing was clearly valuable, far beyond ordinary goods. Just a single glance was enough to tell that these people were anything but ordinary.

Outside the entrance of the Cloudwater Realm, someone also recognized Yuan Yao and her group.

Yuan Yao also sensed an overly scorching gaze; following it, she saw a youth carrying a heavy sword, his features firm and upright, his brows furrowed, his deep black eyes locked onto her group—this youth was none other than Dongfangxiu of the Tai Sui Sect.

Beside him stood a red-clad girl, wearing red jade tassels on both ears, her visage lovely, with a pair of exquisite fox eyes—she was none other than Man Yue of the Tai Sui Sect.

Seeing Yuan Yao look over, Man Yue lightly smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.

"They're from the Tai Sui Sect." Lin Xuechen said slowly, "It seems many have taken up the task of investigating the true culprit behind the extermination of the Water Mirror Immortal Academy."

"Do you think that culprit might have already fled the Cloudwater Realm?" Cang Li mused, stroking his chin.

Xiao Lingwei said, "We cannot rule out that possibility."

As Xiao Lingwei spoke, she turned her head to look at Yao Linglong, "Linglong, did you bring Ao Su's life tablet?"

Yao Linglong heard this and nodded.

She took from her storage space the life tablet inscribed with the name "Ao Su"; on the tablet a thin crack had faintly opened.

"Let's go." Xiao Lingwei said.

The group then headed toward the entrance of the Cloudwater Realm.

At the entrance stood an enormous arch bridge, resembling a giant dragon lying across the river. Beneath the bridge flowed clear, see-through water, its ripples shimmering like a mirror reflecting the white clouds in the sky.

Along the riverbanks grew dense willows, their branches drooping and swaying gently in the breeze.

As Yuan Yao passed the arch bridge, she curiously looked around.

Yuan Yao, momentarily inattentive, realized she had fallen behind the group; by the time she caught up, Fourth Senior Brother Xue Jin turned his head to look at her.

"Don't get lost." Xue Jin said coldly.

Yuan Yao quickly replied, "Oh."

Xiao Lingwei, walking ahead, took the life tablet from Yao Linglong's hand, then swiftly gathered spiritual power and sent it into the tablet; immediately the tablet began to tremble lightly, as if guided, wanting to head toward the northwest.

"Follow me!" Xiao Lingwei said, her expression slightly solemn.

Having said that, she shot toward the northwest.

They followed closely behind.

Xue Jin, fearing Yuan Yao might get lost, grabbed her wrist and pulled her along.

"Fourth Senior Brother, I won't get lost." Yuan Yao said.

Xue Jin gave her a sidelong glance, clearly unconvinced.

Yuan Yao: "……"

The mere presence of their group of nine drew too much attention.

Already inside the Cloudwater Realm, many had set their sights on them.

Seeing this, Dongfangxiu slightly narrowed his eyes, turned his head to Man Yue and the other Tai Sui Sect disciples, and said, "I'll go and come back quickly."

Before Man Yue and the others could answer, Dongfangxiu had already set off in pursuit of Yuan Yao's group.

"Senior Sister Man Yue, where is Senior Brother Dongfang going?" a Tai Sui Sect disciple asked, puzzled.

Man Yue did not answer aloud, but she thought to herself, "Your Senior Brother Dongfang is just going to get beaten up!"

Elsewhere.

Xiao Lingwei followed the guidance of the life tablet, leading Yuan Yao and the others into the bustling streets within the Cloudwater Realm.

Here it was extraordinarily lively, crowds flowing like a woven tapestry, bustling people shuttling through streets and alleys. Upon closer look, many faces seemed familiar—these were young disciples from various major sects.

"Ying Wuji!"

"It's the Six Sons of Thousand Mountain!"

Someone in the crowd cried out in surprise, causing the people on the street to turn their gazes toward Yuan Yao's group.

"Six Sons of Thousand Mountain!"

"Could the Six Sons of Thousand Mountain also have come for the Water Mirror Immortal Academy affair?"

"Lately, the number of people coming to the Cloudwater Realm to investigate has been growing, yet no reliable news about the culprit has been heard..."

"The Water Mirror Immortal Academy incident truly leaves one feeling sigh-worthy!"

The crowd chattered incessantly.

Yet Yuan Yao's group did not linger, continuing onward in the direction indicated by the life tablet.

At the same time, Yuan Yao's sea of consciousness continually rang with the alert of the 250 System: 【Target individual …… Awakening Value reached ……】.

Yuan Yao ignored the system.

After passing through the bustling market and walking a long stretch, a wasteland suddenly appeared ahead, as if they had left the city.

This left Yuan Yao and her companions, who had never been here before, stunned for a moment.

Yao Linglong explained, "This wasteland forms a perfect triangle, cleverly dividing the entire Cloudwater Realm into three distinct regions. The place we just passed through is called Cloudwater Street. If we cross the wasteland to the left front, we can reach the land where the Four Great Immortal Academies reside, also known as Immortal Academy City; if we cross it to the right front, we arrive at the border between the Cloudwater Realm and the Eighth Province, and due to this special geographic location, that place bears a special name: the Two Provinces Area."

In short, the Cloudwater Realm is divided into three major regions.

Specifically: Cloudwater Street, Immortal Academy City, and the Two Provinces Area.

Xiao Lingwei said solemnly, "The direction indicated by the life tablet is the Two Provinces Area."

"The Two Provinces Area..." Yao Linglong's complexion shifted, "It's quite chaotic."

Cang Li said, "No matter how chaotic, we must go."

Xiao Lingwei gave the order, "Go."

The group headed straight toward the Two Provinces Area.

And Yuan Yao looked over, seeing that Ying Wuji seemed somewhat absent-minded.

Youngest Senior Brother, what's wrong?

From yesterday until now, things have been strange.

She wanted to ask Youngest Senior Brother the reason, but given the current situation, it really wasn't convenient to speak up.

On the wasteland, other cultivators also came and went.

But the cultivators closer to the Two Provinces Region clearly had a different demeanor from other orthodox cultivators.

They looked like evil heretics, their pairs of eyes bloodthirsty and greedy as they gazed upon Yuan Yao's group, sizing them up.

At that moment, a young cultivator who was stout and portly walked toward them, wearing a kind smile on his face, and in his hand he held a long string of Buddhist prayer beads.

"Friends, do you want to enter the Two Provinces Region? I can guide you, and even introduce you to the situation there, but I need some spirit stones."

"It's not much, just a thousand low-grade spirit stones."

"Why don't you go rob them?" Yao Linglong said, letting out a cold laugh upon hearing that.

Cang Li said angrily: "Exactly, this thousand low-grade spirit stones—do you know how many years I'd have to earn to make that much?!"

Xiao Lingwei gave that stout cultivator a cold glance: "No need."

The stout cultivator hadn't expected their reaction to be so fierce; his gaze swept over their attire and appearance, and no matter how you looked at it, they seemed like wealthy people!

At the very least they're from a rich family—how could hearing about a thousand low-grade spirit stones provoke such a strong reaction?